Chapter 1 No Change

Ye Tao's every move was no different from usual, as if he had not caused any changes, as if he was just an ordinary head of the delegation. In fact, Ye Tao didn't feel anything. Although he wanted to know when Feng Jiang began to obey a certain faction in Chunnan, who was behind the assassination that caused Tan Weixin's body to change from delicate to chronically ill, and even led to him not being able to enjoy married life with Tan Weixin, a contemporary of the future, he didn't care about Feng Jiang's other affairs at all.

The Seven Seas Trading Company also had torture experts from the martial world, and there were even experts from the intelligence agency on board. If nothing unexpected happened, when he returned to Danyang, he should receive relevant documents. He didn't need to know what the torture was like. And Feng Jiang was different from Chen Kai. Chen Kai was a talent who could be used well. Although Ye Tao didn't take Chen Kai's loyalty to him seriously, he also felt Chen Kai's sincerity to some extent. It was no exaggeration to regard Chen Kai as one of his greatest gains in coming to Chunnan this time.

As for Feng Jiang? Ye Tao didn't need such assassin-type talents… Even if he needed them, he wouldn't lack them.

The special operations battalion's outstanding organizational and execution abilities this time amazed everyone, including Ye Tao. This was no longer purely a collection of elite soldiers, nor was it the special forces in Ye Tao's impression. Because in this space-time, the physique of those who practiced martial arts and joined the army, tempered in bloody battles, and the combat power enhanced by the inner and outer gong (internal and external martial arts), which they didn't know how to work, and the very diverse source of soldiers, culture, and social class of the special operations battalion, after solving a series of problems, the special operations battalion was not only powerful and agile, but also showed meticulous thinking and creative characteristics… This was much stronger than the special operations battalion that Ye Tao had originally envisioned only for reconnaissance and raiding missions, which made him have the idea of using this unit for other purposes and establishing another raiding unit that he had originally envisioned.

In the process of setting up camp in the north of the city and accommodating the delegation members and young students who had packed their luggage and entered the camp one after another to prepare for departure, the difference between having Ye Tao and not having Ye Tao was immediately apparent. When the entire delegation traveled from Dongping to Chunnan, the entire delegation's actions either depended on Consort Lian Chang Ling's mood or Tan Weishi's preferences. There were even several times when they stayed in the city and were in a mess the next morning and couldn't set off, so they had to postpone it for a day. But once they entered Ye Tao's camp, they could immediately feel the discipline that was not coercive, but solid. Officials and students were organized into groups, and each group had someone responsible for urging everyone to prepare all their luggage, supervising the carriages and horses, and coordinating all kinds of matters such as food, clothing, housing, and transportation. Even if there was a banquet, someone would be arranged the next day to "deal with" those who were hungover. As for whether any officials or aristocratic children themselves or their entourage were dissatisfied… then they would have to be sorry. Although Ye Tao didn't plan to govern the delegation on the way back to the country with military law, it was not a problem to temporarily announce punishments and threaten to write to the Dongping Emperor to reprimand them. In fact, because Ye Tao was there, the probability of such people appearing was very low.

Under the coordination and organization of Ye Tao's subordinates, the entire delegation was ready in just two days, waiting only to join Consort Lian Chang Ling's carriage on the third day and hold a farewell ceremony outside the city before setting off. Originally, Chang Ling felt that the time was a bit tight and sent someone to ask Ye Tao if he could postpone it for another day or two, but Ye Tao's statement was firm and simple: "I didn't just inform you two or three days ago. If you want to delay, it's up to you. I have a lot of things to do in Yunzhou, and I won't wait."

Chang Ling was furious, but she had no way to deal with Ye Tao at all. The position of Yunzhou Pacification Commissioner had more leverage than a concubine like her, no matter what.

When the boring farewell activity ended, Ye Tao, Tan Weishi, Feng Zi, and Liu Yong were chatting in the same carriage, Ye Tao suddenly asked, "What kind of person is Chang Su?"

Feng Zi raised his eyebrows: "Why is Your Excellency asking this?"

"This Crown Prince of Chunnan has a strange attitude. Feng Jiang should be obeying him now, we all know this. But we caught Feng Jiang, and he knows we did it, so why does it seem like he's a little guilty? It's fine if he doesn't dare to ask me for him, but the gift he gave me this time is too heavy. Besides catching Feng Jiang, what other intersection do we have with this Crown Prince? It's obvious that he's trying to curry favor with me. But I can't figure out what use I am to him."

Tan Weishi asked, "He is the Crown Prince of Chunnan… Although I heard that their brothers are not very harmonious here in Chunnan, isn't it normal for a Crown Prince to raise a few experts?"

Liu Yong smiled and said kindly, "Your Highness, if he raised someone like me, that would be no problem. But raising an assassin-type figure like Feng Jiang is not quite right. I think, when those guys pry something out of Feng Jiang's mouth, this matter should be revealed."

Feng Zi was silent, thinking over and over again about many questions in his heart, organizing them again and again, wanting to organize a clear idea from them. Ye Tao patted Feng Zi's arm and asked, "Feng Zi, don't keep it in your heart, what's the problem? Let's discuss it together?"

Feng Zi frowned and said, "Why now? … I'm thinking, it seems that from the time Consort Lian returned to Yuhang this time, the whole thing in Yuhang and here in Chunnan has suddenly become active. From whatever aspect you look at it, although Chang Ling has a respected status, she is, after all, a concubine of Dongping. She shouldn't have much say, but what's the truth? At least in the matter of the Seven Seas Trading Company and Xu Hanchao of the Black Eagle Gang, although she was not wise, she could still speak up. This is strange enough. Why would the Xia family listen to her? Why would they let Xia Yu protect her? Now, the Xia family's activities are also very frequent, and so are Chang Su's activities. In fact, the relationship between the Xia family and Chang Su is ambiguous. The Xia family has never explicitly stated that they will definitely support Chang Su's ascension to the throne, but they are still willing to help in terms of financial and human resources. But now, the two sides have intersected in Hongyun Workshop, in this guy Feng Jiang. In contrast, the relationship between Consort Lian Chang Ling and Chang Su is very close. If it weren't for Chang Su's support back then, how could Princess Chang Ling have been so tyrannical in Yuhang? To the point where she couldn't get married later?"

Feng Zi's series of questions were indeed difficult to answer, but his meaning was relatively clear. He did not regard Chang Ling and the Xia family as one, but regarded Consort Lian Chang Ling as an independent party. Now, the Xia family, Chang Ling, and Chang Su obviously have intertwined interests, and what these interests are is a big problem. And if all this was really activated because of Consort Lian's return to Chunnan this time, then either something happened in these days, or Consort Lian had been enduring something since she married into Dongping, until now, she felt that she didn't need to continue to pretend… However, no matter how you guess the current situation, there is the same problem, that is, there is no direct evidence to prove anything.

"By the way, what about the Canglong Box?" Tan Weishi's jumping thinking temporarily brought everyone out of the chaotic thoughts.

Ye Tao smiled and said, "This is my problem. Chang Hongquan and I secretly discussed it, and as a result, he was equivalent to selling the possible profits of Chunnan to me. No matter what happens in Chunnan in the future, at least this Wise King will probably watch the show to the end and wait for a good price. The cost is not small. If Chang Hongquan really had a serious idea, it is very likely that in five or six years, the strongest army in Chunnan will be in his Jinzhou lair. And now, I can't help but care about what I can get by opening the Canglong Box. Don't lose money."

Ye Tao said it easily. He wasn't worried, as long as he wanted to open this thing, he could always do it. In this era without electrical components, this crystallization of the highest technology hundreds of years ago is at most a mechanical oddity. And in human history, it seems that there is no mechanical lock that cannot be cracked. After the Canglong Box was transported back to Danyang, many people, including Ye Laogeng, were already studying this thing. And the archives bureau and the specialized craftsmen who have been serving the Dongping royal family are also working hard to crack the Canglong Box. Various similar objects, the origin, development, and abandonment of this structure… The materials are so rich that they can almost be used to write a book about the Canglong Box. And Ye Tao's idea is really… to write one, definitely write one. Naturally, the most suitable writer is none other than Feng Zi.

But the first thing Feng Zi had to spend time writing was all the reports about what Ye Tao had experienced in Chunnan these days. Mainly about the reasons for what Ye Tao did, and also, a speculation about the situation in Chunnan and future changes based on the current understanding. Although this was a very complicated task, Feng Zi, who was already accustomed to the slightly complicated but very effective document standards of the Yunzhou Pacification Commissioner's Office, had no complaints at all. Although Feng Zi's position was not high, he was an out-and-out high-ranking official in the Yunzhou administrative system, and his analytical documents were to be submitted to Tan Xiaopei for review at the same time.