Chapter 343: Strangers
When Jiang Yongkang slowly walked out of the old courtyard of the Jiang family's house, he saw a man standing in front of him.
It was a young woman.
Xu Zhenying rarely wore a dress today, but her hair was still tied up high, revealing her full and white forehead.
The moonlight was dim, and the woman was like a frosted plum blossom in the snow, standing proudly in the world. The night breeze blew gently, and a strand of hair on her forehead moved with the wind.
Behind her stood a standard security team of twenty-four people.
Since arriving in Beijing, Xu Zhenying's security team has increased from 12 to 24 people.
These people would follow Xu Zhenying closely wherever he went.
Xu Zhenying also saw the young man coming out of the middle door.
After not seeing him for a long time, Jiang Yongkang seemed to have lost some weight, but he was still a handsome young man with green hair and a green shirt. When he approached, the fragrance of spring mountain osmanthus water could be smelled.
Xu Zhenying only then saw a few petals of osmanthus falling on his shoulders.
Jiang Yongkang was happy when he saw Xu Zhenying.
His stern features seemed to be tinged with spring water, and his whole demeanor softened. He involuntarily quickened his pace and approached the woman.
Xu Zhenying waved his hand and said to Yan Xuesong, the captain of the security team beside him, "Wait for me over there."
Yan Xuesong saw Xu Zhenying's gesture and retreated calmly.
But then, she immediately asked the other twenty-three people to be on high alert.
There is no other reason.
It was because Xu Zhenying's secret signal was to pretend to retreat, be on guard secretly, and kill him at any time!
In other words, His Highness does not trust Jiang Yongkang.
Xu Zhenying said to Jiang Yongkang again: "Let's go for a walk."
Xu Zhenying turned and walked forward. Jiang Yongkang was a little stunned at first, and then he slowly followed.
This is a quiet trail.
Most of the people living here are from official families. At this moment, they don’t know whose backyard they have walked into. They only hear the sound of flowing water inside the courtyard wall. The moonlight is bleak, casting slanting shadows of trees on both sides.
Although it is late autumn, there is still a hint of the fragrance of osmanthus in the air.
Jiang Yongkang is not good at speaking, and in this situation, he is even more silent.
But Jiang Yongkang seemed to be put in a frying pan.
He knew that Xu Zhenying would not appear for no reason.
It is even more impossible to reminisce about the past with him.
She must have come today to pronounce judgment on his crime.
Jiang Yongkang started fighting at the age of fifteen. He killed countless people on the battlefield and never frowned amidst the hail of bullets.
But right now, his heart was in turmoil, and for the first time in his life he even had the thought of deserting.
After a long while, the voice of the woman beside him rang softly: "Did you go to the old house just now?"
"Yeah." Jiang Yongkang's voice was a little vague. The light in his eyes seemed to dim a little when he mentioned his family. "This house has been changed beyond recognition. It was even divided into two parts to house two families. It doesn't look like what I remember. Only the sweet-scented osmanthus tree that sticks out from the wall in the yard was planted by my father himself. Now the sweet-scented osmanthus is about to fade, but I can still vaguely see the voices and smiles of my family. I want to buy sweet-scented osmanthus flowers and carry them with me for wine... but it doesn't feel like... the days of our youth."
Xu Zhenying was silent for a moment before saying, "Your parents' graves can be renovated, and we can ask a senior monk to perform a ritual for them so they can rest in peace."
Jiang Yongkang knew that Xu Zhenying was a staunch materialist.
Therefore, I knew that her words were just words of comfort.
Xu Zhenying is right. When a person dies, it is like a light going out. Once dead, he is dead. It is the dissipation of matter.
There is no six realms of reincarnation in this world.
All of this is done for the living to see, or to comfort the living.
"You are the only son of the Jiang family. Now that you are old, you still need to consider your personal problems."
"Your Highness doesn't need to worry about this matter. You are only two years younger than me. The issue of the succession is still unresolved. Elder Lin and Madam Xu are both anxious to choose a husband for Your Highness. Your Highness is under even greater pressure than I am."
Xu Zhenying smiled nonchalantly, "Just a casual remark."
Jiang Yongkang seemed to have found courage at this moment. "Your Highness, are you here today to give me a final judgment?"
Before Xu Zhenying could speak, Jiang Yongkang interrupted her again, "If that's the case, can I make a few excuses for myself before I die?"
Xu Zhenying's deep eyes stared at him.
"I... was young at the time, and my family had just suffered such a tragedy. I was blinded by hatred and only wanted revenge. I knew your feelings for Zhaodi, but I still used you. But you should know that I am not a cruel and evil person, otherwise I would have killed Li Zhaodi and eliminated her. I also know that you feel that I betrayed you, but you were wavering at the time... I couldn't find any other roundabout way to resolve this matter."
The man's face was expressionless, but there was an undying sadness deep in his eyes.
"If I could do it all over again, I might choose a different path."
The two stood face to face.
The man was a head taller than Xu Zhenying, but he was very cautious and kept a low profile, as if he was humble and belonged to the dust.
Xu Zhenying smiled, but his words were somewhat heartless, "But Li Zhaodi will never have another chance to come back."
Jiang Yongkang was stunned, then his face turned pale.
"I know there are conspiracies and schemes in this world, but I choose to remain as innocent as possible towards you. You shouldn't use these methods against your own comrades."
Jiang Yongkang's body swayed slightly, and he seemed to be unable to stand steadily. "So if you are unfaithful once, you will never use him again?"
Xu Zhenying stared at him coldly with her eyes. The gentle night breeze and the bleak moonlight made her look out of reach.
Jiang Yongkang stood there.
It was as if he was back to many years ago, hiding in the corner, watching his parents being slaughtered and could only do nothing.
The bloody scene of him trying his best to escape appeared before his eyes again.
Many years have passed, and he is still that unarmed boy who can only be slaughtered by others.
The youthful affection, the love that had never been expressed out loud, turned to ashes in this instant under the cold gaze of this woman.
"Tomorrow, write a letter of resignation, citing the fact that you were injured on the battlefield and need long-term recuperation. Based on our friendship, I will grant you a respectable resignation."
a long time.
It lasted so long that Xu Zhenying's limbs felt a little cold.
But her eyes were as alert as a tiger or wolf.
Then Jiang Yongkang's lips slightly stretched, he seemed to want to laugh, but his face looked sad and bitter.
He took a half step back and stood with his fists clasped. "Thank you, Your Highness."
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As the end of the year approaches, three good things are coming.
One reason is that this is the first Spring Festival after Xu Zhenying took over the country.
The second is to take over all the territories occupied by Zhou Heng in the east.
The third is that the people of King Zhoushan in the west were completely wiped out.
Military reports came urgently from the east and west, and the daily court meetings were filled with joy.
The only flaw was that Jiang Yongkang, who had made great military achievements, fell off his horse due to drunkenness, and it was said that he was seriously injured.
Jiang Yongkang had also been injured on the battlefield, and this time his old and new injuries flared up at the same time, so he simply wrote a letter of resignation requesting to retire.
His Highness actually agreed.
This matter seems neither big nor small, but it still triggered several rounds of speculation.
Of course, the most common guess is that Jiang Yongkang has held military power for too long, and his achievements have frightened the emperor, so His Highness can only release the military power with a cup of wine.
Therefore, even a wise king like Xu Zhenying could not avoid the fate of being a lackey.
The old ministers had just been purged, and those left were naturally obedient. Moreover, they had not yet passed the civil servant assessment, and their official ranks had not been determined. Their identities were awkward, so they naturally did not dare to plead for Jiang Yongkang.
Besides, Jiang Yongkang is a new official in Jinzhou Prefecture and has little to do with these people.
However, His Royal Highness Prince Zhao's methods are so tough, and he will not fall for the tricks of "flattering the emperor and selling one's integrity". Now they can hardly protect themselves, and they act like turtles every time they go to court. How dare they say anything more?
Although the new officials of Jinzhou Prefecture had many speculations in their hearts, they ultimately took orders from Xu Zhenying and trusted Xu Zhenying very much. There were only many rumors among the top leaders who privately discussed that Jiang Yongkang must have made some political mistakes.
Otherwise, if it is true as the rumors outside are that His Highness is killing the donkey after it has done its work, why did he only kill Jiang Yongkang?
There were many loyal military generals following Jiang Yongkang, such as Mo Jinchun, Lu Fei and others, who were quite prestigious in the army, but this time they were promoted and given salary increases.
Therefore, the new officials of Jinzhou Prefecture are more inclined to believe that Jiang Yongkang was benched because he made a mistake.
It has to be said that anyone who enters officialdom is a shrewd person and can naturally see the big picture and guess the thoughts of those in higher positions.
No matter how secretive Xu Zhenying was in this matter, he could only shut outsiders up.
But in the end, the wars in the east and west subsided, and the new dynasty finally unified the country. The whole world was united, and both new and old ministers were naturally filled with joy and praise.
Who would spoil Xu Zhenying's mood at this critical juncture?
Moreover, it is said that His Royal Highness Prince Zhao will ascend the throne as emperor after the new year and reward his ministers according to their merits.
The following month, after consulting with the Ministry of Rites and other officials, Xu Zhenying changed the country's name to "Hua", established the capital in Bian Jing, and named the reign Kaiyuan.
Notices from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security were posted one after another, and almost all the officials in Jinzhou Prefecture who followed Xu Zhenying were promoted one level.
The Xin Dynasty adopted some official systems of the Great Zhou Dynasty and established the Menxia Province, which was similar to the cabinet of the previous dynasty and was a confidential department directly managed by Xu Zhenying.
Xu Yinxi led the Menxia Province, while Zhou Houfang, Qu Min, Chang Yuanshan, Pang Xiaohua, Jiang Chaoping and others served as members of the Menxia Province.
The Menxia Province has 13 departments and 38 bureaus, including supervision, human resources and social security, education, national defense, construction, commerce, finance, propaganda, agriculture, medical care, civil affairs, criminal justice, and statistics departments.
The entire palace was only used as an office space.
Palace maids and eunuchs willing to return home were paid and compensated according to their length of service, and were arranged to return home in a unified manner to avoid encountering bandits and the like along the way. Those unwilling to return home were employed under a performance assessment system, signed two-year contracts, and were all transferred to reception staff.
More than half of the palace servants were dismissed before the New Year. Many of them had not been home for more than ten years, so they were in a hurry to leave.
The palace became much quieter now.
Fortunately, the renovation project of the palace was in full swing. The palace covered an area of about thousands of acres of land. Xu Zhenying and people from the Ministry of Construction held more than a dozen meetings before finalizing the final renovation plan.
The palace eventually became a place for officials to work and hold meetings. Xu Zhenying even hung the words "Government Affairs Hall" in front of several entrances and exits, which naturally attracted the attention of the Ministry of Rites.
However, as a department that is about to be abolished, the Ministry of Rites has a very low presence.
The Ministry of Rites tearfully requested Xu Zhenying to perform the Fengshan Ceremony, but was rejected by Xu Zhenying. The Minister of Rites and others almost died on the spot. Qiu Ju'niang and others carried him on a stretcher to the medical school under construction for treatment.
However, the next day, rumors came that His Highness was actually planning to completely disband the Ministry of Rites.
This has really stirred up a hornet's nest among the old ministers.
Xu Zhenying was surrounded by a mountain of impeachment memorials. When he opened them, they were all exhortations from his ministers, saying things like, "The duty of the Son of Heaven is nothing greater than propriety, propriety is nothing greater than division, and division is nothing greater than reputation," and "With such vastness and multitudes under the control of one man, even the most powerful and wise dare not disobey him. Isn't propriety the guiding principle? Therefore, the Son of Heaven governs the Three Dukes, the Three Dukes lead the princes, the princes control the ministers, and the ministers govern the common people. The noble govern the humble, and the humble serve the noble. The superior commands the inferior, just as the heart and the confidant command the hands and feet, and the root controls the branches and leaves. The inferior serves the superior, just as the hands and feet protect the heart and the branches protect the root. Only then can the superior and the inferior protect each other and maintain peace and order in the country. Therefore, it is said: The duty of the Son of Heaven is nothing greater than propriety."
Xu Zhenying also understood that the ancients valued etiquette and even used etiquette to establish themselves and govern the country.
But she is a typical pragmatist, and in this matter alone, Xu Zhenying showed her tough approach.
As for the new ministers, even Old Lin and others had to temporarily avoid the area where Xu Zhenying was attacking.
Although the old ministers in Bianjing City were making a fuss, they did not dare to be too pretentious. Tricks like claiming illness and not attending court, as they had done in the past, could not fool Xu Zhenying.
Xu Zhenying has a strict attendance system. Sick leave requires a sick leave note issued by a certified doctor, and the note must be approved by superiors and submitted to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security before leave can be taken.
If you don't get a leave note, it will be considered as absenteeism.
If the employee is absent from work for a total of ten days, he or she will be asked to resign.
The old ministers in Bianjing City had a lot of grievances. They knew in their hearts that His Royal Highness Prince Zhao was targeting them, but they could only swallow their anger and honestly abide by the rules of Jinzhou Prefecture.
Being an official under His Royal Highness Prince Zhao...is really not easy.
The excitement in Bianjing City was one wave after another, so Jiang Yongkang's affairs were soon forgotten.
Just like Hu Wei back then.
There was just a splash of water, and then nothing happened.
After all, the city of Bianjing was busy celebrating the festival, busy discussing His Highness's coronation ceremony, busy welcoming the generals returning from the east and west, busy discussing which young talent had been promoted today, and busy preparing for the official assessment in the spring.
History is like a rolling wheel.
Yesterday quickly faded away.
No matter how many achievements you have, they will eventually be buried in the dust of history.
"He actually... just left like that." Xu Zhenying looked at Jiang Yongkang's handwritten letter on the long table, she was still a little dazed.
Jiang Yongkang recuperated in Bianjing City for two months, but left Bianjing on the eve of the Spring Festival.
He didn't even inform anyone, and just left Bianjing City alone on horseback, carrying a sword and a pot of wine.
He only left behind a letter, in which he said that he would travel alone with a sword to the ends of the earth and would meet again if the chance arose.
Xu Zhenying suddenly felt heartbroken.
She stared at the letter in a daze. The handwriting was familiar to her, with its flamboyant and unrestrained style. They had been writing to each other continuously over the years. He would talk about the difficulties he encountered on the front line, and she would also talk about the situation in Jinzhou Prefecture.
She was familiar with his handwriting, just as she was familiar with him.
They were once the closest comrades-in-arms and supported each other.
But now... we have to become strangers...
Xu Zhenying felt sad, even confused. "Fourth sister, do you think I was too unkind to him?"
Xu Yinxi was reviewing the papers for the spring civil servant assessment. Upon hearing this, she looked up and asked, "If you had to do it again, would you make the same choice?"
Xu Zhenying was stunned for a moment, then said firmly: "I will."
"All love and affection come together because of fate. Combination will lead to separation, and impermanence cannot last forever."
Xu Zhenying came back to his senses and stared blankly at the night sky outside. "That's right, the road ahead is long and difficult, but if you keep walking, you will reach your destination; if you keep walking, the future is promising. I can't be bound by the past—"
This road is destined to be lonely.
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