Return to Beijing (1)
Although Yan Qing felt a pang of anxiety, he remained outwardly calm.
She poured herself a cup of tea, took a small sip, and replied, "Xi Yuan Pavilion is mysterious and unpredictable; how could I possibly have any connections with it?"
"I saw them. Those notes were sent by Miss Fangbi." Rong Xiao, as always, spoke with a cold expression.
This successfully silenced Yan Qing.
Fangbi was sent to deliver the note precisely because of this situation. However, Fangbi would not send the note out if there was any disturbance. What does that mean?
Fang Bi had no idea that Rong Xiao was watching her from the shadows.
There are very few people in the whole country who can make Fang Bi completely unaware of his abilities; I had never heard of him possessing such martial prowess before.
Seeing that Yan Qing remained silent and only drank her tea, Rong Xiao explained, "Miss Yan, there's no need to be wary. I mean no harm. I simply wish you could introduce me to the Pavilion Master of Xiyuan Pavilion. Would you be willing?"
Having said all that, Yan Qing no longer intended to hide anything. She had originally intended to join forces with Rong Xiao, and now that he had offered himself up, there was no reason for her to refuse. However, Yan Qing didn't quite trust him enough to tell her everything.
So she said, "I can contact the Pavilion Master."
Seeing Rong Xiao's eyes brighten, Yan Qing changed the subject: "But the Pavilion Master doesn't easily meet people, so why don't you tell me what it is?"
Rong Xiao looked somewhat hesitant, but ultimately decided to trust Yan Qing.
"For the past ten years or so, I thought I could lead the people to happiness with my own hands, but now it seems I was too naive. If you really want to change this world, you can't move an inch without power. Miss Yan, could you please ask the Pavilion Master if he would be willing to lend me a hand?"
"You mean you want to seize the throne?" Yan Qing asked directly, without any pretense.
What he received in return was a firm "Yes" from Rong Xiao.
Yan Qing never expected Rong Xiao to be so frank in telling her that he wanted the throne. Just a few days ago, she was worried that Rong Xiao had no interest in the throne. Now that their goals overlapped, she no longer needed to hide it.
She smiled and said to him, "Yes."
Rong Xiao was taken aback, then understood Yan Qing's meaning, his face full of surprise, "You are...?"
Before he could stammer and struggle with his identity, Yan Qing said seriously, "Yes, if you really want to take a chance, I will do my best to help you achieve your goal. However, regarding the matter of Xiyuan Pavilion, you and I know it, but others don't need to know."
"Of course," Rong Xiao said with a hint of respect. "But I wonder what the Pavilion Master and Miss Yan are seeking, and how I can help you?"
"The Haihe River is calm and the people are happy."
Upon encountering a like-minded person again, Rong Xiao's eyes became even more resolute. He said in a deep voice, "The people, the world, we shall work together. From now on, we will rely on Miss Yan."
With the last matter accomplished, the trip to Yunzhou should come to an end. However, the newly appointed governor of the prefecture had just departed from the capital, so Yan Qing stayed in Yunzhou with Rong Xiao to wait. Since there was nothing urgent to do upon returning to the capital, it was better to keep a close eye on the situation there.
During this period of leisure, Yan Qing finally had time to appreciate the scenery of Yunzhou. Fang Bi accompanied her on her travels, and occasionally the four of them would go together.
Compared to the two of them enjoying themselves, the four of them occasionally talked about the politics of Yunzhou when they were traveling together. When the topic of Chief Secretary Liang came up, Yan Qing asked, "Has anyone been chosen for the vacant position of Chief Secretary?"
Rong Xiao explained that there was no suitable candidate within the Yunzhou government at the moment, and the matter would be arranged by the new governor.
Upon hearing this, Yan Qing revealed his true purpose, "Why not let Yan Yang give it a try? She grew up in Yunzhou since childhood, is familiar with Yunzhou affairs, and often assists you in handling political matters. I think she is capable of taking on the position of Chief Secretary."
Upon hearing this, Yan Yang laughed, "Qingqing, you flatter me too much. How can there be a woman serving as an official in the imperial court?"
Seeing that Rong Xiao seemed to be deep in thought, Yan Qing did not continue Yan Yang's conversation. She changed the subject, and the group chatted happily again.
After the conversation had gone around in circles for a while and no one spoke, Rong Xiao suddenly brought up Yan Qing's suggestion again, "There are indeed precedents of women serving as officials in our dynasty, but this has been going on for a long time, and no one has followed suit since, so fewer and fewer people know about it."
After saying that, he turned to Yan Yang and asked seriously, "Would you be willing to give it a try?"
Yan Yang hesitated for a moment: "Is it really feasible?"
“Your talent far surpasses that of a mere Chief Secretary, and you have a good reputation in Yunzhou. You are qualified for this position. However, since this involves women in politics, I cannot make the decision myself. I must first submit a memorial to the Emperor and let him decide. If you are willing to give it a try, I will go back and draft a memorial.”
With Rong Xiao saying this, Yan Yang had no reason to refuse. She was willing to do things for the people of Yunzhou, otherwise she wouldn't often travel with him.
She nodded, glanced at Yan Qing, then looked firmly at Rong Xiao and said solemnly, "I'm willing to give it a try."
The memorial was delivered to the emperor with utmost urgency. Perhaps because there was a precedent in the dynasty, and Rong Xiao praised it highly, the emperor approved the matter without much hesitation.
This matter caused quite a stir in the court, but no one stepped forward to stop it.
With the arrival of the new governor, the letter of appointment was also delivered. Yan Yang will serve as the chief administrator of Yunzhou and assist the governor in governing Yunzhou.
With that, the matter of Yunzhou came to a complete end. Yan Qing and Fang Bi decided to return to the capital with Rong Xiao, no longer going through the trouble of splitting up.
On the day she left, Yan Yang came to see her off. After talking with Rong Xiao, she walked to Yan Qing's side, and Fang Bi also quietly left, leaving the place to the two of them.
Yan Qing knew it was time; the problem that had been hanging over them ever since they met Yan Yang needed to be resolved. Although Yan Yang had never pressured her, she couldn't bear to delay any longer.
Before she could speak, Yan Yang said with concern, "Be careful on your trip to the capital. If things don't go well, come back to Yunzhou. Yunzhou will always be your way back."
These words were tinged with sadness, leaving both of them feeling uneasy. She then spoke up again, teasingly saying, "Now that I've become the Prefect of Yunzhou, I'll protect you within the borders of Yunzhou."
Yan Qing chuckled, never expecting Yan Yang to have this side to him.
Yan Yang laughed along, but her worry remained undiminished.
She knew that Yan Qing and Rong Xiao must have important business to attend to in the capital, which also meant that there would be many dangers. Personally, she did not want Yan Qing, whom she had finally reunited with, to leave again, but she could not force her to stay here. So she could only let her know that the Yan family would always be here waiting for her return.
She is not alone; she will always have a home.
Unfortunately, home is not hers, the Yan family is not waiting for her, and Yunzhou is not her homeland.
All she could do was bring back Yan Qing, whom they were waiting for.
Fortunately, she was no longer alone on her journey.
"When we meet again, Yan Qing will come home." Yan Qing stepped forward and hugged Yan Yang, whispering the promise in her ear.
The surprise came suddenly, and Yan Yang's eyes instantly reddened. She didn't notice the ambiguity in her words, only thinking that she was finally willing to reunite with her family. She excitedly hugged the girl in her arms tightly, just like when she was a child.
As they parted, she raised her hand to wipe away the tears that rolled down her cheeks.
Seeing her like this, Yan Qing felt a little helpless. She wanted to comfort her, but in the end, she didn't put her hand on Yan Yang's shoulder. She waved and smiled as she said goodbye.
And so we bid farewell to Yunzhou.
The carriage headed north, with Yan Qing and Fang Bi riding together.
Returning to the capital, her mindset was completely different. When she first arrived, she only felt that the palace was deep and the walls were high, but now it seemed to be a place for her to show her skills. Although there were threats and hardships, she seemed to have some of the aspirations of the people outside the capital, and she also had more fearlessness.
During the days Yan Qing was away, the capital city changed again and again. Now it has finally stabilized, but with her return, a new storm is brewing.
The Crown Prince's faction had disappeared with the Crown Prince's downfall. On the contrary, Rong Xuan's influence was unprecedented, but the court was still divided into two factions.
However, the system changed from separating the crown prince and the Prince of Qi to separating the Prince of Qi and the Prince of Ning.
It is worth mentioning that Rong Xuan changed his usual gentle image. He spoke coldly and sharply in court and was ruthless in his methods. He was successful in everything he was given by the emperor and won over a group of court officials in a short period of time.
Such a sudden change inevitably drew criticism from some.
Some say he harbored wolfish ambitions and was waiting for the crown prince to fall from power, while others say he suffered a serious illness that drastically changed his personality.
Yan Qing was well aware of these rumors and had even mentioned them to Rong Xiao, but he simply smiled and said, "It's a good thing that Xuan'er has developed an interest in politics. In the future, we'll have more capable people like me to get things done. Speaking of which, we truly are brothers. I've only just come to understand the hidden power of authority at this age, and perhaps Xuan'er has also had some epiphany. Miss Yan, you don't look too well. Do you have any other insights?"
I give up, you siscon.
There was nothing he could do; he was now truly a eunuch beside the emperor. But since she had personally chosen this prospective emperor, what could he do but wait for Rong Xuan to thoroughly humiliate him?
Given this situation, Yan Qing could easily imagine how difficult Rong Xuan would be to deal with after returning to the capital.
Ugh, if she weren't so uninterested in being an emperor, she would have killed everyone and taken over herself long ago.
"Yan Qing returned to the capital with Rong Xiao?" Rong Xuan repeated his subordinate's report in a low voice, then suddenly chuckled, "I really didn't misjudge her. Keep an eye on her, and find some more people to keep a close eye on Rong Zhang and the Empress's movements."
The subordinate didn't leave after saying "Yes," as if waiting for Rong Xuan's other instructions.
After a long pause, Rong Xuan finally remembered something and asked, "Wenwu hasn't run out yet?"
"Uh...no, Fangbi is keeping a close watch. Several brothers who went to gather information were knocked unconscious and thrown on the ground. Should we send Wenli instead...?"
Before he could finish speaking, Rong Xuan raised his hand to interrupt him, "No need, just consider it as him getting some training."
After that, the study became quiet, with only the faint sounds of ink and paper touching each other. Yan Qing found it boring, so he switched to another cat to observe.
This time the content is much more exciting.
"Is everything ready?"
It was Jiang Yi's voice, but Yan Qing couldn't see the image. Presumably, the little black cat was lying there with its eyes closed.
"The orders have been given; this time, we absolutely cannot let her have a chance to escape."
These two sentences don't contain much content, but Yan Qing had heard the whole story clearly, and putting them together, it wasn't hard to figure out what they were preparing.
They are plotting to kill Yan Qing.
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