Xie Jiayan opened the letter from Yu Mingyue again. He had already noticed something unusual about the paper when he opened it.
He had taught her how to repair ancient paintings, never expecting her to apply what she learned.
Xie Jiayan first applied his special solution to one corner of the letter. After a moment, he held the bottom layer with one hand and gently lifted the top layer with the other, giving it a slight shake. The paper then peeled open.
As expected, there were words on the inner layer of paper.
As Xie Jiayan read, the smile on his face gradually disappeared, and the hand holding the letter turned pale from the force.
No wonder the Four Great Clans were so easily persuaded by Empress Wang. They had other plans.
Food is paramount for the people. To gamble with innocent citizens is insane. The Four Great Clans are digging their own graves.
Xie Jiayan could almost imagine the scene of widespread starvation and death. They must not be allowed to succeed.
The only relief was that Sixth Lady was temporarily safe. The Cui family truly cherished her. Although they might have had ulterior motives, they would not harm her.
Xie Jiayan lowered his head in deep thought. To make this matter escalate, he would likely need to enlist the help of the Yao family.
The Zhongshu Province was rife with undercurrents. Due to the previous incident involving the Wang family, the Yao family's influence had once surpassed that of the aristocratic clans, making them not to be underestimated.
Empress Wang had returned to the palace, and the aristocratic clans were regaining their power. At this juncture, the Yao family would spare no effort to contend with them.
This way, the Emperor could remain uninvolved, preventing the two factions from escalating their conflict beyond control.
The Yao family had secret dealings with martial arts factions. The martial world had its own sources of information, so this matter would be easier to handle.
It seemed he needed to meet with Sect Leader Ye.
On this journey, the Emperor had assigned people from the Li Jing Sect to protect him. Unexpectedly, Ye Feisheng had also left the capital.
By the time Xie Jiayan arrived, it was already past midnight. Ye Feisheng was preparing to sleep.
"There is something I need to trouble Sect Leader Ye with," Xie Jiayan said politely.
Ye Feisheng was a trusted confidant of the Emperor. Xie Jiayan had never treated him as merely a bodyguard. During this trip, Ye Feisheng often disappeared for days, but Xie Jiayan never inquired.
Ye Feisheng was also discreet. If Xie Jiayan did not assign him tasks, he would not step forward, minimizing his presence.
"Please, Your Excellency, command me."
The Emperor's order to him was to obey Xie Jiayan's instructions in all matters and ensure his safety at all costs.
"I know the Sect Leader has old acquaintances in the martial world. I would like to ask the Sect Leader to pass this message to them." Xie Jiayan handed the letter in his hand to Ye Feisheng.
He expected it would reach the Yao family within three days. Yao Zhinian had suffered a great loss due to the Wang family's affairs and would not miss this opportunity.
"Your Excellency, rest assured, it will be delivered."
"Doesn't the Sect Leader wish to know what the message is?"
Ye Feisheng smiled. "In the future, if there is anything, Lord Xie, please do not hesitate to command me. This subordinate knows what is appropriate."
"Sect Leader, you need not refer to yourself as a subordinate. We both serve Great Wei. In terms of seniority, the Sect Leader is my elder. Please do not belittle me. I entrust this matter to you." Xie Jiayan bowed deeply.
This matter concerned the livelihood of the people of Great Wei, and Ye Feisheng was worthy of his bow. Moreover, he had never wished for the Yao family to win so strongly before.
Ye Feisheng returned the bow. Xie Jiayan was a person valued by the Emperor, and he dared not accept such deference.
...
Yu Mingyue, having passed on the message, was filled with worry. She did not know if she had caused trouble for Brother Jiayan, nor if he could resolve it.
Did the assassination attempts on Xie Jiayan in the storybooks also relate to the Jiangnan land reclamation and mulberry cultivation case?
Yet, she had personally witnessed the helplessness of the villagers in Taohua Village. After only half a year of requisitioning land for mulberry cultivation, they were already reduced to eating thin gruel.
She realized then that widespread starvation and cannibalism were not just historical tales; perhaps this was the daily reality for these villagers one day.