Liu Wanjun sighed, it seemed he could only pave another path for Qian Cheng.
No matter what, Qian Cheng's entry into officialdom must not follow the path of his eunuch godfather, otherwise, he would surely be branded a traitorous dog.
"Since Divine Doctor Feng has already departed, it is expected that His Highness will protect her. With the Demon Hunting Army rushing a thousand miles to guard the border, and Divine Doctor Feng heading to Changming Mountain to protect the land, with the Regent in court and Divine Doctor Feng in the martial world, it must be Heaven's blessing upon Lin Yuan's court and Heaven's blessing upon His Majesty."
Liu Wanjun spoke in a high-sounding manner, portraying Ji Jinmo and Feng Luan as fierce generals sent by Heaven to assist Ji Hong.
The Minister of Revenue had been demoted several ranks due to his officials' involvement in selling household registration records. Currently, Hong Yi was acting as the Minister of Revenue. Ever since Liu Wanjun mentioned Feng Luan, Hong Yi had been somewhat worried. Back in Yuzhou, he and Feng Luan had jointly managed a flood and were ambushed while surveying downstream areas.
He had always considered Feng Luan his closest friend, and only later, when Feng Luan's relationship with Ji Jinmo was revealed, did he suddenly understand why Feng Luan had been in Yuzhou at that time.
It must have been arranged by Ji Jinmo!
Hong Yi initially felt a surge of anger at being deceived, followed by a touch of sadness, and then, he realized that if one didn't obsessively dwell on the reason for Feng Luan's appearance, she was still the divine doctor with great compassion.
Feng Luan had saved Lord Liu's life, and for him, she was a savior. Hong Yi believed that whatever Lord Liu's intentions were, he certainly did not harbor malice towards Feng Luan. However, the Emperor's heart was unfathomable. He vaguely recalled someone mentioning during the year-end sacrifice that the Regent valued Feng Luan so highly because the Regent was suffering from a deadly poison and had little time left, needing Feng Luan to protect his life. Although it was said at the time that Feng Luan had detoxified the Regent, could that guarantee be true?
As long as there was a one-in-ten-thousand chance that the news was false, His Majesty would seize this opportunity to eliminate Feng Luan. Therefore, from the moment Liu Wanjun spoke, Hong Yi's heart had been in his throat. It was only now that he felt a slight sense of relief.
Ji Jinmo let out a cold laugh, his deep phoenix eyes both icy and fierce. He merely looked at Liu Wanjun, making Liu Wanjun feel as if he could barely breathe.
Wang Langji, with the support of his eunuch brothers from different fathers and mothers, was able to stand in the imperial hall. On any other day, he would have cowered to the side. But now, with the marriage alliance between the Liu and Wang families imminent, and the fundamental reason Lord Liu mentioned this matter being to secure a future for Qian Cheng, he could not stand idly by, either for public or private reasons.
He stepped forward, intending to block Ji Jinmo's oppressive gaze towards Liu Wanjun. Liu Wanjun slightly tilted his head, his gaze fiercely landing on Wang Langji. Wang Langji's footsteps faltered, and his extended left foot quickly retracted.
He retreated, yet not entirely. Suddenly, he knelt and shouted: "Heaven bless Lin Yuan, Heaven bless His Majesty! Our Emperor is wise, governing with Heaven's mandate, his merits benefiting the present and future generations!"
"Long live His Majesty, long live, long live!"
With this flattery, the officials exchanged glances and then simultaneously knelt, repeating Wang Langji's sycophantic praise.
As they knelt, they couldn't help but feel annoyed that they hadn't thought of this first, allowing the useless Wang Langji, who only knew how to scheme, to seize the initiative.
Although the military officials lagged half a step behind and did not need to kneel, they were still officials of Lin Yuan. While they inwardly supported the Regent, they dared not go too far.
Only Ji Jinmo stood alone, towering above the rest, exuding an air of proud isolation.
Great Victory at Huaicheng.
A副将 (fùjiàng -副将, vice-general) and three thousand Demon Hunting troops had routed the fifteen thousand strong army led by Wen Zhong and Bi Chongwen, forcing them to surrender their arms and flee. Previously, according to the plans of Ji Hong and Ji Jinmo, after Wen Zhong and Bi Chongwen joined forces and attacked Huaicheng with their army, Ji Hong was to repeatedly request Ji Jinmo to go to Huaicheng to take charge. Before that, Ji Hong, fearing that Ji Jinmo would show him disrespect, had asked Ji Jinmo to be lenient, but he never expected the Da Li army to be so pathetic.
Ji Jinmo lost his opportunity to appear on the scene. The emotions that had been built up now seemed somewhat awkward, creating an embarrassing situation.
Of course, the one who was embarrassed was Ji Hong.
After all, it was he who had begged for mercy and leniency!
The morning court concluded without incident. After the assembly dispersed, Liu Wanjun again detained Wang Langji in his carriage.
...
Hujian experiences no oppressive heat in summer and no severe cold in winter; it is pleasant all year round.
It is a good city for retirement.
Compared to the biting cold of the capital, it was practically a paradise on earth at this moment.
"Brother, why is it so warm here?" Xiao Man, holding the reins, looked up at Nan Shiying, her large, blinking eyes filled with curiosity.
"Because of its geographical location!"
It was difficult to explain in depth, but this land was inherently magical.
There were boundless seas, mountains piercing the clouds, bottomless rifts, and glaciers that never melted.
Nan Shiying felt that Xiao Man's question stemmed from her limited knowledge.
Nan Shiying freed a hand and stroked Xiao Man's small head. Xiao Man felt a chill spread throughout her body from the top of her head, and goosebumps erupted on her back.
She suddenly had an ominous premonition.
A group of martial artists dressed in tight-fitting clothes walked towards them, seemingly heading towards them.
As the people approached Nan Shiying and Xiao Man, they stopped and bowed respectfully, speaking: "Two esteemed guests, I am a subordinate of the master of Juede Manor. You may call me Xiao San. The master heard of your arrival but is too busy with tomorrow's Golden Basin Hand-Washing ceremony to attend personally, so he has ordered me to come and invite the two esteemed guests to visit our manor. We hope you will grace us with your presence."
"You must have mistaken us for someone else; we are not esteemed guests."
"Esteemed guests jest. Although you and your younger sister are new to the martial world, you have already gained great renown. While Juede Manor is not a renowned or major sect, we are not fools who cannot distinguish; we know who is an esteemed guest and who is not."
"Of course, if the esteemed guests do not wish to come, we will not force you, but we hope to build a good relationship."
Wei San, although he didn't know what was special about this pretty boy who looked like a young master, he understood the gravity of the situation. Someone who could make the manor master treat them with such humility was not someone he could slight.
This master of Juede Manor is quite interesting!
They had only just entered the Hujian territory, and people from Juede Manor had already received the news. Their information network was so efficient that one might mistake it for the royal family's secret service.
If it were any other time, she might have gone to see, but she had no such inclination now.
"My brother and I have important matters to attend to and cannot stay long. Please convey our apologies to the manor master on behalf of my sister and myself."
"Esteemed guests are too polite. If that is the case, we shall not disturb you further."
Wei San, remembering the manor master's instructions, immediately expressed understanding after Nan Shiying politely declined, and added: "Oh, right. Although I don't know if the two esteemed guests will be resting in the city today, the manor master has already booked superior rooms for the two esteemed guests at Pinlan Garden in advance. If the esteemed guests do not mind, you may proceed directly to Pinlan Garden to reside."
"We bid you farewell!"
After completing his task, Wei San took his leave.