The Rebirth of Han Yuxi

Chapter 0742 Turbulent

The Emperor had personally appointed Chen Yu as the Imperial Envoy. Although the Chen family appeared neutral to outsiders, only those within Marquis Taining's household knew their true nature.

The Eldest Master Yu said, "Yan Wushuang plotted to murder Chiang Jing and plant the blame on our heads. He wants the Emperor to come after us!" The Yu family had far stronger control over the local area than the Emperor did, and they had already uncovered some clues about Chiang Jing's death. Although there was no concrete evidence, Yu Chunhao was already certain that Yan Wushuang had k!lled Chiang Jing. As for the motive, Yan Wushuang naturally hoped to obtain the position of Imperial Envoy.

Hearing this, Yu Chunhao hurriedly asked, "Dad, was Lin Fengyuan's accident arranged by you?" Yan Wushuang would not possibly make a move against Lin Fengyuan—at least not for now. If he did, it would be far too conspicuous.

The Eldest Master Yu nodded. "If something happened to Lin Fengyuan, the Emperor would first suspect Yan Wushuang." By making this move, he had managed to divert the Emperor's attention from the Yu family to Yan Wushuang.

Thinking more deeply about it, Yu Chunhao expressed his feeling, "Dad, I always feel that something about this isn't quite right. Even if Chiang Jing died, this assignment would never fall into Yan Wushuang's hands—there's no way he wouldn't realise that." The Emperor was so wary of Yan Wushuang, so how could he possibly allow him to hold real power? Therefore, Yu Chunhao found Yan Wushuang's murder of Chiang Jing very strange.

The Eldest Master Yu responded, "The Cangzhou affair must be suppressed at all costs. Failure to do so will trigger a full-scale investigation into Cangzhu." The prefect of Cangzhou was his student and was extremely loyal to him.

After pondering for a moment, Yu Chunhao said, "Let's wait and see for now!" If it could be hidden, they would naturally help to conceal it. If not, they would have no choice but to abandon the chariot in order to protect the general.

On the other side, Tang Bo also found Yan Wushuang's actions strange, saying: "After putting in so much effort, the assignment still didn't end up in our hands." To get Chiang Jing killed, Yan Wushuang had lost quite a bit of manpower and spent a large sum of money.

Yan Wushuang smiled. "Who said I want to be that lousy Imperial Envoy?" Only a fool would take on such a troublesome and thankless job.

Tang Bo didn't immediately understand and wondered aloud, "My Lord, if you don't want to scheme for this assignment, why did you kill Chiang Jing? And now, regarding Lin Fengyuan's matter, the Emperor will surely place the blame on our heads." Moreover, Lin Fengyuan would certainly hold them responsible and come to hate them.

Yan Wushuang was not someone who explained himself to others. "You'll know when the time comes." His goal was not merely the position of Imperial Envoy; his main target was the Yu family. Of course, he wasn't being kind enough to help the Emperor deal with the Yu family; he had his own motives.

Seeing that Yan Wushuang was not at all anxious, Tie Kui pretended to speak casually. "I really don't know what my Lord is thinking. While we're staying here in the capital, we hold no real power. It would be better to return to Liaodong and live more freely." Tie Kui wasn't the only one who felt this way; the 150,000 troops who had come with them shared the same opinion.

Qiu Dashan was very loyal to Yan Wushuang and believed there must be a reason for his actions. However, as time went on, he also began to feel uneasy and uncertain of what Yan Wushuang was planning. Smiling, Qiu Dashan asked, "What's wrong? Are you uncomfortable living here? This place is far better than Liaodong." They enjoyed rich food and drink here, living many times better than in Liaodong.

Tie Kui shook his head. "Life here is good—good food, good clothes, good drink, and plenty of silver to earn. But I worry that if this continues, it will wear down the soldiers' fighting spirit." When they returned to Liaodong, the enemies they would face would be the Donghu people. If their morale was worn down and they neglected their martial skills, going to the battlefield would be like delivering themselves to death.

Qiu Dashan commented, "You're worrying for nothing." Training at the capital's military camp was even more intense than it had been in Liaodong, so there was no need to worry about anyone becoming complacent.

There was a reason Tie Kui said this. "Big Brother, you don't know—nowadays, some people in the army run off to brothels whenever they're on leave. Every time they come out of those places, their legs are weak. Three to five months may not be a problem, but if it goes on for too long, something serious is bound to happen." In fact, there were already signs of this. Those who had experienced the pleasures of the brothels would even borrow money from others when they ran short, just to spend their two days of leave indulging themselves.

After a moment's thought, Qiu Dashan spoke, "I'll report this matter to my Lord." In fact, quite a few soldiers in Liaodong would visit brothels during their leave. Men, after all, need to relax a bit and couldn't stay wound up too tightly—this was entirely understandable. Therefore, Qiu Dashan did not consider this issue to be too serious: a bit of rest now and again was good for the soul.

When Tie Kui glanced up at Qiu Dashan, he had to swallow the words that had reached his lips. Since Qiu Dashan wasn't taking this problem seriously, it would be pointless to say more. It was better to save his breath and say nothing.

Qiu Dashan smiled and changed the subject by asking, "I heard you've taken a liking to a girl. Is that true?" Since Tie Kui was his trusted subordinate, it was still necessary to be aware of his family matters.

Tie Kui nodded with a smile. "I was going to tell you once things were settled, Big Brother, but I didn't expect you to find out so quickly." He had only sent a matchmaker to the Xiao family to propose marriage yesterday, yet Qiu Dashan already knew today.

Qiu Dashan cheerfully patted Tie Kui on the shoulder and said, "You rascal! You've got such high eyesight! Whose daughter have you set your sights on?"

Tie Kui's standards were indeed high; the one he had chosen was Xiao Xiaoling, the youngest daughter of Xiao Ji, the late Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice.

Upon hearing that she was from a Vice Minister's family, Qiu Dashan laughed. "Your standards really are high. You actually want to marry a scholar's daughter? What? Are you planning for your son to take the Imperial Examinations and become the top scholar in the future?" This question was just a joke. Qiu Dashan figured that Xiao Xiaoling must be quite beautiful for Tie Kui to have fallen for her at first sight.

Tie Kui smiled. "The Xiao family hasn't replied yet, so it may not work out. But I do want to marry a girl from a scholarly family. That way, even if my child doesn't become a top scholar, they'll at least be literate and won't have trouble reading military reports and the like." This meant that even if the Xiao family refused, he would still marry a girl from a scholarly background.

Tie Kui was actually literate, but he outwardly claimed to have gained the favour of a xiucai and studied characters under him for two years.

Qiu Dashan knew that Tie Kui was very fond of reading and said with a smile, "With my younger brother being such a fine and impressive man, the Xiao family will definitely agree, unless their eyes have gone blind."

Tie Kui shook his head. "If the Xiao family doesn't think highly of me, then so be it. A forcibly twisted melon is not sweet. This kind of matter must depend on mutual willingness. The capital is so big; I believe I'll eventually find a wife who suits me perfectly."

Qiu Dashan said with a smile, "Once this matter is settled, let me know. When the time comes, your big bro here will definitely prepare a generous gift for you."

The conversation between the two quickly reached Yan Wushuang's ears. Yan Wushuang asked casually, "Did he really say that?" Although Tie Kui's explanation about letting Han Jianming go seemed flawless, Yan Wushuang still did not trust him. To be precise, Yan Wushuang was highly suspicious by nature; aside from Tang Bo, he trusted no one, not even Qiu Dashan.

The reason Yan Wushuang had been able to live safely until now was not due to divine favour but to his caution and constant vigilance towards those around him.

Qiu Dashan nodded. "My Lord, that is indeed what he said. I also sent people to investigate the Xiao family. Xiao Ji, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, has his ancestral roots in Anhui. His forefathers were cloth sellers, and it was only in his grandfather's generation that the family began to prosper. He passed the imperial examination as a second-class jinshi in the third year of Emperor Guangzong's reign and was subsequently assigned to Jiangsu. He stayed there for fifteen years before being transferred to the Ministry of Justice, where he served continuously until his death from illness. Xiao Ji largely owed his appointment as Vice Minister to his long service."

After hearing this, Yan Wushuang asked, "It's not that simple for a regional official to be assigned to the capital. How did Xiao Ji manage to do it?" If one had connections in the Imperial Court, it would be easy for one to become an official; if one had none, one must choose a faction. If one joined the right side, one's official career would be bright; if one joined the wrong side, the outcome went without saying.

Qiu Dashan shook his head. "It has been too long. It would take a great deal of effort to investigate. My Lord, Xiao Ji is more than thirty years older than Tie Kui, so it's impossible that the two of them ever interacted. Xiao Ji's children have never left the capital either, so they would not be connected to Tie Kui. I also had people look into it. That Young Miss Xiao is not only well-educated and sensible, but also quite good-looking." In other words, Tie Kui simply took a liking to the girl; there was nothing more to it.

Yan Wushuang was distrustful not only of Tie Kui but also of the other generals. Tie Kui simply happened to fall into his hands, arousing his suspicion. Qiu Dashan felt quite helpless about this. If those below discovered they were being monitored, it would certainly chill everyone's hearts, but fortunately, no one had discovered it yet.

Seeing Qiu Dashan looking deeply worried, Yan Wushuang said with a smile, "It's only for the sake of caution—why are you wearing such a bitter face?"

Only then did Qiu Dashan let out a sigh of relief. "It's rare for Tie Kui to take a liking to a girl. I'd like to help fulfil his wish." Originally, Qiu Dashan had no intention of interfering in such matters. As Tie Kui said, marriage should be based on mutual consent. However, he had now changed his mind. It would be better for Tie Kui to settle on this girl. At least the Xiao family were respectable and had no links to the aristocratic clans in the capital. If Tie Kui were to choose someone with a complicated background next time, the Lord might become suspicious. It would be better to choose Miss Xiao and avoid unnecessary trouble.

Yan Wushuang said indifferently, "For a marriage to work, both parties must be willing in their hearts. Tie Kui isn't someone who can't find a wife, so there's no need to force it." Qiu Dashan was the type of person who wore his heart on his sleeve — people like him were easy to read, and Yan Wushuang liked that. In contrast, Tie Kui's deep thoughts and hidden intentions made Yan Wushuang wary.

Qiu Dashan said, "As long as she's married into the family, with Tie Kui's abilities, wouldn't she become wholeheartedly devoted to him?"

Yan Wushuang smiled and asked, "Would you like to bring your wife to the capital?" Qiu Dashan's wife was actually his adoptive father's daughter.

Without a second thought, Qiu Dashan refused. "We might return to Liaodong soon, so there's no need for them to travel back and forth." To Qiu Dashan, the capital was like a dragon's pool and a tiger's den; taking his wife and children there would endanger them. He would have water in his brain to do that.

Yan Wushuang had only asked casually. Seeing that Qiu Dashan was unwilling, he did not insist. "We won't be returning to Liaodong anytime soon."

Qiu Dashan's lips moved, but in the end, he did not ask why. Even if he had asked, it would have been pointless. He would not have received an answer anyway.