Chapter 66
There was a moment of silence.
Lu Ze looked at him for a moment, then smiled. “From what you mean, brother, it doesn’t seem like you’re joking.”
The green-robed young master smiled and said, “With the Marquis of Weibei around, and you also being an official in the Hanlin Academy, you would have more channels to get news.” He paused, then said with some ambiguity, “After all, not everyone is so lucky as to be able to get the position of Tanhualang from a ranking of dozens in the provincial examination, and directly enter the Hanlin Academy.”
Lu Ze held the teacup and shook it, and said, “That’s also true.” He looked up and said slowly, “Besides being outstanding in literary talent, a Tanhualang also needs to be exceptionally handsome. For someone like you, brother, it would be in vain to want this position of Tanhualang.”
The green-robed young master stood up in anger. “Lu Ze, what do you mean by this?”
Lu Ze looked at him lightly and smiled with contempt. “It’s just a joke. Why do you have to act like this, brother?”
The green-robed young master’s breathing was rapid, and he shouted sternly, “Lu Ze, don’t think you can be so arrogant just because you have the Marquis of Weibei backing you! Love fades with beauty, and those who serve with their looks will not last long!”
There was a dead silence. Yan Weijing’s brows were tightly furrowed. Just as he was about to say something, he suddenly heard a clear and cold voice from not far away. “What are you talking about?”
Everyone looked back and saw a young master in a moon-white long robe walking over. His features were deep and distinct, but the scar at the end of his eyebrow added a bit of a sharp and unapproachable meaning to him.
Others didn’t recognize him, but Yan Weijing had seen him come to pick up Lu Ze from work. He quickly stood up and bowed. “This subordinate greets the Marquis.”
Everyone was shocked and also stood up. The sound of greetings was bustling for a moment, and only the green-robed young master’s face was a little pale.
Lu Ze’s expression softened slightly. He strode over to greet him and asked in a gentle voice, “Why are you here?”
Wei Yan looked at him. “I’ve been waiting for a long time and didn’t see you, so I came to look for you.”
His gaze swept over the group of people, and his voice was slightly cold. “What were you talking about just now? What won’t last long?”
Everyone was silent, and the green-robed young master’s forehead was covered in cold sweat, and he couldn’t help but swallow.
He dared to confront Lu Ze to his face, but that didn’t mean he dared to provoke this famous Marquis of Weibei.
Wei Yan didn’t get an answer, and his expression was slightly dark. “Do you want me to ask again?”
A group of people were silent, and their gazes were faintly on the green-robed young master.
The man swallowed and gritted his teeth. He took a step forward and said, “Replying to the Marquis, it was I who said it.”
He only hoped that he hadn’t heard everything they had said.
Wei Yan’s gaze fell lightly on him, his eyes cold and dark, and he said slowly, “Serving with looks will not last long?”
The green-robed young master’s breathing hitched. “This subordinate—”
Before he could speak, Wei Yan said, “What’s your name?”
The man said in a muffled voice, “This subordinate… Li Wenxiu.”
Wei Yan: “Where do you work?”
He stammered, “The… the Ministry of Revenue, on duty.”
“The Ministry of Revenue?” Wei Yan glanced at him. “It’s a good place.”
Before Li Wenxiu could relax, he heard Wei Yan say, “It’s just a pity that for someone like you, I’m afraid you won’t be able to stay in the Ministry of Revenue for long.”
Li Wenxiu’s face suddenly changed. Just as he was about to say something, Wei Yan had no intention of listening to him. He held Lu Ze’s hand and was about to turn and leave. “I’ve been waiting for you for a long time, and you’ve wasted your time on these people?”
“I’ve already told you that if anyone dares to say anything in front of you, you don’t have to care. Just tell me. Why do you have to waste your breath on them now?”
Lu Ze had a smile on his face. “I didn’t care either. It’s a good thing you came in time.”
Hearing this, Li Wenxiu’s face became even more ugly. The fear of being dismissed had already overcome his fear of Wei Yan, and he hurriedly took two steps forward. “Marquis! You can’t do this!”
Wei Yan’s steps paused. He looked back, and Li Wenxiu’s face was ugly. He said with courage, “I have not made a mistake. You can’t say such things for no reason, Marquis.”
“Made a mistake?” Wei Yan looked him up and down and said with contempt, “There are many capable people in the Ministry of Revenue. You don’t need to make a mistake. Having no achievements is the biggest mistake.”
The top three in the imperial examination could directly enter the Hanlin Academy. The second and third ranks had to go through a court examination before they could be assigned to a position. Although this Li Wenxiu had been lucky enough to enter the Ministry of Revenue, if he couldn’t make any real achievements, in the end, he would also be demoted to a local magistrate.
Li Wenxiu clenched his fists. In a fit of anger, the words came out of his mouth without thinking. “If you’re talking about having no achievements, aren’t you the most deserving, Marquis?”
Lu Ze’s gaze swept over, his eyes dark.
Everyone was also surprised.
Li Wenxiu regretted it as soon as he said it, but since it had already happened, he couldn’t take it back. He could only say tit for tat, “I heard that the envoy of the Western Qin had said yesterday that he wanted to have a marriage alliance with you, Marquis, to establish a good relationship between the two countries. If you are truly dedicated to the people, how can you indulge in personal feelings? Why not agree? The border can also be stable with fewer wars, and the people and soldiers can also suffer less.”
Everyone gasped. Lu Ze’s expression suddenly turned cold, and he said, “You have a narrow view and are a frog in a well. I know that people have their differences, but I didn’t expect that among the jinshi, there would be such a fool!”
“Not to mention that the Marquis of Weibei has made outstanding military achievements and commands the entire army to defend the border. If he goes for a marriage alliance, who will the people on the border be handed over to? A good-for-nothing like you? Just saying that this matter was decided by the emperor, and it was also approved by the emperor. For you to say these things here, are you dissatisfied with me, or are you dissatisfied with the emperor?”
Li Wenxiu’s face was pale. Lu Ze added, “Since you are so concerned about the people on the border, why don’t I go and ask the emperor now to send you to the princess of the Western Qin? It is rumored that the princess of the Western Qin is very fond of men, especially gentle and refined scholars. It is a marriage alliance. If my Great Zhou sends a jinshi over, on the one hand, it will show our importance, and on the other hand, it can also suit the princess’s preferences.”
Li Wenxiu’s face turned the color of a pig’s liver. “Lu Ze, don’t you dare to insult me here!”
“Insult? A matter for the country and the people, how did it become an insult in your mouth, Master Li?” Lu Ze said coldly, his gaze on him cold. “A person who sits in a well and looks at the sky can hardly see the vastness of the sky. You should not speak so casually in the future, Master Li, so as not to make others laugh.”
There was a dead silence. Li Wenxiu’s face was pale and then red, but he couldn’t say anything more.
Lu Ze held Wei Yan’s hand, turned his head and restrained his sharpness, and said in a gentle voice, “Let’s go.”
Wei Yan’s gaze swept over casually, obviously not taking that person to heart. He was about to turn and leave, but he suddenly heard a burst of applause from the peach forest not far away. “Wonderful, truly wonderful.”
Lu Ze’s steps paused. He looked back and saw Yelu Qi slowly walk out from between the swaying peach branches, followed by two attendants. He clapped his hands and said, “You are so eloquent, Master Lu. I have seen it for myself.”
Lu Ze’s face was unchanged. He just said, “It is said that the men of the Western Qin are bold and straightforward, and open and aboveboard. Could it be that they are open and aboveboard in eavesdropping on others’ conversations?”
Yelu Qi shrugged. “You are truly wronging me, Master Lu. I just happened to pass by here and happened to hear these words. I did not hide, so how can it be said that I was eavesdropping?”
It was a rare holiday. Lu Ze was not willing to say much more to him. Hearing this, he just said, “In that case, then I will apologize to you, fifth prince. I hope you have a good time.”
Yelu Qi did not expect him to react like this and said, “I have just arrived and am not very familiar with this place. Shouldn’t you show me around, Master Lu?”
Lu Ze glanced at him. “You may not know, fifth prince, but today is a holiday for the officials of the Great Zhou.”
Yelu Qi raised an eyebrow. Lu Ze said, “Today, we will not deal with official business. If you have any requests, fifth prince, please wait until tomorrow.”
Yelu Qi’s face twisted for a moment, and then he forced himself to calm down. He fixed his gaze on Wei Yan and said, “After all, we have met. Are you two really so heartless?”
Lu Ze glanced at him strangely, then let out a light laugh. “I thought that for you, fifth prince, it would be best if we had never met.”
Yelu Qi’s eyes sharpened, and then he regained his composure and said, “You also said, Master Lu, that public is public. I have come here to play today, and it is just a private trip.”
Lu Ze and Wei Yan looked at each other and just said, “In that case, please do as you please, fifth prince.”
As soon as his voice fell, the two of them left together, and Yelu Qi also followed behind them, leaving only a group of scholars, looking at each other.
Yan Weijing did not want to stay any longer, said goodbye, and turned to leave.
The group of people walked all the way to the place where the carriage was parked. Yelu Qi glanced around and tutted. “I was thinking of going into the forest to see if there were any animals, and I could have a full meal. But I didn’t expect that in such a large forest, there wasn’t even a single rabbit.”
Lu Ze sat cross-legged on the silk cloth that was covered with pastries. Hearing this, he said, “Fanglin Mountain is for enjoying the scenery. Naturally, we have to ensure the safety of the visitors. If you want to go hunting, fifth prince, you can just mention it to His Majesty, and someone will naturally arrange it.”
Yelu Qi sat opposite the two of them and, without being polite, grabbed a handful of pastries to eat, and raised an eyebrow. “The Great Zhou is indeed prosperous. There is even such a place for entertainment.” He glanced at the peach forest behind him, and then at the pastries in his hand. “Even these pastries are exquisite and unique. In my Western Qin, there is no such good sugar to make such sweet pastries.”
Lu Ze just pretended not to understand what he was saying and just said, “If you like it, Your Highness, you can have some more.”
Yelu Qi stuffed the mung bean cake into his mouth and looked at Lu Ze. “You are a smart person, Master Lu. There are some things that I should not have to say so clearly.”
Lu Ze drank a mouthful of tea and said slowly, “Forgive me for my stupidity. I can’t understand what you mean, Your Highness.”
Yelu Qi let out a laugh. “If you are stupid, Master Lu, then there are no smart people in this world.” He looked up at the two people who were sitting side by side and said, “The Western Qin and the Great Zhou have been at war for many years, and it has caused great harm to both sides. Don’t you two want to completely end this situation?”
Lu Ze just said, “This is a matter for the masters in the court to worry about. I am just a small sixth-rank official. You are really looking for the wrong person, Your Highness.”
Yelu Qi didn’t care what he said and just said on his own, “My old man is really old. These past few years, under the instigation of those ministers, he has already begun to waver and wants to make my good brother the heir apparent. Now he has even come up with such a ridiculous method as a marriage alliance. He is simply becoming more and more muddle-headed.”
He moved a little closer and looked at the expressions of the two of them, and lowered his voice. “I won’t be disingenuous with you two. If you two are willing to help me… the moment I ascend to the throne will be the moment when a hundred years of peace between the Great Zhou and the Western Qin begins.”
Wei Yan’s expression moved slightly. He lowered his eyes and said, “Anyone can say beautiful words. If the first prince of the Western Qin were here, the words he would say would probably not be bad.”
This meant that there was a chance. Yelu Qi sat up straight and smiled. “It’s one thing to say beautiful words, but it’s another thing to be able to do it. I have come this time with sincerity.”
As he spoke, he opened one hand and said, “Five hundred fine horses. What do you think, Marquis? Is this sincerity enough?”
***
Yelu Qi did not pester them. After leaving his words, he got up and left. His whole person was well-mannered, completely different from the reckless and brainless appearance he had yesterday.
Wei Yan and Lu Ze also had no intention of continuing their spring outing. On the way back in the carriage, they discussed, “Yelu Qi is in a hurry.”
Lu Ze said, “The queen of the Western Qin has a powerful force behind her. No matter how much the King of the Western Qin dotes on Yelu Qi, he has to consider the opinions of those ministers. I’m afraid that among the envoys on this trip, there are also people of the first prince. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have only brought two servants.”
Wei Yan lowered his eyes for a moment and said, “If he’s in a hurry, then let him be.”
Although the situation was different from what they had originally imagined, the result was better than they had imagined.
Now, they were the ones who had the initiative, and Yelu Qi was the one who was asking for help.
In this way, this matter had more room for manipulation, and they could get more benefits from it.
“But this fifth prince is also a smart person. If he really takes control of the Western Qin, I’m afraid it won’t be a good thing,” Wei Yan said with some worry.
Lu Ze just said, “Even if he’s smart, he’s only so smart.”
“Besides, there are so many people in the court. As for what kind of plan to make, there are so many people to worry about.” He rubbed Wei Yan’s head and held him in his arms. “There’s still half a day left. You should think about how to spend it with me, Fulang.”
Wei Yan glared at him and said in a small voice, “You’ve been messing around for so long last night… isn’t that enough?”
Lu Ze just said, “For you, how can I ever be enough?”
***
After this matter was reported to the emperor, the opinions of the various ministers in the court were consistent with those of Lu Ze and the others: delay.
The longer they delayed, the more unbearable it would be for Yelu Qi, and the more benefits they could negotiate.
Because of this, Yelu Qi would often probe openly and secretly about this matter, but he was always fooled. He also went from being full of confidence at the beginning to becoming more and more anxious later, and his heart also fell into a state of self-doubt.
The turning point of the matter was after Yelu Qi was assassinated.
That night, in the brothel that Yelu Qi frequented, Wei Yan and Lu Ze came as invited and saw him walking back and forth in the room with a look of anxiety.
Yelu Qi quickly came forward and held Lu Ze’s shoulder with his good left hand. “My previous proposal, what are your thoughts, Master Lu?” He pointed to his seriously injured right arm and said anxiously, “You all saw the assassination today. Yelu Sun just wants me to die in the Great Zhou so that he can frame you, and then he can openly send troops again!”
“If he is allowed to succeed to the throne, there will be no peace between the Western Qin and the Great Zhou. But I am different. I can promise that as long as I am on the throne for a day, there will be no war between the Great Zhou and the Western Qin!”
“My sincerity is already there. If you think it’s not enough, we can discuss it again!”
Lu Ze and Wei Yan looked at each other imperceptibly, both with a hint of a smile in their eyes.
The fish had taken the bait.
***
As for the following matters, the various ministers in the court would worry about them. Lu Ze’s current status was far from being able to deal with such important court matters.
He only knew that in the next few days, Yelu Qi’s face slowly improved. By the time the Western Qin mission left the capital, his expression was already relaxed.
It could be seen that the negotiation result was not bad.
With the departure of the Western Qin mission, the Honglu Temple also instantly became idle.
This led to the fact that although Lu Ze held two positions, he would go out late and come back early every day, and he was not as busy as Wei Yan.
The sun was just right. Lu Ze was lying on the couch by the window, leisurely flipping through a book. Seeing this, 777 couldn’t help but speak in his mind, “Host, is this really okay?”
Lu Ze raised an eyebrow. “What’s not okay?”
777 said, “Well… the mission target is busy outside, but you’re so idle here…”
“And, Host, I feel that you’re not as diligent as you were in the previous two worlds…”
In the previous two worlds, the Host had been in a hurry to make money and open a company from the very beginning, but in this world, the Host had been here for so long, yet he was leisurely every day. Except for the period when the Western Qin mission came, it seemed that he had never done anything serious.
Lu Ze put the book in front of him and said slowly, “Silly Qi, I had to strive before because I had to. Now that my fulang has money, power, and status, what else do I have to strive for?”
777 stammered for a long time before it managed to say, “But, Host, aren’t you… living off a woman?”
Lu Ze smiled and replied, “You’re so smart, 777.”
777 was silent for a moment. “You’re still eating his food, living in his house, and spending his money…”
Lu Ze hummed in agreement, a smile flashing in his eyes. “What, is there a rule that you can’t live off a woman?”
777 held its breath. “No.”
It silently squatted in the corner of Lu Ze’s sea of consciousness and said, “As long as you’re happy, Host.”
