Chapter 1346: An Interlude

Qin Qiong had also heard many legends about Wang Yan; meeting him by chance today and receiving such hospitality from Wang Yan left him deeply flattered.

"Lord Wang, you are truly... different from others?" Qin Qiong was not entirely certain.

Wang Yan sat beside him, smiled, and took a sip of wine: "I came from the ranks of a humble soldier; to this day, I dare not forget where I came from. I know well how hard it is for us common folk to survive; we cannot bear even the slightest disaster. Our fields must be sold to great families, our sons and daughters sold off as slaves and servants, and we ourselves must endure all manner of humiliation.

Yet the households of powerful magnates can feast on delicacies, own tens of thousands of mu of fertile land, and humiliate us at will. When we sue to the officials, the officials ignore us. Is this fair? It is not fair!

Therefore, although I now hold the highest position among subjects, I disdain to associate with those powerful magnates; instead, I target them. When they fall into my hands, I will deal with them severely and make them disgorge all their land, money, and grain. I want to see, on the day they have nothing left, whether they can still lord it over others with arrogance, and just who is nobler than whom?"

Hearing these words, Qin Qiong rubbed his teeth in astonishment. He possessed a kind heart, but it merely extended to pitying the poor; he had never thought along the lines Wang Yan had.

"Lord Wang's righteousness is lofty." He clasped his hands in salute, his honest face filled with sincerity.

"I simply cannot stand them," Wang Yan said with a smile. "Do you know why I have such trouble with that old thing Yang Su?"

Without waiting for Qin Qiong to chime in, Wang Yan continued on his own: "During the Jiang Nan rebellion years ago, I accompanied the Crown Prince to Yangzhou as a General of Agile Cavalry. Yang Su served as the Overall Commander of the Army to suppress the rebellion. When he was recalling his troops, I went with the Crown Prince to reward the army. That old dog made me and Shi Your Majesty perform wrestling matches to entertain the crowd. That is how the grudge was formed.

To this day, I have only wrestled twice: once was back in the Chen Palace, when I pledged allegiance to the Crown Prince and wrestled to gain fame through my martial prowess. The second time was with that old dog; had the Crown Prince not intentionally sought to curry favor with Yang Su, I would have smashed all the teeth in his mouth right then and there. That old scoundrel—how dare he be so arrogant?"

First 'old thing,' then 'old dog,' then 'old scoundrel'; Qin Qiong sensed Wang Yan's petty vindictiveness.

"Uh..." He did not know how to respond again.

Wang Yan waved his hand: "I tell you these things to put your mind at ease; do not fear causing trouble for Prince Kaoshan. Speaking truly, I also share some connection with Prince Kaoshan.

You know my Lady is Princess Qionghua. Lady Yu and Qionghua are close friends. Back when maritime trade was flourishing, Prince Kaoshan even sent Lady Yu to my residence to communicate. Overseas, Prince Kaoshan's fleet has provided considerable support to my family and to the navy. Thus, although Prince Kaoshan and I have never met face to face, we have long been kindred spirits.

"I never expected such a deep connection," Qin Qiong said, thoughtfully chiming in.

"I noticed your expression changed when you heard about Lady Yu; could it be that you have taken a liking to Lady Yu?"

"No, no, absolutely impossible." The honest Qin Qiong denied it three times in succession.

Wang Yan laughed heartily: "A true man's ambitions lie a thousand li away; what is there to hesitate about liking a woman? Your father was still a general, of much higher birth than I, yet did I not marry a princess? Dare to think, dare to act! When a true man conducts himself, he should not be so long-winded and hesitant."

Qin Qiong's face turned red; he stammered, looking thoroughly embarrassed.

"Hahaha... Alright, no more of this. Come, let us drink to victory."

Qin Qiong hastily raised his wine cup and drank alongside Wang Yan.

He shifted the topic, asking: "Lord Wang, with this Da Gong of extinguishing a nation, you should now be positioned in the central government, correct?"

Wang Yan shook his head: "The powerful magnates will not tolerate me. They let me go to war when needed, but push me aside when there is peace. You will know soon enough; there is no harm in telling you now. This time, I have been ennobled as the Duke of Danyang Commandery and appointed as the Minister of Agriculture, sent off to tend to farming.

Shubao, climbing higher is not so easy. Especially for someone of my background; the powerful magnates band together to exclude us. They are unwilling to let a mud-legged fellow like me step over their heads.

The reason I could reach where I am today is solely due to the Crown Prince's patronage; he gave me the chance to rise. Otherwise, for someone like me, there would be only one path to climb up."

"What path?"

"To be a dog!"

Wang Yan took a sip of wine: "Just like the gatekeeper of Yang Su's household. Whatever they tell me to do, I must do. If they tell me to die, I must die."

Seeing Qin Qiong's dazed expression, he continued: "But there is no need to fear. Look at me; am I not living quite well? Yang Su's position is higher than mine, his power greater than mine, yet what can he do? In the end, it still comes down to strengthening oneself. As long as we are strong enough, no one will dare to bully us.

So, returning to the point, why have I always helped those below? It is to gather everyone together so that our strength flows in one direction. I want to see whether the powerful magnates are more numerous, or whether we, the bare-footed commoners, are more numerous. As long as we are strong and covered in thorns, no one can bully us.

Shubao, we hit it off; do you have any thought of coming to work for me? Oh, I do not mean for you to abandon your official post; I can arrange a position for you elsewhere. My influence lies primarily within the military; I could send you to Yanmen, or to the navy would also work. The surrounding regions are full of unruly elements; the next time war breaks out, I will transfer you to my side. One battle will be enough to earn you a title of Count, no problem.

I have a brother named Li Jing; he followed me during this campaign to destroy the Turks. During the recent great bestowal of merits, he precisely received the title of Founding County Baron. You need not rush to decide; after all, you admire Lady Yu. Let these words stand for now; if you wish to come later, you may do so at any time. We are all family."

"Thank you, Lord Wang." Only then did Qin Qiong set aside his dilemma, raising his cup again to offer a toast.

After drinking a few more cups, Qin Qiong asked: "I wonder what Lord Wang thinks of the Yuwen family?"

"Yuwen Huaji? You should have discussed these matters with Lady Yu, correct? Did she not tell you that back in the Chen Palace, I slapped Yuwen Huaji twice across the face, cursed the old dog Yuwen Shu in the imperial court, and tied Yuwen Chengdu to a target to practice archery?"

"Indeed, we never discussed that. I never expected Lord Wang to be so... valiant!" Qin Qiong expressed his shock.

Wang Yan asked with a smile: "Why, has the Yuwen family harmed you?"

Qin Qiong looked left and right; at this table, there were only the two of them, while others, including Wang Yan's children, were eating and drinking heartily nearby.

He leaned closer and whispered: "Does Lord Wang know about the matter of the Imperial Tribute?"

"It is robbed every year; how could I not know? I recall Lady Yu mentioning once that the Imperial Tribute offered by Prince Kaoshan was also robbed."

"Precisely that time. As far as I know, there were two groups that robbed the Imperial Tribute then: one was the Green Forest Bandits, and the other... was Yuwen Chengdu in disguise, leading a squad of soldiers!"

Wang Yan nodded with a smile, showing no surprise, nor did he ask Qin Qiong why he was so certain.

Qin Qiong, on the contrary, felt somewhat at a loss; he asked uncertainly: "Lord Wang knows about this matter?"

"Since Shubao is so honest, not even fearing to expose his connection with those Green Forest Bandits, how could I betray you?" Wang Yan took a sip of wine and said, "I know many things. The Yuwen family raises private troops; that squad you know of consists of private troops. They utilize the imperial court to select elite soldiers, and then appropriate those elites for their own use. Furthermore, I hear that Yuwen Chengdu admires Lady Yu... but Lady Yu does not think highly of him.

No need to widen your eyes so much. The Yuwen family lacks brains, allowing you to discover their identities. With so much Imperial Tribute lost, do you think it was all done by bandits? Who do the bandits listen to? Is it not the powerful magnates? If not for the assistance of local magnates everywhere, surely Shubao does not think gathering in the mountains and forests is so easy?

Speaking of raising private troops, which powerful magnate family does not have several hundred men serving them? Take Yang Su, for instance; his household has more than a thousand, something everyone knows clearly. And as for me, you also know that I built up the maritime trade and led the navy. My fleet bears the task of expansion, while the powerful magnates follow behind to eat the leftovers.

Each time the fleet sets out, there are dozens of ships, large and small, with over a thousand people. Without military force to guarantee safety, how could we sail far across the seas? Whether conscripts or private soldiers, my family also has over a thousand brothers, and the number is still growing. Not only that, but we also possess armor and military equipment."

"This is a crime punishable by beheading, Lord Wang!"

"Do you think Your Majesty, the Crown Prince, and all the officials in the court do not know?"

"They know?"

"Otherwise, how could I be drinking with you here?" Wang Yan glanced at him and said, "If they were unwilling to take risks, only wanting to reap ready-made benefits and ensure profit without loss, would they not have to grant me many conveniences?"

"Then does the Crown Prince know about what the Yuwen family is doing?" Qin Qiong asked cautiously.

Wang Yan raised an eyebrow and said: "Does it matter whether he knows or not? The Yuwen family has long been helping the Crown Prince plot, providing both money and effort, and capable of getting things done."

Qin Qiong, of course, possessed wisdom; after turning the matter over in his mind three times, he understood the reason.

If they can be used by Yang Guang, then he does not know; if they are not used by the Crown Prince, then he knows, and the Yuwen family will die.

"Truly complicated..."

"There is nothing complicated about it. It is simply that with your current identity and status, you would not know so much information. Once your position is higher, you need not seek out intelligence; all sorts of messy news will actively drill into your ears, and you will know everything."

Qin Qiong nodded, then immediately raised his cup to offer another toast.

And so, after Wang Yan had entertained Qin Qiong and the others, they dispersed, agreeing to meet again on an uncertain future date.

Also, while Wang Yan was treating Qin Qiong to wine, the events that had previously occurred at Yang Su's residence quickly spread throughout the capital.

Regarding this, people generally believed that Wang Yan was angry because the Turks had sought peace from Yang Su, who agreed, preventing Wang Yan from utterly destroying the Turks in a single decisive battle.

This caused Wang Yan's resentment toward Yang Su to erupt completely, leading him to clash with Yang Su.

Yet no one considered that Wang Yan simply could not stand what he saw—Qin Qiong's plight and the arrogance of Yang Su's gatekeeper—and merely stood up for Qin Qiong.

Yang Guang frowned, looking at Wang Yan: "So that was the reason?"

"Your Highness, my heart is indeed narrow; I still remember that old thing Yang Su forcing me to gamble for the amusement of the crowd, but that was merely a trivial matter. After all, Shi Your Majesty was with me; he truly wished to test his skills against mine."

"As for the Turks' surrender, Your Highness, I cherish the lives of my soldiers even more. If fewer men die and the Turks are still eliminated, allowing my brothers to claim their rewards and return home to live good lives, I shall have absolutely no complaints."

"It is just that even a gatekeeper in Yang Su's household dares to rely on his family's power to look down upon those delivering birthday gifts; where is the logic in that? One can see just how poor the family traditions of the Yang household have become. Such a person still claims to be a noble aristocrat; Your Highness, this truly shames the Hongnong Yang, shames Your Highness, and shames Your Majesty."

Yang Guang was speechless, choking back emotion, then glared at Wang Yan: "Enough, go back; let the matter rest here, and do not trouble Yang Su again."

"If he does not trouble me, I will not trouble him."

"Do you think he dares? He only fears provoking you into a frenzy, causing you to disregard everything, grab your blade, and kill your way into his home." Yang Guang was also caught between laughter and tears.

Other generals might speak of valor capable of withstanding ten thousand men, which may be exaggerated, but Wang Yan truly possessed such ferocity; he was absolutely a Hegemon-King reborn.

Wang Yan cupped his hands in salute, left the Eastern Palace, and thus the matter passed.

Yang Su was indeed in the wrong; his family's gatekeeper's arrogance truly deserved death. After all, everyone knew Wang Yan greatly detested the ways of powerful noble families, let alone their servants who bullied others by relying on their masters' power.

However, people preferred to believe Wang Yan was settling scores over the failure to annihilate the Turks; with so many mouths spreading gold, even falsehoods become truth.

This move aimed to ruin Wang Yan's reputation and destroy his prestige, transforming him from someone who never forgot his humble origins and hated evil as an enemy into a vindictive, petty villain.

Wang Yan was too lazy to pay attention; after all, no matter how flowery the words, actions speak louder than speech. Nowadays, over a hundred thousand people ate at his table; they themselves knew clearly what kind of life they led, and others saw it plainly too.

This matter was ultimately just a minor interlude; after wandering about for a while longer, Wang Yan finally went to take up his post at the Court of Agriculture.

Just as he had said, the first thing he did upon taking office was to audit the accounts.

When doing evil, people always harbor a luck-based mentality; if they are not caught the first time, they become increasingly fortunate, bolder, and more natural in their actions.

Therefore, even though Wang Yan had long conveyed his instructions and given time to balance the books, people still did not take it seriously enough.

And so, after requesting permission from Yang Yang Jian, who had already begun suffering from frequent minor illnesses, Wang Yan brought his own accountants and spent a month auditing the accounts of the past five years, after which he began digging up old debts.

He beheaded a few who flaunted their family clans to show off before him and arrested a few who had transferred to other departments; thus, everyone from within the five-year period came forward to balance the books.

Wang Yan's work received full affirmation from Yang Yang Jian and praise from Yang Guang.

Regarding his own positioning, Wang Yan naturally had a clear understanding; he was there to challenge the aristocratic clans, to strike against them, and this was precisely what he intended to do. Therefore, upon arriving at the Court of Agriculture, like a new official lighting three fires, every flame was surely directed at burning the aristocratic clans.

After all this, a large sum of money was recovered; distributing bonuses to everyone served as a sweet date reward, allowing him to establish a foothold in the Court of Agriculture. His orders were now obeyed, his assignments carried out with care, and everyone behaved obediently.

The Court of Agriculture was quite large; while it managed only eighty-two officials, the number of clerks working below was much greater, numbering over a thousand.

Wang Yan made few adjustments, simply gathering a group of excellent veteran farmers and assigning two junior officials from humble backgrounds to concentrate on agricultural research.

Everything else remained as it was, with no major changes.

He was an administrative official; although he could be counted among the Nine Ministers, he possessed nowhere near the immense power held during the Qin and Han dynasties. His duties were merely planting grains, growing vegetables, tending the imperial gardens, and managing the hot springs used by princes and ministers for bathing; it was a service position. He held high rank but light authority, with no significant influence.

By the time of the Sui Dynasty, power had completely transitioned from the Three Excellencies and Nine Ministers to the Three Departments and Six Ministries; the shift of authority was complete. Expanding the boundaries of the Court of Agriculture's power was unrealistic and unnecessary.

Wang Yan simply farmed diligently, while also having people research heated greenhouses to produce vegetables on a larger scale during winter; these would then be sold to the wealthy in the city who lacked the qualification to receive imperial gifts in winter, providing the Court of Agriculture with an additional source of revenue so everyone could enjoy a good New Year...

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? (End of Chapter)