Royal Gold Medal County Magistrate

Old Yan...?

Zhang Shi was momentarily dazed before realizing this was Yan Guoan's father, who had been a Grand Secretary ten years ago. It had been a long time since he had paid a visit...

After bidding farewell to the Prince of Wu, he left the Prince of Wu's residence directly and headed for the Yan residence.

Before leaving, he instructed his servant to prepare some gifts.

Arriving outside the Yan residence, the gatekeeper, with his sharp eyes, recognized Zhang Shi at a glance.

He quickly invited him in before going to report.

Zhang Shi sat in the hall, observing everything around him.

Ten years ago, Old Yan was thriving in the Cabinet, and then he retired after achieving success.

His son, Yan Guoan, was also enjoying a prosperous official career, and the family could be said to be flourishing!

But with Yan Guoan being executed, everything began to decline...

So much time has passed, but the Yan residence still has a sense of coldness, as if there is no life.

After waiting for an unknown amount of time, Old Yan slowly emerged from the side of the hall, leaning on a cane.

Seeing him with his hair and beard all white, his back hunched, he walked over tremblingly.

Zhang Shi quickly got up to meet him.

Old Yan raised his eyes, and although his old eyes were dim, one could still see a shrewdness.

"There's no need to be polite, this old man can still walk."

Waving his hand, Old Yan sat down on the main seat by himself.

Only then did Zhang Shi feel relieved and took his seat.

"Lord Yan... long time no see, how has your health been lately?"

The servant was still serving tea. Old Yan leaned his cane against the table, picked up a teacup, and took a shallow sip.

Lowering his eyes, he replied, "This old man is already halfway into the grave at this age, do you think I can be well?"

"Also, don't call me Lord Yan. I'm just an old dog discarded by His Majesty."

Zhang Shi chuckled dryly, "Lord Yan is joking." Then he quickly lowered his head and drank tea.

The resentment in this old fellow's heart has not diminished at all, and he starts off by being sarcastic.

"Alright, stop beating around the bush. Since Guoan's death, my students and subordinates have stopped coming."

"Aren't you the same? What brings you to this old man today? Speak plainly."

"I'm old, I have no time to waste, and I can't listen to nonsense!"

Zhang Shi twitched his lips, appearing somewhat embarrassed.

"Since Lord Yan has said so, then I will be straightforward."

"I have come here today with good news to tell Lord Yan, concerning Fang Zheng Yi!"

As soon as the three words 'Fang Zheng Yi' were spoken, Old Yan immediately raised his head and squinted at Zhang Shi: "Please speak!"

"Fang Zheng Yi is betraying the country for personal gain, accepting 60,000 taels of silver from the Northern Rong, preparing to collude with them to privately sell iron ore," Zhang Shi said concisely.

However, after the news was spoken, Old Yan calmed down instead.

Sitting in the chair without saying a word, he just quietly held the teacup, not knowing what he was thinking.

Zhang Shi was not in a hurry, assuming he was just slow to react due to his old age.

After a long time, Old Yan slowly opened his mouth and said, "Evidence?"

Zhang Shi shook his head: "A notebook was found in the supplies of the Northern Rong envoy, written in the personal handwriting of National Preceptor Paba."

"The Northern Rong envoy has already left, so the notebook is naturally gone, but Chen Hong, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, can be a witness, as he saw it with his own eyes!"

Old Yan put down the teacup, looked at Zhang Shi, and said disdainfully: "Why would the Northern Rong people let you see such a private notebook? It's a distraction tactic!"

"Is it important whether it's a distraction...? Lord Yan, now it's just you and me, so I'll be frank."

"Don't you want to avenge Yan Guoan?! It can be said that the Yan family is in this situation because of Fang Zheng Yi!"

"Yan Guoan is a pity... He was talented, upheld justice, and was respected by his colleagues. He was truly a pillar of the country. It wouldn't have been difficult for him to enter the Cabinet and become a Prime Minister in the future! This official has always admired him."

"But I didn't expect a clown like Fang Zheng Yi to jump out halfway! I don't know how His Majesty was deceived by his sweet talk, allowing such a person to openly spout nonsense in the court!"

"It's truly... the decline of morality."

In Old Yan's dim old eyes, water vapor began to gradually gather.

His fists also clenched unconsciously, and he said in a trembling voice, "My son... died unjustly!"

"My Yan family has been loyal for generations... Just because a few commoners died, His Majesty wrongly killed Guoan. This old man is unwilling!"

"Guoan poured all my life's efforts into him... The fate of the Yan family was placed on his shoulders."

"How could I not want to avenge him!"

"That dog thief Fang Zheng Yi! This old man can't wait to eat his flesh and sleep on his skin!" Saying that, Old Yan wiped away a handful of tears.

Zhang Shi was overjoyed: "That's right! If such an evil villain is not eliminated, the court will never have peace! Then you, Lord Yan..."

"But this matter has nothing to do with this old man. If you want to impeach, go impeach yourself, don't drag me in. This old man is now just a commoner, and I still have a family business to protect."

"........"

Damn it! What's wrong with this old geezer?

He's really getting more shrewd with age. He was just crying a moment ago, and now he's saying it has nothing to do with him?

Zhang Shi couldn't help but become irritable.

Old Yan sneered: "If you're looking for this old man just to borrow my strength to help you bring down Fang Zheng Yi, then forget it."

"This old man has investigated his background. Do you think 60,000 taels is enough to bribe him? His Majesty won't believe it!"

"His Majesty knows my students and former subordinates very well!"

"Although Guoan is dead, and this old man wants to avenge him, the family still needs me to maintain it, so I won't take this risk with you."

"I....." Zhang Shi was speechless for a moment.

He had imagined countless scenarios when he came, but he never expected this one.

This old fellow is simply calm to the point of being cold-blooded!

"This old man knows that Fang Zheng Yi has also made your son suffer a lot, but it's not easy to successfully bring him down."

Seeing that things suddenly took a turn for the better, he quickly asked: "Please speak, Lord Yan."

"Although Fang Zheng Yi seems frivolous on the surface, he is definitely not that simple!" Old Yan's face was full of seriousness: "Using the name of the Crown Prince to establish the Banshan Newspaper Office, he is playing with the officials in the palm of his hand. Although his reputation in the court is not good, he has been using the newspaper to win over the people's hearts and even recruit talents."

"This time, eight people from the Banshan Newspaper Office passed the imperial examination! But according to what this old man knows, there are only a dozen reporters in the newspaper office who took the exam! There was even a top scorer!"

"After the results were announced, the Banshan Newspaper Office began to recruit new reporters on a large scale. This time, they are no longer avoiding it and are directly saying that they are cultivating future officials."

"Fang Zheng Yi is shameless and can recognize eunuchs as brothers. Furthermore, with his relationship with Li Yansong, how many people in the court and local areas will be Fang Zheng Yi's confidants in the future! Have you thought about this?"

"Moreover... to say something rebellious, this son is so painstaking, and the Crown Prince has always been cultivated by him, wouldn't he become..."

"A puppet!?" Zhang Shi blurted out.

"This old man didn't say that..."

Go to your mother! You old schemer!

Zhang Shi cursed inwardly while feeling a chill down his spine.

That's right! This old fellow's analysis is correct. He really hadn't thought of this before.

He didn't expect Fang Zheng Yi to be so young, yet his mind is so deep and so terrifying!

Simply terrifying! Then in another ten or twenty years, wouldn't the court become his one-man show? He can do whatever he wants to whoever he wants?

......