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On March 11th, the weather was warm and sunny as Chancellor Fang Xuanling personally ascended Cuihua Mountain.
Fang Xuanling had only been promoted to Chancellor last year, but he had served in the Qin Wangfu for ten years. The emperor knew him all too well, so after taking office, he entrusted all military and state affairs to him without much inquiry. Considering that he was approaching middle age, after nearly a year of hard work, this old body was beginning to feel the strain.
Zhongshu Province was a decision-making body with significant responsibilities. With the new emperor ascending the throne, he harbored lofty ideals of governing and stabilizing the nation. If this old man could serve as a sharp blade in the hands of that young ruler, even if it meant exhausting himself, it would be a worthy end.
The Tang Dynasty was a nation rebuilt from the ruins of chaos, so the first step was to maintain stability and develop the economy. To develop the economy, reforms were necessary; to reform, one must delve into the grassroots and understand the true state of the country.
Fang Xuanling had spent some time in Kaifeng disguised as a commoner, genuinely learning about the hardships faced by the people. He had just returned to Chang'an yesterday and was slightly feverish from overexertion. However, there was no respite for him; bad news kept pouring in, leaving him overwhelmed.
Early in the morning, he set out with several companions to climb Cuihua Mountain.
His mood was extremely heavy; even though the mountain air was fresh and spring scenery beautiful, it did nothing to lift his spirits. Accompanying Lord Fang on this hike were the Minister of Revenue and the Minister of Justice. Unseen by them was a team of guards hidden in the shadows—Li Shimin's secret army known as the Shadow of Strategy.
Cuihua Mountain lay forty miles south of Chang'an City, so several officials had set out early. Now, with the sun high in the sky, spring was vibrant in the mountains—lush grass and trees adorned with birdsong filled the air. Cuihua Mountain truly was a blessed land. Besides its rugged peaks, it boasted waterfalls and pools, even lakes. If one were free of worries, coming here for a spring outing would indeed be a delightful experience.
Fang Xuanling wiped away some sweat from his forehead and continued along the rugged mountain path, trying his best to move forward quickly.
Suddenly ahead appeared a vast grove of blooming apricot blossoms.
March was indeed a splendid time; the apricot flowers bloomed unabashedly in shades of pink and white, resembling clouds or rosy clouds themselves—exquisitely beautiful. The scenery was enchanting, which puzzled Fang Xuanling. He turned to the Minister of Revenue and asked, "When we came here last year, I don’t recall seeing such a grove of apricot blossoms."
"It does seem we never saw it," replied the Minister of Revenue after pondering for a moment. The Minister of Justice had not been there before and thus remained silent.
Looking up at the sun confirmed their direction was correct. The three men stepped into the Apricot Blossom Grove and continued deeper into the mountain.
Entering the Apricot Blossom Grove, the flowers bloomed so vibrantly that they seemed to block out the sunlight, and a light mist began to rise in the forest.
The scenery was beautiful. Lord Fang sighed softly. Since he had come out, worrying would do no good. It was better to take a moment to appreciate the lovely apricot blossoms and relax his mind.
"It truly looks like a painting!" Lord Fang exclaimed.
However, no one responded.
The two people behind him were both figures well-versed in the intricacies of court politics; how could they not chime in with a few words?
Fang Xuanling was startled and turned around, only to find the Apricot Blossom Grove enveloped in tranquility, petals falling like rain—where were the Minister of Revenue and the Minister of Justice?
"Is anyone there?" he called softly.
No one answered. Even the Shadow of Strategy, who should have been by his side, was nowhere to be seen.
Lord Fang's surprise was profound. Had he stumbled into some strange place? Yet, after years of experience, he quickly steadied his nerves despite feeling utterly powerless.
He looked up but could not discern the position of the sun. After a moment of thought, Fang Xuanling decided to rely on his instincts and set off in the direction he believed was correct.
Not long after, he caught sight of a solitary thatched cottage in the distance, standing alone amidst the Apricot Blossom Grove, which seemed rather peculiar.
As Fang Xuanling pondered this, he walked slowly toward it. Instead of approaching from the front entrance, he chose to approach from the side.
The courtyard was surrounded not by earthen walls, but by bamboo fences. Although vines climbed over the bamboo, the situation inside the courtyard was still clearly visible. As Fang Xuanling approached the bamboo fence, he heard a few people talking inside.
"Brother, this parting means we'll meet again in the next life. Is there anything left to take care of at home?"
"Don't worry about it. There's still nearly a month left; everything at home will be settled."
"Lord's plan is brilliant; no one would expect you to appear in that identity. Only in this way can you get close to him and ensure everything goes smoothly. However, while everything may be accomplished without anyone noticing, your life will ultimately be hard to protect!"
"Lord has shown great kindness to my family. I am more than willing to give my life for Lord."
Fang Xuanling leaned closer to the bamboo fence and peered through a gap. He saw three men conversing in the courtyard—two dressed in brown and one in blue. One of the brown-clad men patted the shoulder of the man in blue.
"If that's the case, we will wait for you at Emerald Pavilion. If there are any obstacles, we will secretly remove them for you."
The man in blue sighed and said, "We are brothers; you must act with caution. If I succeed, it won't be me who contracts the plague. This time, Lord has set a dangerous trap; you have all seen what happens when one falls ill. Soon, Chang'an City may turn into a dead city. Don't let your hearts be tainted; I hope that next year on this day, you can come to my grave to pay your respects."
Fang Xuanling was taken aback. Although he couldn't fully grasp what they were discussing, the mention of plague and Chang'an turning into a dead city was certainly not a good sign. Were these people plotting some kind of conspiracy?
Before he could think further, someone inside the courtyard shouted, "Who goes there!" The three men displayed remarkable martial skills, instantly leaping out of the bamboo fence like great birds and landing right in front of Fang Xuanling.
Fang Xuanling stared in surprise at the three men before him. They were all middle-aged men with ordinary appearances; the one in blue had slightly lighter hair and looked more aloof than the others. Upon seeing a stranger, they quickly donned strange ghostly masks as if it were an instinctive reaction. One of the brown-clad men swiftly drew a long sword from his waist.
"It's an old man. Strange; normally, ordinary people shouldn't be able to get close here."
"What should we do?"
"Just do it."
Churian brandished his sword, ready to strike. Fang Xuanling felt a sense of foreboding; before he could think further, he saw a dark figure swoop down from above, aiming a blade directly at Churian's head.
In an instant, the two exchanged several blows. Churian leaped back a few steps, while the other two drew their weapons to shield him.
More dark figures descended from different directions, surrounding Fang Xuanling in the center.
Fang Xuanling focused his gaze and felt relieved. The newcomers were indeed the Royal Shadow Guard, sent to protect him.
True to their training, the Shadow of Strategy appeared silently, without revealing Fang Xuanling's concealed identity. Fang Xuanling commanded, "Capture these three alive and bring them to me!"
Churian whispered urgently, "It's not easy to pull out a nail; don't take this risk!"
The man in green replied, "That old man just saw our faces!"
Churian insisted, "Let's go! No one will see your face again; it doesn't matter."
The Shadow of Strategy swiftly drew their weapons, but the three figures waved their hands, and a cloud of pink smoke enveloped the area. The Shadow of Strategy shouted, "Beware of poison; protect the master!"
Several Shadow Guards shielded Fang Xuanling as they retreated to safety. When they looked for the three attackers again, they had already vanished without a trace.
After a while, the Minister of Revenue and the Minister of Justice arrived under the protection of the Shadow of Strategy.
It turned out that everyone felt a bit disoriented after entering the Apricot Blossom Grove. Once they settled down, they realized that all the people around them had vanished. Just moments ago, the sun suddenly emerged, and everyone finally felt their bearings clear, quickly finding each other. The Shadow of Strategy also swiftly located its master.
It was uncertain whether this could be considered a blessing; any further delay could lead to significant losses for the country.
"My lord, should we continue?" the Minister of Revenue asked.
Fang Xuanling decisively replied, "Turn back. We are not going any further; let us leave this place of trouble quickly!"
Under the guard of the Shadow of Strategy, they returned to their residence. Fang Xuanling quickly held a secret meeting and dispatched thirty members of the Shadow of Strategy to investigate the cottage at Cuihua Mountain. When they arrived at Cuihua Mountain, they found that the once-vibrant Apricot Blossom Grove was now engulfed in flames, and the cottage had been reduced to ashes in the fierce fire.
Upon learning this, Fang Xuanling fell silent for a moment before issuing an order: "Summon the Chief Justice and the Governor of Yongzhou to see me immediately!"
The task of searching Cuihua Mountain was assigned to Governor Bai Qianfan. Meanwhile, Fang Xuanling sought out a painter and dictated descriptions from memory to create portraits of three suspicious individuals he had seen. These portraits were not posted publicly with bounties but were given to the Shadow of Strategy's Shadow Guard for discreet investigation.
As for who those three suspicious individuals were, it remained unclear. The extensive network of informants in Chang'an had yet to report anyone resembling their descriptions. (To be continued)
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