The voice was aged, yet sounded sowhat familiar.
Tang Shijun carefully identified it, and then exclaid in astonishnt.
"Chu Xun?"
"Why are you here?"
This question was asked as a matter of course.
In Tang Shijun's mory, Chu Xun was a very smart person.
Although of low birth, he had unique insights into many things.
His only shortcoming was that he lacked the grand ambition to save the country and the people, only liking to throw silver into the butcher shop to buy so pig head at to go with his wine.
Just yesterday, he was still thinking that the over-sixty-year-old Chu Xun should be so old by now that he couldn't even walk.
But no matter what, he never thought Chu Xun would be an expert who could casually subdue several Rank 1 martial artists.
Chu Xun smiled and said, "Huan'er said you were in danger. Thinking we haven't seen each other for a long ti, I simply decided to make a trip."
"Seeing you today, with thousands of troops and horses, and weapons clashing, you are still calm and composed."
Tang Shijun didn't reply directly, only looking at Chu Xun. He suddenly rembered the year Huan'er participated in the prefectural exam.
He went to the remote small courtyard to visit the uncle and nephew. On the way back, his attendant had asked why he treated a rustic commoner so generously.
At that ti, he had answered, "I don't know why, but I always feel that in the distant future, Chu Xun's achievents might be even higher than mine."
Saying it was one thing, but he couldn't figure out what a smart person of farr origins had to do to achieve more than himself.
It wasn't until today that he finally understood.
Chu Xun's greatness did not lie in the mortal realm.
Tang Shijun's eyes were sowhat sharp as he said, "Don't tell everyone knows, and I am the only one who doesn't."
If that were really the case, Lord Tang would be quite displeased.
Chu Xun said, "Only you know."
To be precise, so dead people also knew, but they didn't know much.
Song Jingmin had naturally seen him, but the night was too deep, and the shock he received was too great.
Before Chu Xun reached Foundation Establishnt, he had used physical inconvenience as an excuse to not attend the local gentry banquets for many years.
With Song Jingmin's insufferably arrogant nature, coupled with Chu Xun's thods being too miraculous, how could he associate such an expert with an old country dog.
Chu Xun didn't explain why he killed people, also because of the existence of the Underworld.
In case he was recognized and his background known, it might cause trouble.
Hearing Chu Xun's answer, the corners of Tang Shijun's mouth finally curled up slightly.
He turned and walked to the door, ordering the square-faced guard, "Bring wine."
The square-faced guard deliberately kept his head down, not looking into the room.
It was said that otherworldly experts didn't like to show their faces, and perhaps the one today was the sa.
Seeing him might not be a good thing.
Soon, Tang Shijun walked over carrying a bottle of Floral Deity Brew.
The two sat down by the desk. Even though there was clearly a group of assassins outside that hadn't been dealt with, whether it was Tang Shijun or Chu Xun, both seed to have forgotten about this matter.
After pouring a cup of wine, Tang Shijun was the first to raise his cup, "Rushing a thousand miles to help, a toast to your hard work."
He drank it in one gulp, and Chu Xun followed suit.
Tang Shijun poured another cup of wine and raised it again, "For decades of ti, a toast to our friendship."
Chu Xun followed and drank the second cup.
Tang Shijun poured the third cup of wine, raised it, and said, "After today, there will be no more regrets, a toast to this life."
After the three cups of wine were finished, Tang Shijun put down his cup and said to Chu Xun, "You should go."
His directness made Chu Xun sowhat stunned.
Go?
Tang Shijun knew he didn't understand, so he asked, "With such a huge commotion, yet no city defense forces coming to help, and not even the yan runners and constables showing their faces, why do you think that is?"
Chu Xun had thought about this question and said, "Soone colluded with the city defense forces and stopped the yan runners and constables from coming to support, just to take your life."
Tang Shijun asked again, "Who do you think it would be?"
Chu Xun thought for a mont and said, "Over these years, by asuring land properties and clearing household registers, you have offended almost everyone. It must be these people joining forces."
Tang Shijun chuckled lightly, clear disdain in his eyes, "With their dog guts, how would they dare to make a move against ."
Chu Xun was confused. If the assassins weren't hired by those imperial relatives and noble families, who else could it be?
Tang Shijun smiled and said, "Naturally, it is the one sitting at the highest point of the imperial court."
Chu Xun was stunned for a mont, a title almost blurting out, "The Empe..."
Tang Shijun shook his head, stopping his words.
Chu Xun took a deep breath and said, "How could it be him? You work for the country and the people. Even if he doesn't help you, how could he harm you?"
"Why couldn't he?"
Tang Shijun poured another cup of wine again, but didn't drink it directly. Instead, he held it with three fingers.
The crystal-clear liquid rippled slightly along the fine official kiln porcelain wine cup.
"All land properties, I have finished asuring and archived them in the repository."
"The household registers have been cleared, and the official assessnt thod has now beco customary."
"Even you, far away in the countryside, know that I have offended the high officials and noble lords of the world. It is perfectly normal for them to want to kill ."
"If I die, whether the true mastermind behind the scenes can be found or not, it will definitely be pinned on them."
"The hundred officials will have the hatred in their hearts removed, and the pressure on the imperial court will sharply decrease."
"Since this can both reduce the resentnt of the hundred officials and give him leverage over them in terms of public opinion, why wouldn't he do it."
Chu Xun's face darkened slightly as he listened. This matter sounded absurd, but thinking about it carefully, it was actually very reasonable.
An Emperor who had clearly grasped great power, yet still had enough patience to wait three years before promoting dozens of Rank 3 officials in one fell swoop.
Doing such a thing as boiling the hound once the hare is caught was not strange at all.
So with such a huge commotion, the city defense of the Capital City was as quiet as a deaf person.
Everyone thought it was the hundred officials colluding to murder this Minister of Revenue.
Who could have thought that the one who truly wanted to kill him was His Majesty the Emperor, who fully supported the Lord Minister.
But what Chu Xun didn't understand was, "Since that's the case, why do you still want to go? Afraid of implicating ?"
Tang Shijun shook his head and said, "With your thods, even an Innate Grandmaster might not be your opponent. You can go anywhere in the world, what is there to implicate."
"It's nothing more than if I don't die, that national policy of your nephew, my disciple, will be difficult to implent."
"Why can't it be implented?" Chu Xun was puzzled.
"Although I have offended the hundred officials, my prestige among the people is extrely high, and I hold the position of Minister of Revenue. If the national policy is truly implented, it must be led by ."
"But I co from a noble family. That person is very suspicious and trusts children of noble families the least."
"Even if the national policy can save the Kingdom of Jing, he will ignore it."
"Your nephew cos from the countryside and has no background, which instead becos the best background."
Chu Xun was stunned as he listened, suddenly understanding why Tang Shijun had stopped eting with Huan'er starting a few years ago.
He even deliberately created the impression that the master and disciple were running in opposite directions and had turned into enemies.
Everything was for today.
The most offensive tasks, Tang Shijun had already finished.
The remaining matters, the Emperor would not allow him to do.
At this ti, Huan'er stepping up to the front stage was the best timing.
"If I die, it can shut those people's mouths. Implenting the national policy at this ti is a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity!"
Tang Shijun put down the wine cup, letting the wine spill onto the tabletop.
He stood up, cupped his hands, and bowed to Chu Xun.
His voice was like tal and iron, sonorous and forceful.
"I know you value friendship and loyalty, but the sorrow of one person is not worth ntioning."
"The people of the world are in deep water and scorching fire, they cannot be left unsaved."
"To relieve the sorrow of the world, Tang Shijun bows and requests here."
"—Allow to go to my death!"
[End of Chapter]
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