Aunt Chen is back from the world of cultivation

Yan Yun was extremely intelligent and had a photographic memory.

Huiming taught him his skills very quickly.

In just two moments, he had memorized the practice diagram, clarified his doubts, and returned to the main hall with Huiming.

At this time, the abbot was no longer in the main hall.

Obviously, it is impossible for the master of the temple to wait for such a long time.

"Brother Yun, are you done? The abbot said that once you're done here, we can leave directly."

Master Yan said to Yan Yun.

Yan Yun suppressed the sadness in his heart, thanked Huiming politely and said goodbye, then returned to the carriage with the three elders of the Yan family.

On the way back, the three of them were curious about the transmission of skills, but Yan Yun was not interested.

Master Yan San, the most perceptive of the three, finally noticed Yan Yun's abnormal behavior today.

Thinking about the whole thing, I couldn't help but frowned.

Back at the Yan residence, Master Yan San said:

"Brother Yun, come with me."

The two of them entered Master Yan San's study together.

Master Yan San personally brewed a pot of tea for him and handed the poured tea to Yan Yun.

After a long while, he sighed and said:

"Brother Yun, you are the pride and hope of our entire Yan family, so you can't do anything stupid."

It was not until today that he understood why this nephew with extraordinary talent had always avoided marriage in the past.

It seems that this unrivaled top scholar had his heart thrown somewhere it shouldn't have been.

"It's normal for young people to admire Ai. But there are some things that you shouldn't covet, understand?"

Yan Yun only felt that the tea in his mouth was extremely bitter.

He whispered:

"Don't worry, Uncle San. I understand everything."

He is no longer the young man who was full of vigor and vitality but ignorant of the world.

The temple master is not an ordinary woman. Even though her attitude is gentle, her majesty is becoming more and more serious when I saw her today.

If his thoughts offend the master, the entire Yan family will be implicated.

This answer made Master Yan San feel relieved, and he advised:

"In that case, you should give up your delusions and get married and have children. The granddaughter of Lord Lin has always had a fondness for you. Your third aunt has also seen her. The girl has excellent character and appearance..."

Yan Yun rejected it without hesitation:

"Uncle San, I'm in this situation now, and I don't want to delay others."

If he got married, he wouldn't be able to have even the slightest delusion.

Moreover, he already knew what it felt like to want something but not get it, and he didn't want to drag others into the same painful and hopeless vortex.

That Miss Lin should have a husband who can treat her wholeheartedly.

Seeing Master Yan San's worried look, Yan Yun once again solemnly promised:

"Uncle San, you can rest assured. Your nephew knows what to do and what not to do, and will never bring disaster to the Yan family."

Even if it was just a delusion, even if there would never be a response, he still wanted to keep this affection deep in his heart.

*

While Yan Yun was studying the Xinggong Tu with Huiming, Chen Qingzhu confirmed something with Old Master Yan, the Chief Justice of the Dali Temple.

Tan Song, the commander-in-chief of Southern Zhili, was executed in the autumn without any room for maneuver.

Before the conviction, the Tan family went through many channels to try to reduce Tan Song's guilt.

But no one dared to take over this hot potato.

Because everyone knows that this time His Majesty is determined to use Tan Song's death to win the hearts of the people.

Therefore, after more than a month of investigation and interrogation, Tan Song was finally sentenced to death.

After confirming this, Chen Qingzhu began to practice while waiting for follow-up.

*

On the ninth day of August, Tan Song was executed directly in the city of Nando.

There were huge crowds of people watching.

The emperor personally sent an imperial envoy to supervise the execution of the beheading.

Following the imperial envoy's order, the executioner's knife fell on Tan Song's neck, blood gushed out, and his head fell to the ground.

This powerful official who had been dominating Nanzhili for several years ended his life in this way.

Thanks to the Jinyiwei's hard work in publicity, the investigation and prosecution of Tan Song did not reduce the popularity among the people as time went by.

Seeing Tan Song being executed, the onlookers cheered enthusiastically:

"Good! Good kill! Your Majesty is wise!"

For a time, the entire execution ground and the outside were filled with praises for Emperor Yong'an.

Only the Tan family members who were waiting to collect the bodies had red eyes filled with deep hatred.

Twenty days later

An unexpected guest arrived at the residence of Tan Rang, the Duke of Zhongguo who is guarding your province.

The man claimed to be the envoy of the King of Shu.

A general who guards a region should not have any contact with a vassal king who is strictly guarded against by the imperial court.

However, the elderly Duke Zhongguo Tan Rang still chose to meet this person.

The visitor was a young man of extraordinary bearing, in his early twenties.

After the other party showed his seal and introduced his identity, Tan Rang realized that the envoy of the King of Shu was actually the Prince of Shu.

Tan Rang knew that the Prince of Shu came in person and his intention must be something extraordinary.

But even so, he didn't have much energy to flatter and say polite words.

More than half a month later, he is still immersed in the pain of losing his son.

"Your Highness has come a long way from his fiefdom to come to your province. I wonder what you are doing here?"

Tan Rang got straight to the point.

The Prince of Shu was somewhat surprised at his directness, but he quickly adjusted his plan in his mind and said:

"Your Majesty is so ungrateful that you put Commander Tan Song to death for your own reputation. Doesn't the Duke feel resentful?"

You know, the Duke Zhongguo's Mansion was one of the great contributors in supporting Your Majesty in defeating the Empress Dowager's party. Emperor Yong'an's move can indeed be said to be ungrateful.

Tan Rang suddenly became suspicious.

The surface is still watertight:

"If the king wants his subjects to die, they must die. Tan Song himself did something wrong, so how can he blame Your Majesty? It is Your Majesty's grace that the whole family was not affected."

The Prince of Shu's smile remained unchanged:

"You are very generous, my Lord. But the title of the Duke's Mansion will be taken back by the court when Commander Tan comes to power. Don't you think about the future for your descendants?"

These words hit the sore spot in Tan Rang's heart.

The reason why he was so sad was not just because Tan Song was his most beloved son.

Moreover, Tan Song is the most promising among his nephews and nephews of that generation and is the hope for revitalizing the Tan family.

If Tan Song were alive, he could definitely provide a lot of help to the next generation as he had reached the second-rank official position in his early forties.

No matter what, the Tan family still has 20 to 30 years to reverse its decline.

But now, Tan Song is dead.

The other nephews and nieces of the Tan family are all fools. Even if they inherit the title of Duke, they are just empty shells.

Once the person dies, the title of Duke will be taken back, and the entire Tan family will fall into complete ruin.

"What do you mean, my lord?"

Tan Rang already had some guesses in his mind, but he needed the Prince of Shu to say it himself.

The Prince of Shu said meaningfully:

"People move and trees move. When a piece of land can no longer provide fertility for you, you should move to another garden to grow. Don't you agree?"

Tan Rang's heart was filled with turmoil.

I'm afraid things are about to change in the southwest.

The King of Shu has always been wealthy, and now he has sent his son to say this to him, which shows that big moves are coming.

Now that Tan Song is dead, the decline of the Duke Zhongguo's Mansion is inevitable.

Does he really want to take this gamble?

"What can the King of Shu give to the Tan family?" he asked calmly.

The Prince of Shu knew that the death of Tan Song had created a deep rift between the old Duke and Emperor Yong'an.

This is also the reason why he dared to take the risk to come to your province.

He smiled gently and said:

"Your Majesty, the Duke does not need to do anything to ensure that the position of Duke of the Tan family will be hereditary."

Tan Rang sneered in his heart. At the critical moment, doing nothing would be treason.

It is still unknown who will win or lose, but the hereditary title of Duke is not enough.

The two parties bargained and finally reached an agreement.

The Tan family appeared passive and lazy on the surface, but secretly helped with all their strength. After the success, they would not only obtain the hereditary title of Duke, but also the province that Tan Rang currently governs would be made a fiefdom.

Both parties were very satisfied with the result.

For the Tan family, even though your province is poor, as a permanent fiefdom, it is tantamount to being a king, and it can indeed ensure the Tan family's eternal wealth.

For the King of Shu, once he raises his army, Gui Province where the Tan family is located in the south will become a secret helper, and the rebel soldiers from Qin Province in the north will tie down the court's troops. Therefore, the rear of Shu will be safe.

Emperor Yong'an's self-destruction of the city wall undoubtedly increased the chances of victory for the Shu Palace.

Whether it was the rebel army in Qin Province or the death of Tan Song, they were both excellent opportunities sent by God to the Shu Palace.