Chapter 82 Reunion (Part 1) Let's go to Jiankang~
Three years later
In mid-spring, March, the ice breaks, streams flow, tender buds hang from the branches, and stepping outside, one is already immersed in the rich atmosphere of spring.
However, the political situation in the imperial court remained as turbulent and unpredictable as the snow in winter, which could never be melted.
After court, Yan Ning walked out of the palace gate and saw someone spitting at him.
"Bah! You lackey of the commoners!"
"What a charming young man! He's all a fake, disgusting person!"
Hearing his friend being insulted like this, Lu Wu was about to argue when Yan Ning stopped him, saying, "Forget it, let them be. It's just the impotent rage of a dying man."
He ignored it and continued walking forward. When he reached his own carriage, he saw the donkey cart that he used for transportation, and the old donkey, which had eaten something, was lying there listlessly, not moving at all.
Yan Ning tried to wake it, but it didn't work.
The old donkey glanced at him with clear, bright eyes, then collapsed again.
"Never mind, come ride in my carriage," Lu Wulang offered.
Yan Ning did not refuse. He patted the old donkey's head and said, "You've worked hard, old friend. Wait a moment, I'll go find a doctor to take a look at you."
It's unclear whether the donkey understood or not; it lifted its eyelids slightly, as if in response.
Yan Ning patted him on the shoulder to reassure him, then asked a soldier to keep an eye on things before getting into Lu Wu's carriage.
The interior of the car was as spacious as a room, fully equipped with everything, and you could smell a pleasant fragrance as soon as you entered.
This luxury contrasts sharply with the donkey cart made by Yan Ning's old donkey.
However, he showed no sign of discomfort. He sat down and said to the others, "Let's go to the Third Alley Shop on West Street."
"good."
Lu Wu responded and poured him a cup of tea, "It's your favorite Golden Snow Silver Bud, have a taste."
Yan Ning accepted the teacup with both hands. The warm, smooth mutton-fat jade cup was just the right temperature to her touch—neither too hot nor too cold.
He took a small sip.
Although he was no longer from a prominent family, his inherent character and refinement were hard to change. Even after three years of hardship, he still maintained an elegant and graceful demeanor.
Looking at his current disheveled appearance, with his simple clothes and even his court robes frayed, Lu Wu couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
"Changjun, all these years, have you ever regretted your actions?"
Upon hearing this, Yan Ning put down her teacup, looked up at Lu Wu, smiled faintly, and shook her head, "No regrets."
Lu Wu laughed at his slip of the tongue and said, "That's right, I think you're enjoying it."
He left Jiankang, relinquished the position of Governor of Sizhou that his family had promised him, and went to Jiangzuo to officially take over the military power left by the Li family.
In his words, this belonged to Emperor Xuan and Lady Liyang, and did not belong to the Yan family. It was just a marriage of convenience that temporarily placed it in the hands of the Yan family. Now that the person has left and has not even entered the Yan family's ancestral hall, it is naturally unrelated to the Yan family, so he will not hand it over to the Yan family.
These remarks were highly controversial and provoked resistance from the Yan family, leading to constant disputes among the brothers. Furthermore, many powerful families were eyeing them covetously, and some even planted numerous informants to sow discord and demoralize the troops.
That same day, as the conflict between Emperor Xuan and the powerful families reached its peak, the Jiangzuo faction chose to defect without offering any assistance.
Such chaos! When he first took over, he was always wary of his status and wouldn't act openly. He was still somewhat obedient, which is why Song Ji's position as military supervisor was able to remain secure. However, the situation has changed drastically now. Without the Yan family's influence and with fewer scruples, all the sinister intentions have been exposed. The major families all want to control the military power that covers three prefectures and dozens of counties.
Despite the difficult situation, Lu Wu never expected that he would stabilize the situation in just six months, put others at a loss, and completely bring the Jiangzuo power under his control.
Emperor Wucheng, valuing talent, extended an olive branch to him, appointing him as Palace Attendant in three imperial edicts. Although this position was below the Three Dukes, it was already a position that those from lower-ranking noble families or even commoners could not hope for. He also instructed Crown Prince Xiao Cheng to consult with him more often. Although he did not have the title of Crown Prince's tutor, he was still the Crown Prince's tutor.
To have achieved this level of success at such a young age with nothing to his name speaks volumes about his talent.
His abilities and rank don't actually require him to suffer this hardship. He could easily get a better carriage and find someone to buy him several bright court robes. He wouldn't need to repeatedly starch and wash a single garment until it starts to fray and turn gray.
People really do enjoy it.
Yan Ning listened to him, her phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, and she laughed, saying in a cheerful voice, "To be honest, at first, I wasn't comfortable with it either."
Having grown accustomed to wearing those soft, exquisitely beautiful brocade robes, he was suddenly dressed in the coarse cloth of an ordinary person and had to do everything himself. He was not used to it and was in a sorry state for quite some time. At his worst, he even developed red rashes when he wore those clothes. But many things require an adjustment period, and he got through it.
"Right now, it makes me feel at ease. If I changed it more, I'm afraid I would feel uncomfortable."
“I can see that,” Lu Wu said.
The two then discussed the current situation, and the other asked the other what he thought about Emperor Wucheng's decision to give the former crown prince Li Xun a high position and appoint him as the crown prince's tutor.
Yan Ning took a sip of tea and said, "The aristocratic families are getting too much attention."
He didn't say it explicitly, but the two had known each other for many years, and with just a glance and a word, they understood each other's meaning.
No emperor is willing to be oppressed and manipulated, becoming a powerless puppet ruler.
Emperor Wucheng came from a poor background, and the members of the Xiao family were not capable of being trusted. His wife's family, the Yang family of Hongnong, rose to prominence and, in just a few years, stood on equal footing with the Wang family of Langya.
If things continue like this, even without the threat from other powerful families, the people will lose power to the Hongnong faction.
He didn't want his wife's family to expand their influence, so he simply put an end to Yang's idea through the children, which earned him a reputation for wisdom.
However, Hongnong was not so easily convinced and made many moves behind the scenes. This is why Yan Ning was so insulted today and his donkey cart was also damaged.
Some time ago, they received news that someone in the Yang family of Hongnong was secretly hoarding weapons and armor.
When a powerful family is large, it will build its own fortified village and employ people to protect its territory. However, these are all private matters and will not be made public. After all, with the emperor present, such behavior would be tantamount to plotting rebellion.
But somehow, Yang's side was discovered.
Emperor Wucheng then ordered him to investigate the matter. As a result, Yan Ning confiscated a lot of armor from aristocratic families. Since the court was dominated by aristocratic families, he was naturally resentful.
They dared not speak out against their anger, so they resorted to these petty tricks.
In fact, human nature is universal. When people are resentful and powerless, they will always do some dishonorable things, and even the most prestigious families are no exception.
As the two talked, they arrived at the west side of the city. Yan Ning got off the carriage and went into the Third Alley Shop. The shop was dilapidated and had little business. An old man with a white beard sat in the shop, dozing off.
He woke the man up and told him, "The business has arrived."
The old man's eyes immediately lit up, and he chuckled, "Young Master Yan is the best, taking care of the young one."
He asked about the situation briefly, then said, "Please wait a moment while I go get the tools."
"Um."
Yan Ning sat down and waited for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. The old man came out carrying a toolbox. The two got into Lu Wu's carriage and returned to the palace gate.
The old donkey was still lying there, listless and without much energy.
"Could you please take a look?"
You're welcome.
The old man quickly examined the donkey, and after a short while, he said with relief, "Fortunately, it didn't take too much medicine."
He took out a wooden bottle from the box he was carrying, poured the medicine into it, and after a few moments, the old donkey finally regained consciousness and stood up again in less than fifteen minutes.
Yan Ning took out ten coins from his sleeve and gave them to the old man, thanking him in return.
After the old man left, Lu Wu poked his head out and invited him to get back into the carriage, but Yan Ning refused. He said, "Hey Changjun, this is not right of you. I've kept you occupied for so long, are you not even going to let me have a sip of water from your own house?"
The two were close friends, but due to their different social statuses, Yan Ning had rarely interacted with Lu Wu in recent years to avoid him being implicated. If it weren't for today's events...
"Come on up."
Lu Wu ordered his servant to lead the donkey and follow the carriage.
Seeing his determination, Yan Ning had no choice but to get back into the carriage.
Lu Wu said to him, "I know what you're thinking, but does friendship have to do with social status? Wang Wu values you and doesn't care about rumors when he associates with you, and so do I."
Yan Ning felt ashamed upon hearing his words, "I was narrow-minded."
Lu Wu smiled and said, "It's you who's starting to think about others."
Families from prominent families are highly sought after and don't need to worry about the opinions of others. So, from childhood to adulthood, they all act according to their own conscience, disregarding the consequences except for personal gain.
Yan Ning smiled knowingly upon hearing his words.
...
The two arrived at Yan Ning's current residence in the capital. It was not large, just a small courtyard with a large pear tree in the yard. It was springtime and the tree was sprouting tender buds.
Logically, the two could have leisurely enjoyed tea under the pear tree, but it seemed that those people's despicable methods did not stop there. As soon as they reached the alley entrance, they saw Yan Sheng running out crying, but upon looking around, they saw that their own door was splattered with gold juice.
"A group of people suddenly came and started splashing water on it without even asking what happened, waaaaaah..."
"This is outrageous!" Lu Wu said angrily.
"Changjun, you can't let this go this time."
Yan Ning also had this thought.
The next day, he reported this directly to the emperor.
Emperor Wucheng was furious and ordered a thorough investigation. The investigation uncovered the Xiao family, the Yang family, the Geng family, the Cui family, and the Yan family. They were stripped of their titles and fined, and to appease Yan Ning, he was given a period of leave.
Lu Wu invited him to take this opportunity to return to Jiankang for a visit.
"It's almost the anniversary of Lady Liyang's death, so it's a good time to go and pay our respects."
Yan Ning did not refuse.
Three years have passed, and although he is reluctant to believe it, it seems that everything has really become a done deal. Without exception, all the people he sent out returned disappointed.
...
On the tenth day of the third month, the two left the capital and, after a journey of half a month, finally returned to Jiankang at the end of the third month in late spring.
At that time.
The news that the Xiao family, the Yang family, and even the Cui and Yan families had their weapons and armor confiscated, and that they had been stripped of their titles and salaries, reached the ears of the caravan.
Du Sanniang praised, "Ruilin, you are truly amazing! You actually predicted it correctly."
"But how did you do that? How do you know they'll definitely help us?"
Li Yunru smiled but remained silent.
She was looking for her older sister, trusting in her sister's resourcefulness and her brother's decisiveness.
Little did I expect that Emperor Wu Cheng would send Yan San to carry out the mission...
"Alright, alright, it's a good thing no matter what," Du Sanniang said readily. "To celebrate this wonderful occasion, please feel free to make any requests. I will do my best to fulfill them within my capabilities!"
"Let's go to Jiankang. I've heard there's a place there called Peach Garden, which is especially beautiful when the flowers bloom in spring," someone suggested.
"It's not far from Jiankang, just a two-day trip, which is fine."
Du Sanniang looked at Li Yunru, who had remained silent, and asked, "Ruilin, what do you think?"
Li Yunru smiled and said, "I have no objection."
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Author's Note: We'll officially meet tomorrow, and a new chapter begins!
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