Unparalleled Evildoer

Chapter 128 Finding a Quiet House
After Ying Zheng left, the court officials in the hall immediately became excited. Some of them sighed and surrounded Wang Wan and walked out of the hall, while some surrounded Li Si and talked a lot. Wuzhan waited for Wang Wan to pass by, bowed deeply, and apologized, "I am sorry for offending you. I hope you will forgive me!"

Wang Wan stopped walking. The court officials around him all looked at him coldly. But Wang Wan returned the greeting and said, "Your Excellency is not only wise, but also eloquent. I admire you. You are really a young man to be feared. I hope you can do your best to assist Your Majesty in building a civilized and holy government. I will be grateful to you!"

Wuzhan said: "Don't worry, I will spare no effort!"

Wang Wan left sadly. Wuzhan looked at his bent figure and was sighing with emotion when he heard someone behind him laughing and saying, "I heard recently that the doctor has a brother who is a master of military tactics and has many extraordinary strategies. I got to see him today and he is indeed extraordinary!"

Wuzhan turned around and saw the man who was speaking. He had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, a sharp face, a mustache, a strong body, and was over 40 years old. It was the Court Justice Li Si. He quickly replied, "The Court Justice is too kind. I am just a commoner who has read a few more pages of books. I really don't deserve it. The Court Justice's reputation is well known to me. It's a pleasure to meet you!"

Li Si laughed and said, "You are too modest, Grand Counselor. In my opinion, you should read more books. Otherwise, how could you have made those Confucian scholars speechless? Haha!"

"I am a rookie, and I hope the Minister of Justice will give me more guidance!" Wuzhan bowed deeply, knowing that Wang Wan's political views did not match his, and now that Wang Wan had stepped down, the position of Prime Minister would surely belong to him.

"I can't say I can give you any advice, but I'm afraid I'll have to work with the Counselor to overcome difficulties and improve the law!"

"But if there is a need, we have no choice but to help."

At this time, Wang Ben stepped forward and wanted to get acquainted with Wuzhan. Just as he was about to speak, he heard Meng Yi say behind him: "My dear brother, don't recognize just anyone!"

Wuzhan bowed slightly to Wang Ben, then followed Meng Yi out of the hall, leaving Wang Ben aside, which was very embarrassing.

Wang Ben did not follow Meng Yi's strategy in Jiuyuan. If the dike had not been opened to release the water, the cavalry led by Meng Yi would have been wiped out. After returning to Xianyang, Meng Yi confronted Wang Ben. Wang Ben insisted that he had not received any letter from the carrier pigeon. The two quarreled and almost came to blows. Everyone in Xianyang knew about it.

Meng Tian came to Wang Ben and said with a smile: "You don't know yet, he has such a bad temper, it will be fine after this!"

Wang Ben shook his head helplessly and sighed, "I hope so!" He knew that the resentment had already arisen and it would be difficult to resolve.

……

Meng Yi and Wuzhan had just walked out of the hall when Fusu caught up with them from behind and said with a hearty smile, "It's still early. Brother Wuzhan has just arrived in Xianyang and is not familiar with the city. How about I, the prince, act as your guide today and take Brother Wuzhan around the city?"

Meng Yi said: "It just so happens that I have official business to attend to, so I won't accompany you any more!"

Wuzhan smiled and said, "Then I'll have to trouble the eldest prince!"

Wuzhan and Fusu walked side by side. Just as they arrived at the gate of the palace, they met two cultivators in Taoist robes. One of them was Daoxuan, and the other one turned into ashes but Wuzhan recognized him. It was Qingyang.

What a narrow road it is to meet enemies. I didn't expect to meet here just one day after arriving in Xianyang.

Daoxuan hurriedly bowed and made way for Fusu when he saw him. Qingyang shuddered when he saw Wuzhan, stamped his feet and looked at him coldly, "It's you, you're not dead?"

Wuzhan smiled slightly, "Because some people are not dead yet, how can I die!" Without stopping, he walked out of the palace gate with Fusu.

Fusu asked, "Do you know each other?"

Wuzhan said: "More than just knowing each other!"

Qingyang didn't expect that Wuzhan would be with Fusu, and he didn't expect that he could become an official in the court. You know, Wuzhan was cunning and had caused him a lot of trouble. He hated him to the core. Once he fell into his hands, he would surely die. He felt inexplicably panicked.

Daoxuan saw Qingyang’s pale face, then looked at Wuzhe’s receding figure and asked, “Who is he?”

"He is the guy who unlocked Xingtian's seal. We took a lot of effort to get the five-colored stone from him."

"It turns out to be him!"

Qing Yang said in a deep voice: "I killed his two masters. He must have come to the court to seek revenge and seize the Five Color Stone. Looking for an opportunity, we must get rid of him. He is too dangerous."

Daoxuan laughed and said, "He has no cultivation at all, just like a useless person. You are afraid of him with your cultivation. This is ridiculous. Let's go. The five-colored stone is in the hands of the national teacher. No one can take it away!"

……

The buildings in Xianyang City were magnificent, the streets were wide, and business was booming. Wuzun and Fusu rode in the same carriage, and Fusu introduced the entire Xianyang City. It was a scorching sun, and the carriage stopped in front of a teahouse. The two got off the carriage and entered the teahouse.

The teahouse has carved beams and painted buildings, and a flying pavilion with red flowing water. The plaque is engraved with three large gold-painted characters "Juxian Pavilion" in a flamboyant style, which is extraordinary and impressive. At first glance, you can tell that this is an elegant place for scholars and writers.

As soon as I stepped into the teahouse, a shopkeeper dressed in elegant clothes came up to me and said with a happy face, "I didn't know that the eldest prince had arrived. I hope you will forgive me for not welcoming you. Please follow me inside and take a seat!"

At this time, more than a dozen people in the building stood up and saluted to welcome Fusu. Fusu smiled and said, "No need to salute, wise men. Please sit down!" It turned out that this was a teahouse set up by Fusu in Xianyang City, where knowledgeable people could comment on world affairs, gather ideas and understand the people's sentiments.

Fusu sat in the main seat, Wuzhan sat beside him. Two maids immediately brought some cold tea and placed it on the tea table next to the chair. Fusu took a sip of the cold tea, put down the teacup, and introduced to everyone: "This is Lord Wuzhan, who defeated the Xiongnu not long ago and commanded the army like a god!"

Wuzhan stood up and saluted everyone. The whole room was in an uproar, praising Wuzhan endlessly. Some Confucian scholars looked at him coldly, because they already knew that Wuzhan openly belittled Confucianism in the court today. Fusu asked: "My father has issued an edict today to fully implement the county system. I believe you all know about it. I wonder what you think about it?"

Most of the people in the building were unsuccessful lobbyists who were good at talking and criticizing. At the same time, they expressed their own opinions and displayed all they had learned in their lives.

While they were arguing, a ragged middle-aged man in the corner said loudly: "The two governance styles are not very different. Officials are still officials, and people are still people. It's just a different way. The fundamentals have not changed. The Zhou rituals are still continued, and the laws are still enforced. Your argument is meaningless!"

Fusu smiled and said, "This is the first time I have heard Gao Sheng's statement. How can it not have changed at all? Tell me more about it."

Gao Sheng said: "Although there is no enfeoffment now, aren't the people who serve in the counties royal relatives, meritorious officials and generals? Although it is not hereditary, from the current point of view, it is still a recommendation system. If so, who will the county officials recommend? What is the difference between enfeoffment and counties?"

Someone replied: "The military and political affairs of each county are separated and appointed and dismissed by the emperor, which is very different from the previous system of division among princes."

"How does the emperor appoint and dismiss? Isn't it based on merit? And those merits are reported by the counties. Who writes the reports? These things, after a long time, are all the same."

After hearing what Gao Sheng said, everyone suddenly felt that what he said made a lot of sense. Gao Sheng continued, "If we don't fundamentally change the issue of selecting talents, the two governance styles will not change at all."

After hearing this, everyone fell into deep thought. Wuzhan took the opportunity to stand up and said, "Prince, I have some private matters to attend to. I will take my leave now!"

"What's your personal matter? Can I help you?"

"I want to find a house in this city. Living in the Meng Mansion is not a solution."

Fusu said, "If you hadn't told me, I would have forgotten that I should look for a mansion." He turned to the crowd and asked, "Who among you knows which house in Xianyang City is being pawned?"

Gao Sheng asked, "What kind of house do you like?"

Wuzhan said: "As long as it is a little quieter, it will be fine."

Gao Sheng smiled and said, "There are many pawned houses, but it is difficult to find a quiet place in Xianyang City. However, I do know of such an old house by the Wei River. It is secluded and elegant, not far from the imperial palace, and you can enjoy the scenery of the Wei River. However, no one has lived in it for a long time and it has been abandoned for many years. It needs a little repair."

Wuzhan asked, "Why is such a nice house uninhabited?"

Gao Sheng smiled and said, "This house was originally a Taoist temple. For some reason, a fire reduced the temple to ashes, and none of the Taoists in the temple survived. Later, a wealthy businessman rebuilt a house there, but not long after he moved in, strange things happened one after another. He also asked Taoists, Yin-Yang masters, and Feng Shui masters to check, but they couldn't find the cause. In the end, they had to move away, and no one lived in that house anymore."

Fusu said: "Why would you introduce such a haunted house to Brother Wuzhan!"

Gao Sheng smiled and said, "All the important officials of the imperial court live in Xianyang City. It is very difficult to find a good location. Only this place meets your requirements. As for those stories about gods and ghosts, I'm sure you don't believe them either."

Wuzhan thought for a moment, then bowed and said, "Could you please take me to inspect it?"

Gao Sheng said happily: "I am willing to serve you, sir!"

Seeing that Wuzhan was interested, Fusu ordered two guards to drive Wuzhan to inspect the place while he waited in Juxian Pavilion.

……

Ancient willows hang low, blue waves ripple, far away from the hustle and bustle, the house faces south and is indeed as Gao Sheng described, a secluded place hard to find in the city. The high walls are covered with moss, the gate has rotted, the doorposts are tilted, and the weeds in the yard are more than a person tall. Gao Sheng pushes aside the weeds and walks in front to lead the way, with Wuzhai following behind him and entering the yard.

The house has three courtyards and is even larger than the Meng Mansion. It is equipped with screen walls, corridors, pavilions, rockery, pools, stone tables, stone benches, etc. There are several houses. Although no one has lived in them for many years, they are well preserved. You just need to replace the doors and windows and clean them before you can live in them.

There is a high wall behind the back house. Wuzhan asked what was behind the wall. Gaosheng replied, "The main hall of the original Taoist temple has been reduced to ashes. There is still no grass growing on it. When this house was built, this high wall was used to separate it."

Wuzhan asked, "Why is Mr. Gao so familiar with this place?"

Gao Sheng smiled and said, "I am originally from Chu. I can write a few words. I drifted here a few years ago and taught children to read in Xianyang City to make a living. I was invited here to teach and I know a little about the layout here."

"Who is the owner of this house? Where does he live now? From whom can I buy it?"

Gao Sheng said, "This family's surname is Liang. They are salt merchants. They once donated money and property to the Qin Dynasty's wars and held high official titles. But since they moved in, strange things have happened in their family. After the head of the family died of a strange disease, the family fell into decline. Finally, the concubine pawned the house to Xianghe Pawnshop, divided the property, and left Xianyang. No one has lived here for so many years, so it must not cost much to buy it."

After hearing this, Wuzhan said, "I'll have to trouble Mr. Gao to take me to Xianghe Pawn Shop to buy this house."

Gao Sheng bowed to Wu Zhan and said, "Since you have just arrived in Xianyang, I am sure you must be short of manpower to take care of your family. I am an idle person in Xianyang with nothing to do, so I am willing to serve you!"

Wuzhan understood Gao Sheng's intention and smiled slightly, "That's what I want. Then the construction of this place will be fully entrusted to Mr. Gao. As for how much money is needed, you should make a budget first and I will give it to you when we return to the Meng Mansion."

(End of this chapter)