In the darkness of night, in the long courtyard of the Linjiang Palace where the servants lived, there was a room where dim candlelight was still flickering.
Inside the house, the sound of wine glasses clinking could be heard from time to time, accompanied by low conversations.
"Mr. Liu, let me toast you again." The speaker was the spy chief, a burly man with a rough face. At this moment, he was raising his glass to toast Manager Liu with a smile on his face.
Shopkeeper Liu raised his head and drank it all in one gulp, then put down the glass, frowning slightly, looking like he had a lot on his mind.
"Mr. Liu has always been highly regarded by the prince. You are in charge of mediating and arranging all matters outside the palace. If there is anything that makes you unhappy, you might as well tell me. Maybe I can help you solve your problems." The spy leader observed his expression and tried cautiously.
At tonight's banquet, Manager Liu was very generous and gave him a silver note of five hundred taels, saying that he was treating the other brothers to a drink.
The spy chief naturally knew that this was Manager Liu's attempt to win over people's hearts, so he was happy to go along with it and flatter him.
However, Shopkeeper Liu didn't seem to appreciate it. He snorted coldly, feeling unhappy. "What do you mean by respect or disrespect? We're all just working for the prince. Think about how we've worked so hard for the prince for so many years, yet in the end, we're not even as good as those scholars. We've only been here for a short time, and he's already fooling around with the prince, completely forgetting us old people."
Speaking of this, Manager Liu couldn't help but think of Yan Boxi, whom he hated to the core.
At the beginning, he just wanted to use this imperial examination candidate to disrupt the Spring Examination and didn't care about Yan Boxi's life or death.
Unexpectedly, this kid was noticed by Prince Linjiang. Not only was he rescued from the imperial prison, but he was also accepted as his aide and treated as a distinguished guest.
What made Manager Liu even more angry was that he had originally gone to Ganzhou to supervise the affairs of private mining. The ores mined from those mines were of poor quality, and the weapons made from them were also not satisfactory. Therefore, after he returned, he did not receive a generous reward from King Linjiang.
Despite this, Manager Liu still worked loyally for King Linjiang, but he did not expect that the situation in the mansion had changed drastically in just a few months.
Yan Boxi, the tribute student who was framed by him in the past, has now turned into the prince's close confidant and even won the hearts of many people in the palace.
When he just returned home this time, Prince Linjiang actually asked him to obey Yan Boxi's orders. How could he not feel angry and unwilling?
"Humph! He was just a small tribute student whom I framed that day. I never thought that he would become the one standing in my way."
Shopkeeper Liu said this with hatred in his heart, and a sinister look appeared on his face.
"That's right! It was I who, under the orders of the prince, went to the imperial prison to rescue him. Back then, Yan Boxi was in such a state of disgrace, even worse than a beggar on the street. But now, in the mansion, he seems like a big shot, acting like a master."
When the spy leader heard Manager Liu's complaints about Yan Boxi, he immediately resonated with him and joined him in venting his dissatisfaction.
Both of them were loyal warriors trained by King Linjiang. They often fantasized that one day King Linjiang would achieve hegemony and they would be able to escape from their precarious lives, secure official positions, and enjoy the wealth and glory of the world.
However, the reality before them was that Yan Boxi was gaining more and more power, which made them feel a little disappointed.
"Many of the brothers have gradually begun to respect him. Even when they are being punished in front of the prince, they can easily resolve the situation with just a few kind words from Mr. Yan. Look at them now, they all call him 'Mr. Yan' with such affection."
Shopkeeper Liu said as he took a bite of food and put it into his mouth, a sly smile on his face. "Don't be too angry. Haven't we done enough for the prince over the years? When the prince's great cause is accomplished, it will be easy for you to be appointed the commander of the Jinyiwei. Isn't it?"
The spy leader heard this, as if he had already seen that day coming, and a look of longing appeared on his face: "The same goes for you. When the time comes, it will be legitimate for you to be conferred the title of Grand Secretary."
After three rounds of drinks, the spy leader spoke slowly with a hint of regret: "How wonderful it would be if we could have the opportunity to accomplish something great that would satisfy His Majesty."
Upon hearing this, Shopkeeper Liu's face lit up with an unfathomable smile, and he said softly, "As long as I put my mind to it, how could I not find a way to help His Majesty?"
Over the years, he has been traveling around and doing a lot of dirty work that can't be seen in public. Because of this, he knows a lot about all kinds of people and various secret methods.
Take the poisons and hidden weapons in the hands of Prince Linjiang, for example. They were all developed by others under his secret entrustment.
The spy leader seemed to have sensed something and asked tentatively, "Mr. Liu, do you have any brilliant plans? If you trust me, please share a few of them so that I can contribute my own little bit."
These words revealed the hidden worries in his heart. Many young and smart newcomers emerged in the spy organization. They were frequently favored by King Linjiang, which made him feel a sense of crisis.
"You've followed the prince for many years, so you're naturally trustworthy." Shopkeeper Liu's tone revealed a hint of caution, "But this matter is of no small importance, so we must proceed with caution."
Upon hearing this, the spy leader was immediately filled with awe and quickly declared, "Don't worry, Mr. Liu, I will fight to the death for you, no matter what!"
The drunkenness immediately dissipated, leaving only the whispered sounds of conspiracy.
…
In the study of Bishuiyunju in the palace, Yan Boxi quietly gazed at the lotus pond outside the window, with complicated thoughts surging in his heart.
A few days ago, the return of Manager Liu broke the peace in his heart.
Although Yan Boxi and Manager Liu only had a brief encounter, at that moment, memories of the past flooded into his mind like a tide.
He still remembers clearly that it was Shopkeeper Liu who cleverly hid the test questions in a jewelry box and carefully set up the conspiracy to frame him.
Although the Prince of Linjiang was the instigator of the disaster, Yan Boxi knew that if it weren't for Manager Liu's deliberate frame-up, his fate might not have undergone such a drastic change.
He had not yet forced Linjiang King Li Longjing into a trapped situation, making him live a life worse than death, but Yan Boxi already had murderous intentions towards the shopkeeper Liu and wished to get rid of him immediately.
"Mr. Yan, do you remember that day when Manager Liu framed you for cheating in the Spring Examination?"
Prince Linjiang Li Longjing sat behind his desk, playing with a snuff bottle painted with blue and white patterns. His voice was calm and indifferent, as if he was just talking about an insignificant matter.
In fact, he had already keenly noticed that Yan Boxi had been worried and frowning in recent days.
Because he valued Yan Boxi's outstanding talent so much, he was willing to put aside his status and take the initiative to comfort him: "Even if you are not in the Spring Examination, Manager Liu will find someone else. This can only be said to be fate and cannot be forced." There was a hint of apology in Li Longjing's tone.
"Mr. Yan, don't worry too much. When the king of Japan succeeds in his great cause, I will definitely give you a high position and generous salary to compensate you for the grievances you have suffered."
Yan Boxi turned around, a humble smile on his face, and said softly, "Your Highness, you are too kind. I just feel that Mr. Liu is now lacking his former decisiveness and ruthlessness in his work, and seems a little indecisive..."
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