“Han Qian left Fanchang during the night and took Yang Qin’s troops back to Xuzhou without authorization?”

As a Battalion Commander, a mid-level military officer in the army, Han Duan’s main duty was to lead a small number of soldiers responsible for escorting grain, fodder, armor, and other supplies from eastern Zhejiang and other places to cities, strongholds, and camps designated by the Bureau of Military Affairs for delivery.

This was considered a relatively safe assignment with considerable merit, though the work was quite arduous.

However, after the campaign to reduce the vassal states, Han Duan’s ability to inherit a seventh-rank military official position through hereditary privilege was already quite a good starting point. But to obtain a higher substantive posting in a short time would require achievements worthy of recognition.

Yesterday, Han Duan had led a team of men to escort several hundred carts of grain to Ganma Stronghold north of Fanchang. When he returned to Fanchang with his guards, the city gates had already closed, so he slept in the Eastern City Camp overnight. It wasn’t until daybreak that he entered Fanchang City. He never expected such a momentous event had occurred during the night. He stared dumbfounded at his uncle sitting listlessly in the great hall all night, appearing to have aged several years overnight.

“Where’s the old master?” Han Duan asked Han Jianji in a low voice.

Among the younger generation of the Han family, Han Jun was now serving at the Dowager Consort’s side, while Han Chengmeng, Qiao Weiyan, and others held posts in Shaotan and other places. Only Han Duan and Han Jianji had followed the army eastward this time.

Seeing his uncle’s exhausted and dispirited appearance and not seeing his grandfather, Han Duan suspected whether that bastard Han Qian had literally made him die of anger.

“When the old master learned of this matter last night, he went back to his room to sleep. He hasn’t gotten up yet,” said Han Jianji, who was now the father of three children. He had a thick short mustache on his upper lip, appearing quite mature and steady.

“What? The situation is so urgent, and he can still sleep?” Han Duan’s voice rose sharply, asking incredulously.

“Why couldn’t he sleep? The sky hasn’t fallen!” Han Wenhuan walked into the great hall with a hunched back, leaning on his cane.

“Great-grandfather,” Han Duan mumbled. The old master didn’t really manage affairs much anymore. He could complain behind his back, but face to face he didn’t dare show any disrespect—otherwise that cane would come smashing down on his head and face, which would not feel pleasant at all.

“Han Qian is going to completely ruin our Han family!” Han Daoming raised his head. After sitting listlessly all night, his eye bags were heavy, his eyes were bloodshot, and his chest was full of unwillingness and resentment. He said, “If he was worried about His Highness’s suspicions, he could have completely hidden in Xuzhou from the beginning and not waded into these muddy waters!”

“If he hadn’t waded into these muddy waters, could there be today’s situation of the great Yueyang army besieging Jinling?” Han Wenhuan asked.

“…” Han Daoming was left speechless.

“I’m old. Each of you has your wings hardened. I don’t expect you’ll listen to my words. I can only nag a bit while I still can,” Han Wenhuan said, coughing. “You can’t outmaneuver Han Qian, so you’d best voluntarily resign your official positions. Even if you can’t resign, you should honestly stay in idle positions. Even after capturing Jinling, the court won’t settle down so easily. Han Qian advances and retreats decisively—apart from resentment, you should at least learn something from him…”

“…” Though Han Duan didn’t speak, the corner of his mouth twitched slightly as he looked toward his uncle. His uncle had already entered the Council of State Affairs. After capturing Jinling, he would at minimum receive the title of Vice Director of the Chancellery, which would make him a Chief Minister who could jointly deliberate on national policy.

Although previous dynasties had established three to five Chief Ministers, this was still the pinnacle position that civil officials had strived for throughout the ages but rarely achieved in their lifetimes.

For the Third Prince’s ascension, the Han family had also sacrificed so much. Could they really just let go so easily?

……

……

“Has Miss gotten up?” Yin Peng knocked on the door. Seeing Wang Jun’s attending maid, he asked.

“She just got up and finished washing. By the way, Lord Yin, what was all the commotion in the city last night? People were moving about everywhere, clanging sounds constantly—I didn’t sleep soundly. But Miss has such a big heart; she just finished washing and is now practicing calligraphy in her room.” The maid glanced warily twice at the street lanes behind Yin Peng before letting him and his guards inside.

Yin Peng and Ruan Yan were secret envoys from Chuzhou. Wang Jun was a prisoner from Chuzhou detained in Fanchang City. Currently in the negotiation phase between the two sides, there was naturally no problem with Yin Peng coming to see Wang Jun. With the marriage unsuccessful, this time he could even propose taking Wang Jun and others implicated with Chuzhou who were detained back to Chuzhou.

However, whether Wang Jun or Yin Peng, as long as they were in Fanchang City, they were still key objects of surveillance. The maid saw from afar heads bobbing at the end of the lane.

Yin Peng sat in the great hall for a while before Wang Jun came out wearing a cotton jacket. She bowed respectfully and said, “I thought Uncle Yin would have come to see Jun’er yesterday.”

Yin Peng’s old face reddened, but a thought flashed through his mind—did Miss already know something?

Although Fanchang City had been restless last night, this residence was under key surveillance, and no one would have come to deliver messages.

If Miss had already anticipated the marriage matter, wouldn’t that mean the Third Prince Yang Yuanpu’s secret instigation for them to bring up the marriage was actually stepping into a trap Han Qian had set long ago?

Had Han Qian from start to finish just been looking for an excuse to return to Xuzhou without tearing off the mask?

Of course, Chuzhou’s willingness to cooperate in this matter wasn’t genuinely for a marriage alliance. The main purpose was still to see Han Qian’s relationship with Yang Yuanpu further strained. Naturally, they hadn’t expected Han Qian and Yang Yuanpu to tear off the mask before capturing Jinling.

Of course, regardless of whether this was all Han Qian’s scheme, with Han Qian leaving Fanchang and returning to Xuzhou, parting ways with Yang Yuanpu, their objective could be considered achieved. At least in the short term, the threat Yang Yuanpu posed to Chuzhou was greatly reduced.

Otherwise, it was truly difficult to imagine how terrifying a Yang Yuanpu with Han Qian’s full support would be.

It was just that this whole affair had made Miss suffer, which was also why Yin Peng had felt too guilty yesterday upon arriving in Fanchang City to first come see Wang Jun. He also didn’t know how Miss would handle this once the news spread further, or where she would go from here.

“…” Yin Peng described in detail the situation at yesterday’s banquet, then asked, “When Han Qian brought Miss to Fanchang, had he already intended to use the marriage engagement with you to set a trap? The Third Prince was ultimately too inexperienced and fell into his snare?”

“By this point, Father should have also figured it out—I actually warned Lord Wang early on that Han Qian had very likely already noticed his movements and told him to be careful of his own safety. Uncle Yin, when you and Lord Ruan return this time, regardless of what excuse you use, still bring Lord Wang to Chuzhou. Otherwise, I worry that even if Yang Yuanpu won’t kill him over the secret agent matter, he’ll find other excuses to eliminate him…” Wang Jun sighed softly.

Yin Peng naturally knew there were many ways to make someone appear to die normally. It was just that he had come this time to assist Central Gate Envoy Ruan Yan. Whether to find an excuse, and what kind of excuse to use to bring Wang Lin back to Chuzhou, had to be decided by Ruan Yan.

He had discussed this issue with Ruan Yan last night. Ruan Yan said that if they found an excuse to bring Wang Lin back to Chuzhou, they would actually be clearing Shen Yang’s name, which didn’t serve Chuzhou’s interests.

Though the Taowu Military Prefecture arose from the “Epidemic Water Memorial,” from start to finish it was Shen Yang who had painstakingly managed it through great hardships.

At the beginning of the campaign to reduce the vassal states, Han Daoxun and Han Qian had schemed in Xuzhou, but in managing Ezhou, Shen Yang deserved the greatest credit.

Though Shen Yang also didn’t align with the aristocratic clans, he not only had prestige among the soldiers of the Left and Right Vermillion Bird Armies no weaker than anyone else’s, but had also gathered quite a number of civil officials loyal to Yang Yuanpu.

Now with Han Qian’s letter, regardless of what Yang Yuanpu thought in his heart, as long as Shen Yang couldn’t prove his innocence, given his character, he would absolutely not remain at Yang Yuanpu’s side participating in confidential matters—in fact, after Shen Yang escorted them to the hostel last night, he directly returned to his residence without going to see Yang Yuanpu again to explain anything.

Thinking of this, Yin Peng asked puzzledly, “Why did Han Qian insist on dragging Shen Yang into the water?”

“Who knows? Perhaps Han Qian felt that after capturing Jinling, Shen Yang wouldn’t be suitable to participate in many of the subsequent matters,” Wang Jun said distantly.

Seeing Wang Jun’s thoughts seemed to have drifted to other matters, Yin Peng also knew the whole affair had ultimately been extremely embarrassing for her. He asked carefully, “Will Miss return to Chuzhou with Yin Peng this time?”

“What else can I do if I don’t return?” Wang Jun said.

At this moment, the maid came in from outside holding a package. From its appearance, it seemed to contain several books, with square corners.

Yin Peng looked over in puzzlement, not knowing what was happening.

“Du Qiniang just came by. She didn’t even enter, saying she was going to Langxi today and came to say farewell, but wouldn’t come inside. She put down this package and left.” The maid was still quite bewildered as she handed over the package.

Yin Peng watched hesitantly as Wang Jun opened the package. It was a large volume about two inches thick. The cover was extremely plain, just a page of elegant yellow thick paper. On the spine were written the characters “Heavenly Crafts and Artisan Book (Weaving and Dyeing Volume)”…

“Ah, after being detained by him for so many days, I only got in exchange a weaving and dyeing volume—he really is quite stingy!” Wang Jun seemed quite dissatisfied as she wrapped up the book.

Yin Peng saw a bright glimmer clearly flash through her eyes. He more or less understood Wang Jun’s feelings, but even so, all he could do in his heart was sigh softly…