Fairy, please let me explain.

Chapter 796: Turning Hands to Make Rain
"What the hell are you doing now?"

The furnishings in the study room in the inner courtyard of the Prime Minister's Mansion were the same as before, but the old person was replaced by a new person on the main seat. Seeing his younger brother, the current head of the Xu family, Xu Changge's voice was as indifferent as before, but with a hint of fatigue:
"Changtian, do you know that because of your actions over the past month, the people below are already in a panic."

Behind the desk, Xu Yuan was busy with government affairs:

"The people below actually complained to you, big brother?"

Xu Changge stood in front of the desk, frowned and asked:

"Who in the whole mansion can sue you now?"

"Then I'm going to ask you for advice, big brother. Who is it?"

"."Xu Changge.

Although the tone of the conversation between the two brothers did not change much, the content had already caused their identities to begin to subtly change.

After a brief silence, Xu Changge whispered:

"A lot of people."

Xu Yuan raised his eyes from his busy work. The sunlight shone through the window onto his face. The change in light made his eyes narrow unconsciously. It was hard to tell whether he was happy or angry. He smiled and asked:
"You mean I can't move them now?"

Xu Changge frowned even more and warned:
"Killing is the stupidest way to win back one's heart."

"Just a joke."

Xu Yuan put away his fake smile, leaned back in his chair, looked at Xu Changge with tired eyes, and said faintly: "Brother, I have expected the reaction of the people below, but I didn't expect it to reach you, brother."

"The fact that the incident has come to a place like this shows how serious it is!" Xu Changge said in a slightly more serious tone, "As a leader, you should at least set a tone for the people below to follow. Your attitude towards the royal family has caused chaos among the people at the Prime Minister's Mansion!"

After hearing these words, Xu Yuan remained silent.

Of course he understands these principles.

The entire society is like a sophisticated giant machine. Every move of the strongman leader will be over-interpreted and then amplified layer by layer until it is passed on to the grassroots.

After his father passed away, although Xu Yuan's attitude towards the royal family could not be described as kneeling, in the eyes of others, the prime minister's knee was at least bent a little. As the news was passed down layer by layer, the consequence was that some bold people at the grassroots level would begin to accept some benefits that they dared not accept in the past, and to reach some cooperation that they dared not reach in the past, which would in turn affect more people at the grassroots level, and in turn influence the decision-making of middle and senior levels, and even the top level.

Xu Changge's worries probably stemmed from this, but this elder brother ignored the fact that such bad changes require time as a catalyst to ferment, and also ignored the fact that everything he did was during this window period.

After a brief eye contact, Xu Yuan did not make any excuses, but just looked at his elder brother in front of him and asked a question softly.

"Brother, if the person in charge now is father, what would you do?"

"."

Hearing this question, Xu Changge subconsciously wanted to say something, but when he realized the implication of Xu Yuan's words, his angry eyes suddenly froze.

What would it do?
If the person in front of him was his father, he certainly would not object. He would simply tell those talkative old subordinates to shut up and do as he was told, instead of running to the desk to question the other party's reasons.

Now it is Changtian’s turn. He should do the same, or even more so. His younger brother, who has just ascended the throne, needs his support most rather than questioning.

Xu Changge turned his eyes away in silence and whispered two words:

"Feel sorry."

Seeing this, Xu Yuan grinned and said jokingly:
"When did you become so hypocritical?"

The tone was still the same, but seeing the deep fatigue in the eyes of his third brother, Xu Changge couldn't help but feel a little guilty and distressed, and whispered:
"I will help you stop the little tricks of the people below, but I can't help you with the ones at a higher level."

Xu Yuan let out a long breath and said with a smile:
"enough."

Xu Changge nodded slightly, and after thinking for a while, he reminded:
"Changtian, the things you brought back from your trip some time ago did allow you to temporarily possess power comparable to your father's, but these are ultimately limited.

"Because you were looking for someone, the Black Scale Guards lost almost all of their spies lurking in the palace. Because you were withdrawing from the northern part of Hongnong, the Tianan Chamber of Commerce lost a large number of raw material mines. However, Lou Ji and Hua Hong have loved you the most since you were a child. They should help you deal with the voices within their respective subordinates, but the situation on the Black Scale Army side is very complicated.

"Father left in a hurry, and there were many things hidden in the dark that he didn't have time to tell you."

"Zong Qingsheng should be trustworthy, but you also know that father cannot delegate all military power to one person. In addition to Zong Qingsheng, the commander-in-chief, father has supported many factions in the middle and high-level of the Black Scale Army to check and balance Zong Qingsheng."

"For example, Yuan Hao?" Xu Yuan asked.

"Yuan Hao doesn't really count."

"Why?"

"He is a lunatic, don't you know?"

".Uh." Xu Yuan.

Xu Changge recalled the problems he had seen during his years in charge of Moying Pavilion and continued:
"Changtian, my father's actions of using Yuan Hao in recent years have actually caused dissatisfaction among the veterans. Yuan Hao's rise within the Black Scale Army has greatly weakened the power that originally belonged to them. However, due to my father's authority, they dare not express such emotions. But now that my father is gone, the situation is naturally different.

"Having served in the Xiangfu for half their lives, these old men are already dissatisfied with you as their new master because of their past military achievements. Your previous actions of abandoning Hongnong and transferring a large amount of military supplies to the survivors of the underground palace have greatly stimulated these old generals. Now you have allowed the royal family to invade the Black Scale Army."

At this point, Xu Changge sighed softly:

".No matter what your purpose is, your actions over the past month are not what a wise leader should do in the eyes of the Black Scale Army. You are weak to the outside world and nepotism to the inside. I know you must have your reasons for doing this, but this is really not a long-term solution."

Xu Yuan looked at his brother with worried eyes and did not answer immediately.

He had thought of all these things.

The degree of centralization in the Prime Minister's Office is almost greater than that of the royal family, but it does not have the thousand-year inertia of royal blood. It is normal for chaos to arise after the father left.

After a little consideration, Xu Yuan said slowly:

"Maybe in the eyes of you hawks, this may seem like a weak move on my part, but at a higher level, these temporary compromises are necessary."

Xu Changge was silent for a while, then said very seriously:

"I don't understand, but I am willing to believe you."

Xu Yuan smiled slightly and slowly stood up:

"Since you trust me, please help me handle government affairs for the time being."

"."

Hearing this, Xu Changge's emotions that had just been brewing froze for a moment, and his eyes showed doubt: "Of course, you can, but are you going to do anything?"

"I'm planning to leave Beijing."

The corners of Xu Changge's eyes twitched:

"Leave Beijing? Now?"

"Yeah." Xu Yuan.

Xu Changge's eyes twitched, veins on his forehead faintly emerged, and he said in a low voice:
"Do you know what time it is now? The new emperor will ascend the throne in two days, and you, the new head of the Prime Minister's Mansion, are going to be a hands-off manager and go out again?!"

Xu Yuan walked to Xu Changge's side, patted him on the shoulder without paying any attention to his anger.

"Don't worry, I won't be out for too long this time."

Xu Changge couldn't hold back his emotions, he turned his head and glared at Xu Yuan, whispering:
"Xu Changtian! Don't be so ridiculous."

Before he finished speaking, he saw that his brother had disappeared.

Standing there, Xu Changge was so angry that he was shaking all over, but after a dozen breaths, he quietly sat behind the desk to help his brother deal with government affairs.
On the fourth day of the second month of the forty-eighth year of Jiajing, there were still two days before the new emperor of Dayan ascended the throne.

In the North, at night,
The military camp, which stretched for dozens of miles, was brightly lit in the snowy night.

For most of the troops in Da Yan, they are now in wartime and the military camps are heavily guarded. But for most of the troops stationed in the northern border, they will be in a state of regular training before the new emperor ascends the throne or before the new emperor completely takes power. Therefore, the atmosphere in this Beifeng military camp seems quite relaxed.

Before lights-out time, the Beifeng soldiers, who had finished a day's training, were either sitting by their tents chatting or playing chess and cards in groups of three or five. Those who were more energetic gathered in the parade grounds to set up rings and gamble.

Perhaps because of the two female guards who led the way, after entering the military camp, many soldiers cast strange looks at the man covered in a hooded robe.

However, precisely because of the female guards leading the way, these soldiers did not pay too much attention to this strange visitor. Most of them just glanced at him and then went back to doing their own things.

Walking through the snow, they finally stopped in front of the commander's tent in the center of the military camp. The two female guards stopped, clasped their fists and saluted the man in the hooded robe behind them, saying respectfully:
"Sir, His Royal Highness is waiting for you."

When the curtain was drawn, the huge meeting room was empty. Apart from the sand table in the middle, there was only a beautiful woman sitting quietly behind the main seat.

Li Qingyan was not wearing armor, and her flawless body was wrapped in a scarlet uniform. She looked at the man who walked into the room. The long-awaited reunion with her beloved made her heart beat faster unconsciously, but she was Li Qingyan after all. The strange feelings in her heart were suppressed by reason in an instant, and a teasing smile appeared on her red lips:

"What a rare visitor."

Taking off his hood, Xu Yuan brushed off the snow on his shoulders, walked to the desk, stood still, glanced around at the slightly shabby barracks, and replied:

"I didn't expect you to stay in a second-line troop camp like this."

Li Qingyan leaned back in his chair and smiled:

"There are no major battles in the North. The only things the army has to do every day are training. The bigger things are to go out to provide disaster relief. These things can be done by the generals below. It doesn't matter where the commander is. But why did you suddenly want to come to me, Lord King of Han?"

In response to this answer, Xu Yuan rolled his eyes at the woman and said:
"King of Han? Are you mocking me?"

Li Qingyan shrugged, stood up and pointed to the commander's quarters behind the tent, and walked towards the inner room while saying:
"It's not really sarcasm, but I just don't understand what you're trying to do."

The woman's long hair was fluttering with a familiar fragrance. Xu Yuan followed behind her, looking at her graceful and graceful back, and whispered:
"Many people have asked me this question these days, but isn't my choice a good thing for your royal family?"

Ah - the wooden door behind the tent was pushed open, and the furnishings inside were as simple as ever, with a bed, a wooden table, and a wooden rack with a gilded armor hanging on it, exactly the same as her room in Beifeng City.

Li Qingyan walked to the square table and sat down, staring at Xu Yuan behind him:

"This is indeed a good thing, a great thing that benefits the country and the people, but in my mind, you are not someone who would suffer such a loss."

Xu Yuan pulled out a chair and sat down opposite her with his back to the wooden door:

"Indeed, but Qingyan, do you know? What I have been doing these days is actually implementing your father and my father's vision for the future.

"Let the royal family and the prime minister's mansion completely merge into one in this war against the sect. Only in this way, after we have eliminated the sect and completed the complete unification, will we avoid a second civil war between us."

Li Qingyan leaned forward slightly after hearing this, rubbing her cheeks and narrowing her eyes:
"I have heard a little about this matter, but this should not be your intention."

Hearing the woman's words, Xu Yuan seemed a little helpless and said:

"It's not nice to have a woman who's too smart."

Li Qingyan was silent for a while, then smiled:
"I have always been like this, and now I am pretending to be stupid. You should be disappointed in me, right?"

The woman smiled as usual. Xu Yuan was dazed for a moment and then smiled as well:
"That was indeed not my intention. In the past two months, what I have done was actually my attitude of waiting for someone."

"Li Zhaoyuan?"

"Well, but it seems that I couldn't wait for his attitude."

"From my perspective, he has done quite well in the past two months."

"Do you really think it's good, Qingyan?"

Xu Yuan's smile remained unchanged, but his eyes narrowed slightly: "It has been two months since the Black Scale Army landed in Jiangnan, and it has also been two months since he took power, but what has he done during these days?"

"." Li Qingyan lowered his eyes and remained silent.

Xu Yuan sighed and whispered:
"Qingyan, do you think Li Zhaoyuan is not aware of the impact of the Black Scale Army's massive landing in Jiangnan on the clan alliance?
"The clan alliance will be completely awakened by this landing. Under the crisis, the process of centralization of power by this behemoth will be shortened to a point that will catch the court off guard. You know better than me that opportunities for war are fleeting. This period of time is a crucial window period, but what did Li Zhaoyuan do during this window period?"

As he spoke, he gently knocked on the wooden table in front of him, and his voice with an inexplicable smile echoed in the silent wooden room:

"This was a great opportunity, a window of opportunity that could have allowed the imperial court to seize the initiative in the war, but Li Zhaoyuan used it to seize power, weaken the power of the prime minister's mansion, and consolidate his own rule."

The conversation was slow and the snow was falling.

Xu Yuan asked her in silence:
"Given your temperament, Qingyan, you should be very dissatisfied with the new emperor, right?"

Li Qingyan looked at Xu Yuan. Her beautiful and flawless face showed no emotion. She did not answer the question directly, but just whispered:

"Li Zhaoyuan's foundation is unstable, so there is nothing wrong with taking power first."

Xu Yuan smiled softly upon hearing this and said:

"I didn't say he did anything wrong. You should be very clear that there is no conflict between taking over the imperial power and what I said. In fact, if handled properly, the latter can greatly promote the former and help him establish authority in the imperial party."

"."

Li Qingyan was silent, his eyes drooping.

Seeing her stop talking, Xu Yuan asked in a calm tone as if he had thought about it thousands of times:
"Qingyan,
"Do you still remember what I said to you in the Golden Palace that day?"

The cold wave originating from the Far North has subsided a lot, but the snow in the north is still heavy these days, with nearly a meter of snow accumulated overnight.

In the boundless snowfield outside Qinlong Pass, where the three northern continents enter the capital, rustling sounds were buried by the wind and snow. Pairs of eyes poked out from the thick snow, staring in the darkness at the brightly lit city gate tower and the stern and vigilant Dayan elite on duty.

finally reached.

They hid in the snow on the plains during the day and marched slowly in the snow at night.

After more than ten days of crawling in the extreme cold and snow, with countless people freezing to death or suffering frostbite but no one making any sound and no one using energy to keep warm, the survivors of the underground palace finally crossed the endless plain south of Qinlong Pass quietly and arrived at this majestic pass.

Born in despair, they have nothing to lose. In order to gain a place to survive in this world of the rising sun, the survivors of the underground palace are willing to give up everything, including their lives.

Snow fell from the sky, the cold air entered the lungs and turned into white mist when exhaled. The survivors of the underground palace waited for the prince's order in the darkness outside the pass, waiting for their end.
"Qingyan, do you remember what I said in the Golden Palace that day?"

The small room fell into silence, and the night wind that seeped in through the cracks was chilling.

Li Qingyan wanted to say something, but when he saw the dark determination in the eyes of the man in front of him, the words were choked in his throat.

At this moment, Xu Yuan suddenly smiled softly and put his hands together on the table:

"I know it's a difficult decision for you, so it's not too late for you to respond after reading this."

Saying,

He took out a secret letter and a map from the Sumeru Ring and pushed them in front of her.

Li Qingyan stared at the sealed letter with some hesitation:
"Is there Father's Qi on this letter?"

"Yes, I got it from Eunuch Nie." Xu Yuan said in a quiet and cold tone, "In order to find him, the Black Scale Guards almost lost all their spies in the palace."

Li Qingyan stared at the envelope with her phoenix eyes but did not open it. She knew what was in the envelope and what it meant to open it, but she did not know why Eunuch Nie would give this letter to Xu Yuan.

Xu Yuan did not rush to urge him. He stood up, supported by the table, walked towards the window, and said softly:
"Do you know that the late emperor issued three edicts to pass on the throne, to the crown prince, to my father, and to you, Li Qingyan? The heir he valued most was not the crown prince, nor Li Yunqing, nor the current Li Zhaoyuan. He left almost all his favoritism to you."

Although he is a descendant of the royal family, he can lead troops outside.

He is not a crown prince, but he possesses the highest military power of the royal family.

He even had a prestige second only to that of Marquis Wucheng among the 300,000 Beifeng troops.

All these prove that Li Yaoxuan prefers his daughter Li Qingyan.

If Xu Yuan had not suddenly appeared, Li Zhaoyuan would have no chance of ascending the throne compared to Li Qingyan.

It was time to turn off the lights. It was pitch black outside the window, with only sporadic flames burning the snow in the sky.

Xu Yuan raised his hand and stroked the wood grain on the window frame, his voice as calm as a deep ocean:
"I wanted to kill Li Zhaoyuan in the beginning because I hated him, but now, I no longer have the qualifications to hate him, so I don't care about what he did in the past, and I don't care that he only cares about power. I just hope that he can become someone who joins hands with me, but you have seen the result.

“I ordered the Zhenxi Army to march eastwards to try to open up the various controlled areas in the southwest, but his southwestern border troops did not move.

"I ordered the northern army of Hongnong to request assistance from the imperial guards on the Tianhe defense line, but his imperial guards still did not move, and the Black Scale Army was forced to give up the strategic location of Hongnong.

"My father responded to the promise of the prime minister by marching south of the Yangtze River. Qingyan, you should know how risky this military action was. You should also know how much of a blow the clan alliance would suffer if it succeeded. But in the end, after taking power, Li Zhaoyuan was unwilling to even let the Qi and Lu armies march south along the coast to support Yuan Hao who was alone and deep in the enemy's territory!"

"."

The words fell in silence.

After listening to the man's story, Li Qingyan felt a little uneasy in his heart. With a slightly hoarse voice, he asked the question in his heart, which was also the most crucial question:
"Changtian, why did Eunuch Nie give you this letter?"

Xu Yuan did not look back and said softly:

"You can look at what's on that map."

Li Qingyan spread out the map in silence, only to find that it was a military map of Hongnong, with many red dots carefully marked on it:

".What's this?"

"A secret place, a secret place in Hongnong."

Xu Yuan spat out two words without thinking, and said casually: "The royal family has been clamping down on my Prime Minister's Mansion with all kinds of raw materials. The secret realms I found during my one-month absence have completely exceeded the Prime Minister's Mansion's own needs."

Li Qingyan was stunned, staring blankly at the man by the window, his eyes narrowed slightly, with hesitation:

"What do you mean?"

The snowy night is over,

Xu Yuan slowly turned around, looked at the beautiful woman, and said calmly:

"Need me to explain it more clearly?
"My father has always been a conservative in the Prime Minister's Mansion towards the royal family. Now that he is gone, I have given Li Zhaoyuan too many chances during this period. My patience with him has reached its limit. I am not prepared to wait for him any longer, and I don't have the time to wait for him any longer."

Speaking of which,

When Xu Yuan looked at the woman, the tenderness in his eyes was gone, and they were filled with emptiness and darkness.

He turned around and pushed open the wooden door in silence.
A violent cold wind suddenly rushed in, surging violently.

He turned his head to take one last look at the hesitant woman in the room, then walked towards the endless darkness outside. His voice, accompanied by the cold air, was like a whisper from the underworld:

"Qingyan, I hope you will be cautious.

“This time it’s no longer a test, but a notification.

"The nature of what I will do will depend on whether you open this edict from the late emperor.

"Is it a coup or a mutiny?

"Is it a rebellion, or is it a forged imperial edict to suppress counter-revolutionaries?

"If you can't bear the responsibility of the throne, I, Xu Changtian, will do it!"

(End of this chapter)