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Chapter 542: The Emperor, the Four Directions Move (asking for monthly tickets)
When he learned of the emperor's order, Wei Yiwen lowered his eyes and the old prime minister became silent. He wanted to restrain the emperor, but although this emperor was willful and willful, he still had the royal power and reputation.

Now at the front, Grand Tutor Jiang Su is confronting Qin Emperor Li Guanyi, and the war is not over yet.

Although there has never been a truly violent conflict between the two sides, small-scale confrontations have never stopped.

The two sides were like martial arts masters, constantly testing each other.

Once the opponent reveals a fatal blow, a decisive blow will occur. In other words, the real war that will lead to world peace will not be too far away. Wei Yiwen has anticipated this situation.

Originally, the reason why the nations could maintain a balance with each other for so long was because of the checks and balances of all parties and because of the art of diplomacy. Now, there are only two nations left in the world, and both have reasons to fight.

Qin Emperor Li Guan was rich and powerful at the time, but his only problem as a king was that he had no children.

Apart from this, he can almost be compared with the wise kings of all dynasties in history books. The pillar of Daying State, Grand Tutor Jiang Su, is already old. For the Qin Emperor, realizing his ambitions after unifying the world is his greatest wish.

But for Jiang Su, it was really too late to delay any longer.

After Jiang Wanxiang's death, the two countries entered into a situation of confrontation, which was originally an extremely unstable state. Counting from the time of Jiang Wanxiang's death, it might take a year, or several years, but no more than ten years, for the world to be unified.

It was just that Jiang Su's low-cost way of training troops on the front lines gave Jiang Yuan an illusion, making the young emperor feel that the cost of the war on the front lines was not actually that great for such a big country.

"Stupid, stupid!"

"Fool!"

Wei Yiwen clenched his fist and slammed it on the table, causing it to vibrate and the cups to make a slight sound. He said, "How hateful! Even the incompetent rulers of the previous dynasty could not have such means as you. Do you have an endless desire, Jiang Yuan?"

Jiang Wanxiang has already cleaned out the entrenched families and forces.

But perhaps it was precisely because this experienced monarch swept away those old aristocratic party and government forces that would surely entangle and bind the new era like vines and use the new monarch as a puppet to suck his blood.

No one knew where these things came from, and they were not worthy of being talked and laughed with by the aristocratic families in the past. Now they have come out.

At this time, Wei Yiwen even thought that His Majesty had eliminated those old forces too thoroughly. In the past, these jesters who jumped around like grasshoppers could never get past the test of the aristocratic families.

"Your Majesty, did you expect all this?"

Wei Yiwen sighed.

He thought that compared to the king who was completely controlled by the powerful families, these jesters who were like weeds and autumn cicadas, had no roots and only knew how to flatter, might be easier to deal with.

Jiang Wanxiang and Wei Yiwen had both witnessed the era of aristocratic families with their own eyes. They knew full well how terrifyingly complicated the situation was. Even kings and royal families were controlled to some extent by these aristocratic families.

Through marriage alliances and clan connections, the maternal families of those outstanding princes became their support, and the fight for the throne among the princes was simply a brutal battle between the entire world and the aristocratic families of the country.

It is the so-called common world.

In that era, outstanding illegitimate sons of the royal family were easily dissolved in water.

For them, although eradicating the huge forces that were deeply rooted in the past would definitely bring new troubles, it was something that had to be done. Even Wei Yiwen himself did not take these jesters who were like floating duckweed seriously at the moment.

"If His Majesty wants to play, then let him play."

Wei Yiwen quietly influenced the construction of this so-called canal.

Of course he agreed to the emperor's request.

However, the experience gained over the past few decades had quietly affected the progress of the entire matter. It would take at least 20 years to dig the canal and complete it completely. Facing the king, he could not force him by force.

You can only use this one tactic: "drag".

He just hoped that the matter with the God of War Jiang Su would end quickly. At the same time, he barely took on the government affairs of the court and would spend at least half of the time in a month sleeping overnight in the office.

It was barely able to maintain the operation of the Daying State.

At least there is no sign of collapse.

But somehow, it still reached Jiang Yuan's ears. Jiang Yuan was angry and shook his head, saying, "Old man, how dare you take advantage of my youth and play such tricks here!"

He paced back and forth, but then said: "How dare a humble official like me show off my power here? You don't know your own limitations!"

In the autumn of the third year of Daye, Emperor Yingdi Jiang Yuan led 3,000 cavalrymen to inspect the large canal. Because the bridge was not completed, he personally executed the Dushui envoy Huang Gen and nine supervisors.

After a few days, the bridge was completed and the road was opened.

They continued on their journey, and the governor Qiu He presented them with fine food, which was extremely delicious. When they arrived at Mayi, the governor Yang Kuo was incorruptible and had no delicacies or beauties to offer them.

Jiang Yuan was displeased, so he promoted Qiu He and moved Yang Kuoping to a bitter and cold place.

Therefore, there were especially many people offering gifts along the way.

Many ministers knew that if they did not put in enough effort to do these things, when the emperor's blade came down, it would not be a problem to chop them off with one blow, and even their entire family would be in danger.

And if you serve His Majesty well, you will be promoted.

It was just a simple trip, but Wei Yiwen's preparations were easily affected. For many ministers, they only had to execute the orders of His Majesty, which was not a difficult thing to do.

If the progress is slowed down, lives may be in danger.

Even if everyone knows that such things are only for the emperor's luxury and enjoyment, and if they follow the emperor's wishes, it will probably be of no benefit to the world, few people will use their own lives to persuade him.

Why bother with such a small salary every month!

Death is very scary.

But rewards, promotions, and endless wealth are so tempting.

Therefore, all the ministers and officials showed their courage and bravery.

Wei Yiwen's trick was easily defeated by Jiang Yuan. The old prime minister remained silent for a long time, looked up to the sky and sighed. He knew that Jiang Yuan was not a brainless person, but his energy was not focused on his country.

They were all used to suppress and control the officials.

It’s not that Wei Yiwen is not a match for the emperor, but he, Wei Yiwen, is ultimately in a lower position in the world. To influence and control the one in power from a subordinate, the effort and means required are incomparable.

On that day, Qin Yulong decided to take Xue Peijun and the children away from Ying State.

He has become discouraged.

However, Qin Yulong was away from the border for too long and was eventually discovered. Someone wrote a letter and delivered it to the court. Jiang Yuan was furious and issued an imperial decree to escort Qin Yulong and his wife to the court. Only then did Qin Yulong realize that there were probably many Jiang Yuan's spies in the border army.

He Ruo captured the tiger, Wei Yiwen and others tried their best to protect Qin Yulong.

Jiang Yuan became more and more angry. He threw the jade in his hand onto the court and said angrily, "He is a general at the border, but he left his post without permission and abandoned the army at the border. What is Qin Yulong trying to do?!"

"Are you going to hand over all of our Great Ying Kingdom's borders to Li Guanyi?!"

"Or should we also hand over those many brave soldiers to him?!"

Wei Yiwen remained silent for a long time.

Even this old man who has been in the officialdom for his whole life couldn't help but curse, but you don't know why Qin Yulong came back! ?
Even so, he still felt resentful towards Qin Yulong in his heart, thinking that Qin Yulong had gone too far by doing such a ridiculous thing for a woman.

However, he also knew how much weight a famous general of the eighth level, who was almost certain to win against other famous generals of the eighth level, had in such a situation.

He did not approve of Qin Yulong's approach and choice.

As a woman, the worst that can happen is that I marry a princess as compensation.

However, he valued Qin Yulong's importance and said, "General Qin Yulong, there are reasons for this. Moreover, the general is very smart and has made great plans. There has been no war at the border, and the country has not been lost."

"Your Majesty, please give General Qin Yulong a light punishment for his hard work and contributions in the war for the country."

Jiang Yuan said: "The important affairs of the country and family cannot be erased by the word 'merit'!"

"All the powerful officials who were beheaded in the past dynasties had made contributions to their country. Why, don't they deserve to die?"

"Can the previous efforts and the consequences be offset?!"

"Your official titles and wealth are all granted by your family and country. It is natural for you to be loyal to your country and do your duty. However, such a serious offense is against your emperor, father, and prime minister. It is inappropriate to be charged with disrespect for something you should have done."

Wei Yiwen knew that Jiang Yuan was warning him.

The old prime minister fell silent, and seemed to be struggling over whether to protect Qin Yulong.

Jiang Yuan suddenly asked: "How old is the Prime Minister now?"

Wei Yiwen said: "He is already eighty-six."

Emperor Ying Jiang Yuan said with emotion: "The Prime Minister is also eighty-six years old. He has worked diligently for our great Ying State for sixty years. His hard work and contributions are great. He deserves the posthumous title of Wen Zheng."

Wei Yiwen opened his mouth, then fell silent.

He is already gray-haired, and is no longer one of those martial arts masters who are found among countless people. His life span is not that long. He is not greedy for beauty, does not indulge in enjoyment, does not love the desire of food, and does not like the music of stringed instruments.

But, this name.

For Wei Yiwen, who was in his twenties at that time, he was full of vigor and passion, and he could confront Tan Tai Xian Ming and laugh and scold him for being crude, radical and unworthy of the orthodox way!
At that time, he didn't care about the fame and would only do the right thing.

But he is old, he is too old.

The high spirits of youth have disappeared, and the passion in the chest of youth has gradually cooled. What the old eyes see is only the disappearance of old friends and the disgrace of colleagues after their deaths.

What he saw was the Red Emperor, the Great Khan, Chen Dingye, the Shenwu King, and even the heroic Jiang Wanxiang, all of whom had passed away one by one. The more this happened, the more he felt a sense of fear, and even a sense of emptiness.

The word "fame" is too tempting for this old man who has been studying all his life.

In particular, he didn't even know if he could see the year when the world would finally be at peace. Perhaps he would have died before Jiang Su and Emperor Qin decided the winner. Then, this word...

Wen Zheng.

It is the highest posthumous title for a civil official.

Wei Yiwen remained silent. Jiang Yuan lowered his eyes slightly and waved his hand nonchalantly, asking the official next to him to read the imperial edict. It turned out that the concubine who was originally His Highness was made the empress, and the concubine's surname was He Ruo.

That is He Ruoqinhu's daughter.

Wei Yiwen remained silent, looking at the old general with his eyes closed. He was a man of many merits and achievements. The old general had his eyes closed, and it seemed that he could not see the splendor, brightness and grandeur of the palace.

Wei Yiwen suddenly remembered that the queen was pregnant.

They were all people who had been in official circles, and they understood everything in an instant.

Have you also been won over, He Ruo...

Is this the reason why He Ruoqinhu stood more and more firmly beside His Majesty? Empress, a relative by marriage, if the Empress gave birth to a son, the future emperor would be He Ruoqinhu's grandson.

Thus, a new great family and clan was about to be born. Wei Yiwen suddenly felt a huge tearing sensation, and he felt a strong sense of shame from the bottom of his heart. This sense of shame made him dizzy and made him want to step forward and stop everything that was about to happen.

But for some reason, I couldn't take a step forward.

Just like this, in such a confrontation between self and self, today's court meeting ended, and His Majesty sent soldiers out to capture Qin Yulong. He might not kill this famous general, but he would definitely keep him under his control.

Wei Yiwen walked out slowly.

He looked at the world and the court outside with a dazed expression, and He Ruoqinhu over there was the same. They stood here, looking at the hall, watching the officials in scarlet and purple official uniforms lined up and walking away like ants lined up on the ground.

Right at their feet.

Wei Yiwen was in a trance and speechless. With the attitude of an old man, he clearly watched himself walk here and made his own choice. He struggled a lot when making the choice, but after making the choice, he calmed down.

Even subconsciously calculating in my mind——

The Qin Emperor and Grand Tutor Jiang Su may not be able to determine the winner. If the Grand Tutor wins and the Daying State is stable, he will surely gain such a great reputation. If the Grand Tutor loses, then no matter whether he follows the orders of the previous emperor Jiang Wanxiang or not, his fate will not be much different.

How to choose? This is not a difficult choice.

However, if you want to protect yourself when the Grand Master wins, you still have to do one thing...

Ensure that Emperor Ying, Jiang Yuan, will not be deposed.

With the same stance, he looked at He Ruo who was catching the tiger over there. Neither of them could say that people had complex temperaments and would never change. In fact, under the dual influence of such extreme danger and extreme temptation, drastic changes would occur.

As long as they are still pursuing fame, profit, and even as long as they are still eager to protect their children.

The essence of the aristocratic family will never disappear.

It is not a specific enemy. Once killed, it will not be resurrected.

Wei Yiwen used to be very eloquent, but today he can't say a word.

I just feel that the power of the big aristocratic families that the late emperor worked hard to wipe out in the past few years has come back to life in these three years, through myself and He Ruoqinhu.

It was obvious that I put a lot of effort into it and killed so many people with blood.

But it can be reproduced in three years.

It was just like a blood-sucking vine that had taken root in the imperial court.

It can’t be killed, it can’t be destroyed, it can’t be eradicated!

Wei Yiwen could have given himself a reason for his choice. Even if Jiang Gao ascended the throne, new and powerful families would emerge. Even under Li Guanyi's command, new and powerful families would emerge. This was something that was almost impossible to avoid.

Therefore, what he did was only natural.

After a long time, He Ruoqinhu said, "The wind is so cool today."

Wei Yiwen forced a smile and said, "Yes."

Neither of them was in the mood to talk, and they couldn't tell others about the complicated feelings in their hearts, because they were heroes who followed Jiang Wanxiang to wipe out those old stubborn things.

But at this moment these things are revived from them.

Guilt? Or unwillingness, or maybe, you are convincing yourself with various excuses in your heart.

So they don't want to talk.

Wei Yiwen suddenly smiled and said, "Oh, even in such a situation today, General Yuwen still hasn't come. His Majesty has clearly summoned him..."

He Ruoqinhu nodded.

Wei Yiwen looked at the sky, this time with a complex feeling, a sigh, and even a hint of envy, and whispered:
"It's really... Qingao."

"Yuwen Lie."

When Emperor Ying Jiang Yuan wanted to capture Qin Yulong.

King Zhao Jiang Gao made the decision without hesitation. He used his connections and background, took great risks, and escorted Qin Yulong and his family out of the city. He also saw them off personally. When Qin Yulong and his family came out, they saw Jiang Gao standing under the pavilion and were stunned.

Qin Yulong stepped forward and saluted, "Your Highness, why are you here?"

Jiang Gao forced a smile and said, "General Qin is leaving, how can I not come and see him off?"

There was a lot of sadness and parting here. Xue Peijun held the five or six-year-old child and was unwilling to talk. Jiang Gao looked at the child and exchanged a few words, but the child seemed to be very shy and just turned his head away.

Jiang Gao had a complicated look on his face. He bent down, looked at the child, and said with a smile, "The road ahead is long. You must protect your mother."

The child nodded.

Jiang Gao thought about it, took off the jade pendant from his waist and stuffed it into the child. Qin Yulong was shocked and said, "Your Highness, this is not allowed!"

Jiang Gao raised his hand to stop Qin Yulong, and just reached out to touch the child's hair, saying: "When I was young, I was in poor health. My mother personally asked for this peace jade for me, so that I could live a peaceful life. I also hope that this child can be safe."

"You two can be safe too."

Qin Yulong just sighed. Jiang Gao asked someone to bring some wine and said, "General, you are going on a long journey. Please drink this wine." Qin Yulong looked at the sincere Jiang Gao, then at the wine cup. When he stretched out his hand, Xue Peijun grabbed his sleeve.

Qin Yulong's palm paused.

I saw my wife shaking her head.

Now that the two countries are in conflict, the tenth general in the world will have to leave his homeland. Who dares to drink the wine at this time?

Jiang Gao's eyes were bitter. He smiled and said, "My sister-in-law did the right thing. It was Gao who thought too badly." He took out the wine, drank a glass himself, and then poured the second glass on the ground, saying, "I wish the general good health."

He was silent for a moment and brushed his clothes.

The former prince half-knelt down to Qin Yulong. Qin Yulong was shocked and held Jiang Gao's arm with his hand, saying, "Your Highness, what do you mean?!"

Jiang Gao said: "General, you have come this far for your country, but you have to leave unjustly. Gao, I cannot seek justice for you, so this is the only way."

Qin Yulong whispered, "When I abandoned the army and returned, I had already realized this. My wife and I are both people of the martial arts world. However, I have received the kindness of the late emperor..."

He looked at Jiang Gao, subconsciously exerting force with his arms, and said, "Jiang Yuan, the Second Prince knows people's hearts. He has such intelligence and wisdom, but he doesn't think about the country, but only about himself!"

"If this continues, Daying will be destroyed in his hands. If Your Highness is determined to save the country, you only need to raise your arms and call for help. Yulong and General Yuwen will definitely be your left and right arms. Then we will be able to restore order and protect the country!"

"Your Highness!"

Jiang Gao's expression paused slightly. He thought of Jiang Yuan's ridiculous behavior in the past few years, and a hint of struggle appeared on his face.

But in the end, the struggling expression calmed down.

Jiang Gao's clenched hands loosened, and he sighed, "This is tantamount to treason. Forcing my brother to abdicate... Gao can't do it. Besides, with my temper, I'm afraid I'll have a conflict with the Grand Tutor."

Qin Yulong looked at Jiang Gao and sighed for a long time. Finally, he withdrew his arm in disappointment. Without saying anything, he left with his wife and children. Fifty miles away, he saw a man in front of him with his arms around a heavy spear and his back against a tree.

Qin Yulong said: "General Yuwen!"

Yuwen Lie said nothing and just raised his hand and threw it.

A wine jar flew over and Qin Yulong raised his hand to grab it.

This time there was no doubt at all, and a smile appeared on his tired face. He broke the seal without hesitation and drank the wine. Yuwen Lie also drank. The two gods drank the liquor in one breath.

Yuwen Lie did not say any farewell words, but just raised his spear and said:
"If you want to go to Li Guanyi's place, then go."

"On the battlefield, Yuwen Lie, I will kill you first!"

Qin Yulong clasped his fists and bowed, saying: "The late emperor was very kind to me. I have just retired from the martial arts world and will never become my enemy!"

Yuwen Lie did not answer, but rode away on his horse.

It was as if he did not respond to His Majesty's invitation and galloped a hundred miles just to drink a pot of wine with Qin Yulong. After drinking, he lost interest and just galloped back.

Qin Yulong's heart was moved, and he finally spoke, "Brother Yuwen, you have a proud and arrogant personality, but in today's world, this is not a good thing. A tree that stands out in the forest will be destroyed by the wind, and a person who is superior to others will be criticized by others."

"Brother Yuwen, take care of yourself!"

He shouted, but Yuwen Lie did not respond.

Qin Yulong sighed, feeling very sad. Xue Peijun was puzzled and said:
"So sad?"

Qin Yulong replied: "I don't know how he sees me, but among all the people I have made friends with, only Brother Yuwen can be called my best friend in life."

Xue Peijun was puzzled: "You didn't have much friendship with him in the past, did you?"

After a long time, Qin Yulong replied:

“The relationship between people is not determined by time.”

Yuwen Lie rode back on his horse, and saw only the majestic and solemn imperial city of Ying State.

When he returned to Yu Wen's house, he found a scroll of imperial edict.

Without even a glance, just a step.

Burn it and cook wine.

…………

In the winter of the third year of Daye, Jiang Yuan controlled the court in his own way. All officials flattered him. The Grand Tutor Jiang Su and the Qin Emperor were in confrontation, and the frequency of confrontations became lower. There were signs that two large cities were being built here.

Yuan Shitong and Xue Tianxing are still outside the Northern Territory.

They received a letter asking them to stay here and not leave easily.

Although they didn't understand why, they still waited.

On this day, the weather was windy.

A young man who looked gentle and simple finally arrived here.

Yuan Shitong and Xue Tianxing went to greet him and said, "The gentleman is finally here."

"Don't know what to call me?"

On the northeastern edge of Da Ying State, the gentle and simple young man showed a trustworthy smile:
"I am Yan Daiqing."

(End of this chapter)