Chapter 915: Noble Officials, Rolling Yellow Sand (Seven)

It was once said that the vast network of post roads in the current Liyang Dynasty was laid out following the iron hooves of a certain cripple's warhorse.

A grand convoy settled down at the Xiongpó post station in Youzhou. The post station was not large; in fact, compared to those in the Central Plains, it was much cleaner and simpler. As the convoy traveled west and entered Youzhou, which is under Beiliang’s jurisdiction, from Jizhou and Hezhou, they found that post stations along the way were unusually numerous, and feathered dispatch riders often galloped past. Earlier, the convoy had an amusing incident. Having heard much about the Beiliang border army producing proud and fierce generals, with its cavalry being particularly outstanding, the important figures in the convoy had heard bits and pieces about border military affairs. There was supposedly a cruel rule that if a dispatch rider ran someone over on the road, the fault lay with the deceased. So, when the vanguard of over sixty cavalry escorts entered Youzhou and encountered a Beiliang dispatch rider galloping from north to south for the first time, they realized that if the rider, who appeared north of the fork in the road, continued south, he would very likely cut the entire convoy in half. It was known that the three or four central carriages each carried imperial dignitaries dressed in red python robes and adorned with white jade. What if there was a conflict with a Beiliang dispatch rider? The sixty elite metropolitan escorts immediately panicked. Although officials in various regions wished to treat them like ancestors during this westward journey to Beiliang, facing just a single Beiliang dispatch rider, that group of vanguard cavalry turned their horses without a word and blocked the convoy behind them, preferring to cause a jam rather than impede the rider. The dispatch rider, who had already prepared to briefly rein in his horse, evidently did not understand what this impressive convoy was thinking. As he continued along the north-south post road, he couldn't help but turn his head at the fork and glance back a few times, his gaze peculiar. He probably thought these seemingly well-disciplined outsiders were a bit too polite. Afterwards, a military officer from the Ministry of War's Armory Department explained that the feathered dispatch he carried on his back indicated he was a common Youzhou post rider, and the intelligence he was delivering was of the most ordinary kind. Only then did the entire convoy understand.

However, the vanguard cavalry captain, who had acted on his own initiative, was not reprimanded. An elderly eunuch, Head of the Directorate of Imperial Annunciations, dressed in a large red python robe, voiced the feelings of everyone in the convoy.

“In Beiliang, it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

Nowadays, most Liyang soldiers understood one truth: the military forces of the world were divided into three kinds – weak troops, strong armies, and the third kind, called Beiliang Iron Cavalry.

Last time, the new King of Beiliang, leading fewer than a thousand White Horse Righteousness cavalry, ventured into the heart of the capital region, and surprisingly, it was as if he entered an uninhabited land. This incident, which greatly embarrassed Tai'an City, directly led to a royal clan general being impeached and dismissed from office by the Imperial Clan Court. The Ministry of War did not interfere, but who in the capital's officialdom didn't know that everyone in this ministry, which controls the military power of the world, had been giving cold shoulders to military generals from the capital region for the past six months? Each time they came to conduct business, it was as if they owed tens of thousands of taels of silver that they hadn't repaid.

Later, at the end of the Guangling Road campaign, ten thousand Great Snow Dragon Cavalry suddenly stormed out of the pass. Xu Gong, the Vice Minister of War, who had returned from Liangliao, personally led the elite metropolitan forces to intercept them, with cavalry from Jizhou and Qingzhou echoing them from north and south. Furthermore, local garrisons from all quarters fought desperately. Didn't they all fail miserably? Now, rumors in Tai'an City say that the reason Lu Shengxiang from the Guangling campaign had a "carp leaping over the dragon gate" success, instead of Xu Gong, who had merits in the Liangliao border affairs, standing out, was precisely because that embarrassing interception, which was all thunder and no rain, caused His Majesty the Emperor to be extremely disappointed with this scholarly general from Jiangnan Road.

The Xiongpó post station maintained a lukewarm attitude towards these imperial envoys who had arrived, neither overly solicitous nor overtly hostile. The Head of the Directorate of Imperial Annunciations was not surprised by this and did not find fault in the matter. Firstly, Liyang eunuchs rarely traveled outside the capital; at most, they had some secret dealings with the several textile bureaus and local state-run salt and iron agencies in the Central Plains, but they would not openly appear in official capacities outside the capital. Secondly, ever since the old Liyang Emperor took in eunuchs from fallen states across the realm, these eunuchs had been deeply grateful to the Zhao imperial family. For twenty years, whether they were old men who had experienced the Spring and Autumn conflicts or the younger eunuchs they had personally trained, there had been no rumors of them disrupting the inner court. The interference of eunuchs in politics had become a thing of the past. Even a powerful figure like Han Shengxuan, the previous head of the Directorate of Ceremonial, also known as Cat Han Shengxuan, was only referred to as one of the three great fiends of the Spring and Autumn period in the martial world. There was no doubt about this chief eunuch's unwavering loyalty to the Zhao imperial family of Liyang. Later, the young Song Tanglu took over the Directorate of Ceremonial and was also highly praised by both civil and military officials.

The Xiongpó post station was insufficient to accommodate the full retinue of over a thousand people, including the imperial decree-bearing eunuchs, palace imperial guards, and elite metropolitan cavalry. In other places, the prefectural and county yamen had properly arranged accommodations, fully promising not to disturb the populace. As for whether the populace was truly undisturbed, the Directorate of Imperial Annunciations' eunuchs in python robes naturally turned a blind eye. However, upon entering Youzhou's jurisdiction, the post stations were numerous but small, and it was common for most of the imperial decree delivery teams to eat and sleep outdoors. Instead, the Directorate of Imperial Annunciations took the initiative to discuss with the Youzhou post station how to best avoid disturbing the resting and recuperating Beiliang populace. Furthermore, any extra items the convoy purchased along the way would absolutely not be charged to Youzhou.

After entering the post station, three eunuchs in large red python robes gathered in the hall for their usual discussion, but they were not in a hurry to speak. Instead, they drank a pot of tea prepared by the Xiongpó postmaster's servants, patiently waiting for news from a trusted eunuch. Soon, the young eunuch respectfully led a young scholar-like figure swiftly into the hall. The young eunuch then meekly withdrew from the hall, closing the door and waiting outside. Upon seeing this young man dressed in a scholar's green robe, the three high-ranking eunuchs immediately rose to greet him, lowering their voices slightly as they smiled and said, “Greetings, Master Chen!”

The term 'Xianggong' was originally a respectful address in old Liyang, specifically used for high-ranking military officials or influential aristocrats who held power in court. Throughout an entire dynasty, at most only about seven or eight people would receive this title. However, in the Dongyue and Southern Tang dynasties, which coexisted with Liyang at the time and still possessed national strength, there was also a usage of 'Xianggong,' but it was highly indecent. It referred to fair-faced male performers with soft voices no less melodious than orioles and swallows. In Jiangnan, there was a trend of raising child performers, praised as 'elegant scholars,' which also carried a subtle hint of sarcasm towards Liyang. During the Yonghui era, after Liyang unified the Central Plains, the term 'Xianggong' gradually disappeared in Tai'an City. After the Xiangfu era, it resurfaced, especially in the inner court, where it was highly praised. Palace eunuchs encountering certain Liyang aristocrats who were permitted to enter restricted palace areas liked to respectfully address them as 'Xianggong.' This time, of course, no one dared to confuse the 'Xianggong' of Jiangbei with that of Jiangnan. And in the eyes of eunuchs with exceptionally high standards, among civil officials, not even a single Minister of the Six Ministries could earn this honor. Only Grand Chancellor Qi Yanglong, Vice Grand Chancellor Zhao Youring, Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs Huan Wen, and Left Supervising Secretary Chen Wang – a mere four individuals – could be addressed with their surname followed by 'Xianggong.'

The identity of the person before them was now clear.

Chen Wang, the Junior Protector, was the undisputed choice for the next Grand Chancellor of Liyang.

The Head of the Directorate of Imperial Annunciations was a kind-faced, thin old man; if he were to exchange his striking large red python robe for a Daoist robe, he might appear like an immortal. He took his seat only after Chen Wang did, openly displaying his concern. His voice was reedy but not harsh, as he slowly said, “Master Chen, are you truly heading north to Youzhou? Without Master Chen as our backbone, this old servant feels quite unsettled.”

Chen Wang’s departure from the capital this time was an incognito private visit, and only a handful of individuals in the capital were privy to it, a number that could be counted on one hand. He smiled slightly and said, “Eunuch Liu, there's no need to worry. Delivering the imperial decree to Qingliang Mountain this time will not go wrong.”

If anyone else had offered such a perfunctory reassurance, even with the Head of the Directorate of Imperial Annunciations' excellent self-control, he would have secretly become exasperated and enraged. But since it was Junior Protector Chen who said it, the old eunuch genuinely felt a bit more at ease.

In officialdom, the practice of public service inherently required intelligence to rise in ranks, so words and actions often contained hidden meanings. Both parties in a conversation inevitably delved deep into thought, wishing they could break a single sentence into eight pieces to ponder, all under the guise of discerning whether one's comprehension was sufficient. Especially with figures like the old Minister of Personnel Zhao Youring and the Yonghui era's presumptive Chancellor Yin Maochun—who would dare to be careless when conversing with these exceptionally intelligent pillars of the court? Perhaps a casual remark like “The weather is nice today” made by them after court could make officials who overheard it chew on it for a long time, grasping at straws and meticulously pondering its meaning, how tiring it was! Of course, many officials still found joy in this kind of exhaustion. However, in the Liyang court, there were still a few who were different. Even in Tai'an City, known as the “Zhao Family’s Jar” where all the world’s talents converged, some still stood out like cranes among chickens: for example, the old Grand Chancellor Zhang Julu, Elder Tantang Huan Wen, and now, in the Xiangfu era, Chen Wang had finally joined their ranks. Speaking with these three, regardless of one's official rank or position, one did not need to rack their brains to respond; in short, it was a very stress-free experience. The reason was simple: these true noblemen and great officials could not be flattered with words, nor would they punish you for what you said. The three of them might not be officials without desires, but even if they had ambitions, it was likely that no one could understand what their so-called gains and losses at that level would be.

In recent years, official circles in Tai'an City seemed to greatly admire Jin Lantian, who rose swiftly through the ranks. But what was the truth? Perhaps Elder Tantang's slap from earlier years had already revealed the heavenly secret.

There's always someone better, and clever people will always meet even cleverer people. Relying solely on cleverness, it was easy to become an official, but not easy to become a high-ranking one. To become a minister who truly held the reins of power was even harder, and to become a Grand Chancellor, leading all officials under heaven, was as difficult as ascending to the heavens.

Now, the capital's official circles were firmly convinced that one could not overestimate Junior Protector Chen.

Compared to Zhang Julu, who once made Tai'an City tremble, Chen Wang's disadvantage lay in his almost non-existent reputation from his school or master. He also had no court legacy left by a mentor who was also his father-in-law. After all, Chen Wang came from humble origins; although his father-in-law was also an imperial relative, the assistance he provided was actually minimal.

His advantage, however, lay in being an undeniable trusted minister of the Emperor, a confidant personally supported by the current emperor. Most importantly, whether Chen Wang was assisting Yin Maochun in presiding over the capital and local evaluations, serving as an “imperial tutor” in the Diligence Chamber, or finally being promoted to the Grand Secretariat, his conduct and character were observed by all of Tai'an City. Compared to the old Grand Chancellor Zhang Julu, who became sharp and prominent after his sudden rise, Chen Wang consistently gave the impression of being gentle as jade, not an aggressive character at heart. For the civil officials in court, this was nothing short of excellent news, as it meant that once Chen Wang took charge of the Department of State Affairs, the entire Liyang officialdom would enter a relatively stable and peaceful period. Even if there were still various power struggles in officialdom, they would only result in promotions or demotions, not life-or-death conflicts, nor would there be the desolate situation where one's entire official career was cut short due to being disliked by a single person.

Strangely enough, almost everyone in the Liyang officialdom now did not understand what Chen Wang, who was steadily rising, sought from his official career. Chen Wang had never stated it himself, nor had he ever shown such emotions.

When Chen Wang appeared in the convoy this time, Eunuch Liu, the Head of the Directorate of Imperial Annunciations, was only startled to realize it after personally seeing the Left Supervising Secretary. As for why Junior Protector Chen had secretly joined the convoy, Eunuch Liu and his subordinates remained tight-lipped, not even daring to speculate.

So, when Chen Wang now spoke up and proposed to leave the convoy immediately and head north, the three eunuchs in python robes exchanged glances.

A hint of daze appeared on Chen Wang's face. Quickly regaining his composure, he chuckled softly, “Perhaps the three eunuchs have forgotten that my old friend is in Youzhou, Beiliang.”

Returning home in glory?

Eunuch Liu cautiously asked, “Does Master Chen require a few thousand metropolitan cavalry as escort?”

Chen Wang waved his hand, “Not a single cavalryman needs to follow. How could I dare to use public resources for private matters?”

Before Eunuch Liu could speak, another elderly eunuch from the Directorate of Imperial Annunciations anxiously interjected, “Master Chen, absolutely not! Master Chen, please be assured, if we were to hand over all imperial guards and metropolitan cavalry to you, the three of us would not have the courage for that; after all, the court's dignity cannot be compromised. But if you take half the men, I believe no one would utter a single word. If anyone dares… this old servant will pull out their tongue! Master Chen is the pillar of Liyang today, and there must be no risk to him in Beiliang, otherwise the three of us wouldn't have the face to return to the capital alive!”

Eunuch Liu, Head of the Directorate of Imperial Annunciations, also nodded vigorously in agreement.

Chen Wang smiled, “My three eunuchs, His Majesty has personally *implored* someone to escort me back home.”

The three old eunuchs, who had spent most of their lives immersed in the imperial palace of Tai'an City and were most adept at scrutinizing every word, were suddenly startled.

*Implored*!

In the entire world today, who could make His Majesty the Emperor *implore* them to escort Chen Wang back home?

Chai Qingshan of Dongyue Sword Lake clearly did not possess that stature, and even the Old Ancestor of the Wu Family Sword Tomb was likely a bit lacking.

Chen Wang stopped there, and after giving instructions to the three eunuchs from the Directorate of Imperial Annunciations regarding the imperial decree, he rose and left.

After personally escorting Chen Wang out of the hall, the three eunuchs in python robes saw a young, unfamiliar eunuch standing at the foot of the stairs. Upon closer inspection, they still couldn't recall when the Directorate of Imperial Annunciations had such a junior.

However, when Chen Wang saw him, he nodded slightly in greeting, but the latter remained unmoved. As the two turned to leave, the young eunuch's figure subtly seemed to be a step ahead.

Not long after, a carriage quietly left the Xiongpó post station, heading north.

Before boarding the carriage, Chen Wang bowed to the coachman in thanks, saying, “Thank you for your trouble, sir.”

The young official, wearing only an outer coat over his common eunuch attire, had a cold expression.

The carriage moved slowly, and less than half a *li* away, two riders were stopped by the post road: an old man with a solemn demeanor carrying a sword box on his back, and a beautiful, flower-like woman carrying a saber.

These were Mi Fengjie, a Finger-Profound realm master personally recruited by the young vassal king into the Brushwater Chamber years ago, and Fan Xiaochai, who was now rising rapidly within the Brushwater Chamber.

These two riders acted as escorts, following the carriage at a moderate distance.

At the next post station, another young Beiliang official carrying a pot of Green Ant wine boarded the carriage and sat opposite Chen Wang.

He looked at the Left Supervising Secretary, who was roughly his own age, and at Junior Protector Chen, a Beiliang native who held the highest official position in the Liyang court. He raised the wine pot in his hand and asked with a smile, “Minister Chen, would you like a drink?”

Chen Wang's expression was calm; he shook his head and said, “No, thank you.”

He sighed inwardly.

“No good comes of those who come here,” he thought. He estimated that their prince would be in deep trouble this time. “No wonder he didn't dare to come in person to face the music.”