While the two people outside were talking, Wang Yingqiu was also introducing Jing Zhe inside the room.
The burly man known as "Yang Changshi" was named Yang Zhaoyang. He was the chief secretary of the Duke of Wei's mansion, a fourth-rank official, and was considered one of the Duke of Wei's confidants.
The Duke of Wei, named Yang Feng, held the same rank as the Duke of Huguo, making them the two most senior and highest-ranking military officers in Anguo.
Although they were both military officers, they were outwardly friendly but inwardly at odds, and secretly they often tried to trip each other up.
The fact that the Duke of Huguo and the Duke of Yu's men came to Wuxian Garden at the same time made their purpose obvious, and they naturally clashed head-on.
"Pah, you surnamed Yu, I'm honoring you by calling you General Yu, and you're already taking advantage of my kindness?"
"You, surnamed Yang, do you think I'm giving you face by calling you Chief Secretary? Do you think I'm afraid of you?"
"..."
Yu Haixing, standing to the side, tugged at Yu Zecheng somewhat awkwardly.
"General Yu, be mindful of the public's behavior on the main street!"
People on the roadside were already craning their necks to look in this direction.
Yu Zecheng sneered, put his hands behind his back, and remained silent but did not leave, seemingly waiting to see Yang Zhaoyang make a fool of himself.
Yang Zhaoyang ignored him and went straight into the hall.
Upon seeing Jing Zhe, he immediately cupped his hands and said, "This must be Young Master Jing Zhe, right? I am Yang Zhaoyang, the Chief Secretary of the Duke of Wei's Mansion! It is a great pleasure to meet Young Master Jing!"
"You're too kind, Chief Secretary Yang. I'm just a commoner, how could I dare to accept such praise from you?"
Then Jing Zhe asked, "But... I have never met Chief Secretary Yang before, so how did he recognize me?"
Yang Zhaoyang smiled and said, "Although I have never met Young Master Jing, I have heard of your great name. Moreover, I have heard that Young Master Jing is not only highly talented, but also exceptionally handsome, unmatched in Jingzhou City. So when I first saw you, I was amazed and thought it must be you!"
It must be said that what this burly, rugged-looking man said was quite pleasing. Jing Zhe chuckled and waved his hand, saying, "Hmm, Chief Secretary Yang is good. Chief Secretary Yang has excellent taste!"
"..."
Yang Zhaoyang was stunned for a moment, then smiled憨厚ly.
Holy crap, what a bootlicker!
Seeing Yang Zhaoyang's actions win Jing Zhe's praise, Yu Zecheng first complained, and then regretted it a little, thinking, "If I had known, I would have patted him too!"
"I wonder what business Chief Clerk Yang has with me?"
After laughing, Jing Zhe asked the same question.
"Young Master Jing, I am here on the orders of my master, the Duke of Wei, to invite you to a banquet at the Duke's residence!"
"You're talking nonsense!"
He had barely finished speaking when Yu Zecheng shouted.
"The Duke of Wei set off for Jinxi ten days ago, and he won't be back until after the Four Great Sects' martial arts competition ends. Yet you say that the Duke of Wei invited Young Master Jing to a banquet. Who are you trying to fool?"
Yu Zecheng finally discovered a loophole and immediately took action.
Yang Zhaoyang glanced at him but ignored him.
"Young Master Jing, our Duke is indeed in Jinxi, but he has heard of your name, so he sent a message by carrier pigeon, asking me to invite you to the Duke of Wei's residence as a guest to get acquainted with the family. We will formally invite you over when he returns!"
It must be said that, in terms of speaking alone, this Chief Clerk Yang is much more eloquent than General Yu.
Why would you ask Jing Zhe to do something for no reason?
He simply wanted to recruit him into the camp, just like Yu Zecheng, but he didn't say it directly. Instead, he expressed his goodwill in a more subtle way, which made people feel much more comfortable.
But Jing Zhe declined the offer and repeated what he had just said to Yu Zecheng to Yang Zhaoyang.
Yang Zhaoyang showed no disappointment upon hearing this, and instead smiled and said, "Since Young Master Jing is busy, then we'll have to do it another time. If Young Master Jing is free, you can go directly to the Duke of Wei's residence; our gates are always open to you!"
This last sentence is the key point, revealing the purpose of his trip. Jing Zhe just smiled and did not reply.
Choose a faction?
He didn't want to do that, because doing so would only make him someone else's pawn.
He wants to form his own camp and not depend on anyone!
After exchanging a few more casual words, Yang Zhaoyang prepared to leave.
Suddenly, a middle-aged man of average build walked in through the door. He was dressed in a brocade robe, and unlike Yang Zhaoyang and Yu Zecheng, who both exuded the aura of military generals, this man had a scholarly air about him.
"Wow, Wuxian Garden is really lively today!"
It was obvious that this person knew Yang Zhaoyang and Yu Zecheng.
"Are Chief Clerk Yang and General Yu both here?"
Then he laughed.
"Oh, Prefect Li is here?"
"Prefect Li has only just taken office. Could it be that he's here incognito?"
Yang Zhaoyang and Yu Zecheng each said something sarcastic.
Yang Zhaoyang and Yu Zecheng insulted each other because they served different masters, but when facing civil officials, their stance changed to the same military camp, and they naturally shared a common hatred for the enemy.
Wang Yingqiu quietly introduced the man to Jing Zhe, saying that he was Li Haoyun, the newly appointed prefect of Jingzhou. He was originally a guest minister in the Grand Tutor's mansion. This time, thanks to Jing Zhe, Wu De was brought down, and with the recommendations of Grand Tutor Hao Junguang and the Crown Prince, Li Haoyun was able to take up the post of prefect of Jingzhou.
After listening to Wang Yingqiu's introduction, Jing Zhe gained some understanding of the various factions and forces currently in the Anguo court.
In the Anguo court, there are five powerful ministers of the first rank: two military and three civil. The two military ministers are Yu Sheng, the Duke of Protector of the State, and Yang Feng, the Duke of Guard. The three civil ministers are Hao Junguang, the Grand Tutor, Bai Qingyuan, and Zhu Tong, the Chancellor.
The factions are quite distinct here.
First was Chancellor Zhu Tong, a neutral party.
Grand Tutor Hao Junguang was the teacher of Crown Prince Su Moyan, so the Grand Tutor's faction was actually the Eastern Palace faction, assisting the Crown Prince.
Grand Tutor Bai Qingyuan was the teacher of Prince Xiang, Su Mowu, so the Grand Tutor's camp was the same as Prince Xiang's camp.
As for the Duke of Wei and the Duke of Hu, they held most of the military power in Anguo, seemingly each performing their own duties and running their own separate camps, loyally assisting Anguo.
However, beneath these five major camps, there are undercurrents. For example, who still has the support of the Prince of Jin, and who is affiliated with which sect? These are even more complicated issues. Moreover, the real power held by these camps is considerable, which is a major headache for Emperor An. He cannot offend any of them, nor can he deliberately try to please any of them.
After listening, Jing Zhe shook his head. It seems that no matter when, whether it is being an official or working, ability is secondary; the most important thing is choosing the right side.
Standing on the wrong platform will lead to utter ruin.
If you stand on the right side, you can rise to great heights.
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