They've all become top scholars in the imperial examinations, and you're telling me this i

Chapter 33 The Sound in My Ear

Wei Zheng's last words were like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples in Chen Guangrui's heart. His mind raced, and a guess suddenly became clear.

"Master Wei,"

Chen Guangrui's gaze became unusually focused, fixed intently on Wei Zheng.

"You just mentioned that 'voice'... what exactly was it? What was it saying? Or rather, how did it make you 'feel' that you had to do it?"

Wei Zheng frowned, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the edge of the table, as if trying to grasp that vague feeling.

“I can’t quite put my finger on it… It was a strange feeling. It wasn’t like someone was actually speaking in my ear. It was more like… more like a thought I had known for a long time, forgotten, and now it had resurfaced, crystal clear. Telling me that this memorial should be done this way, that it should be done right now, and there was no other way. There was no reason, I just knew it.”

This description almost confirmed Chen Guangrui's guess. Instead of pointing it out, he pressed for more information.
"In your opinion, Lord Wei, how can we bring back this 'forgotten' feeling? Or, how can we make this thought clearer?"

Wei Zheng shook his head bitterly, his face showing obvious signs of exhaustion.
"I can't quite explain it either. I just feel that this memorial is the key right now. Although the road ahead is full of thorns and the whole court is full of enemies, if this memorial can be successful... it's as if there's a glimmer of hope in the darkness. But it will be difficult to succeed, so we need to think it over again and make sure it's done carefully."

He tapped the table. "That memorial concerns war; we can't approach the Prince of Qin's residence, otherwise it will definitely not work. However..."

Although he was driven by that inexplicable premonition, and although he appeared impulsive, his years of caution prevented him from being careless in the slightest.

Chen Guangrui understood.

Wei Zheng's sense of destiny as a "human official" was awakened by some force, but was suppressed by his own caution.

He nodded, echoing Wei Zheng's concerns.

"Lord Wei is absolutely right. Avoiding the old merits of the Qin Prince's mansion and finding a valiant general who can truly shoulder this responsibility is indeed the key to the success or failure of this battle. In such a vast court, such a commander-in-chief... is indeed rare. However,"

He changed the subject, his tone becoming somewhat serious.

"This matter concerns the fate of the nation. Guangrui will certainly do his utmost to help you understand the situation and perhaps find some clues or avenues."

"Consider this?" A complex expression flashed in Wei Zheng's eyes, a mixture of hidden expectation for Chen Guangrui's insightful abilities and, more so, disbelief and seriousness.
"Scholar Chen, I understand your thoughts. However, the officialdom in the capital is unfathomable, especially during this time of transition. The Qin Prince's mansion's foundation is far deeper and more intricate than we can see. A slight misstep could lead to utter destruction in an instant. This matter cannot be easily resolved with assistance. As you are new to this system, you must be cautious in everything you do, remain skeptical of all matters, and remember to be careful with your words and actions! Do not be misled by appearances."

He was reminding Chen Guangrui, and also reminding himself. This water is too murky; how much can a young top scholar see clearly? And how much can he change?

He thought Chen Guangrui was just acting on a whim and wanted to show off, so he didn't take it too seriously.

The two spoke in hushed tones for a while longer. Although the sense of destiny that had been forcibly awakened in Wei Zheng's heart had not dissipated, the numerous obstacles in front of him made him choose to remain cautious.

He sighed wearily, straightened his faded official robe, rose to take his leave, and

"It's late, I should be going. Scholar Chen, consider today's words as a private conversation, do not mention them to outsiders."

Chen Guangrui escorted Wei Zheng to the gate of the post station. The night was deep, and all was quiet outside the post station. However, standing in the shadows of the porch was a man named Zhang Changling.

He didn't stand outside the hall where Wei Zheng and Chen Guangrui were chatting. Instead, he stood at a considerable distance, and as soon as Wei Zheng came out, his face immediately plastered with an extremely obsequious smile. He limped forward quickly, bowed deeply, and spoke in a hurried yet sweet voice.
"Student Changling greets Lord Wei! Lord Wei has worked so hard for the country, and your visit so late at night is truly a model for me! Please take care and stay healthy!" Wei Zheng was preoccupied with his own thoughts at the moment. Facing this second-place scholar who had spread rumors about him during the day but was now so obsequious at night, he felt only annoyance and disgust.

His expression was cold and stern. He only gave a deep "hmm" from his nose as a response, and without pausing his steps, he didn't even bother to look at Zhang Changling. He got into the carriage and quickly disappeared into the night.

As Wei Zheng's carriage drove away, the smile on Zhang Changling's face quickly faded, replaced by a look of inquiry.

He immediately turned around, limped over to Chen Guangrui, and whispered cautiously,

"Brother Chen, Brother Chen! Just now... just now was that Lord Wei, the Registrar?"

Chen Guangrui looked at him calmly. "It's Lord Wei. Brother Zhang, you fell quite hard. Why aren't you resting so late?"

"Ugh, the pain is so bad I can't sleep!"

Zhang Changling grinned exaggeratedly, then his eyes darted around. He leaned closer, lowered his voice, and spoke with an air of intimate sharing of a secret.

"Brother Chen, you and Lord Wei had a very pleasant conversation, didn't you? He's a new favorite of the Crown Prince... no, His Highness, and now he's the Chief Clerk of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. His position isn't high, but his power is immense! If you can get close to him, your future is sure to be bright!"

He started by offering a compliment.

Then, he changed the subject, his face showing worry and mystery.
"However, Brother Chen, you are new here and may not know this. The capital is rife with intrigue and danger! I've heard some rumors that the old meritorious officials of the Prince of Qin's mansion are extremely dissatisfied with His Highness's favoritism towards the former Crown Prince's... oh, now we should call him the Hidden Crown Prince's men, such as Lord Wei! They believe that His Highness conquered the country, so why should the Hidden Crown Prince's men occupy these positions?"

He glanced around, lowered his voice even further, and spoke with the excitement of an informant.

"I just heard some unpleasant things, I don't know if they're true or not, but I'll give Brother Chen a heads-up. It's said that the Grand Secretary, Lord Changsun, is quite displeased with His Majesty's promotion of the Crown Prince's old subordinates, and is looking for a pretext to reduce the real power and authority these people hold!"

"And then there's General Cheng. He has a few men under his command who used to serve the Crown Prince, and now they're being given the cold shoulder every day. I heard that last night they were inexplicably given several difficult tasks, and they're having a really tough time."

"What's even more serious is that there are rumors that the Vice Minister Gao Shilian is planning to transfer some of the personal guards who were originally responsible for protecting Lord Wei from the Imperial Guard! Isn't this blatantly undermining Lord Wei's protective shield? Tsk tsk... the capital is a deep and dangerous place!"

After Zhang Changling finished speaking, he made a gesture as if to say, "Look how well-informed I am," while at the same time subtly revealing an expression of "I'm scared too," as if implying to Chen Guangrui that he should reconsider his stance.

After listening, Chen Guangrui remained calm on the surface, but inwardly he sneered. These people had indeed started targeting Wei Zheng, and their methods were quite direct.

Looking at Zhang Changling's expression, he deliberately tugged at the corners of his mouth, revealing an expression that was half joking and half serious, and said clearly,

"Oh? Hearing what you say, Brother Zhang... it seems that clinging to Lord Wei's 'thigh' is indeed too risky. In that case, we can't put all our eggs in one basket. Tomorrow I need to be on my toes and think carefully about how to cling to Prime Minister Yin's even stronger 'thigh'. Perhaps, a marriage proposal is the real way to secure a stable and wealthy life."

After he finished speaking, without waiting for Zhang Changling to say anything more, he patted him on the shoulder and turned to walk straight to his room, leaving Zhang Changling standing there, both in pain and trying to figure out the real intention behind the joke.

Zhang Changling watched Chen Guangrui's decisive departure, clutching his arm that had been slapped, his expression shifting between light and dark.

He waited here specifically tonight, fearing that Chen Guangrui and Wei Zheng's alliance was too deep and he would be implicated. Now that the news has leaked out, is Chen Guangrui's statement... genuinely annoyed by Wei Zheng's misfortune and a desire to curry favor with Yin Kaishan, or... just a way of placating Zhang Changling?

(End of this chapter)