Chapter 252: Dark Chess Dark Chess

Speaking of the name Fang Zhiwen, perhaps many people in the capital have forgotten that if it weren't for the fact that Concubine Yu had been highly favored in the palace over the years and the ninth prince she gave birth to had not been canonized as the crown prince, the entire Fang family would probably have become history.

But in Qingzhou, the name of Fang Zhiwen, the prefect, is still well-known. He has been in Qingzhou for quite some time and has already made everyone in Qingzhou obey him over the years.

Not to mention how glorious it was to be the prince's companion in study, and how brilliant it was when he won the third place in the imperial examination, just looking at the administration of Qingzhou, Fang Zhiwen was also an official with outstanding talent and good character.

Su Fengzhang's only impression of Lord Fang was his gentle and refined appearance at the banquet.

Only from his attitude towards the Fifth Prince can one vaguely see a bit of sharpness, letting people know that this Lord Fang is not as gentle as he appears.

As an official who went out of Qingzhou, it seemed reasonable for him to visit the prefect when passing through Qingzhou on his way back to his hometown to visit his relatives.

Before this, Su Fengzhang and Mr. Wen Wenzhu talked about Prefect Fang, and they also praised Fang Zhiwen.

Passing through pavilions and towers, Su Fengzhang recalled the scenery from the last time he came here, and felt that this prefectural mansion seemed to be more elegant. It was also true that Fang Zhiwen was born into a wealthy family, so his taste was naturally extraordinary.

Prefect Fang stood in the water pavilion. The pavilion was surrounded by water and could only be crossed by an arch bridge. The surrounding water surface was kept clean, without even a lotus leaf. It was a good place for a quiet conversation.

"Your humble servant greets Lord Su." It was Fang Zhiwen who spoke and saluted.

Fang Zhiwen is twice as old as Su Fengzhang, but if we only talk about their official positions, one is the third-rank Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, and the other is the fourth-rank prefect. One is a Beijing official, and the other is a local official. The difference in status is obvious.

Su Fengzhang bowed and said with a smile, "Master Fang, there's no need to be so polite. After all, I'm still Master Fang's disciple. How can an elder bow to a younger person?"

Fang Zhiwen glanced at him calmly and said, "Etiquette cannot be abolished."

"Master Su, please take a seat."

The two of them had no private relationship, so sitting face to face like this added a bit of awkwardness. Fang Zhiwen reacted coldly, and Su Fengzhang did not speak for a while, and the pavilion became quiet.

Suddenly, the sound of birdsong startled the two of them awake. Fang Zhiwen picked up the teapot and poured two cups of tea, saying, "When I first met Lord Su, I thought to myself that he was so young yet so patient. Given time, he would surely rise to great heights. Seeing him today, I've certainly found that to be true."

"Master Fang, you are too kind." Su Fengzhang took a sip of tea and praised, "Excellent tea."

Fang Zhiwen looked up at him, and after a while, he smiled. "After so many years, fate has played such a trick on me. I never thought that it would be you sitting in front of me."

Su Fengzhang smiled and said, "I never thought this day would come."

Fang Zhiwen pressed the issue, "Master Su, do you know what you're about to take over? It might bring you immense power, but it could also be your death warrant."

"I don't know what promises Prince Rong made to you, but over the years, I have been afraid day and night."

Su Fengzhang put down his teacup and asked, "Then, Lord Fang, when you were afraid, did you ever regret it?"

Fang Zhiwen laughed, his refined demeanor receding a bit, his aura becoming much colder and sharper. "Regret, why would I regret it? If it weren't for these, how could I have remained the prefect of Qingzhou?"

"And how can we send Concubine Yu to the palace to avenge the Fang family?"

"It's just that I didn't expect this day to come so soon. Is Prince Rong really that worried about me?"

"Over the years, I have a clear conscience. Although I have selfish motives, I have done a lot for the Great Zhou."

Su Fengzhang met his gaze without hesitation and said word by word, "It is because you have done so many things that the prince is worried and concerned."

Fang Zhiwen's expression changed slightly, and then he laughed at himself and said, "Yes, if Prince Rong hadn't had no choice, he wouldn't have left this thing with me. It originally belonged to my eldest brother."

"But Lord Su, I still want to ask you one thing, have you really thought it through?"

"The late emperor left behind two secret guards. One is in the hands of Prince Rong, and that's the one I'm in charge of now. The other is unknown to anyone. Since the founding of the Great Zhou Dynasty, one of the two secret guards has been in the open, and the other in the dark. The one hiding in the dark is always watching us. If you make any inappropriate moves, you will be doomed."

"If you accept the position of Secret Guard, you will have to do many things in secret. Even if you make contributions, they will not be known to others. Some of them may even go against your conscience, and you may not be able to have a good ending in the end."

"If you don't accept it, you will be a third-rank official at such a young age, with a promising future, and it will be easy and comfortable."

Su Fengzhang laughed and said, "Master Fang, there is no truly easy and comfortable path to choose in this world."

"The fact that I appear before you today means I have made up my mind."

Fang Zhiwen closed his eyes and said, "In that case, I have nothing to say."

"You can take this."

A purple-black wooden plaque appeared on the table, with a thick patina on it and exuding a faint fragrance.

Su Fengzhang reached out and took it: "Thank you, Lord Fang."

Fang Zhiwen laughed self-deprecatingly: "Over the years, Prince Rong has never truly trusted me. There are some things I don't know completely. Since he values ​​you, he will surely tell you everything."

"This is what I have accumulated over the years. You can take some of it too."

Su Fengzhang took a look at the thin booklet, but knew that it was worth more than a thousand gold coins.

He said again: "Junior thanks Master Fang."

Fang Zhiwen sighed slightly and said self-deprecatingly, "It is a great honor for me to be able to take over alive."

"Go back and tell the prince that I will write a letter of resignation and return home. I will no longer participate in court affairs. I will do what I promised him. Please don't forget the promise you made to me."

Su Fengzhang nodded in agreement: "I will pass these words to the prince one by one."

Fang Zhiwen was also relieved about him. He opened his eyes, looked at him, and laughed: "I'm old, I can't compare with you. There was a time when I also wanted to make a career, but who knew that I wasted my time."

"In Qingzhou, everyone praises you for loving the people like your own children," said Su Fengzhang.

Fang Zhiwen smiled and said, "This is all I can do."

After he finished speaking, he paused for a moment, feeling somewhat reluctant: "Master Su, for the sake of this incense and friendship, if possible, please take care of Jade Concubine in the future."

"I am not worried about the Ninth Prince. After all, he is the son of the Qin family and the crown prince of a country."

"But I'm worried about Concubine Yu. She's been very thoughtful since she was little, much smarter than her brother, but smart girls often have unfortunate fates."

"Back then, she insisted on entering the palace, and now she's in this situation. I feel a bit of regret in my heart, but unfortunately, there's no medicine for regret in this world. From now on, I can do nothing about her affairs."

Su Fengzhang had guessed this a long time ago. The reason why Concubine Yu could rise to prominence suddenly could not be solely due to her beauty.

However, he did not agree directly, but only said: "Master Fang, Concubine Yu is the biological mother of the Crown Prince. As long as she has not committed a heinous crime, no one can embarrass her."

After hearing this, Fang Zhiwen just sighed deeply.

After a while, he suddenly said, "Prince Cheng came from afar to personally apologize to the scholar. I thought he was just using this as an excuse to take over the secret guards."

"I didn't expect it, I didn't expect it, I guessed wrong."

"Before today, I would never have imagined that Prince Rong would abandon the royal family and hand over the secret guards to you."

"Isn't he afraid that power will fall into someone else's hands and lead to the decline of the Qin royal family in the future?"

"Or perhaps he knows who controls the other secret guards and isn't afraid that you might rebel?"

Su Fengzhang narrowed his eyes. These words sounded a bit provocative. At first glance, it seemed that he had only taken on a difficult job, and if he didn't do it well, he would be punished.

Even Fang Zhiwen was hinting that another group of secret guards was in Prince Cheng's hands!

Sure enough, a man who could control a team of secret guards for many years and still survive safely was definitely not as harmless as he appeared. Everything that happened just now was just an illusion.

Su Fengzhang laughed and nodded, saying, "Thank you, Lord Fang, for the reminder. I think it's good to have someone watching over me day and night, so that I don't forget my original intention over time."

Fang Zhiwen smiled and said, "I'm glad that Lord Su thinks so. I can rest assured now."

The two smiled at each other and became a pair of elders and juniors who were polite to each other. Just looking at their smiles, they seemed to be of the same lineage.

Su Fengzhang took over smoothly, but Yun Qian frowned.

He twisted the handkerchief with his own hands and placed it on Prince Rong's forehead. Ever since he came back from Yunzhou, Prince Rong's health had become worse and worse. He had been bedridden for most of the month, which was far worse than the emperor in the palace.

"Ah Le, can you really let go of that thing in Su Fengzhang's hands?"

Prince Rong laughed and asked, "Why, you still don't think he's a good person?"

Yun Qian shook his head and said, "Actually, I like him very much and think he's a promising talent, but young people are undecided. Who knows if he'll go astray in the future?"

"If one day, someone as intelligent as him still has a sharp blade in his hand, it will probably be a disaster for the Great Zhou and the royal family."

Prince Rong laughed and said, "Don't worry, that day will never come."

Yun Qian's expression froze, and he pressed on, "Could it be true that there's another secret guard left behind by Emperor Taizu as rumored?"

"If that's the case, I can rest assured. Someone is watching him all the time. Even if Su Fengzhang is extremely bold, he won't dare to do whatever he wants."

Prince Rong did not respond to this question, but simply said, "Why don't we see whether this Su Fengzhang, whom I am optimistic about, can remember his promise today and whether he will become a pillar of the country or a mere invalid in the future."

Yun Qian frowned upon hearing this: "A Le, you weren't such an aggressive person before."

Such a risky and uncertain thing, even with a bit of gambling, is not something Prince Rong would do.

Prince Rong said, "I'm almost dead anyway, so why not take a gamble? If I win, I'll have done my duty to the Great Zhou. If I lose, I won't live to see that day anyway, so I'll just get a few more curses on my grave."

Yun Qian frowned upon hearing this, but seeing Prince Rong's haggard face, he simply said, "Never mind. I'll help you watch over him and advise him so he doesn't act recklessly."