During the banquet, the Third Prince showed great concern for Yang Qin, Feng Xuan, Feng Zhang, Gao Bao and the others, and also inquired about the customs and local conditions of the mountain tribes in Xuzhou.
After all, the words he truly wanted to say to Han Qian and the questions he wanted to ask could not be voiced in front of so many people. It was better to let these visitors from afar feel more of Jinling’s warmth and care.
Han Qian could sense that during the four months he had been away, the Third Prince had matured considerably. It was hard to imagine that this fifteen-year-old youth already possessed an implicit ability to control situations, appearing more steady and composed.
After the evening banquet, Feng Yi and Kong Xirong enthusiastically pulled Yang Qin, Feng Xuan, Feng Zhang, Gao Bao and the others to go broaden their horizons at Wanhong Tower. Han Qian still needed to stay behind to discuss matters. He specifically held back Feng Yi and the others, instructing them: “Jinling has many deceitful schemes specifically targeting outsiders. You must take good care of Master Feng and the others…”
Jinling was a gentle trap and money pit that devoured people without spitting out bones. Han Qian still needed to stabilize the Four Clans as much as possible. Feng Zhang and the others were the seeding machines and propaganda horns he planned to send back to the mountains and waters of Xuzhou, so he still needed to care for them meticulously.
Hearing Han Qian say this, Feng Yi couldn’t help feeling a bit disappointed. These past days he had been practicing his gambling skills intensively, and among Jinling’s circle of young masters he could be said to have already defeated all opponents. He had wanted to display his prowess on these outsiders from Xuzhou.
After Feng Yi and the others left, the Third Prince invited the remaining people to sit in the Xiaoxiang Pavilion of the inner residence. Soon Marquis Xinchang Li Pu arrived to pay his respects, and at this time the Third Prince’s consort Li Yao also came out to meet her father Li Pu.
The Third Prince’s consort Li Yao was still a delicate young girl with traces of childishness, though she appeared more mature than when they had met half a year ago. It was evident that her feelings with the Third Prince Yang Yuanpu were quite deep. Sitting beside them chatting, their eyes met with the appearance of young lovers experiencing first awakening.
After casual conversation for a while, at Marquis Xinchang Li Pu’s signal, Yang Yuanpu spoke without ceremony to Guo Rong who stood attending at the side: “Minister Guo has labored all day. I’m drinking tea with my father-in-law and Han Qian and the others. You need not attend here any longer—withdraw and rest first!”
Although the internal affairs of the Marquis of Linjiang’s residence were still mainly controlled by the Palace Attendants Bureau, including Guo Rong, Song Xin and other eunuchs and palace maids serving Yang Yuanpu who were all dispatched by the Palace Attendants Bureau, before the Third Prince Yang Yuanpu’s marriage, under Li Zhigao’s direction, the Guard Battalion had undergone reorganization.
At least regarding internal affairs of the Marquis of Linjiang’s residence, it was no longer Guo Rong and Song Xin alone who had the final say. When Yang Yuanpu had matters to handle, he could bypass Guo Rong and Song Xin and directly order Chen De, Chai Jian, and Li Chong to deploy personnel from the Guard Battalion.
After Han Qian left Jinling, Yang Yuanpu had also carefully followed Han Qian’s instructions, almost daily leaving the city to attend the Garrison Military Office to receive instruction from Shen Yang, while also participating in the governance of the Dragon Sparrow Army and Garrison Military Office.
Even though he was still a youth, Yang Yuanpu’s authority was gradually increasing.
When Yang Yuanpu now dismissed unrelated personnel, leaving Han Qian and the others in Xiaoxiang Pavilion to secretly discuss matters, Guo Rong, Song Xin and the others were only briefly stunned before ultimately withdrawing obediently.
“In your letter you said you wanted to attract displaced people to migrate into Xuzhou, and also expand commerce between Xuzhou and Jinling. This time you led the fleet back—how did Tanzhou so easily allow you to pass through Dongting Lake?” As soon as Guo Rong, Song Xin and other unrelated persons left, Marquis Xinchang Li Pu couldn’t wait to ask.
Every half month Han Qian would send someone to deliver a letter back to Jinling reporting on recent circumstances, but some matters could only be conveyed orally and absolutely could not be easily written into letters.
Marquis Xinchang Li Pu and the others in Jinling naturally had accumulated a belly full of doubts.
“Tomorrow, the five thousand shi of polished rice being transported to the Garrison Military Office along with the ship, plus the cured meat, iron materials, timber, and leather—worth three million cash—were actually gifts from Tanzhou…” Han Qian supported himself against the table before him. Seeing that Marquis Xinchang Li Pu had not dismissed Chen De, and though he couldn’t guess whether Li Pu and the others had let Chen De know of Wanhong Tower’s existence, he still directly spoke of matters such as opening the land prohibitions to attract displaced people flooding into Xuzhou, as well as tacitly allowing Tanzhou to infiltrate Xuzhou in exchange for Tanzhou not blockading the passage.
Han Qian didn’t even conceal Xi Ren’s background or the fact that Feng Xuan and Gao Bao were secretly working for him, including how he had no choice but to publicly execute Ji Kun at the bow of the ship on the Yuan River…
“…” Marquis Xinchang Li Pu, Li Zhigao, Chai Jian, Li Chong, Chen De and the others were all dumbstruck. Only now did they realize that what Han Qian had written in his letters was merely the tip of the iceberg, while hidden beneath the water surface were perilous undercurrents they had never imagined.
Marquis Xinchang Li Pu and Li Zhigao remained silent, working hard to digest what Han Qian had said. Only in this way could they dispel the many doubts in their hearts—many things now made sense.
Chen De’s face couldn’t help twitching. Staring into Han Qian’s eyes, he sternly questioned: “Do you know that His Majesty is most wary of Tanzhou? You father and son colluding together in Xuzhou, watching Tanzhou grow powerful—if His Majesty learns of this, how will he view us?”
Apart from his gambling addiction causing problems, Chen De’s mind was still quite clear.
When Han Daoxun had previously caused a great disturbance at court causing Emperor Tianyou’s extreme fury, it was ultimately because he misunderstood Han Daoxun’s actions as assisting Shouzhou’s expansion. He could hardly imagine what tremendous waves would be stirred once their collusion with Tanzhou for the sake of succession struggle reached His Majesty’s ears.
In His Majesty’s fury, would he directly strip the Third Prince of his qualification to inherit?
“Then simply don’t let His Majesty know.” Han Qian looked toward Marquis Xinchang Li Pu, Li Zhigao and the others, speaking calmly.
Marquis Xinchang Li Pu understood Han Qian’s meaning. Whatever schemes Wanhong Tower and the Marquis Xinchang’s residence harbored were still hidden beneath the surface. The World Consort and Third Prince were even willing to borrow power from this side to accomplish things. If they became timid and hesitant at this point, not even daring to deal with Tanzhou, they might as well slap their bottoms and go home to hold their children.
“You should have sent someone back to Jinling to discuss this with us.” Chai Jian couldn’t help reproaching Han Qian for making decisions on his own.
“Ji Kun died by my hand, and the Bureau of Operations’ agents withdrew from Xuzhou, but I cannot ensure that outside Xuzhou, the messengers I dispatch won’t fall into their hands, nor can I ensure anyone could truly withstand their severe torture.” Han Qian said.
“The Xuzhou situation is complex. The local prominent clans are extremely hostile toward officials dispatched by the court. Wang Yu’s death was indeed suspicious, and with Zhao Mingting also sending the capable Ji Kun there to stir up trouble—had I gone there, I might not necessarily have done better than Han Qian.” Li Zhigao said in a deep voice.
He didn’t want their first secret meeting after several months apart to turn into a denunciation assembly against Han Qian. Someone like Han Qian who could independently take charge was desperately scarce on their side.
Moreover, the supplies Han Qian brought back this time could indeed allow them to catch their breath.
“But you absolutely should not have left a document in your own handwriting.” Li Chong still felt Han Qian’s handling of certain details was insufficiently thorough. Leaving written evidence gave others leverage—once the matter was exposed, they would have no chance whatsoever to defend themselves. “Without written evidence, even if the matter were exposed, we would only need to bear responsibility for lack of oversight.”
Han Qian smiled coldly in his heart. Everyone was a clever person—did they really think Tanzhou’s five hundred gold cakes were so easy to take? Did they really think everyone in Tanzhou were fools? However, he could also see that Li Zhigao’s authority was still insufficient to silence Li Chong.
“Under the very eyes of Anning Palace, Master Han secured the Dragon Sparrow Army for us. As for the Xuzhou situation, I believe everything is under Master Han’s control.” Yang Yuanpu interrupted Li Chong’s words, speaking directly.
Compared to others’ hesitation and apprehension, the Third Prince Yang Yuanpu after all had a victorious youthful spirit. He preferred how Han Qian won through extraordinary strategy, and previously it was indeed Han Qian’s schemes that had broken the deadlock.
Yang Yuanpu now fully understood how difficult the Xuzhou situation was. After discussing it multiple times with his father-in-law and the others, everyone had worn worried expressions, all saying that Han Daoxun and Han Qian going there would find breaking through and establishing themselves very difficult, not even knowing how much assistance Han Daoxun in Xuzhou could provide them. The current situation was at least more optimistic than what they had worried about before Han Qian returned.
Yang Yuanpu was also dissatisfied that Chen De, Chai Jian, and Li Chong were now becoming fearful again, questioning Han Qian’s decisions.
Han Qian gratefully bowed to the Third Prince, explaining slightly: “If I don’t give them leverage, it won’t be enough to reassure Tanzhou, and the route from Xuzhou to Jinling won’t be so smooth—and while this matter is indeed a hidden danger, even if Tanzhou harbors ill intentions, they will certainly wait until turmoil erupts in Jinling. And at that time, whether Han Qian secretly colluded with Tanzhou or not—Your Highness will decide with a single word. What is there to fear from others’ words?”
Marquis Xinchang Li Pu let out a light breath. Han Qian had explained things very clearly at this point.
The so-called leverage—before turmoil erupted in Jinling, Tanzhou was unlikely to use it to threaten them. And if the Third Prince truly succeeded in the succession struggle and subsequently ascended to the throne, they would still need to resolve the Tanzhou problem eventually. What could that document amount to?
Could it be that the promises Emperor Tianyou made and his private courting and even flattery of other forces before establishing Chu could now be leverage to hold Emperor Tianyou accountable?
The key was still to grasp absolute hard power. All conspiracies and schemes were merely to grasp even stronger hard power.
The Xuzhou situation was now clear. As for why the situation had reached this point, the Third Prince Yang Yuanpu wouldn’t let everyone question it, so what followed was discussing how to push the Xuzhou situation to develop in a better direction.
As for the secret deployment of Feng Xuan and Gao Bao as hidden pieces, Marquis Xinchang Li Pu didn’t want to interfere too much, lest too many flaws be exposed. But since Xuzhou had already opened the land prohibitions, and Yang Qin was also going to rebuild the Yang-Tan Water Fort in Xuzhou, especially regarding the subsequent construction of the boat gang, he needed to arrange some personnel to go in.
After all, the Xuzhou boat gang would very likely be the only naval force they could directly control for a very long time to come.
Regarding Marquis Xinchang Li Pu’s request, Han Qian completely agreed. He would also arrange it at the fastest speed possible.
Moreover, he had already introduced Yang Qin to everyone. After tonight, he also suggested that Yang Qin could directly participate in discussions of many confidential matters.
Seeing that Han Qian had no intention of monopolizing the Left Bureau by relying on the Third Prince’s favor, Li Pu also relaxed slightly, and spoke of the new developments regarding Liang Kingdom currently gathering troops at Chenzhou in the old Yingchuan commandery.
The Left Bureau currently was only deploying along the Yangtze River and Yuan River, completely unable to also handle reconnaissance of movements in Liang and Jin.
Monitoring enemy state movements was the responsibility of the Privy Council’s Bureau of Operations.
Additionally, from the directions of Shouzhou and Chuzhou, scouts and secret agents would also be dispatched across borders to gather intelligence. Cross-referencing multiple sources of information confirmed that since late August, Liang Kingdom had shown signs of gathering troops at Chenzhou. War might possibly erupt in the middle and upper Huai River during this autumn and winter. After confirming this information, Jinling was also actively responding.
Changes in internal and external situations were always interconnected. Marquis Xinchang Li Pu and the others also needed to promptly report the latest border developments to Han Qian’s side, so that the Left Bureau could make corresponding adjustments.