Chapter 43
Xie Zheng did not answer her directly. He made the last comment on the cover of the book and said, "I have annotated all the obscure and difficult parts of these books. You should be able to understand them if you read them yourself."
After hearing what he said, Fan Changyu was confused.
He promised to teach her how to read, but fearing that he might not be able to fulfill his promise, he annotated all the books and left them to her.
My heart felt empty for a moment, and I couldn't explain what the feeling was.
However, he and I have no relationship, and the gift is just for our own benefit, so we don't owe each other anything. Besides, Yinhua has helped me a lot during this period.
Fan Changyu suppressed the strange feeling in his heart and said, "I don't want anything. I have everything I need. The pork shop is doing a booming business, and my brined pork is also famous. I have a stable source of money, and I can raise pigs in the pig shed in the countryside after the spring..."
As she was talking about her future plans, she thought that Yan Zheng was about to leave and he probably wouldn't be able to get involved in raising pigs. She couldn't help but look up at him and found that he seemed to be listening to her carefully, with a calm and gentle expression. Suddenly, an indescribable sadness rose in her heart.
She thought that maybe it was because he supported her through the most difficult times, so she felt a little uncomfortable when she heard him say he was leaving.
She said, "I will go to the bank tomorrow to exchange the money you left with me for banknotes. This way it will be more convenient for you to carry it with you when you leave."
Xie Zheng's handsome eyebrows wrinkled up and he said, "What's given to you is given to you."
Fan Changyu said, "When you are out, there are many places to spend money. Besides, you have to rebuild the escort agency. If you don't have money with you, are you going to starve? Besides, I don't want to receive rewards without merit. I don't feel at ease taking such a large sum of money from you."
Forty taels of silver was no small sum. He could have kept it with himself for the time being, but now that everyone had left, he still left the money to her. Fan Changyu really couldn't feel at ease accepting it.
Adding the six taels they shared when they went to Yixianglou to sell braised pork yesterday, the total amount he left with her was forty-six taels. Fan Changyu planned to add another four taels to make it fifty taels, and then change it all into silver bills for him, and then give him some copper coins to use for commuting or stopping at a hotel.
This way, it wouldn't be considered as owing him anything.
Xie Zheng pursed his lips a little, looked at her and said, "Isn't it candy money?"
Fan Changyu met his gaze, his eyes clear and pure: "When you come back, if you still want to eat candy, I'll buy it for you."
She smiled, as if teasing, but also with a serious tone: "Otherwise, what if you meet a girl outside and want her to buy you candy but you have no money?"
Xie Zheng pursed his lips even tighter, and the gentleness in his expression disappeared completely.
Fan Changyu seemed unaware and yawned, "It's late, go to bed early."
Even until Fan Changyu returned to the house, Xie Zheng still sat at the table for a long time and then closed his eyes.
No one would buy him candy except her.
He was not sure whether he would be able to come back alive, and there were some things he could not say.
He Jingyuan traced the 200,000 shi of grain to Zhao Wen, who then handed the grain over to his old subordinates. He Jingyuan did not find out anything specific, but he could guess something by following clues.
Wei Xuan acted so recklessly. With He Jingyuan's ability and the fact that he was in Jizhou Prefecture, it would not be difficult for him to control Wei Xuan. However, he did not do so. He simply wanted to use the people to force him to show up with the 200,000 dan of rice.
Compared with his life, the people's suffering and the public's abuse were obviously nothing in the eyes of the Wei Party.
After all, in order to get rid of him, the Wei Party had the spies planted around him lie to the military, and the 8,000 soldiers who followed him to the battlefield were all abandoned on the Chongzhou battlefield...
This great vengeance of piled-up corpses and sea of blood has not been avenged. How can Wei Yan and his son sleep peacefully until they see his corpse?
He couldn't give her a promise that he would come back. Although she seemed carefree, she was actually a very principled person and would not get involved with him for no reason, so she was determined not to accept his money.
If you don't owe each other anything, you won't worry about each other.
He thought, if they didn't owe each other anything, then so be it. What good would it be if she was just a butcher's daughter?
He stood up and walked towards the room. When he passed under the eaves, the flying snow fell on his brows. The melted coolness penetrated into his bones, and the last trace of pride in his heart was also eroded by the coolness.
The hand that pushed the door lightly pressed on the wooden door, but it failed to open. He lowered his head and closed his eyes, hiding the panic in his heart at that moment.
How could she not be good?
She is good in every way.
-
In the deep courtyard, snow falls on the bamboo branches.
Zhao Wen walked quickly across the courtyard on the fallen snow and entered the warm room. The room was brightly lit by candlelight. Behind the arc-shaped carved hollow moon door, there was a pair of gilded Suan Ni Boshan stoves. Green smoke was slowly floating up from the hollow stove top.
In front of the soft couch further inside, a half-length golden gauze curtain was hung down, so the man on the couch could not be seen clearly. However, the hem of his clothes hanging down to the bottom of the couch was woven with gold embroidery and was extremely gorgeous.
Zhao Wen did not dare to look at it any more, but bowed his head and said respectfully: "Master, according to your instructions, Wei Xuan's forced grain collection has been widely publicized in the capital. Now all the officials are denouncing the Wei Party, and Li Taifu is also openly attacking Wei Yan in the court."
There was a low stool on the couch with teacups on it. The man raised his hand and picked up a cup. His knuckles were long but too pale, and he looked as thin as a few dry bones. He smiled and said, "Well done."
Then he asked, "How is the situation with Marquis Wu'an?"
Zhao Wen thought of his last meeting with Xie Zheng, and a thin layer of sweat appeared on his forehead. He gritted his teeth and said, "Marquis Wu'an asked his subordinates to inform He Jingyuan about Wei Xuan's cross-border grain collection. I think he wanted He Jingyuan to stop Wei Xuan from collecting grain."
The person behind the curtain chuckled, and it was unclear whether he was mocking or really found it funny: "Wei Yan, a traitor and a scoundrel, actually raised a nephew who cares about the people's suffering?"
He took a sip and put down the cup in his hand. "It's no wonder that Wei Yan is so jealous of him. He used the excuse of buying grain to find out more than ten contact points in Taizhou and Jizhou. When delivering the goods, he deliberately left clues for He Jingyuan. It can be regarded as a great gift to Wu'an Hou. After all... if Jizhou Prefecture had not continued the scandal of collecting grain, the stage we set up in the capital would have no one to perform."
Zhao Wen was a little worried: "If Marquis Wu'an finds out that we left a trail for He Jingyuan..."
The people behind the curtains didn't care: "What are you afraid of? We didn't force Wei Xuan to collect grain with knives. If we can make the Wei Party lose the support of the people again and again, and see the two knives in Wei Yan's hands perform on the same stage, why not? Besides, I'm helping Wu'an Hou. The more hatred the people have for the Wei Party, the more popular he will be when he stands up and takes back the northwest, right?"
Zhao Wen praised: "Your Majesty is wise."
Then he considered and said, "Marquis Wu'an wants to talk to the Lord. What do you think?"
He did not dare to tell the person in front of him a single word of the arrogant words Xie Zheng had said that day.
The man behind the curtain hesitated for a moment and said, "It's not the right time yet. Let him and Wei Yan fight each other. It would be best if both sides suffer losses."
Zhao Wen heard that he only wanted to use Xie Zheng, and hesitantly said: "After all, Marquis Wu'an is the orphan of General Xie..."
The man's eyes were cold and gloomy. "The wolf cub raised by Wei Yan himself is not a kind person. It is better to hold the military power in your own hands than to put it in the hands of others."
It was freezing cold, but Zhao Wen was sweating profusely on his back. He bowed and said, "I understand."
-
Another place where the lights stayed on for a long time that night was He Mansion.
Dozens of soldiers under Wei Xuan's command surrounded the gate of He's mansion, and people in the mansion were not allowed to go out easily.
Even the corner gates and courtyard walls were patrolled by soldiers.
In the night, hidden arrows whizzed towards the soldiers in front of the mansion gate like heavy rain. The soldiers in front of the mansion gate were instantly thrown into disarray and hid in panic under cover: "Enemy attack!"
"Quickly report to the general!"
"Kill—"
A team of Jizhou soldiers armed with swords and spears rushed out from the darkness, catching the frightened Wei soldiers off guard and quickly gaining the upper hand.
The leader of the Jizhou soldiers was Zheng Wenchang. He raised his sword high and said, "Follow me to rescue the lord!"
He was an important general under He Jingyuan and was very familiar with the terrain of He Mansion. He quickly led his men to find the study.
He Jingyuan sat behind a desk with a scroll of bamboo slips spread out in front of it, seemingly reading by candlelight at night. When he saw Zheng Wenchang and his men breaking into He's residence with knives in hand, his expression changed slightly: "Why are you here?"
Zheng Wenchang knelt on one knee, clasped his fists and said, "I have brought people to help you out of trouble. Wei Xuan's actions are really too much! You may as well write a letter to the capital to report to the Prime Minister. Let's see how long Wei Xuan can continue to be so arrogant!"
When He Jingyuan heard his purpose, he frowned and sighed, "What a mess!"
Zheng Wenchang looked puzzled: "What do you mean by that, sir?"
He Jingyuan said no more. He stood up and paced back and forth in the study room, then ordered: "Take your people and leave first."
Zheng Wenchang was surprised and asked, "What about you, sir?"
He Jingyuan said: "Wei Xuan dare not do anything to me. I have my own reasons for doing this. You can just go back and wait for orders."
Zheng Wenchang and the other generals looked at each other in bewilderment, but out of respect and obedience to He Jingyuan, they clasped their fists and said, "I will obey your orders."
When they were about to leave, He Jingyuan hesitated for a moment, and finally added: "If you see Wei Xuan's soldiers oppressing innocent people when collecting grain, stop them, but don't kill anyone."
Upon hearing this, several generals were confused, but they still clasped their fists and accepted the order.
Only Zheng Wenchang, who left last, asked in confusion before leaving: "Why are you afraid of Wei Xuan?"
He Jingyuan put his hands behind his back and looked at the plaque with the words "明德唯馨" (Mingde Weixin) above the desk. He sighed and said, "It's not that I'm afraid of him. Don't ask too many questions. Just do as I say."
Zheng Wenchang had no choice but to retreat with a fist clasped, full of doubts.
He Jingyuan stared at the plaque for a long time without taking his eyes away.
It doesn't matter that he is full of sins; the most important thing is whether the people of Dayin can survive in the war in the future.
When the emperor gets angry, millions of people will die.
The struggles among those in power ultimately cause suffering to the common people at the bottom.
If the 200,000 shi of grain bought by the merchant surnamed Zhao were really in that man's hands, after this test, we would know whether he was as ruthless as Wei Yan and would not give up until he achieved his goal, or whether he still cared about the common people.
If it was the latter, then perhaps it would be time for that person to tell him what he knew about the Battle of Jinzhou sixteen years ago after he returned.
If it was the former, he would take the secret with him into the coffin.
There is only hatred, and no mercy for all the people in the world. Once they know everything, it will only start more wars and make the people suffer.
The author has something to say:
Mini-theater:
Xie Hou in self-hypnosis: She is not good, she is not good, she is not good at all, there is nothing to worry about!
The next second, Xie Hou broke down and said: She is good in every way!
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