Has the Han Dynasty been restored today?

Yang Yi glanced around, taking in the silence and strange atmosphere of the crowd. Although anger rose in his heart once again, he remained calm on the surface.

Faced with the subtle resistance from the crowd, Yang Yi had no choice.

In the time since the Prime Minister's death, Yang Yi had encountered various embarrassing situations more than once or twice, and nothing could make him more frustrated than this.

Being able to command these people to do things is enough; how can you force everyone to submit to you?

"Where did Liu Min go?" Yang Yi keenly noticed that someone was missing from the hall. He was about to ask the question, but the atmosphere silenced him.

Jiang Wan is a traitor who usurped power and is a great villain of the country. His cousin Liu Min is also a villain! Let him escape if he wants; we can settle accounts with him later. We should first appease Chen Zhi and befriend this young imperial envoy.

"Wenwei," Yang Yi turned to look in Fei Yi's direction, "It's almost sunset. The angels have come from afar, so please treat them well, Wenwei. Arrange their lodgings, meals, and daily life in a proper and meticulous manner."

"Yes, Lord Yang." Fei Yi's attitude towards Yang Yi remained respectful and composed, and he bowed in response.

Yang Yi nodded, put one hand on his hip and pointed at Jiang Wei with the other, and said, "Boyue, you should make good arrangements later. The envoy wants to investigate Wei Yan's rebellion. After reporting back to Chengdu tomorrow, you will accompany Imperial Censor Chen to handle this matter."

Jiang Wei's face remained expressionless; he bowed slightly and said, "Yes, sir."

Yang Yi frowned and stared at Jiang Wei for a few seconds before speaking again, "Make sure everything is 'arranged' properly, otherwise I'll hold you accountable. Do you understand?"

Yang Yi emphasized the word "arrange," which carried a more condescending and authoritative tone compared to when he spoke to Fei Yi.

"Understood, Your subordinate." Jiang Wei lowered his head even further, his expression becoming even more sincere, and bowed again: "I will definitely arrange this matter properly."

"Hmm." Yang Yi nodded in satisfaction. After exchanging a few more pleasantries with Chen Zhi, he sat down in his seat with his hands behind his back and dismissed the others.

In Yang Yi's view, everyone present was either from a high-ranking family or had intricate networks of relationships. Only Jiang Wei, a surrendered general without any power base, was the easiest to manipulate. Previously, the Prime Minister had favored him and promoted him, but now that the Prime Minister was gone, Yang Yi was the Prime Minister's Chief Secretary. If Jiang Wei didn't attach himself to him, what other way out would he have?

Yang Yi had already categorized everyone in the Prime Minister's residence... Fei Yi was considered a trusted confidant, Jiang Wei, Wang Ping, Ma Dai, and others could be his henchmen, and the rest were people who could be won over and obeyed authority. Whoever was their superior, they would follow.

When the event ended, no one spoke. They either walked out of the hall in silence or returned to their seats in silence to continue reading bamboo slips and revising official documents.

"Imperial Censor Chen, please." Fei Yi's expression was warm and sincere as he gestured for the way: "I will lead the way for Imperial Censor Chen, and this Prefect Liu will also accompany me."

"Master Fei, thank you for your trouble." Chen Zhi nodded, cupped his hands to bid farewell to Yang Yi, and then gestured for Liu Yin to follow.

When Chen Zhi arrived at the Prime Minister's residence, it was still daylight. Now the sun has set, and young officials in blue robes are lighting the oil lamps along the roadside.

The main courtyard and several side courtyards were all open. Chen Zhi saw many officials and clerks moving back and forth in the courtyards, some carrying wooden lacquered boxes containing military reports, some holding bamboo slips with ink still wet, and some pushing carts to deliver meals to the various duty rooms. They were all very busy and showed no sign of stopping even after dark.

This is the central hub of an army of 100,000. All information regarding the deployment, supplies, military resources, and intelligence of this army converges in the "brain" of the Mianyang Prime Minister's residence.

People come and go, walking hurriedly, several times busier than the Prime Minister's Residence and the Imperial Academy in Chengdu combined.

After exchanging pleasantries along the way, Fei Yi led Chen Zhi to a quiet courtyard in the northwest of the Prime Minister's residence and stopped at the gate.

"Imperial Censor Chen, this small courtyard is adjacent to the Prime Minister's residence and is the residence of the Commandant of the Changshui Battalion. It is fully furnished and is not usually inhabited. Please stay here for the time being, Imperial Censor Chen. I will send someone to bring you food and water later."

"Thank you, Commander Fei. I originally thought I would have to stay in the duty room, but I didn't expect to be able to stay in a private courtyard in the Prime Minister's residence." Chen Zhi bowed slightly, and then smiled and said, "After returning to Chengdu, I should thank Commander Zhuge in person."

This was the residence of Zhuge Jun, the younger brother of Zhuge Liang. Zhuge Jun devoted himself to scholarship and never concerned himself with politics. He held the position of Commandant of the Changshui School, one of the Five Commandants in the court. Zhuge Jun often traveled from Chengdu to Hanzhong as Liu Shan's envoy, hence this secluded courtyard next to the Prime Minister's private residence.

"Thank you, Commandant Zhuge, no need to thank me." Fei Yi laughed and waved his hand before pushing the door open and entering.

While showing Chen Zhi the room's furnishings, Fei Yi casually asked, "Just now, Lord Yang and Imperial Censor Chen told everyone about collecting military strategies from everyone tomorrow. But I wonder... do Chief Secretary Yang and Imperial Censor Chen have any other plans?"

Chen Zhi understood that Fei Yi's pleasantries and reminiscing along the way were all preparations for this crucial sentence.

On the surface, Fei Yi was asking if there were any arrangements.

In reality, Fei Yi was asking if Yang Yi had offered him any terms, and whether Fei Yi, as the emperor's envoy, supported Yang Yi's rise to power.

Through the conversation in the main hall of the Prime Minister's residence, Fei Yi was now certain that Chen Zhi was an envoy sent by Emperor Liu Shan himself.

The fact that the emperor could bestow a staff upon Chen Zhi, a young man of only twenty-four, proves that Chen Zhi could exert sufficient influence over Liu Shan himself, which made Fei Yi extremely cautious.

Chen Zhi smiled and replied calmly, "His Majesty ordered me to come to Hanzhong for these three matters, and assigned me no other tasks. What I discussed with Lord Yang was mostly about military matters. The withdrawal of troops is the most important matter for His Majesty and the court at present."

"What is your opinion, Commander Fei, on the matter of retreating the army?"

"Of course we must retreat!" Fei Yi stroked his beard and smiled, speaking calmly: "When the Prime Minister was at Wuzhang Plains, his army was sharp and his power was overwhelming in Guanzhong. Sima Yi's hundreds of thousands of troops could only cower and not fight. Cao Rui, the ruler of Wei, sent Xin Pi with imperial credentials to stop the war again. The Wei bandits fear our army as much as they fear a tiger! Although the Prime Minister is gone, the strength of the Han army has not been lost. Sima Yi dares not pursue us to Hanzhong, and the Wei army has not made logistical preparations for the 400-li Baoxie Road. The bandits will certainly not dare to come."

Chen Zhi said, "What Commander Fei said is very true. I think so too, and Chief Secretary Yang said the same thing when we talked. Since we all support withdrawing the troops and returning to the capital, we only need to discuss the details of the withdrawal."

"I am truly ashamed. After four days of travel, I am utterly exhausted." Chen Zhi looked apologetic and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to Fei Yi. "I would appreciate it if you could discuss the specifics with me tomorrow, Commander Fei. As for the cavalrymen who came with me to Hanzhong, I would appreciate it if you could send someone to look after them."

"Alright, I've got it." Fei Yi was taken aback at first, then nodded kindly in agreement: "Then I won't bother Imperial Censor Chen any longer. See you tomorrow, farewell."

"Thank you," Chen Zhi replied.

After watching Fei Yi walk away, Chen Zhi and Liu Yin went into the house in the courtyard together and lit the oil lamp inside.

After a short rest, an official brought the two men their luggage, weapons, and food. Each man had a large bowl of millet rice, a bowl of meat soup, a bowl of vegetables, and a dish of salted fish. Although this was somewhat simple compared to Chen Zhi's usual luxurious lifestyle, it was still a hundred times better than enduring the elements on the road.

"Sima Liu, what are you doing?" Chen Zhi asked, puzzled, as he looked at Liu Yin lifting the wooden table.

Liu Yin continued moving the table: "When the Imperial Censor and Chief Secretary Yang were discussing matters in the back hall, Liu Min, as a military advisor, had to flee in panic. Although I am just a military man, I can see the undercurrents in the Prime Minister's residence. His Majesty ordered me to protect the Imperial Censor, and I must ensure his safety."

Liu Yin gently placed the table down, clapped his hands, and said, "I'll use this table to block the door, then lay down a mat and a mattress, and I can sleep on it. With me blocking the door, the censor can sleep peacefully."

Chen Zhi shook his head: "How could it have come to this?"

"It's better to be cautious. The censor shouldn't refuse." Liu Yin moved a wooden cabinet to block the window, closed the door, moved a mattress, and lay down on the table without even taking off his leather armor.

Chen Zhi saw all of this but said nothing more. After blowing out the oil lamp and lying down, he quickly fell asleep.