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Chapter 59 Information about Wei Zheng

After Zhang Changling finished speaking those heartfelt words, he looked at Chen Guangrui, his chest heaving with emotion, and a great weight was finally lifted from his heart.

Yin Xiang’s daughter should have married Chen Zhuangyuan; his previous improper thoughts were nothing but wishful thinking.

At this moment, he was going all out to speak up for Chen Guangrui in order to repay this enormous favor, feeling that he had done something extremely righteous. However, when he met Chen Guangrui's gaze, he was somewhat puzzled.

That look...

Why does he seem a little helpless? Judging from his expression, it looks like he's about to come up and kick himself a couple of times?

Zhang Changling's excitement froze instantly. He didn't understand why Brother Chen was unhappy when he was clearly helping him break the deadlock.

Chen Guangrui gritted his teeth, barely managing to squeeze out a few words.

"Zhang Bangyan...I am...truly...deeply...grateful!"

Every word felt like it had been soaked in ice water. He was furious and just wanted to leave this place full of scheming and intrigue as soon as possible.

The thought grew stronger with each passing moment. To leave Chang'an, to completely escape this murky vortex of officialdom?

But he quickly suppressed his impulse. He had only just made contact with Wei Zheng, this powerful connection to the heavens, and staying in Chang'an would make it easier to leverage his influence to extend his reach into the world of immortals.

If they were to flee far away, wouldn't they be even more exposed to the Buddhist community's gaze, becoming like a rootless duckweed?

Well, I can only suppress my frustration and take it one step at a time.

At this moment, Fang Xuanling, who had been silent all along, stepped forward, his voice steady yet carrying an undeniable power.
“Your Highness, Lord Du is absolutely right. Scholar Chen entered the Buddhist order and caused a sensation in the capital, and then immediately arranged the marriage of the Prime Minister’s daughter. If this gets out, it does seem like rash words and actions, and that he is fickle. We cannot ignore the face of the court and the reputation of the literati. It would be better to postpone this marriage until public opinion settles down and all parties are at ease before discussing it again.”

His words were earnest and eloquent, but in reality, they drove the nail of "delaying the discussion" deep into his mind.

Chen Guangrui nodded inwardly; this finishing touch still had to come from Fang Xuanling.

Recently, Li Shimin purged some people, but also let go of many former "enemies." This will inevitably take away the benefits that "should belong" to the meritorious officials of the Prince of Qin's Mansion. At this time, it is understandable that they reacted strongly.

At this point, the new crown prince can't possibly forget his old subordinates, can he?

Chen Guangrui silently chanted in his heart: Promise him, promise him!

Sure enough, Li Shimin's gaze lingered on the faces of Yin Kaishan, Chen Guangrui, and Fang Du for a moment.

The opinions of the former officials of the Prince of Qin's court had been clearly expressed; as the crown prince, he needed to balance the interests of all parties and could not force the issue. He nodded, his face revealing neither joy nor anger, but his voice carried an undeniable authority.
"Very well! Good things come to those who wait! I will now finalize the agreement between Minister Chen and the daughter of Prime Minister Yin! However, for the sake of everything, the wedding will take place in three months! Before the wedding, I hope you will both cherish yourselves and not break this agreement!"

He emphasized the word "decided" to give face to Yin Kaishan and to appease him; while "three months" was to give the meritorious officials of the Prince of Qin's Mansion a way out, and also to temporarily pull Chen Guangrui away from the center of the public opinion storm.

Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui exchanged a glance, a hint of satisfaction flashing in each other's eyes, and bowed, saying, "Your Highness is wise!"

With a three-month buffer period, they can make some judgments and do some things.

Yin Kaishan's smile remained unchanged, his white beard trembling slightly. He gave Fang Xuanling a deep look, then laughed loudly at Li Shimin.
"Your Highness is so considerate and thoughtful. This old minister will obey your command! I am old, so I will simply follow Your Highness's arrangements."

The words "I'll follow your arrangements" were spoken humbly, yet his eyes were sharp as an eagle's. Although he looked at Fang Xuanling with a smile, a hint of dissatisfaction was already revealed. Fang Xuanling met Yin Kaishan's gaze without showing any weakness.

Just then, a slightly tired but upright figure strode in from outside the garden; it was Wei Zheng, who had just been released from confinement.

His official robe was slightly wrinkled, and there were dark circles under his eyes, indicating that he had suffered some hardships in the past few days. However, his eyes were brighter than ever before.

When Li Shimin saw Wei Zheng, his voice softened, carrying the reassuring tone of a superior.

"Minister Wei has arrived? I'm sorry you've suffered these past few days. Sun Fujia's investigation was ineffective and disturbed important officials; I will certainly punish him severely."

These words, though seemingly reasonable, lightly brushed aside the notion that Wei Zheng was "wrongfully accused," implying that he was indeed a suspect but there was no concrete evidence.

Wei Zheng remained expressionless, his gaze sweeping over Sun Fujia, who knelt in the corner trembling as if he had lost his parents. He didn't reply, but simply bowed to Li Shimin.
"Your Majesty, I am deeply grateful for your concern. Fortunately, the evil spirits are about to be defeated, and the documents have been returned to their rightful place. All this is thanks to Your Majesty's great blessings."

Li Shimin's eyes narrowed slightly, but Wei Zheng said no more and turned his gaze to the center of the arena, landing on Chen Guangrui.

There were no words of gratitude, no unnecessary pleasantries, but in the instant their eyes met, they both understood each other's meaning: this matter was far from over.

The newly appointed imperial banquet, fraught with controversy, has come to an end.

What should have been a tale of the emperor's students showcasing their talents ultimately turned into a story featuring only Chen Guangrui. He first distinguished himself in a literary contest, then publicly exposed the evil spirits, and finally brought to light the extraordinary opportunity of a marriage bestowed by the prime minister.

The scholars looked at him with extremely complex emotions, including admiration, jealousy, and awe.

But then he thought that if it were him, he certainly wouldn't have been able to do something as astonishing as Chen Guangrui.

Zhang Changling returned the favor and breathed a sigh of relief. Although he didn't know what Chen Guangrui's look meant at the time, he was glad that he had a clear conscience.

Chen Guangrui felt utterly exhausted. He forced a smile and just wanted to leave this place as soon as possible.

Fortunately, there are still three months left.

A lot is bound to happen in these three months. By then, it's uncertain whether Chen Guangrui will still be in Chang'an. Therefore, this arranged marriage doesn't really restrict him much.

However, now that the Blue-Faced Lion's plan has been thwarted, it's unknown what tricks the Buddhist sect will use next.

We must use this time to contact more people in Heaven through Wei Zheng, so as to find a way to escape.

As the crowd gradually dispersed, Li Jing patted Chen Guangrui on the shoulder, hesitating to speak. He felt a little regretful that Chen Guangrui had almost become Prime Minister Yin's son-in-law. It seemed that he would have to wait another three months. Finally, he said, "Three months is not a long time."

Chen Guangrui nodded, but inwardly he smiled bitterly. If this weren't the Journey to the West world, this would definitely be a good opportunity. However, if he agreed, he would be on a pirate ship and get killed without even knowing why.

He chatted with Li Jing for a few more minutes before preparing to leave. Just as he took a step, he saw Wei Zheng hadn't gone far, standing under a locust tree, waving at him.

Chen Guangrui strode forward. Wei Zheng, seeing him approach, remained cautious, carefully scanning his surroundings to make sure no one was watching. He then lowered his voice, a deep and powerful tone with a barely perceptible sharpness.

"That blue-maned lion demon... has been captured."

(End of this chapter)