After Yang Fan left Wu Youyi's residence, he immediately returned to his residence near the southern city.
The residence that Xue Huaiyi gifted to him was now his daily residence.
"Ah Lang is back!"
The one who answered the door was an old servant with the surname Chen. His name was Chen Shou. Yang Fan nodded. As he walked inside, he said in a low voice, "The matter has been settled. Wu Sansi is treating it like a treasure. He will send someone to pick him up in a moment. After that, we just need to observe his actions and cooperate with him!"
"Alright! I will inform Zhao Yu in a while! "
Chen Shou was Shen Mu's subordinate. Ever since Yang Fan moved into this residence, there had to be someone to take care of the residence. He was now a military officer and couldn't be the same as before.
Right now, his residence had a cook cum procurement, a doorman cum gardener, and two young girls who were around 12 or 13 years old. They were responsible for the cleaning and cleaning of the residence. These people were left behind by Shen Mu in Luoyang. They were Zhao Yu's' eyes and ears' and had arranged for him. Chen Shou was his doorman and was also the person who helped him communicate with the Hidden Sect. As for the other people, Zhao Yu only mentioned that they could be trusted and that there was no need to hide anything from them unless it was an important secret. However, he didn't mention that they were also from the Hidden Sect.
Yang Fan observed them carefully. The gardener cum chef had the surname Lin, and his name was Lin Xiwen. He was really good at cooking. Even though they were ordinary dishes like green vegetables and tofu, they were still very delicious. The two young girls were around 12 or 13 years old and were in the prime of their lives. They had average looks and were youthful and lively.
It was impossible to say that these people were all from the Hidden Sect. However, since Zhao Yu said that they could be trusted, then they or their families must have countless connections with the Hidden Sect. In fact, organizations like the Obvious Sect and the Hidden Sect were just like those prestigious clans. They could influence a state, a prefecture, or even a country's political policies. However, there weren't many core members that truly belonged to these clans or organizations.
They were able to use various methods to control or influence others. They had massive roots, and the servants that Zhao Yu found were obviously one of the roots of the Hidden Sect.
Yang Fan knew that Shen Mu was providing these people to him. Even if Shen Mu didn't intend to monitor him subjectively, he would still monitor him objectively. If he had some privacy, it would obviously be inconvenient for him. However, he could only accept this kind of kindness because these people were indeed what he needed.
In the cellar of his back residence, there was still Ye An locked up. If this kind of thing happened to some good people that he had casually hired, how could they not be surprised? Would they obey his orders without hesitation and take up the responsibility of taking care of him? But these people had no problem.
Officials could reach the heavens in a single step, but influence could never be achieved overnight. It took Wu Zetian more than forty years to go from a talent to a supreme being. Foundation and knowledge were like the roots of a tree. They had to grow and develop one root at a time. Only with all of this could one withstand the ups and downs of the official world and withstand the great winds and waves. All of this required time.
After all, Yang Fan had a master who was a king. Therefore, he understood these principles from a young age. Back then, he had resolutely rejected Wan 'er's suggestion of a rapid promotion because he knew that a promotion without a foundation would only have a short period of glory. Fu Youyi's promotion and demotion had already proved this point.
Therefore, Yang Fan didn't dislike these people that Zhao Yu sent. Right now, he was like a tree that had just been transplanted and needed a support to help him withstand the wind and rain. Once he had his own strength, he could break away from this external force that was both a support and a restraint at any time.
As soon as Yang Fan entered the hall, he couldn't help but be startled. There were many chests and furniture tied with red silk. Chen Shou, who had followed him in, quickly explained, "The palace has sent many betrothal gifts. The person who came also said that in three days, the inner guards will send someone to deliver the First Lady's dowry."
Yang Fan made an "oh" sound and said, "Go and guard the door. In a moment, a group of people with the surname Wu will come. Bring them in to see me!"
Chen Shou made a sound of agreement and walked to the door.
Yang Fan walked over and pulled off the red silk. He casually opened one of the chests and saw that it was filled with silk and satin. Yang Fan closed the chest and looked at the furniture. Whether it was the table, the table, the cabinet, the bed, the platform, the screen, or the stool, they were all made of precious wood such as red sandalwood, rosewood, and sour twigs.
Although the wood was precious, it wasn't inlaid with gold or jade. Instead, it was painted in a primary color. As a result, it appeared simple and natural, luxurious but not gaudy. The style and shape of the furniture were also very unique. Even a random candle holder with a floor to ceiling flower had a unique design. It was especially elegant and generous.
Looking at the style of the furniture, Yang Fan suddenly thought of the layout of Wan 'er's residence. The style of the furniture was very similar. Yang Fan's heart unconsciously moved. He thought to himself, "Could it be that Wan 'er personally chose all this furniture?"
He thought of Wan 'er's deep love for him. Her greatest wish was to be his wife. And today, she had personally chosen all the furniture for him to marry, just so that his wedding day with another woman could be grand and glorious. Wouldn't her heart feel like it was being cut by a knife?
Thinking of this, a thought suddenly floated into his mind.
…
Ye An was blindfolded by two fierce-looking men. They carried him out of the cellar and pushed him onto a cart. Ye An only felt the cart go left and then right. He didn't know how long it went. When the cart stopped and he was taken down, he was pushed left and right for a long time. When the cloth covering his face was finally taken off, he found that he was in an extremely wide dungeon.
He had been escorted for too long. Ever since he was kidnapped from the Xue Yantuo tribe, he had been detained in a tent that belonged to an unknown tribe. After a few days, those people turned into horse bandits. They burned, killed, and looted as they charged back to Hexi. He was caught among them and passed through the snowy plains to Hexi. Then, he was escorted to Longyou.
At this time, he was still relatively free. At least he knew where he was. But from then on, things were different. The last time he saw anything from the outside world was in the majestic Tongguan Pass. He saw a tall city wall built against a mountain. After that, he was blindfolded. Every time the cloth covering his face was taken off, he would appear in a house of some unknown location.
He trudged all the way until a few days ago when he was finally settled. He was imprisoned in a low and damp cellar. Today, he was moved again. He didn't know if he would continue to be moved and imprisoned in some unknown place. Right now, he was already confused. He had no idea what these Tang people were doing.
This dungeon was very large, but there were only three prison cells inside. The middle of the cell was made of hardwood that was as thick as an arm. There were beds on the floor, and at the height of about five zhang was a row of skylights that allowed light to pass through. The skylights were open, and sunlight shone in through them. The dungeon did not seem gloomy or frightening.
Outside the cell door stood seven or eight burly men in embroidered clothes. In the middle stood one person. Judging from his attire, he should be their master. This person did not look fierce. He had a long beard and an elegant demeanor. It was just that his eyes seemed a little too eager when he stared at Ye An. Ye An couldn't help but think of the evil fetishes of the upper class people of the Central Plains.
At this time, the man spoke. His words dispelled Ye An's worries. "Tell me in detail how you escaped from Lou Shide's camp!"
Ye An sighed in relief and said weakly, "Haven't I already said it many times?"
The man's voice became stern. "Then say it one more time!"
Ye An swallowed his saliva helplessly. The man's eyes flashed, and he ordered, "Give him wine and food. Let him speak slowly!"
The people of the prairie loved wine. Ever since Ye An was captured, he had not touched a drop of wine for several months. When he heard that there was wine, his eyes lit up. Not long after, a few braised dishes and a pot of wine were delivered to the prison cell.
Ye An impatiently grabbed the wine pot and took a big gulp. It was incomparably mellow and fragrant. It was actually top-notch wine that he had never tasted before. Ye An's eyes couldn't help but light up. He hurriedly took two more mouthfuls, and then grabbed a piece of braised meat and threw it into his mouth. Outside, a burly man in embroidered clothes brought in a stool. The middle-aged man with the long beard sat down and crossed his legs. He said with a smile, "Now, you can speak!"
Ye An raised his head and saw that there was a table in the corner outside. A person dressed as a Scribes from the Secretariat was holding a brush and waiting to record. Ever since Ye An was captured, he had suffered a lot. He had already obediently told the truth. Moreover, he really didn't think that there was a need to keep this information a secret. Naturally, he didn't hide anything and obediently told the story …
Wu Sansi came out of the dungeon and called the head steward over. He solemnly ordered, "Take good care of him. Give him whatever he wants to eat. If he falls sick, immediately send for a doctor and ask for medicine. There must be no delay! This person is very important to me. Do you understand? "
"Ah lang, don't worry. This old servant will remember it!"
"En!" Wu Sansi unfolded the written confession in his hand and looked at it. He couldn't help but reveal a proud smile on his face. He then said, "Did Minister Zhou use them to come?"
"Imperial Messenger Zhou and the others have already arrived. They are waiting for Ah lang in the study!"
"Good!" Wu Sansi clenched the confession tightly and rushed to the study with big strides.
In the study, the 'Wu Sansi and the Five Dogs' were whispering to each other, discussing spiritedly.
After the Wu Clan's banquet ended, they coincidentally received a message from Wu Sansi's confidant. He told them to immediately go to the Liang Palace and wait. He had something important to discuss with them. The five of them didn't know what important matter Wu Sansi had and were asking each other, but they couldn't get an answer.
As they were chatting, Wu Sansi walked in with a beaming face. The five of them hurriedly stood up and greeted, "This lowly servant greets Your Highness!"
"Hahaha, sit! All of you, sit! This prince called you all here today because there is a joyous matter to discuss with you all! "
The five of them looked at each other in confusion. Zhou Yong couldn't help but ask, "What joyous matter does Your Highness have to discuss with us lowly servants?"
Wu Sansi walked to the main seat and sat down. He pressed his hands down for the five of them to sit down. He said with a smile, "This prince's greatest enemy is about to fall. Isn't this a joyous matter?"
…
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