My Cultivation Starting from Archery-Chapter 653 - 214: How Can One Remain in Low Spirits Under Others for Long?_5

Elder Yan had a well-known hobby, which was raising birds. Any bird from here could easily be worth hundreds of thousands of silver, and some Exotic Beasts were even priceless.

It was said that each year, just the cost of feeding the Exotic Birds exceeded two million silver.

Yan Liang, who was advanced in years and frail, sat in a rattan chair with two young maids by his side, one pouring tea, the other holding prepared fruit with respectful expressions.

In the palm of the Elder's hand, he pinched a handful of colorful seeds, looking at the birds that occasionally landed on his arms, his face filled with kindness and friendliness.

"My dear father, what time is it already, and you still have the mood to play with birds here!"

Yan Maoxing strode up angrily, causing the birds to fly into a panic, "Do you know that Yu Siji and Du Xiaochen have betrayed the country and defected to the enemy!

"Those two, we were the ones who promoted them from scratch.

"With their moves, not only have they put the Great Sheng Dynasty in a fix, aren't they also digging a hole for us?!"

"Last time, two fools from An Ding Prefecture lost control for ten days in Yunzhou, and rumors outside already linked it to us. With such an uproar this time, even jumping into the Yellow River won't wash us clean!"

"No way.

"I have to write a letter to ask them what they mean."

"Don't bother writing."

"Of course, I must write, even if it's useless, I must write!"

"I said don't write, don't you understand?"

It wasn't until Elder Yan stressed his tone that Yan Maoxing suddenly stopped in his tracks. As if he had realized something, his pupils shrank and he quickly stepped forward to his father, "Father, you... you knew about this all along?!"

Such a significant event had occurred.

And yet his father showed not the slightest reaction.

This in itself was telling.

"What are you still doing here? Get out!

Yan Maoxing sent the two maids away and then gazed at his father, lowering his voice to ask, "Father, could it be that you..."

Elder Yan did not reply, just idly playing with a brightly feathered bird.

"Could it really be? Why, why?!"

Yan Maoxing was stunned and he cautiously asked, "Father, you... have you betrayed the country? Has our Yan Family allied with Luoye Valley in West Qi?!"

"..."

Upon hearing this,

Elder Yan closed his eyes, and after a long while, he sighed deeply, "Yan Maoxing, after all these years in the court, you really have been just going through the motions, thinking yourself clever while actually being single-minded."

"So there's no betrayal."

Yan Maoxing thoughtfully said, "If there's no betrayal, then Father, what is the meaning behind letting Yu Siji and the others defect to the enemy? What..."

He stopped mid-sentence.

He understood.

All the mysteries of the ten-day incident in Yunzhou became clear.

"Is it... is it that person...?"

Yan Maoxing questioned, beyond baffled, "Why? Wouldn't we suffer a huge loss if the 150,000-strong army was gone? Or does Luoye Valley offer something more valuable than 150,000 troops?"

"Yan Maoxing, there are many things that I have never told you. This world is not as simple as you imagine. The Emperor is an ambitious ruler; he also has his unavoidable difficulties.

"In any case, you only need to know that only the Emperor can maintain the stability of this world."

Yan Liang scattered all the seeds in his hands onto the ground, then slowly clapped his hands, "For the sake of Society, it is inevitable to sacrifice a few people."

"But..."

Yan Maoxing felt a shudder of fear, "If we are the ones doing all these things, what should we do if someone uses them against us in the future?!"

"Yan Maoxing, how do you think I became the Chief Minister of the Cabinet from a top scholar who emerged from a remote village, all within a mere five years?

"In the court, if you want to advance, you must do what other servants can't do."

"As for your concerns..."

Elder Yan said leisurely, "For anyone trying to take us down, it doesn't count unless the Emperor says so. So-called leverage only works if the Emperor thinks it's leverage.

"I am old.

"Sooner or later, the Yan Family will depend on you."

"You are too self-righteous and not meticulous enough in your actions. Once I'm gone, if you want to survive in the court, you only need to remember one thing."

"In the Great Sheng Dynasty, there is only one person who can call the wind and summon the rain, and that is the Emperor."

"If the Yan Family wants to remain relevant, we can only be the ones who shelter from the storm, even if the storm might crush us to death, and we must block it without hesitation."

"Son, remember that."

...

Duke Wu'an Mansion.

In the courtyard pavilion, a chessboard and a tea tray were set out.

The Green Robed Scholar gazed at the pieces on the board, speechless for a long while.

"General Fang."

Cao Zhi broke the silence first, "Don't you think there's a problem?"

Fang Qingyun cast away the chess piece in his hand, "Your Highness, just speak plainly."

"It must be the doing of Elder Yan and his son!"

Cao Zhi spoke with righteous indignation, "How can my Great Sheng Dynasty continue to suffer such treacherous officials to wreak havoc in the court? Why don't we join forces to eradicate this menace and restore a clear sky over the Great Sheng Court!"

"Cough cough cough..."

A chill wind blew, and Fang Qing, wrapped in a heavy cloak, began to cough. He didn't answer directly, instead saying in a subdued voice, "Your Highness, are you aiming to eliminate the Yan Party or the person behind the Yan Party?"

"General Fang is a wise man; there's no need for me to spell it out."

Cao Zhi fiddled with the tea pot, pouring water directly into his mouth from the spout, drank a few sips, then continued, "I must remind you, there isn't much time left."

Fang Qingyun looked straight at him, "Do you have the strength?"

"Still a bit short."

Cao Zhi raised an eyebrow, "Hence the need for General Fang's help."

Fang Qingyun shook his head slightly, "Your Highness, as I said before, I am just a dying man, barely scraping by. I'm afraid I won't be of much help to Your Highness."