Magistrate Wang shook his head in denial, "I only heard it from my mentor Yao, and I don't know the specific reasons."
“Master Yao said that if His Majesty were still alive, this person might not be able to cause any trouble. But if His Majesty were to meet with an accident, this person, who has held power in the court for many years, would inevitably develop other ambitions. In recent years, this person has not even put the Crown Prince in his eyes, let alone a mere tutor like you.”
"Holy crap, he doesn't even respect the Crown Prince? And His Majesty still dares to appoint him as Grand Commandant? Or even the current Prime Minister?"
Magistrate Wang sighed softly, "There are many complexities involved here, and I can't explain them to you in a short time. In short, the current major project needs the support of the Longxi aristocratic families. In recent years, the Longxi aristocratic families have developed too rapidly and have become a towering tree with deep roots and disciples everywhere. Even if His Majesty wants to make a move now, he should not do so without absolute certainty."
"However, Prime Minister Lin has been alright over the years. He has not sided with any of the princes and has been loyal to His Majesty. This can be considered a stroke of luck amidst misfortune."
"Understood."
It seems that Lin Xuanfu is quite clever and knows how to protect himself.
If he were to truly side with the princes, form cliques, and threaten the crown prince's position, then Emperor Qianwu would not tolerate him.
As the founding emperor, Emperor Ganwu must have had the means to counterbalance this force.
"Besides His Majesty's faction and Prime Minister Lin's lineage, the rest are the Crown Prince's lineage and the Second Prince's lineage."
"Their power struggles have become increasingly fierce in recent years..."
"Wait, how many princes does His Majesty actually have?"
Sun Jian was momentarily confused by what Magistrate Wang had said.
"Aside from the princess, His Majesty has nine princes to be precise."
Holy crap!
Nine princes vie for the throne!
Is it really necessary to be this exciting?
Upon hearing what Magistrate Wang said, Sun Jian gasped in shock.
Suddenly, I remembered a TV series I watched in later years. The struggle for the throne among the nine princes was incredibly fierce!
"Although there were nine princes, four of them have died young. Currently, only the Crown Prince, the Second Prince, the Fourth Prince, the Sixth Prince, and the Ninth Prince remain."
"The fourth prince is always leading troops in the field and does not concern himself with court affairs."
"The Sixth Prince is only 7 years old and still a child, while the Ninth Prince is still an infant, so let's not mention him."
"Oh, so the Crown Prince is the eldest. If we're talking about age, he must be almost thirty, right?"
"Sir, you must not speak recklessly."
"The current Crown Prince is just over twenty years old and is the posthumous son of the late Empress Wende. Logically, he should be the third prince, but the Crown Prince is the heir apparent and is not among the princes."
Sun Jian nodded as if he suddenly understood.
"As for the other veteran officials, they also need to be taken seriously. In short, the network of relationships in the court is intricate and complex, like a spider web. I won't go into details for you. This is a list that your mentor Yao wrote for you. It contains very detailed information. You can look at it on the way, but remember to burn it immediately after you finish reading it."
"good!"
Sun Jian took the roster handed to him by Magistrate Wang and put it in his pocket, his heart filled with complex emotions.
"After you arrive in the capital, you must be careful of anyone on the list who is related to the Second Prince, as they may very well try to harm you."
"What the hell?"
Sun Jian was speechless.
I haven't even entered the capital yet, and not only do I have to be careful of so many people, but there's also the possibility that someone might try to harm me?
Wouldn't that mean I'd just be cannon fodder for nothing by becoming an official?
Do you know why Governor Yao couldn't go directly to rescue your three wives that day, but instead returned to the capital to see His Majesty first?
"That's because Li Yigou is a man of Wei Xian, the Minister of War, and Wei Xian is a protégé of the Second Prince..."
“Your matter caused quite a stir, with so many soldiers dying and the prefect being imprisoned. If it weren’t for Governor Yao’s mediation, it wouldn’t have been settled so easily.”
These words struck Sun Jian like a bolt from the blue.
Although the matter was settled peacefully, if he were to send Li Yigou to prison and thoroughly investigate her crimes, it might implicate Wei Xian and the Second Prince.
Sun Jian has now become the Crown Prince's tutor, which, to put it bluntly, means he is the Crown Prince's confidant and close associate.
What will other people think?
No one cared about Li Yigou's imprisonment of Sun Jian's wife. Instead, everyone believed that sending Li Yigou to prison was the Crown Prince's doing, and that Sun Jian, the Crown Prince's right-hand man, was the instigator of this incident.
The Crown Prince and the Second Prince were already locked in a fierce power struggle, and Sun Jian's actions only made him a thorn in their side.
"Damn, does that mean my chance of becoming an official is nine out of ten times dead?"
"Governor Yao knew all this, so why did he still insist that I take the position?"
"Is he trying to kill me?"
For a moment, Sun Jian felt like cursing Yao Tianzheng again.
Upon hearing Sun Jian's words, Magistrate Wang immediately stood up and retorted, "Sir, you can't say that."
“I was also present that day. After learning about the ladies’ affairs, Governor Yao advised you to calm down and let him handle the matter, but you wouldn’t listen!”
"Not only did you not listen, but you also used your own methods to send the Li family father and son to prison, which was not within Governor Yao's knowledge."
"The reason I'm here today, and the reason I'm presenting this roster, is because Governor Yao is cleaning up the mess for you. You shouldn't blame your mentor Yao at all; on the contrary, you should thank him!"
Hearing Magistrate Wang's heartfelt words, Sun Jian nodded: "What you say makes sense."
"Hehe, Lord Wang, please excuse me. I'm sorry, I got the order wrong. I really shouldn't have blamed Lord Yao."
"Alas, things have come to this point. I, Wang, am but a nobody and cannot offer any help. I only hope that you, sir, can turn misfortune into good fortune through your intelligence and wisdom."
"Well, things have come to this point, so we can only take it one step at a time."
Sun Jian nodded, his gaze hardening.
As the saying goes, when soldiers come, we'll block them; when water comes, we'll dam it!
No matter who the other party is, even if it is the Second Prince, if he dares to threaten the safety of himself and his family, he will surely die!
"Alright, that's all I have to say. Now, sir, please take care of your affairs after your death. I won't bother you any longer."
"Sir, please take care. I'll take my leave now!"
After speaking, Magistrate Wang clasped his hands in a fist salute and left the courtyard, turning back to look at himself every few steps.
Watching Magistrate Wang's departing figure, Sun Jian shook his head and smiled bitterly before returning to the house.
At this moment, Gu Zijian and Chu Qingcheng had already packed their belongings at home, waiting for Sun Jian to give the order so they could go to the capital together. However, Zhou Wan'er remained sitting on the edge of the bed in a daze, without taking any action.
Seeing Sun Jian enter, Chu Qingcheng's expression was somewhat complicated. She threw herself into Sun Jian's arms, "Husband, all of this feels like a dream. I just don't want to leave here."
"This place holds so many memories and moments for us; I've long considered it my home."
"It's a pity that I have to leave now..."
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