Capital City of the Western Jin.
Cao Wendo entered the capital today to visit the Chen family and discuss the matter of restoration. However, shortly after entering the city, he received an invitation from the Wanyan family. Upon closer inspection, he was surprised to find that the person inviting him was none other than the Grand Chancellor Wanyan Yong.
"May I ask why the Grand Chancellor has summoned today?"
Led into the study by a servant, even knowing he was from the Wanyan family, Cao Wendo bowed deeply.
"It's just an old colleague catching up, why speak of a summons?"
A person rose to greet him, gently supporting the hand with which he was bowing. His face was kind, unlike other mbers of the Wanyan family who bore fierce expressions. This elderly man near the age of sixty, yet still with ambitions of expansion, was none other than the Grand Chancellor Wanyan Yong.
"I'm now just a commoner, so naturally it's a summons."
Cao Wendo rose with the gentle lift, responding appropriately.
The sudden invitation from the Grand Chancellor left him at a loss, even though he had been an official in the capital for a long ti, he couldn't fathom the direction of the wind.
The Grand Chancellor slowly said, "Why does Minister Cao belittle himself?"
Cao Wendo was about to reply, but the words "Minister Cao" stopped him in his tracks. Being a Grand Chancellor, the use of words would be cautious, with no room for mistakes. Now calling him "Minister," could there be so hidden aning?
Cao Wendo's mind was in turmoil; his constant contemplation was the matter of restoration. Even with the best deanor, his hands couldn't help but tremble slightly.
"For what purpose does the Grand Chancellor invite to reminisce?" Cao Wendo changed his tone and asked.
The Grand Chancellor was in no hurry to speak, instead he sighed, "In the third year of Yuanyou, I was fortunate to receive the emperor's favor and was appointed to assist in state affairs, participating in the deliberations in the Chief of Staff's Office. In the tenth year of Yuanyou, again I was trusted by the emperor, appointed to manage state affairs, to this day it has been ten years. The court officials I've seen are as nurous as carp crossing the river, but very few are truly useful, because of the factional struggles within the dynasty."
Cao Wendo said, "The Grand Chancellor's dedication to the country is known to all, but the court's factional struggles are a longstanding problem for our Jin Country's society. I dare not speak recklessly, though in recent years, the factional struggles seem to have beco a bit... excessive."
The Grand Chancellor continued, "You also know that the factional struggles are a longstanding problem for our Jin Country. If one family doesn't suppress the other, they'll be deadlocked. Once deadlocked, they beco like water and fire."
Cao Wendo understood this logic as well. The crux of the factional struggle now is that neither the Chen family nor the Wanyan family has an absolute advantage. They are closely matched, almost like dragons fighting tigers, and neither can do anything to the other.
"Over the years, I've tried to diate the disputes between the families, but unfortunately, with little effect," the Grand Chancellor paused, "I've co to realize, as long as one family becos dominant, there will be no more endless disputes."
Cao Wendo suddenly beca wary, was he being asked to betray the Chen family?
He couldn't help but ask:
"What does the Grand Chancellor an?"
The Grand Chancellor said, "In the past, there was a ti when one family was dominant, do you know when that was?"
Cao Wendo certainly did not forget, that was the year he was appointed Minister. He said slowly:
"The sixteenth year of Yuanyou, the year the Chen family daughter was set to beco the Crown Princess Consort, is that what the Grand Chancellor ans..."
At this mont, Cao Wendo realized sothing, the Grand Chancellor didn't an to want him to betray the Chen family.
The Grand Chancellor slowly turned sideways, raising his hand:
"Coincidentally, before inviting Minister Cao today, I also invited an old friend to reminisce."
Cao Wendo's eyes slowly looked deeper, his breath suddenly quickening.
He saw a middle-aged man slowly erge, walking with the majesty of a dragon and the might of a tiger, with streaks of gray hair exuding an indescribable authority, and a sharp brilliance in his eyes.
The current Left Chancellor, Chen Qingyang, styled Shanglian.
He has a daughter, once set as the Crown Princess Consort,
her na is Chen Ruoshu.
Before stepping through the door, Cao Wendo thought the Grand Chancellor might want him to turn against the Chen family and later do things with the backing of the Wanyan family, but he never imagined that the head of the first branch of the Chen family would appear in the Grand Chancellor's residence.
Now within this ten-zhang room stood the two figures who were second only to one man in power in the Jin dynasty. Even though he held the rank of Minister and stood in the front row at court, Cao Wendo couldn't help but feel his knees tremble. He clasped his hands and bowed deeply, almost bowing to the ground,
"Greetings to Chancellor Chen."
"Minister Cao, there's no need for such courtesy."
Chen Qingyang made a gesture of feigned support.
Cao Wendo slowly straightened up. Seeing the two individuals who should have been like fire and water together here, his mind raced. Imdiately, he realized that even though the Grand Chancellor was a mber of the Wanyan family, he had achievents in expansion and this aligned with the pursuit of the Chen family.
Combining this with the previous conversation, could it be...?
Was it the Grand Chancellor who intended to break away from the Wanyan family?!
Cao Wendo's breathing beca rapid as he saw Chen Qingyang glance at the Grand Chancellor and then slowly said:
"The Grand Chancellor worries for the country in countless ways, sitting in this position, many words cannot be spoken directly. Since that is the case, let speak. Nowadays, our great Jin thrives; during the late emperor's ti, there was the feat of six thousand elite soldiers conquering Danyang. Yet now, twenty-seven years into the reigning emperor's reign, the Jin has not expanded an inch. To not ntion a feat, even the rivalry that can be reported between the two countries is rely the small skirmish at the border. How then can we answer to our ancestors' legacy or to our countless fine n of Jin?"
........
The chilly autumn wind draped over the mountains, making the figure that suddenly appeared on the mountain path all the more striking, standing unmoved despite the fierce winds. Duomian Ghost beca alert, his hand already searching within his sleeve, while his followers all stared at the person, occasionally glancing at the donkey cart, ready at any mont to draw weapons from it. The reason was that this person had single-handedly slain Huang Jing.
Huang Jing was also a prominent force in the Jianghu of the northwest, a hero of his ti. Duomian Ghost thought that even in a one-on-one fight with him, his chances of victory were only forty percent. Yet even so, this Huang Jing still died at the hands of this person, whose martial arts are evidently formidable.
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