Chapter 310 My brother is too hardworking (Seeking monthly votes)
Chen Xuanji's eyes were calm as he put away the chess pieces and board, arranging them neatly while lost in thought.
Opposite him, the middle-aged man wearing a dragon crown simply smiled and watched his movements without saying a word.
—Emperor Wei Kai, also known as Emperor Anhe.
After seeing Chen Xuanji tidy up the chessboard, Emperor Anhe waved his hand gently, and two cups of hot tea appeared on the table in an instant.
"Tell me, when do you plan to 'return' to the Great Wei?"
Chen Xuanji glanced at the teacup, then looked away, as if the clear tea contained some hidden secret.
Five years ago, under the guise of "being sent as an envoy to a Buddhist kingdom in the Western Regions," he hid in the capital city and secretly took charge of the White Tiger Guard.
He did not actually go to the Buddhist kingdom in the Western Regions, but someone went in his place.
Now that the situation in the Western Regions Buddhist Kingdom has been investigated, and that person is about to return, it also means that Chen Xuanji will reappear in the Great Wei Dynasty.
"It's better to do it sooner rather than later."
"Oh? I thought you would delay for a while, why are you in such a hurry?"
"People who are away from home all year round are eager to return home. If they are delayed on the road, it will only alert those with ulterior motives."
"A thoughtful person..."
Emperor Anhe chuckled, picked up his teacup, and with his other hand, he twisted the lid twice, saying:
"Among the officials in the court, there are countless who consider themselves extraordinary, but how many can compare to you, Xuanji?"
Chen Xuanji lowered his head, and only the character "王" (king) was faintly visible on his white tiger-patterned mask.
"Your Majesty flatters me."
Emperor Anhe glanced at him, took a sip of tea, and said with a smile, "You deserve my praise."
"Since I ascended the throne, for twenty-one years, you have advised me, won over the powerful figures in the north, replenished the national treasury, and strengthened Ji Province..."
"They are far, far better than those who hold positions of power but are incompetent."
"If the officials of the court possessed even a fraction of your abilities, why would I worry about failing to achieve my great cause?"
Chen Xuanji picked up the teacup with both hands and bowed respectfully, saying, "I have only done my duty as a subject."
Then he took a small sip of tea to express his gratitude for the emperor's gift.
"Hehe, Xuanji, we have known each other as ruler and subject for many years, why do you have to be so reserved in front of me?"
"Your subject dares not overstep his bounds."
"Overstepping your bounds?" Emperor Anhe shook his head with a smile. "You, you."
"Do as you please. I will not concern myself with such trivial matters."
Emperor Anhe put down his teacup, looked at Chen Xuanji, and continued with an unchanged smile:
"I've heard that your son, who married into the Xiao family, has recently gained considerable fame, being hailed as the contemporary 'Poet Immortal' of the Great Wei Dynasty, on par with the two Poet Immortals of the previous dynasty, Zhou and Sun."
Chen Xuanji paused, put down his teacup, and said, "Your Majesty flatters me."
"My son is merely talented in poetry; it was only through good fortune that he was able to write that poem, 'Prelude to Water Melody,' during the Mid-Autumn Festival."
"Could he be a little luckier and pass the imperial examination next time?"
"Your subject dares not speak presumptuously."
"Haha... I have taken a liking to your talent. It is inevitable that the reputation of a great calligrapher who has achieved perfection in calligraphy will be damaged by becoming the son-in-law of the Xiao family."
"If you are so inclined, please persuade him to serve the court. It would be better than staying in the academy as a teacher."
"this……"
"What? You, as his father, can't even discipline him?"
Chen Xuanji hummed in agreement. “Your Majesty may not know, but since my son went to Shu Prefecture, his temperament has changed considerably, and he has become quite idle.”
"Idle? Heh, haha... Then, wouldn't he be unable to wield the Xiao family's sword for me?"
"Your Majesty, please forgive me. I have failed to properly raise my son..."
Before he could finish speaking, Emperor Anhe waved his hand and said, "Don't try to use the same rules that others use against me."
"If he is unwilling, I have other candidates here, it's fine."
Chen Xuanji bowed respectfully, said nothing more, and did not inquire about the identities of the other candidates he mentioned.
Emperor Anhe did not elaborate, but instead said, "There is another matter I have summoned you to the palace for today, which I am unsure about."
"Then, given that the Liu family of Jingzhou has repeatedly disregarded the law, does Xuanji have any solutions?"
Chen Xuanji raised his head slightly, met his gaze, and pondered, "I have a way."
"Tell me about it."
"If Your Majesty can punish Consort Liu, the Liu family of Jingzhou will naturally not dare to overstep any boundaries again."
"Liu...choose another one."
"Then there is only one way to go—eliminate them."
"Okay, I'll leave this to you."
"Your subject obeys."
A moment later.
Chen Xuanji transformed into a rainbow of light and in the blink of an eye, he landed in the five-story wooden building closest to the imperial city, heading straight into the dimly lit, quiet room deep inside the fourth floor.
In this wooden building controlled by the White Tiger Guard, there is a quiet room for him on each floor.
Sometimes he would be on the second floor, sometimes on the fourth floor, and so on.
Not to mention the White Tiger Guards, even he himself wouldn't know in advance which quiet room he would be in.
Is it troublesome?
trouble.
But Chen Xuanji was already used to such caution.
The moment it landed.
Chen Xuanji waved his hand to cover the windowsill, and the oil lamp on the wall lit up at the right time.
The dim firelight was blown about by a gust of wind, making his figure appear indistinct and shifting between light and shadow.
He glanced around and slowly walked to the table in the middle and sat down.
His expression was hidden behind a mask, and only a slow, steady breath escaped from him.
"call……"
"Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger... His Majesty's temperament has indeed changed greatly in recent years."
Chen Xuanji recalled the previous encounter between the emperor and his minister, and a thoughtful look flashed in his eyes.
The Xiao family has been deeply rooted in Shu Prefecture for two hundred years. Even though they are gradually weakening, they are not spineless and can be easily manipulated.
"If the 'young bird' is not up to the task, who else can take command of the Xiao family and the Dingyuan Army?"
“The Commander-in-Chief, the Provincial Governor, the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner… they have been in Shu Prefecture for many years and know how powerful the Xiao family is. It’s either go all the way or don’t do anything at all.”
"The others... Suzaku?"
Chen Xuanji sensed something, but stopped thinking about it and raised his hand to ring the bell on the table.
Ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling.
Three crisp sounds echoed in the quiet room, and soon a person dressed in a bright red robe and wearing a white mask strode in.
"Xuanxing greets the Pavilion Master."
Has there been any reply from Shu Prefecture?
"have."
Xuanxing stood up, lowered his body, and presented a secret letter with both hands.
Chen Xuanji took it and glanced at it, his gaze slightly narrowed:
['Dragon Spear' Liu Wu kills 'Jackal' Du Cang of the Peacock King Banner and rescues Xiao Wan'er, the eldest daughter of the Xiao family.]
[In this battle, Liu Wu displayed his mastery of spear techniques at the perfected level and his mastery of fist techniques at the great completion level, his talent comparable to that of Xiao Jinghong, the "Dual Master of Spear and Sword," earning him the title "Dragon Tiger."]
The Jizhou Merchant Guild's planned collapse was due to the intervention of "Dragon and Tiger," who used Miss Cui Qingwu of the Cui family...
Upon seeing the final result, Chen Xuanji laughed: "Good, good, good!"
Although the red-robed Xuanxing really wanted to ask him something, he felt as if he were being suppressed by a mountain and couldn't move.
Cold sweat instantly soaked his robes.
A long silence followed.
Chen Xuanji crumpled the secret letter, which he had read several times, into ashes, and said with a smile in his voice:
"Send a message to General Xing, telling him to close the net as soon as possible."
"yes!"
Xuanxing felt as if he had been granted a pardon and quickly bowed as he left the quiet room.
Once everything has quieted down.
The smile in Chen Xuanji's eyes slowly faded, and he placed his hands on the table, tapping them gently.
Tap, tap, tap...
The intervals between each sound are roughly the same, and even the volume of the sound is the same.
Before the first sound had even subsided, a second sound rang out.
Suddenly, the knocking stopped.
"My son, don't let your father down..."
...
The hour of Wei (1-3 PM), the fourth quarter of the hour.
Shuzhou Prefecture City.
The sun was shining brightly, and the sky was cloudless.
The streets and alleys of the prefectural city remained noisy and bustling.
Because of the "jackal" Du Cang, and also because the price of grain sold by grain stores is still rising.
One shi (a unit of dry measure) of fine grains was priced as high as twenty-one taels of silver.
This news caused great anxiety among the people who heard that the Provincial Administration Commission was about to stabilize grain prices.
"Didn't Lord Liu Hong summon the Lin family grain store and others to a meeting and order them to lower grain prices?"
Why did the price rise instead of fall today?
"It's only the first day, those grain shops probably still want to make a final profit."
"It's just a death throes."
“I’ve heard that they have stockpiled no less than 500,000 shi of grain. If grain prices are stabilized, they’ll probably lose everything.”
"These unscrupulous merchants, every single one of them, deserves to die!"
Some people offer words of comfort to others while also reassuring themselves, while others pour cold water on them.
A piece of news suddenly spread, and in a very short time, it reached every street and alley of the prefectural city.
"You guys, don't be too happy yet."
"'Jackal' Du Cang died in Shu Prefecture, and Lü Jiunan also died in Shu Prefecture. Will King Landu of the Peacock King Banner act as if nothing happened?"
"You mean, he really will lead a large army here?"
"It's not that he will, it's that he's already here. I heard that something happened on the Tea Horse Road."
How could this be?
"Then, doesn't that mean that the government's efforts to stabilize grain prices can only be temporary? Once the old grain is exhausted, we will still..."
What it will be, is self-evident.
Chen Yi listened to the surrounding discussions and calmly walked through the crowd.
He knew that the Jizhou Merchant Guild would not sit idly by and wait for its demise. Even if the old master and Xiao Jinghong intervened, they could only temporarily force a few grain shops to give in.
As long as the grain is still in their hands, it will be sold sooner or later, and the lost money will not be too devastating.
Just like now.
Rumors spread widely in the streets, which can be used to fool the people and drive up grain prices, allowing them to sell whatever they can.
The rest... presumably they still have to wait for Li Sanyuan's reply.
But how could the lady let Li Sanyuan escape if she intervened?
Chen Yi's thoughts drifted back to the scene of his meeting with General Xing.
The White Tiger Guard extended another invitation.
The mysterious and unpredictable master's schemes against him and his elder brother Chen Yunfan.
And Zhu Hao!
Chen Yi still remembered the hint he received when he first met Chen Yunfan—that Chen Yunfan wanted to take a righteous and honorable path to rapid advancement.
Since he had risen so quickly, given his elder brother's position in the Provincial Administration Commissioner's office, if he wanted to be promoted further, getting rid of Liu Hong would obviously be the most appropriate course of action.
Unfortunately, the White Tiger Guard produced evidence of crimes committed by Zhu Hao, the deputy commander of the Shu Prefecture Commandery.
Is there a deeper meaning behind this?
The chessboard in Chen Yi's mind trembled. Chen Yunfan, a piece that was half black and half white, made him somewhat hesitant.
In the strategic position of the Provincial Administration Commission, Chen Yunfan could succeed Yang Ye as the Right Provincial Administration Commissioner of Shu Prefecture.
With greater power and higher official rank, they can also better utilize their abilities.
But if it falls under the jurisdiction of the Commander-in-Chief's Office... to check and balance the Xiao family?
Or perhaps...
He pondered for a moment.
The chess piece in the giant hand in Chen Yi's mind turned white and landed in the center of the chess pieces of the Shu Prefecture Commandery.
"The White Tiger Guard's scheme has clues."
"Whether it's me or Chen Yunfan, our target is the Xiao family, or rather, the Dingyuan Army in the hands of the Xiao family."
"However, the situation has changed now."
"There is another powerful figure behind Zhu Hao—Liu Hong."
"It seems that Liu Hong wasn't originally part of the White Tiger Guard's plan. It's just that he and the Liu family of Jingzhou have been interfering too closely in Shuzhou lately, so..."
"The Liu family is doomed."
Although Chen Yi could not see the whole picture of the White Tiger Guard's plan, knowing a part of it gave him a glimpse into the whole situation.
At least in this Shu Prefecture, he could deduce the approximate result.
Therefore, whether it's the Liu family of Jingzhou or the Liu family of Shuzhou, anyone who dares to lay a finger on the Xiao family will become a thorn in the side of the White Tiger Guard.
Even if Chen Yi hadn't informed Old Master Xiao of everything, the Liu family would still have perished.
"The Liu family will surely fall in as little as half a month or as long as two months."
"And my elder brother... even by the fastest estimate, he could rise rapidly in rank within a year..."
"Third rank? Second rank is also possible..."
That's no exaggeration.
Such a speed of advancement would be rare even if we go back several thousand or eight hundred years, let alone in the Great Wei Dynasty.
Having figured all this out, Chen Yi knew how to deal with the hot potato in his hand.
The elder brother gained Zhu Hao, while the Xiao family lost Liu Hong; this was fair and just.
"I hope the White Tiger Guards won't come out and get in the way..."
Chen Yi glanced back, then darted off to Tingyu Pavilion.
With his current hearing, if he didn't hear Chen Yunfan's voice at the Provincial Administration Office, then the only place left was Tingyuxuan.
Fifteen minutes later.
Chen Yi arrived outside Tingyu Pavilion, lifted his bamboo hat and looked around, and heard some sounds coming from inside.
Xiao Wan'er, Cui Qingwu, Xie Tingyun, Shen Huatang, Huan'er...
Chen Yunfan, Ning Yu, Niu Shan, and... wait?
Chen Yi turned his head to look at the eaves of another house at the entrance of the alley, where he saw a person sitting unceremoniously on the eaves, staring straight at him.
The man, dressed in short clothes, appeared to be middle-aged with a full beard. Seeing him there, he asked with some surprise:
"'Dragon Tiger' Liu Wu?"
Chen Yi did not respond, but only used his Qi-gazing technique to look at him.
He felt like he had seen that face somewhere before.
where……
The Chen family!
He is Lin Zhong, the commander of the Chen family's guards!
Recalling all this, Chen Yi suddenly realized, "The Chen family of Jiangnan Prefecture is truly a place where hidden talents abound; even a guard commander has the cultivation of a third-grade expert..."
With his mind racing, Chen Yi calmly cupped his hands and said, "Excuse me, I have important business to discuss with Councilor Chen."
"To see my young master?"
Lin Zhong looked him up and down, his expression slightly wary, thinking to himself, "Could it be that he found out that I picked up Lü Jiunan's body?"
"May I ask what brings Lord 'Dragon Tiger' to see my young master?"
"I am entrusted to do so, and I cannot disclose this information."
"oh?"
Hearing this, Lin Zhong felt a little relieved, as long as it wasn't about Lü Jiunan.
After thinking for a moment, he stood up and said, "Please wait a moment, sir, I will inform my young master immediately."
Chen Yi nodded, calmly watching his figure dissipate, but inwardly he raised an eyebrow.
The Great Perfection of Martial Arts: Steps?
Or perhaps... a perfect ending?
Tsk, they're not to be underestimated.
As the saying goes, "No martial art in the world is invincible except for speed." When a movement technique is cultivated to perfection, its power is no less than that of Du Cang's secret sorcery.
If there is no way to defeat the enemy, defeat is only a matter of time.
As Chen Yi muttered to himself, his mind followed Lin Zhong to the central courtyard of Tingyuxuan.
Amidst the whistling sounds of swords, it seemed as if streaks of sharp sword intent were piercing through the air.
Chen Yi looked at the spiritual energy of heaven and earth that he had stirred up around him, and a smile appeared on his lips.
"Brother, you are truly diligent."
"He didn't go to work in the government office, but instead stayed in Tingyuxuan to practice martial arts."
However, before the smile could fade, a bright, sparkling light suddenly appeared before her eyes.
A short, urgent voice cried out, "Young Master, no!"
The beam of light condensed and took shape, transforming into a small short sword, which suddenly attacked Chen Yi.
Wherever it passed, it left a trail of light like a rainbow.
It is not dazzling, but it is still imposing.
Chen Yi chuckled and pointed a finger at the incoming sword light.
The golden light flashed and then disappeared.
The sword light vanished along with it.
It was as if it had never happened before.
"Councilor Chen, what excellent swordsmanship..."
(End of this chapter)
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