Seeing that the shadow under Luo Guanlin's feet was still alive, Wang Yue took two steps forward excitedly and held Luo Guanlin's shoulders. Then his two hands moved up along his shoulders, first to his neck, and then to his face. His expression seemed to be extremely concerned but he couldn't believe what he saw: "Guanlin, it really is you...!"
"You don't have to use this to test my body temperature and breath..." Luo Guanlin frowned as his friend held his face tremblingly, "I am a human, not a ghost."
Wang Yue paused, coughed a little, then took his hand back and wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes: "Seeing that you are really alive, I feel relieved."
After he finished speaking, he quickly turned around and closed the window, then turned back and asked in a low voice, "But how dare you hide in Jiangdu City now? Aren't you afraid of running into the hands of Jiangdu Governor Chang Suining?"
Luo Guanlin: “…” There was no room for him to crash into her hands anymore.
Wang Yue came closer, with a look of worry and uncertainty on his face: "Guan Lin, you are in the dark!"
Luo Guanlin was silent. What was dark under the lamp? That lamp was darker than anyone else's.
"Or..." Wang Yue grabbed Luo Guanlin's arm and asked sternly, "Or, do you intend to avenge your former master Xu Zhengye? That's why you are hiding here?"
"I know you value friendship and loyalty, but you are alone and powerless, how can you compete with Chang Suining who has a large army?" Wang Yue advised: "Guan Lin, listen to me, it is very difficult for you to save your life, so don't be stubborn anymore..."
Luo Guanlin, who had never had a chance to speak, raised his hand to interrupt his worried friend: "Wangshan, why don't you listen to me first..."
Wang Yue shook his head and pulled Luo Guanlin to sit down on the chair. "Guanlin, no matter what, you have to worry about your family members now... Are they all safe now that there are wars and bandits everywhere?"
Family members are always the weak point, and Wang Yue attempts to use family affection to awaken his friend's dormant rationality.
Luo Guanlin: "Everything is fine at home."
"That's a blessing!" Wang Yue breathed a sigh of relief. In order to test and appease his friend, he immediately took the initiative in the conversation: "By the way, how did you manage to escape in the first place?"
Luo Guanlin: "It's a long story..." It starts with a sack.
Wang Yue was in no hurry to ask, but only sighed: "You have also experienced a life-and-death experience this time..."
After thinking for a while, he whispered, "However, since he was able to let you escape right under my nose without any investigation, if that's the case... Chang Suining is not as magical as the rumors say."
As he said this, he shook his head and smiled: "As expected, rumors are always exaggerated and cannot be trusted."
Seeing his good friend looking so calm and composed, Luo Guanlin felt extremely complicated.
In fact, Wang Yue was also secretly paying attention to Luo Guanlin's reaction. Seeing that Luo Guanlin did not respond to his comments on Chang Suining and did not feel indignant or hateful, Wang Yue felt relieved and poured two cups of tea, pushing one to Luo Guanlin.
While speaking to comfort him, "Life is like sailing on the sea, with ups and downs. The past is gone and there is no need to talk about it. Today, you and I have the opportunity to meet again, which is a great blessing..."
The two of them then replaced wine with tea to commemorate this precious reunion after escaping death.
After drinking half a cup, Wang Yue said, "Guan Lin, it is not a long-term solution for you to stay in Jiangdu for a long time... What are your plans for the future? If there is anything I can help you with, please don't be shy, just tell me."
They have known each other since childhood and have a deep affection for each other. As the current situation is unpredictable, it is even more important for family and friends to take care of and support each other.
Luo Guanlin did not answer but asked: "Wangshan, do you have any plans?"
When talking about this, Wang Yue, who was always easy-going and mild-tempered, showed a trace of worry between his brows: "Since the Japanese army's threat reappeared, the King of Yue has been expanding his troops and recruiting talents... Qiantang is adjacent to Yuezhou, and the King of Yue has sent people to my house twice."
Luo Guanlin's expression changed slightly.
Although Yuezhou is also close to the East China Sea, the Japanese army this time aimed at Jiangdu and Runzhou, which were weak after the war, so the battle defense line was mostly in the waters adjacent to the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea.
Of course, it is always a good thing for Yuezhou to be alert and deploy defenses. Chang Suining has said more than once that the coastal defenses of the entire Yellow Sea and East China Sea must be reorganized and no slack can be allowed, so as to give the Japanese army an opportunity to take advantage of it.
There is nothing wrong with strengthening the coastal defense and training the navy, but expanding the army and recruiting talented people...
Moreover, the hand that recruits talents has even extended beyond Yuezhou to Qiantang...Now the princes everywhere are ready to make a move, and it seems that King Li Su of Yue is no exception, and most of them want to take advantage of the opportunity to build up their strength.
Luo Guanlin looked at Wang Yue and asked, "Are you going to accept the King of Yue's offer?"
Wang Yue sighed: "I haven't thought about it yet..."
Looking at his friend's indecisive look, Luo Guanlin silently understood. Wang Yue was most afraid of making choices and decisions. He had been like this since he was young. If you gave him a pen, he would gladly accept it, but if you asked him to buy a pen, he would surely spend half a day choosing in the pen and ink shop, and in the end, nine out of ten times he would have to use "selecting the troops and generals" to choose the final one.
With such a pen and such a big matter, it would be even more difficult to make a decision.
Therefore, Luo Guanlin had told Chang Suining in advance that Wang Wangshan was a man of extraordinary knowledge, great tolerance for people and things, good at planning, but not good at making decisions.
"Guan Lin, you know me best..." This topic aroused Wang Yue's deep thoughts, and he subconsciously said, "How about you help me think about it and make a decision?"
After he finished speaking, he quickly came back to his senses and waved his hands, sighing, "Forget it, your ability to select people is not that great... I can never choose the right one, and you always choose the wrong one."
Luo Guanlin's face twisted. Didn't they agree that the past was over and shouldn't be mentioned again?
Wang Yue was obviously more afraid of making the wrong choice than failing to elect one. Therefore, although he had been a famous scholar in Qiantang over the years, he never got involved in disputes among outsiders. However, only Luo Guanlin knew best that it was not that he did not want to get involved, but that he did not know which direction to get involved.
Sometimes, he would just set his eyes on someone and want to become a retainer in their house, but before he could make up his mind, the other party would fall into disarray. So he could only sigh, "He is not a good master for me," and then quietly look for the next one.
Looking at his friend who was indecisive, Luo Guanlin inexplicably felt that Chang Suining was quite suitable. If it worked out, it would be a success. If not, he would just be put in a sack and carried away. There was no choice at all, which saved him the pain of making a decision.
Wang Yue was completely unaware of his friend's sinister intentions. He was still thinking about the King of Yue, and then he said, "But seeing that you have been in the officialdom for a long time, you should know more about the King of Yue. Can you tell me what the views of various places are on him?"
Just as he finished speaking, there was a knock on the door. Wang Yue immediately asked, "Is the food here?"
Luo Guanlin: “…” The people who harvested the vegetables have arrived.
Wang Yue, who had no idea that he was a dish, watched as the door of the private room was pushed open, and the person who walked in was not a waiter from the restaurant.
A tall young man with fair complexion and wearing a light blue gauze robe embroidered with auspicious clouds walked in with his hands behind his back. He smiled before he spoke: "Sir, please wait a moment. The food and wine will be here soon."
Hearing the undisguised voice of the girl, Wang Yue was startled again, and subconsciously turned to look at Luo Guanlin. He saw that when Luo Guanlin's eyes met with the girl's, there was no strangeness or surprise on his face.
Wang Yue was stunned for a moment, then smiled and asked his friend: "Is this your daughter?"
Luo Guanlin: “?”
He is not so lucky!
As the door behind the girl was closed from the outside, Wang Yue accepted the fact and stood up with a smile: "... You have grown up in the blink of an eye! Back then, you were just a three or four-year-old child!"
As he said this, he could not help but complain to his friend: "... Guanlin, when did you bring the child to Jiangdu? And you didn't even mention it in the letter, so I, as your uncle, couldn't even prepare a gift for the meeting!"
Besides, is Jiangdu a place for children? It's fine that he wears a mask all day to hide his identity, but look at how he forced the children to not even dare to dress like a girl!
Luo Guanlin was wavering wildly between intolerance and guilt towards his friend, and chose to close his eyes temporarily: "...Wangshan, she is not Xier."
Wang Yue was immediately confused. If it wasn't his niece, who else could it be?
The visitor quickly gave him the answer.
Wang Yue only saw the elegant girl raising her hand to him and said with a smile, "I am Chang Suining from the Governor's Mansion. I am honored to meet you, Mr. Wang."
A huge crack suddenly appeared on Wang Yue's confused expression, as if the sky and the earth were collapsing.
Who? Chang Suining?!
He almost subconsciously looked at Luo Guanlin beside him, with a panic that he couldn't explain - it wasn't him who caused it! Yes, he was very suspicious. He learned the secret of his friend's escape from death in the letter, and specially arranged to meet again at noon today... But it really wasn't him who told the secret! How could he be the kind of person who sells out his friends for fame! In a panic, Wang Yue hurriedly stood in front of his friend who slowly stood up, and said urgently: "Guanlin, this matter is strange, but listen to my explanation..."
"...You don't have to explain." Luo Guanlin held down one of his friend's arms, took a step forward, and looked at Chang Suining: "Governor Chang came here with me."
Wang Yue's panicked emotions were immediately frozen, and he turned his head like an ice sculpture, almost stiffly looking at Luo Guanlin: "...What?"
Luo Guanlin said in a complicated tone: "Wangshan, I am now... in the governor's mansion in Jiangdu, working for Governor Chang."
Hearing this, Wang Yue's ice sculpture gradually burst into pieces.
[In the Governor's Mansion, working for Governor Chang] - a very simple sentence, but to Wang Yue at this moment, it was more difficult to chew and digest than the dry and hard meatballs fried by his old mother at home, which had been stored for a year and had not been eaten yet and had already gone moldy.
After finally piecing together his shattered thinking ability, the first thought that came to Wang Yue's mind was - was his friend being coerced?
He silently grabbed Luo Guanlin's arm and looked at him inquiringly.
At the moment, Luo Guanlin could only speak well of Chang Suining against his will: "...Wangshan, from the very beginning, it was Governor Chang who saved me, and fabricated the illusion of self-immolation for me, changed my identity for me, and kept me in the Governor's mansion."
Chang Suining showed a kind smile at the right time.
Wang Yue could only force a smile in response, and then continued to put on this stiff smile and asked his friend: "Such a big thing... Why didn't you mention it in your letter?"
Luo Guanlin: "I didn't have time to elaborate."
Wang Yue's smile became more and more stiff. Is there such a thing as "not having enough time" when writing a letter? What's going on? Did his brush catch fire while he was writing the letter? Or was there a knife on his neck? It's fake, all fake! Obviously, he was the one being "sold"! And while "selling" him, he also had to be on guard against him! Luo Guanlin was so dedicated, it was obvious that he was not coerced, he was willing!
As soon as his old master died, he surrendered to a new master. This Luo guy is unwilling to be idle for a moment and never has any free time!
Wang Yue was angry and anxious. He wanted to escape, but facing the girl's smiling face, he dared not move. It felt like he was being stared at by a ferocious beast. If he dared to run, the beast would tear him into pieces smaller than the dough leaves that his mother had kept in the pot for too long.
"Sir, don't panic. I have no ill will towards you." Chang Suining found a chair and sat down. He raised his hand to signal everyone to sit down, and said, "It was Mr. Luo who strongly recommended you to me, so I asked Mr. Luo to write a letter to invite you to Jiangdu as a guest."
Wang Yue could only raise his hand and salute a little awkwardly, then sit down.
Chang Suining asked in a casual tone, "What were you two talking about just now?"
Luo Guanlin: "We are talking about the King of Yue."
As he spoke, he glanced at Wang Yue.
Wang Yue cursed him again in his heart.
"Yue Wang Li Su." Chang Suining said, "As far as I know, this man's greatest strength is that he listens to advice."
Wang Yue looked at her hesitantly.
Then she said, "But he will listen to anyone's advice. He lacks his own opinions and sometimes changes his mind from one day to the next."
Luo Guanlin also looked at Chang Suining. Why did she say that as if she knew the King of Yue very well? "It is difficult for such people to achieve great things, and they are very easy to be deceived and used." Chang Suining said to Wang Yue in a fair tone: "If you want to make a difference in his mansion, you will not only have to convince him, but also suppress all his retainers and officials. If you can't do that, your ambitions will be difficult to realize. Is this what you want?"
Wang Yue's emotions were in turmoil, but he didn't dare to reveal too much.
Chang Suining continued, "Also, when the Japanese soldiers approached us, I, led by Jiangdu, worked with the coastal states to strengthen coastal defense, train the navy, and exchange information from various sea areas. But the King of Yue was very self-righteous and never responded or followed us. He repeatedly shirked his responsibilities and perfunctorily defended himself in Yuezhou, hoarding troops and horses -"
She said, "Yuezhou's movements will certainly arouse the emperor's suspicion. In order to seize the initiative, the King of Yue will not only start a rebellion, but will also start it quickly. It is difficult for him to have a detailed plan in such a short time. His foundation is not solid, and his reputation has never been prominent, so how can he go on an expedition? Therefore, I judge that he is destined to fail. If you choose to follow me, not only will your ambitions be difficult to realize, but your life will soon be in danger."
After hearing this, Wang Yue looked at the young governor again, with different emotions in his eyes.
Her voice still had the clarity and brightness peculiar to a young girl, but when she spoke of the political situation, her thoughts were clear and firm, without a word of nonsense, and every word went straight to the point... In just a few sentences, she had already determined that the King of Yue, who had not yet had time to start a rebellion, would fail.
If the King of Yue knew that a seventeen-year-old girl had already decided on the great cause in his heart, I wonder how he would feel?
Wang Yue was thinking randomly. He didn’t know what the King of Yue felt, but his feeling was... this Governor Chang was indeed extraordinary.
This conclusion came from just a few words at first sight...
And the more this is the case, the more unusual it appears.
An unprecedented feeling arose in Wang Yue's heart. He looked at Luo Guanlin - he seemed to understand why Old Luo would switch to his former "rival" in such a short period of time.
I failed to update early today, so I added a few sentences at the end. Please refresh to read (for book friends who read after 0.03 points, it is complete and there is no need to refresh again). Good night!
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