He hadn't eaten or drunk anything all day, and the stab gave him a stomachache. But for safety's sake, he didn't let go, and the two of them remained entangled in a very awkward manner.
Xu Jing was truly bewildered by Luo Ying's stupidity. He took a few breaths before calming down. "As a martial artist, didn't you notice Guard Jin was eavesdropping on us?"
"Jiang Xuqing, please stop talking about other things. I was asking you about the pension, so why did you bring it up with Guard Jin?"
Xu Jing rolled his eyes, completely speechless at Luo Ying's simplistic logic. "Think carefully about the imperial documents. Would I embezzle something approved by the Emperor and use it to give someone else a handle?"
Luo Ying frowned and looked at him, saying, "Are you telling the truth?"
"Of course, let go."
This time Luo Ying relaxed and asked again, "Where did the money go?"
"I asked Li Guo to deliver it. If he makes even the slightest mistake, I'll kill him."
Xu Jing put down his work and stood up straight. "So, General Luo, are you relieved?"
Luo Ying's heart was completely relieved, and his anxious expression returned to his usual calm. He cupped his hands, his face slightly uneasy. "So, I must have wronged Lord Jiang. I apologize to Lord Jiang and hope he can forgive me. By the way, what's the matter with Guard Jin?"
It wasn't that Luo Ying didn't notice Guard Jin, it was that his attention was completely focused on Jiang Xuqing. Plus, he was carrying the hawks and dogs outside the door, so he didn't see it.
Xu Jing has sharp eyes and ears, and he has his own assistant 021, so he knows much more about what is happening outside the window than Luo Ying.
Xu Jing dipped his teacup in water and wrote a line on the desk. "The court wants to see discord between the civil and military officials."
Luo Ying couldn't help but smile. Hadn't the civil and military officials always been at odds? Why did they need to show this to the court?
Wait, the smile on Luo Ying's face suddenly froze.
He carefully recalled what Jiang Xuqing had done to him. He had deliberately provoked him so that outsiders would see that he, Luo Ying, was going to harm the imperial officials. This made outsiders think that Jiang Xuqing was a calculating person, not only short-sighted and corrupt, but also self-righteous, with little ability, and deliberately contradicting the generals.
What the court wanted to see was not discord between the civil and military officials, but rather the civil officials despising the military officials, with their political status always being higher than that of the military officials. This would ensure the stability of the imperial power and prevent the military officials from rebelling.
Therefore, Jiang Xuqing used the court's tactics to make the court's lackeys understand that there was discord between the civil and military officials, and that the military officials had an extremely low status in Jianzhou. Even matters as set in stone as pensions were strictly controlled by the civil officials, and they had no right to make decisions at all.
What was Jiang Xuqing trying to accomplish by doing this? Luo Ying couldn't figure it out. What on earth was he plotting?
Luo Ying wanted to curry favor with someone to gain power. However, he had offended the generals, and no one listened to his orders. Furthermore, his subordinates were disobedient. With enemies on both sides, it was impossible for him to gain power.
He wanted to...
Out of the corner of his eye, Luo Ying saw a strange curve at the corner of Jiang Xuqing's lips, and he was startled. "Jiang Xuqing, you...are you trying to reassure the people behind you, so that they won't focus on you anymore, so that they can continue fighting, while you become the fisherman who benefits from the conflict?"
Xu Jing held his forehead with his hand. What on earth was he imagining? He hadn't done anything.
"General Luo is overthinking it. I didn't do anything."
It might seem like he didn't do anything, but in reality, he did it all. He flattered the angels, opposed the military commanders, and revealed his mercenary and shrewd side to others. Furthermore, his current abilities were mediocre, and his ability to flatter wasn't enough to earn the attention of those above him. From the perspective of the civil servants, Jiang Xuqing was nothing more than a sycophant with mediocre performance. The military commanders, to be sure, never took his timid nature seriously.
If neither side cares, how can he survive in the cracks?
Xu Jing couldn't stand Luo Ying's strange look any longer, so he interrupted his wandering thoughts. "The angel hasn't left yet, so stay in jail for a few days. Once this is over, I'll find a reason to release you."
"What are you going to do next?"
"No comment." Xu Jing didn't want to stay with Luo Ying for even a second. He was even afraid that his IQ would be infected by him and he would become hopelessly stupid.
"Jiang Xuqing, you, you are really great." Seeing him tear off the mask of disguise, Luo Ying felt very uncomfortable. Although he had been affectionate with him on the surface and pretended to be a good brother, deep down Luo Ying really wanted to learn some answers from Jiang Xuqing.
He never thought that the other person didn't appreciate it at all, and he tried to please the other person but got a cold reception.
"Thank you. I have a question for you. Have you checked the enemy's spies in the city?"
Luo Ying casually replied, "I've checked, and I've uncovered quite a few." He'd been busy recruiting new soldiers and investigating the espionage issue. It wasn't that he wasn't paying attention, but he simply wasn't able to focus on it. Given more time, he could still finish everything.
But the key is that he doesn't have time, so he can only avoid the important issues.
"Yang Zhiming and the others are very dissatisfied with me, right?"
Luo Ying nodded. This was undeniable. Several generals were deeply dissatisfied with Jiang Xuqing's promotion. If he hadn't stopped them, Yang Zhiming would have come knocking on their door long ago.
"Listen carefully, pay close attention to the soldiers around you. The spy might be among them."
"Impossible." Luo Ying objected, shaking his head. They were brothers who had fought through life and death together, so how could they betray each other? Their families were all citizens of Dayan, so how could they do something like exterminating nine generations of their clan?
Xu Jing patted his shoulder and suddenly found it a little funny.
Luo Ying is twenty years old, so why is he still such an idealistic warrior? Why does he believe that everyone around him is a good person like him?
"The imperial court hasn't paid the soldiers for three months. How are they going to support their families? If someone urged them to do something right now, do you think they would agree?"
Luo Ying opened her mouth, ready to refute him. "They are all passionate soldiers of Great Yan. How could they betray Great Yan for such a small gain?"
"A small profit?" Xu Jing took out a piece of silver and placed it in his palm, asking, "What do you see?"
"It's silver."
"Yes and no." Xu Jing sighed and said, "These are the lives of soldiers. Without money, how can they support their families? If their families are starving to death, will they still have the mood to defend their country? Forget the accusation of exterminating the entire clan. If they can't even survive, will they take such a risk?"
Xu Jing changed the subject and continued, "General Luo, not everyone has a family to rely on. Their lives are much more miserable than yours, and they join the army just to fill their stomachs. If they can't even get enough to eat, what's the point of fighting for their lives? The enemy can buy their lives with just a bun!"
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