Simazhao took the earthen bowl from Shan Tao's hand, drank two large mouthfuls of cold well water, but his heart was still upset.
Wanted to throw the earthen bowl, but was afraid of disturbing others, only to carefully hand over the earthen bowl to Shan Tao, and fiercely kick a tree trunk.
"What a renowned virtuous minister, nothing more than a traitor!" Sima Zhao said with resentment: "He's only capable of commanding his subordinates to run around and accomplish these useless achievements! It must have been his own suggestion. How could the Ministry of Personnel possibly concern itself with such trivial matters!"
"Be careful with your words, Master!" Mounting Tao knew that Sima Zhao was gossiping about the prefectural governor of Yue, Huang Quan. He hurriedly looked around and whispered: "Governor Huang is someone we can talk about, don't make trouble for no reason, all right?"
Sima Zhao took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling with it, and said with emotion: "Juyuan brother, you have been in Heyang County for a long time and don't know this person's background. But I've heard my father talk about it in detail."
"Oh?" Mounting Tao looked around a few more times, seeing that no one was within several hundred feet. He couldn't help but be curious and whispered, "Master, your family is a prestigious family with wide connections. Can you tell me something about this Governor Huang?"
After a few gripes, Sima Zhao's anger subsided, and he sat next to Shan Tao with his legs crossed, swinging a palm fan and laughing, "Brother Juyuan knows that Governor Huang is a traitor from Shu, but he doesn't know how he surrendered."
Mounting Tao nodded slightly: "I genuinely don't know."
Sima Zhao said: "The Land protector of Longxi who lives in Ta in Chongcheng, the descendant of the Wu country who surrendered to the nation, is there anyone you've heard of?"
"Heard of," replied Shan Tao.
"It was around the early years of Huangchu, around the second or third year, I'm not sure." Sima Zhao looked out at the nearby Jiahou Channel: "Land protector of Longxi led Wu troops to defeat Liu Bei in Yiling in Jingzhou. Governor Huang led 10,000 troops and was divided from the battlefield by Land protector of Longxi's forces."
"With no retreat to the west, a great river to the south, Wu troops to the east, Governor Huang had no choice but to turn north and seek refuge with the Great Wei." Sima Zhao continued to swing his palm fan: "And such a person, with all the tolerance of the Great Wei, was still accepted, even being granted the title of General!"
Such information about high-ranking officials in the court cannot be known by ordinary people. Mountain Tao is just an ordinary son of a relatively close family of the Sima family, so he naturally doesn't know. However, Sima Zhao clearly knows all of this from his home.
Mounting Tao was stunned for a moment: "Land protector of Longxi was defeated by the Great Wei, and Governor Huang was easily forced into a dead end by Land protector of Longxi. How could that make him even worse?"
Sima Zhao softly huffed a few times: "How can one be sure of that?"
Mounting Tao sighed: "It's not appropriate for us two to discuss government officials here. However, what you said is right. Dredging the Jiahou Channel is fine, but having a garrison there is actually unnecessary! I see that the water level is still about half a meter from being full. You're overthinking it."
Sima Zhao nodded: "We are his subjects, so we have no choice but to comply. If it really has no effect, once my father returns to the capital, I will definitely write a letter to Governor Huang about his excessive use of manpower!"
Mounting Tao listened silently on the side, making no comment, and had to pour another half bowl of cool water for Sima Zhao.
...
A few days later, in Yizhou, Chengdu City.
A group of soldiers and horses entered the city of Chengdu from the eastern gate with great fanfare. Roughly counting, there were about sixty or seventy knights in attendance, a scale of cavalry that is not common in Chengdu.
As Chengdu is the capital, the news spread quickly. Within a whisker of a nose-breathing time, the Imperial Palace and the Prefectural Palace had already learned about Li Yan's arrival.
Before this, Zhuge Liang had met with Liu Shao at the Qingliang Pavilion in Chengdu Palace, where he delivered his report face-to-face. Afterwards, Liu Shao immediately issued an edict commanding Li Yan to quickly arrive in Chengdu. The edict merely stated that there were military and state matters of importance but made no other mention.
Although Li Yan was rather urgent in his pursuit of a government post, he still obeyed Liu Shao's orders without reservation. After receiving the order, he led his sixty knights and set off swiftly towards the west.
The distance of more than 600 miles was covered in just three days.
Li Yan was in such a hurry that he didn't have time to rest at his mansion upon his arrival. Instead, he made arrangements for the cavalrymen guarding the city gate and only brought two clerks along with him before setting off towards the Imperial Palace.
As he passed by the main gate of the Ministry of Ceremonies, Li Yan suddenly saw a face he recognized. The man, who was familiar, stood with a bow among the crowd at the gate of the Ministry of Ceremonies, saluting him with a gesture of respect.
It was Chen Feng, the Minister of the Ministry of Ceremonies, who was once a good friend of Li Yan's in the Ministry of the Secretariat.
"It's Chen Feng." Li Yan tightened his reins and stopped his horse: "Since my assignment to the outer town, I've seen less and less of you. How are your parents at home?"
Chen Feng bowed respectfully, but his expression was extremely solemn: "I thank you for your concern, Minister. My parents at home are well and safe. I heard that you were returning to Chengdu, so I came here to greet you."
Li Yan dismounted and walked to Chen Feng's front with a smile: "It's been a long time. I am currently en route to the palace, but if there are no matters tonight, let's come to my mansion together and have a banquet. Invite my former colleagues from the Ministry of the Secretariat as well!"
"Don't worry about it." Chen Feng, however, shook his head unusually: "Does the general remember four years ago, when the general wrote an inscribed script on the platform of the Ministry of the Secretariat and in front of us all?"
"If the general no longer needs it, please grant it to me."
Li Yan was also a wise man, and upon hearing this, his face turned pale: "What inscribed script are you referring to, Chen Feng?"
Chen Feng slightly bowed and cupped his hands: "I am unworthy to be mentioned alongside these gentlemen, so I have quietly guarded my Taixuan. That is the one."
Li Yan was stunned for a long time, looked around at the crowd surrounding him, and immediately regained his composure, cursing: "I've been in charge of the Ministry of the Secretariat for more than two years in Jiaozhou. How can you guys take away what I left there?"
"Get away from here! Don't say you're my subordinate. I have no subordinates like you who are greedy and look for things to take!"
"Subordinate has offended," said Chen Feng, cupping his hands and bowing slightly before turning around and walking away.
From the perspective of others, it seemed like Chen Feng was asking Li Yan for his old belongings, but Li Yan cursed him back.
However, as Li Yan mounted his horse and turned to leave, his face remained calm on the outside, but his heart was in turmoil, like a stormy sea!
Four years ago, around this time of year, Li Yan felt a sense of loss of power as the power was being encroached upon by the Prime Minister's Mansion. In the room at the Ministry of Ceremonies, he wrote with inscribed script a passage from Yang Xiong's "Explanation of Mockery."
"I am truly not worthy to be mentioned alongside these many gentlemen, so I have quietly guarded my Taixuan. These are the closing lines of this piece, which Li Yan remembers very clearly. At that time, only Chen Feng was present."
Who was Yang Xiong? In his later years, he was involved in someone else's case and was forced to commit suicide by jumping off a building.
That's not some good person, is it?
Why would Chen Feng hear about something like this and give himself a warning like that?
When Li Yan arrived at the palace gate to seek an audience, the Grand Secretary Guo Yuzhi slowly walked out from inside the palace gate.
"Met the Marshal," Guo Yuzhi said with a slight bow of his hands.
"It's Guo Yuzhi," Li Yan said, forcing himself to remain calm and asked: "Is it really you, Minister Guo? Why did you come so quickly? Has the emperor granted me permission to enter and meet with him?"
Guo Yuzhi replied in a composed manner: "Please wait, Marshal. The emperor has already dispatched the Yellow Gatekeeper to summon the Chancellor. Please wait until the Chancellor arrives, and then I will accompany you into the palace."
Is Zhuge Liang back?
Li Yan was dazed for a moment and stood there without responding for a few seconds.
"Marshal, Marshal?"
Guo Yuzhi had to call out several times before Li Yan snapped back to attention.
"Alright, then I will wait here for the Chancellor," Li Yan nodded in agreement.
The carriage of the Chancellor's residence slowly approached from the east, and Li Yan felt his heart filled with restlessness as he heard the sound of the wheels of the carriage grinding against the ground.
"Met the Chancellor," said Li Yan, stepping forward to bow respectfully as he saw Zhuge Liang descending from the carriage.
However, Zhuge Liang merely glanced at Li Yan with his peripheral vision and didn't even acknowledge him. He walked in with steady steps, following the guide Guo Yuzhi.
From the palace gate to the Qingliang Pavilion, a distance of only hundreds of steps, Li Yan felt as if he was walking through years as he walked behind. In front of him were Guo Yuzhi and Zhuge Liang, with a group of tiger guards following behind. The atmosphere was almost suffocating.
Li Yan felt as if the sun today was unusually hot, baking him to the point of dizziness.
Li Yan thusly stumbled, following the two into the pavilion, and bowed respectfully towards Liu Shao.
Liu Shao sat upright in the hall, raised his hand slightly, and uttered the words 'Rise up', from which Li Yan thanked him and stood up. Li Yan felt a strong sense of pressure coming from Emperor Liu today, but he didn't know whether this pressure came from Emperor Liu himself, the throne he was sitting on, or Zhuge Liang.
Zhuge Liang sighed lightly and then asked, "Li Zhengfang, do you know what kind of critical time we are in?"
"Through the court, the ministers have been working late into the night and the people are suffering, carrying only a simple pot of rice and a jug of wine. The whole of Han is united with a determination to achieve the great cause of Northern Expedition, striving for the restoration of the Han Dynasty and returning to our capital. You are fully aware of the critical situation in both government and military affairs. As a military commander in command of troops, you take advantage of this opportunity to request permission to establish your own residence from the court, citing various bandits as an example!"
"You and I both received the solemn charge from the late emperor, how could you commit such a destructive act!"
"I... " Li Yan's forehead was sweating: "I have come to meet the emperor on his order, what are you doing, Chancellor?"
Zhuge Liang remained serious and stern: "You just tell me if it's your doing!"
Liu Shao also asked in a deep voice: "Marshal, is it true or false?"
Li Yan felt that the blades held by the tiger guards behind him were extraordinarily sharp, even piercing through him from afar. He wanted to gather his courage to defend himself a bit, but when he thought of Chen Feng's actions earlier, he realized that under today's circumstances, there was no way he could escape!
Li Yan took a deep breath: "Chancellor, you are right. That statement was made by me."
"Then be it so." Zhuge Liang cut straight to the point: "The emperor's orders! Due to the charges before, General Li Yan of the Guard shall be demoted to a commoner!" (Chapter ends)
