Princess Jin came to the Mountain Resort to pay her respects to the emperor, but the emperor did not see her. After that, Princess Jin hurried to see Mu Wanyao, after all, this was the purpose of her visit.
Mu Wan dressed elegantly and went to meet the Princess of Jin.
Princess Jin wanted to see Chunhua, holding the indenture contract given by Chunhua's brother.
The two of them sat in the main hall drinking tea. Mu Wanyao just raised his eyebrows when he heard this and had no intention of getting up at all.
She smiled and said, "My maid is sick and it is not convenient for her to see guests."
She pronounced the word "my" particularly clearly.
Princess Jin naturally understood.
The princess was a little scared of the princess, but she still actively carried out the task assigned to her by her husband: "I know that the sixth sister is particularly fond of her maids, and she is the best to Chunhua, even taking off her slavery. But my sister is kind-hearted, but she doesn't know that Chunhua has taken off her slavery, and her stay or departure will naturally be decided by her brother at home."
Princess Jin said, "Her brother gave her to your fifth brother, which is very appropriate according to etiquette. On the contrary, it is not very appropriate for you to stop it now, sister."
Mu Wan raised her eyes, looked at the princess, and said with a half-smile, "I don't quite understand why my sister-in-law is so dedicated to helping the fifth brother get someone. Is my sister-in-law really that virtuous, and really likes to send women to the fifth brother's room? Since I don't want to do it, if my sister-in-law is smart, she should drag it with me."
Princess Jin avoided her gaze slightly.
She was stunned for a moment, then said bitterly, "How can the affairs of our palace be as comfortable as yours, Sixth Sister, living alone? Anyway, since our Prince Jin likes this Madam Chunhua, I must take her away."
Mu Wan put down the teacup with a bang and raised his chin: "If I don't let him go, will my sister-in-law fight me?"
Princess Jin: "You!"
She stood up and said earnestly: "Why do you have to do this? Let the men take care of their own business. She is just a maid..."
Mu Wan shook her head impatiently: "Sister-in-law also said that she was just a maid. Why do you have to be so hard on me because of a maid?"
Princess Jin blurted out: "I have her indenture contract!"
Mu Wan shook her eyebrows and eyes, and retorted sharply: "How funny! I am still her master!"
Princess Jin: "According to the law, her current master should be your fifth brother..."
Mu Wanyao said, "Is there only law in our royal family? Is there no blood relationship between brothers and sisters? I just want to keep a maid, but Fifth Brother is unwilling to do so? What's the logic? Father is in this villa now, I want to go to him and have a talk with you, sister-in-law!"
Princess Jin hurriedly said: "No, no, no!"
How could she, a daughter-in-law, possibly compare with the princess in front of the emperor?
But this was the order from Prince Jin... When Princess Jin was feeling distressed, she saw a figure swaying outside the hall.
Mu Wanyao also saw it.
Not only Princess Jin's maid was anxious outside, but Mu Wanyao's maid was also anxious.
Mu Wanyao and Princess Jin looked at each other and each ordered their maid to come in.
The maid whispered something uneasily into Mu Wanyao's ear, and Mu Wanyao's face suddenly turned cold. The Princess of Jin on the other side had already shouted, "What's going on? The one who forced Brother Chunhua and seized other people's houses and farmland is your man? Are you trying to stop me?"
Mu Wan shook his head and sneered.
The maid whispered in her ear that it was the local tyrant who occupied the house and the fertile land, not someone else. The family's surname was Zheng, and they had come to Chang'an as the dowry of the successive brides. Over the years, even the dowry had developed into a local tyrant.
After their deaths, the Li family retreated back to Jinling and no longer had any power in Chang'an. The powerful former master of the Zheng family was gone, so the person they were loyal to naturally became Mu Wanyao.
Mu Wanyao didn't show it on her face, but she was also shocked in her heart, wondering how this had anything to do with her. There were so many people who were loyal to her, how could she tell them all apart? But this time, the people who were loyal to her turned to Chunhua, and indirectly gave Chunhua's indenture to King Jin...
Mu Wanyao softened his expression and said, "Since we are family, I will give my orders. Both sides are misunderstandings. Sister-in-law, don't worry. Everything has been said. Fifth brother should naturally give me some face in deciding whether Chunhua stays or leaves."
Princess Jin was confused and uncertain, but she nodded: "Then I want to take a look at Chunhua first."
Mu Wan frowned, afraid that Princess Jin would find out that Chunhua was trying to take care of her pregnancy, so she rejected him mercilessly, which made Princess Jin very angry.
Princess Jin originally thought that Princess Danyang gave her face among all the royal family members. But now it seems that Princess Danyang also looks down on her as a successor and does not give her any face.
Princess Jin left indignantly, claiming that she would live in the Summer Resort and wait for news there.
As soon as the Princess of Jin left, Mu Wanyao ordered several of his staff to go there in person and ask the tyrant surnamed Zheng to appease Chunhua's family and find out why they wanted to seize other people's houses and fields. If this matter was handled well, it would be best to let Zheng trick Chunhua into getting his indenture back.
Chunhua's brother is a playboy, and he is used to doing things like throwing tantrums.
Reduce the impact of this matter, and do not let Princess Jin know that Chunhua is pregnant... The Jin Palace is desperate for a child, and Mu Wanyao does not want Chunhua to enter the Jin Palace because of the child.
-----
The pavilion is dimly lit at night.
Under the palace tent, the emperor was sleeping on the couch with his eyes closed and covered with a thin brocade mattress. Outside the pavilion, there were lakes on all sides, with koi jumping in the water and fragrant lotus flowers.
This place is extremely quiet.
A eunuch walked into the palace tent, leaned over to the emperor's ear, and whispered a few words.
The emperor seemed to laugh.
He opened his eyes.
Long's eyes were heavy as he looked at the night sky. He said slowly, "So, Yaoyao saved the fetus for that maid. And now Yaoyao is trying his best to prevent Princess Jin from seeing that maid. Maybe the maid's child is the Prince Jin's."
He seemed to be thinking: "Yaoyao actually doesn't want to let his maid enter the Prince Jin's Mansion."
The eunuch said, "The Sixth Princess doesn't interact much with the Prince of Jin. It's the Princess of Jin who always likes to look for the Sixth Princess."
The emperor said, "After all, they are the Jinling Li family. They were so glorious in the past, but now they are not in Chang'an. However, I can only force them back to Jinling for the time being. If I want to eradicate the Li family, it will be fine in the north, but I am afraid that I will lose my mind about the aristocratic families in the south... Yaoyao's existence is still very important."
He was silent for a moment.
“It’s just too important.”
That’s why I sometimes feel that it’s best for the young girl to stay in Wuman.
If Mu Wanyao stayed in Wuman, the Li family would not be able to use Mu Wanyao to infiltrate the north again bit by bit, and the northern aristocratic families would not be able to join forces with the south... With the power of the aristocratic families divided like this, and with the entry of the common people, the imperial power would be able to rest assured.
Although the emperor is not in charge of government affairs now, it is clear that the situation in the world is under his control.
The emperor lowered his head slightly and said, "In fact, it's also good that the maid entered the Prince of Jin's mansion."
The eunuch's heart skipped a beat.
I wonder if the emperor wants to distract Princess Danyang and the crown prince? To prevent the crown prince from getting help from the Li family?
The eunuch whispered, "If your majesty wants, you can have someone quietly reveal the truth to the Princess of Jin, letting her know that the maid is pregnant. The Prince of Jin needs a child so badly... If the Princess of Jin knew that the maid was pregnant, she would do everything she could to take her away.
"After all, the King of Jin has no children, which is really pitiful."
The emperor sneered.
The emperor said: "I am too lazy to do anything and I don't want to bother with the affairs of these little kids.
"Just wait and see. This matter is not that simple. Let's see how they will use their tricks to make this matter come to a conclusion."
The emperor looked at the quiet lake. The water was calm, but the waves beneath the lake never stopped.
After a long pause, the emperor slowly said, "Cheng'an, for a person who is an emperor in this world, is it benevolence that is most important, or ambition, or the power behind the scenes, or the means? What do you think is the most suitable way to become an emperor in this world?"
The eunuch named Cheng An whispered that he didn't know.
The emperor said tiredly, "Just tell me what you want to say."
The eunuch thought for a moment and said, "Perhaps only if the power behind you is strong enough can you sit firmly on the throne."
The emperor said calmly: "That will also be constrained by the forces behind the scenes. The throne of the emperor will be lost in the same way as he sat on it."
Eunuch: "Then we need powerful means to control our subordinates."
Emperor: "Being ruthless and cruel to your subordinates will only make them afraid of you. Over time, they will close their eyes and ears, and no one will dare to tell you what the world is really like. You are in charge of the court officials, but you cannot see the people."
The eunuch was in a dilemma: "Then it is benevolence that is most important. Loving the people is the most important. Only by loving the people can one have empathy and love for the world."
The emperor said: "If you only have kindness but no means, you will end up being controlled by treacherous officials."
The eunuch was sweating on his forehead and was unable to speak.
In the end, he could only smile bitterly: "So your Majesty is still the most powerful. You have not been involved in government affairs for three years, but the world... is still in your hands. Nothing can be hidden from your Majesty."
The emperor sneered.
“But I am old,” he said.
Cheng An felt uncomfortable and called out "Your Majesty" sadly, not wanting to say more. He had followed His Majesty for decades, and now he was old and gray, let alone His Majesty? If they were together, it would be better... But now, His Majesty was really alone.
The emperor also remained silent and no longer discussed these things with the eunuchs.
The emperor closed his eyes and fell asleep again.
The eunuch covered the emperor with a blanket and heard the emperor mumble in his sleep: "A Nuan, I didn't kill Erlang."
Cheng An was startled, looked down at the emperor's thin and tired face, tears in his eyes, and retreated silently. Your Majesty's inner demon has become a disease, and there is no cure.
-----
Princess Jin went to Fanmu Wanyao every day just to see Chunhua.
Mu Wanyao was also afraid that her attitude was too firm and would make Princess Jin suspicious, so she asked Chunhua to tidy up a little and meet with Princess Jin.
Chunhua was lying on the hospital bed, her face looked a little haggard, which shocked Princess Jin. She felt that she was completely different from the beauty she had seen at the beginning.
But Princess Jin was slightly satisfied with this. If Chunhua was too beautiful, it would be a threat to her.
Princess Jin became more and more demanding. After meeting Chunhua, she wanted the doctor she brought with her to diagnose Chunhua's pulse to find out what disease she had and why she looked so haggard.
Chunhua was shocked and refused to do it, fearing that her pregnancy would be discovered by the Princess of Jin.
Princess Jin was forcing Chunhua, when Mu Wanyao pushed the door open and said, "There is a special imperial physician here to serve our father. What are you doing here, sister-in-law?"
Princess Jin's face turned red after hearing Mu Wan's ruthless words.
Princess Jin only said: "Our Highness heard that Madam Chunhua was ill, so he showed concern..."
Mu Wan shook her head: "The imperial physician is here, don't worry."
Mu Wanyao's face was cold, and she walked out of the house. Princess Jin had no choice but to follow her out, and then she brought up the old topic again, talking about Chunhua's stay or departure.
In the room, Chunhua was extremely anxious.
She hated herself the most for being incompetent and now she had become a burden to the princess.
Whether she wanted to abort the baby or she didn't want to enter the Prince Jin's Mansion... she didn't want to be a burden to the princess. It was not easy for the princess. She had finally come to where she is today, how could she be delayed by her?
Chunhua was in torment. She missed Liu Wenzhi and wondered what he was doing now. She hated herself for being pregnant, but she couldn't bear to have an abortion because she was afraid she would never be able to get pregnant again... She was in such a dilemma that she felt it was a dead end both ways.
The princess was now protecting her because she was not willing to let her be separated from her lover. However, how could she bear to see the princess being threatened by the King of Jin because of her?
After all...he is also a king.
As a woman, the princess is naturally inferior to the king.
Chunhua got up from the bed tremblingly, held on to the wall, and walked slowly to the door to eavesdrop on the argument between Mu Wanyao and Princess Jin outside.
-----
Mu Wanyao and Princess Jin have been arguing over Chunhua's stay or departure for the past few days.
Princess Jin had a contract to sell her body, so she was in the right; however, Mu Wanyao was too stubborn and refused to let her go, so Princess Jin had no choice.
What's more, there is now another connection, that the person who forced Chunhua's brother and his family to give up their property and land is a powerful man who is loyal to the princess.
Princess Jin was also anxious, fearing that the other party would admit his mistake, and Chunhua's brother would shamelessly come to ask for the indenture contract, and with Mu Wanyao adding fuel to the fire...she would not be able to snatch Chunhua away from her.
Failure to snatch Chunhua away will affect the relationship between Princess Jin and Prince Jin.
Seeing that she could not win the argument with Mu Wanyao today and could not reach a conclusion, Princess Jin was upset and was about to leave, but suddenly, a guard from the Prince Jin's Mansion broke in.
The guard ignored the princess and reported to the princess loudly: "Princess, it's bad! Our prince was shot in the thigh and fell down."
Princess Jin was shocked and her face turned pale with fear.
The guard quickly glanced at Princess Danyang next to him with a strange look in his eyes.
Mu Wan stood up suddenly, his eyelids twitching, and he had a bad feeling.
Sure enough, the guard quickly said, "It was a warrior named Zheng who was standing on the corner tower and shot our prince. Our prince was only going to see Madam Chunhua's brother, but Zheng was there too. Zheng didn't know it was our prince, so he shot an arrow from the second floor and hit our prince in the thigh."
Mu Wanyao was immediately shocked and angry: "Nonsense!"
Her lips began to tremble: "I have asked my staff to find out the situation..."
As she was talking, someone from her side came to report.
A guard said angrily, "Your Highness, the Zheng family didn't recognize the staff you sent at first, because those staff didn't take the token and just said they were from the princess's house, but the other party didn't admit it. Several of our gentlemen were beaten out... Later they recognized them and invited them in. But the Zheng family shot the King of Jin and was very scared, so they came to ask Your Highness what to do."
The guard shouted, "The Zheng family seized the good farmland and houses this time because the Ministry of Revenue wants to collect rent. They want to collect taxes from the people! They are doing this for the prince!"
Princess Jin sneered, "I see. It seems that he is indeed following orders from Her Royal Highness. Mu Wanyao, are you really unaware of this?"
Mu Wan's eyelashes trembled.
She said after a while: "I know, I should know... The powerful have money but no power, so they can only rely on the noble families and the royal family. I gave the Zheng family the courage to sue, but I only knew that the powerful went to collect rent, I didn't know so many things behind it..."
Princess Jin: "But it was because of your courage that they hurt your fifth brother!"
Mu Wan shook his head and felt dizzy for a moment, then took two steps back.
Princess Jin was furious: "Mu Wanyao! You have gone too far! I will go and complain to His Majesty! The Zheng family member was left to you by your mother, but you cannot manage her well and now you have hurt your fifth brother. Your fifth brother just wanted a maid, and you are going too far."
Mu Wan opened her mouth, but suddenly stopped talking, thinking that all this was too strange... too much of a coincidence.
It seems like there is a hand behind the scenes pushing all this.
He wanted her to break with the King of Jin and to be hostile to the King of Jin.
Chunhua became one of the causes and a victim...Muwan frowned, wondering who was driving all this.
Does the other party want her to be unlucky, or does he want to make someone else unlucky through her?
Seeing that Mu Wanyao didn't say anything, Princess Jin turned around and was about to go to the emperor to complain. At this time, the situation had reversed and she had become the winner. As long as she went to the emperor to complain... Dare to hurt her brother, Mu Wanyao was so disregarding of the blood relationship, isn't it chilling?
Mu Wanyao looked coldly at the back of Princess Jin, and her heart began to torment.
She clenched her hands, trying to think who would benefit from this, how she could save herself, and how to get herself out of this. After thinking it over, it seemed that Chunhua was the one who had to be sacrificed.
When Mu Wan was in agony, the door of the house was suddenly pushed open, Chunhua staggered in and knelt on the ground.
For a moment, Mu Wanyao and Chunhua looked at each other.
There were tears in Chunhua's eyes, and her sadness and farewell were unmistakable.
Mu Wanyao's face turned pale and she tried to stop him, but Chunhua got there before she could and said loudly to the Princess of Jin, "Your Highness, I am willing to follow you! I am pregnant with the child of the Prince of Jin, and I am willing to marry into the Prince of Jin's mansion! I only ask that the Princess make the decision and that the Prince of Jin not involve our Highness in this matter."
"Our Highness has absolutely no intention of harming His Highness the Prince of Jin. It's just that the powerful people below are too powerful, too ignorant, and too arrogant..."
Princess Jin: "The Zheng family is a powerful family that Princess Danyang raised! The Zheng family means the same thing as Princess Danyang!"
Mu Wan shook his head and said sternly: "Then I will definitely give Fifth Brother an explanation!"
Princess Jin was so frightened that she stopped talking and stared blankly at Mu Wanyao.
Chunhua knelt on the ground, took two steps on her knees, and pulled the corner of Princess Jin's clothes: "Please don't go to His Majesty to complain... I am willing to follow you back to the palace. Please give us some time. We will give you and Prince Jin an explanation."
Mu Wan stood straight, her face as white as snow, but she turned her head away and no longer looked at Chunhua.
She had protected Chunhua so much before, but now, when she could no longer protect him, she acted extremely indifferent and no longer spent any energy on him.
Princess Jin was annoyed when she saw the beauty crying. But she was still concerned about Prince Jin, so she looked at Mu Wanyao.
Mu Wanyao suppressed her anger, tried to be rational, and said reluctantly, "Don't worry... this matter will not end like this."
-----
Either something went wrong with the Zheng family, or something went wrong with Prince Jin, or... there was another hand behind the scenes pushing everything, bringing all the coincidences together.
Now the other party's purpose has revealed the tip of the iceberg.
He wanted Mu Wanyao to break up with King Jin.
In other words...he wants the Crown Prince to break up with the Prince of Jin.
Or, to sow discord between Mu Wanyao and the prince.
After the Princess of Jin left, Mu Wanyao paced around the room. Her expression became strange, and she wished she could go out and figure this out herself. But she couldn't go, because she was nominally accompanying His Majesty to escape the summer heat, and nominally, the King of Jin's injury had not yet been known...
The injury of a prince is by no means a trivial matter.
Prince Jin now reluctantly agreed to reconcile because of Chunhua, and Mu Wanyao was about to give a sincere apology.
According to Mu Wanyao's idea, the best way at the moment is to suppress the matter first... and settle it privately with King Jin.
Settle it privately with the King of Jin, don't let the Crown Prince know, don't let the Crown Prince get involved. Because they are afraid that if the Crown Prince enters the scene, the other party will use this to attack the Crown Prince for employing people inappropriately and sue the Crown Prince in front of the emperor.
Muwan drank cup after cup of water, his fingers trembling and his heart pounding.
After returning to Chang'an for so long, this was the first time she realized that she was involved in a conspiracy. This was the first time she had to rely on her own ability to resolve it... Mu Wan pursed her lips, and she had already made up her mind, so she began to write a letter.
On the one hand, he wrote a letter to the crown prince, telling him that someone might be pushing this matter behind the scenes; on the other hand, he wrote a letter to his own staff, asking them to meet Zheng again to find out whether there was any problem with Zheng and whether he could still be trusted.
The Zheng family is a powerful family... It would be a pity to abandon them. It would be better to suppress them now and settle the score later.
As he was writing one letter after another and arranging his staff to do this, Mu Wanyao suddenly paused and fell into thought.
According to her original intention, she should let the staff who had followed her for many years do this matter.
But when they went to see Zheng, someone was beaten out.
And maybe there is something wrong with some of these staff members... If I send these people who may have problems again, this matter may not be resolved.
As Mu Wan shook her head, the name "Yan Shang" emerged in her mind.
She bit her lip and frowned.
To be honest, she was very reluctant to use Yan Shang and was very reluctant to let Yan Shang do this.
Because he was still busy studying, and because she had just hurt him and was ignoring him... If she let Yan Shang do this, then what about her previous neglect?
But Yan Shang is really suitable.
He has a good temper, so he won't get angry easily when dealing with this matter. If he doesn't get angry, he won't be easily led by the people behind him. He has excellent speaking skills and can easily convince people to listen to him.
If it is a matter that requires the person in charge to have a strong character, then Yan Shang's gentle temperament will naturally be extremely inappropriate; but if Mu Wanyao wants Zheng to bow his head, to reconcile the conflict between Zheng and King Jin, and to resolve the conflict of Zheng occupying the people's good fields and houses... Isn't someone like Yan Shang who is good at mediating conflicts the most suitable person?
After hesitating for a long time, Mu Wanyao finally wrote down Yan Shang's name in order to make the matter come to a successful conclusion.
I hope he doesn't get angry.
She hoped that he would help her this time and help her mediate the issue between Zheng and Prince Jin so that the other party would not have any chance to take advantage of her.
-----
After Princess Danyang sent the letter, her staff naturally received it.
Several aides were already helping the princess. After receiving the letter, they saw that Mu Wanyao wanted Yan Shang to be the leader, so they asked them to follow Yan Shang's arrangements this time.
Several staff members were stunned for a moment, feeling a little unconvinced.
Even though they hadn’t done good things before… but they had followed the princess for so many years, and now the princess let a teenager stand in front of them and asked them to listen to that teenager?
However, no matter how uncomfortable they felt, they still went to look for Yan Shang.
At night, several aides who were old enough to be Yan Shang's father knocked on the door of the Yan family mansion, showed the princess' letter to Yan Erlang, and said that they would listen to Yan Erlang's words this time.
When Yan Shang saw Mu Wanyao's letter, he was silent for a moment and nodded in agreement.
Yan Shang's temper was always so mild, and the staff breathed a sigh of relief and said goodbye. After everyone left, the servant Yunshu came to collect the tea sets and saw Erlang still sitting in the hall in a daze, holding the princess' letter in his hand.
Yunshu was afraid that Langjun was upset after reading the princess' letter, so he said, "It seems that His Highness still trusts you. So many people listen to you."
Yan Shang raised his eyes and glanced at Yun Shu.
He said: “It’s not that she trusts me the most, she just thinks my temper is the best for handling this matter.
"She thinks that I have a good temper and can talk, so I am most suitable for helping people resolve conflicts."
Yun Shu was stunned for a moment, then hesitantly said, "That, that also shows that your ability is appreciated by Her Highness. Although the princess only values one of your abilities...but this is also a sign of trust."
Yan Shang smiled slightly, closed his eyes and said nothing.
-----
The next afternoon, Yan Shang and several of his staff rode out of the city on horseback to visit the home of the powerful Zheng family.
Those staff members were afraid that Zheng would drive them out again, so they brought guards with them. But this time, Zheng obviously knew that he had offended the princess and the King of Jin, and knew that he had made a big mistake. When he was anxious, he was greatly relieved to see that the princess had sent someone.
Duke Zheng went out to greet them personally. Before he could even say a word to ask the princess for help, he saw Tian Yejian, and standing at the head of the group was a handsome young man.
The staff members who were beaten out by them last time said unhappily, "This is Yan Erlang. His Highness asked Yan Erlang to take you to apologize to Prince Jin this time."
Duke Zheng nodded repeatedly, led Yan Shang into the palace, and said: "Your Highness is really worried... Your Highness did not abandon Zheng, and is Zheng's benefactor..."
Yan Shang said gently: "Her Highness does not abandon Zheng family because Zheng family is a powerful local family. If she abandons it, Her Highness's strength will be greatly damaged, so she is reluctant to abandon it."
Duke Zheng was stunned, wondering if Yan Erlang was being too direct.
Even the few aides following Yan Shang had strange expressions on their faces and looked at each other, thinking that this was not the style Yan Erlang usually spoke in.
Yan Shang just followed the leader, Mr. Zheng, and asked, "Is the old man the current head of the Zheng family?"
Duke Zheng nodded and said ashamedly, "A few days ago, a few young men were ignorant and dared to shoot the King of Jin. I have tied up the two children. They will go with you to apologize to the King of Jin in a while. The King of Jin can kill or chop them up as he pleases... Would you like to go and see them?"
Yan Shang still had a gentle attitude and said, "No hurry."
Duke Zheng's expression relaxed slightly.
The staff sent by the princess before had solemn expressions and fierce words, which made the Zheng family think that the princess was going to abandon them and they were terrified. This time, seeing that the people sent by the princess were so young, tender-looking, and gentle... it was obvious that Her Highness wanted this good-tempered young man to lead them to apologize to the King of Jin.
Even if the princess wanted to deal with Zheng, it would be a matter for later.
Duke Zheng was thinking about how to apologize to the princess in private after this matter was over... Even if the princess wanted to kill a few people, he would grit his teeth and endure it.
At the same time, Duke Zheng felt a little proud in his heart. He thought that the powerful were still powerful, and after another hundred years, the powerful would become a noble family... and he could rest easy.
While Duke Zheng was thinking about this, he heard Yan Shang curiously ask, "Before I came here, I heard that the Zheng family had been bullying the people for many years. In the countryside where they governed, the people dared not complain?"
Duke Zheng was stunned.
Then he said hurriedly: "My dear, you may have heard it wrong! The Zheng family definitely does not exploit the villagers! If you don't believe it, you can go ask those villagers..."
Yan Shang smiled and said, "Why ask? Since it is under the rule of the Zheng family, naturally no one dares to speak ill of the Zheng family. After all, I will leave one day, and this world cannot do without powerful people like the Zheng family."
Duke Zheng felt that the other party's words were strange and he was a little unhappy, but for the sake of the princess, he did not show it.
Just think that young people can't speak.
But the expressions of the several staff members behind Yan Shang were already very strange: Yan Erlang was not a person who couldn't speak. In fact, Yan Erlang was the best talker... What was Yan Erlang going to do? This didn't fit in with the plan the princess had given him.
That’s not how the princess planned it!
Yan Shang followed Duke Zheng and walked among the fields. They saw vast green fields and the people living in peace. Duke Zheng also showed some pride, but Yan Shang did not wait for him to brag about himself and said, "Are these the good fields of the people that we have seized? The harvest this year should be very good."
Duke Zheng was stunned and reluctantly said, "This is also to pay the Ministry of Revenue... The governor asks us for money, and we ask the people for money. From top to bottom, it's difficult for everyone."
Yan Shang nodded.
Duke Zheng walked in front and said with emotion: "My dear, I know what you mean. You may be dissatisfied with the powerful people like me in the village, but we are also working for the royal family and the noble families. These people, you see, they always want to complain or something, but in fact they have lived a pretty good life. At least they are not starving to death. Under my rule, there is no civil unrest and no refugees, right?"
He didn't hear Yan Shang's reply, so he turned his head to look, but found that there was no one next to him.
Duke Zheng turned around in surprise and saw that Yan Shang was already six or seven feet away from him.
The young man stood on the ridge of the field, as slim as jade and as tall as bamboo.
Yan Shang smiled slightly and said, "So, seizing the good farmland is true, shooting and wounding the King of Jin is true, and driving your Highness's people out is also true.
"Every year, they oppressed the people, causing them to be homeless and flee to other places. This huge piece of land now belongs to the Zheng family. I was surprised before, why this place is so vast and sparsely populated, not much different from our Lingnan? After all, this is Wannian County. How can Wannian County under Chang'an be compared with a remote place like ours?
"If there were a powerful family like the Zheng family, it would not be surprising why the land is vast but the population is sparse.
"If you hadn't taken over the sister of that family, who was the princess's maid, and if the King of Jin hadn't happened to be nearby... who knows what the Zheng family is doing?"
Yan Shang's gentle words were heard from a distance, and everyone in the field heard them.
The common people who were still working in the fields stood up and looked at the young man; the staff behind Yan Shang looked at each other and looked at Yan Shang uneasily; the guards beside the staff held swords at their waists, and some held bows and crossbows, fearing that the Zheng family would launch an attack; the people around Duke Zheng showed anger on their faces, and were about to rush forward, but were stopped by Duke Zheng; Duke Zheng's face was also pale, but he suppressed it.
Duke Zheng said, "Young man, you seem to be very dissatisfied with us. Is this what the princess meant?"
Duke Zheng said coldly: "You are still young and don't know anything, so you don't have to stand on the commanding heights and criticize how we should govern the countryside."
Yan Shang said: "I didn't mean to criticize."
He was absent-minded for a moment, and said, "Actually, this time Her Royal Highness the Princess asked me to mediate the conflict between you. She wanted to make it less serious. However, she doesn't know my character, and this matter shouldn't end so hastily. There is no such reason in the world. If I only mediate for you... what are the people guilty of?
“Although I don’t seek fame, sometimes I have to do it.”
Duke Zheng asked cautiously, "What do you mean?"
Six feet away, Yan Shang said, "Borrow something from Lord Zheng, and I will end this topic and do what the princess tells me to do."
Duke Zheng's expression eased slightly, and he asked, "What do you want to borrow?"
Yan Shang's robe fluttered like clouds. He stood in the wind, with a jade-like heart and a gentle manner. He said politely, "I'll lend you your head..."
As he spoke, before anyone could react, he stretched out his hand and snatched the crossbow from the stunned guard next to him. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Yan Shang aimed the crossbow at Duke Zheng, and "bang", an arrow shot out.
An arrow hit Duke Zheng in the center of his eyebrows. His eyes widened and blood flowed from his eyebrows. He fell to the ground unwillingly.
Before Yan Shang put down the crossbow in his hand, the Zheng family guards behind Duke Zheng were at a loss for a moment and were unable to react.
After a long while, the wind was blowing fiercely.
First, someone from the surrounding fields shouted, "Good!"
Then, everyone came back to their senses.
One of Yan Shang's staff members sighed, "The name of Yan Erlang...will spread throughout Chang'an after today, right?
"Such a prompt decision makes one's blood boil...but we dare not do it."
The people of Wei admired his heroic spirit. When Yan Shang killed someone in public, their first reaction was not to let the murderer pay with his life, but to feel relieved.
-----
The Summer Resort at the foot of Fanchuan.
The emperor received the news first, one step ahead of anyone else.
It was learned that a young man among the staff sent by Princess Danyang killed Duke Zheng in public.
The emperor sighed: "What a boldness."
After a pause, he said, "From now on, whether that young man will be imprisoned or not, his reputation will spread in Chang'an first, right? The demeanor of a famous scholar... is what everyone admires."
The eunuch said: "But if you kill someone in public, you should pay with your life."
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