Chapter 739

Yan Hao, since he was submitting to the newspaper, must have considered the feasibility of publication; openly cursing the Emperor would certainly not get printed. What he said was somewhat veiled—it just depends on how each person interprets it.

Xie Tu thought to himself that upon hearing the Da Wang's words, his uncle would certainly feel relieved; Yan Hao was alluding to the Emperor, and the Da Wang had already figured it out himself.

Surprised and delighted.

"Who gave him the confidence, thinking I wouldn't notice? Is he secretly cursing me for being wasteful in war and fond of martial exploits?"

Someone cursed him, and the semi-illiterate Da Wang suddenly became sharp: "You say, could it be that Yan Hao used the wrong word, writing 'military fortune flourishing, state mighty and grand' as 'wasteful in war and fond of martial exploits'?"

Xie Tu: ……

Yan Hao is not you.

The Da Wang fumed: "Without our Beijiang army, what chance does he have left in life to stand upon Youzhou in the Jin Dynasty? Without me, this place would already have become the Xianbei's pasture! In just a few years, the Central Plains will also change hands—he, as a descendant, will be of no use and will become slaves to the Hu people. Doesn't he understand this?"

Xie Tu feared the Da Wang would truly anger, so he hurriedly comforted Yan Hao, saying he was not such a muddle-headed person. He tactfully implied that if the great scholar Yan felt the Da Wang was wrong, the length of his criticism would certainly be no different from that of the several rebel kings above—his family simply does not fear offending the imperial household.

Anyway, the imperial household wouldn't want to be cursed to death by the whole world, so they wouldn't kill this descendant of the Forefathers.

These are easy to say but unpleasant to hear; though they are plain truths, they do not delay the Da Wang from bearing a grudge.

Well, well, well—don't put the imperial household in your eyes.

The Da Wang recalled what Xie Yuan had just said, then suddenly asked: "Isn't his family from Gan Prefecture? Gan Prefecture didn't contribute a single penny of military funds to me—what right does he have to curse me for being wasteful in war and fond of martial exploits?"

Xie Tu: ……

He couldn't get past this hurdle.

The Da Wang is himself saying it's acceptable, but if others mock him, that is absolutely not allowed.

Xie Tu still thought his uncle's idea would come to nothing, but then he heard the Da Wang say: "But, I am not such a petty person—let Yan Hao stay in Youzhou, then." Before offending him, one could refuse to hire him for work; now, that is no longer possible.

Xie Tu hurriedly asked whether the article could be published; the Da Wang had not summoned him for this piece, but he had originally intended to come ask about it.

"Publish it, then—I've already said I'm not such a petty person."

The Da Wang said this for the second time; it seems he truly doesn't mind, and Xie Tu could only praise the Da Wang's broad-mindedness. Aside from not mentioning the implied criticism later, this article is truly seamless, rare, and an excellent piece.

After all, nowadays besides their own writing, those renowned scholars would not voluntarily write personal essays discussing current affairs and turbulent times. With rebel kings entrenched everywhere, on others' territories, even the greatest scholars would hold their tongues. Moreover, the Da Wang's reputation among the scholars of the Jin Dynasty… better not mention it.

Xie Yuan and the Da Wang did not know that this article was written by Yan Hao in Yizhou, before he was about to arrive in Youzhou.

From the moment he left his hometown, this journey made him silently accept that the Jin Dynasty's fate had truly run its course. The newly enthroned one was also quite absurd—returning to Youzhou for no reason and settling down there, which puzzled him greatly. Thus, his impression of the Da Wang is—bewildering.

But upon arriving at the lands actually controlled by the Da Wang, he saw hope again, and he saw the long-lost—order.

Who would have thought that just one day after finishing the article, the news of the Da Wang's cavalry trampling the Xiongnu and the bald Xianbei spread explosively in Yizhou?

Yan Hao felt even more bewildered.

If you have this strength, why not take care of those rebel kings? Sweeping the plains is impressive, but is now the time? The people in the south suffering in deep water and fire—you don't care at all! Originally, along the way, he had encountered many people fleeing conscription, displaced and homeless; hearing that the Da Wang still had the energy to lock horns with the plains, this old man grew angry.

The great scholar Yan picked up his pen again and added a passage.

"Publish it as is—I fear no questioning. Just one kind of voice, lest it be too desolate."

The Da Wang had already hastily decided to keep Yan Hao; the court was full of wall grass, and there were still no such rare things as online critics.

"I just like the stubborn—arrange a front-page headline for Yan the Great Scholar."

After the article passed the clear route, Xie Tu would have to return to his duties; as he was leaving, the Da Wang called him back. Not for anything else, mainly to claim credit: "Hasn't this spread in the city? Yesterday, the Grand Commandant's son and the Fang and Yuan clans caused a disturbance at the Inspector's residence. Xiao Tu, you know, right? It was because I thought of you that I turned the heavens and earth, sending this 'son' to the Grand Commandant's residence."

Xie Tu still knew whether the Grand Commandant had a son in Youzhou.

Xie Tu: ……must thank the Lord's great favor.

Xie Tu wiped the sweat from his forehead and withdrew, thanking the Da Wang for his mercy in not killing.

After he left, the Da Wang thought for a moment and ordered: "Send people to watch him—do not allow Yan Hao to leave Youzhou." He intended to detain him directly.

The Da Wang thought: Yan Hao has cursed me already—he does not deserve the treatment Xie Yuan receives.

Yesterday, after the Da Wang caused trouble and lifted his leg to return to the palace, he freely gave Youzhou City a headline; overnight, two mansions were besieged, and this matter has already successfully replaced the several days of hype over the northern expedition's great victory.

Yan Hao, accompanied by two students, stayed at the Da Wang's inn; the next morning, coming downstairs for breakfast, he overheard the neighboring table gossiping about this.

One side was the current Grand Commandant, the other the Fang and Yuan clans. Aristocrats enclosing land is nothing unusual, fighting is nothing unusual, but the government actually besieging the Grand Commandant's residence—that is unusual.

He recalled that yesterday, when he visited the Xie residence, midway through, the person who came to pay respects seemed to be the Grand Commandant.

The two students were still whispering, debating whether this new favorite, the Emperor's confidant, was overpowering the Yuan and Fang clans—old aristocratic stock—or the reverse.

Yan Hao shook his head; this matter is not as simple as the east wind overpowering the west wind. The position of Grand Commandant differs from other officials—one counts as one, and the soldiers besieging the residence all fall under the Grand Commandant's command; doing this is certainly to avoid suspicion.

Yan Hao sighed; he had already guessed that the ones destined for great misfortune were likely the two great aristocratic clans, Yuan and Fang, and they are stubborn-headed.

The husband of the Yuan family's matriarch, the owner of the manor, is this official who came from Chang'an accompanying them; this man is resourceful and gets along well in court. Though not the main branch of the Fang family, his grandfather and the current clan head share the same grandfather, so the relation is not too distant. The father of Yuan Yun Guan, in life, also served in court; otherwise, he would not have been able to marry into the Yuan clan's main line.

When Yuan Yun Guan was on duty during the day, waiting for the Yuan family's newly purchased residence in Ren'an Fang to be besieged, he only then learned of this matter.

"Confused! Making such a fuss over such a small plot of land—now it's settled! What kind of reasonable person is that? The Grand Commandant's son is also a local bully—if he wants you, just give him to him!"

The Yuan matriarch also fumed: "Racking your brains and still unable to trace the origin of the surname Dong—coming from nothing but a humble family, who knew the Inspector would make such a mountain out of a molehill, causing us to lose face together with his family!"

"Just losing face?! I think you've gone mad! Even if he is of common origin, but now he is also one of the Three Dukes, holding great power—Three Dukes! Does your Yuan clan currently have anyone in office? The one above most dislikes the arrogance of the aristocracy—look what happened to the Wei clan, and you still have a muddled head!

That very person is about to hold the imperial examinations again—this is giving commoners a chance, clearly intending to lift them up! The Grand Commandant Dong stands firm as Mount Tai, holding Youzhou City—you dare to provoke him? What era is this, that you still fail to see the situation clearly!"

The Yuan clan, relying on their status, would not let him: "Isn't it you who said the new emperor is eighty to ninety percent likely to move the capital to Youzhou, letting me prepare in advance? That land isn't even inside Youzhou City—I bought land by the Tong River, and it's still not low-key enough?"

They argued back and forth, entirely revolving around the Grand Commandant's son, on how this land came to be, feeling no issue at all.

Inspector Jiang Zhe sent people back and forth to Tong River twice—the matter is already crystal clear.

If it were someone else, this wouldn't really be a big deal—aristocrats have been like this for hundreds or thousands of years—but the Da Wang is not ordinary mortal affairs!

This is clearly meant to kill the Yuan and Fang clans, to warn the monkeys—gone.