Assistant Minister Lü's back was covered in cold sweat. His entire body was in a daze.
Fang Qin inwardly sighed, "What a useless thing." He stepped forward and slowly said, "Your Majesty, please calm down. This official feels that this matter may not be as serious as Master Liao Ran described it to be. Jiangbei is humid and hot, and the summer is difficult to endure. The refugees are also weak and sickly. It's not strange for a few people to have a fever. It may not be an epidemic. Your Majesty, if there really is someone who has the ability to cover the sky with one hand, why can't they stop Master Liao Ran from sending a letter back to the capital? "
Changgeng listened without raising his head. When he heard this, he chuckled and said, "Master Fang, I don't understand what you mean. Are you saying that Master Liao Ran can't distinguish between an epidemic and a fever? Or are you saying that the monk is extremely daring and wants to frame an important official? Or is this Prince looking for trouble and casually fabricating some evidence to eliminate the dissidents? "
Fang Qin hurriedly took a step back, "Your Majesty, please understand. This official would never dare."
When Li Feng frowned, Changgeng followed his advice and cupped his hands, "I am young and inexperienced, so I speak without thinking. Master Fang, please don't take it to heart. Master Liao Ran burns incense and prays for blessings on the first and fifteenth of every month. He will hand-draw a protective talisman and seal it in a brocade pouch to send it to this official. He wishes for the prosperity of the country and for Imperial Brother to be healthy and healthy. Once the protective talisman is sealed, it is not easy to open it. Imperial Brother also knows this. However, this official recently received a few protective talismans that showed signs of being opened and then put back together. I don't know who it was that couldn't bear to see this little private wish of mine …"
Fang Qin was choked by his words.
Chang Geng took out a letter from his pocket. It was not the letter that Gu Yun had seen the night before, but a handful of old paper strips that had been kept for who knew how long. They were as wide as a finger and had been pieced together again. Each piece of paper had a string of indecipherable ink marks on it, but when they were pieced together with the paper strips next to it, one could see a complete sentence under the complicated patterns. Together, it read: "The epidemic in Jiangbei is serious. The dead are everywhere. The road to the courier station is closed. Make plans to go to the imperial court early."
Imperial court. "Changgeng," A line of words divided into four pieces of paper and sent in a messy order... Sanskrit and totem patterns.
Emperor Long could recognize Liao Ran's handwriting.
Fang Qin was about to speak, but Changgeng cut him off before he could say anything.
Changgeng, "But as Master Fang said, this item was not obtained through proper channels. Its authenticity is still uncertain. Therefore, this subject brother did not immediately report it. Originally, this subject brother wanted to ask Your Majesty to allow this subject to go to Jiangbei to check on the situation of the refugees so that they can settle down. On the way, I can also verify whether this matter is true or not. However, the Lord Jiang was impatient and blurted it out."
Jiang Chong hurriedly kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me."
As soon as these words were spoken, the meaning behind Yan Wang's words gave everyone goosebumps. Fang Qin's head was about to explode — Prince Yan wanted to go to the South again!
"The law cannot punish the masses" was meaningless to Yan Wang. Last time, when he went from the South to the North, his feat of killing people along the way was still vivid in his mind. He didn't seem to be afraid that there would be no work for him in the Imperial Court. He didn't care about making thousands of enemies. If he wanted to kill, he would kill. He was neither a group nor a faction. He didn't give anyone face — in any case, he was the Emperor's younger brother. As long as he didn't rebel, no one could touch him.
The Fang Family once wanted to express their goodwill to Yan Wang, but every time, they were blocked by him.
If they wanted to give Yan Wang a gift, the first day they gave it to him, the next day, they would send a fire beacon ticket printed with the Lingshu Temple's special anti-counterfeit seal to their door. He didn't care about money, nor did he care about beauties. Some people had sent beauties, but they would return them the next day. If they couldn't return them, he would throw them to Yan Wang's Mansion and have them clean the courtyard — Yan Wang's Mansion was an empty shell. Since it was built, Yan Wang hadn't gone back to spend a night.
The legitimate daughter of the Fang Family was nothing in his eyes. At first, there were people who coveted Yan Wang's empty position of Princess Consort, so they racked their brains to find a way to enter the Imperial Harem. Who knew that later, the Emperor seemed to have taken the wrong medicine. Because of this, even the Empress was angry. His original words were, "Ignorant women shouldn't reach out to the Imperial Court" — he simply wanted to condone his younger brother to die alone. For a time, no one dared to mention this matter.
Fang Qin saw the opportunity very quickly. He changed his tone and immediately said, "Your Majesty, I heard that a lot of bad people are mingling among the refugees in Jiangbei. They cause trouble every day. That place is close to the front line, and there are foreigners eyeing it covetously. Wang Ye's identity is precious, and the Grand Council can't leave Wang Ye for a day. I'm afraid it's too risky for the White Dragon to sneak into that chaotic place."
Li Feng frowned. He turned to Changgeng and said, "Just send someone to investigate. How can you do everything by yourself?"
On the one hand, he admired Chang Geng's frivolous attitude of not letting go of any target that he had. He felt that Chang Geng was useful but not too shrewd, making people feel insecure. In addition, Chang Geng was his only brother. Even if the two of them did not grow up together when they were young and did not have much affection for each other, Li Feng had no choice but to reluctantly place his little familial affection on Chang Geng when his country was in ruins.
However, while the Emperor Long An was relieved, he couldn't help but feel a bit of a headache. Yan Wang was usually gentle, considerate, and didn't put on any airs. When the soldiers were at the city gates, he dared to throw his imperial sword back. Now that he was in charge of the Grand Council, no matter who offended him, he didn't recognize anyone.
Li Feng: "There's no need to talk about this matter."
Changgeng: "Imperial Brother, there are many refugees in Jiangbei. There are refugees in all directions. I don't know what the situation is. We didn't even take a look at them. We only talked about how to settle them in the court. Isn't that just talking on paper? Since everyone has their own reasons and no one can come up with a plan, why don't this subject brother go and report to Imperial Brother when I come back. "
The corners of Li Feng's eyes twitched. At this moment, Gu Yun, who had been a wallflower, suddenly stepped out slowly and said, "Since Yan Wang has this intention, why don't Your Majesty grant it? If Jiangbei's corrupt officials run amok, others may not have the weight to suppress them. If you don't feel at ease, this subject can escort you along the way. Isn't it just a few refugees and bandits? There's no need to put them in your eyes."
Changgeng stared blankly. He didn't expect him to suddenly appear. This wasn't arranged.
Shen Yi secretly glanced at Gu Yun. Gu Yun lowered his head and gave him a look. No matter how you looked at it, it didn't seem proper. Shen Yi turned his face away as if he had a toothache. He felt that most of the adulterers in novels had this face.
No matter who said this, it would seem arrogant and unreliable. However, coming from Gu Yun's mouth, it was incomparably resolute and decisive.
Gu Yun thought about it and added a ready-made excuse: "Jiangnan will eventually be taken back. This subject just happened to want to investigate the situation at the front lines. These two days, I originally wanted to submit a memorial to ask for an imperial decree. Coincidentally, I'll send His Royal Highness Yan Wang over. I guarantee that he will be brought back intact."
Once the Marquis of Stability appeared, no one needed to argue.
Li Feng issued an imperial decree the next day. Yan Wang was appointed as the Imperial Envoy, and the Right Deputy Inspector of the Supervision Court, Xu Ling, was appointed as his assistant. They were to thoroughly investigate the case of the concealed report of the epidemic in Jiangnan. The Marquis of Stability escorted them along the way. Along the way, he brought along a person from the Lingshu Temple, Ge Chen, to investigate the battle preparations of the Jiangnan Western Army.
After coming down from the court, Fang Qin's heart was flustered and exasperated. However, he was too shrewd, and it was not convenient for him to show it in front of others. He could only sit in the carriage with a gloomy expression. His literary talent was outstanding, and he had once been praised by the previous Emperor. His methods were extraordinary, and he was able to raise the Fang Family, a prestigious Daliang, despite not being the eldest son. He had connections left and right in the court. Ever since he took over the Ministry of Revenue, his political achievements were outstanding. Even the thorn-covered Master Yan Wang of the Grand Council was amiable when he saw him. He had a lot of praise in front of people and behind them … yet he had to spend all his time in the company of lowly people like Lü Chang.
People say, "A gentleman does not belong to a party." However, people also say that the two words, "power and influence," are inseparable. Without power, there is no power. Without influence, where does power come from?
Before ascending to the Hall of Sons of Heaven under the tutelage of a sage, he was naturally different from those good-for-nothings who relied on their family background to get by. Who didn't want to make a name for themselves and leave behind a good story? If his surname wasn't Fang, he would definitely join Yan Wang and clean up this messy and rotten imperial court.
Unfortunately, people can't choose their own family background. For the first 30 years, they lived a luxurious life and were protected by their family. They could have whatever they wanted. However, for the next 30 years, they would have to work hard for their family and be imprisoned until they died.
Suddenly, the carriage stopped. A family member outside whispered, "Master, Lü Daren stopped the carriage. He said he has a few words to say to you."
Fang Qin's face turned cold. He couldn't wait for Lü Daren to die. He sat there expressionlessly for a moment. Then, Minister Fang changed his expression back to a pleasant one. He lifted the curtain of the carriage and scolded, "Dog servant, do you know how to behave? Why aren't you inviting him in? What are you reporting?"
The servants in the family were used to taking the blame for their masters. They pretended to be in fear and trepidation. They invited Lü Chang, who was full of complaints, into the carriage and went to Assistant Minister Lü's residence.
Lü Chang's body was covered in cold sweat. As soon as he entered the door, he bowed and said, "Minister Fang, please save my life!"
Fang Qin sneered in his heart, but his face turned pale with fright. He helped Lü Chang up and pretended to be ignorant. "Brother Yannian, what are you doing?"
Of course, Lü Chang also knew that Fang Qin was pretending. However, when things came to a head, he had no choice but to hold on tightly to his savior. He couldn't care less about his attitude. He hurriedly and meticulously told Fang Qin how his brother-in-law, the current Governor of Liangjiang, Yang Ronggui, dared to hide the truth about the epidemic in Jiangbei, purged the local powers, and imprisoned all the 'dissidents' who dared to betray him. He also sent people to seal off the relay station, assassinated the eighteen scholars who went to the capital to file an imperial complaint, and faked them as refugees and bandits. Fang Qin's heart, liver, and lungs trembled.
Lü Chang complained tearfully, "Minister Fang, this lowly official hid the truth not because of my relatives, but because of our grand plan. Think about it, the Emperor is desperate. He even sent out something like the Fire Beacon Tickets, which would harm the reputation of our ancestors. If he knew that Jiangbei had reached this point, and with the Grand Council fanning the flames, he might really agree with those cheap merchants and let them build some factory!"
Fang Qin looked at Assistant Minister Lü Chang's crying and snot appearance and felt sick of it. He thought to himself, "Bullshit!"
However, on the surface, he only sighed worriedly. "Yannian, you're muddle-headed. Do you still remember that time when Zhang Fenghan of the Lingshu Temple went crazy and asked the Emperor to ban the sale of Violet Gold among the common people, and Prince Yan sent the memorial back? Prince Yan always hangs out with those pedantic scholars. Have you forgotten his surname? His surname is Li. No matter how bad the Li family is, how could they allow a group of common merchants to resell Violet Gold? Yan Wang didn't want to use those merchants to do anything. He clearly knew about your brother-in-law's actions and used this as a diversion to attack us. "
Assistant Minister Lü was speechless and could only cry loudly. He originally didn't have any color to speak of, and now he looked absolutely disgusting. Ignoring Fang Qin's attempts to stop him, he knelt down again and kowtowed repeatedly. "Daren, please save me."
Fang Qin didn't want to save him. He just wanted him to die early. He evaded, "Yan Wang has Gu Marquis by his side. With a single word from the Marquis of Stability, he can transfer all of Jiangbei's General Zhong's frontline troops over. Can't he deal with a few yamens? Yannian, it's not that I don't want to save him, but it's beyond my reach! "
After he finished speaking, he seemed to be overcome with grief. He covered his face with his sleeves and sobbed miserably. "Back then, Yang Gong and I were schoolmates. We were so happy when we went to Qingyou Lake together. Now that he's in trouble, do you think I don't want to save him?"
Lü Chang: "… …"
He came to ask for help, but instead, he made him cry. It was really strange. Fang Qin was indeed the most ruthless person in the Fang Family.
Lü Chang clenched his teeth in his heart. He said with a mournful expression, "Master Fang, if this matter gets out of hand, it'll be a great crime that will result in nine familial exterminations. You and I have been friends for generations. Even if our bones are broken, we're still connected. You can't just ignore this."
Fang Qin's cheeks twitched fiercely. Lü Chang's words had hit his soft spot.
Fang Qin had a half-sister from a different mother. She was born from a tongfang and wasn't favored. Until she was ten years old, she didn't talk much with her brothers. However, when Miss Fang was young and inexperienced, she played a big game — she had an unsuccessful elopement with someone.
In fact, after the opening of the sea route, etiquette and music had collapsed for many years. If this had happened in the eastern coastal areas, where folk customs were more open, it wouldn't have been a shocking event. It would have been fine if there were idle women and idiots talking about it. Perhaps there would have been people praising the girl for her courage at such a young age. There were so many foreign women walking down the street with their backs exposed, and no one in their family had any objections.
However, it was the Fang Family.
Since the beginning of the Yuanhe Era, there had gradually been a trend in the imperial court. The more open the folk customs were, the more conservative the aristocratic families were. It was as if if they didn't do this, they couldn't show their nobility. The Fang Family's matter could be said to be a slap in the face. They originally wanted to be locked up for a few years and sent to a temple to be a monk. However, at that time, the Lü Family wanted to curry favor with them. Seeing this opportunity, they were secretly delighted. They hurriedly threw themselves at them like flies encountering feces. In the end, one of Lü Chang's cousin, who had spent money to become an official, married Miss Fang.
There were only a few reputable families in the capital. They were married off to each other. Everyone had some sort of relationship with each other. It could be said that they were bound together for good or ill.
Lü Chang's words were a reminder, but also a threat.
Fang Qin stopped crying and slowly straightened his back. He scrutinized Lü Chang for a moment and thought, "A mere assistant minister dares to threaten me. This person can't be allowed to live."
"Lord Lü, please rise," Fang Qin muttered to himself for a moment and then slowly said, "I still say the same thing. It's useless to beg anyone for help. If you want to turn things around, you have to start with His Royal Highness Yan Wang."
When Lü Chang heard this, he brought the topic back. His face was as bitter as a gourd: "But that …"
Fang Qin raised a hand to stop him from speaking. He used the teapot on the small table to pour some water. He lowered his voice and said, "What kind of person is Prince Yan? The entire national treasury passes through his hands. Would he be interested in your small gifts? In addition, some men have a natural desire for cleanliness and don't want people to get close to them. It's not strange that they don't like women. The women you've gathered aren't any exceptional beauties. Even I don't like them, much less Yan Wang. "
Lü Chang paused: "Then …"
Fang Qin dipped his hand into the tea and slowly wrote the words "Yellow Gown on the Body" on the table. He then looked meaningfully at the stunned Lü Chang and reached out to wipe away the words on the table.
Lü Chang was dumbfounded for a long time. He sat down to the side and his lips trembled: "Master Fang, this is … this is …"
Fang Qin smiled coldly: "But what? What are you going to do? Kill Yan Wang midway like you killed those poor scholars who don't even have the strength to truss a chicken? Do you think the Marquis of Stability is just for show? He doesn't say a word in court all day long? Or do you really think your brother-in-law can cover the sky with one hand in Jiangbei and make the imperial envoy return without any results? If that's really the case, how did the demon monk's letter get to the Grand Council? He doesn't rub sand in his eyes. Thinking back to when he fell out with him, he even imprisoned the Marquis of Stability. Do you really think he'll care about the Lü family — about us? "
After the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, Lü Chang absent-mindedly got down from Fang Qin's carriage and entered the Lü manor like a wandering ghost.
Fang Qin ordered the driver: "Return to the manor."
He indifferently lit incense in the carriage, as if he wanted to completely isolate Lü Chang's smell. He should let some people know that in this world, there was no such thing as being able to manipulate others as they wished just because there was a common interest.
Green smoke filled the carriage. Fang Qin sat upright on one side with his eyes closed, resting. He thought to himself: "If I can drag Yan Wang down with me, then it'll be killing two birds with one stone."
Even if Yan Wang was truly selfless and had no distracting thoughts. He didn't even care about the Imperial Jade Seal. Even if he couldn't bring him down this time, he still had a trump card in his hands.
King Yan's methods were ruthless, and he was stubborn. Right now, he did not reveal his true strength. He seemed to be a pure minister. However, if one were to think about it carefully, Daliang's every step had his shadow behind it.
If he couldn't stand side by side with this kind of person, he would definitely become a formidable enemy. Even if he was a prince, he still couldn't do without him …
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