Chapter 310: Danger, Ever‑Present

Jiang Mingyuan is not one to show his emotions; for him to be this solemn, it must not be a trivial trouble.

Gu Xixi's mood, which had just relaxed for a moment, tightened again. "Do you know who Fan Dongping's backer is?"

Jiang Mingyuan nodded. "You've thought of that too."

Gu Xixi said in a low voice, "In broad daylight, committing violence and robbery, yet the County Office listens to him."

"Such arrogance, it must not be an ordinary local bully."

Jiang Mingyuan paused, then said, "Although I still can't be completely sure……"

"Do you happen to have heard of this person, Fan the Grand Councilor?"

Gu Xixi frowned, recalling for a moment, then remembered.

"In a family letter Jing Lan received, it mentioned that the Minister of Personnel was the first among the Six Ministries' officials to break with the former Empress Dowager's faction, urging the city gates to be opened to welcome the new emperor and the Northwest Army."

"Adding to the He family's early scheming in the Imperial Court and their wide network of allies, the two combined, causing officials to respond in unison, and afterward they took the capital without bloodshed."

She lifted her gaze to Jiang Mingyuan. "I recall that this Minister of Personnel bears the surname Fan."

After transmigrating into the book, Gu Xixi had been studying the laws and edicts of the Great Undertaking Dynasty; at that time she only knew that the Ministry of Personnel was the head of the Six Ministries, so she casually asked He Jinglan whether the Minister of Personnel was also an ally of the He family.

Little did she know, when He Jinglan mentioned this person she scoffed, "You mean Lord Fan? He is not only the head of the Six Ministries, but also a Grand Councilor personally selected by the Empress Dowager's faction."

After the late emperor's sudden demise, Lord Fan rose from Director of the Secretariat to Minister of Personnel, inevitably relying on the Empress Dowager's faction's support.

Thereafter, as a Grand Councilor, he betrayed the Empress Dowager and the young emperor,

For such a person, his character needs no explanation.

As He Jinglan summed it up, "He's nothing but a power‑clinging fence‑sitter, a cowardly old traitor."

Thus, at that time Gu Xixi left a relatively deep impression of the Fan‑surnamed Minister of Personnel.

She asked Jiang Mingyuan, "You call him a Grand Councilor—could it be that he still holds office in the Cabinet?"

Jiang Mingyuan nodded. "He remains the Minister of Personnel."

"On the surface, after all, he is a minister who achieved the foremost merit, sharing the same achievement as the He family."

"In terms of sentiment, he is also a veteran official of two reigns; without any evidence, the emperor not only cannot act against him but even bestows rewards. Hence his title of Grand Councilor is retained."

Gu Xixi sneered, "Seeing that the lord's fortunes have already waned, he switches sides faster than anyone."

"Such opportunistic profiteers can still occupy high positions."

"No wonder a bully like Fan Dongping could arise in the countryside!"

Seeing Gu Xixi's distress, Jiang Mingyuan eased his expression and comforted, "This is also unavoidable."

"The new emperor's foundation is unstable; to eradicate the lingering ills left behind will still take time, and we also need a heavyweight minister capable of suppressing Fan the Grand Councilor and others."

"Thus came the first Regent Prince of a different surname."

Gu Xixi's pupils contracted sharply; going round and round, how can she keep escaping Mu Nan Zhao?!

Jiang Mingyuan didn't notice her change in expression, and remarked, "With the Regent Prince in place, the Minister of Personnel's Grand Councilor duties are effectively nullified—truly a wise move by His Majesty."

"From what we see, since the Regent Prince assumed power, his actions have been firm yet gentle, clearing away entrenched abuses, correcting chaos and restoring order—each move strikes where the remnants hurt; he truly is a model for us."

When speaking of the Regent Prince, Jiang Mingyuan's eyes naturally shone with admiration.

Gu Xixi couldn't help but ask, "Brother Zi Chu has never even seen the Regent Prince in person, yet he admires him so much?"

Jiang Mingyuan smiled faintly. "That's natural—as the saying goes, hearing the strings and knowing the elegance; the Regent Prince's deeds are all loyalty to the sovereign, service to the state, and benefit to the people."

"I admire him, and I only hope to meet him in person soon."

Gu Xixi lowered her eyes to sip her tea, her thoughts somewhat tangled.

The closer to the capital, the more she hears about Mu Nan Zhao.

Once inside the capital, will she still be able to avoid him?

After a moment, Gu Xixi said to Jiang Mingyuan, "What if that Fan‑surnamed bully is actually a relative of his? Would it be very difficult for Lv Jing to file a complaint at the Capital Prefecture?"

Jiang Mingyuan pondered, "It's possible."

"After all, the Ministry of Personnel handles officer selection and appointments, assignments; it's hard to guarantee that no Fan family members are involved."

Gu Xixi murmured to herself, "This is exactly the greater trouble you spoke of."

Lv Jing's lawsuit will face a very complicated predicament.

If handled leniently, the case would be sent back to her native place for retrial.

If handled poorly, the victim might lose their life before even leaving the capital.

If the scope widens further, Gu Xixi and her companions traveling with Lv Jing will all be implicated.

Jiang Mingyuan gazed deeply at Gu Xixi and asked, "Have you ever regretted it?"

Gu Xixi met his gaze, her eyes calm and undisturbed, "Never."

"Please have her accompany me; I said I would escort her to the capital."

"But…… I'm afraid it might implicate you and Brother An."

Jiang Mingyuan broke into a smile, his expression showing no surprise, as if he had been waiting for Gu Xixi's answer.

"Then you needn't worry."

"Since I chose to enter officialdom through the imperial examinations, I've resolved to contend with these people to the end; now it's merely a bit earlier."

"Moreover, I am at least a degree‑holder, and it's the crucial moment of the spring examinations; they dare not openly strike at me."

"As for Brother An, he is kind and righteous; he surely also wants to help Miss Lv. Compared to us, he is actually the safest—a foreigner in the capital of the Great Undertaking Dynasty would face consequences big or small if something happened, and generally no one would gamble on that."

Gu Xixi let out a heavy sigh, "Hearing your analysis, my heart feels much lighter."

At that moment, An Qinghe and Lv Jing returned.

Because Gu Xixi and Jiang Mingyuan had been whispering, only the two of them could hear their conversation.

An Qinghe walked over, gave Jiang Mingyuan a pat, and eyed him suspiciously, "What were you and Gu Xixi talking about?"

"You two were chatting so animatedly—why did you stop as soon as I and Miss Lv came over?"

Jiang Mingyuan smiled, giving no sign that he had just been discussing a life-or-death topic.

"Gu Xixi asked me to roughly calculate how many more days until we reach the capital."

Gu Xixi calmly agreed, "Yes, I think we should speed up and arrive as soon as possible."

An Qinghe plopped down, "I just came back from the Houyuan stables, ran into Miss Lu, and I think the same."

"That bastard deserves to die; letting him live another day is already a leniency. Moreover..."

He looked left and right, lowered his voice, "The way the local County Office is acting shows that bastard definitely has official backing; we still need to hurry and be more cautious on this journey."

"We also need to change how we address each other; no using names directly."

Jiang Mingyuan and Gu Xixi exchanged a smiling glance.

An Qinghe said displeasedly, "You two stop flirting; I'm still sitting here!"

Gu Xixi broke into a cold sweat, "You really can't stay serious for even a few sentences!"

Jiang Mingyuan said, "Brother An, Gu Xixi and I were just saying that you are both righteous and intelligent, so you will surely sincerely help Miss Lu… this young lady."

"Just now, Brother An's words confirmed what we thought. I, Jiang, am impressed!"