Chapter 286: To Stay or Leave

"Chen Ji, the ways of the world should not be like this."

This sentence, unexpectedly, came from Mr. Feng's mouth.

In the dark night, Chen Ji turned his head to look at the green-shirted scholar beside him; there was also some weariness between the gentleman's temples. He turned his head to look in the direction Mr. Feng pointed, where there was only the vast long night, even the starlight was somewhat dim.

Mr. Feng lowered his arm, looked into the distance, and calmly said, "Do you perhaps feel it is very absurd that the court's Cabinet elders disregard the lives of the border army, are not afraid of the border army collapsing, and do not even protect their own lives?"

Chen Ji said in a low voice, "This subordinate indeed does not understand!"

Mr. Feng walked forward with his hands behind his back. "When I learned of those absurd matters, I also once thought I had heard incorrectly! In the twenty-second year of Jia Ning, the Ji State border army waited for grain rations that never came, and grain merchants in the city were also prohibited from selling grain to them!

Two Ji State border army foot soldiers couldn't endure the hunger, so they stole a chicken from a branch of the Qi family in Ji State!

These two people were also useless. Just as they killed the chicken and started boiling water, before they even ate the chicken, they were caught red-handed by the Qi mansion servants... Do you know the fate of those two border army foot soldiers?"

Chen Ji was silent!

Mr. Feng said expressionlessly, "The Qi family made them pay for the chicken with their lives. After the Ji State border army heard about this matter, they mutinied that night. The court used a full half year to suppress the rebellion, and the Ji State commander was exterminated along with his three clans!"

Chen Ji was startled. Pay for a chicken with their lives...

Mr. Feng continued, "Do you know the reason behind this absurdity?"

Chen Ji shook his head, "This subordinate does not know!"

Mr. Feng slowly explained, "Actually, it was because someone recommended the Ji State commander to be transferred and appointed as the Minister of War, blocking the official path of certain people!"

He then said, "The Gu Yuan border army commander, Qing Wen Tao, garrisoned the border for fourteen years, yet in the end he was accused of treason and executed by Lingchi. Do you know why?"

Chen Ji's heart stirred when he heard the name Qing Wen Tao. "This subordinate does not know!"

Mr. Feng smiled, "Only because General Wen Tao opened trade routes, raised the border army, and led many merchants to abandon their old trade paths and change to walking through Gu Yuan! This time, the smuggling trade in Yingkou and Qidong ports suddenly decreased by twenty percent, provoking many people's unhappiness! Thus, some people joined hands to fabricate evidence of General Wen Tao's treason and sent him to the execution grounds in autumn!"

Chen Ji inquired, "Which people were unhappy?"

Mr. Feng casually explained, "The Yingkou port belongs to the Chen family, and the Qidong port belongs to the Xu family. You say who was unhappy? The interesting thing is, when General Wen Tao had his accident, Cabinet Elder Hu did not say a word. After General Wen Tao died, the Hu family fought tooth and nail to protect this northwest trade path!"

Wait!

Chen Ji suddenly fell into deep thought. General Wen Tao suffered a frame-up, his sworn sister's whereabouts were unknown, the Third Master Hu resigned, the original owner and helpers of Longmen Inn were hanged dead at the commendation arch, the Minister of Revenue from the Chen family encountered an assassination attempt. This series of events seemed vaguely connected.

At this time, Mr. Feng said indifferently, "Chen Ji, every page of this history book, inside, is full of the two dripping with blood characters 'interests'. When you can see these two characters from those matters one by one, then you can be considered to truly understand matters!"

Chen Ji cupped his hands and said, "This subordinate is just a small Haidongqing, being a bit muddled is also good! What this lord needs me to do, this subordinate will do. I will not hesitate to go through fire and water!"

Mr. Feng heard this grandiose answer and amusingly turned his head to look at Chen Ji!

He pointed twice with his finger, "You, ah, you, when did you also learn these flattery techniques? You haven't been in the Secret Spy Department for long and have already been promoted to Haidongqing. Joining the Twelve Zodiacs is a matter of sooner or later. Seeing through certain matters a bit earlier will be beneficial to you!"

Chen Ji said unmoved, "I don't know what kind of merits this subordinate needs to establish to be promoted to the Twelve Zodiacs?"

Mr. Feng said meaningfully, "When the time comes, you will naturally know..."

Mr. Feng continued to walk towards the city wall. Chen Ji followed behind him and curiously said, "Lord, are the world's great families truly not afraid of the consequences of the Jing Dynasty moving south? If the border army collapses, how can the fur attach when the skin is gone?"

Mr. Feng smiled and said, "Why would they care about this? They feel that even if the dynasty changes, they will just change masters and still have a life of fine clothes and jade food. Except for the Zhu family, no one cares what the surname of this country is. But today we have destroyed the Tian Ce Army, which is enough to make the Jing Dynasty dare not cause border disputes again within five years! With these five years, we can then have our hands free to tidy up the old country!"

He didn't know why!

Only at this moment, Chen Ji looked at the passionate Mr. Feng and finally felt that the other party was like a living person, not that powerful and cold political creature!

The other party's blood also had temperature!

Chen Ji suddenly asked, "Since the history books only contain the two characters for interests, then what does this lord want to gain from doing these things?"

Mr. Feng looked into the distance, "Me, ah..."

He did not answer. He didn't know if he didn't want to answer, or if for a moment he truly couldn't answer!

A moment later, Mr. Feng smiled, "Someone like me will not be recorded in the history books!"

Chen Ji was slightly startled. He unexpectedly did not expect this answer!

Even stranger was why the other party wanted to say this to him. Chen Ji changed the subject, "What does this lord need me to do?"

Mr. Feng thought for a moment, "Since you have already gained the Crown Prince's trust, just follow the Crown Prince and do things next! With this identity, it is presumed that the Chen family will also look upon you highly. Within a year, I want the list of all goods the Chen family smuggles to the Jing Dynasty, and it's best if you can get the account book!"

Chen Ji said in a low voice, "Lord, the Crown Prince is being treated as bait this time, perhaps he is already a mortal enemy of the Eunuch Bureau!"

Mr. Feng laughed heartily, "What is there to fear? The Crown Prince is alone."

Chen Ji's expression became serious. This Mr. Feng unexpectedly didn't put the Crown Prince in his eyes. Where did this confidence come from?

Mr. Feng said with a smile, "Do you really think I can decide the life and death of the country's heir? In this Ning Dynasty, only one person can make this decision!"

The Ning Emperor!

But the Crown Prince had no major mistakes in the past. Why would the Ning Emperor want to kill the Crown Prince he himself established? Mr. Feng said casually, "His Majesty is a cultivator of the Dao; what he seeks is longevity! A long-lived emperor, how could he need a Crown Prince?"

Chen Ji was astonished. He knew that among emperors, many pursued longevity, but even third-rank officials and the official path excluded each other. How could the Ning Emperor seek longevity?

However, the world was strange and bizarre, and he was not sure if the Ning Emperor truly had a way to seek longevity!

At this time, the city wall was already close at hand!

Chen Ji raised his head and saw above the ruins of the collapsed city gate tower, a burly figure alone looking into the distance!

Mr. Feng waved his hand at him, "Don't forget what I want you to do. Go now. Do things well. When the dust settles, I will give you an explanation!"

Chen Ji cupped his hands and withdrew, watching Mr. Feng step onto the brick and stone ruins and stand shoulder to shoulder with Hu Jun Xian!

After Chen Ji walked away, Mr. Feng asked in a soft voice, "Do you still blame the Prince?"

Hu Jun Xian looked into the distant dark night. The campfires of the Tian Ce Army were also gradually extinguishing. "I don't blame him. Originally, I didn't blame him!"

Mr. Feng showed a smile on his face. "The Prince originally chose you to come to Gu Yuan, and he also felt you were most suitable for this place. Now it seems the Prince didn't choose wrong!"

Hu Jun Xian said indifferently, "What is there to be suitable or not suitable? It's just that I received the imperial edict to cripple my own cultivation, making it easier to deceive the Jing Dynasty! Having acted for so many years, I also really hate this Ning Dynasty a little!"

Mr. Feng looked at Hu Jun Xian and said, "What are your plans next? Go back to the capital? Now it's still time to re-enter the official path. With your talent, perhaps you can still touch the threshold of the divine path realm!"

Hu Jun Xian stood on the ruins and casually asked, "If I leave, who will guard this Gu Yuan?"

Mr. Feng answered, "Change to Wang Dao Sheng. No one is more suitable than him!"

Hu Jun Xian suddenly realized, "No wonder the imperial edict promoting him to Minister of War was blocked. He was originally waiting here!"

Mr. Feng smiled and said, "How about going back and hanging a proper fourth-rank idle post in the Ten Thousand Ages Army, being granted three hundred mu of good fields, conferred a python robe and jade belt, and being able to walk with a knife in the palace? This was what His Majesty promised when you left the capital!"

Hu Jun Xian was silent!

He looked at this land he had wanted to abandon day and night and suddenly said, "In this vast country, minor officials are inherited by local gentry, high officials are inherited by world families, and the throne is inherited by the Zhu family. Only the border army and Gu Yuan are unwilling for anyone to inherit and attack...

Don't go, leave me here like a stone. Wang Dao Sheng has great talent; don't let him waste his time in Gu Yuan like me!"

Mr. Feng's expression became serious. "Really?"

Hu Jun Xian answered with a question, "The chess game of eight years has been played today, and unexpectedly I am still a little reluctant! Go back and tell His Majesty, if he truly wants to compensate me, Hu, then do as he promised. It can also be considered fulfilling the last wish of the Jing Prince!"

As his words fell, a ray of sunlight in the distance pierced through the night curtain, and the vast long night finally passed!

Mr. Feng slowly gathered up his sleeves and bowed deeply to Hu Jun Xian, "A statesman's backbone is like a green mountain. General is truly the backbone of our dynasty! Gu Yuan, I entrust it to you!"

Having finished speaking, he turned his back to the sunrise and walked down the city wall!

Above the ruins of the city wall, only Hu Jun Xian was left, watching a round sun slowly rise!

"What statesman nonsense," he smiled self-mockingly, bent down, picked up a piece of broken brick and stone from the ground, and weighed it in his hand!

Then he threw it into the distance!