Jia Shidao was shocked.
He quickly snatched the letter from Sun Lang's hands and read it a few times. Then, he said anxiously, "She's not feeling well. She has some minor ailments … but …"
Aristocratic families were connected by blood and established by rules. Aristocratic families valued etiquette and filial piety. Filial piety was one of the core principles of ethics. Filial piety was one of the most important things in aristocratic families.
Matriarch Shi was the most senior person in the Jia Family. She was an old lady that even the Four Great Families had to respect. Although Jia Shidao was not a very dignified young man, he did not dare to neglect filial piety. Even though the letter only said that the Matriarch was not feeling well, he did not dare to ignore it.
Therefore, he said without hesitation, "We have to go back …"
Halfway through his sentence, he shut his mouth.
Because things were different now … The person in front of him wasn't his elder brother or the grandson of the old madam. He didn't have the grace to give birth to him and didn't have the virtue of raising him. He didn't have any sense of belonging to Rongguo Manor, so naturally, he wouldn't have much intention to get close to the old madam.
After all, the person who was raised and spoiled by the Matriarch was not him.
Thinking of this, Jia Shidao said gloomily, "… I have to go back and take a look."
Sun Lang's face was gloomy.
Now that he had used Bai Yuwei's incident to force the Imperial Court into a corner, he had used his own strength and deterrence to force the Imperial Court into not daring to use force. He had also used the Emperor's schemes and selfishness to force the Imperial Court to keep quiet. The Gold Radiant Sword Spirit's possession of Bai Yuwei was an earth-shattering event.
Being possessed by one's own Imperial Army would obviously make the Great Generals tremble in fear.
Now that Sun Lang was occupying the Bai Clan Fort, and there were many witnesses to testify for him, coupled with his status and reputation, he naturally had the right to explain this matter. As long as he stepped forward to explain himself, the half-truth and half-lies would be accurately pinned on the Emperor's head.
This kind of thing would obviously cause people's hearts to waver and the court to be shaken. But at this moment, he did not say a word and kept his silence. On one hand, he instigated his minions to fan the flames in the court and ordered the Bai family to report the death of Bai Yuwei. On the other hand, he sat on the fishing platform and made a fortune in silence. It was obvious that he was waiting for the right price to sell. After firmly seizing the initiative, he would deal with all changes by remaining unchanged.
Thus, after the impasse in Ming Province, the Imperial Court was once more forced to the negotiating table, and the situation was even worse, because the situation this time was even more serious.
The Imperial Army was the foundation of the Imperial Court, and the officials in charge of the Imperial Army were the backbone of the Imperial Court. Each of them had their own background and power, and they formed a power that encompassed the entire realm. These people were the pillars of the Imperial Court, and the Emperor relied on them to govern the realm. The Emperor spent most of his career scheming against them, and the struggle between sovereign power and subject power had always been the unchanging theme of the Imperial Court.
The so-called art of the Imperial Court was balance. The Emperor was high above, and he used his power and promises to divide his subjects and cause them to fight amongst themselves. This was because only by fighting amongst themselves could the Emperor's position be as stable as Mount Tai. However, the scale had to be carefully controlled, because if the fighting went too far, it would often lead to internal friction and disaster, causing the Imperial Court to lose balance. Only balance was the way to long-term stability.
But this time, it was different.
No matter how much internal strife they usually had, no matter how many slogans they shouted about loyalty to the Emperor and patriotism, once these loyal subjects knew that the Emperor was manipulating the Imperial Army's possession, and that the famous and prestigious Old Madam Bai had become a sacrifice, they would definitely be furious and unite like never before.
What a joke! A wise Emperor raised a strong country, but you f * cking raised us like pigs.
The Emperor was immoral, and the Emperor was immoral. This kind of mistake was enough for the subjects to righteously throw the Emperor off the Dragon Throne, because this matter had crossed everyone's bottom line.
That was why the Emperor was controlled and did not dare to act rashly.
However, with the Emperor's personality, he would definitely not be willing to be controlled. Even if he temporarily backed down, he must have other plans. Now that the Bai Family's matter had become a fact, if he wanted to break the situation and regain the initiative, he had to do it somewhere else. This was something that would definitely happen.
Therefore, when Sun Lang saw Jia Shidao, he realized that the Jia Mansion was a very good breakthrough point. Now, the news of Old Madam Shi's illness had immediately spread.
Was this a coincidence or a conspiracy?
He pondered for a moment and asked Jia Shidao, "Don't worry. Did your father say anything before?"
Jia Shidao shook his head blankly.
"No. Although I've been cultivating in the mountains, I haven't cut off my ties with the mortal world. For example, I send people to the Rongguo Mansion every now and then."
With that, he glanced at Sun Lang and sighed helplessly in his heart.
Although he was nominally a monk, how could he let go of the Rongguo Mansion and the old and young left by his elder brother? Therefore, he had been worrying about the Jia Mansion for the past two years. However …
He was back, but he was no longer the same person … He was no longer the same person.
Sun Lang saw the change in Jia Shidao's expression. His heart moved, but he didn't say anything. He just snorted and continued, "I sent a letter to Mingzhou before, but Xue Baochai didn't tell me about this. Last night, I sent a letter overnight and received this news. This means that Old Madam Shi has been ill for the past two days."
His eyes turned cold. He looked at Jia Shidao and said, "Tell me, is this a coincidence, or a conspiracy?"
If it was a coincidence, then Old Madam Shi was ill.
If it was on purpose, then the old lady might have heard similar rumors and news, so she pretended to be ill to force her "grandson" to show up. After all, the old lady still didn't know the truth. She didn't know that her grandson had died eight years ago. She thought that the person who was causing trouble in Qin and Mingzhou was her grandson. It was not strange that she pretended to be ill to coax her grandson to come home.
If it was just these two, then it would be fine. If it was a conspiracy …
Did they really do something to the Jia Mansion?
Did they want to use this method to force me to go back and transfer me away from the Bai Castle so that they could take the opportunity to solve the problem of Bai Yuwei?
Wei Zhongxian said calmly, "Master, you have to stay in Xichuan. Don't act rashly."
Jia Shidao glared at the old eunuch. He knew that his "cousin" wasn't his real cousin, but he was still dissatisfied when he heard such slanderous words. However, he looked at Sun Lang again and saw that his brother's expression was changing. Obviously, he was weighing the pros and cons in his heart. This made his heart ache.
Jia Shidao took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. "I'll write a letter to my father first, and then I'll go back tonight to see what's going on …"
Sun Lang sneered. "It's useless. Since this has already happened, whether it's a coincidence or intentional, the Emperor won't let go of this opportunity. Even if it wasn't arranged by him, he will still take advantage of it. So, since this has already happened, then we should prepare to deal with it."
Hearing this, Jia Shidao calmed down a little. A glimmer of hope rose in his heart. He whispered, "Are … are you going back?"
Sun Lang paced two steps and said coldly, "If I go back, then I'll be playing right into the Emperor's hands. After I leave Xichuan, there will be many ways for them to come in and cause trouble. Now, Bai Yuwei is a sore point for the Emperor, and it's a good card that we must hold in our hands …"
Jia Shidao was disappointed. "If that's the case …"
"I can't not go."
Sun Lang said coldly. "If I continue to stay in the Bai Castle and ignore the Rongguo Mansion, those idiots will definitely not let go of this opportunity to accuse me of being unfilial … Haha, unfilial, they will definitely do that. After all, I don't want to tell them about my background. Even now, many people still think that I'm the grandson of the Rongguo Mansion …"
Jia Shidao was frightened. Obviously, the Rongguo Mansion had become a stumbling block for Sun Lang, and he actually had nothing to do with the Jia Mansion. Anyone would be unhappy if they were dragged into this mess for no reason. The key question was, what would he do if he felt unhappy?
"And the most important question is …"
At this point, Sun Lang's tone was a bit helpless, but it became gentle. "Although Sister Bao didn't rush me in the letter, she was anxious. Although she comforted me in her heart and said that she would continue to send envoys to investigate, she must be very anxious … Under such circumstances, if I still don't go back, even if they don't say anything, I'm afraid they will feel very uncomfortable …"
Jia Shidao looked at his brother in a daze. He didn't expect Sun Lang to say something like this.
"So, for the sake of the two of them, I can't ignore this matter and be indifferent."
Sun Lang said lightly, "After all, there are not many people in this world who are sincere to me. I can't let them down … After all, in their hearts, I'm still the Second Master Bao of the Rongguo Mansion."
Hearing this, Jia Shidao's heart ached. He choked and said, "We … We …"
Sun Lang glared at him. "I love my wife. Why are you so touched?"
Jia Shidao hurriedly rubbed his eyes and said calmly, "Then when should we leave?"
Wei Zhongxian said, "Master, please think twice."
Jia Shidao was very dissatisfied. This eunuch was so long-winded.
Sun Lang waved his hand. "Indeed, we can't rush. If I go directly, won't I be falling into the emperor's trap?
Does he want to take back the initiative with this matter?
In his dreams! "
Saying this, he thought for a moment and said firmly, "Damn it, let's do it. If the capital wants to watch a show, then I'll scare the emperor!"
He said to Jia Shidao first, "Do you have a way to contact your father?"
Hearing this, Jia Shidao said, "Yes, the Jia family's business is all over the world. They also have shops in Qinzhou. These shops are also responsible for collecting information. After all, the first thing to do is to be well-informed. I'll go find someone now."
Sun Lang nodded. "As soon as possible, ask your father what happened to his aunt.
Add a few more sentences in the letter. Just say that his eldest nephew asked him for a plan. That's all. He'll understand. "
Jia Xu was a smart man, and smart people usually had keen insight into the situation. The current situation was that no matter the truth or the outcome, the Jia family was completely on the opposite side of the royal family.
Being a coward meant death. F * ck, there was still a chance of survival if they rebelled. With Jia Xu's wisdom in grasping the situation and his ruthlessness, he would understand.
Humph, I've been pretending to be Jia for six years. Everyone in the world treats me as him, and you treat me as him. Since you treat me as him, you have to pay me something.
Jia Shidao thought for a while and nodded in agreement. He hesitated for a while and said softly, "Brother, it's still too slow to use this method to send messages. If you can send messages between Mingzhou and Qinzhou in one night, you might be able to contact my father quickly if you use the same method.
"No."
Sun Lang said.
Jia Shidao was stunned at first, and then he heard his brother say lightly, "I don't know the way."
Yes, he didn't know the way. In the past six years, he had never stepped into the Summer State, nor had he returned home.
In the past six years, he had only sent 'letters' back home. In the face of Madame Dowager's longing, he had only used the excuse that the war was urgent, and he had inevitably used words like 'every man is responsible for the rise and fall of the world' to show off. After all, he didn't want to go back, because it wasn't his home.
Moreover, the two parties could communicate, and with the help of the imperial court, even if there were some mistakes, it could be dealt with. However, if he really went back to the Summer State and the Rongguo Mansion, his' relatives' would probably be exposed within a couple of hours. After all, he was just an ordinary person from Earth, not Young Master Jia who grew up in a big family. Some things were engraved in his bones. They were two completely different people.
In front of those relatives who had watched 'him' grow up, it wouldn't take long for him to be completely exposed.
Therefore, in the past six years, he hadn't gone back even once.
Therefore, he didn't know the way, didn't know how to get to the Summer State, didn't know how to get to Jinling, and didn't know which way the door of the Rongguo Mansion opened … The Seraph was able to fly all the way to Mingzhou with his mind control and preset because he knew the general direction, and Yinluo and Courrier were there to take care of him.
However, the Rongguo Mansion wasn't like this.
At this moment, Wei Zhongxian suddenly said, "If master must go, you can personally drive the Fire Leaving Machine to the Summer State to take a look. It won't take much time to go back and forth."
Then he added, "If you don't know the way, you can bring Young Master Shidao along."
Sun Lang considered the distance between the Qin State and the Summer State for a moment and nodded. "It's not impossible, but even though the time it takes to go back and forth is short, there will still be gaps in time, which will give the enemy an opportunity to take advantage of. We have to be on guard against this … In the end, we still lack someone who can shoulder the responsibility."
He thought for a moment. "I'll have to trouble Chao Po-tao to make the trip. I'll have the Seraph go back and bring Chao Po-tao here, and ask her to take charge here … Mingzhou has the help of Qi Guanyan and Lu Shouyan, and there are also two Seraphs, so there shouldn't be too much trouble … Hmph, the battle line has been stretched too far."
At this moment, Wei Zhongxian played the role of a dog-head strategist. He lowered his head and said submissively, "General Zhao is the general of the Song State, and the Mingzhou State is master's most important place. With General Zhao overseeing the Mingzhou State, you can link up with the power of the Song State when necessary. This old servant thinks that General Zhao can't be easily moved."
Sun Lang frowned and said, "But the Qin State …"
Wei Zhongxian smiled and said, "Now that master is gone, the Qin State is indeed empty. If the enemy wants to take advantage of the situation, they can only do two things. The first is to kill people, and the second is to buy people's hearts. The first is to completely fall out with master, so the possibility is lower. The second is to take time, and the possibility of success is not high …"
Sun Lang frowned and said, "Even so, we can't just leave you here."
Wei Zhongxian pursed his lips and smiled. "Master is benevolent and righteous … What this old servant means is that you don't have to worry too much. If you really don't feel at ease, just find someone to help you."
Sun Lang's expression changed slightly. "You mean Wang Wuan?"
Wei Zhongxian nodded and said, "That's right. General Wang is the general of our state. He's very good at martial arts, and he's very good at commanding troops. If he's willing to stay in the Bai Castle for a few days and take a look at the Bai Castle, he'll definitely be able to intimidate the enemy …"
Jia Shidao listened quietly and snorted in his heart. This old eunuch was really naive. Wang Wuan and his brother were not friends, and he used to hide from his brother for some reason. Now that his brother had settled down in the Qin State, it would be fine if he didn't come looking for trouble, but why would he want to get involved in this mess?
If he came to the Bai Castle, it would be a blatant declaration to the imperial court that he had sided with his brother. Even if Wang Wuan had nothing better to do, he wouldn't do something so stupid.
As he was thinking this, he suddenly heard Sun Lang say, "Good idea. Then let Wang Wuan do it."
Jia Shidao was shocked when he heard this. What was wrong with his brother?
He quickly said, "Brother, please think twice. General Wang isn't like General Zhao. He's not friends with you, so he won't come. Even if he comes, he won't do anything. What's more, if he follows the imperial court's orders, what will happen?
All in all, General Wang can't be trusted. "
Sun Lang flicked Jia Shidao's forehead and said, "My stupid Doudou, I haven't seen you for two years. How did you become so stupid?
If Wang Wuan can slack off, I can kill his whole family. "
Jia Shidao was shocked. Was that even possible?
However, in the next moment, he was stunned. Only then did he realize what he had just said and what his elder brother had done. Especially the phrase "I'm a stupid Odou" and so on. He had heard it many times before. Whenever he said something wrong or did something stupid, his elder brother would always say this kind of thing.
When he asked him what Doudou meant, he would say it was his little brother, and then he would add, "my stupid Doudou" and so on, which meant, "Ouch, you stupid little brother."
That was probably it.
It had been a long time since he was said that, and he was flicked on the forehead. He silently raised his hand and covered his forehead, looking a little dazed. He didn't know if he was reminiscing or reminiscing.
Sun Lang kicked him and said, "Are you f * cking gay?"
Wei Zhongxian watched all of this from the side.
Whether it was Jia Shidao blurting out "brother," Sun Lang subconsciously flicked him on the forehead, or the phrase "stupid Doudou," both parties naturally did and said it.
That was pretty good.
A faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"Then it's settled.
I'll go find Wang Wuan first and give him a list. Before I come back, if anyone on the list is injured, I'll let his people pay for it with their lives.
If Wang Ermazi wants to slack off, he'll have to see if I agree. "
After kicking Jia Shidao, Sun Lang said loudly as if he was hiding something, "Then we'll go to Xiazhou to investigate the situation and see your father. We'll come back after that."
Jia Shidao whispered, "Aren't you going to see Madam Dowager?"
"… Don't talk nonsense."