Chapter 184: Even a Dog Passing By Has to Take a Lash

Wen Gu first made a trip to the small courtyard in the Outer City District where Pei Jun was recovering from his injuries, and chatted with him alone for a while.

Pei Jun knew that there had long been friction between the physicians and the Gu Masters, and Wen Gu's current approach was quite good.

Breaking a large project into multiple small projects and assigning them to them separately to complete.

In this way, the physicians and Gu Masters would not interfere with each other, yet they could still exert force in the same direction!

As for the matter of Huang Ji.

If Pei Jun had not been injured, and if Lao Zhao's guard team and the Yi Fang side had continued to make no progress, he would have gone to snatch him as well!

He was very clear about the importance of this person, Huang Ji. Now, since he had already been snatched to the Patrol Guard Division, and there was a plan worth trying, it was indeed necessary to give it a try! It was also truly worthy of being called a heavy responsibility!

Pei Jun cared a great deal about power. He could not do much work while staying in Xinzhou City, so it was better to follow Wen Gu's suggestion and take charge of the matter regarding Huang Ji. After careful consideration, Pei Jun accepted this heavy burden.

On the other side.

Ming Tiao returned to the Patrol Guard Division and stepped into the Main Courtyard.

Xue Yanzhi was holding up a copy of the *Xinzhou Times*, secretly observing the movements in Dongshu.

If this were in the past, Ming Tiao would definitely have grumbled a few words upon seeing this situation. But now, he suddenly understood a bit of Xue Er Gongzi's wariness toward Wen Gu. Seeing Ming Tiao return, Xue Yanzhi immediately stood up and darted in front of him, asking:

"How is it? That person who only takes his stipend but doesn't do any work, did he have bad luck?"

Ming Tiao said: "Not at all."

Xue Yanzhi didn't believe it: "Not the kind of bad luck you're thinking of; I mean, is he unable to remain leisurely anymore? Must he start working, and is the task quite heavy?" Ming Tiao: "Uh..."

Not knowing how to put it, he could only remain silent.

Xue Yanzhi asked again: "Is Deputy Envoy Wen pressing him step by step?"

Ming Tiao thought of how Wen Gu had only left the other party the time it takes to drink a cup of tea to consider, and after Huang Ji agreed, he had quickly moved on to site selection and follow-up work arrangements. Thus, he continued to remain silent.

Silence was the answer.

Xue Yanzhi clapped his hands: "Look, what did I say before? I guessed right!"

Ming Tiao could not say much to Xue Yanzhi about the matter of Huang Ji, but remembering Pei Jun's arrangements, he said to Xue Yanzhi:

"If you have anything to find Chief Pei about recently, go as soon as possible. In a few more days, he will be going out to execute a mission."

Xue Yanzhi was surprised: "With his injury recovery status, what kind of mission can he go out to execute?"

Ming Tiao could not say more, only stating: "It won't delay his recovery."

Xue Yanzhi's heart stirred; he tilted his head and pointed his chin toward the direction of Dongshu, his eyes asking a question.

Ming Tiao remained silent, hesitated, and nodded slightly.

Xue Yanzhi: Holy crap!

He, a Deputy Envoy, kicked his superior officer out?!

Xue Yanzhi exclaimed: "He can't even stand a superior officer who is recovering from injuries?"

Ming Tiao frowned: "You've gone too far with that!"

Xue Yanzhi said: "It's not the kind of 'can't stand' you think; I mean, he can't stand others being too idle! Even a superior officer recovering from injuries won't do!" Even while recovering, one cannot do nothing; look, he caught an opportunity and arranged it all together!

"That's why I say, this kind of person is terrifying!"

Xue Yanzhi smoothed out the cause and effect, and made a gesture of cracking a whip, as if an invisible whip had been swung out.

"He was just checking on stipend distribution, ran out and gave someone a lash first, making that person unable to just take a stipend without working."

"But this whip has too much attack power; even a dog passing by has to take a lash, so surely someone nearby also took one?"

Ming Tiao continued to remain silent.

Isn't that the truth! The guard team nearby took a lash, and the work they had in hand was gone! And that was Lao Zhao's guard team, too!

Xue Yanzhi observed Ming Tiao's expression and knew he hadn't guessed wrong.

He lowered his voice and said: "Our Chief Pei belongs to those caught in the crossfire. But Deputy Envoy Wen had been eyeing him for a long time; now, because of this matter, Chief Pei also took a lash." Ming Tiao remained silent again, and again, and again.

He realized it!

No wonder Xue Yanzhi didn't want to go to Dongzhu!

If he went to Dongshu and spent all day wandering under Deputy Envoy Wen's nose, with Xue Er Gongzi's attitude of slacking off, wouldn't he be taking lashes every day?

With Ming Tiao's reminder, Xue Yanzhi went to find Pei Jun once more before he left.

"Are you really leaving Xinzhou City?" he asked Pei Jun, "Are you doing it voluntarily?"

Pei Jun said: "Regardless of what purpose Wen Gu had in pushing this matter, for me, the benefits indeed outweigh the disadvantages."

Over these past two days, Pei Jun had already been making preparations for his departure and did not have much time to chat with Xue Yanzhi. He patted Xue Yanzhi on the shoulder: "Remember what I told you last time." Following this, Pei Jun adjusted his state and made a brief appearance in Xinzhou City, dispelling some unfavorable rumors in the streets.

Afterward, Pei Jun left with a portion of the Patrol Guard Division.

The Patrol Guard Division often went on missions, so those who saw this scene did not think much of it at first.

But gradually, there was a new rumor in the streets—Pei Jun had been squeezed out by Wen Gu!

Lishan Defense Station.

Cheng Xu directed people to repair the damaged parts of the station and returned to his room to look through the newly received letters.

One was regarding the stockpiling of building materials.

Various building materials had already begun to be prepared and were all stored in various warehouses in Xinzhou, waiting to be transported over together when the Xianshou Army mobilized in the autumn. At that time, the construction of the second defense station on the front line would officially begin. The second station was still to be supervised by Cheng Xu, so every so often, the person in charge of building materials would report the material stockpiling situation to Cheng Xu. But looking at the content written in the letter, Cheng Xu gradually furrowed his brows and said: "The latest batch of Enhanced Three-in-one Soil was intercepted?" The personal attendant beside him was astonished:

"By whom?"

"What matter now could be more urgent than our Defense Post System?!"

Cheng Xu continued to read down.

"Oh, Wen Gu intercepted it," he said.

The personal attendant beside him said in confusion: "What is Deputy Envoy Wen intercepting our building materials for? Could it be that our 'eldest legitimate son,' the Defense Post, has fallen out of favor?" "That can't be, right?"

Cheng Xu said this with his mouth, but he was also somewhat worried in his heart.

The Defense Post System was proposed by Wen Gu, but Wen Gu could also propose other systems.

Amidst his worry and hesitation, Cheng Xu waited a few more days, and Wen Gu sent a letter over.

The general meaning was: the Defense Post System would not change, but there were some other urgent matters temporarily requiring building materials, so a portion had been urgently diverted. Building materials for the Second Defense Post would continue to be stockpiled and would not delay the construction of the Defense Post.

Seeing this letter, Cheng Xu felt much more at ease.

But he was very curious, what urgent matter had come up in Xinzhou City again?

Waiting and waiting, he heard from other news channels the rumors circulating in the streets of Xinzhou City—they said Wen Gu had kicked Pei Jun out!! He didn't know the specifics, but it was true that Pei Jun had left Xinzhou City!

Cheng Xu was completely shocked.

Holy crap!

"Is the infighting in your Xinzhou City that intense?!"

But as Cheng Xu listened to the news coming in from various sides, he felt it shouldn't be that extreme.

Pei Jun was no ordinary person!

For such an old-established noble family, what was involved was not just social connections, but also the interests of various parties.

Moreover, Pei Jun was a person of merit and was also one of the founding players of Xinzhou!

To be bold, if the Zhao Family were to succeed one day, based on merit and rewards, Pei Jun would be someone who could be enfeoffed as a Duke!

If it were truly because of a power struggle, Pei Jun would not be so quiet, and Xinzhou City might even be in turmoil.

But the current situation looked more like a secret operation within the Patrol Guard Division. And an extremely important operation at that!

After all, having once served as a Deputy Envoy of the Patrol Guard Division, Cheng Xu's other abilities might be limited, but he still had this bit of discernment; he understood the operations of the Patrol Guard Division and knew even better that Pei Jun was not someone who would take a beating without fighting back. They could see this, but others could not, especially those who only listened to gossip and watched the spectacle.

Therefore, there were still people in Xinzhou City who firmly believed that there was infighting in the Patrol Guard Division, and that Wen Gu, this Deputy Envoy, had squeezed out Pei Jun, the chief official!

So much so that when they saw Wen Gu on the street, they always felt that his gentle and refined face hid a dagger behind his smile!

Xue Yanzhi almost laughed himself into a collapse when he heard those rumors in the streets.

The deduction process was entirely wrong, but the result was correct!

However, thinking of his own affairs, Xue Yanzhi couldn't laugh anymore.

He kept the advice Pei Jun gave him before leaving in his heart. Recent events had also led him to make a choice.

Thus, one day, Xue Yanzhi took the initiative to go to Dongshu to find Wen Gu.

He even obsequiously poured tea, brought it over to Wen Gu, and said respectfully, "Brother, please have some tea!"

Ming Tiao, who happened to come to Dongzhu for business and saw this scene:???

Xue Er Gongzi, your words and actions are inconsistent! That's not what you said before!

Ming Tiao gave Xue Yanzhi a look: Are you being forced?

Xue Yanzhi returned a look: I'm doing this voluntarily!

A blood feud must be avenged; what is taking a few lashes compared to that?

Ming Tiao's attention jumped to another point: "Xue Er Gongzi, you are older than Deputy Envoy Wen, right?"

Older is still older, how could he be embarrassed to call him brother?

Xue Yanzhi said, "We are talking about seniority, not age."

Ming Tiao:?

Whose family determines seniority like this?!