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墨書 Inktalez
I felt a surge of excitement within me. I had already met Fang Xuanling; could I really be fortunate enough to meet Du Ruhui as well?
The three most famous chancellors of this era—Wei Zheng, Fang Xuanling, and Du Ruhui—were renowned in equal measure. Wei Zheng was a lifelong advisor, a man who fearlessly spoke his mind and offered counsel without concern for his own safety. I admired him greatly, but he did not pique my interest as much as the other two. Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui were different; one had a mind that soared with creativity, constantly generating new ideas, while the other possessed the keen eyes of an eagle, the ears of a wolf, the speed of a leopard, and the strength of a bear. In short, he was exceptionally responsible and made decisions with remarkable precision.
Together, these two were a perfect match. Fang Xuanling would present various ideas, while Du Ruhui would decisively discard the nonsensical parts, leaving only the essence worthy of legacy. This was what history referred to as "Fang's schemes and Du's decisive actions."
"The name Duke Cai is indeed thunderous!" I replied with admiration.
Bai Qianfan gazed at me in silence, his eyes questioning.
I realized I had misspoken again.
"After the New Year, with the change of the era name, His Majesty intends to confer Lord Du with the title Duke Cai. The edict has not yet been issued, and those who know are few and far between. It seems you have... foreseen this?"
"I... I think I may have heard it from someone."
Bai Qianfan chuckled lightly but did not delve deeper. He continued, "What Lord Du is currently dedicating himself to is precisely the rectification of the national economy—promoting agriculture and commerce while pacifying the common people to restore the vitality of the state. The first step is to eliminate all underworld gangs obstructing the official roads to solidify a stable order."
I had studied the history of early Tang and knew what reforms they were about to undertake. Unbeknownst to me, I had already touched upon the surging tide ahead. If history unfolded as I had learned, then Li Shimin would usher in a glorious era—a flourishing time during which many events would prove that among the 85 emperors throughout five thousand years of Chinese history, he alone could achieve such greatness.
For instance, the Zhenguan Dynasty was historically unique in that it experienced almost no corruption, achieved not through harsh laws but through effective governance.
Moreover, Li Shimin would later issue an edict stating that even his own proclamations must be reviewed and endorsed by the Chancellery before taking effect. This was to prevent him from making rash decisions in moments of impulse or bad mood. After all, he was an emperor; how could his words not hold weight? Such actions bore a hint of modern democracy. Which ancient emperor possessed such magnanimity?
If we can eliminate this Gang of Thugs, many deep-seated sources of instability will be eradicated, and incidents like today will no longer occur. With such a foundation, promoting commerce will surely allow the nation to gradually regain its vitality and prosper.
I have come here and had the fortune of meeting and interacting with an emperor like Li Shimin. Somehow, at this moment, a surge of emotions is swelling in my heart. Everything has just begun; I seem to foresee that the land, once filled with sorrow, will slowly heal. The common people will emerge from their suffering and listen to the sounds of a bright and prosperous era. What lies ahead seems to be a future even more anticipated than what is already known.
Bai Qianfan seemed to see through the turmoil in my heart. He smiled slightly and continued, "The Sovereign has the universe in his heart, but now is a time of troubles, with many obstacles ahead making things quite difficult. You are well aware of the situation with Mirror Gate; if the Sovereign's plans are to be realized, Mirror Gate will be the greatest roadblock. Moreover, Lord Du's health has not been good; he has been increasingly frail over the past two years."
My heart sank. Yes, I had forgotten about this matter. Du Ruhui passed away in the fourth year of Zhenguan, which was a significant pain for Li Shimin throughout his life. This means he likely has less than four years left?
"Miss Ye," Bai Qianfan said earnestly, "Following the Sovereign's instructions, I will focus on Chang'an and gather talented individuals. In secret, I will establish a vast network composed of experts in Detective Work across the country to combat the crimes committed by the Mirror Gate traitors. You must know well what kind of people are involved with Mirror Gate and its origins; therefore, you understand why we need to select talents in Detective Work. So..."
He looked at me and asked, "Miss Ye, would you be willing to join?"
I was deep in thought about what he had said when his proposal startled me.
I believed his plan was indeed a good one, even quite necessary. The disciples of Mirror Gate are all trained by skilled detectives who excel in investigation; their counter-investigation abilities are formidable. If they wish to commit crimes, it would be more terrifying than anyone else could imagine. The only ones capable of opposing them would be investigation experts—essentially a direct confrontation to see who is stronger. Bai Qianfan's intention seems to be to eliminate crime by establishing an undercover detective team belonging to the White Path!
This was an invitation from the White Path detective team; this was truly the reason Bai Qianfan had called me out today.
Really now, couldn't we have discussed this at the residence?
However, upon reflection, if Bai Qianfan hadn't peeled back these layers of awareness like an onion today, my reaction upon receiving this invitation would likely have been sheer panic.
"Why ask me? Women belong to their own brothers; wouldn't it be better to consult them?"
Bai Qianfan smiled and said, "Lord Nie and Lord Luo are aware of this matter, and they are willing to join. But my lady, I would like to ask for your opinion first before approaching them, because I feel you should be independent, not subordinate to anyone."
I let out a long breath. I was truly grateful; if Bai Qianfan had recklessly approached Nie Qiuyuan, I would have been exposed. After playing this role for so long, all my efforts would have been in vain.
"Please allow me some time to consider this," I said after a moment of thought, and then I had no choice but to directly ask him, "However, I have a small request. There are reasons I cannot disclose; please do not inform my Two Brothers about today's events."
Bai Qianfan paused for a moment before suddenly revealing an understanding smile. "Of course, that can be arranged. But... do you think that the things I can see will escape the notice of your Two Brothers?"
His words struck me like a bolt of lightning. What does it mean to be "unable to see the true face of Mount Lu because one is in the midst of it"? What does it mean that "the person involved is confused while the observer sees clearly"? No matter how I thought about it, I had to admit that his words made perfect sense.
As a professional, even from a professional standpoint, I felt that Nie Qiuyuan's expertise was unfathomable. So what details could possibly escape his keen eyes?
In truth, I had always been afraid of this. Yet he had never shown any signs of knowing anything, so I deceived myself and continued with my act. Did he know everything? Was he merely playing along with me? Did that make me a fool?
Lord Bai, please don’t be so blunt!
We discussed many topics today, each stirring my emotions deeply, but only this one statement led directly to my insomnia.
Originally, Jin Wuchenzi's incense made me feel comfortable enough to sleep well, but even after the third watch struck, I still couldn't fall asleep; the lamp remained lit. So this time, Night Phantom boldly pushed open the front door and swaggered in.
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