Chapter 212: [The Night Falls]

【As night falls, two thousand cavalrymen slowly mount their horses in the hazy moonlight.】

【The sound of a horn rings out, piercing the night sky.】

【A single eagle cry, clear and resonant.】

【You also mount your horse, riding at the very front.】

【The sound of hooves strikes the ground once more.】

【Two women, Su Ziyin and Ji Qinxin, are both in the entourage; Su Ziyin's family is a military household, and she has followed them in wielding spears and clubs since childhood, possessing a physique not comparable to ordinary women.】

【As for Ji Qinxin, it goes without saying; her constitution has far exceeded that of ordinary people since she was young, and having drifted through the jianghu, her horsemanship is superb.】

【The young master watches "all alone" as the two thousand cavalrymen ride away; from beginning to end, neither the Prince of Yan nor the Left General Jia Fu has cast a single glance at him.】

【Yet, his heart and courage had long since shattered!】

【Finally, unable to bear this immense pressure, he collapses to the ground, his face pale as paper, his eyes vacant and lost.】

【Seeing this, the few guards behind him rush forward to support him, only to find that he has become like a clay statue or a wooden carving, completely unable to stand.】

【Just at this moment!】

【Another team of people rushes over from Jiakang City, and the old men in the nearby post station, hearing the news, also come out; upon learning the situation, they immediately saddle their horses and give chase, attempting to catch up with the departing troop.】

【Just like that, several waves come and go, yet no one pays any mind to the young master.】

【Until the sound of footsteps gradually approaches, finally stopping before the young master.】

【A middle-aged man's voice follows, carrying a hint of helplessness and a sigh:】

【"San'er, you have truly brought a great disaster upon yourself this time."】

【The situation at the post station has already spread through the government office in the city!】

【Hearing the voice, the young master realizes this is his uncle, who serves as a consultant in Jiakang City, and a surge of hope instantly rises in his heart. He shouts with a trembling voice:】

【"Uncle, save me!"】

【The middle-aged man pulls away his nephew's hand, and two people walk out from behind him, one of whom speaks coldly:】

【"Young Master Cheng, Mercury requests that you come with us for a trip."】

【Upon hearing the two words "Mercury," the young master's face changes instantly, filled with terror.】

【He knows well that Mercury is a secret organization directly under the Prince of Yan's Mansion, tasked with gathering intelligence, overseeing interrogations, and monitoring officials; their methods are ruthless and pervasive.】

【In the Yan territory, once one is entangled with Mercury, it is as if being personally named by the King of Hell; the consequences are unimaginable.】

【The young master is so frightened that he faints directly to the ground, losing consciousness.】

【A wealthy young master who only knows how to hang around brothels and flower districts, shallow in mind and having never faced a great disaster, how could he have ever encountered such a scene?】

【Watching his nephew in such a state, the middle-aged man also sighs. Although he knows Mercury is not a place that is completely unreasonable, he fears his nephew will suffer some punishment this time, and may even be entered into Mercury's files, thereby ending his official career.】

【"Bullying the evil" Prince of Yan is a matter that can be big or small!】

【Fortunately, this incident did not bring a greater disaster to the family, but the middle-aged man remains vigilant, knowing he must guard against those who might intentionally use this to stir up trouble and escalate the situation.】

【Once the Cheng family is labeled as "evil against the Prince of Yan," then not only in Jiakang City, but even in the entire Yan territory, it will be difficult to gain a foothold.】

【Recently, the Cheng family must also keep a low profile and wait for the wind to pass; of course, Jiakang City will also help to "conceal" this news.】

【The reason is simple: if this crime were true, the people of the Yan territory would mostly blame Jiakang City.】

【Ruining the reputation of a city!】

【However, amidst this caution, the middle-aged man's face also reveals an irrepressible joy. This time, the Prince of Yan's journey to Yanjing is undoubtedly a great good thing for the people of the Yan territory.】

【The two words "Prince of Yan," although bestowed by Daqing, are completely different from the Emperor of Yan. Now, the five nations of the world stand together, and the Prince of Yan is about to establish the State of Great Yan, which is a proclamation to the world.】

【Afterward, it will be legitimate, and the subjects under his rule can be called Yan people.】

【After the White Horse Alliance, the wars between the nations will definitely reignite.】

【The middle-aged man admires this Prince of Yan quite a bit; whether in war or governance, he is a master of both civil and military affairs, and he is completely convinced.】

【If he were a few years younger, he would also follow the Prince of Yan north.】

【Fortunately, the true master of the Yan territory has returned!】

【The news that the Prince of Yan has arrived in Jiakang City and is rushing to Yanjing spreads rapidly through all the surrounding major cities.】

【In the past, those people who held reverence and wished to go north to Yanjing to witness the Prince of Yan's grand sacrificial ceremony with their own eyes, upon hearing this news, surge into the procession like an endless tide.】

【On the road, there is no lack of many people spontaneously joining the ranks, making the procession increasingly massive.】

【In half a day's time, the procession passes through Jiakang City.】

【Although you strictly ordered not to disturb the people, and officials and soldiers were not allowed to leave the city to follow or see them off.】

【However, enthusiastic crowds still flock to them; the procession, which originally had only two thousand people, has gathered a crowd of fifty thousand after traveling for another half day, and there are still many people behind who have not caught up.】

【Although the procession is massive, military discipline remains strict and orderly. But with such a large number of people, the speed of a forced march is difficult to sustain, so the pace of travel gradually slows.】

【Ji Qinxin rides a fine horse, her bright eyes flowing as she looks around at the people constantly pouring in.】

【She sees that among them are many teenagers of sixteen or seventeen, holding flags of the Lu Army they made themselves, their faces filled with excitement and reverence.】

【There are also old people, and even women holding children; they are all full of enthusiasm, and even if they cannot keep up, they will follow for a stretch of the road.】

【The people in the major cities ahead who received the news have long been waiting in front.】

【For every ten miles they advance north, the number of people following increases.】

【She previously only knew in Daqing that the Prince of Yan was respected by all the people in the Yan territory, but she did not know it had reached this extent.】

【One person goes to the northern mountains, and ten thousand people follow.】

【Su Ziyin looks at this vast "great army"; she was born into a military family, and as a child, her father also took her into the ranks, and a surge of indescribable heroism rises in her heart.】

【These people, although their identities are different, are all gathered together at this moment.】

【From coming down from Mount Zhongnan, there were only nine people, to the tens of thousands of people today.】

【I wonder how many people there will be after arriving in Yanjing.】

【Su Ziyin looks at the middle-aged man riding in front.】

【Sure enough, as long as you leave that tavern, you are no longer a diner in that tavern, but the master of the Yan territory.】

【Two more days pass, and the number of people following has reached one hundred thousand.】

【At the break of dawn, there is still morning mist.】

【The procession begins to slow down, and everyone finally sees Yanjing.】

【Behind them is dust rolling into the sky.】

【They are only three or four miles from the city gate.】

【Finally, that Yanjing comes into view, towering and spectacular, with a magnificent momentum.】

【Unexpectedly, it is so early.】

【The city gate is crowded with people, a sea of people, and it is very lively.】

【A spacious road is cleared in the middle, like a line opened by heaven.】

【The people in the city have long been looking forward to it, the whole city is empty, and the entire city is bustling with noise and excitement.】

【Yang Su and others also rein in their horses, their eyes shocked.】

【This is more than ten thousand people; there are hundreds of thousands.】

【All welcoming one person.】

【Yang Su says with some excitement: "Uncle Master, look."】

【Outside the city gate are several large military formations arranged, a full forty thousand people, with great momentum.】

【Ji Qinxin and Su Ziyin have only shock on their faces; when did such a majestic city rise in the north?】

【All merchant caravans in Yanjing today are forbidden from entering, leaving only one main gate.】

【A straight passage, with tens of thousands of cavalry patrolling on the outside, and bustling people welcoming them on the inside.】

【Li Lanjiang is also a bit amazed; such a scene, he has only seen in this life, a large city waiting for one person for a long time.】

【Ye Shengnan nods slightly; she and Li Lanjiang judged correctly: if the Prince of Yan had died at the Yuetang River, with his current influence, the world would definitely be in chaos.】

【The many teenagers following behind, seeing this scene, besides envy, many whisper:】

【"A real man should be like this, establishing the achievements of a lifetime."】

【Lu Yu sees this and smiles: "Brother, let's go!"】

【You nod, and the people behind naturally fall behind a bit.】

【Only you and Lu Yu are on fast horses in front, with the people behind following slowly.】

【Su Ziyin looks from afar at that figure, gradually approaching the city gate.】

【Separated by several miles, they can also hear the heaven-shaking shouts.】

【"The Prince of Yan has returned!"】

【She feels dazzled, as if returning to the Yuetang River that year, when that one person rode the wind across the river.】

Yanjing, today is exceptionally noisy.

Before the morning light has broken, the streets and alleys are already surging with crowds.

That Prince of Yan's Mansion, whose main gate has been closed for ten years, is rarely wide open this morning.

Decorated with lanterns and colored streamers, they have been busy since early morning.

Although the Prince of Yan's Mansion is not grand, it is only a four-courtyard residence, much smaller than the mansions of the wealthy merchants in the Yan territory.

However, for so many years, no one has ever dared to cause trouble here.

This square inch of land!

Is the place that oversees the political power of the Yan territory.

Every day, the memorials submitted from all over will enter through the back door and be delivered into the Prince of Yan's Mansion.

Then they are passed back to all parts of the country from the side doors on both sides.

Whether it concerns the annual financial revenue and expenditure of the national economy and people's livelihood, or the appointment and promotion of county officials, all need the Prince of Yan's Mansion to make the final decision.

Unless encountering extremely tricky and difficult major events, one needs to write a letter to Mount Zhongnan.

Otherwise, within the Yan territory, almost all major and minor affairs can be decided by this mansion itself.

Or rather, it is decided by the group of scholars and military ministers in the Prince of Yan's Mansion, who form the "Cabinet."

This group of officials will arrive at the Prince of Yan's Mansion on time every morning to sign in, but they never walk through the main gate, instead tacitly choosing to enter from the side, as if this has become an unwritten rule.

Among them are filial and incorrupt officials from all over; these officials are all recommended by the local area, with excellent character and talent, and there are also successful candidates from the imperial examination.

"Brave warriors rise from the ranks, and prime ministers rise from the prefectures and counties."

Prime ministers are all trained step by step from the grassroots prefectures and departments; they know the hardships of the people and understand the voices of the people, while brave generals are tempered from the military ranks.

"In troubled times, do not distinguish between high-gate and humble-door, do not distinguish between noble and grass-roots, and do not look at the difference between disabled and perfect bodies; only talent is promoted."

These two sentences are the official appointment standards clearly written in the "Governance of the North."

In the Prince of Yan's Mansion, the selection of officials does not look at the family background and power behind them, but only values personal ability and talent.

In different positions, specific and specialized assessment standards are set, and the best are selected to ensure that every official can be competent in their duties.

This is also the key to why the Prince of Yan's Mansion's staff team has remained stable and has not had any problems all these years. They focus on real talent and learning, not empty names and empty positions.

As for the most mysterious and unpredictable cabinet in the rumors of the Yan territory, its true body is hidden in a seemingly unremarkable warm room.

In the warm room, there is only one earth stove, and several ancient wooden chairs are placed around the stove.

Every half month, there will be a morning meeting and an evening meeting here.

It is also known among the people as the "Small Court Meeting."

The people sitting on those wooden chairs are all big figures in the military and political affairs of the Yan territory.

Deputy Commander of the Yan North Army, Feng Haiping.

Marquis of Zhenbei, Huo Hai.

Mercury Commander, Zhang Yu.

Left Sima, Liu Wen, and Grand Marshal, Dou Gu.

These five are all old men in the Lu Army.

There is also a new face, who is the Inspector of the Three Prefectures who has risen rapidly in recent years, Wen Xiaohe.

A successful candidate in the first list of the imperial examination at the age of thirty-five, in just a few years, he climbed step by step from a ninth-rank county magistrate with his outstanding ability and political achievements, and after six transfers, he left prominent political achievements in the prefectures and counties.

The Prince of Yan's Mansion has a sharp eye for talent and does not want talent to be buried, so they promoted him four times in violation of the rules, but they did not dare to include him in the cabinet.

It was not until Wen Xiaohe personally stepped onto Mount Zhongnan and met the Prince of Yan, and with the Prince of Yan's personal approval, that he was able to join this cabinet.

There are only seven chairs in the room, and six people are seated.

Only the main seat in the center is left empty, and it has been vacant for ten years.

Of course, in addition to the cabinet, the Prince of Yan's Mansion also has dozens of consultants and staff, each performing their own duties.

Whenever there is a major decision that needs to be made, these consultants and staff express their opinions, and finally, the cabinet makes the final decision.

This morning, as the morning light appeared, the six people had already reached a tacit understanding and gathered in the greenhouse early.

Everyone sat down in turn, and everyone showed joy on their faces, because today is the grand event of the Prince of Yan's return to Yanjing.

It is the first time in ten years that the Prince of Yan has returned to Yanjing.

This matter is indeed a major event of great importance to the entire Yan territory.

Left Sima Liu Wen said:

"Yesterday, the Prince of Yan had already sent a jade-claw flying letter, stating that today's welcoming matter should be simple and not extravagant, so as not to disturb the people."

Huo Hai nodded in agreement; he is the one with the second highest prestige in the Yan North Army after Feng Beihai, known as the invincible defender.

Looking at his appearance, if he were not wearing the black official uniform of Yan North, he would look like an old man in the field, with a dark face and sparse hair, but only his eyes are shining with essence.

Thinking back to that year, Huo Hai resisted two hundred thousand North Wind cavalry with eight thousand people in Yunzhou, and stubbornly defended the city for three months.

Until Lu Chen led the army to arrive, opening the decisive battle, and finally the North Wind was defeated.

After the war, Huo Hai was named "Marquis of Zhenbei."

Huo Hai smiled and said: "The Prince of Yan's temperament is like this; he never disturbs the people in his actions, and he really wants to rest with the people."

Dou Gu also smiled:

"Yesterday, we ordered people to post notices, telling the people of Yanjing that they don't need to leave the city to welcome him."

"But when I came out of the mansion gate today, the people along the way gathered, and I fear that it will be crowded today."

Among the six, that Mercury Commander Zhang Yu, who is the most mysterious among the people.

Is a middle-aged Confucian scholar in a wheelchair, dressed simply, with an ordinary face, but his eyebrows reveal a gentle demeanor.

"I expected it to be so!" He echoed softly.

Feng Haiping saw that everyone seemed to be optimistic, so he had to say:

"Anyway, this matter has nothing to do with me, Feng; if the Prince of Yan blames me, don't involve me."

Wen Xiaohe also added "seriously": "Since it has nothing to do with General Feng, it has nothing to do with me, Wen Xiaohe."

The others looked at each other and smiled.

Huo Hai smiled: "Everyone can't run away!"

(End of chapter)