Chapter 85 The Arrangemen (2/2)
Wu Hongshan looked at Li Ye for a long time, and then he said with a bitter smile, ”It seems that you've got a plan... I just don't get you anymore. ”Or I never do.”
Li Ye was silent.
Wu Hongshan followed the silence for a moment and suddenly said, ”I haven't been to Prince An's Manor since the old Prince An passed away. I feel guilty about that...”
”Why do you say this?” Li Ye interrupted Wu Hongshan.
Wu Hongshan sighed. ”I just want you to understand that although your position as the vice magistrate of the Chang'an Office was appointed by His Majesty, your situation is not necessarily rosy... I hope that you would be more careful.”
Li Ye smiled. ”Are you concerned about me?”
Wu Hongshan stared at the lake and his voice was as steady as ever. ”In recent years, the world is in turmoil and the situation of Chang'an is getting more and more treacherous. It seems like the catastrophe is coming. I just hope that, whether we are enemies or allies, whether we are happy or unhappy, whether we experience a blessing or a misfortune, we will all live a peaceful life.”
Li Ye frowned and looked at Wu Hongshan as if to distinguish the truth of his words.
Wu Hongshan stared at the lake, lost in thought.
...
After Li Ye returned from Emperor's son-in-law's Manor, it was a dark night. He didn't rest immediately when he came back to his room. It wasn't long after he sat down, Song Jiao sat down on the chair with a faint fragrance wafting in. She never knocked on the door, nor could she make a notification when she went in and out of Li Ye's room. She was casual about doing this. According to her own words, if she didn't care, why would Li Ye care.
Li Ye also gradually understood Song Jiao's mind. He asked Song Jiao as he saw her sitting calmly. ”Is there any progress?”
”I can hide nothing from you. The Liaison of Lulong Commissioner in Youzhou has arrived at the Manor and he's waiting downstairs.” Song Jiao smiled brightly. Li Ye was confused, because she smiled a little too much.
”Let him come up.” Li Ye nodded. A few days ago, after his assassination of Kang Chengxun in Luoyang, he met a group of cultivators who were the men of Lulong Commissioner in Youzhou.
Two people were brought upstairs soon. The person walking in the front was in his thirty with a social smile, which officials would wear when they had social activities, on his face. He was Zhang He, the Liaison in Youzhou. The Liaison was an official resident in Chang'an on behalf of the vassal state and responsible for contacting Chang'an and the vassal state.
Who really interested Li Ye was the man behind Zhang He. He had square eyes and elegant style of a Confucian. He was the leader of the cultivators whom Li Ye had encountered after his assassination of Kang Chengxun. Li Ye understood Song Jiao's weird smile as he saw this man.
But Li Ye and Song Jiao had disguised themselves at that time so Li Ye could recognize him, but he couldn't recognize Li Ye.
Li Ye greeted them to sit down. For the first time they met, they naturally flattered each other. After the greetings, Li Ye began to enter the topic. ”After the Rebellion of Pang Xun, the force of the Zhenwu Army expands day by day. As far as I know, Zhenwu Army and Lulong Army have been in conflict for two years. This time, Li Keyong came to Chang'an to ask proposal to Duchess of Li. If the marriage is settled, the force of the Zhenwu Army will become unprecedented powerful in a short time. What do you think?”
When Li Ye had mentioned the Zhenwu Army, Zhang He was resentful. The two states were at odds with each other all the time. At this moment, since Li Ye had asked, he began to accuse the Zhenwu Army of all kinds of misdeeds, nothing more than competing for excellent recruits and Taoist cultivators, bribing powerful officials, embezzling a lot of resources belong to the Lulong Army to the Zhenwu Army, and so on. Of course, some of these accusations were true and some were false with many embellishments.
”Li Guochang is a Shatuo, who is cunning and greedy and has no morals. It's truly hateful that he has embezzled our Lulong Army's pay for his own gain, regardless of the border situation in Youyun!” Zhang He paused and then he whispered, ”Rumors have it that Li Guochang sent someone to assassinate Mr. Kang, the Commissioner of Hedong, a few days ago...”
As he said this, he looked as certain as if he had witnessed the matter personally.
Li Ye and Song Jiao exchanged a glance as they listened to his words, trying to laugh.
Li Ye said solemnly, ”Mr. Kang went to Hedong to take office for restraining the Zhenwu Army. Why could he suddenly leave the vassal state and why could he be assassinated halfway? It was really strange...”
Zhang He was excited as he saw Li Ye speak for the Lulong Army. ”There's no doubt that Li Guochang played an important role in the matter. To tell you the truth, Li Guochang has threatened many times to drive Mr. Kang out of Hedong...”
Li Ye was suddenly enlightened. ”Therefore, Mr. Kang was assassinated...”
Zhang He said, ”Most likely Li Guochang did it!”
Li Ye asked, ”Do you have any evidence?”
Zhang He stunned. ”Evidence?”
Li Ye seriously said, ”How can he be convicted of a crime without evidence?”
Zhang He was speechless.
But soon, he understood Li Ye's meaning. His hands trembled with excitement.