At the end of summer, Xiaoman and Nu gave birth. Xiaoman gave birth to another son and Nu gave birth to a daughter. Both of them had sons and daughters. The Yang Family had a new member and the Yang Mansion was full of joy.
In the golden autumn, the family decided to leave Chang 'an and travel to Qi Province again. This time, Yang Fan had plenty of time. The family planned to stay in Qi Province for a few more days. Therefore, they prepared a lot of things for the journey and filled six carriages.
Yang Nianzu was very happy. At least during this period, he did not have to be forced by his father to memorize books every day. In fact, Yang Fan could not bear to see him distressed. He remembered that when he was young, he was naughty and refused to study. He was beaten by his father many times. At that time, he thought that when he grew up and had his own children, he would not be forced to study. But today, he still could not get rid of the path that his father had taken. In the end, it was for his son's future. How many people could understand the pains of a parent?
Six carriages used to transport goods, plus the carriages used by the three madams, wet nurses, children, and maids, totaled fifteen to sixteen carriages. There were also nearly a hundred guards and servants dressed in bright clothes and riding on horses. They majestically walked onto Vermilion Bird Avenue.
Yang Fan was going to the farm in Qi Province to relax, so he did not put on the ceremonial guard of the General-in-Chief Who Supports the State. But for the convenience of the journey, the official lanterns and banners had to be hung up. Therefore, when they walked on Vermilion Bird Avenue, they were seen by Princess Anle who was walking towards them.
Wu Chongxun's corpse was not cold yet, and An Le had already become a bride. Wu Yanxiu was a tactful person. Moreover, now that Wei Clan was in control of the court, Wu Clan had become a vassal of Wei Clan. Wu Yanxiu had lost all her confidence. Naturally, she could not interfere with Princess An Le's actions like Wu Chongxun.
Princess An Le was really in a good place now. Not only did she often have illicit relations with Cui Shi, she also found a few new gigolos. All of them were beautiful young men with jade faces and red lips. Among them were Cui Shi's brothers Cui Ye and Cui Di. The few of them often fooled around with each other.
Today, Princess An Le returned from her trip. Because she drank a few cups of wine, she was slightly tipsy. She drew the curtains and welcomed the autumn wind to sober up. Suddenly, she saw Yang Fan's banner and hurriedly called out, "Stop the carriage!"
The two carriages stopped when they passed each other. Princess An Le bent her willowy waist and leisurely walked out of the carriage. Looking at the carriage that stopped at the intersection, she giggled and asked, "Are you the Great General who Aids the Nation?"
The curtain of the carriage was lifted, Yang Fan was sitting in the carriage, indifferently looking at her, sitting beside him was Gu Zhuting, like a little bird leaning on a man. Yang Fan ordered softly, and the Yang family's carriages continued to move forward. Young Master Yang poked his head out of the window, and with a dignified look, he stared at Princess An Le very seriously.
When Princess An Le saw that her beauty could even attract such a young child, she couldn't help but raise her chin proudly, the corners of her lips curling into a smile. However, Eldest Young Master Yang turned around and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Mother, the dress that this lady is wearing is very similar to the one we have at home, but it's not as pretty as ours."
Princess An Le's smile immediately froze on her face. Yang Fan almost couldn't hold back his laughter. He walked out of the carriage and cupped his hands at Princess An Le, saying, "Greetings, Your Highness."
An Le was angered by Eldest Young Master Yang to the point that her face turned ashen. She said to Yang Fan with a straight face, "I'm very well. How is Great General Yang? "
Yang Fan smiled, "I'm very well, I have nothing to worry about. Qi Province's mountains and rivers have always been beautiful since ancient times. Isn't this a beautiful and joyful trip to the west?"
An Le curled her lips lightly and said, "Hypocrite, who would be willing to lose their power to someone else? However … if you want to regain your power, it's not impossible, as long as you're willing … to beg me. "
Princess An Le's eyes were watery, and there was a hint of coquettish charm in them. Her eyelashes were like a brush dipped in honey, twinkling and teasing Yang Fan.
Yang Fan turned around, bent down, entered the carriage, and sat down. He then said loudly, "Let's go."
The carriage's curtains were drawn, and the coachman cracked his whip. The carriage then chased after the large group of people. Princess An Le's face turned ashen again.
… …
That evening, the Yang family stayed in a small town. After the family settled down, Yang Fan called Ren Wei to him and instructed him in a low voice, "I want to meet Shen Mu on this trip to Qi Province."
Ren Wei revealed a slightly surprised expression, but he didn't say anything. He knew that Yang Fan must have something else to say.
Yang Fan said, "The Obvious and Hidden Sects can't continue to be in a stalemate like this. If this goes on, it won't be good for either of us. I think that after such a long stalemate, Shen Mu should have a clear idea of what to do. We have broken away from the seven sects and five families and were able to cooperate with them from vassals. Furthermore, we have been cooperating very well. Can't the Obvious and Hidden Sects find a suitable solution? "
Yang Fan slowly paced back and forth with his hands behind his back. He muttered to himself, "This time, I contacted him for this purpose, and he agreed. However … I might have a vast farmland in Qi Province and am the biggest landlord there, but that place is still under the Hidden Sect's control. One must always be on guard. Do you understand? "
Ren Wei nodded forcefully. Yang Fan nodded and said, "I have already asked Gu Da to head to Qi Province first to make preparations. You are the leader of my personal guards. The safety of my family and I will ultimately be in your hands. You will be in the light, and Gu Da will be in the dark. You must ensure the safety of my family in Qi Province. "
Ren Wei replied, "Yes! This subordinate will do his best to ensure the safety of Sect Lord and your family. It's just that … it's just that the Hidden Sect's intentions are unclear, and this trip might be dangerous. Since Sect Lord has decided to meet with Shen Mu in Qi Province, why do you have to take the risk and bring your family along? "
Yang Fan said, "I will bring my family, and it will be in his territory to prove my sincerity. However, you don't have to worry too much. Not only do I have Gu Da in the dark, but I also have you in the light. Furthermore … I am still the Empire Supporting General of the imperial court. "
Yang Fan smiled and said, "In the imperial court, I don't have much of a say as a general. However, as the Empire Supporting General, I represent the imperial court's reputation. If something were to happen out of nowhere, the imperial court wouldn't look good, and the local officials wouldn't be able to bear the responsibility. Do you think they wouldn't send someone to protect me? Shen Mu's Hidden Sect might be roaming the pugilistic world, but they are also seeking power and wealth and not robbing others. I believe they won't take the risk out of desperation and do something that is too out of line. "
Ren Wei nodded and said, "Yes, this subordinate understands!"
When Ren Wei saw that Yang Fan didn't have any other instructions, he cupped his hands and said, "This subordinate will go make some arrangements now."
Ren Wei turned and left. Yang Fan suddenly said, "I know that there are some doyens in the sect who are dissatisfied with my forbearance and compromise. I also know that you beheaded Li Chengkuang because you wanted to ease the conflict between me and the doyens and fight for more benefits for my Obvious Sect. The reason why I didn't accept it is because …"
Ren Wei stopped and slowly turned around to look at Yang Fan.
Yang Fan said, "It is because we are not looking at the present. We are looking at decades, centuries, or even millennia from now. Therefore, we cannot walk on a path that we can't turn back from once we step on it."
Yang Fan stared at Ren Wei and said, "If you are not in a position, don't think about politics. No matter how good your intentions are, I hope that you will abide by your duties in the future and not make decisions for me!"
As Yang Fan spoke, his expression turned cold. Ren Wei's body trembled slightly as he lowered his head and said, "Yes! This subordinate understands! "
… …
Five Zhang Plains, in front of the deep ditch that had been washed by the river, Yang Fan and Shen Mu stood shoulder to shoulder.
The power of Heaven and Earth had carved an incomparably magnificent picture here, and the passage of time had painted it with a layer of desolate glaze. Standing here, one could not help but feel nostalgic.
Shen Mu stood with his hands behind his back, his robes fluttering in the wind. His originally ordinary appearance was slightly elegant because of this.
Yang Fan glanced at him and then at Shen Mu's guard who was standing very far away. He said, "You are not afraid that I will throw you down with my hand and smash you to pieces?"
Shen Mu smiled slightly and teased him. "Since you have brought your entire family to Qi Province, would I doubt your sincerity?"
Yang Fan sighed and said, "Brother Shen, in this year, the two of us have been estranged."
Shen Mu also sighed and said, "Fortunately, the Obvious and Hidden Sects are not as incompatible as they used to be."
Yang Fan said, "But if the two sides continue to be like this, there will be a day when they will really be incompatible because … they will trip each other up and both sides will suffer great losses. No one can tolerate this kind of loss to continue indefinitely. I'm afraid that even you and I can't control what will happen when that time comes."
Shen Mu frowned and said, "You want to reconcile with me?"
Yang Fan said, "Don't you want to?"
The two of them looked at each other. Shen Mu slowly turned around and looked down at the deep valley in front of him. He said, "The matter back then should not have escalated to such a stage. I admit that both sides wanted to earn more benefits, but the Obvious and Hidden Sects had a very harmonious relationship at that time. Under normal circumstances, no one from either side would dare to take the initiative to provoke them. If the matter was blown out of proportion, then they would lose the original intention of seeking wealth."
Yang Fan turned his head and looked at him in confusion. Shen Mu slowly said, "I have my suspicions about this, but after investigating for a long time, I still couldn't find any clues. But later on, when I was handling another matter, my subordinates unexpectedly found an accountant who had a huge amount of wealth. It was very considerable. "
Yang Fan's eyes moved a little, but he didn't say anything. The wind fluttered his hair, and his gaze was like an arrow.
Shen Mu said, "He shouldn't have so much money, even if he embezzled all the money in his account. In fact, there was nothing wrong with his account, and he didn't embezzle a single cent. He didn't commit any crime, and no matter how rich his family is, it has nothing to do with our Hidden Sect. This matter should have ended here, but he just happened to be one of the main parties involved in the conflict between the Obvious and Hidden Sects. Furthermore, the brother that I sent to investigate this matter happened to be especially shrewd. "
Yang Fan blurted out, "What did you find?"
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