Xijing, this thousand-year-old ancient capital, looks particularly solemn in the winter twilight.
The flag of Dafeng is now flying on the top of the former Dayin City.
The residence of Yang Yan, the Left Prime Minister of Dafeng. People come and go.
Unlike the hustle and bustle of the Purple Palace in the capital and Li Jingang's complacency, the atmosphere here seems quiet and depressing, like the frozen surface of the Wei River, with unknown undercurrents surging underneath.
In the study, the charcoal brazier was burning as warm as spring, but Yang Yan's heart was shrouded in an lingering chill.
He sat alone behind a large desk, with documents and secret reports sent from various parties spread out in front of him. The candlelight illuminated his thin and slightly tired face.
It has been more than half a month since he returned from the capital, and Li Jingang's joking and unquestionable words and Feng Liang's complacent and contemptuous eyes are still lingering in his mind.
"It's easy to conquer the world, but it's hard to keep it... Your Majesty, why won't you listen to me..."
Yang Yan put down the good news in his hand about the smooth progress of the war in Jiangnan. Instead of feeling happy, he sighed even more deeply.
The more brilliant the victory news was, the more it highlighted the "correctness" of Feng Liang's strategy, and the more "inappropriate" and even "alarmist" his warnings about the threat from the north seemed.
He stood up, walked to the window, pushed it open a little, and the cold air rushed in instantly, which refreshed him.
Outside the window, scattered lights were lit up in the streets of Xijing, and the sound of the night watchman's clappers was getting closer and closer.
This city was a crucial turning point in his assistance to Li Jingang in starting his career, but now it seems to have become a place of exile on the edge of power.
"Your Majesty has been deceived by Feng Liang's clever words. Further admonition now will not only be futile, but will only arouse suspicion."
Yang Yan muttered to himself, as if trying to convince himself, "The only solution now is... to use stillness to control movement, and make a move in silence."
He sat back at the desk, his eyes sharp and determined.
Since he couldn't change the overall situation in the temple, he would play a secret game within the scope of his own authority, for Dafeng and the unspeakable worries in his heart.
He spread out a detailed map of Longyou and Jiannan Road, and slowly moved his finger across it, eventually stopping at the locations of Ganzhou and Chengdu Prefecture.
"Zhang Zan is cunning and cunning, commanding his own troops and acting in a self-important manner. He pretends to obey the imperial edicts but secretly disobeys them. Li She, the provincial governor, has close ties to the Chechi Kingdom, and his intentions are unpredictable."
"These two are the biggest obstacles for us to take over Longyou."
Yang Yan pondered, "There's also Cui Hao of Jiannan Dao. He's good at maintaining the status quo but lacks the ability to make breakthroughs. However, his general, Wang Jian, is said to be quite ambitious and unwilling to be outdone..."
He picked up the pen and wrote a few lines of beautiful and obscure small characters on a blank piece of letter paper.
It was not a direct order, but some seemingly ordinary inquiries and concerns.
But it contains secret codes that only certain people can understand.
This was written to the leader of the spies he had infiltrated in Longyou, as well as some local tyrants who had secretly defected to Dafeng.
"Prime Minister, how should we proceed?"
The trusted aide who had been standing in the shadows asked in a low voice.
This aide's surname is Wu. He is a brother who grew up with Yang Yan. He is the most calm and capable.
Yang Yan sealed the written letter with wax and handed it to Mr. Wu: "Let those of us in Longyou get closer to Zhang Xuan, the son of Zhang Zan.
"I heard that this Mr. Zhang has a penchant for luxury, especially collecting antiques and precious stones. He's very generous and is a well-known playboy in Ganzhou."
"He seems to have recently taken a liking to Li Yan, the niece of Li She, the governor. It's said that Li Yan has a close relationship with her cousin Dugu Yong..."
His tone was calm, but his words were profound.
Mr. Wu immediately understood. "Your Excellency is thinking... of starting with the conflicts among the younger generation? Zhang Xuan is greedy and lustful, and Dugu Yong is arrogant and domineering. They are already rivals in Ganzhou City."
"If we can cleverly instigate them to fight more fiercely, we might even involve Zhang Zan and Li She..."
"That's right." Yang Yan nodded. "When the water is muddy, it's easier to fish. I'll arrange for my nephew Yang Yi to go there."
This is a seemingly gentle but actually cruel tactic of sowing discord.
"What about Jiannan Road?"
"Cui Hao is old and prefers stability. But his subordinate, Wang Jian, is in his prime and commands a large army. How could he be willing to be under someone else's command for long?"
A gleam of light flashed in Yang Yan's eyes. "Let our people find an opportunity to contact Wang Jian. No need to promise anything. Just let him know that as long as he is loyal to our Dafeng, he can choose any official position he wants."
"Also, send someone to spread some 'news' about Cui Hao's poor health and his plan to have his son take over, and get it to Wang Jian."
Mr. Wu took a deep breath. The Prime Minister was going to sow the seeds of unrest in Jiannan as well.
Once Wang Jian's ambition is aroused, there will be turmoil within Jiannan Road. At that time, Xijing will only need to send a small number of troops to take over.
"Also," Yang Yan added, his voice lowered, "strengthen control over Xijing itself and the surrounding passes."
"Especially the old supplies we brought from Xiazhou, we must hold them firmly in our hands. We must also secretly increase the reserves of food, fodder, and weapons. As for Li Hu..."
He mentioned Li Jingang's nephew, "Your Majesty has asked him to follow me for training. You should guide him more and let him get involved in military affairs, but you must be careful about how to handle it. After all, he is Your Majesty's man."
Mr. Wu nodded seriously: "I understand. The Prime Minister is preparing for a rainy day!"
Yang Yan waved his hand, and Mr. Wu bowed and retreated, taking the secret letter with him and quietly blending into the night.
The study returned to silence again, with only the occasional crackling of the charcoal fire.
Yang Yan leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and rubbed his temples with his fingers.
These political schemes and calculations were not what he wanted.
For the sake of his elder brother-in-law Li Jingang's eternal ambition, as the prime minister, he had no choice.
He seemed to be able to see an invisible net slowly spreading out of Xijing with his study as the center, wrapping around Longyou and circling towards Jiannan.
He knew that all he was doing might not produce any results in the short term and might even backfire.
But he also knew that Zhao Muyun in the north would never sit and wait for Li Jingang to pacify the south.
That young man was like a tiger lurking in the wind and snow of Shuozhou, quietly strengthening himself and ready to show his fangs at any time.
And before that day comes, Yang Yan must accumulate as many chips as possible for Dafeng and his own life and property, stabilize the rear, and ensure the safety of Xijing.
"Zhao Muyun... I hope your rise to prominence can be slower..."
Yang Yan looked at the flickering candlelight and murmured to himself.
In this game of chess, he made his moves cautiously and carefully, betting on time and the unpredictable changes in the future.
He and Zhao Muyun, two opponents who had never met, had already started a game of chess against each other in Longyou, a geographical unit far away from the Central Plains.
The night is deep, and the lights of Xijing flicker in the cold wind, just like every soul in this troubled world, where ambition and worry are intertwined.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
