Chapter 11 Can you dance?
The headmistress walked out from the shadows, and under the overhead light, the bags under her eyes made her look even more ferocious.
She cut Ji Yunchan all over.
This place is not like the front hall which is as bright as day. The plum blossoms covered with snow are soaked in the darkness, and a few miserable coos can be heard from the night owl in the dark.
Ji Yunchan suddenly had a bad feeling in her heart.
The governess had never liked Ji Yunchan in the first place, and she had just received an order from her master to make this girl suffer, and she had already thought of what kind of trouble she would find.
She was born a dancer and had a sharp eye. When she first met Ji Yunchan, she knew that she might be able to dance.
Now I look at it again, just to confirm.
Looking at her walking manners, with her slender neck and willow waist, although she has some of the dignity of a young lady from an official family, she can't avoid the traces of dancing training.
The nanny finally got confirmation and asked sinisterly, "Look at you, you can dance, right?"
Ji Yunchan didn't understand what he meant for a moment and was unusually hesitant.
…
Two days later, at 2:15 AM.
The door of the prefectural government was opened from the inside, and servants carrying sedan chairs filed out. Wang Yuan, dressed in his official robes, looked a little strenuous as he stepped over the threshold with his fat body.
He looked up at the not-so-bright sky.
Thinking about facing that evil god today and his tone that was obviously asking for money, Wang Yuan felt a toothache.
"Master Wang, what a coincidence."
A greeting woke Wang Yuan from his thoughts.
I saw Yan Heng sitting upright on his horse, holding the whip in one hand, looking very pleased with himself.
Wang Yuan couldn't help but feel a chill. He ran from the east of the city to the center, but the government office was in the south. It was obvious that they were waiting for him to take advantage of the situation. It was such a coincidence.
As a general, you condescend to come and ambush him so early. Are you afraid that he will run away?
He went to meet him, smiling politely and flatteringly: "General Yan, good morning."
Yan Heng did not dismount, and asked knowingly: "Sir Wang, are you going to the government office as well? Why not come with us?"
If he hadn't been the one who made the final decision two days ago, he would have listened to this.
Wang Yuan could barely hold back the smile on his face. He bowed and said, "That's exactly what I was thinking. Please, General."
After Yan Heng rode his horse a few steps forward, Wang Yuanxing came to the sedan chair and hesitated, which was unusual for him.
It was common for military generals to ride horses and civil officials to ride in sedan chairs.
But there is always a rule that those who ride in sedan chairs are more noble than those who ride on horses. In terms of official rank, the position of prefect is lower than that of a general stationed in a place.
A trace of resentment flashed in Wang Yuan's eyes.
Yan Heng turned around and, seeing this, said sympathetically, "I know Lord Wang isn't good at horsemanship, so just do as you please."
"Thank you, General."
Wang Yuan bowed and finally got into the sedan chair.
He was so frightened that he even thought that this merciful sedan chair was interest.
Having served as a prefect for many years, he was used to being a local bully, and felt aggrieved when he was oppressed by others.
Before he could breathe a sigh of relief, he heard the evil spirit speak: "A few days ago, I heard that Prince Wang didn't marry because he was a commoner. With Lord Wang's official rank, although he can't marry his son, he can still find a job in the government without any problem...but Prince Wang is determined to take the imperial examination?"
These words hit Wang Yuan right where he was worried.
Wang Yuan looked down upon the odd jobs in the yamen, and since serious jobs required fame and honor, he was never able to find an official position for his son with good reason, which had always been a concern for him.
This evil spirit brought up this matter at this time... Could it be that he was trying to make friends with him so that he could get some money?
Not a pedantic person.
Wang Yuan rolled his eyes and sighed, "It's a shame that I failed the exam so many times. It's a pity."
Yan Heng consoled him, "Don't worry. There are only a few people who can make it onto the list at such a young age."
He turned to look at Wang Yuan and asked, "Young Master Wang, have you read the Art of War?"
“I have read it.”
Wang Yuan was busy speaking in his son's favor: "Although he has been reading the books of sages since he was young, he is not a rote reader. He also has some interest in the art of war and has dabbled in it a little."
He asked tentatively, "What do you mean, General?"
Yan Heng smiled with satisfaction and patiently coaxed him: "Ask Master Wang to come to my side and gain some experience in the military camp. Is Master Wang willing to do that?"
Sure enough, Wang Yuan's eyes flashed with joy.
"Why not? It's time to gain some experience." He hurriedly bowed, "Thank you, sir."
"It's a small matter." Yan Heng pulled the reins, looking ahead nonchalantly, and then changed the subject: "Regarding the food and fodder, what has Lord Wang considered?"
After hearing this, Wang Yuan pondered it in his mind.
He spent money to buy an official position for his son. Although he did not like Yan Heng, he thought his son would have a bright future under him.
This is a win-win deal, very worthwhile.
I just don't know if it's so easy to buy the general's face. After all, he had a cold face and an attitude of "no strangers allowed" a few days ago.
Everyone gets what they need, and Wang Yuan himself is not that anxious.
He couldn't help but put on a pretentious tone, pretending to be deeply resentful and worried about the country and the people: "General, to be honest, Shuozhou is bitterly cold, not as fertile as the south of the Yangtze River. The people are still short of food and clothing."
Yan Heng was not surprised by his hiding things. He had always been flexible and would not be a fool if he could accomplish something by lowering his head.
Following Wang Yuan's words, he continued, "What does Lord Wang mean?"
Wang Yuan felt relieved by this respect, and he handled it with perfect composure: "General, you are speaking candidly, so I won't hide anything."
"Shuozhou has been a key border area since the previous dynasty, often subjected to burning, killing, and looting by the Shuo people. As a result, the granaries are scattered across the prefecture. I'm afraid it wouldn't be easy to redistribute them." Wang Yuan mentioned this and added, "Besides, the government has been busy with affairs recently and we really can't spare any manpower."
"What's so difficult about this? The last thing the military camp lacks is manpower." Yan Heng didn't care at all. He looked at Wang Yuan with a friendly attitude and said, "If Lord Wang is not available, I will go myself."
Having discussed things to this point, the deal is done.
Wang Yuan gave a fake bow and said, "Thank you for your hard work, General. I'll make a list for you later."
"Thank you for your hard work, sir..."
Before he could finish his words, a servant came up from behind. After bowing breathlessly, he reported to Wang Yuan, "Sir, the old lady has a high fever and has been talking nonsense this morning. Please go and see her!"
Wang Yuan suddenly grabbed the window sill of the sedan chair, his face panicked: "What?"
Yan Heng witnessed this scene and just found it funny.
A big rat in the court is actually a filial son.
"Since Lord Wang has something to do at home, please go back first and give my regards to the old lady."
…
The sun was high in the sky, outside the government office.
A carriage came hurriedly, and before it stopped, a young man got out.
The man was wearing an official robe, had a long face and narrow eyes, and had a mature and steady temperament. He was Du Ning, the Tongzhi of Shuozhou.
At this moment, Lord Du's usually serious face was filled with sorrow, as if he had lost his parents.
He glanced at the gate of the government office and hesitated to move forward, as if there was some kind of monster in the office where he worked every day.
He took another look at the sun hanging high in the middle of the sky and couldn't help but sigh.
Thinking back to his attitude at the banquet two days ago, it seemed like he did it on purpose...but he really didn't mean it.
Although this general with great military achievements is not yet thirty years old, he is a strong-willed person who has the final say. Considering the power and background in his hands, one cannot afford to offend him.
What's more, Du Ning didn't want to offend anyone at all.
He paced back and forth anxiously at the door, his head as heavy as a bucket. Every moment of delay would only make things worse, so he made up his mind and went into the government office.
He crossed the front yard and entered the meeting room. He saw a man sitting there, leisurely drinking tea, holding a copy of the Four Seasons Folk Customs in the room, looking like he had been waiting for a long time. It was none other than General Yan, whom he regarded as a scourge.
Du Ning felt ashamed and nervous.
Seeing that Lord Wang was not present, I couldn't help but wonder whether he didn't come or the meeting was over... Several guesses popped up in my mind.
Yan Heng looked up from his book and saw Du Ning, who had arrived late. He said in a calm tone, "Master Du."
"General Yan." Du Ning bowed deeply and explained, sweating, "I'm really sorry. On the way here, someone was causing trouble and complained to me, so I got stuck."
Even Du Ning himself felt that these words were false. As the governor of a state, why couldn't he just let his subordinates handle the matter? But... He wanted to sigh again.
Yan Heng put down the book, stood up, and said in an unpredictable tone: "If you don't know, you might think that the Tongzhi has something against me and is deliberately late."
Du Ning broke out in a cold sweat when he heard this. He bowed his head and said, "General, you are wise. I have absolutely no such intention."
"I know. Lord Du, there's no need to be so polite." Yan Heng walked over, pressed Du Ning's shoulder, and motioned him to sit down. As he leaned over, he asked, "Did that scoundrel who was beaten black and blue get what he wanted?"
"Of course, he is just..."
Hearing that Yan Heng had heard about why he was stopped, Du Ning couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. As he spoke, he saw that the expression on Yan Heng's face became amused.
He couldn't help but figure it out and got angry for a moment: "General, you..."
"Lord Du, please calm down." Yan Heng pretended nothing had happened and made tea alone. "I had no choice."
Du Ning said nothing, waiting for what was to come.
Yan Heng pushed the brewed tea towards Du Ning and looked up at him: "Lord Wang has agreed."
Du Ning couldn't help but sigh.
Shuozhou is a remote place, and few officials are willing to come here. The prefect has been in power for twenty years and has been the only one in power. In recent years, the prefect has been the same, but the deputy prefect has been changing.
Even he was able to gain a foothold here only because of his good family background and the prefect's willingness to give him some face.
However, all matters in the state, big or small, still have the final say under the governor.
Although he was used to it, Du Ning still felt upset when he was exposed in person.
Although it is not known what deal the two men reached, Shuozhou is indeed not rich.
He held the teacup in his hand, feeling worried. "We still have plenty of food for the winter, but I'm afraid it will be difficult to make it to next year."
Yan Heng smiled meaningfully: "Master Du, I'm not robbing you."
Anyone would say, what's the difference between this and robbery... Du Ning muttered inwardly, and spoke carefully on the surface, "Yes... I know the general is delaying the war, but..."
"It's just that Lord Du doesn't believe me." Yan Heng looked deeply at the man in front of him. "The army still has food and fodder in reserve. The court can delay for a month or two, but if it delays any longer, it may not be able to withstand it. Besides, the reclamation of military farms can be put on the agenda next year... As Lord Du said, this is just a delaying tactic."
Du Ning quickly denied: "I am not..."
"Master Du." Yan Heng raised his voice and interrupted Du Ning: "Since that's the case, I will speak frankly."
"I did deliberately separate you from the prefect and went to negotiate this matter with him first." Yan Heng looked at Du Ning's face, which was panicked at first but then calmed down. "Lord Wang was only doing it for 'profit'. Exchanging interests is commonplace, but Lord Du is different."
He paused and met Du Ning's gaze: "The reason I met with Lord Du alone is because I wanted to hear the truth so that I could know how much I should take."
"After all, Lord Wang never informed you of this matter."
After Yan Heng said this, he waited for Du Ning's answer.
Du Ning couldn't help but feel secretly shocked.
This general is a few years younger than himself, but he is very capable.
Judging from the few words he spoke, there seems to be an intention to win over others.
Compared with the prefect, his actions are more wholeheartedly for the people.
Du Ning lowered his eyes to look at the tea leaves in the cup, and slowly tightened his hands in his sleeves.
He raised his head and met Yan Heng's gaze: "I understand."
Yan Heng's smile deepened, and Du Ning could almost see the high spirits in that still young face.
But the person in front of him did not have the frivolousness of a young man, but was steady and decisive.
Du Ning sighed in his heart.
The matter was settled. Yan Heng changed his aggressive demeanor and relaxed. He said jokingly, "Then I'll have to borrow Master Du's name. After all, I'm just an outsider."
Du Ning waved his hand: "I dare not."
Yan Heng was unequivocal, and he composed himself and bowed solemnly:
"Yan Mou thanks Lord Du."
......
Yan Heng always does what he says and is very proactive.
He got the list from Wang Yuan, and borrowed Du Ning to find out the truth. That afternoon, he took his men to various government offices to ask for food.
As soon as the other party left, the person Wang Yuan sent to Beijing to inquire about the news came back.
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