Chapter 288: To Stay or Leave

“Chen Ji, the world should not be like this.”

This sentence, unexpectedly, was spoken by Mr. Feng.

In the dark night, Chen Ji turned his head to look at the green-robed scholar beside him; the hair at the other’s temples was also tinged with hardship. He turned his head to look at the place Mr. Feng was pointing to; there was only the vast, long night, and even the starlight was somewhat dim.

Mr. Feng lowered his arm, looked into the distance, and said calmly, "Do you feel it is very absurd? The court's cabinet elders disregard the lives of the border army, are not afraid of the border army collapsing, and even their own lives are not safe?"

Chen Ji said in a low voice, "This official indeed does not understand!"

Mr. Feng walked forward with his hands behind his back: "When I learned of those absurd matters, I also once thought I had heard wrong! In the 22nd year of Jianing, the Jizhou border army could not wait for grain and pay, and grain merchants in the city were forbidden to sell grain to them!

Two Jizhou border army infantrymen, unable to bear the hunger, then stole two chickens from the Qi family branch in Jizhou!

These two people were also cowardly; they had just killed the chickens and set up a pot to boil water, but the chickens had not yet been eaten when they were caught red-handed by the Qi mansion servants... Do you know the fate of those two border army infantrymen?"

Chen Ji was silent!

Mr. Feng said expressionlessly, "The Qi family made them pay with their lives for the chickens. After the Jizhou border army heard about this matter, they mutinied that night. The court used a full half year to suppress the rebellion, and the Jizhou commander-in-chief’s three clans were exterminated!"

Chen Ji was startled: paying with their lives for chickens.

Mr. Feng continued, "Do you know the reason behind this absurdity?"

Chen Ji shook his head, "This official does not know!"

Mr. Feng slowly explained, "Actually, it was because someone recommended the Jizhou commander-in-chief for the position of Minister of War, blocking the official path of certain people!"

He added, "Qing Wentao, the Guoyuan border army commander, guarded the border for fourteen years, and in the end met the fate of becoming a traitor to the enemy and being dismembered. Do you know why?"

When Chen Ji heard the name Qing Wentao, his heart stirred slightly: "This official does not know!"

Mr. Feng smiled, "Only because General Wentao opened trade routes, raised the border army, and led many merchants to abandon their previous trade paths and change to Guoyuan! This time, the smuggling trade in Yingkou and Qidong suddenly decreased by two tenths, provoking many people to be unhappy! Thus, someone jointly fabricated evidence of General Wentao's treason and sent him to the autumn execution ground!"

Chen Ji inquired, "Which people were unhappy?"

Mr. Feng casually explained, "Yingkou Port belongs to the Chen family, and Qidong Port belongs to the Xu family. Who do you think was unhappy? What's interesting is that when General Wentao had his accident, Elder Hu did not say a word. After General Wentao died, the Hu family still fought desperately to preserve this northwest trade route!"

Wait!

Chen Ji suddenly fell into deep thought. General Wentao was framed, his sworn sister's whereabouts were unknown, the third master of the Hu family resigned, the original owner and staff of the Longmen Inn were hanged at the memorial archway, and the Chen family's Minister of Revenue was assassinated. This series of events seemed to be faintly connected.

At this time, Mr. Feng said indifferently, "Chen Ji, if you open every page of history, you will only see the two blood-stained words 'interests' inside. When you can see these two words from those piles of matters, then you can be considered to truly understand matters!"

Chen Ji cupped his hands and said, "This official is just a small Hai Dongqing, it's better to be somewhat muddle-headed! Whatever the adult needs this official to do, this official will do, without hesitation, even going through fire and water!"

Mr. Feng heard such a grandiloquent answer and looked at Chen Ji with amusement!

He pointed virtually twice with his finger, "Ah, you, when did you also learn these flattery techniques? You just entered the Secret Spy Department not long ago and were promoted to Hai Dongqing. Joining the Twelve Zodiacs is only a matter of time. Seeing through certain matters earlier will be beneficial to you!"

Chen Ji said unmoved, "May I know what merits this official needs to establish to be promoted to the Twelve Zodiacs?"

Mr. Feng said meaningfully, "When the time comes, you will naturally know..."

Mr. Feng continued walking towards the city wall. Chen Ji followed behind and asked curiously, "Adult, are the great families really not afraid of the consequences of the Jing Dynasty advancing south? If the border army collapses, where will the hair attach if the skin does not exist?"

Mr. Feng smiled and said, "How could they care about these? They feel that even if the dynasty changes, they can still live in luxury by changing a master. Except for the Zhu family, no one cares what surname this land and rivers have. But our destruction of the Tian Ce Army today is enough to make the Jing Dynasty not dare to raise border conflicts again within five years! With these five years, we can then free our hands to recover the old land and rivers!"

For some reason!

Only at this moment, Chen Ji looked at the impassioned Mr. Feng and finally felt that the other person was like a living being, not that powerful and cold political creature!

The other's blood also had warmth!

Chen Ji suddenly asked, "Since history only has the two words 'interests,' what does the adult hope to gain from doing these matters?"

Mr. Feng looked into the distance, "Me, ah..."

He didn't answer, perhaps because he didn't want to answer, or perhaps he truly couldn't answer for a moment!

A moment later, Mr. Feng smiled, "A person like me will not be recorded in history!"

Chen Ji was slightly startled; he hadn't expected this answer!

Even stranger was, why would the other person say these things to him? Chen Ji changed the subject, "What does the adult need me to do?"

Mr. Feng thought for a moment, "Since you have already gained the trust of the Crown Prince, next, follow the Crown Prince and do things! With this layer of identity, presumably the Chen family will also look at you with high regard. Within one year, I want a list of all the goods smuggled into the Jing Dynasty by the Chen family, and it would be best if you can get the account books!"

Chen Ji said in a low voice, "Adult, the Crown Prince was used as bait this time, he is probably already a mortal enemy of the Directorate of Ceremonial!"

Mr. Feng laughed heartily, "What's there to fear? The Crown Prince is alone."

Chen Ji shivered; this Mr. Feng actually didn't put the Crown Prince in his eyes. Where did this confidence come from?

Mr. Feng said with a smile, "Do you really think I can decide the life and death of the state heir? In this Ning Dynasty, only one person can make this decision!"

The Ning Emperor!

But the Crown Prince had made no major mistakes in the past, so why would the Ning Emperor want to kill the Crown Prince he himself had established? Mr. Feng said casually, "His Majesty is a cultivator of the Dao, seeking eternal life! How does an emperor who seeks eternal life need a Crown Prince?"

Chen Ji was astonished. He knew that among emperors, many pursued eternal life, but even third-rank officials and lower officials' paths were mutually exclusive. How could the Ning Emperor seek eternal life?

However, this world was strange and bizarre, and he was not sure if the Ning Emperor really had a way to seek eternal life!

At this moment, the city wall was already close at hand!

Chen Ji looked up and saw a burly back figure standing alone, gazing into the distance above the ruins of the collapsed city gate tower!

Mr. Feng waved his hand at him, "Don't forget what I want from you. Go, do things well, and when the dust settles, I will give you an explanation!"

Chen Ji cupped his hands and retreated, watching Mr. Feng step onto the ruined brick stones and stand side by side with Hu Junxian!

After Chen Ji had walked far away, Mr. Feng lightly asked, "Still blaming Wang Ye?"

Hu Junxian gazed into the dark night in the distance. The fires of the Tian Ce Army camp were also gradually extinguishing. "No blame, I never blamed him!"

Mr. Feng smiled and said, "Wang Ye chose you to come to Guoyuan at first, also feeling that you were most suitable here. Looking now, Wang Ye did not choose wrongly!"

Hu Junxian said indifferently, "What is suitable or not? It's just that I received an imperial edict to abolish my cultivation, making it easier to deceive the Jing Dynasty! It's just that I've been acting for so many years, I really hate this Ning Dynasty a bit!"

Mr. Feng looked at Hu Junxian, "What's the plan next? Return to the capital city? It's still timely to pick up the path of lower officials now. With your talent, perhaps you can still touch the threshold of the Divine Path realm!"

Hu Junxian stood on the ruins and casually asked, "If I leave, who will guard this Guoyuan?"

Mr. Feng answered, "Let Wang Dao Sheng come. No one is more suitable than him!"

Hu Junxian suddenly realized, "No wonder the edict promoting him to Minister of War was blocked, he was originally waiting here!"

Mr. Feng smiled and said, "How about it? After you go back, you can hang a proper fourth-rank idle post in the Ten Thousand Years Army, be granted three hundred mu of good fields, conferred a python robe and jade belt, and perhaps even walk in the palace with a sword. This is what His Majesty already promised when you left the capital!"

Hu Junxian was silent!

He looked at this piece of land he had wanted to abandon day and night and suddenly said, "This vast land and rivers, minor officials are hereditary by local gentry, high officials are hereditary by great families, the throne is hereditary by the Zhu family, only the border army and Guoyuan no one is willing to make hereditary...

"I'm not going, leave me here as a stone block! Wang Dao Sheng has great talent, don't let him come to Guoyuan and waste time like me!"

Mr. Feng's expression was serious, "Really?"

Hu Junxian's answer was beyond doubt, "Today, my official move in this eight-year chess game, unexpectedly, I am still a bit reluctant! Go back and tell His Majesty that if he truly wants to compensate me, Hu, then do what he promised, which can also be considered fulfilling the last wish of Prince Jing!"

As the words fell, a ray of sunlight in the distance pierced the night curtain, and the vast, long night finally passed!

Mr. Feng slowly gathered his sleeves and bowed deeply to Hu Junxian, "The backbone of a national scholar is like a green mountain, General is truly the backbone of our dynasty! Guoyuan is entrusted to you!"

Having said that, he turned his back to the sunrise and walked down the city wall!

Above the city wall ruins, only Hu Junxian remained alone, watching the rising sun slowly climb into the sky!

"What dog fart national scholar," he mocked with a smile, bent down, and picked up a piece of broken brick from the ground, weighing it in his hand!

Then he threw it into the distance!