Chapter 326: One-Eyed Stone Statue

To Pei Suiwan, as long as the two great old Grand Pillars of State live a single day, there will be variables.....

Only by crushing their bones to dust can we achieve a one‑time, permanent solution, leaving no lingering trouble!

Chen Yan gently shook his head, then, with his other hand, gripped Pei Suiwan's hand tighter, his fingertips slowly rubbing the back of the woman's hand, his tone deepening: "Because we must drive the two Grand Pillars of State into a desperate corner, then, under a righteous pretext, kill them with legitimacy!"

He paused, and when he lifted his eyes again, the gentle warmth that had been in his gaze had largely faded, replaced by a bottomless gravity: "Simply eliminating their bodies would only spawn endless trouble!"

Human affairs are politics; those five characters are firmly etched in Chen Yan's mind.

Simply killing Zhao Qian and Dugu Zhao would destroy their bodies, but their networks and resources would remain......

That is what must be uprooted completely!

"Endless trouble?"

Pei Suiwan murmured repeatedly, her voice tinged with bewilderment: "I, the foolish concubine, do not know what my husband is referring to......"

As she spoke, a hint of confusion flashed in her eyes.

The matters involved are too profound, and Pei Suiwan only has a partial understanding.....

Nevertheless, a faint speculation stirred in her heart.

Chen Yan heard this, gave a calm smile, his tense jawline softened a bit, raised his hand to gently rub Pei Suiwan's dark hair, his voice slow and deep: "If we were to directly pin the blame, fabricate charges, and rashly strike the two Grand Pillars of State....."

He paused again and continued: "Even if we successfully dispose of those two, how then shall we ensure the Court does not descend into turmoil?"

Haven't you heard the story of Yang Zhong and Yang Jian?

Pu Liu Ru managed to successfully swap the Yuwen Clan's property deed; besides having near‑miraculous luck, he also relied on his father, a former Grand Pillar of State, and the terrifying political legacy left by the strongest father‑in‑law in history.....

That is why Chen Yan can physically eliminate them outright yet refuses to take this path—the simple, convenient route would leave far too many lingering troubles!

"......"

Pei Suiwan was startled; a sudden jolt shook her heart, and the vague confusion suddenly cleared.

She looked at Chen Yan, her fingertips unconsciously tightening, her voice carrying a hint of realization: "To reduce the impact to the minimum, we must pacify and win over their Old Troops, even granting them promotions and titles!"

"For example, the illustrious Grand General Yang Qin and others....."

Saying so, she inhaled lightly, a flash of insight passing through her eyes.

At that moment, Pei Suiwan fully understood.....

Zhao Qian and Dugu Zhao are not merely two individuals but the heads of two factions; rashly using brute force against them would easily cause upheaval.

Therefore, afterwards we must stabilize their Old Troops.

But killing a Grand Pillar of State while granting promotions to his Old Troops is equivalent to planting a time bomb for ourselves!

Even if they show no outward signs, how could they not harbor resentment?

Especially at crucial moments in the future.....

Chen Yan's lips curled into a faint smile; he shifted tone and asked meaningfully: "And if we turn the killing of the two Grand Pillars of State into a popular demand, eagerly awaited by the people?"

In other words, it's killing by political correctness.....

In actual history, Yuwen Hu, when he first seized power, to consolidate his rule, executed Zhao Gui, forced Dugu Xin to commit suicide, ultimately sowing a hidden peril that would lead the Northern Zhou and the Yuwen royal family to ruin.

How could Chen Yan repeat that mistake?

In contrast, the current Da Zhongzai's father, thanks to their efforts, now has a solid foundation, beloved by the people, with favorable heaven, earth, and human conditions all in place!

A fleeting, faint yet sharp glint flashed in Pei Suiwan's eyes; that murderous intent, like an ice‑tempered needle, flashed and vanished, yet was enough to send a chill through the heart. Her voice lost any hesitation: "Then we can completely uproot the forces of the two Grand Pillars of State!"

"Eradicate completely!"

The words fell.

They struck the ground with a resonant thud.

"Exactly!" Chen Yan nodded, his eyes blazing, and said with a smile.

To cause their downfall, one must first drive them mad.

Only by going all‑in and driving them into frenzy can we ensure their ruin and disgrace, wielding political correctness.

A faint smile suddenly spread across Pei Suiwan's lips, like a spring breeze over a frozen lake, instantly rippling with gentle waves.

"You, husband, see so far ahead; I, the concubine, am shallow..." she spoke in a very soft voice, with a sigh and an inescapable warmth.

Having said that, she lifted her gaze at him, her eyes as if holding crushed starlight, so tender it seemed it could drip water.

That gaze no longer held the previous doubt or gravity, only pure admiration and unabashed worship.

My own man is truly amazing!

"Suiwan, that's self‑deprecation indeed....."

Chen Yan lightly stroked Pei Suiwan's hand, a teasing smile playing, his fingertips tightening a bit: "Which lady could see through so easily?"

"Only the Duke of Wei's Lady could!"

Pei Suiwan's heart flared at his words; she withdrew her hand, gently tapped his arm, a blush spreading on her face, coquettishly saying: "You just know how to make me happy....."

Though the words carried a hint of scolding, the smile in her eyes could not be hidden, like a lake speckled with shattered light.

But in an instant, she suppressed the smile, sat upright, looked at Chen Yan, her gaze calm and resolute: "Husband, you may go ahead and do it!"

"I will manage the household well, and there will be no trace of lingering worry!"

Lacking flowery words, the sincerity in those eyes weighed more than any oath.

The furnace fire illuminated the woman's profile; within the soft contours shone a resilience never seen before.

Chen Yan gazed at the firmness in Pei Suiwan's eyes, feeling as if something warm filled his heart, his nerves, taut all day, suddenly relaxing.

With a wife like this, what more could a husband ask for!

He reversed his grip on her hand, his fingertip gently scratching the back of her hand, then abruptly shifted tone, his voice tinged with a hint of teasing: "Speaking of the Grand Duke's Lady, what did you go to Tan Hua Temple for today?"

"Nothing....." Pei Suiwan's voice was as thin as a mosquito, tinged with the awkwardness of having her core matter probed.

It gave off a sense of trying to conceal yet only highlighting it.

Chen Yan deliberately moved closer, his warm breath brushing her ear, his voice low and teasing: "I don't believe Suiwan is just going to enjoy the scenery!"

"Let me guess…."

A man's breath brushed his ear, carrying a deliberately scorching heat; Pei Suiwan's cheek suddenly flared as if burned by a furnace, and they tried to cover their mouth to stop themselves: "No guessing!"

Chen Yan, however, seized the woman's hand in one motion, stopped teasing, and laughed, "For matters like this, rather than begging Buddha, it's better for the two of us to work a bit harder…"

"Ah!"

Pei Suiwan's cheeks instantly turned bright red, like cotton soaked in rouge, and they coquettishly chided.

Chen Yan chuckled lightly, stopped teasing Pei Suiwan, suddenly leaned forward and, with a swift motion, lifted her sideways in his arms.

Pei Suiwan cried out, instinctively clutched his neck, her cheek pressed against his solid chest, clearly hearing his steady, powerful heartbeat: "Husband! What are you doing?"

She was both shy and urgent, her voice tinged with panic, and she dared not move her limbs.

Chen Yan looked down at her; the teasing in his eyes turned into an inextricable affection, his tone now bearing unquestionable certainty: "Suiwan, it's getting late…"

"Let's rest early!"

Having said that, Chen Yan said no more, and, carrying Pei Suiwan, strode toward the inner chamber.

The lanterns in the corridor stretched their shadows long, the lingering warmth of the stove still hovered in the air, yet it could not match the body heat of their embrace.

The next day.

Morning.

The wind, already biting with bone‑chilling cold, swept across the north bank of the Wei River in Chang'an, rustling the dry grass.

The frozen ground along the riverbank was hard as stone; stepping on it produced a crisp crack as the ice layer shattered.

A few soldiers tasked with patrolling the river tightened their coarse cloth jackets, exhaling white breath as they walked along the riverbed.

At this time the Wei River was in its dry season; the waterway narrowed to a strip, slowly brushing the exposed river stones, most of the riverbed left to the wind, covered with semi‑melted ice and yellow‑brown silt.

Hoo~ Hoo~

Young soldier Wang Er rubbed his reddened hands, inhaled two sharp gusts of white breath into his palms, and stamped his numb foot: "The weather is getting colder and colder!"

"Staying out there any longer is uncomfortable!"

Rao Kuai, beside him, also nodded, tightening the patched coat, "Who says it's not? In the dead of winter it's perfect, hugging the wife on a warm kang…"

He couldn't help but chuckle.

"What a beautiful thought!"

Rong Lu, hearing the endless muttering, hummed from his nose, rolled his eyes, and said, "Stop complaining; after we finish patrolling this stretch of river, we can change posts…"

"Later we need to brew a pot of hot baijiu to warm our bodies!"

"Hey!" Just a few steps out, Wang Er suddenly noticed something nearby and shouted, "What is that?"

He said this while straightening his hand to point.

Rao Kuai looked in the direction he indicated, squinting and examining for a moment, then hesitated, "It looks like a stone…"

Immediately, he corrected himself, "No, it seems to be a statue!"

Rong Lu's eyebrows twitched slightly as he said, "Let's go take a look!"

The group moved forward, scraping away the thin ice on the bank, gradually approaching, and Wang Er exclaimed, "It really is a statue!"

Rao Kuai surveyed it from top to bottom, "I just don't know why it looks so odd…"

The statue was composed of several broken stone fragments assembled into a bizarre shape:

A crooked head with only one eye, and a neck broken unevenly.

A twisted torso, with what seemed like a half‑faded face carved on its back.

And a bent leg, its toe pressed hard against the ground, exuding an indescribable ferocity.

Rong Lu stared at the crooked head for a moment, then suddenly noticed that the broken neck of the statue had a surface smoother than the rest.

He signaled Wang Er to hand over his short knife, crouched, and carefully scraped the mud off with the knife's back.

Ice shards slipped between his fingers, but Rong Lu didn't notice.

As the mud layer peeled away bit by bit, a few lines of faint engraving emerged, and he exclaimed, "Look, there are characters on the statue!"

"What does it say?" Wang Er asked, leaning in.

Rong Lu stood up and shouted toward the bank, "Lai Qu, you can read, come over and identify!"

"I'm coming!"

The summoned young soldier flipped and rushed down, hurried to the statue, and began to examine it.

After a good while, Wang Er could no longer contain his curiosity and asked, "Can you make out what it says?"

Lai Qu traced the characters with his finger, vaguely sketching the strokes, his brows slightly furrowed, murmuring, "It seems to be Mo Dao… Mo Dao, the stone man with one eye, stirs the Wei River, the world turns upside down!"