Zhuo Buyi glanced at the young man who was speaking eloquently before the emperor and couldn't help but smile. The young man had said before that at this moment, he should naturally use flattering and sycophantic words, but what he said didn't seem to contain a trace of flattery, yet the emperor was pleased.
Expressing respect for the emperor in a vulgar way—this flattery was of very high quality.
When did this young man begin to adapt to everything in Chang'an?
The young man's status was not high, so his speech was short. The emperor drank Fang Jiejing's wine with the officials, and that was enough. He turned and walked back to his seat. When he returned, Chen Bolai had already begun to recount the achievements of his ancestors. This was arranged by the emperor; the words were meant for the elders. Although these elders were just ordinary people, they held high prestige in their neighborhoods.
Soon, everything they had seen and heard in the palace would spread. Before long, all the people of Chang'an would know what had happened at the New Year's Eve feast.
"Well said," Zhuo Buyi smiled.
"Especially that part about how it's inconvenient to eat in such loose-sleeved robes."
Fang Jie thought to himself, "That's just one truthful statement, so naturally you think it's good. But most people here actually appreciated the more impassioned, less sincere words that followed." "I have something to do, I have to go..."
Zhuo Buyi lowered his voice and said, "The Martial Arts Academy will be closed from today until after the Lantern Festival. During these fifteen days, all students staying in Chang'an are at risk of assassination. There are too many people, and the Imperial Guards aren't enough. The murderer has been waiting for this opportunity to kill, probably waiting for the break. I don't think he's already escaped Chang'an; the murder is just a means to an end. Although we don't know his purpose yet, he clearly hasn't achieved it."
Fang Jie nodded, glanced at the students present, and lowered his voice, "Of the ten people who came today, only Marilyn and I went to Half-Moon Mountain that day. I'll go with her later; if we separate... she's more likely to be in danger."
"I'll send someone to follow you,"
Zhuo Buyi said.
Fang Jie thought of his previous meeting with the Emperor, when the Emperor told the perpetually unassuming eunuch Su Buwei that from today onwards, Fang Jie would be under your care. So he shook his head and said, "No need, you don't have enough manpower to begin with. There are many people in Chang'an who don't want me to die, and Da Quan and the others are waiting outside. With me and Shen Qingshan, unless the murderer is a ninth-rank master, there's no chance at all."
"Alright..."
Zhuo Buyi nodded and said, "The Daoist people are over there. If you feel it's dangerous, you can go with them. With the Daoist people keeping watch, the murderer won't dare to show himself."
Hearing this, Fang Jie suddenly remembered that he hadn't seen Xiang Qingniu today. He looked around and then spotted the fat Daoist sitting upright in the crowd very close to the emperor. He had been a little nervous when he went up to toast the emperor earlier and hadn't noticed where the Daoist people were sitting.
Perhaps sensing Fang Jie's gaze, the fat Daoist Xiang Qingniu glanced in their direction but didn't react. Watching him pretend to be so serious as he listened to Chen Bolai and the others recount their ancestors' achievements, Fang Jie wanted to laugh. This guy's solemn posture looked so awkward. "Sir, may I ask you a question?"
Fang Jie asked, "Can you tell what realm that fat, big-eared fellow is at?"
Zhuo Buyi followed Fang Jie's gaze, then shook his head and said, "The cultivation methods of the Daoist sect are somewhat special. Unless they are used, it's difficult to discern their true cultivation level. It's said that after cultivating the Great and Small Heavenly Circuits to a certain degree, a person will return to their original simplicity. They will appear no different from ordinary people, but their cultivation level will be ridiculously high."
"That can only mean..." "There aren't many like that in the Daoist sect."
Fang Jie smiled and said, "The Red-Robed Grand Priest, Crane Cry Daoist, is clearly no ordinary person, which means his Great and Small Heavenly Circuit techniques aren't fully mastered yet. He's already a Red-Robed Grand Priest; there are very few in the Daoist sect with a higher status than him."
"That's not right."
Zhuo Buyi shook his head: "You don't understand the Daoist sect… It's true that Master Xiao is the leader of the Daoist sect, but he might not be the one with the highest cultivation. The Red-Robed Grand Priest's status is high, but that's only in the eyes of ordinary disciples and martial artists. You should understand…" ...There may be some old monsters in every sect that have never been born. I believe there might be such a person hiding somewhere in a hidden place on Qingle Mountain. "
"Wait..."
Fang Jie thought for a while and then asked: "You said just now that you can't tell Xiang Qingniu's cultivation, but I saw that he is just a liar who eats and drinks. He doesn't have the demeanor of an outsider... According to what you said before, Da Zhoutian and Xiao Zhoutian will return to their original nature after cultivating to a certain level. Isn't that Xiang Qingniu's cultivation really high?"
Zhuo Buyi smiled: "How would I know, but it's strange... His realm seems to be unstable, rising and falling."
He stood up and said: "Are there any questions? If not, I will leave."
"The last one."
Fang Jie looked at him and asked seriously: "Where is Mu Xiaoyao?"
Zhuo Buyi was startled and remained silent for a while before replying: "Grassland, Mandu flag."
Fang Jie frowned and clenched his fists tightly in his sleeves: "Who arranged for her to go?"
"Your Majesty the Governor."
Zhuo Buyi answered truthfully. Fang Jie hummed in response, his expression seemingly unchanged. But Zhuo Buyi could sense that his anger was on the verge of exploding.
"Sir, could you please go back and pass a message to Hou Wenji for me?"
"Go ahead."
"Just say, 'Fuck his mother.'"
…
…
Zhuo Buyi naturally wouldn't actually deliver that message to Hou Wenji, the garrison commander of the Qingya Garrison, unless he had a grudge against Fang Jie. He knew Fang Jie was trying to suppress his anger, and he also knew that such anger was difficult to control. A crude curse meant Fang Jie could still control his emotions; if Fang Jie continued to act as if nothing was wrong, that would be truly bad. He might just turn around and leave Chang'an City with Da Quan and the others, running all the way back to Fanggu. "Don't worry, she'll be fine."
Zhuo Buyi comforted her, "As I told you before, every sect in the world has its own backup plans. There might be a few freakish old monsters in the Yi Qi Temple on Qing Le Mountain, and the Imperial Guards don't only have me as their henchman. The Commander arranged for her to go on a long trip because you were still imprisoned. I think you can easily understand why he did that; if you were in his position, you would have done the same."
"You mean you want me to understand?"
Fang Jie frowned, "What the hell? If Mu Xiaoyao doesn't return to Chang'an in three months, I'll go to the grasslands immediately. Chang'an doesn't need another Fang Jie, but Fang Jie needs a Mu Xiaoyao!"
"I'll tell the Commander."
Zhuo Buyi nodded, turned, and left the banquet. He first went to find Luo Weiran, the Commander of the Imperial Guards, a short distance away, whispered a few words to him, and then left. Luo Weiran looked at Fang Jie and shook his head slightly. Fang Jie slowly loosened his fist from his sleeve and lowered his head to drink.
No one noticed that two blue bricks beneath his feet had broken.
The banquet was scheduled to continue past midnight, but Fang Jie, preoccupied with his thoughts, paid no attention to who else had spoken after Chen Bo and the others arrived. He raised his cup when others did, and drank even when others didn't. Marilyn, sitting opposite him, glanced at him with concern, wondering why Fang Jie had suddenly become so somber.
The banquet was lively, with singing and dancing.
Fang Jie, however, seemed detached from the occasion, his loneliness heartbreaking. The other students were all visiting the palace for the first time, naturally curious and excited. Moreover, they didn't have any goodwill towards Fang Jie, so they naturally didn't notice his change. Not far away, several scholars were wielding their brushes. Soon, one after another, magnificent and splendid articles would be produced, drawing sincere admiration from everyone present.
But Fang Jie only found them noisy and wanted to curse.
When the bronze chimes rang, it marked the arrival of midnight. Everyone stood up and raised their glasses to celebrate the new year. The emperor accepted the congratulations from his courtiers and the people, then began to offer the customary auspicious greetings. Eunuchs entered carrying trays piled high with red envelopes. Everyone knew the envelopes contained little, but the emperor's gift carried a different significance. Fang Jie accepted the envelope without even glancing at it, stuffing it into his sleeve, which seemed somewhat impolite.
He excused himself to use the restroom, and in the dim light, opened the envelope. Inside were nine Sui Dynasty coins, brand new, seemingly still warm from just leaving the mint. The emperor's gift seemed stingy, but it was simply a symbol of good fortune.
Besides the coins, there was also a small note with slightly hurried handwriting, very simple, containing only a dozen or so words.
The emperor spoke of Prince Yi's gift without any change in expression.
The news was meaningless, but Fang Jie was pleased that the young eunuch Mu San had learned how to contact him. This was the first pawn Fang Jie had laid, and also the first proof of his complete integration into the Sui Dynasty's officialdom. In this place filled with intrigue and scheming, Fang Jie had to become increasingly powerful.
On the way back, the banquet finally came to an end. As Fang Jie passed by Marilyn, he said softly, "Come with me when you leave the palace. I'll escort you home."
Marilyn blushed and subconsciously nodded, not daring to answer. At that moment, her heart was pounding faster than she could describe. When Fang Jie sat opposite her, she couldn't help but wonder why she hadn't refused. Would he think she was a promiscuous woman if she nodded so easily?
She was filled with anxiety and uncertainty.
When they left the Taiji Palace, Marilyn followed behind Fang Jie, keeping a certain distance. She didn't know what she was afraid of, but she just didn't have the courage to walk side by side with him. Her father, a fifth-rank General of Guide, was on patrol duty that night, but he still sent elite veterans from his household to wait outside the Taiji Palace. The recent assassination attempts on students from the Martial Arts Academy had unsettled the General.
"I...I can go back by myself."
Marylian hesitated as she reached the carriage, then immediately regretted her words, fearing Fang Jie would say goodbye.
"Get in."
Fang Jie ignored her, casually gesturing to his carriage. "Have your men follow behind."
"Oh..."
She bowed her head in response, obedient like a child meeting their teacher for the first time.
The two carriages traveled one after the other. Fang Jie's carriage was still driven by Qilin, with Daquan sitting beside him. When Marylian saw the stunningly beautiful woman in Fang Jie's carriage, she began to regret not rejecting Fang Jie. In front of this woman, she felt so ugly and ordinary.
Shen Qingshan's beauty always made other women uncomfortable. Shen Qingshan, observing everything, showed no reaction, only a faint smile as she whispered in Fang Jie's ear, "This girl is interested in you."
Fang Jie frowned slightly, asking, "What can shut you up?"
Shen Qingshan smiled, then brazenly glanced at Fang Jie's crotch. Fang Jie was startled, his face flushing slightly under her gaze. This woman's nerves were too strong; Fang Jie was no match for her. He had gone to great lengths to beg her to use her cherry-like lips, but this was clearly a gag, not a shut…
After leaving Xuanwu Street, the carriage began to accelerate, and the road was deserted. A figure huddled in a black cloak watched Fang Jie's carriage in the darkness. He frowned, pondered for a moment, then suddenly smiled, turned, and left with incredible speed.
Half an hour later, he landed lightly in General Guide's mansion. After carefully examining the place, he chose a room, pushed open the door, and went inside. Only five or six maids and two elderly stewards remained in the mansion. The former were fast asleep, and the latter were playing chess in the gatehouse. No one noticed that an uninvited guest had entered the young lady's room.