Chapter 94 As if Divinely Assisted

Chu Jiubian turned around and looked at Qin Xiao.

The two were very close, and Chu Jiubian was almost completely lying in Qin Xiao's arms. Even though the room was dark, he could see the faint light in the man's eyes.

"You..." Chu Jiubian wanted to say something, but he swallowed his words back.

Qin Xiao placed one hand on his waist and tightened it slightly, so that the two of them were pressed completely together.

A warm palm lingered on Chu Jiubian's lower back. Chu Jiubian didn't move, so the hand moved further down.

“Qin Xiao,” Chu Jiubian said, his voice low and hoarse, “I know what you’re thinking.”

"Really?" Qin Xiao chuckled. "What am I thinking?"

Chu Jiubian remained silent.

Qin Xiao's thought was simply that he trusted others more than he trusted Qin Xiao.

His concealment and his mystery became a barrier between them.

However, Chu Jiubian really couldn't tell Qin Xiao all his secrets right now. He had to make sure that Qin Xiao could fully accept him. Otherwise, if he exposed his true nature later and Qin Xiao distanced himself from him, then his last trump card and secret would become a weapon that would backfire on him.

However, the fear of betrayal was just a plausible excuse; Chu Jiubian knew that what he truly cared about was not this matter.

Qin Xiao was somewhat different from others in his eyes.

If they were just ordinary business partners, Qin Xiao could look at him however he wanted; as long as the bond of mutual benefit remained, they could continue to cooperate.

But their relationship had long since soured.

Chu Jiubian could tolerate others disliking and rejecting him, but the thought that Qin Xiao also distanced himself from him because of his nature made him feel irritated.

He seemed unwilling to see that outcome.

"Give me a little more time," Chu Jiubian said in a low voice.

Qin Xiao was stunned, staring unblinkingly at the person in his arms. Even though he could only make out a blurry outline, it made his heart race.

The next moment, the young man leaned in and gave him a light kiss on the lips. Then, the other man turned over and faced away from him, shrinking into the blankets.

Qin Xiao's Adam's apple bobbed, and his eyes turned red.

Chu Jiubian's heart was beating a little fast, and in the darkness where no one could see, his ears turned red.

His mind went blank, and his ears were ringing.

But this time, instead of dizziness and confusion, he was overwhelmed by a complex and surging mix of emotions that he couldn't process properly.

He was somewhat bewildered, so he let Qin Xiao dig him out of the blanket and press him down on his body.

The other person's hot, impatient kiss quickly stole the air from his chest.

I was even more confused.

Chu Jiubian instinctively reached out and tightly hugged the man's neck.

The dark clouds dispersed, and the moonlight, like water, streamed into the room.

Qin Xiao saw the young man's dazed eyes and his bright red lips.

The young man's low moans, filled with barely suppressed desire, stirred Qin Xiao's heart, making him tremble with longing.

==

A few nights later, Chu Jiubian entered the Divine Realm.

He hasn't entered the Divine Realm much lately. It's not that he doesn't want to enter, but ever since he kissed Qin Xiao once, the other party has become somewhat "crazy" and hasn't given him any chance to enter the Divine Realm.

Qin Xiao seemed to have so much energy that he had nowhere to vent it. During the day, he was busy attending court, reviewing memorials, and training troops, but at night, he still wanted to torment Chu Jiubian.

At first, lacking experience, he would often make Chu Jiubian do it two or three times a night, while he himself only did it once in a long time.

Later, perhaps he listened to the imperial physician's advice, he stopped calling Chu Jiubian so many times.

It was only once a night, but each time it lasted all night. Chu Jiubian really couldn't take it anymore, so he forced Qin Xiao to behave himself these past two days.

That gave him the opportunity to enter the divine realm at night.

Coincidentally, Jiang Shuoye also contacted him tonight.

So after Chu Jiubian entered the Divine Realm, he brought Jiang Shuoye in with him.

"High Priest, I have something to report." Jiang Shuoye sat down and didn't waste any words.

The world situation changes every day, and he is used to doing everything swiftly and decisively, making the most of every second.

"What is it?" Chu Jiu asked.

Jiang Shuoye: "Today I received letters from Baili Yue, the Prince of Huguang, and Baili He, the Prince of Dongjiang. They want me to join them in rebelling against the court. I have no contact with the capital and do not know how to deal with this."

He knew the relationship between the High Priest and the Grand Tutor Chu, and guessed that they must be in contact now, so contacting the High Priest was equivalent to contacting the Grand Tutor Chu.

The Northern Desert Army was unwilling to participate in the fighting, but if everyone wanted to join forces to besiege the imperial court, he could not sit idly by.

After all, in the nearly one year since Baili Hong ascended the throne, the things he, Qin Xiao, and Chu Jiubian did were all good things that benefited the country and the people.

Jiang Shuoye felt that if it were any other emperor, things could not possibly be better than they are now.

Chu Jiubian had already guessed that Jiang Shuoye would target the Mobei army when he secretly recruited soldiers.

"Let's just reject it," he said.

“Yes,” Jiang Shuoye replied.

He had already decided that it would be better to refuse outright, since the relationship between the Northern Desert Army and the Qin Family Army was obvious to all. Even if he "agreed" to cooperate with the vassal king, the other party might not believe him. It would be better to make his position clear and support the court.

However, Chu Jiubian thought of something deeper.

The Northern Desert Army refused to cooperate with the vassal kings and made it clear that they were siding with the imperial court. This made them a formidable enemy that could not be ignored. The vassal kings would definitely try to weaken the Northern Desert Army's power first, and then attack the capital.

To strike at the Northern Desert Army, it's impossible for the vassal kings to act out of thin air. They would definitely join forces with the Tatars and reenact the deaths of Qin Xiao's parents.

However, this time the target is not the Qin family, but Jiang Shuoye.

Chu Jiu argued, "At most six months, the Tatars will definitely make some moves. Be careful of the people in your army."

There are traitors within the Northern Desert Army, just like in the Qin Family Army before; everyone knows this.

Moreover, this "traitor" holds a very high position, and may even be someone Jiang Shuoye trusts very much. It is unknown whether this move was planted by the Lu family.

If so, then perhaps the other party is also related to the deaths of Qin Jingzhao and his wife.

Qin Xiao has been searching for this person for so many years, perhaps he can take this opportunity to find him.

"Your subordinate understands." Jiang Shuoye nodded, his eyes resolute.

The high priest had previously said that they would wait for the Tatars to make the first move before they would take the moral high ground and send troops. Now, that opportunity is finally coming.

Having lived in the northern deserts for so many years, his hatred for the Tatar royal family and army was no less than that for the people on the frontier.

He would die without regret if he could destroy the Tatars in his lifetime.

Chu Jiubian glanced at the system warehouse, which contained a lot of miscellaneous items.

After thinking for a moment, he took out one of the pistols, along with a small box of bullets, and handed it to Jiang Shuoye. He also wrote out an instruction manual to teach him how to use it.

In the distance, as far as the eye could see in the divine realm, a target appeared.

Jiang Shuoye was unaware of the power of this small device in his hand, but his cautious nature prevented him from being careless. He followed the instructions exactly and pulled the trigger.

"Bang"--

With a loud bang, Jiang Shuoye was startled by the recoil from his hand.

Looking up again, he saw that the bullseye in the distance had been completely pierced. As an expert, he immediately recognized the difference between this thing and a bow and arrow.

No one could resist such a handy and powerful weapon. His eyes gleamed as he looked up at the high priest's phantom and said, "Thank you for the gift, high priest."

Chu Jiu argued, "Just in case. If it really comes to an unavoidable situation, just call me."

The Tatars are colluding with traitors within the Northern Desert Army, which might actually harm Jiang Shuoye. Therefore, if it really comes to a life-or-death situation, Chu Jiubian won't care about points anymore.

"Yes." Jiang Shuoye replied earnestly, his respect for him growing even stronger.

As they were talking, Chu Jiubian heard Si Tu Zhaoling and Wang Qichen request to enter the Divine Realm one after the other.

Today should be the day they agreed to deliver the goods.

Chu Jiubian then pulled the two of them in as well.

Both of them had met Jiang Shuoye before, but they hadn't seen each other recently. When they met again, they were both stunned for a moment, and then they greeted each other.

Looking at Jiang Shuoye's still patched-up clothes, Si Tu Zhaoling said enthusiastically, "Brother Chifeng, let me take your measurements so I can bring you new clothes next time we enter the Divine Realm."

Jiang Shuoye glanced down at his tattered clothes, then looked at the well-dressed Si Tu Zhaoling and Wang Qichen in front of him. He didn't seem embarrassed and said, "I'm exposed to wind and rain all day long. Giving me nice clothes would be a waste."

"Alright then." Si Tu Zhaoling was convinced by him.

Wang Qichen replied, "As a general, I should also be grateful for your dignity."

“Dignity is not bestowed by clothing,” Jiang Shuoye said. “My soldiers will only obey me if I have real skills.”

Wang Qichen: "...Is this your excuse for not dressing properly?"

Jiang Shuoye said matter-of-factly, "Training soldiers does wear out clothes. No matter how good they are, they'll be torn in just a few days."

"Then we'll just change it again."

Si Tu Zhaoling also said, "That's right, we can all make money, making you a few more sets of clothes is definitely not a problem."

"With that money, we should buy some rice and grain so that the soldiers can eat better and grow stronger," Jiang Shuoye said.

Si Tu Zhaoling was speechless.

She doesn't understand military training, so it's best not to try to persuade her anymore.

Wang Qichen sized him up, a sly glint in his eyes, and deliberately said, "But you smell."

Jiang Shuoye was taken aback and subconsciously sniffed himself.

Once he entered that mental state, he naturally couldn't smell his own body odor. However, since he spent his days training troops, washing and getting water weren't always convenient, so he really couldn't compare to the cleanliness of these city gentry.

He felt a little embarrassed and thought that he should probably take a good shower next time he entered the Divine Realm.

Seeing his reaction, Si Tu Zhaoling quickly said, "Brother Chifeng, don't overthink it. It's nothing. He's just teasing you."

Wang Qichen was taken aback by his reaction and felt a little embarrassed.

He was used to hanging out with those spoiled brats all the time, so no one took his friends' banter seriously.

Jiang Shuoye alone took it seriously.

"I'm sorry," Wang Qichen said, bowing slightly. "I was just joking."

Jiang Shuoye returned the bow and said, "You're right, I should indeed take a good look at myself next time I come in."

This also shows respect for the high priest.

Chu Jiubian couldn't help but laugh when he saw Jiang Shuoye, an honest man, being amused by the pair of "brother and sister" cows.

After laughing, he was stunned again.

As if truly influenced by Baili Hong's previous words, he now not only cares about Xiao Xiangzi and others in the palace, but also has some different feelings towards these believers.

He didn't know if this could be considered "friendship" because he had never experienced it before.

Of course, there are many emotions he has never experienced, whether it is friendship, family affection, or love, he feels they are all very far away from him.

But now, all of these things seem very close to him.

At this time, Lu Yao and Qin Chuan, who were still outside measuring the land and searching for iron ore, also requested to enter the divine realm.

Chu Jiubian paused, then looked up at the three people below who were still chatting about their recent situations.

They all knew that there were other believers, but they had never seen Lu Yao and Qin Chuan.

Lu Yao and Qin Chuan had naturally never met the three of them before.

Should we arrange for them to meet?

Chu Jiubian hesitated for a moment.

He had previously avoided inviting them to meet because he was wary of Qin Chuan's identity.

Not only was she afraid that Qin Chuan would try every means to reveal the information about these believers to Qin Xiao, but she was also worried that others would doubt Qin Chuan's identity.

Believers in the divine realm must use their original faces, so Qin Chuan's disguise, which he always wore on his face, was no longer useful.

Of course, Chu Jiubian could continue to disguise him, but since he had already decided to meet the believers, there was no need for that.

So, should we ask them to meet?

Are Qin Chuan and Qin Xiao able to accept that their secret will be known to others?

After much deliberation, Chu Jiubian decided not to let them meet.

Let's wait until later, until Qin Chuan can appear openly and honestly before asking them to meet.

Therefore, Chu Jiubian temporarily prevented Qin Chuan and Lu Yao from entering.

After Jiang Shuoye and the other two had left, he called the other two in.

This was the first time Lu Yao and Qin Chuan had entered the Divine Realm together, and they found it quite novel.

Especially Lu Yao, who looked at Qin Chuan's original face and blurted out, "You do look very much like Prince Ning."

Qin Chuan: "......"

So when did Lu Yao find out about his relationship with Qin Xiao?

Why aren't you surprised at all?

However, for someone like Lu Yao, nothing should be hidden from his mind.

Chu Jiubian found Qin Chuan's indifferent expression somewhat amusing.

Lu Yao is such a troublemaker.

"High Priest, I discovered another mine yesterday." Lu Yao looked up at the illusory image of the god, his eyes sparkling. "Can you guess what kind of mine it is?"

He rarely keeps things a secret like this.

Chu Jiubian then thought about it seriously.

If it were iron ore, Lu Yao would not have reacted this way, nor would he have made a special trip to the Divine Realm to seek an audience.

Therefore, it must be a rare mineral deposit.

However, if it were something like coal, although Lu Yao knew its uses, he wouldn't be in such a state as he is now.

so......

"Is it a gold mine?" Chu Jiubian asked, but his tone was one of certainty.

Lu Yao nodded emphatically: "It's a gold mine!"

Chu Jiubian's heart skipped a beat.

This is truly a treasure trove!

Lu Yao recounted how he discovered the gold mine, then chatted about his recent work, saying that he would probably be able to return to Beijing in about six months.

Six months later, it will be the end of September or the beginning of October.

It will be a wonderful time of year with clear skies and crisp autumn air, but I imagine that by then, all peace and tranquility will have vanished.

Chu Jiu deduced that she had left the Divine Realm, and when she opened her eyes, she saw Qin Xiao's profile, which was as sharp and angular as if it were a model.

The man lay on his back on the bed, his eyes closed, as if he were in a deep sleep.

But Chu Jiubian knew he wasn't asleep.

"Lu Yao has discovered a gold mine," he whispered.

Qin Xiao opened his eyes and turned his head to look at him.

There were no lights on in the room, but the moonlight was bright enough for them to see each other clearly.

"Where?" Qin Xiao asked.

Chu Jiubian then told him the location and said, "Send someone over there tomorrow."

"Um."

Qin Xiao looked at him and smiled: "You've got exactly what you need, it's like you're divinely aided."

That's a very meaningful statement.

Chu Jiubian laughed as well: "It's because we have the help of 'gods'."

Qin Xiao's smile faded.

"What's wrong?" Chu Jiu asked.

Qin Xiao was silent for a moment, then smiled casually and said, "You came to the mortal realm to undergo tribulation, but you'll still have to go back eventually, right?"

Chu Jiubian didn't know if he would stay here forever; what if the system suddenly malfunctioned...?

[Host, the system won't malfunction.]

Chu Jiubian paused.

Because your body in the original world had already died, after the causal correction in this world, you will remain here and will not leave.

Upon hearing this, Chu Jiubian felt a sense of relief, and a smile appeared on his lips.

"What are you laughing at?" Qin Xiao turned to face him and gently stroked his face.

Chu Jiubian let him do as he pleased, saying, "Whether I come back or not depends on how good you are to me."

Qin Xiao smiled as well.

He rarely speaks sweet words or makes empty promises; he always does more than he says.

"How can I be any better to you?" Qin Xiao asked in a low voice.

Chu Jiubian didn't know either.

He doesn't know what's good for him.

When he was younger, he couldn't even distinguish other people's kindness, but he was particularly sensitive to malice.

He still wasn't quite sure what "good" meant, but he knew that Qin Xiao had been very good to him.

A tingling sensation came from his waist, and Chu Jiubian snapped out of his thoughts. He reached out to touch it and grasped the man's wrist.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

Qin Xiao chuckled, flipped over and pinned him down. In a few quick movements, he removed his own undergarments and easily used them to bind Chu Jiubian's hands, trapping them on the bed frame and preventing him from escaping.

In the blink of an eye, Chu Jiubian was left with only an undergarment, its collar wide open.

Qin Xiao knelt between his legs, but stopped abruptly near the end, leaning slightly closer to Chu Jiubian and lightly kissing his lips, intentionally or unintentionally.

Chu Jiubian's eyelashes were wet and trembling slightly.

"Hurry up," he urged in a low voice.

But Qin Xiao just leaned down and looked at him, hooking his arm around him intermittently.

Suddenly, Chu Jiubian heard the man ask in a slightly hoarse voice, "How do you know that Lu Yao has discovered a gold mine? Who told you?"

Chu Jiubian frowned.

Is now the time to ask this?

"You weren't asleep just now, did you 'see' someone?" Qin Xiao stared intently at the young man's expression. "Was it the High Priest?"

Did he tell you?

Chu Jiubian's eyebrows twitched: "You go first..."

With his unfinished words cut off, Qin Xiao pressed on, asking, "Do you two 'see' each other often?"

"Qin Xiao." Chu Jiubian slightly raised her chin, revealing an exceptionally beautiful line on her neck, which prompted the man to gently lick it.

“If you continue like this—” Chu Jiubian said in a trembling voice, “I’m really going to go find him.”

Chu Jiubian let out a muffled groan as someone bit his Adam's apple lightly.

He was just a little weak in perceiving emotions, but he was clear-headed and naturally gradually discerned Qin Xiao's jealousy towards the "High Priest".

Perhaps in the other party's eyes, the mysterious "high priest" had a closer connection with Chu Jiubian than he, a mere mortal, did.

However, he did not say it explicitly, and Chu Jiubian pretended not to know.

But in the dark corner of his heart, Chu Jiubian actually enjoyed Qin Xiao's occasional displays of possessiveness, which made him feel that he was truly cherished and needed.

Instead of items that can be discarded at will and are insignificant.

But half an hour later, he regretted what he had just said.

Qin Xiao is indeed very patient, but when he loses his patience, he can be quite overwhelming.

This wasn't even the final step, and the other party had already nearly worn him out. When it really came to the end, Chu Jiubian didn't dare to think about it any further.

==

At the same time, Lu Youwei of the Lu family also received letters from the vassal kings.

Even though it was already late at night, the powerful elders of the Lu family had all gathered together, including the family head Lu Jinfeng and the Minister of War Lu Youwei, making a total of more than ten people.

They've been talking here for half the night, each with their own version of events.

Some say the hidden pieces in the Northern Desert Army cannot be moved, while others say that if those hidden pieces are not moved now, they may never have the chance to move again.

Some say the imperial court probably won't completely wipe out the powerful families, still holding onto a sliver of hope.

Many others, however, clearly saw that the imperial court would inevitably eradicate the powerful families.

After listening for a while, the patriarch Lu Jinfeng saw that everyone seemed to be agreeing with the prince's proposal, so he said, "I disagree."

Everyone looked at him.

Even Minister Lu, who was sitting in the same seat as him, looked at him coldly.

“We’ve already made a mistake once with the Qin family army,” Lu Jinfeng said in a deep voice. “This time, we absolutely cannot repeat the act of betraying our promises and harming loyal and virtuous people.”

"What a treacherous and wicked man who harms the loyal and good!" Lu Youwei sneered. "You, the head of the Lu family, are supposed to be loyal and righteous, but do you have any good ideas on how to protect the Lu family?"

“Report the vassal king,” Lu Jinfeng said, “and cooperate with the court to make amends.”

This time, Lu Youwei genuinely laughed.

"Lu Jinfeng, how old are you?" He didn't even call him the head of the family anymore.

Lu Jinfeng turned his head to look at him, his expression cold and stern: "My Lu family also comes from the military families that protect the country. During the reign of Emperor Wuzong, we made many contributions. Who wouldn't say we are loyal and virtuous?"

"But what about now?" He glanced at everyone present. "They abuse their power in officialdom, persecute loyal officials, and make one mistake after another!"

One sentence made everyone's faces turn ugly.

"Enough!" Lu Youwei interrupted him, angrily rebuking, "That sounds nice, but if it weren't for us officials manipulating power, would you, Lu Jinfeng, be living such a good life?!"

"I'd rather not have this kind of life!"

"You don't want to? Fine." Lu Youwei pointed outside. "Go tell these three hundred Lu family members in the capital, and tell the thousands of Lu family collateral relatives and disciples all over the world that you, Lu Jinfeng, are going to die, and you're going to drag them all down with you!"

Lu Jinfeng clenched his fists, his eyes bloodshot.

"You think you can make amends?" Lu Youwei's teeth chattered with rage. "It was us, it was us who caused the deaths of Qin Jingzhao and his wife. It was our family and the late emperor who forced Qin Feng to his death. Killing father, mother, and sister—such a blood feud, do you think Qin Xiao will let us make amends?"

"Do you think that if you serve the imperial court and risk your life for them, they will let us go?"

"Don't be naive," Lu Youwei said. "Lu Jinfeng, you're not a child anymore. You should open your eyes and look at the position you're in. Behind you, the head of the Lu family, stand thousands of Lu family disciples and students."

Do you think you only hold the life and death of yourself in your hands?

"Those uncles and aunts who watched you grow up, those brothers who drank with you, those children who begged you to buy them candy and followed you around learning martial arts, they are all watching you!"

Lu Jinfeng gritted his teeth.

"Stop talking about your code of honor," Lu Youwei continued. "Now that you are the head of the Lu family, even if you die, it should be for the Lu family!"

Lu Jinfeng gripped the armrests with both hands, crushing even the finest rosewood into dust.

He suddenly stood up and strode outside.

The hall was deathly silent.

Lu Youwei looked at the wood chips scattered all over the ground and slowly closed his eyes.

Lu Jinfeng may not be very bright, but his martial arts skills are not much worse than those of Qiu Xuanzheng, the head of the Qiu family.

In terms of military leadership, Lu Jinfeng was almost on par with Qin Xiao.

With such a figure protecting the Lu family, their chances of winning are extremely high.

However, this person was too straightforward, focusing solely on the so-called code of honor among the common people, believing that Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian's actions were all for the benefit of the country and its people, and therefore should not be opposed.

Everyone knows that the world protected by these two should not be overthrown.

But if they don't rebel, the Lu family will never have any glory again, and will only gradually decline.

Lu Youwei was unwilling and could not allow the Lu family to decline in his generation. He had to take a gamble, otherwise all that awaited them was the final reckoning by Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian.

"Let's call it a day," he said in a hoarse voice.

After everyone had left, he summoned his subordinate and handed him a secret letter, instructing him to deliver it to the northern desert.

Six months have passed in a flash.

At the end of September, Lu Yao and Qin Chuan returned to the capital with the students of the Imperial Academy's mathematics department.

They have completed the land survey in all regions except for the fiefdoms of the vassal kings. The people have received land and are deeply grateful to the court.

The wealthy households, wary of the imperial army and vaguely suspecting that war was about to break out, all kept to themselves and dared not do anything else.

Ultimately, once war breaks out, the world will likely descend into chaos.

Compared to land, gold and silver are more reliable for protection.

Therefore, Lu Yao and Qin Chuan's trip was relatively smooth. If it weren't for the long delays on the road, they would have returned to Beijing long ago.

This time, Lu Yao and the students had made great contributions. Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao were becoming increasingly powerful in the court, so they ignored the opposition from the powerful families and officials and insisted on sending these students into the court so that they could successfully enter officialdom.

Lu Yao was one of the best among them, and was directly promoted by Chu Jiubian to the Ministry of Personnel, becoming an Assistant Minister, second only to Wang Yu, the Minister of Personnel.

Wang Yu should have belonged to the patriarch's faction in the Wang family, but he didn't care about these struggles, so he just let things be as they were, no matter how much infighting took place within the family.

Furthermore, due to the care Chu Jiubian had shown him over the past six months, as well as the influence of Wang Zhiyuan, the Minister of Rites, his heart was tipped towards the imperial court.

Therefore, in the Wang family, he would be closer to whoever was closer to the court, the patriarch or the young master.

It can be said that, apart from Minister Xiao Huaiguan who is still clinging to life, the Ministry of Personnel is now dominated by Chu Jiubian, the "Vice Minister of Personnel."

This happened in just a few days.

In early October, Tan Yuzhu also returned to Beijing from Northeast China.

She had already reached a cooperation agreement with the Jurchen tribes. The terms of the contract, the support of the people of the Northeast for the imperial court, and the first batch of goods she had brought back—one hundred and twenty fine horses—all proved how well she had handled this mission.

No one questioned her ability to enter officialdom.

Cai Peng, the Assistant Minister of Rites who had always cooperated with her and helped her a lot, should naturally be promoted.

Only one left...

"Your Majesty," Tan Yuzhu said after reporting her "achievements," "I have another matter to report."

As soon as she finished speaking, Wang Wenyao, who had remained silent throughout the procession of officials standing behind her, turned ashen-faced.

"Please speak, my dear minister," Baili Hong said.

Tan Yuzhu said, "Your Majesty, I request that you dismiss Wang Wenyao from his post as Assistant Minister of Rites!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire court fell silent.

Wang Ruzhen, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, suddenly changed his expression and looked at Wang Wenyao, who was standing in the hall.

My heart sank when I saw the other person's swaying figure.

He was part of the family head's faction, but recently the family head's faction has been suppressed so much by the young master's side that they can hardly hold their heads up.

Fortunately, Wang Zhiyuan was not entirely senile. He helped Wang Wenyao enter officialdom and gave him such a good opportunity to make a name for himself.

As long as Wang Wenyao completes his mission safely and returns to the capital, he will definitely be promoted, and the family's faction will gain even more influence in the court and within the family.

Although Wang Wenyao has already entered officialdom and will not return to be the head of the family, when the head of the family passes away and Wang Qichen truly becomes the head of the family, he will still have to be mindful of the attitude of Wang Wenyao, a high-ranking official in the imperial court.

But now, as soon as the other party returned, Tan Yuzhu impeached him and threatened to dismiss him from his post.

We have no idea what the other party did.

Wang Ruzhen couldn't understand how something so simple could have gone wrong.

On this trip, Wang Wenyao didn't actually have to do anything; he could just follow Tan Yuzhu and Cai Peng and enjoy the meat soup.

Even since the prefect of the northeastern border city was a member of the Wang family, Wang Wenyao must have lived a comfortable life there. How could something as easy as getting credit go wrong?!

Wang Ruzhen had a headache.

The main reason was that he had not received any prior instructions from Wang Wenyao or the head of the family. Whenever he asked, they always said that everything was going smoothly. So he was completely unprepared for what happened in the court today.

He could only think of listening to what was going on first, and then trying to find a way to keep Wang Wenyao's official position.

What he didn't expect was that Wang Wenyao had actually made a huge mistake this time.

He secretly modified the agreement drafted by Tan Yuzhu, adding a clause to the trade terms that "Da Ning needs to sell ironware to the Jurchens to make agricultural tools."

And the changes were made to an agreement that had already been signed!

Wang Ruzhen felt a wave of dizziness upon hearing this.

What an idiot!