Chapter 787

"How can I not be anxious?" Yan Yan suddenly gritted his teeth and said in a low voice.

You ought to know what price the Qiang People paid for those few barren lands; those gold and silver vessels are right there in your mansion. If they kick up a fuss, how should we handle it?

Ruan Yuchang's expression remained calm, "What do I have to fear from those slanderous words?"

"If they frame you for killing with a borrowed knife, and even expose the scheme to murder the Great General, would they also drag out all that? In that broken place of Lingnan, the Qiang People know too many of our shady deals; those things cannot see the light!" Yan Yan said in a low voice, "Surname Ruan, I don't know where your confidence comes from, but our power does not yet fully control the world; there will still be many surprises."

Ruan Yuchang looked at Yan Yan and suddenly laughed, "Yan Xiang, don't be so overly cautious in everything. Although we haven't reached the power to control the world, our voices can drown out everyone in the court."

"If someone wants to bite me, they must first make a sound and be able to produce evidence! Otherwise, to frame a serving prime minister out of thin air warrants extermination of three clans. As for the Qiang People, whether they come or not is up to us to decide."

"I look at you and you're just getting more and more backward; why are you afraid of this little matter?"

Yan Yan stared at Ruan Yuchang with eyes like dead fish, "His Majesty has been acting strangely lately; you should be able to sense these things? Today he just gave me the cold shoulder."

"No matter how you put it, we are ultimately just chancellors, not the emperor; this hat on our heads has never been infallible."

Ruan Yuchang smiled faintly, "Go ahead and raise your Bīngmǎ with peace of mind; this hat is still quite secure. I see you, you're not afraid of the what-ifs, but you're afraid of growing old with no successor, and that the estate you've painstakingly built will be wiped out by others."

When the true sore point was brought up, Yan Yan's face changed abruptly, and his gaze toward Ruan Yuchang also turned sharp.

Ruan Yuchang ignored Yan Yan's gaze that seemed to bore into his heart, gave a hehe laugh, and said, "The Qiang People are your father, not mine, Ruan Yuchang. Even if these things were really exposed, I would merely be framing loyal officials, but I never intended to sell Da Yu's territory to the Qiang People."

"We're both old enough; let's not play these nerve-wracking, solidarity-in-the-same-boat games—they're boring as hell. Let the youngsters handle this sort of thing; it'd be more appropriate, you…"

Ruan Yuchang shook his head and, with steady steps, descended the Danbei.

Yan Yan stared at Ruan Yuchang's back, lost in thought for a long while, before he walked away.

Chen Wuji suddenly became famous in the court, making some people extremely unhappy, but His Majesty the Emperor was overjoyed, and upon returning to the Palace City he unconsciously hummed a little tune.

"I didn't expect that the hunter's idea would be so effective; I should quickly write him a letter, fully recount today's events, and share the joy!" the Emperor thought to himself, and his steps unconsciously quickened a bit.

After being bullied by the Court Officials in court for so long, today he managed to regain a foothold.

Recalling it now, it remains thoroughly exhilarating.

He urgently wanted to know, if Yan Yan made the next move, how should he handle that old fellow's army?

"Your Majesty, the Wise King requests an audience!"

A young eunuch hurried over and, bowing from behind, said.

The Emperor's steps came to an abrupt halt, a flicker of complexity crossing his expression, "Let him come another day; I have no time today."

"Yes!"

The Emperor's hand, hidden in his sleeve, clenched tightly without a sound.

He once relied on this Imperial Uncle as his last resort, depending on him in everything, and whenever he had doubts he would send someone to consult him.

But after he began corresponding with Chen Wuji, he suddenly realized that this Imperial Uncle was not entirely sincere in his help.

He also had his own calculations.

It's even possible that his calculations are dirtier than those of Yan Yan and Ruan Yuchang.

The Imperial Uncle's sudden request for an audience instantly erased the Emperor's previously great joy, and a wordless sorrow and bitterness welled up in his heart.

In this vast Palace City, among all the civil and military officials, ultimately only that distant rebel minister in Nanjiang was willing to speak a few frank words to him.

"I, this emperor, am truly……"

The Emperor shook his head with a mocking laugh and strode off to the Chui Gong Hall.

In his next life he won't be this damn emperor; he also wants to become a hunter!

……

Chen Liehu today truly lived up to his name as he went into the mountains to hunt, and his harvest was quite good.

Upon entering the mountains at dawn and descending at dusk, he gathered a basket of mountain crabs, a few yellow eels, and two muntjacs; his long-unseen old partner, Big Tiger, even tossed him a rocky goat from afar.

Perhaps because they hadn't seen each other in days, Big Tiger was also a bit rusty with him.

He merely flung the game down from the mountain from afar, without coming up to Chen Wuji to act cute.

This made Chen Wuji extremely regretful; he still wanted to ruffle that fluffy head a couple of times.

But the wild has its own rules; Big Tiger not coming down to see him surely has a reason, and such things cannot be forced.

When Chen Wuji came down the mountain and returned home, it happened to be sunset, with the sun filling the mountain peak, and the colorful afterglow brilliantly illuminating the sky above Xishan Village.

He handed over the game he'd brought to Chen Li and others to handle, and Chen Wuji began preparing the ingredients, getting ready to personally cook tonight's dinner.

"My lord, your status is now noble; don't dirty yourself with such rough work!" Xu Zengyi walked over holding a scroll and advised.

Recently he has been doing book organizing work, which is copying bamboo slips onto thread-bound paper books.

Chen Wuji said with a light smile, "No matter how my identity changes, I am still me; after gaining power, I should be able to do more as I please, rather than having more rules imposed on me."

"It's just cooking a meal; it won't cost me my position as Regional Inspector Commander. Sir, go ahead and drink your tea, copy your books, and wait for dinner."

Xu Zengyi shook his head with a wry smile, "That's only the case in the village; if we were outside, if the lord personally cooked, the civil and military subordinates would definitely have to endure a miserable meal."

"Why?"

Xu Zengyi said, "When the lord cooks himself, they'll definitely try to find something to do; those who can't will surely feel anxious in their hearts. While eating, they'll have to rack their brains to think of how to praise the lord's meal as good, not just praise it, but praise it in a different way, to stand out."

"How much to eat is also a problem; they also have to go with the flow and see what others are doing."

Chen Wuji: ……

It really does seem to be the case.

"No problem, after eating a couple more meals they'll naturally get used to it." Chen Wuji said casually.

At that moment, Zhang Xiuer walked over with small, quick steps.

"Wuji brother, a letter has come from Bianjing."

Chen Wuji looked at the things he had just prepared, "Let's set them aside for now; I'll take a look later!"