xymnovel Chapter 41 Testing
Chapter 41 Testing
Often, there is no right or wrong in things. For example, Wei Zheng advised the former crown prince Li Jiancheng to strongly recommend killing Li Er, who was then the King of Qin. To Li Jiancheng, Wei Zheng was a loyal strategist, but to Li Er, he was a treacherous minister whom he wanted to get rid of as soon as possible.
If it were any other emperor, Wei Zheng would definitely not have survived past the fourth day of the sixth lunar month. Similarly, a strategist who is wholeheartedly loyal to his lord would not have been willing to live until the next day.
Wei Zheng, however, was not that kind of person. He changed masters six times in a few years. On one hand, he was unlucky enough to serve the crown prince; on the other hand, he was lucky because the crown prince was gone.
Shen Ce sat upright on the futon, his mind racing with thoughts, seemingly trying to alleviate the discomfort of kneeling.
Wei Zheng, sitting opposite them, appeared extremely casual. His robe was half-open, and his hair was somewhat disheveled. He leaned against the low table, his face bearing the expression of a kind old neighbor, as he greeted the two of them.
Shen Ce sat upright, feeling that the atmosphere tonight was a bit too relaxed. They all looked at each other and no one made the first move.
Wei Zheng chuckled self-deprecatingly and said in a gentle voice, "I was shirking my duties today because I wanted to see the Vice Envoy's abilities. After seeing them today... I think I can rest in Luoyang now."
Seeing that Wei Zheng was referring to himself as an old man, Shen Ce did not stand on ceremony and replied calmly, "I am young, so it is only right that I do more work. It is precisely because I am getting older that I should rest more."
Wei Zheng was unfazed by his veiled sarcasm: "That's a minor matter, let's leave it aside. Today I want to ask you two a direct question."
Upon hearing this, Shen Ce was taken aback, thinking to himself that the moment of truth had arrived. Could it be that Wei Zheng had other intentions that he had not noticed before? He turned to look at Wen Wuyin beside him.
What a mess he is! Not only is he behaving improperly, but he also has his little finger plugged in his ear. I wonder if he heard what Wei Zheng said earlier?
Seeing that the two men were silent, Wei Zheng continued, "I suppose you two have received secret orders from your superiors to monitor my behavior. If any of my words or actions are deemed improper, which of you will arrest me? This will give me some mental preparation."
Hearing Wei Zheng's direct approach, Wen Wuyin remained calm and spoke first: "As an official dispatched by the Dali Temple, I only bring my eyes and ears with me. I will only use my mouth, this useless thing, when necessary."
"If I were to submit a report, it would be about discovering any misconduct by officials along the way; that is what I should report."
As expected of a scion of a prestigious family, Shen Ce was quite impressed by Wen Wuyin's ability to speak so fluently without batting an eye, and resolved to seek his advice more often in the future.
Seeing Wei Zheng's gaze fixed on him, Shen Ce, who did not have the same family background as Wen Wuyin, sat down properly and said in a deep voice, "As you know, the Crown Prince has put you in charge of this matter despite the opposition. Naturally, all major matters will be decided by Lord Wei. The two of us will be responsible for helping you eliminate any disturbances so that you can focus on pacifying the local area."
"As for the rest..." Shen Ce recalled Yuwen Shiji's whispered words to him before his departure, his fingers tapping incessantly on the table. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "As long as it is for the sake of the Li Tang dynasty, all officials below me will be at the command of the chief envoy."
Clearly, at this moment, Wen Wuyin, representing the Imperial Censor, and Shen Ce, representing the Crown Prince, were both staring at Wei Zheng.
Emperor Taizong (Li Er) boldly appointed Wei Zheng, but others lacked his boldness and did not want to launch another campaign against Shandong, which led to the current situation.
Wei Zheng's probing today is to ensure that he can act freely in the future without worrying about being hindered by the two men.
Upon hearing their replies, Wei Zheng, unusually, rose from the bed, straightened his clothes, and tied his hair up. He then bowed to the two men, saying, "Shandong and Hebei are the lands where I was born and raised. I will absolutely not allow them to reignite the flames of war."
"In that case, take a look at this," Wei Zheng said, taking out three secret letters from his robes and slamming them heavily on the ground in front of him. He grinned maliciously, "Do you dare to have me send them out?"
The sound of the floor shaking made Shen Ce tremble, and he couldn't resist his curiosity, so he stretched his neck to look at the contents of the cover.
Shen Ce's eyes suddenly widened in shock as he turned to look at Wen Wuyin beside him.
Wen Wuyin had his eyes tightly closed and his hands covering his ears, looking completely indifferent.
Hey! Damn aristocratic upbringing, so cautious.
Shen Ce took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Lord Wei, is this an attempt to proactively contact Li Jiancheng's former subordinates?"
"So what if it is?"
Without any hesitation, Shen Ce immediately got up and picked up the three scrolls of secret letters from the ground. He kept two scrolls for himself and threw the other one directly at Wen Wuyin's face. "You think you can run away now that you're here? No way!"
When Shen Ce finished reading the letter, his gloomy expression finally dissipated. Then, after a moment's thought, he suddenly stood up, unfolded the letter again, and held it up to the oil lamp, waving it slowly. Only after seeing that no new yellowed or blued words had appeared on the paper did he sit down.
"I have been rude, please forgive me, Lord Wei."
Wei Zheng was curious about Shen Ce's actions but didn't ask any further questions. Instead, he looked at Wen Wuyin, who was standing to the side.
Wen Wuyin pointed at the letter with his hand, as if arranging and combining elements, before finally stopping after a long while.
He chuckled awkwardly and said, "Lord Wei, please don't be offended. In the Dali Temple, I have also handled many secret letters. There are always some ill-intentioned people who hide something between the lines."
"Did you glean anything from my letter?"
The two exchanged a glance but did not speak. They simply exchanged secret letters and, after testing each other, neatly placed the three letters on the table.
"I think it's a wise move for Lord Wei to contact someone you trust in advance and have them monitor the surrounding area," Wen Wuyin said, turning to Shen Ce. "What do you think, Brother Shen?"
"I have no objection. Tomorrow, the head of the guards, Qin Chuan, and your personal servant may set off together."
Seeing that the two had agreed, Wei Zheng did not pursue the matter further. He stared at Shen Ce and asked, "I have retrieved your resume from the Ministry of Personnel. I see that you have been to Hebei and other places. Tell me your opinion on this trip."
Shen Ce had been pondering this matter all day on the road, and even when Wei Zheng asked him the question, he still dared not speak rashly.
After closing his eyes and pondering for a long time, he said in a cold voice, "First, appease the former officials of the Eastern Palace, then appease the Shandong gentry, and then appease the common people after the Crown Prince ascends the throne."
Wei Zheng nodded, then turned to Wen Wuyin beside him: "And you?"
Wen Wuyin quickly added, "That's true too."
"Alright, since we share the same idea, let's proceed according to the secret message. No one should interfere. If any news is sent back..."
Shen Ce and Wen Wuyin said in unison, "We will act in accordance with your promise."
Shen Ce had just stepped out of the room when he turned back, tucked the three letters on the table into his robes, and said with a smile, "Lord Wei, I will keep these three letters safe tonight."