Xie Yanfang stood still, draped in his cloak.
The maidservant quietly withdrew, not daring to disturb the young master’s contemplation.
But Steward Cai didn’t care, knowing he was thinking about that girl.
“Stop thinking about it. Miss Chu has certainly played a role,” he said. “But the Chu family’s foundation is weak. Everyone avoiding her won’t solve the problem. We still need to arrange for Seventh Madam to step forward.”
Xie Yanfang shook his head. “Seventh Madam doesn’t need to step forward.”
Steward Cai was somewhat surprised. Had the young master reached enlightenment?
“Have other people step forward,” Xie Yanfang said, turning to smile at him. “Not in the name of our Xie clan.”
Ha, so it was still the same as before—cheering and supporting that girl without leaving their name.
Truly raising a child.
Hopefully they wouldn’t raise an ungrateful wretch!
“Yes, I understand,” Steward Cai said, then cleared his throat lightly. “The others are easy to deal with, but this one—”
He pointed to a name on the paper, his expression between a smile and not.
“I’m afraid even if you step forward personally, Young Master, it won’t work.”
Xie Yanfang lowered his eyes slightly, seeing the two characters on the paper: Deng Yi.
……
……
The Imperial City in winter was much more gloomy and cold, but the great hall where the Grand Tutor resided was warm as spring.
Deng Yi raised his head from a desk piled with documents, looking at Xie Yanfang standing before him.
“This roster of military transfers was issued by the Grand Tutor, wasn’t it?” Xie Yanfang said with a smile, handing over a scroll of documents on which the jade seal’s great stamp was clearly visible.
Deng Yi’s expression was between a smile and not. “Where did Lord Xie obtain this document? By rights, this order should have left the capital by now.”
Intercepting court edicts was a grave crime.
Xie Yanfang said frankly, “I intercepted it.”
Deng Yi looked at the young lord whose face was more radiant than spring flowers and asked coldly, “What does Lord Xie mean by this?”
Xie Yanfang removed his cloak and sat down opposite Deng Yi, saying, “The meaning is, I disagree.” His slender fingers lightly tapped the document on the desk. “Therefore, it won’t be sent out.”
Persuade him? Deng Yi might be persuaded by others, but he would never be persuaded by him.
So he wouldn’t waste words trying to convince him.
He only needed to make it impossible for him to carry it out.
The Grand Tutor could make final decisions in the court, but things weren’t accomplished just by saying so—they also had to be executed through countless people.
Xie Yanfang withdrew his hand, gently stroking his own fingers. Though he didn’t have the qualification to hold the jade seal in court and speak with absolute authority, his hands pulled the strings of countless court officials.
Deng Yi naturally knew this. Since becoming Grand Tutor, he had experienced it—doing things was hindered everywhere, someone was clearly making trouble behind the scenes, but there was no evidence. Even investigating couldn’t trace it back to Xie Yanfang.
“Is Lord Xie relying on his status, thinking this official cannot hold you accountable?” Deng Yi said.
Xie Yanfang was the Emperor’s uncle, but he wasn’t indispensable to the court. If they really wanted to drive him from the court, it wasn’t impossible.
“I know the Grand Tutor can,” Xie Yanfang said, looking at Deng Yi. “But I advise the Grand Tutor not to do so. If you and I both suffer defeat, Da Xia will be in peril.”
Deng Yi laughed. “Third Young Master, since you know this, why don’t you advise yourself?” His hand struck the document heavily. “You, Xie Yanfang, aren’t afraid of Da Xia being in peril—should I, Deng Yi, be afraid?”
This sound made the atmosphere in the room suddenly tense.
Actually, after Xie Yanfang entered, the officials in the room had all withdrawn. Hearing the noise from inside, the officials hiding in the corridor and peeking immediately retreated further—a fight had broken out! Stand far away to avoid getting burned.
Xie Yanfang’s expression remained peaceful as he addressed the Grand Tutor: “I know the Grand Tutor isn’t afraid, but the reason I dare to act this way is because stopping the Grand Tutor at this time won’t put Da Xia in peril.”
“That’s right, one Xi Liang troop raiding the rear won’t put Da Xia in peril,” Deng Yi said coldly. “But if Chu Ling dies hastily and the troops of Yunzhong Commandery fall into chaos, that’s when Da Xia will be in peril. Others may not know, but you and I both know—once Yunzhong Commandery descends into chaos, what will Prince Zhongshan do?”
He pressed his hand on the document, leaning forward slightly.
“Third Young Master Xie won’t allow me to appoint new generals. You speak so righteously, but it’s only because these people aren’t your people.”
“Does Third Young Master Xie think that by stopping me, you can insert your own people?”
“You dare not fear Da Xia being in peril—what do I, Deng Yi, have to fear?”
“I, Deng Yi, can be Grand Tutor to anyone. You, Third Young Master Xie, can’t be uncle to everyone.”
These words were truly crude and vulgar—but there was no helping it, that’s how upstarts were. Xie Yanfang reached out to press Deng Yi’s hand, also leaning forward slightly. “The Grand Tutor doesn’t trust me, and I don’t trust the Grand Tutor either. So we must trust Chu Ling.”
Trust Chu Ling? Deng Yi looked at Xie Yanfang.
“Believe that before Chu Ling dies, he will certainly make arrangements and won’t trigger chaos or give the Xi Liang bandits an opportunity to exploit,” Xie Yanfang said, his expression sincere. “Grand Tutor, if Da Xia is in peril, we ourselves are in peril. General Chu is the same as us. If Da Xia is in peril and his daughter is Empress, she has only death ahead. He won’t let his daughter fall into danger.”
Deng Yi met his gaze for a moment, then sat upright. “The officers of Yunzhong Commandery cannot be transferred, so the officers outside Yunzhong Commandery also cannot be transferred. Lord Xie, the troops your family privately raises must also not enter Yunzhong Commandery.”
If he couldn’t replace the officers, the Xie clan shouldn’t think about inserting troops either.
Xie Yanfang also sat upright, not disputing the accusation of privately raising troops, only saying, “Although there are unexpected circumstances outside Yunzhong Commandery, I believe General Chu will quickly resolve these Xi Liang scattered soldiers and wandering bandits. Other troops won’t be needed.”
……