The location of Suppressing Second Hall was naturally not something a place like South Edict Manor could compare to.
It occupied a vast area, and the scenery was enchanting and beautiful. The mountains rose and fell amidst the sea of clouds. It was a wonderful scene of immortals.
Among the mountains, other than the highest peak being occupied by Suppressing Second Hall, the other three peaks were occupied by the three Advisors.
After returning to the great hall of his cultivation residence, He Yunye turned around and took his seat. He raised his hand towards his subordinate, Administrator Wan Shunchang, indicating for him to sit down and talk.
Two of the six Deacons of Suppressing Second Hall were assigned to each of the three Advisors to handle daily affairs. Wan Shunchang was naturally He Yunye's subordinate.
Wan Shunchang cupped his fists in thanks. He sat down and asked, "What instructions do you have for me, Advisor?"
The stout He Yunye stroked his thick black beard, chuckling as he asked, "Shunchang, what do you think of what happened in the grand hall today?"
Wan Shunchang fell silent. Naturally, he wouldn't go against He Yunye's words in the Grand Hall today. As he muttered to himself, he smiled and said, "Advisor's words are reasonable. Yang Qing is indeed not suitable to be in charge of South Edict Manor."
He Yunye smiled and asked, "If you were to take charge of South Edict Manor, what do you think?"
"Uh …" Wan Shunchang was taken aback. He hurriedly stood up and cupped his fists. "Since the Advisor has given his orders, Wan Shunchang wouldn't dare to disobey. However, without the Hall Master's orders, I'm afraid …"
He Yunye shook his head and said, "A few days ago, when I was playing chess with the Hall Master, the Hall Master casually asked me that he heard that out of the ten manors under the jurisdiction of Suppressing Second Hall, five of the Manor Heads are Feng Zhihuan's men."
"I'm afraid the Temple Master is asking a question you already know the answer to. Of course, the Temple Master already knew about this. Why …" Wan Shunchang paused mid-sentence, and then a look of joy flashed across his face. "What happened in the main hall today was the Temple Master's idea?"
Even though his position as a Deacon was equal to that of a Manor Head, it wasn't as lucrative as a Manor Head overseeing an entire region. A Deacon would only receive five hundred low-grade Orbs of Will in a year, but a Manor Head would receive a thousand Orbs of Will in just the vassal city under his jurisdiction, and that didn't include the income from the various Mountains under him. Naturally, he couldn't wait to become a Manor Head.
"Hmm?" A fierce look suddenly flashed across He Yunye's eyes. He snorted out a warning sound as he stared coldly at Wan Shunchang.
Wan Shunchang was shocked. There were some things that could only be known in the heart. How could he say it out loud?
He hurriedly cupped his hands in apology.
"Shun Chang, I've already said what needs to be said. I've also given Ever Peace Manor a heads up. As for the specifics, you can discuss it with Zhang Decheng. This is all I can help you with," He Yunye said indifferently.
The Zhang Decheng he spoke of was none other than the Manor Lord of Ever Peace Manor, and one of his people.
The reason why South Edict Manor was situated in a triangular shape was due to the pressure from Ever Peace Manor above and Thriving Ten-Thousand Manor below. South Edict Manor was sandwiched between the two manors.
"This subordinate understands." Wan Shunchang concealed the joy in his heart and cupped his hands in salute.
Outside the mansion on another mountain peak, Feng Zhihuan and Yang Qing were already playing chess under an old pine tree.
Feng Zhihuan's maidservants were waiting on him. In the distance, the sea of clouds rose and fell, and the scenery of the mountains could be seen. The wind blew and the clouds surged. It was a good place and a good mood.
Yang Qing couldn't help but ask softly, "Advisor, why did Advisor He suddenly make things difficult for me today?"
"I don't know either." Feng Zhihuan gently put down a piece and shook his head slightly. But then he snorted coldly and said, "The five Manor Heads are all my people. I'm afraid someone is feeling uncomfortable."
Although he didn't point out who it was, Yang Qing's eyes flickered and he couldn't help but suck in a breath of cold air. He had already guessed who Feng Zhihuan was referring to. It definitely wasn't He Yunye, so it could only be that person above him. If there wasn't that person above him to back him up, it was useless even if He Yunye had any opinions. Could he still forcefully seize it?
Yang Qing pursed his lips and asked, "Is this a balancing act?"
Feng Zhihuan lifted his eyes to look at Yang Qing, his gaze revealing a look of admiration. It was so convenient to speak with intelligent people. He didn't need to explain things to understand.
He sighed and said, "It seems like your position has been targeted."
A harsh look flashed in Yang Qing's eyes. "Why are the ten Manor Heads targeting me? Are they picking the soft ones to pinch? It seems like today's grand hall was only putting on a show. That person is protecting me on the surface, but it's just a show for everyone to see. He wants to show that he doesn't have any intention of targeting me, so that if anything were to happen to me in the future, it would have nothing to do with him. If you don't like me, you can just issue an official decree. Why is there a need to cover things up? Do you really think everyone else is a fool? "
His words carried a deep resentment. He had painstakingly climbed to his current position, but someone wanted to take it away. It would be a lie to say that he didn't hate them at all.
Feng Zhihuan couldn't help but admit that Yang Qing had just ascended to the position of Manor Head not too long ago. Although Yang Qing's cultivation was the lowest among the five Manor Heads under him, he was definitely the smartest one. He could understand everything with just a little hint.
It was just a pity. Feng Zhihuan sighed and said, "Based on your intelligence, I'm sure you can understand why he's doing this. He eats the meat, but the people below him have to drink some soup. If he forcefully implements his will on everything, then the people below him won't even have the chance to fight for a mouthful of soup. Who would work for him with all their heart? Instead of taking from the straightforward, he'd rather seek from the crooked path. This is also taking care of everyone's face. Otherwise, if he were to use force, no one would be able to stop him. What he's seeking is nothing more than a justifiable reason. "
Yang Qing knew that once that person made up his mind, he might not be able to keep his position. However, he was unwilling. Extremely unwilling.
He immediately put down the chess piece in his hand and stood up. Facing Feng Zhihuan, he cupped his fists and bowed deeply, "Advisor, please teach me how to save myself!"
"This …" Feng Zhihuan muttered to himself as he put down the chess piece, "He thinks that I'm controlling too many positions. Since he's already set his eyes on you, it's not something I can change. I'm afraid you'll have to rely on yourself."
"In other words, one of us five Manor Heads is going to be unlucky. He picked me because I'm the weakest and easier to deal with?" Yang Qing asked.
At this point, Feng Zhihuan didn't try to avoid it. He nodded slightly and said, "If you're a tough bone, they'll naturally find someone else to chew it off. But since they've set their eyes on your position, can you handle it?"
Yang Qing asked again, "Does this Yang have no room to maneuver?"
Feng Zhihuan fell silent for a moment, then stood up as well. As if he'd made an important decision, he slowly said, "It's not like there's no way at all. Yang Qing, I think very highly of you. Although I can't protect you, I don't want to see anything happen to you either. How about this? As long as you're alive, there's no need to fear that there won't be a day when the mountains and rivers will meet again. Go back and seek refuge with He Yunye! I won't make things difficult for you after this, but I'm afraid you'll have to bear a bad reputation afterwards. On the surface, I won't treat you well either! "
If the other party could go this far, what else could he say? Yang Qing bowed once again, slightly agitated. "Thank you, Advisor, for your help. Yang Qing will repay Advisor's great kindness today another day!"
Feng Zhihuan waved his hand and said, "Go. There's no time to lose. If you delay, things might change. Hurry and make your preparations. Take care of yourself!"
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