Although Fang Jie was suspicious of the Wudang Mountain Taoists appearing in Chang'an, even Xie Fuyao didn't know what Liu Huizheng and his group were doing, so Fang Jie had no way of investigating. However, he at least knew where the Wudang Mountain Taoists were staying, so the first thing Fang Jie did upon returning was to have the scholar Chen Xiaoru keep an eye on things at the Shunde Inn.
Even he himself didn't know why he was so sensitive about the Wudang Mountain Taoists coming to Chang'an. Chen Xiaoru was sent by Su Buwei, so he naturally wouldn't refuse Fang Jie's orders. Taking off the new clothes Fang Jie had bought him and changing back into his dirty scholar's robe, Chen Xiaoru staggered away.
At this point, Fang Jie didn't really understand what each of these three people was good at. But since Su Buwei had chosen these three, there must be a reason.
This morning, he received a message from the eunuch Mu San: It was said that His Majesty mentioned Prince Yi when meeting with Huai Qiugong, Yu Manlou, and others. This was the first time in recent days that His Majesty had shown displeasure in front of his court officials. Fang Jie keenly sensed something; perhaps… the Emperor's patience was truly wearing thin.
Therefore, he had to expedite the gathering of evidence regarding Prince Yi's clandestine activities, although he didn't know why the Emperor's attitude had suddenly changed. He guessed it was related to the army's departure on February 12th, but he couldn't quite put his finger on the connection.
Thinking of the army's departure that day, Fang Jie couldn't help but wonder if the Taoist priests from Wudang Mountain, arriving in the capital at that time, were also involved.
Xie Fuyao was right; Liu Huizheng was of the same generation as the Crane Cry Taoist. This was only because Master Xiao had been appointed leader of the Great Sui Taoist Sect by the Emperor; otherwise, in terms of seniority, Master Xiao would be considered Master Zhang's junior. Whom was Wudang Mountain targeting by sending such an influential person? Fang Jie had barely sat down in the chair when the young girl, Zhuang Die, obediently brought him water to wash his feet. It was warm, perfect for a foot bath. Fang Jie smiled at her, and as she knelt to remove his boots, he reached out and touched the small section of smooth skin on her lower back.
Zhuang Die blushed and flinched.
She knelt down, rubbing Fang Jie's feet as she asked, "Young Master, are you tired today?"
Fang Jie smiled and shook his head. "How could I be tired? It's not like I'm working in the fields. There's nothing tiring at the Martial Arts Academy; it's quite boring, though."
Zhuang Die asked in surprise, "Shouldn't the Martial Arts Academy be very busy? You have to learn so many things—military strategy, battle formations, martial arts, horsemanship—all of these things take up a lot of time and are tiring. Young Master says you're not tired, I suppose it's because you're so strong."
"How do you know I'm strong?"
Fang Jie chuckled, teasingly lifting Zhuang Die's chin with his finger. Zhuang Die blushed and avoided his gaze, remaining silent for a moment before asking, "Young Master and Prince Yi must have a very deep relationship."
Fang Jie asked, "Why do you ask that?"
Zhuang Die said, "Otherwise, how could the people from Prince Yi's residence have redeemed me the very next day after you went to the New Moon Pavilion? That night… that night you were drunk, and I guessed the people from Prince Yi's residence would find out quickly. To prevent anyone else from touching me, they spent money to redeem me and send me here."
Fang Jie hummed in agreement, "Prince Yi is indeed very good to me."
Zhuang Die paused and asked, "I just don't understand, why did the people from Prince Yi's residence find out so quickly? You were even wearing makeup when you went; even if they were staring intently, they wouldn't recognize you at a glance." Fang Jie sneered inwardly, but his expression remained gentle: "Prince Yi's reputation for womanizing is widespread. The people at the New Moon Pavilion must be very familiar with him. Perhaps they told him this as a joke when he went to the New Moon Pavilion the next day. That's why he had you redeemed."
"Oh..."
Zhuang Die said "Oh," and then asked, "I heard Prince Yi claims to be the most romantic man in the world. Shouldn't such a great man prioritize state affairs? Why does he always frequent brothels and pleasure boats?"
"Prince Yi loves beautiful women."
Fang Jie said earnestly, "Prince Yi is captivated by nature and frequents pleasure boats and brothels because he is a truly refined person, with a nature as free as a hermit, naturally unwilling to be swayed by worldly affairs." "I'm entangled."
Zhuang Die, head bowed, wiped Fang Jie's feet: "But when I was in the brothel, I heard that Prince Yi is a truly capable man. It's a real loss for the Sui Dynasty that someone like him doesn't serve in the court. When my sisters and I chat idly, they all say that Prince Yi has real talent and learning, truly the talent of a prime minister."
Fang Jie hummed in agreement: "It's best to say things like that less often. Prince Yi has his reasons for not serving in the court. These things are fine to say at home, but you mustn't gossip about them to outsiders… Although I haven't met Prince Yi many times, I greatly admire his character. If he were to serve in the court, it would certainly be a great thing for the Sui Dynasty!"
Zhuang Die nodded: "Don't worry, young master. I don't know anyone, how could I possibly talk to anyone..." "Tell me about it?"
"By the way... I heard that you, young master, have a deep friendship with Wu Yidao, the richest man in the Sui Dynasty? When we were at the brothel, they all said you lived in the Sanjin Marquis's mansion. Because they know you are so elegant, the ladies were even discussing going to stroll around the mansion gate more often in their spare time."
"Is that so?"
Fang Jie smiled and said, "If I had known I was so popular with women, I should have gone to the New Moon Brothel sooner."
Seeing Fang Jie subtly change the subject, Zhuang Die's expression changed slightly before she smiled and asked, "Young master, Wu Yidao is a legendary figure. You are acquainted with him, tell me about him?"
...
...
After taking a bath with Zhuang Die's help, Fang Jie returned to his room to find Shen Qingshan reading under the lamp. Shen Qingshan's temperament had become increasingly calm lately; before, she was like the weather in June, changing in an instant. Seeing Fang Jie enter, she looked up and smiled gently, asking, "How was the experience of having a beauty serve you while you bathe?"
Fang Jie curled his lip and said, "Just a plain-looking girl, not interested at all!"
His words were spoken with righteous indignation, but Shen Qingshan couldn't help but roll her eyes at him. Her gaze followed Fang Jie's face downwards, lingering for a moment on a certain still-erect part of his body.
Fang Jie chuckled awkwardly, "It's a natural reaction..."
He sat down next to Shen Qingshan, naturally pulling her into his arms, and whispered in her ear, "This little girl has been testing the relationship between Wu Yidao and me. Tomorrow, have Hei Xiaozi secretly follow her and see how she manages to spread the news. Starting tomorrow, entrust her with grocery shopping and cooking, giving her a convenient arrangement. Also... because she's been testing the relationship between Wu Yidao and me, it seems... they're about to make their move against Wu Yidao."
"What's the reason for the delay?"
Shen Qingshan asked softly, "The officials in the court haven't made a move, and even the emperor doesn't seem to be in a hurry to seize Huotong Tianxia Hang."
Fang Jie said, "Perhaps the emperor is busy with military matters these days. Who knows if he'll suddenly issue an edict to bring Huotong Tianxia Hang back to the court after February 12th?"
"To the Ministry of Revenue?"
Shen Qingshan asked again. "They might just take it over to the palace, with the emperor appointing a trusted person to lead it. Taking over Huotong Tianxia is equivalent to the Sui Dynasty gaining at least several decades' worth of tax revenue for free... It would be strange if the emperor wasn't greedy. As for why those officials haven't acted yet, perhaps it's because of the power Wu Yidao possesses; they dare not act rashly until they have it."
He thought for a moment and continued, "However, if the emperor really takes action against Huotong Tianxia after the military campaign, those people will definitely be restless. The day of the military campaign is approaching, and they are more anxious than Wu Yidao, so... Wu Yidao seems quite calm and composed."
"Fang Jie..."
Shen Qingshan opened her mouth, then hesitated.
"What is it?"
Shen Qingshan was silent for a while before asking softly, "If... if those people in the court really want to take action against Wu Yidao, will you intervene?"
After asking this question, Fang Jie also fell silent. After a long while, Fang Jie slowly let out a sigh of relief and said, "I've told myself many times that I'm powerless to get involved in this matter and it's best to stay as far away as possible. But it's no use... There's not much I can do, but I still have to try my best to save Wu Yidao's life. I can't help him protect the Goods Circulation Network, but I can barely help him kill some people."
"If you do this, won't all your efforts in Chang'an be wasted?"
"Wasted, so be it... Some things, even knowing you shouldn't touch them, you still have to do them in the end. If we can keep it a secret, that's best; if not, we can always escape Chang'an together. We'll join Da Quan and the others, find a beautiful place, and live a simple life."
"Are you willing to accept that?"
Shen Qingshan asked. "I'm not willing to accept this."
Fang Jie replied, "That's why I need to think carefully about what to do. I don't want Wu Yidao to die, nor do I want to ruin my own future. It's a difficult situation... If I haven't come up with a solution before those people make their move, I'll have to resort to foolishness."
"You and I, along with the people around Wu Yidao, should be able to protect him and help him escape Chang'an alive, without any problems."
Fang Jie sighed, "As long as the emperor doesn't interfere."
"Why do you think the emperor won't interfere?"
"Because what he wants is for the goods to circulate throughout the land, not Wu Yidao's head. If the court officials make a fuss and Wu Yidao escapes, the emperor will save a lot of trouble... Besides, who knows if he's just deliberately waiting to see how many clowns will jump out? So far, the person whose thoughts I can least fathom is the emperor sitting on the dragon throne... Others are already doing well if they can think three days ahead. But the emperor often thinks several years, even more than a decade ahead."
Thinking of this, Fang Jie suddenly paused.
"The Sui Dynasty is now wealthy and powerful, and it's not incapable of sustaining a war that lasts for years… The Emperor doesn't need to rush into the nationwide trade program, does he? His ambition isn't limited to just fighting the Mongol Yuan. If the war with the Mongols drags on, perhaps ten or twenty years will pass before the Sui Dynasty's strength gradually declines… And by then, the Emperor will be very old. Wouldn't it be better to leave the nationwide trade program to the new Emperor?"
"Good!"
Fang Jie answered himself, "It's definitely better than now!"
Shen Qingshan couldn't help but ask, "Have you figured something out?"
"Yes!"
Fang Jie couldn't help but laugh, "Wu Yidao must have thought of this too! I initially…" They thought his confidence stemmed from holding leverage over the court officials, but now they realized he had another card to play: the Crown Prince's youth! So why was the Emperor showing such interest in the free trade, causing all those officials to jump up in unease?
"Because the Emperor is going to kill someone."
Fang Jie sneered, "Unfortunately, by the time those officials realize it, it will be too late. And most of these people... are close to Prince Yi! Ultimately, the Emperor's goal is to remove those who speak up for Prince Yi. No wonder Wu Yidao is so confident... he's essentially putting on a grand show with the Emperor! How could someone like the current Emperor... tolerate his officials forming cliques and engaging in corruption?"