Chapter 235: Chapter 120: The Accusation_1
Zheng Fan rose from the ground. Indeed, in these past few days, he had been fortunate enough to ride in the same carriage and share meals with Lord Jingnan. He had initially assumed this was Lord Jingnan’s way of winning people’s hearts—a common strategy employed by those in power. They’d make you feel deeply moved, and then, willingly, you’d die for them.
However, it now appeared that he might have misunderstood. Lord Jingnan had specially brought him to the capital, not to get him to do anything specific. In fact, he didn’t have to do anything at all, because all Lord Jingnan wanted was him, the person.
And he, himself, was the... catalyst Lord Jingnan needed to make his move.
Was it to win the loyalty of the troops? Was it to strengthen control over the Jingnan Army? Was it to assert his status and dominance within Yan State? Or was it for something else entirely?
Zheng Fan couldn’t figure it out. All he could do at this point was to mount his horse and follow, with a lingering sense of puzzlement, behind the gilded armor of the Pi Beast.
Perhaps there was indeed a considerable gap between the education and cultural thinking of people from his later era and that of ancient people. Or perhaps it was because he had spent too long among the likes of Blind Bei. Right now, Lord Jingnan was clearly proclaiming he would help him get revenge, yet Zheng Fan truly didn’t feel much gratitude or trepidation.
A certain conviction had taken root deep within Zheng Fan’s heart, one affirmed time and time again by what he had seen and experienced since waking in this world: those who played at politics were all corrupt!
The Pi Beast led the way, with knights flanking both sides. This was the capital city, not Nanwang City or some other local city in Yan State, yet Lord Jingnan still led his troops to clear the way in this manner.
The commoners lined both sides of the streets, watching all this with apprehension and awe.
Their curiosity was indeed justified, for it was known that when that Lord from the north had entered the capital back then, he hadn’t made such a grand display.
The capital city was, after all, different from other places; any unconventional act here would be infinitely magnified.
Perhaps the common folk were just watching the spectacle, something they could later use as fodder for conversation when chatting with their families or neighbors and friends. But for those caught up in the current political situation, Lord Jingnan’s actions were quickly being imbued with far deeper meanings.
Was the Tian Family trying to demonstrate its power? Or was Lord Jingnan paving the way for his own enfeoffment as a king?
Lord Jingnan had been granted his marquisate and command of the Jingnan Army shortly after the current emperor ascended the throne. Ten years had passed since then, long enough for Lord Jingnan to deeply embed his influence within the Jingnan Army.
At this time, with the imperial court and the Northern Army still in a standoff, Lord Jingnan’s stance became extremely critical and sensitive.
Nearby, countless unseen eyes were staring at this scene, and information began to be relayed back through various channels. The entire capital city was like a spider’s web, and Lord Jingnan was brazenly treading upon it.
Fortunately, Zheng Fan had one strength: his adaptability was very strong. As Blind Bei would say, it was something honed from spending his previous life cooped up in his room drawing perverted comics.
Revenge it is, then. Whatever they plan to use me for, I can’t change it anyway, so I might as well just go along and enjoy the ride.
Lighten up, crack a smile. We’re going for revenge, not to a funeral. Make it festive!
Zheng Fan inwardly prompted himself.
Then, he took a deep breath and straightened his back.
The procession was actually not moving very fast, but in a densely populated place like the capital city, it was still considered quite swift.
The capital city’s government servants had already been dispatched and had caught up with this Jingnan Army contingent. However, they were only responsible for maintaining order on the streets; they dared not obstruct them, nor did they even dare to approach and ask where this Jingnan Army contingent was headed.
One piece of news after another was relayed back, including the earlier conversation between Lord Jingnan and Zheng Fan at the entrance of the roast duck restaurant.
The new instructions received by many spies and informants were to determine exactly where Lord Jingnan was headed!
The name "Zheng Fan" was not unfamiliar to the capital city’s prominent figures.
There were, indeed, quite a few units in the Yan Army that employed Barbarians. However, the only one to have led Barbarians to breach the mountain gates of Huaiya Academy was Zheng Fan.
This act by Zheng Fan was tantamount to not only fiercely slapping the faces of all the scholars in Yan but also stomping on them repeatedly for good measure.
Therefore, based on the direction this Jingnan Army contingent was heading, the first wave of speculation about their possible destination emerged. This was because if they continued down this street and then turned left at a ward, they would reach the Prime Minister’s residence.
The target is the Prime Minister’s residence?
After receiving the reports fed back by their informants up ahead, all parties showed expressions of astonishment.
But this indeed made sense. The current Prime Minister, Zhao Jiulang, hailed from Huaiya Academy, which even housed his personally inscribed calligraphy. Zheng Fan leading troops to breach the academy was a slap in his face. It was plausible that with a mere flick of his finger, he could arrange for a border Commander to die just like that.
Could it be that Lord Jingnan was actually going to the Prime Minister’s residence to seek revenge for a mere Commander under him?
Because Yan State was not a centralized country, the Prime Minister’s authority was not as extensive as in the neighboring Qian State. In Qian State, the Prime Minister could influence the Qian Emperor from above and guide the trends of the literati from below. The title "Your Excellency Prime Minister" was sometimes even uttered with more reverence than "His Majesty."
But no matter what, the Prime Minister was the face of the Yan imperial court. If Lord Jingnan truly led his troops to breach the Prime Minister’s residence today, it would be tantamount to completely tearing away all pretense of cordiality with the Yan court, shattering the unspoken rules of the game that everyone had tacitly acknowledged for hundreds of years.