Chapter 58: Swords Clash and Shadows Fly Between Two Ministers...
'...What a harmonious and joyful scene!'
At this moment, Qi Chengming was inwardly thinking that he was enjoying the spectacle.
He sat in the seat of honor and could clearly see the expressions and actions of the two imperial envoys.
Wang Chuandao maintained a stern expression, keeping strangers at bay, yet his gaze remained fixed on the other person's face, scrutinizing them with caution and restraint, his every movement impeccably polite. Shen Shuzhi's eyes darted around, hesitant to speak, yet remained quietly smiling, displaying utmost courtesy.
One was a strong and rugged man, the other a refined and handsome middle-aged man—after the two imperial envoys stood up and exchanged names, they sat facing each other, their conversation restrained and polite, like two socially awkward cats tentatively exploring each other, curiously circling the same room but not daring to touch each other at all.
"I have long admired Lord Wang. I presume that your disaster relief efforts in Liuzhou have yielded satisfactory results?" Shen Shuzhi said with a forced smile.
Wang Chuandao continued to decline with a stern face: "Not at all. It can't compare to Lord Shen's concern for Liuzhou—the Liujiang River has been receding for a long time, and the hidden dangers still need to be cleared up. We still need Lord Shen to continue to take care of things." He spoke with a meaningful, sarcastic tone.
The two exchanged a knowing glance and raised their glasses in a toast.
"Lord Wang, please!" "Lord Shen, please!"
Swearing mingled with alcohol as it went down the drain, reflecting a certain unspoken rule of officialdom. This process was practiced and everything was understood without being said.
"Eat your food, everyone eat your food." Qi Chengming wanted to laugh, and after the two of them downed another glass of wine without saying a word, he quickly urged them on.
Now that no one was paying attention to him, Qi Chengming was happy to relax and could observe discreetly. He wanted to see what was going on beneath the calm surface—he swore on his ability to read people since his time travel to ancient times that there was definitely something going on between these two imperial envoys!
Look at those troubled expressions on their faces.
Listen to their small talk.
Qi Chengming smiled broadly, but his mind was racing with questions. He quickly began to investigate the backgrounds of these two people.
Too.
Lord Wang seems to be the kind of person who can't tolerate any injustice, with a fiery temper. Lord Shen, on the other hand, is extremely cautious and mild-mannered. How could the two of them possibly feel at ease if they met?
Moreover, one is a royalist, and the other a fence-sitter; their stances are completely different, yet they were both sent as imperial envoys. After they return... won't they have to rank them based on their merits? So they're already vying for power right now.
Having calculated this far, Qi Chengming understood, and he almost wanted to shout "Fight! Fight!" a few more times in excitement.
He continued to observe with amusement, remaining calm and composed.
With the prince's invitation in the flower hall, the two imperial envoys could no longer continue talking and began to eat.
Wang Chuandao softened his expression, seemingly maintaining the proper etiquette towards the prince. He picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of yellowish-brown food, and put it in his mouth. A soft, glutinous, and fragrant texture, coated with a sauce that blended meaty flavors, burst with exquisite deliciousness in his mouth.
Wang Chuandao couldn't help but blurt out, "Delicious!"
Shen Shuzhi glanced at him in surprise, concealing the deep astonishment in his eyes. He also tasted a dish of stuffed lotus root and casually probed, "Speaking of which, regarding the process of this disaster relief in Liuzhou... Lord Wang also contributed greatly in the court, so why didn't Lord Wang mention it?"
Qi Chengming looked surprised and asked with a questioning gaze: "...?"
He assumed that Mr. Qin had gone to great lengths to contend with Lord Wang in order to obtain such generous and lenient conditions. Although Lord Wang utterly despised this pampered and troublesome prince, he had to grit his teeth and genuinely consider the well-being of the people of Liuzhou. The fact that he was able to attend this banquet today, rather unceremoniously, was probably out of respect for his colleague.
It seems that Wang Chuandao's concern for the safety of the people needs to be re-examined. News of the disaster in Liuzhou had just reached the capital, and this matter had nothing to do with Lord Wang, yet he still took it so seriously and went to great lengths to arrange things—truly a good official.
Qi Chengming's fingers curled slightly, showing some interest, but he quickly dismissed the idea with regret.
Unfortunately, he couldn't win over this good minister.
Qi Chengming couldn't gamble either. In order to conceal his various reputations, he still had to play the villain in front of Lord Wang... He could only deal with it later.
"...!" As soon as Shen Shuzhi uttered those words, Wang Chuandao's sharp gaze pierced through her like a sword.
He observed Shen Shuzhi intently for a few seconds before a barely perceptible, dangerous smile appeared on his lips. He slowly said, "Lord Shen is well-informed."
He suddenly changed the subject: "I heard that Lord Shen's teacher is about to retire. I wonder if Lord Shen plans to continue to develop in the Ministry of Personnel, or return to the Ministry of Rites to take on a major responsibility?"
"Oh?" Qi Chengming was indeed drawn to this conversation. He swallowed a mouthful of rice and casually replied, "What Great Liang?"
"This humble official is a disciple of the Minister of Rites..." Shen Shuzhi's throat went dry and he was sweating profusely as he spoke of this crucial topic. He cursed inwardly, already knowing what Wang Chuandao was about to say.
Sure enough, Wang Chuandao, with his stern face, thick eyebrows, and large eyes, casually picked up a piece of bright red scrambled eggs with tomatoes and said, "Your Excellency, you must be worried lately. The Third Prince is getting older and will soon be attending court and participating in politics. As his maternal uncle, I am unable to offer him any guidance..."
He put it in his mouth and chewed slowly.
Each movement, though not particularly forceful, felt like chewing on someone's flesh and blood.
Shen Shuzhi continued to sweat profusely.
"...!!" Xiao Dezi and Xiao Chengzi suddenly glared angrily at Wang Chuandao from a distance. After hesitating for a moment, the two eunuchs also lowered their eyes and stared at Shen Shuzhi with a hint of hostility.
These words pierced the hearts of both Shen Shuzhi and the Second Prince.
Fortunately, although this imperial envoy surnamed Wang disliked their prince and maintained a respectful and polite demeanor on the surface, he could only secretly stab the prince in the heart in this way... Fortunately, he revealed Lord Shen's true nature.
Xiao Chengzi was still somewhat shaken.
He had initially felt some goodwill towards this Lord Shen because he had rescued Zhang's wet nurse. But it turns out this imperial envoy was actually working for the Third Prince!!
If asked who Xiao Chengzi hated the most among the princes—he would never dare to say it aloud, but the answer would undoubtedly be the Third Prince.
Two princes of the same age, yet with vastly different fates. One, spoiled and arrogant by his mother, enjoyed bullying his elder brother from a young age, harboring deep-seated malice. The other, orphaned and helpless, suffered greatly after starting school; even his wet nurse, his only protector, was easily dismissed from the palace with a few words. He couldn't speak of the hardships he endured, finding no one to stand up for him.
Now, their prince has been assassinated and exiled to Liuzhou, while the rumors of the third prince's enfeoffment have come to nothing, and it seems that he will also be exceptionally allowed to stay in the capital.
How can this convince Xiao Chengzi?
He hated it so much he almost died.
Xiao Chengzi's dark eyes stared unblinkingly at the floor tiles in front of Shen Shuzhi, his gaze so intense it seemed he could burn holes in them.
"..." Shen Shuzhi felt a chill run down his spine and forced himself to defend himself, "This humble official has no intention of going to the Ministry of Rites... An official outside the court is different from a family outside the court. Lord Wang is joking. How could I have anything to do with the Third Prince? Only the Prince's tutor is qualified to instruct the prince."
In his past life, he went to the Ministry of Rites and obediently accepted his teacher's apprenticeship. But how could Shen Shuzhi repeat the same mistake this time?
He has gone too far to turn back on his teacher's ship, but at least for now he is still an official in the Ministry of Personnel. In the future, when he takes over his teacher's apprenticeship, he will honestly consider himself the leader of the Shanxi faction and sever ties with the Third Prince's faction—this point must be made clear.
Qi Chengming scrutinized Lord Shen with some doubt.
He knew all along that Shen Shuzhi was on the side of the Third Prince, but now it seems like Shen Shuzhi is avoiding the Third Prince like the plague? Could it be that in the original story, he couldn't avoid the Third Prince's camp simply because of his teacher, and that he actually didn't think highly of him? Is that why their family is frantically betting on various things, each on their own faction, in such an absurd situation?
Qi Chengming seemed to be deep in thought.
From this perspective, Shen Shuzhi's allegiance to him was not entirely false or without value.
He's starting to take it to heart.
But it seems... although Lord Wang utterly dislikes him, he's also kind-hearted despite his tough exterior. He criticizes him, yet his words also kindly point out Lord Shen's background. Why does this feel like he's biased towards him...? That can't be right!
Unsure, let's think about it some more.
Qi Chengming was filled with doubt and surprise.
The flower hall had fallen silent, with only the faint sound of chopsticks being used. The three people at the table ate their meal quietly, each lost in their own thoughts.
After Wang Chuandao forced out that question, the corners of his mouth genuinely widened in a smile. He suddenly let go of his tense demeanor, happily ate his food, and relaxed a bit.
Shen Shuzhi wiped his sweat nervously. After eating several mouthfuls of white rice to calm himself down, he came to his senses, glanced at the person opposite him, and put on a forced smile: "Lord Wang, you have quite the methods."
He tried to probe Wang Chuandao's true strength with just a few words, but Wang Chuandao caught him off guard with a blunt remark, exposing his weakness and revealing his true colors. That was fine, though; no matter how cunning Wang Chuandao was, those probing questions were fundamentally flawed. After reading them a few times, Shen Shuzhi was completely certain of Lord Wang's true nature.
"Likewise, Lord Shen," Wang Chuanda thought to himself, cursing inwardly.
He was wary of Shen Shuzhi, this opportunist and former right-hand man of the Third Prince, especially after the latter arrived in Liuzhou at this particular time. And now…
The eldest doesn't laugh at the second eldest.
After this incident subsided, both imperial envoys ceased their hostility. Their heated exchange seemed to have vanished entirely. They finished their meal calmly, politely bid farewell to Qi Chengming, and then departed, one heading east and the other west.
It was as if there had been no more interaction.
Qi Chengming sat alone in the flower hall, with only a mess of leftover food in front of him.
"..." But the young prince didn't move for a long time. He seemed to be pondering something, which made the palace maids and eunuchs afraid to come over. They could only wait without daring to breathe.
Xiao Dezi hesitated and worried. He moved his lips but did not step forward. At the same time, he stopped Xiao Chengzi and told His Highness to sit down and think about it.
What is Qi Chengming thinking about...?
He realized how ridiculous it was for him to be pondering Wang Chuandao's contradictory attitude. Wasn't the talent list of such a large system right there? It was obvious at a glance. Moreover, that vague sense of familiarity, that feeling of having forgotten something, was constantly urging him on.
A deep blue panel unfolded in the air, revealing a densely packed list.
Qi Chengming remained expressionless, his gaze fixed on the "[Beijing]" section. After a long, long time, he finally let out a long sigh: "...My brain!"
The sense of familiarity he had forgotten was indeed because he had seen Wang Chuandao's name before.
...So that's why Wang Chuandao is actually one of our own?!
Qi Chengming felt a surge of rage when he thought of Wang Chuandao, the imperial envoy who had been wearing a stern face lately and whose face practically screamed, "If I could control you, I would have cursed the prince long ago!", being on the list of talented individuals.
What were all those acts he put on in front of Wang Chuandao? Or rather, what was Wang Chuandao putting on in front of him?
He just can't understand it, he'd never understand it even if you beat him to death.
...This world is ultimately too chaotic.
The young prince stared blankly, giving up on thinking: "..."
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Author's Note: A Little Skit of Mutual Insults:
Shen Shuzhi smiled insincerely: "I suppose Lord Wang's trip to Liuzhou for disaster relief has yielded a satisfactory result?"
Shameless old man, did you enjoy trampling on the new emperor's reputation? All this pretense.
Wang Chuandao glared at him coldly: "It can't compare to Lord Shen's concern for Liuzhou."
You only showed up after the floodwaters receded in Liuzhou. You brought me an umbrella after the rain stopped, and you came to nurse my dead child? You're nothing but a lackey of the Third Prince, with no sincerity whatsoever, yet you still try to spy on the new emperor! Watch how I expose your shamelessness.
.
(Oops, the opening dialogue wasn't covered in this chapter, so I'll cover it in the next chapter.)
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