Chapter 275.2: Going Together to Jiangnan

“Imperial father is currently still angry, so how could she do something this disadvantageous. Never mind her, prior to us leaving, those brothers of mine all won’t scale the gates. As for the primary entourage, those that are a bit more daring will probably visit. Aside from this, it’s just those zhoulis of yours that will most likely look for you. If you don’t want to bother with them, just refuse them all. In any case, at most it’s just two three days of time, don’t have that leisure to meet them one by one either.”

“Then just meet them all at once.” Jing Wan said with a smile. When time comes, afraid no one will open their mouth to her face.

“Not offending any one, but in actuality, ruthlessly offending every single one?” Li Hong Yuan rather tacitly followed up.

“At least on the surface, no one will say anything.”

“En, very much having this prince’s style.”

Indeed, how many people hate Jin Qinwang to the point of gritting their teeth in anger, yet to his face, they don’t even dare to let out a fart.

“Isn’t this marrying a chicken, following the chicken, marrying a dog, following the dog, so marrying Jin Qinwang just need to have the resolution to become the entire world’s enemy, no?” Jing Wan faintly opened her mouth.

“This is very good, Wan Wan, continue maintaining. One day, even without me, Wan Wan will be able to make everyone dare to get angry, yet don’t dare to complain. When that day comes, you will have achieved perfection.”

Towards a certain someone always feeling all is fine, always boasting shamelessly, Jing Wan right now was increasingly composed, yet didn’t want to just admit like this, “Isn’t the normal circumstance, one causing trouble, one cleaning up the mess behind?”

“Then, the troubles I create, Wan Wan are you sure you can clean up?”

Heh, you really have self-awareness.

Just as Li Hong Yuan said, there were indeed people that came looking, just don’t know whether it was out of their own intention, or incited by their master.

Li Hong Yuan actually very much gave face and met with all of them, just the people that visited first, collectively brought along two great buddhas, the Great Commander of the Imperial Guards, and the Left Captain of the Black Clad Guards. Their meaning was just, having received his Majesty’s order, because it was their first time assisting Jin Qinwang on an assignment, thus the two of them came over first to listen to Jin Qinwang’s teachings, coming to comprehend Jin Qinwang’s way of handling things, and foster a deeper connection, so as to better carry out their duties. ———–How many people silently cursed that Le Cheng Emperor was guarding against them just like guarding against thieves, not giving them the slightest chance.

However, since they’ve already scaled the gates, they naturally won’t just end things this easily, turning to leave, showing their guilty conscience. Instead, they could only say a pile of courteous words, things like they certainly will spare no effort in handling the assignment, listening to Jin Qinwang’s orders on all things, and when time comes, if Jin Qinwang needs anything, also just instruct them, and so on.

Li Hong Yuan appeared rather patient, on one hand drinking tea, while on the other hand, patiently listening to them finish speaking, afterwards nodding and saying, Sir so-and-so’s words, he will all remember, and for them to be this loyal and dutiful towards his Majesty, and towards Qi Yuan, he definitely won’t let down their kindly regards. Their words today at this time, in the future, in Jiangnan, he will definitely realize for them.

What was called picking up a rock and smashing one’s own foot, this was precisely it! The more perfunctory words one said, when time comes, the more miserable one will be. If one were to slack off in the slightest, when time comes, others will just doubt your loyalty. Saying ten lines, and doing nine well, yet failing one, all will suffer questioning———-just talking big, being conceited and arrogant. And for those that didn’t say a single word, yet beautifully took care of one thing, they will probably all receive praise————-wholeheartedly devoted, carrying things through to the end, focused and attentive, having self-awareness.

Precisely as the saying goes, as people of the same profession, others all going to one’s “superior’s” place to report, yet you don’t go, isn’t that not too good?

And after receiving Jin Qinwang’s inhumane ‘threat’, they naturally won’t have the situation told to others. Only when everyone is all the same can the heart be balanced.

Thus, they headed to Jin Qinwang Manor one after another. Those without any thoughts just came in pairs of twos or even threes, and those with selfish motives, facing three great buddhas alone, the beads of sweat just rained down, the two legs shaking, and nine times out of ten all just saying courteous words, so the outcome naturally was all the same.

Ever since Jin Qinwang opened his own manor, for this many court officials to visit in succession, this was also a first, very much lively.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

The Great Commander of the Imperial Guards, and the Left Captain of the Black Clad Guards, one was a high third rank, and one was a high fourth rank. The two of them both can be considered young and promising, yet when Li Hong Yuan was receiving the court officials, they, from beginning to end, kept silent, observing his simple and crude, yet extremely effective way of handling things.

Yu Zhong Qing rather didn’t have any thoughts. After all, he has already casted himself under him. When given an order, he will just obediently carry it out, otherwise it was just taking care of his own matters.

And as for the Left Captain of the Black Clad Guards, this person’s identity was actually a bit special. In the Black Clad Guards, above him, although there was a high third rank Commander, and also a low third rank Sub-commander, in terms of status, he nevertheless was on equal footing with them. Sometimes, his words were even more effective than these two superiors, because he was actually Le Cheng Emperor’s adopted son. In fact, he even got bestowed the surname Li by Le Cheng Emperor, and the name Su Yan. This person appears to be merely in his early twenties, seemingly about the same age as Li Hong Yuan, but in reality, he was just two years younger than Yu Zhong Qing, just that face of his was comparatively tender. However, for anyone that was familiar with this person, they for the most part all didn’t dare to underestimate him. His appearance was sharp, secretly carrying a killing aura. It’s not that there weren’t any princes that want to have him recruited under their flag, just unfortunately, all didn’t dare to take any action. Attracting Yu Zhong Qing, whether they succeed or not, all won’t have negative impact, but Li Su Yan, because he doesn’t keep anything from Le Cheng Emperor, that’s why, no one dared to rashly open their mouth.

(T/N: I can’t tell if Le Cheng Emperor is just bad at names, because the name Su Yan literally just means, ‘plain words’)

Li Su Yan vaguely observing Li Hong Yuan, Li Hong Yuan completely didn’t know? Naturally impossible. His understanding towards Li Su Yan surpassed other people’s perception. This person, in Li Hong Yuan’s eyes, was actually very interesting. Everyone all believed that he was absolutely loyal to Le Cheng Emperor, but in reality, this wasn’t the case.

This person, Li Hong Yuan never once thought of wanting to attract, because the result was all the same.

In his past life, after Li Hong Yuan ascended the throne, and learned about him as a person, he had him promoted to the Commander of the Black Clad Guards. He was a tyrant, seizing and exterminating countless families, and Li Su Yan was precisely that executor.

After the two of them entered Jin Qinwang Manor, they seemingly just don’t plan on leaving. Li Hong Yuan was also too lazy to bother with them. In fact, he didn’t even let someone arrange a place for them to stay.

These two people were both used to ‘going with the wind and rain[1]‘. Even if needing to leave for Jiangnan, they still won’t prepare big and small piles of things. That’s why, where they lived all didn’t matter.

Li Hong Yuan might not care, but Eunuch Mu can’t pretend to not know. Without a second word, he went to report to wangfei, asking for wangfei’s instructions.

Yu Zhong Qing, no need to mention, Jing Wan naturally knew, “…………Black Clad Guard’s Left Captain?” Recalling last year’s street parade of the top three successful candidates of the imperial exam after the final court examination, seemingly the one to hold the lines was precisely this one, of course, the premise being that the person in this position still haven’t been swapped. “Is it still the same person from last year?”

Eunuch Mu didn’t understand her meaning, but still answered accordingly, “This Sir Li was assigned to the position of the Black Clad Guard’s Left Captain the year before last.”

Although she’d only seen once, Jing Wan still had somewhat of an impression, however, “You said his surname is Li, is he someone of the imperial family?”

“Replying to wangfei, this isn’t the case. Sir Li is actually his Majesty’s adopted son.”

Jing Wan nodded. Although an emperor taking in an adopted son really wasn’t common, but it’s not like there weren’t cases of it. “Why don’t you tell me, what the Black Clad Guards do.”

Eunuch Mu slightly hesitated, “The Black Clad Guards are in charge of the prisons, having the authority to inspect and arrest, and established under them is the Bureau of Investigation, handling investigations, arrests, interrogations, and such matters. What’s different from the Ministry of Justice is that they are only in charge of relatively special cases, and directly report to his Majesty.”

As expected, they were more or less the same as the Brocade Clad Guards, just Jing Wan never heard of the Black Clad Guard’s fame before in the past, and were far from the same level of ‘black(dark)’ as she’d imagined.

(T/N: Last line is referencing how historically the Brocade Clad Guards were involved in a lot of shady political machinations and corruption cases.)

“Since they might need to stay in the manor, just arrange their residences as you see fit. Just treat it as two ordinary guests having come to the manor, don’t slight, but no need to be overly attentive either. Can just treat them like normal.” In the entire Jin Qinwang Manor, the secrets that existed were just in the study and Elegant Haitang Residence, these two places. And the so-called secrets inside, for those who don’t know the inside information, they’re simply unable to make sense of it, so even if getting hold of it, perhaps would just treat as something useless and toss it.

“Yes. Then, this servant will go let someone prepare right away?”

“I also have another matter that needs to be taken care of here. The day after tomorrow, Shi, Ci, Ge, Fu, the four of them will be getting married. Inform everyone in the manor to prepare, all the expenses will come from the manor. Although a bit rushed in terms of time, but still need to be lively.” Saying these words to Mu An, Jing Wan could only be as composed as possible. After all, it truly was a bit unfair.

[1] This phrase describes being calm and easy-going in the face of hardship.

T/N: The notes for the additional historical background on the Black Clad Guards have been added to the historical notes page under government systems. It’s the same footnotes from chapter 109 when the Black Clad Guards were first introduced, but focuses on their historical counterpart, the Brocade Clad Guards.