Chapter 1 The Spacious Inn

The Yingdu post station was converted from the former Great Cheng Kingdom's Xiangguo Temple, occupying a vast area.

Inside the main house of the courtyard,

Zheng Boye leaned back in his chair, his eyes slightly lowered.

Below him sat two people.

On one side was the blind man;

On the other side, the Wild Man King.

Previously, there had been an instructor from Xue Hai Guan, but he had just finished answering questions and had now withdrawn.

Many dignitaries in Yingdu City knew that the Earl of Pingye had entered the city tonight and had gone to the post station to rest. They were waiting to submit their visiting cards and pay their respects the next day.

Those who knew they would be summoned were already preparing gifts;

Those who were unsure whether they would be summoned were filled with apprehension and anticipation for tomorrow.

Right now, anyone with eyes could see that this Earl's future was limitless.

Some were commoners who considered themselves to be undiscovered talents, hoping to catch the Earl of Pingye's eye and display their grand ambitions;

Some held official positions but were unwilling to continue living aimlessly in Yingdu, wanting to escape this cage and enter the rivers and lakes like fish.

In their view, Zheng Boye came from humble beginnings, and his rapid rise inevitably meant a lack of foundation and insufficient relatives to fill his ranks, which naturally gave them opportunities.

Of course,

If they could see the scene before them,

Perhaps they wouldn't think that way.

Perhaps few outsiders knew about the blind man, the "North Gentleman" who had always been hidden behind Zheng Fan, except for the people of Xue Hai Guan, but the fact that the Wild Man King was also sitting below as a staff member was truly terrifying.

Zheng Boye played with two walnuts in his hand,

And said:

"Speak."

The blind man opened his mouth and said, "My lord, it seems that this matter should be true. Not only the scholars from Xue Hai Guan who came to participate in the local examinations, but also the scholars from other places outside Yingdu who came to participate, none of them were able to obtain the qualifications to enter the examination institute.

"This local examination, those who pass can become officials, and even those who fail are likely to become clerks. It's almost as if as long as one foot can enter the examination institute, then a secure job is basically guaranteed upon exit.

"Wealth moves people's hearts, but this secure job is no less than wealth;

"A bucket of water and a spring that can continuously produce water, even if that spring is very small, the value of the latter is still greater than the former. Most people can still understand this principle."

The governance of local areas and the development of administrative systems require the filling of officials and clerks. In the past, in Great Yan, the aristocratic families and the emperor jointly ruled the world. Most of the officials and clerks in the world came from aristocratic families, and many of the remaining ones still had close ties with them.

Therefore, it was not that the Yan Emperor naturally liked to gamble by having two marquises lead strong troops into the capital and directly using iron cavalry to trample the aristocratic families, but because the odds of winning were actually the greatest by doing so. If he wanted to carry out reforms from top to bottom in a gentle way to centralize power, did he really think that those aristocratic families that had existed for hundreds of years were all fools?

However, after the aristocratic families were trampled, a problem also arose in Great Yan, such as Zuo Jiqian, a garrison general in Xue Hai Guan. He, as a member of an aristocratic family, was directly stripped of his position and became a prisoner. There were many similar cases like this. Many members of aristocratic families were directly thrown into penal battalions in the past few years of war, sent to the front lines to serve as auxiliary soldiers or to be消耗(xiāo hào, consumed).

Moreover, even if they could later rise again through their own struggles, this family background and political taboo would easily lead to suppression from above.

Therefore, Great Yan once experienced a shortage of officials. Although the Yan Emperor had made some reserves in his earlier years, it was still not enough. After the aristocratic families were trampled, he even used "clerks" to be converted into "officials" to fill the vacancies. After the aristocratic families were cleared, he then used the imperial examination system to fill the court with talents from humble backgrounds.

The situation in Jin was similar.

Originally, the Helian family, the Wenren family, and the Situ family divided Jin among themselves, and each had a set of bureaucratic systems that were different in style but had been operating for several generations. However, after the outbreak of war, the Helian family and the Wenren family were directly exterminated, and the number of those affected was even more countless.

When Situ Lei of the Situ family was in power, he originally planned to become a vassal state of Great Yan, so that the entire Jin East should be preserved. But who knew that the two brothers Situ Yi and Situ Jiong would establish their own court, and the Wild Men would enter the pass, and the two sides fought fiercely. Then, the Yan Kingdom launched two eastern expeditions, and Cheng was also beaten to a pulp.

At the same time, if it was originally a vassal state, then it would have to be given enough face, allowing it to retain its own troops and its own bureaucratic system. But now that the Yan army had driven out the Wild Men and occupied Cheng, it would be foolish for the Yan people to preserve its system, and it would be digging a hole for themselves.

Therefore, both Great Yan and Jin are now experiencing a shortage of "officials." The rapid deployment of the imperial examination system is to quickly fill this gap.

And because the demand is large, the admission rate is high. At the same time, jobs are basically guaranteed to be assigned.

It is no wonder that the instructors in Xue Hai Guan are moved by this.

According to the blind man's meaning, it probably refers to these quotas. Because the temptation is too great, people have manipulated them and "blacked" them. The quotas originally issued by the imperial court should be based on the regional planning formulated by the imperial court, aiming for "equal distribution of rain and dew." As a result, there are too many people who want to enter officialdom. Even becoming a "clerk" can make people break their heads to squeeze in.

This time, there is a lot of porridge, but there are still more monks, so it is still not enough to distribute. The people in Yingdu are fine, they have wide connections. Some people outside Yingdu, whose quotas originally belonged to them, have been replaced.

Zheng Boye continued to play with the walnuts, and at the same time said:

"Is it targeted at us?"

This was Zheng Boye's first reaction.

Was he just caught in the crossfire, or was he being given special attention?

The blind man opened his mouth and said, "My lord, your subordinate thinks that the probability of this being specifically targeted at us is not high.

"There are three reasons:

"First, the matter of selecting officials through the imperial examination has always been the responsibility of the Crown Prince in the imperial court. Yes, now the Sixth Prince is in the ascendant, suppressing the Crown Prince and making it difficult for him to breathe.

"And the relationship between you, my lord, and the Sixth Prince is also known to everyone.

"But if the Crown Prince wants to strike at you, my lord, in order to strike at the Sixth Prince, this level of effort is simply scratching an itch from behind several layers of boots.

"The Crown Prince would not be so unwise.

"Second, because of the war, many of the original nobles and gentry of Cheng have actually gathered in and around Yingdu long ago. Although the imperial court has regional divisions such as counties, townships, and cities, many places actually have very few people. Many quotas are actually difficult not to be replaced.

"Perhaps, in the eyes of outsiders, Xue Hai Guan is really just a border pass adjacent to the snowy plains. They are all a bunch of soldiers. Besides military personnel, where are there any scholars?

"Third,

"The real dignitaries of Yingdu, or the prominent families and clans who originally had faces in Jin, actually find it very easy to arrange for their own clan members to enter officialdom, or to arrange for a relative or friend's child, or a scholar they favor. It's just a matter of submitting a note.

"In Jin, in addition to the imperial examination, the imperial court also has the option of recommending people to enter officialdom. This is to win over those large clans in Jin so that they can sit on the Yan side and share the spoils together.

"And the people or families who need to manipulate the examination institute and the quotas of the imperial examination to meet their needs are, at best, just 'small families' with a little power. They are most likely local officials in Yingdu or some small families near Yingdu.

"They don't have the qualifications to 'submit notes', so they can only make a living through the imperial examination.

"If those large families or influential forces in Jin have their own needs and act as pawns for others to disgust our Xue Hai Guan, it is still barely understandable.

"But these local snakes, small officials and small families, suddenly turned their spearhead against us?

"Are they crazy?

"Therefore, because of these three points, your subordinate thinks that the fact that the scholars from our Xue Hai Guan were unable to enter the examination institute this time and had their quotas replaced should be because we were affected, and not deliberately targeted."

Zheng Fan nodded slightly after listening to the blind man's words.

Then,

He slowly turned his gaze to Gou Moli, who was sitting there extremely obediently,

And said:

"You speak."

Gou Moli first bowed and then sat up straight, saying:

"Lord Earl, this Gouzi (dog) thinks that there is no need to analyze whether this matter is targeted at us at all."

Compared to the blind man's lengthy analysis, the Wild Man King's words are obviously more focused on being direct and "shocking."

Zheng Fan continued to rotate the walnuts,

Looking at the gaze that Gou Moli cast towards him,

And said:

"Oh?"

Gou Moli seemed to have received great encouragement,

And said:

"It depends on whether the Earl wants them to be targeting us or doesn't want them to be targeting us.

"If the Earl needs them to target us, then they will definitely target us!"

Zheng Fan sat up slightly straighter, but still kept his back against the chair, his gaze sweeping downwards, and said:

"Then tell me, do I need it, or do I not need it?"

Gou Moli immediately said:

"The Earl needs it!"

A smile appeared on the corner of the blind man's mouth,

Zheng Fan then nodded,

And said:

"Explain in detail."

Gou Moli picked up the tea in front of him, took a sip, and smacked his lips,

And said:

"Lord Earl, if we were to say five years ago, what was the real hidden danger of Great Yan?"

Without needing Zheng Fan to answer, Gou Moli was completely asking and answering himself.

His way of speaking has always carried a strong sense of煽动性(shān dòng xìng, incitement),

"It was the Zhenbei Marquisate."

Gou Moli raised his hand,

And began to continue recounting:

"The Zhenbei Marquisate has suppressed the desert for a hundred years. If it was the mainstay at the beginning because the barbarians still posed a great threat to Great Yan, then in the last two generations, with the decline of the barbarian royal court, the threat of the barbarians is no longer great.

"When the knife that originally needed to face beasts suddenly has no opponent, this knife can easily hurt itself.

"What's more, the previous Zhenbei Marquis also participated in the prince's struggle for the throne!"

When the late emperor was still a prince, he lost his position in the struggle and led the prince's mansion to the Beifeng County Zhenbei Marquisate. He was also assassinated by assassins on the way. Thanks to the desperate protection of the eunuch in the palace, he was able to escape. That eunuch was also seriously injured in that battle, and his manhood was crippled, becoming a eunuch.

"From that time on, the Zhenbei Marquisate had actually become too powerful to control. That 300,000 Zhenbei Army iron cavalry not only made the desert barbarians extremely miserable, but also, for the Great Yan royal family, for the Ji family, it was like a fish bone stuck in their throats.

"You helped me seize the throne in the beginning, and I am very grateful;

"But when I sit on the dragon throne and recall the past, I will feel very uncomfortable in my heart, that you actually have the strength to help a prince seize the throne!

"Therefore, five years ago, the entire Great Yan court actually felt that one day the Zhenbei Marquisate would divide the entire western part of Great Yan, becoming almost autonomous, and even the 300,000 iron cavalry would advance eastward, overthrowing the Ji family and replacing it.

"And the current Great Yan Emperor, in Gouzi's view, used the brotherly friendship he had grown up with, coupled with the great righteousness of expanding the country externally, to resolve this opposition.

"The world has always thought that Gouzi is good at using his glib tongue and means to integrate a large number of Wild Man tribes in just ten years and finally enter the pass southwards, but Gouzi himself knows that Gouzi is far inferior to His Majesty the Yan Emperor.

"The Zhenbei Marquis stood by the Yan Emperor's side, and for the sake of his family and country, he took the initiative to give up the dragon throne that he might have been able to compete for.

"After that,

"Accompanied by the relocation of the Zhenbei Army, half of the Zhenbei Army left Beifeng County, and Beifeng County was filled with many of the original Imperial Guards.

"In addition, the princess entered the capital to await marriage, which is equivalent to the Zhenbei Marquis having already taken the initiative to dismantle his family and the knife in his hand.

"Even the arrogant and brave generals under the Zhenbei Army are clear in their own hearts that their Marquis has no intention of looking at that dragon throne again.

"That was five years ago,

"So, since three years ago,

"Who has replaced it and become the hidden danger of Great Yan?

"It is the Jingnan Marquis!

"Originally, the Jingnan Army only had 50,000 regular troops and 50,000 reserve troops.

"After a battle to open up Jin by borrowing the way through the Qian Kingdom, under the leadership of the Jingnan Marquis, the Wenren and Helian families were wiped out in succession. From this, the Jingnan Army began to replace the Zhenbei Army and become the new military giant of Great Yan.

"Why was the First Prince Ji Wujiang allowed to sit in that commander's position during the first Eastern Expedition of Great Yan?

"Wasn't it just to suppress the development of the Jingnan Army, suppress the Jingnan Marquis, and want to support a Ji family prince to come out and hold the line?

"It's just a pity,

"The First Prince has the talent of a general, and he also has the talent of a commander, but he met Gouzi and… Qu Tiannan."

Qu Tiannan, as the Pillar of the Great Chu, was not a false reputation.

In fact, Qu Tiannan's final failure was really not a sin of war. If the Great Chu had not been in internal turmoil at that time, if he could have been supported by tens of thousands more troops, if his expedition had not been a deep invasion alone but had advanced with a supply line…

It can only be said that Qu Tiannan's ending was a kind of sorrow of the national conditions of Chu at that time.

As for the Wild Man King, his level need not be said more.

The First Prince lost to the two of them, which was not unjust. Moreover, from the beginning of leading troops into Cheng, the First Prince had been advancing step by step, steadily and steadily. Strategically, he had not made any mistakes.

"The First Prince was defeated, and then the imperial court had no choice but to invite the Jingnan Marquis out of the mountains again. The Jingnan Marquis is indeed skilled in using troops, and our Earl has also beaten Gouzi to be convinced.

"But because of this, the growth of the Jingnan Army has completely become unstoppable.

"In addition, the Chu Kingdom's eyeing of Zhennan Pass has made it possible for the Jingnan Marquis to legitimately integrate the entire Jin region's troops.

"And this is what the imperial court does not want to see.

"Then, the imperial court is now beginning to take over local administrative power, which is to take over the power in the army. An army, as long as its supply is cut off, it will be paralyzed by half. Qu Tiannan is a lesson from the past.

"What the imperial court is doing now is a replica of what it did to the Zhenbei Marquisate in the past.

"At the same time, the Jingnan Marquis will indeed not rebel against Yan. He has defaulted to this process of the imperial court.

"But, we, cannot.

"Everything that the Earl has done in Xue Hai Guan must not be handed over.

"The Earl's posture during the previous military parade was actually using the mouths of the two imperial envoys to express the Earl's will to the imperial court."

Zheng Fan crushed a walnut, reached out to take the walnut meat and put it in his mouth to chew slowly,

And said:

"The Jingnan Marquis has already defaulted, what can this Earl do?"

"The Jingnan Marquis will not rebel against Yan, because the Jingnan Marquis has dedicated his entire clan for the sake of Great Yan.

"But the Earl should be clear that no one is willing to spit out what they have eaten.

"The various military leaders in Jin, not only the Jingnan Army itself, but also other troops, they originally occupied large cities or small towns, and military power and local administrative power were in the hands of the various military leaders. They must have lived a prosperous life. Now, how can they be willing to spit it out?

"It's just that they have the Jingnan Marquis pressing down on them, so no one in the army dares to be presumptuous and can only default to the actions of the imperial court.

"However,

"In the entire Jingnan Army, no, in the entire Jin military gate,

"Only the Earl,

"Will not be suppressed by the Jingnan Marquis!"

Zheng Fan crushed the second walnut, but did not speak.

"Therefore, at this time, the Earl, you actually represent the attitude of the various military gates in Jin, and at the same time, you also represent the attitude of the Jingnan Marquis.

"If the Earl and those military gates are the same, obediently following the imperial court, then the Jingnan Marquis will not say anything, nor will he do anything, and will default to this division of military power and locality;

"But if the Earl shows a rebellious posture, one can protect Xue Hai Guan from being touched by the imperial court; two can become half the leader of the various military gates and military leaders in Jin, gaining their support and response;

"Three,

"Gouzi boldly speculates on the bottom line of the Jingnan Marquis, the Marquis's bottom line is that he will not rebel against Yan, but he will protect the Earl!

"Like the North Gentleman,

"Gouzi's three points are also these.

"In order for you to protect Xue Hai Guan, this 'land of rising dragon',

"In order for you to continue to expand your wings with Xue Hai Guan as the cornerstone,

"In order for you to occupy the Northeast and watch the four directions like a tiger,

"Gouzi begs the Earl,

"Taking advantage of this opportunity,

"In Yingdu,

"Unleash a great slaughter!"

Many times, things are not complicated.

Zheng Boye had not planned to use those instructors in Xue Hai Guan in his original plan.

He and the blind man had discussed this point. Xiao Liuzi's forces were in the officialdom, and there was no need for him to start another stove. It would be difficult to see results in a short period of time, after all, it would be difficult for him, as a military meritorious nobleman, to form enough attraction and centripetal force for the civil officials;

Second, if he did so, it would easily stimulate Xiao Liuzi.

But "discussing matters on their own merits" is only in the case of wishful thinking.

Especially when it comes to the imperial court,

An ordinary thing can be played out in countless ways.

He cannot rebel,

But he must express his attitude,

Use his own posture to kidnap the Jingnan Marquis's posture, and then combine it with the posture of the various military gates in Jin to put pressure on the imperial court, so that the imperial court will be afraid of losing something;

In short, as long as the imperial court continues to default to his Xue Hai Guan's independence and autonomy, even if the local governance rights of other military gates are taken away, Zheng Boye will be earning.

Most importantly,

In this matter,

Regardless of whether you are intentional or unintentional,

I,

Was originally at a disadvantage,

I,

Was originally bullied!

"Pass on my order."

"Your subordinate is here!"

After eating two walnuts,

Zheng Boye clapped his hands,

And then blew a few breaths on his palms,

Slightly raised his head,

Looked at the blind man,

And said:

"Sharpen the knife."

……

The next morning,

Outside the post station, many carriages were parked.

At the very front,

Was the carriage of Prince Cheng Situ Yu, behind him were the carriages of various famous families and major forces in Yingdu;

Behind them, there was a mixed bag, after all, there were too many people who wanted to recommend themselves and seek an opportunity from Zheng Boye.

At this time, the gate of the post station was slowly opened.

What came out of it was not the post station's post official and his subordinates, but a group of armored soldiers.

The so-called "sharpening the knife" does not refer to finding a whetstone to sharpen the knife before the battle. For the old soldiers, the maintenance of weapons and arrows cannot be slackened at all on weekdays.

Passing this order actually meant to rest well tonight, get enough energy, adjust the state, and see blood tomorrow.

Therefore,

When this personal guard team came out with knives, a chilling aura immediately permeated out.

The town led by Gao Yi has the fewest people, only one battalion, but as the personal guard team to protect Zheng Boye's safety, they are selected from the best elites in the entire army.

Three hundred warriors immediately silenced the entire street outside the post station.

Then,

Zheng Boye, wearing golden armor and riding a Pixiu, slowly came out of the gate.

Si Niang had reminded Zheng Boye not to wear this set of golden armor when he actually went to the battlefield. Zheng Boye naturally remembered, but this kind of imperial item is most suitable for the current situation.

At this time,

The curtain of the carriage at the very front was lifted from the inside, revealing the figure of Prince Cheng Situ Yu. When his father died in battle and was buried, he was just a child. Now, he is already a young man.

However, his face did not inherit the angularity of his father's face, but revealed a scholarly and weak aura.

This should be related to the environment he is in. After all, although the Cheng Prince's Mansion was able to continue to be retained in Yingdu and was not moved to Yanjing like the Jin Emperor's line, Situ Yu is now living like a clay statue.

"Little Wang, greets Earl Pingye."

Situ Yu greeted Zheng Fan.

One is a prince, and the other is an earl. The gap is very large, but the former lowered his posture to the latter, and it was not just a little bit.

This is the lack of confidence of the people of the fallen country. Perhaps, in front of the people of Jin inside and outside Yingdu, he can still maintain some of his own dignity, but in front of the real nobles of the Yan Kingdom, he dare not hold back at all.

Zheng Boye, sitting on the Pixiu, cupped his fists and clasped his hands towards Situ Yu,

And said:

"I have seen Prince Cheng, Prince Cheng is blessed and healthy."

What he said was a greeting, but in terms of attitude, there was no sincerity in the greeting at all.

In fact, under normal circumstances, Zheng Boye would not care about this kind of formalities. If it were normal times, he would have given the little Prince Cheng a solid salute with a proper attitude. There was no need to find fault with people in such small matters.

But today, he cannot lower his posture at all.

"Earl Pingye has come to Yingdu, and Little Wang has ordered people to prepare wine and delicacies in the mansion to welcome Earl Pingye and wash away the dust, so that Little Wang can also fulfill the friendship of the host."

Zheng Boye smiled,

In his impression,

It seemed that what this little Prince Cheng had been doing was constantly inviting people to eat.

At the beginning,

When the First Prince led the Eastern Expeditionary Army over, he held a banquet to invite the First Prince;

When the Jingnan Marquis came, he held a banquet to invite the Jingnan Marquis;

When the former Minister of the Ministry of War, now the Governor of Yingdu, Mao Mingcai, came, he held a banquet to invite Mao Mingcai.

Every noble person who came from the Yan land to Yingdu, he would come forward to invite them to the mansion to treat them.

But,

Everyone refused.

Zheng Boye even felt that this Prince Cheng might not have prepared any dishes at home at all, but felt that he should also refuse.

Holding a banquet to welcome and wash away the dust has almost become a formality that he, the prince, must go through.

"Prince Cheng is attentive, but Zheng is currently busy with something and is really not convenient."

"This……… I wonder what Earl Pingye is busy with. If Little Wang is needed, Little Wang will naturally………"

"Private matter."

Zheng Fan looked around,

And loudly said:

"This Earl, guards the border for the country, fighting with the Wild Men and bloodily battling with the Chu people. However, when this Earl leads the generals to fight for the country, someone dares to plot against this Earl behind his back.

"This Earl wants to ask,

"Is it true that the tens of thousands of generals in my Xue Hai Guan have no temper?

"Is it true that this Earl has no temper!"

No matter what, first raise his own style, and at the same time, put the hat on the heads of the people he will kill later.

A look of surprise appeared on Situ Yu's face, and he immediately asked, "May I ask Earl Pingye, who dares to do such a thing to harm the loyal? It is really outrageous and abandoned by the heavens and the earth, and deserves to die!"

Huh?

This time, Zheng Fan seriously looked at Situ Yu,

He had just made a start,

But this little Prince Cheng took the initiative to help him take it up.

This Situ Yu,

Is indeed Situ Lei's seed.

Inside the gate of the post station, the blind man and the Wild Man King stood side by side.

The blind man opened his mouth and said, "The tiger father has no dog son."

The Wild Man King snorted disdainfully,

And said:

"It's just using our Earl's knife to establish his own prestige."

……

"May I ask, Earl, who dares to be so bold?"

Situ Yu continued to ask.

Since someone is willing to help him set up the stage, Zheng Boye naturally has no reason not to cooperate, and said:

"My Xue Hai Guan's soldiers and civilians shed their heads and shed their blood to protect the territory of Great Yan from the invasion of the Wild Men and Chu slaves. Fortunately, they were blessed with the emperor's grace and were given quotas, so that scholars could participate in the local examination, in order to obtain an opportunity to display their ambitions.

"However, there are traitors who are doing evil, and they have actually replaced the quotas of my Xue Hai Guan!

"Selecting scholars through the imperial examination is the national policy set by His Majesty the Great Yan Emperor in the first year of Yongping, hoping to break the shackles of family background and open up a new atmosphere for the children of poor families.

"Someone actually dares to play with this sacred policy,

"It's okay if they don't have my Xue Hai Guan in their eyes,

"It's okay if they don't have this Earl in their eyes,

"But this is actually the real thing,

"Is not having the monarch in their eyes!"

Imperial examination? Quota?

Prince Cheng immediately thought of something, and immediately said:

"Little Wang will send someone to call the Chief Secretary of the Education Department over, and there must be an answer to Earl Pingye as to the reason."

Zheng Fan raised his hand,

And said:

"No need to trouble the Prince, since the matter has fallen on this Earl's head, according to this Earl's temper, he has to deal with it himself, let them use their necks to try, whether this Earl's blade is still sharp or not!"

Gao Yi raised his knife,

And shouted:

"Open the way!"

The guards began to open the way. All the carriages on the street and the crowd behind were blocked. In fact, there was no need to open the way at all. In front of this group of fierce warriors, no one dared to stop in front.

Seeing this, Situ Yu was about to signal his team to follow, but he was stopped by the old eunuch who had served Situ Lei,

"Master, this is the Yan people's own business, we can't interfere."

"I… I…" Situ Yu panicked a little.

"Master, you have already done very well just now. If other families have offended this popular Earl Pingye, we can do a favor and let this Earl Pingye help our Prince's Mansion establish its prestige, but the matter involves the imperial examination, which involves major relationships. This is no longer something we can manage on our own.

"And look at this Earl's current momentum, it is obvious… it is obvious that he wants to see blood."

Situ Yu looked at the old eunuch and said, "But we can't let it go, if Yingdu is in chaos, our Prince's Mansion……"

The matter of the examination institute is actually not a secret.

Since the local examination, there have been several waves of scholars from outside Yingdu who have come to the city's various government offices to beat drums and file grievances. Even the Cheng Prince's Mansion has been kneeled by scholars, begging the Cheng Prince to come forward and preside over justice.

But this matter involves too much. Although they are all tricks done by middle-level families and officials, they have already woven themselves into a net, and even the Cheng Prince's Mansion is unwilling to wade into this muddy water.

Moreover, looking at the posture of this Earl Pingye now, he intends to make this matter completely bigger. Situ Yu instinctively began to panic.

Because the remaining dignity of the Cheng Prince's Mansion is supported by these middle-level families and officials.

The big families in Jin can completely bypass the Cheng Prince's Mansion to hug the thighs of the Yan Kingdom's court, but the middle and lower levels can only rely on the Cheng Prince's Mansion to come forward. This is also the greatest value of the Cheng Prince's Mansion now.

If this matter becomes big and attracts the attention of the imperial court, thoroughly investigating the imperial examination case, then the imperial court will have a legitimate excuse to clear the remaining family forces in Yingdu that still have the old mark of the Situ family.

Of course, this is what Situ Yu thought from his position.

The old eunuch said:

"Master, don't worry, the Yan people are actually more afraid of chaos in Yingdu than we are."

The Yan people need stability.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes." Situ Yu calmed down and immediately said, "Quickly send someone to inform Prefect Mao."

Originally, Situ Yu just thought that Zheng Boye wanted to find someone who had offended him to vent his anger, so he was happy to help with this.

But after seeing that Zheng Boye was planning to use his knife, his attitude immediately changed.

……

When Zheng Boye's team arrived at Shui Street Lane, a group of soldiers appeared in front and blocked the way.

Behind Shui Street Lane is the Yamen of the Education Department.

Gao Yi raised his hand,

And the surrounding guards stopped.

Zheng Boye, sitting on the Pixiu, slightly turned his face and looked forward.

A man came out from the opposing soldiers,

Knelt down to Zheng Fan and saluted:

"This general, Ran Min, greets Earl Pingye!"

Zheng Fan narrowed his eyes,

And said:

"This Earl remembers you."

"It is this general's honor to be remembered by the Earl!"

Zheng Fan pointed to the group of soldiers in front of him, and said, "You want to block this Earl's way?"

"Earl, this general is presumptuous. You led your guards into the city, which has already broken the rules. According to the law of Great Yan, if foreign troops enter the city, the troops must not exceed fifty, and the rest must stay in the military camp outside the city."

"Oh, you are here to teach this Earl the rules?"

"This general dares not."

"Open the way for this Earl!"

"Earl, the Prefect is on his way here. This general has also heard about why the Earl is angry, but please calm your anger. When the Prefect comes, he will definitely give the Earl a satisfactory answer."

"Using Mao Mingcai to suppress me?"

"This general dares not!"

"One 'dares not' and the other 'dares not', but in reality you have done everything."

"Earl, everything has the laws of the court, and justice will definitely be had. Please do not act in anger, Earl."

Zheng Fan "hehe" smiled,

And said:

"Okay, then this Earl will see today whether you can stop this Earl."

"This general's duty lies here, please forgive me, Earl Pingye!"

Saying that,

Ran Min stood up and straightened his body.

At the same time, with a wave of his hand, another group of soldiers appeared on both sides of the road, completely blocking the path of Zheng Fan's men and horses.

Zheng Fan's gaze swept over these soldiers of the Yingdu garrison. These soldiers naturally knew who the person sitting on the Pixiu in front of them was. When Zheng Fan's gaze swept over, the soldiers all lowered their heads and closed their eyes.

A person's name, a tree's shadow.

Although Zheng Boye's direct line is in Xue Hai Guan, his prestige is actually very high among the entire Great Yan military.

It can be said that every soldier with a dream often dreams of becoming the second Earl Pingye.

Zheng Fan reached out and stroked the mane of the Pixiu under his crotch,

And said:

"Advance."

Gao Yi drew his sword forward,

And shouted:

"The Earl has ordered, advance, kill anyone who dares to stop us!"

"Roar!"

All the guards, drawing their knives and loading their crossbows, were completely in a battle formation for dismounted infantry warfare, and began to advance forward in an orderly pace.

Ran Min stood there, and he did not retreat.

But his not retreating was useless,

Because the soldiers he brought, who were obviously more numerous, began to retreat.

Even if Ran Min did not give the order, these soldiers were intimidated by the terrifying murderous intent of Zheng Boye's guards, and they simply did not have the courage or willingness to swing their knives at Earl Pingye.

Retreat, retreat, the garrison soldiers began to unconsciously make way.

Ran Min was still standing there,

His gaze,

Staring at Earl Pingye.

Zheng Fan was also looking at him, with a kind of eerie calmness in his eyes that made Ran Min feel.

He was struggling,

But when the guards at the very front were only two zhang away from him, Ran Min leaned his body to the left and retreated several steps, making way.

This man who had run through the martial world, had drunk wine with the Sixth Prince in front of the Yamen hall, and had participated in the Wangjiang Battle of the expeditionary army, after his subordinates retreated, he alone really could not bear the pressure from Earl Pingye.

Zheng Fan rode the Pixiu and slowly passed in front of Ran Min.

Ran Min