Royal palace, royal garden.

In the pavilion with bright yellow curtains, on an octagonal table made of huanghuali wood, a person in a yellow robe and a person in green clothes sit.

Wei Yuan and Emperor Yuan Jing were similar in age. One had a ruddy complexion and full black hair, while the other had early gray hair on his temples. His eyes contained the vicissitudes of life accumulated over time.

If men are compared to wine, Emperor Yuan Jing is the most glamorous and noble one, but in terms of taste, Wei Yuan is the most mellow and fragrant.

Two people talking in hands.

Emperor Yuan Jing looked at Bai Zi who was taken away by Wei Yuan and sighed:

"After the death of King Huai, there was no Optimus Prime in the north. The barbarians could not make waves for a while. But if the Northeastern Witch God Sect detours to the north and enters the pass through Chuzhou, it will go straight to the capital and slay the dragon!

"

As he spoke, Emperor Yuan Jing made a move, and with the crisp sound of the chess pieces hitting the chessboard, the situation suddenly changed, and the white pieces formed a sharp sword, approaching the dragon.

"Tsk, Wei Qing was a little distracted playing chess today."

Wei Yuan's eyes were gentle, he picked up his sunspot and said: "Optimus Prime is too tall and too big to be controlled. When it collapses, it will hurt others and even hurt himself."

A light fall.

The two chatted and played chess. After four or five moves, Emperor Yuan Jing said calmly:

"The prince was assassinated a few days ago, and everyone in the harem is in danger. The queen was also frightened. During this period, she couldn't eat or sleep well, and she was haggard. Wei Qing, please catch the assassin as soon as possible and let this matter pass.

The queen doesn’t have to worry."

Wei Yuan glanced at the chessboard, surrendered, and slowly exhaled: "Your Majesty's chess skills have become more and more exquisite."

Then, he stood up, took a few steps back, bowed and said: "Wei Chen neglected his duty. Wei Chen will do his best to catch the assassin this morning."

Emperor Yuan Jing laughed.

............

At the same time, the cabinet.

A middle-aged eunuch wearing a python robe brought two eunuchs to Wenyuan Pavilion and met with Wang Zhenwen, the chief minister.

He didn't stay too long, only a quarter of an hour before the chief eunuch led the two eunuchs away.

The chief assistant, Wang Zhenwen, sat behind the desk expressionlessly, not moving for a long time, like a silent sculpture.

............

The next day, at the court meeting, Emperor Jing of Yuan Dynasty still argued with the princes about the Chuzhou case, but it was not as intense as yesterday, and the whole palace was filled with the smell of gunpowder.

Although today's court meeting still has no ending, it was dismissed in a more peaceful manner.

Zheng Xinghuai, who has been in official circles for a long time, smelled a hint of uneasiness. He knew that the problem he was worried about yesterday finally appeared.

At the court meeting, although the princes still refused to let go, they were not as insistent as they were yesterday on convicting King Zhenbei.

Even when the nobles proposed how to eliminate the rumors in the capital and change the views of the 20,000 soldiers in Chuzhou on this matter, some civil servants participated in the discussion in the name of scolding.

What made Zheng Xinghuai most distressed was that Wei Yuan and Wang Zhenwen remained silent throughout the whole process.

After the court ended, Zheng Xinghuai walked silently. As he walked, he suddenly heard someone calling him from behind: "Master Zheng, please stay."

He turned around blankly and saw Cao Guogong in a ducal uniform chasing after him, with an obvious smile on his face.

In Zheng Xinghuai's view, this is the smile of a winner.

"Master Zheng, you left Chuzhou privately and went to Beijing to file a complaint. You thought you came with great momentum, but did you ever think that this day would happen?"

Cao Guogong looked calm and said calmly:

"I will give you a clear path. The city of Chuzhou is in ruins and waiting for reconstruction. You are the chief envoy of Chuzhou. At this time, it is time to stay in Chuzhou and rebuild the city of Chuzhou. As for the affairs in Beijing, don't get involved.

It’s settled.”

He turned his head and glanced at the Jinluan Palace behind him, and said, "This is also what Your Majesty meant."

What your Majesty means is that if you accept it as you see fit, you will still be the chief envoy of Chuzhou. Wherever you come from, go back to where you are. Anyway, Chuzhou is tens of thousands of miles away from the capital, and I will ignore you.

"Pooh!"

What responded to him was Zheng Xinghuai's spit.

"I don't know how to praise."

Duke Cao Guo looked at Zheng Xinghuai's back and sneered.

.........

The watchman is at the Yamen, Haoqi Tower.

Wei Yuan was the first person Zheng Xinghuai visited after he left the court.

Xu Qi'an had been paying attention to what was going on in the court today, and was about to go to the inn to ask Zheng Xinghuai about the situation. When he heard that he was visiting Wei Yuan, he immediately went to Haoqi Tower.

But he was stopped downstairs by guards.

"Wei Gong said that no one is allowed to disturb you during the meeting. In addition, Wei Gong has no plans to see you during this time. Didn't he chase you away several times?"

The guard and Xu Qi'an were old acquaintances, so he had no scruples about what he said.

Xu Qian also had no scruples about hitting people. He kept slapping people on their heads and scolding them as he hit them: "You talk too much, you talk too much..."

Seventh floor.

Wei Yuan, who was wearing Tsing Yi and with gray temples, sat cross-legged in front of the case.

Opposite him was Zheng Xinghuai, whose back was gradually stooped, his hair was also gray, and there was a knot between his eyebrows that could not be resolved.

"At the end of the Beijing inspection, Mr. Zheng returned to Beijing to report on his work, and I met you once. Although your hair was gray at that time, you were in good spirits." Wei Yuan's voice was gentle and his eyes were pitiful.

Now when we meet again, this man seems to have no soul. The thick bags under his eyes and the bloodshot eyes indicate that he has been tossing and turning at night.

Slightly drooped corners of the mouth and knots between the eyebrows indicate that the other person has deep resentment in his heart and is unable to calm down or feel relieved.

"Is Wei Gong planning to give up too?" Zheng Xinghuai said in a deep voice.

"I admire Xu Qian very much and think he is a natural martial artist, but sometimes I get headaches because of his temperament."

Wei Yuan answered the question and said: "I told him that when you are struggling in officialdom, you should think twice: think about danger, think about retreat, and think about change.

“Before doing something, you should consider the consequences of it, understand the pros and cons, and then weigh whether to do it or not.

"If the overwhelming trend is unstoppable, you must retreat and avoid its edge. Our Majesty has done a very good job. Only when you retreat and are safe can you think about how to change the situation.

"Xu Qian, this kid, answered me: I understand all these principles, but I don't care... Heh, you are a vulgar martial artist."

Zheng Xinghuai thought of what Xu Yinluo said in the cave. He knew that the Zhenbei King was powerful but still went to Chuzhou to investigate the case. His rigid and serious face couldn't help but have a smile.

"For Duke Wei to say the word "vulgar" just means that Duke Wei has nothing to do with him."

Zheng Xinghuai understood the meaning of Wei Yuan's words, but like Xu Qian, he had a bottom line that he wanted to stick to and never retreat.

He went downstairs alone and saw Xu Qian waiting downstairs.

"Master Zheng, I will take you back to the inn." Xu Qian came up to greet you.

"I'm not going back to the inn." Zheng Xinghuai shook his head and looked at him with a complicated expression: "I'm sorry to disappoint Xu Yinluo."

Xu Qian's heart sank.

The two of them left the yamen in silence, got into the carriage, and Baili Shentu, who acted as the driver, drove away.

On the way, Zheng Xinghuai described the whole story of today's court, pointing out that the attitudes of the princes were ambiguous and their positions had quietly changed.

"Wei Gong shouldn't do that. Now that he's in his position, if he really wants something, he can plan it on his own without going against his conscience and catering to His Majesty."

Xu Qian frowned deeply, puzzled by this.

"Wei Gong is having difficulty." Zheng Xinghuai explained for Wei Yuan, with a tone of weakness in his tone:

"There is a difference between monarch and minister. As long as your majesty does not touch the interests of the vast majority of people, no one in the court can be his opponent."

"Think twice what Mr. Wei said...Why don't Lord Zheng think about it? Let's avoid the spotlight for now. King Huai is dead and the people of Chuzhou City have been avenged." Xu Qian advised.

Mr. Zheng is a good official, and he doesn't want such a person to end up in a miserable state, just like when he fought against the rebels for Governor Zhang in Yunzhou.

There were no rebels this time, and the fight was taking place in the court. It was impossible for Xu Qi'an to rush into the palace with a knife and kill everyone, so he had no effect.

I can only persuade Mr. Zheng to think twice.

Zheng Xinghuai looked at him and asked: "Are you willing? Are you willing to watch an executioner like King Huai become a hero, worthy of enjoying the Ancestral Temple, and being famous in history?"

Xu Qian did not answer, but Zheng Xinghuai saw unwillingness in this young man's eyes.

So he smiled happily.

"I am a second-grade chief envoy, but I am also a scholar. A scholar must have a clear conscience. He must be worthy of himself, and he must be worthy of your parents who have worked hard to raise you."

The whole journey was silent.

After a long time, the carriage stopped on the street, and Shentu Baili whispered: "Sir, we're here."

Xu Qian opened the curtain and the carriage stopped in front of a very grand courtyard. The plaque on the door of the courtyard read: Wenyuan Pavilion.

cabinet!

Zheng Xinghuai jumped off the carriage and said to the guard at the door: "I, Zheng Xinghuai, the chief envoy of Chuzhou, would like to see the king's chief assistant."

Seeing this, Xu Qian already understood Zheng Xinghuai's plan. He wanted to be a lobbyist, persuade the princes, and bring them back to the camp.

The guard entered the cabinet to report. After a while, he strode back and said in a deep voice:

"The Chief Assistant said that Mr. Zheng is the chief envoy of Chuzhou. You should not go to him whether on duty or after duty, so as not to be impeached on the grounds of forming a party."

Zheng Xinghuai left disappointed.

In the next day, Xu Qian watched him running around lobbying and hitting obstacles... At dusk, he sadly returned to the inn.

...........
To be continued...