Chapter 204 Xiao Yan is completely soft-hearted
It was the first time that Tang Ning heard people mention places outside of the Great Wei. Although the affairs of Beiling were far away from her, she was fascinated by the power game.
Fu Laiqing, however, had long known about Beiling's Imperial Preceptor and could not help but ask, "How could your uncle allow a man who had been defeated repeatedly and had a broken arm to be the headmaster of the county lord?"
"What do you know!" Cao Dejiang frowned and scolded, "Who said he's unworthy just because he lost?"
After he finished speaking, he looked at Song Tangning and said in a deep voice, "Do you know why I asked you to invite him, County Master?"
Tang Ning lowered his eyes and thought for a moment before speaking hesitantly, "It's because Shi Chang'an lost not because of ability, but because of the situation. Although he couldn't do anything to Xia Hou Ling, as the Imperial Preceptor of the Beiling Dynasty, Xia Hou Ling was able to suppress him only by leveraging the power of the entire Beiling Dynasty."
"Shi Chang'an was able to repeatedly enter and exit the Beiling Imperial Capital, attack a nation's imperial preceptor, and yet escape unscathed. Even if he lost an arm in the end, he is definitely a very capable person."
For example, in the capital of Wei, if a person wants to deal with the powerful Xiao Yan, and can go in and out several times and still survive, how can he not be capable?
Cao Dejiang's eyes lit up with admiration. "You're right, County Master. When Shi Chang'an was in the northern border army, he plotted to trap and kill 20,000 Beiling vanguards. He subsequently entered Beiling territory several times, causing chaos in the imperial capital. Two years ago, he used the Wanhu clan of Beiling to come within a hair's breadth of deposing the Beiling Khan. Although he was ultimately defeated, the Khan died, and several of the princes fought fiercely for power."
"Lord Cao is saying that the sudden civil unrest in Beiling two years ago was caused by him?" Xiao Yan spoke from the side.
Cao Dejiang nodded: "That's right."
There was a look of regret on his face. Beiling was a serious threat to the Wei Dynasty. If Shi Chang'an had succeeded, Beiling would have been in chaos long ago, and the Wei Dynasty might have been able to gain some advantage.
It’s a pity that Shi Changan is alone.
Cao Dejiang sighed, "He's a very independent person and doesn't want to rely on external forces, but human power is ultimately limited. That time, when Shi Chang'an came back, he had an arm broken and his hair turned white overnight. Since then, he has never been to Beiling again and only stayed in Puyao to become a teacher. When I heard that the County Master's Academy was vacant for a principal, I immediately thought of him."
"He wrote a few days ago saying he would be visiting the capital. If you're interested, I can arrange for you to meet him. However, he has a strange temper and it's difficult to persuade him with benefits. Whether you can persuade him or not depends entirely on you."
Tang Ning did not back down because of Cao Dejiang's words. She had great ambitions for the academy, which were by no means limited to the capital of Wei. However, she was young and immature, and it was difficult for her to convince others with either her experience or knowledge.
Before she grows up, the college needs someone who is capable and decisive enough to help her "steer the ship".
Xiao Yan's identity prevented him from interfering too much in the academy, otherwise Emperor An and the upright officials who had originally supported him would feel uneasy. And Shi Chang'an, as mentioned by Cao Dejiang, was the most suitable person at the moment, both in terms of ability and means.
Of course she wanted to go and see him in person.
Tang Ning quickly said, "Mr. Cao is able to help me connect with Mr. Shi. I am very grateful to him. As for other matters, I will go and talk to Mr. Shi in person. I will do my best to keep him in the academy."
Cao Dejiang smiled and said, "Okay, I'll send someone to inform you when he arrives in Beijing."
"Thank you, Lord Cao."
"How is the construction of the academy going?"
"The construction of the temple has already begun..."
Tang Ning whispered to Cao Dejiang about the progress of the academy, and answered him seriously when he asked some questions.
Cao Dejiang was just chatting with her at first, but seeing that the little girl was very measured and sensible, he asked her about the things that happened after the academy was built, with the intention of deliberately testing her and making things difficult for her.
But Tang Ning did not avoid the question. Instead, he answered generously. When he encountered something he had never thought of before, he would tell Cao Dejiang his thoughts after careful consideration, and then respectfully ask Cao Dejiang for his opinion.
Xiao Yan sat aside and listened quietly to the two of them talking back and forth. He saw that the little girl was confident and had a calm conversation with Cao Dejiang. Her eyes were no longer timid as before, but instead seemed to be sprinkled with a layer of light, shining brightly. Cao Dejiang could not hide his admiration.
He felt a secret sense of pride in his heart. When he lowered his head to withdraw his hands from the water, a handkerchief was handed to him.
Xiao Yan raised his eyes and saw the little girl grinning at him, then turned her head and continued talking to Cao Dejiang.
As he held the handkerchief, his heart sank even deeper. He chuckled softly in his throat, covered his hand with the handkerchief and wiped it gently, then folded it slowly and stuffed it back into his sleeve. When he looked up at the Fu family's puppy who was looking at his little Haitang with admiration not far away, he suddenly calmed down.
This bastard is so stupid that his little Haitang looks down on him.
Fu Laiqing suddenly felt the chill on his body disappear. He turned around subconsciously and met Xiao Yan's rather kind eyes.
“…”
Fu Laiqing: My brother-in-law likes him again?
…
Cao Dejiang and the others stayed in Tang Mansion for about half an hour. When they were leaving, Fu Laiqing found an opportunity to talk to Song Tangning alone.
He told Song Tangning about what happened in the palace, and then he was filled with regret: "I'm sorry, Miss Song, I originally wanted to teach Song Jinxiu a lesson, but I didn't expect him to use me to set a stage for him."
Tang Ning hadn't expected Song Jinxiu to become like this: "I don't blame you. It's not that he doesn't know how to be humane. He just used to be disdainful. Now that he's in a bad situation, he's willing to take advantage of anything. Mr. Fu, don't go out of your way to trouble him in the future, or he'll scheme against you again."
Fu Laiqing quickly said, "I know, my uncle has already taught me a lesson."
Tang Ning glanced at Cao Dejiang who was talking to Xiao Yan in front of him and said, "Lord Cao treats you very well."
Fu Laiqing blurted out, "Grandpa Uncle likes you very much, too."
Tang Ning: “…”
Seeing the girl in front of him looking up at him, Fu Laiqing's face flushed red, and he quickly explained with a stuttering voice: "No, that's not what I meant."
"It was my uncle who always praised your intelligence and said that you were different from the other girls in the capital. He said that if you knew that I was taking advantage of Song Jinxiu, you would definitely not like it..."
The more he described, the worse it got, and his words became more and more stammering. His face turned red, and even his neck below the collar was red.
Tang Ning had never seen anyone's face so red before. She laughed a little, but still whispered, "It's not that I don't like him, but I think there's no need to waste energy on an irrelevant person. Besides, it's not good for me to get entangled with him. Mr. Fu has a bright future, unlike him who is full of bad reputation. Why bother to touch rotten stone with gold and jade?"
Fu Laiqing's face flushed: "Do you think I am Jin Yu?"
Tang Ning nodded. "You, Madam Fu, and Lord Cao are all worth precious stones in my eyes. Even being hurt by someone like Song Jinxiu is not worth it. I heard that Madam Fu is planning to arrange a marriage for Mr. Fu. When you marry a beautiful wife and have a child, you will know that Lord Cao's teachings to you today were not for me."
When she smiled, her eyes were gentle, like a crabapple blossom in spring, making people unable to look away.
"Speaking of which, Mr. Fu has saved A'ru and me, and Old Madam Fu has also helped me several times. When you get married in the future, please remember to send an invitation to the Tang Mansion. A'ru and I will definitely prepare a generous gift for you and your future wife."
The color on Fu Laiqing's originally flushed face instantly faded.
"Miss Song, I..."
He opened his mouth to speak, and Song Tangning smiled and said:
"Mr. Fu, my last name is no longer Song."
She was gentle but firm, and did not give Fu Laiqing the opportunity to reveal his feelings.
"Mr. Cao is calling you. You should leave now."
Fu Laiqing looked at the little girl who was so close to him but pushed him away without hesitation. She didn't even want him to express his feelings. His hands and feet felt a little cold. The joy he had when he came here was gone, and the young man Mu Ai's heart was shattered.
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