You've Got Mail: Cautionary Tale (YGMCT)

Chapter 85 - Advisor Wu Toughens Up

“Yes, that’s him!” Fury could be heard in Osmanthus’s voice as well, as her brows knitted deeply. “This Yan Wenxin, who knows what’s going on with him. He seems to dislike our General greatly. Hmph! If not for the General guarding the southern borders, could these officials in the capital have such carefree lives?”

Born in Bastion City, Mint and Osmanthus loved and respected Guan Shanjin like a god. Whoever dared say a negative word about Guan Shanjin, both girls could even roll up their sleeves on the spot and give that person a good whacking.

“What did he do?” Although Wu Xingzi had been living in the capital, he had spent most of his time with Ping Yifan. Towards the ongoings in the capital, he was truly unaware of it, knowing nothing of the happenings. He also was not sure if it was deliberate, or just unintentional, but Ping Yifan had never mentioned Guan Shanjin or Yan Wenxin after the meeting that happened over at Bai Shaochang’s place. The younger man even rarely mentioned anything that had to do with the capital, at most giving short explanations about the specialties they were having on the table. Hence, Wu Xingzi knew that there was a cellar in the northern suburbs of the city, where vegetables were planted using water from a hot spring, and thus people could still have summer fruits and vegetables even in the depths of winter.

“Aiyah, it makes me angry even when I’m just speaking about it! That Yan Wenxin actually dared harm the General! He said that the General is disloyal to the Emperor, and that was why he stayed at the southern borders for five years, refusing to return to the capital!” The girls spat. The most important reason that Guan Shanjin remained at the southern borders for so many years, not returning to the capital for a debrief, other than his disinterest in the power struggle in the capital, was that in private, the southern barbarians were actually not in peace at all. On the surface, they seemed to have declared themselves subjects to the Great Xia, but in truth, they were suppressing their anger, planning on rising up again once they found an opportunity. If there was no Guan Shanjin to defend the borders, there was no guarantee that Bastion City would have been able to enjoy a peaceful life.

However, it was stated clearly in the laws of Great Xia, that if there was no war, the head of the army would have to return to the capital every two years for a debrief, and Guan Shanjin had defied this law twice. Although the emperor neither urged him back, nor punished him, this was still a strike against him. This was exactly what Yan Wenxin was using against him in court, colluding with the censorate and other court officials who supported him – one of whom included the Minister of War — to submit dozens of missives to the emperor. As the Lord Protector’s line of ministers had always been focused on being just and righteous, never forming parties and factions within the court, the Lord Protector and his son thus stood alone. A few days ago, Guan Shanjin had finally been removed from his role, and he was no longer the Great Southern Garrison General. The emperor even wanted to place him under house arrest, for him to reflect at home. Only the heavens knew how long this house arrest would last.

The once peerless, matchless Great Southern Garrison General, the son of the Lord Protector, fell from a great height above to the grounds below in the blink of an eye.

“Is Haiwang not returning to Bastion City?” Listening to all this, for now, Wu Xingzi had no appetite.

“We don’t know.” Mint and Osmanthus spoke simultaneously, both wearing frowns on their little faces. They had only heard about this on the streets, and they were unclear of any further details. However, the General was such a clever man. He would definitely be able to get out of this danger, and return to Bastion City!