Chapter 263: People Can’t Teach Others
When Huo Gan said the name "Yan Qing", Nan Lijun almost didn't react, because that was Yan Shijiu's name.
When Nan Lijun realized that Huo Gannian was serious and not joking at all, his eyes widened, his mouth opened as big as an egg, and he stuttered a little when he spoke:
"Yan... Yan Nineteen? Are you saying that Yan Nineteen is the mastermind behind all this? He's the prince of Dongyan? What evidence do you have?"
Huo Gannian shook his head, "There is no substantial evidence. I said it was just my speculation."
Nan Lijun couldn't help but burst out laughing, then quickly covered his mouth and tried to speak seriously:
"You make it sound so serious, but there's no evidence at all. 'Yan Shijiu'? Haha, at least you could come up with someone who sounds more like him!"
Huo Gannian wasn't surprised by Nan Lijun's reaction. "I've analyzed the situation. It's up to Your Highness to decide whether to believe it or not. As for my claim that Yan Shijiu was the mastermind behind this, it wasn't entirely groundless. When the Huo Gang was wiping out the Yu Family, they were led outside Guying City and nearly annihilated by the Black Scale Cavalry."
This is sufficient to prove that the mastermind behind this has been involved in the Huo-Yu conflict since its inception and is familiar with the dynamics of the situation. Yan Shijiu also happens to be the longest-serving merchant besides the Huo Gang. However, I haven't found any evidence linking him to the Yu family.
Later, Yun Chen and I went to Youzhou to borrow horses. I deliberately asked spies to spread the news that 100,000 horses would set off after the Mid-Autumn Festival in September. I only spread the real time news that the horses had set off in March and the Lesser Heat was about to arrive in the northeast direction outside Youzhou.
As we can see, the Black Scale Cavalry had already abandoned the city and retreated before the Lesser Heat. And Yan Shijiu's private residence, Swallow Hall, is located northeast of Dragon City in the East China Sea. I don't believe such a coincidence could be possible; it could only be that his spies in Dragon City received the news and told him that the Lion Power Army's horses were approaching.
Not only that, the assassination incident when Huo Gannian and Yun Chen were returning to Beijing on their official route was also very subtle.
It was precisely because of this incident that Huo Gannian finally concluded that Yan Shijiu was the mastermind behind the incident.
While Yun Chen was bathing in the house, Huo Gannian was fighting the assassins alone outside.
When the assassin heard him address Yun Chen as "Madam," he blurted out, "Aren't they two men?"
This statement sounds reasonable at first, but it is quite interesting when you think about it carefully.
How stupid and unprofessional an assassin must be to use "two men" as a marker, something completely featureless, to pursue his target?
He followed the official road all the way to the official post station, just to kill "two men" from a crowd of men?
It would be more iconic to say that killing "two generals" was the real deal.
Just the assassin's words were enough to make Huo Gannian even more certain that the person behind the scenes must be Yan Shijiu.
"Killing two men" probably means that Yan Shijiu had discovered the news about the time when the Lion Army transported war horses, and was caught by the fox's tail. He was eager to pretend that the mastermind behind the scenes was someone who did not know the identity of Yun Chen's daughter, in order to clear himself.
Yan Shijiu is very smart, but in Huo Gannian's eyes, he is just trying to cover up his mistake.
However, this matter concerned the identity of Yun Chen's daughter, and Huo Gannian could not tell Nan Lijun.
Huo Gannian continued, "Yan Shijiu was captured in Guying City. Whether it was a true defeat or a feigned one is unknown. If the Black Scale Cavalry were truly his, then the 20,000 Dongyan borrowed troops were deliberately killed as a show. As the prince of Dongyan, he treated his own country's soldiers this way, which shows his cruelty and determination. He did everything for one purpose."
Nan Lijun subconsciously took over the conversation and asked, "What?"
"Get closer to you." Huo Gannian said solemnly:
"He needs to be defeated and return to the capital openly to be close to Your Highness. Firstly, he will wait for an opportunity to build up his influence within the court. Secondly, once Xi Yan invades the capital, he will take over and become the king of the Southern Kingdom. Therefore, he will definitely do everything he can to stay in the capital and get as close to you as possible."
In an almost pleading tone, Huo Gannian was saying earnestly:
"All of this is just my speculation. Your Highness is free to disbelieve it, or continue plotting to murder Ni Kun. There are only two things I hope Your Highness can do. First, do not rashly dispatch 80,000 troops from the capital, leaving it defenseless. Second, do not allow Yan Qing to get close to you, and do not give him any opportunity to flatter you."
After Huo Gannian finished speaking, Nan Lijun's expression became very complicated, and she almost didn't dare to look him in the eye.
In Nan Lijun's silence, Huo Gannian calmed down all his emotions and strode out of the study.
He walked straight from the East Palace to the Yong'an Hall, only to find that the night banquet had ended, with only leftovers left everywhere, and the palace servants were busy cleaning up.
The magnificent and huge five-colored phoenix still stood in the center, and a thin figure with fluttering clothes was standing quietly beside it.
Huo Gannian walked over and looked at the colorful phoenix with the man.
"Such a luxurious and beautiful thing has become dilapidated and decayed in just two hours. It's such a pity. I rushed here and ultimately failed to catch up." Ni Kun said.
The wind blew his clothes gently, and his temples were already gray. He looked like an old man who was well-read in poetry and books, without any trace of cunning and abuse of power.
Huo Gannian looked at the edge of the black curls of the colorful carved phoenix. The entire body of the phoenix was cracked and wilted, and the gems inlaid on it were crumbling.
He pointed at the carved phoenix and said, "Most of the gems on it come from Liuli Island. Just one of them is enough to pay the monthly salary of an entire division of the Lion Army. In the past few years, when wars broke out, the Huo Gang has always been the one to advance the military expenses. Is it because the military pay is still not coming in, or is the Eastern Palace afraid of the Huo Gang's wealth and wants to cut down on it?"
Ni Kun did not answer this question, but said in a joking tone:
"General Huo, don't ask me, and it's best not to talk to me either. Otherwise, I'm afraid you'll be implicated and become part of Ni Kun's faction. I won't invite you to the next Mid-Autumn Festival banquet. You'll have to be as shameless as me and come on your own. You haven't made it yet."
Huo Gannian couldn't laugh. He pressed his brows together, trying to smooth out the wrinkles between them. "Your Excellency, Prime Minister, is absolutely right. I have nothing else to say. Your Excellency, please be careful. I wish you peace."
"Haha..." Ni Kun smiled nonchalantly, "It's okay. I'm just an old man. If I can exchange my life for the growth of a new emperor, it's really worth it. Sometimes, people can't teach people, but things can teach them once. Please be more patient, General Huo, and give her some time."
"I hope I can wait, and Nan Country, and the millions of ordinary people can wait too." After saying this, Huo Gannian strode away.
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