Chapter Eleven: Clarity

  Yang Gan didn't say much, but both of them were people with a deep understanding, so they didn't need to spell everything out. After finishing speaking, Yang Gan's eyes gleamed as he stared at Nan Shi Ba, but Nan Shi Ba still detected a hint of fatigue in his demeanor, revealing that this powerful and prominent chief assistant had also been suffering greatly these days.

  "The Crown Prince has been ordered to lead the army to the northwest, and surprisingly, two people in the cabinet supported this move. The Emperor did not say anything, but issued an edict, and it is unknown what the Emperor's intention is... The three departments of the government are in a mess, the Crown Prince and several princes are closely watching the situation, and the salt and iron industries are major national affairs, but no one has been appointed to take charge... This year, the grain supplies for Tongguan were sent out, but the Crown Prince insisted that Tongguan was not in danger and did not need any more reinforcements, so he suppressed the urgent message from the Fifth Prince asking for help. I only found out about this yesterday... Going into the palace to see the Emperor is also impossible, as the Emperor is ill and needs rest, and won't even grant an audience... If things continue like this, what will become of us? Sir, as a bystander with a clear perspective, can you offer me some advice?"

  Nan eighteen was stunned for half a day, his fingers unconsciously tapping on the table, and the dim light in his eyes flickered. Yang Gan didn't urge him either. It wasn't until after a while that Nan eighteen slowly said: "Dong Weng, you're too busy, and you can't even see such an obvious thing?"

  "Oh?" Yang's spirit was shaken, he had been busy for days, his feet were numb, and on top of that, the Crown Prince's people, the Fifth Prince's people, and several other unpredictable courtiers had come to find him, their words were ambiguous, but as a veteran of the officialdom, he understood their intentions, they just wanted to test his stance. This made him even more anxious, knowing that as the Chief Assistant and the head of the Yang family, he couldn't avoid getting involved in this maelstrom. But with things happening one after another, he had no time to think or look around. When Nan Shi said this, however, he felt a wave of relief, his inquiring gaze fixed tightly on Nan Shi's face.

  "It seems that Your Majesty is going to depose the Crown Prince..."

  "Ah..." Yang Feng's expression also turned pale upon hearing this sentence.

  Without waiting for Yang to ask, Nan Shi Ba had already stood up and walked around the room twice before continuing: "What kind of person is the current Emperor? He's a wise and just ruler who has been on the throne for over twenty years. You're really trapped in your own world and confused by external affairs, you don't even think about it, when the Emperor first ascended to the throne, why did he establish the crown prince? Wasn't it to appease the two families of Zhong and Shu? In recent years, the Zhong family hasn't been mentioned, but they finally produced a Minister of War, who is actually a useless person. The matter of Zhong Cong's embezzlement of military rations at Tongguan has been going on for quite some time, can it be hidden from the Emperor? And yet, it was only through the secret memorial of the Fifth Prince that he suddenly took action? With Zhong Cong removed from his position, who in the Zhong family is capable of taking on a major role? I was thinking just the other day, has the Emperor been too indulgent towards the Crown Prince? Now that you've said this, things are much clearer. The Emperor was simply using the Fifth Prince's hands to take action."

  The Orochi family has split into two branches. Although they still hold military power, Orochi Kiyohime is a straightforward person and the most loyal one. On the other hand, Orochi no Fuma, who is from the crown prince's line, is indecisive and not suitable for important tasks. The influence of the Orochi family has greatly declined compared to before."

  Here is the translation:

  "Now that it's come to this, Nan Shi's mind became even clearer, and his eyes shone brighter. 'The Crown Prince commanding the army? Ha! Old Dong, think about it - what do you think the Crown Prince wants to do this time? To say something taboo, judging from the Crown Prince's past actions, does he have even a bit of the demeanor of a ruler? How did the Emperor ascend to the throne back then? The Emperor is in poor health, and yet the Crown Prince isn't staying in the capital to oversee things - what army is he commanding? The Crown Prince is so restless in his position, but the Emperor, being such a cunning person, didn't even think twice before agreeing - doesn't he fear that history will repeat itself?"

  The southern eighteen said, his face flushed with excitement, looking spirited and energetic. Who would have thought that such a burly man had such meticulous thoughts? "Master Dong, you think, after all these years, as the crown prince's teacher, it is your duty to advise him, but what have you taught him over the years? Has the emperor ever said anything about this to you? No, why not? The crown prince has the support of two powerful families and is also the son of the empress, which is his advantage, but this is also the emperor's most dreaded place. Think about it, if the emperor passes away and the crown prince ascends to the throne, can he suppress these two families with his abilities? Hehe, with the external relatives added to the military power, will the story of Zhao's family in Later Zhou be reenacted in Western Qin? Even if we don't talk about this, how many wrong things has the crown prince done over the years? Has the emperor ever scolded him? Every time it was just a light mention, and the punishment for the people below was even more severe. Is this still like a father's attitude towards his son?"

  He said this with his eyes fixed tightly on Yang: "The Emperor is waiting..."

  "What's going on?" Yang asked subconsciously.

  "When the crown prince makes a mistake, the crown prince is an impatient person, and it's just that his tolerance is not deep enough. He also does things in a self-willed manner, without considering the consequences. To put it bluntly, the crown prince has the courage to do great things, but he doesn't have the temperament or sense of responsibility for doing great things. If the crown prince fails this time, he will definitely lose his position as crown prince. And if he succeeds, with his personality, he will inevitably compete with the border generals for merit, and the outcome won't be much better..."

  "At eighteen, you make me think...". Yang's hand supported his forehead in a thinking gesture, but his heart was already clear and open. He had been trapped in the imperial court, bogged down by trivial matters, and was only confused for a moment. In fact, as soon as someone pointed it out to him, his mind naturally cleared up.

  Nan eighteen whispered beside him, "Dong Gong, what are you thinking? At this time, the most important thing is to see which prince the emperor favors. To avoid being implicated by the crown prince, you must resolutely oppose him this time when he leads the army. After that, it's up to the crown prince, haha..."

  "Are you saying that Rong Er is safe outside?"

  Yang Gan's words were a bit incoherent, but Nan Shi understood his meaning after a moment of thought. He shook his head and smiled: "You're talking about the Fifth Prince? It's already clear that he's been outside for many years. Has the Emperor ever mentioned bringing him back? Even if it's to establish another Crown Prince, is a prince who controls the military and has a bad relationship with the Northwest Military Governor suitable at this time? The Fifth Prince is in charge of the Tongguan Guardian Army, why is the Emperor so trusting of him? Not that I'm saying, but on the surface, the Fifth Prince holds great power and has taken advantage of the Crown Prince many times in their struggles. But thinking about it, it's all because of the Emperor's indulgence... Moreover, the Fifth Prince has no children, this point alone is already fatal...

  It's not what I said, as long as the current emperor issues an imperial edict now, even the personal guards of the fifth prince will likely defect and strike. If the fifth prince can be at ease with his duties, after the new emperor ascends to the throne, he won't lose out on being a comfortable prince, but if he wants to lead the army, it depends on whether the new emperor's tolerance is enough. If the fifth prince really has thoughts of usurping the throne, heh heh, his outcome will be no better than that of the crown prince."

  "Oh? So you're saying that sir already knows..."

  Looking at Yang's seemingly smiling yet not smiling face, Nan Shi Ba immediately felt a chill run down his spine amidst the excitement. He suddenly remembered that the person in front of him was the current Prime Minister, renowned for his exceptional talent and youthful age. In terms of wit and depth, he was far superior to himself, and even flattery couldn't compare. How could he possibly ask about everything? After all, he was still a scholar at heart, prone to getting carried away when pleased.

  This can be said to be a kind of probing, or it can be said to be a consideration. The two men talked for half a day, but not a single word was mentioned about the current military situation being so urgent. What if the border army loses? Because both of them had already understood that this time, the Western Xia and Jin countries invaded the border, only because they suffered heavy losses due to the heavy snow, so they wanted to take advantage of the border affairs to alleviate the domestic crisis. This is also a consistent practice of the northern ethnic groups. Even if there is a slight defeat, the enemy army will retreat soon after. This is something that anyone with a little brain can see, and it's not necessary to get entangled in this matter.

  He had been lingering in Chang'an for eighteen years, not for its prosperity and splendor, nor to preserve himself in a chaotic world, nor to make a name for himself. He had a belly full of unfulfilled grievances. He had been staying at Yang's mansion for several years, with hardly any influence to speak of. But after this time, it can be imagined that he would at least be considered one of Yang's trusted advisors. At this point, there was no room for him to retreat or remain silent.

  Thinking of this, he gazed ahead and said in a low voice: "Dong Gong is well aware of the situation, yet he asks, isn't there any movement from Jing Wang's side? At this time, the various princes are either avoiding suspicion by retreating or wholeheartedly trying to win over court officials. Why hasn't the young prince, who has always been favored by the emperor, made a move? When things go against the norm, it must be for a reason. Dong Gong might as well make some friendly gestures towards Jing Wang at this time. As for the crown prince, there's no need to bother with him. At this point, just not asking questions and following common logic would suffice. Given Dong Gong's position in the court, after the new emperor ascends to the throne, he will inevitably have to rely on Dong Gong's abilities..."

  Yang let out a sigh at this time and waved his hand to stop him from continuing, "This doesn't even resemble a father-son relationship anymore..."

  "Heaven has no father and son, the small door and small household are still for a little family property, not to mention a country? We ordinary people emphasize home and country, with a home there is a country, the big man's family has been in office for generations, also talking about the way of governing the country, the home is before the country? The imperial court is talking about the state, first the country then the home, since ancient times, for this throne, how many flesh and blood brothers have been killed? The emperor is a benevolent ruler, but for this throne, he can't help but take out some thunderous measures..."

  At this time, Nan Shi also let go and said everything that could be said and couldn't be said.

  Yang Gan listened to the words in his ears, and his heart was already set. His smile became even more gentle: "Sir, don't say any more. These words are just between you and me, and we must not mention them outside. Sir, it's a great honor for me to have your help. Tomorrow, I'll arrange for several ink attendants and maidservants to serve you. If you go out, there will be people to escort you. The guards in the mansion can be called upon at any time. Also, if you need anything, just let the steward know... Sir, please feel at ease staying here. In the future, we will inevitably have opportunities to rely on your talents..."

  At this time, a maid's voice came from outside the door, "Lord, the Emperor has sent someone to invite you into the palace."

  In an instant, an old eunuch followed the maid into the garden. Yang Gan led Nan Shi to welcome him out. From a distance, Yang Gan's heart trembled as he saw that it was Zhang Ze, the chief eunuch who served by the emperor's side, who had arrived. Zhang Ze was one of the most trusted people in the palace, having served Emperor Zhengde since childhood. However, at this moment, Zhang Ze's face was covered in sweat, his expression extremely anxious and flustered, as if he were running for his life. When he saw Yang Gan, his face turned even more urgent, and he hastily pulled Yang Gan aside, speaking to him in a low voice. Yang Gan's expression immediately darkened, with shock and worry visible on his face.

  Qingyang... mutiny... urgent matter...

  The south eighteen brains buzzed with a loud noise, staring blankly at Yang Gan who didn't even say goodbye before hastily walking out, feeling that the world is unpredictable and nothing is more unexpected than this.