roccoschili Chapter 5437 Are you afraid?
Chapter 5437 Are you afraid?
Chapter 5437 Are you afraid?
Jin Shengman, who was standing nearby, put the child in her arms on the ground and encouraged him to go and greet his father. She didn't take his words seriously: "Being born into a powerful family means you're a privileged child, so it's normal for you to be a bit of a playboy. Wasn't you the biggest playboy in Chang'an back then?"
Princess Gaoyang rolled her eyes and watched as Qiao'er's son, Fang Qian, slowly walked towards his father, pulling Jin Shengman's son, Fang Yue, by the little hand. She snorted and said, "There are different kinds of playboys. Their father was once known as the head of the 'Four Evils of Chang'an.' It takes skill to become the biggest pest. I'm afraid he only knows how to be a playboy and has no cunning at all."
On the stone slabs in the courtyard in front of the gate, Fang Jun sat on the ground, surrounded by children, answering their chattering questions with a bright smile. But whether it was his eldest son Fang Shu or the youngest Fang Yue, they could only stand on either side, while his daughter Fang Jing was always held steadily in his arms...
Jin Shengman smiled and said, "Instead of worrying about the young men becoming spoiled brats, Princess, you should worry about Jing'er. How can she be spoiled like this?"
Princess Gaoyang sighed: "But who can persuade her? If you try to persuade her, she will always say things like, 'The happiest time for a young lady is when she is waiting to be married,' or 'It's no big deal to spoil her for a couple more years.' No one can persuade her."
Xiao Shu'er bit her lip, remaining silent, feeling quite uncomfortable inside.
She was the most gentle and weak-willed in the family, but she was also the most "sexist" because she always fantasized about having a son to rely on. As a result, she was usually a little cold to her daughters, which led to Fang Jing not being close to her.
Fang Jing's closest confidante was Wu Meiniang...
However, this daughter, whom he did not favor, was the apple of his husband's eye and the apple of his eye, receiving treatment almost like a "princess".
……
Princess Gaoyang used her authority as the legitimate mother to shoo the children away, allowing Fang Jun to escape. He stood up, dusted himself off, and said with a smile, "Taking care of children is indeed the most tiring job. I am very grateful for all the ladies' help."
Then he bowed dramatically, which made his wives and concubines laugh heartily.
They ushered Fang Jun into the main hall and took their seats. Fang Jun stretched comfortably and exclaimed, "This journey has been fraught with danger and danger, crossing oceans and seas. My bones are almost falling apart. It's so much more comfortable at home!"
Princess Gaoyang glanced at his clothes, her expression a half-smile: "Not necessarily. My lord, you are dashing and romantic, and your literary talent is outstanding. Where would you not feel uncomfortable?"
Fang Jun: "..."
This woman has an incredibly sharp eye!
"Cough cough!"
He coughed twice and explained, "After returning to the capital, I went to the palace to pay my respects to His Majesty. Afterwards, Princess Chang Le received the news and asked me to come over. Seeing that I was travel-worn and looked haggard, she had someone change my clothes."
The implication was that Princess Chang Le was very understanding and caring, as I was exhausted from my long journey across the ocean. How could you be so sarcastic and cynical?
Seeing that Princess Gaoyang was about to start a fight, Xiao Shuer quickly changed the subject: "Why didn't Meiniang come back with my husband? Although she has lofty ambitions and is a woman who is just as capable as any man, she is still a woman after all. It is not good for her to stay away from home all year round without the love of her family. Luoyang is too far away and it is inconvenient to travel back and forth."
Fang Jun sighed: "She even feels that Luoyang is close now, and she will soon move the main store of the business to Huating Town."
The wives and concubines were all taken aback.
Princess Gaoyang frowned and said, "Aren't you going to try to persuade him? It's one thing if he stays in Luoyang, but if he goes to Huating Town, he might not be able to come back even once a year."
Fang Jun said helplessly, "Didn't we take her on a sea voyage? She saw the situation overseas and had many new ideas. The court has always considered me a 'radical' in promoting new policies, but Meiniang believes that the role of the trading company is not limited to this and still has great potential. She thinks that I, as a 'radical,' am too 'conservative'..."
That woman not only had a broad vision and a generous mind, but she was also full of energy and could never sit still. What might seem like a lot of work and busyness to others was easy for Wu Meiniang. So she wanted to expand overseas and forge ahead.
This kind of woman will inevitably cause trouble if kept at home; the only way is to let her out and allow her to expend her energy on mundane tasks...
Jin Shengman exclaimed, "Meiniang is truly an extraordinary woman!"
She was a princess of Silla, and the education she received from childhood was very different from that of Han women. She longed for the ambitious and carefree lifestyle of Wu Zetian, but she knew she did not have that kind of talent, so she could only admire her.
*****
The following day, Fang Jun did not go to the Ministry of Personnel to take up his post. Instead, he rode his personal guards through the streets, making a show of it. He inspected the Left and Right Imperial Guards and spent the afternoon in the Jingzhao Prefecture. He returned to his residence in the evening and accepted a banquet in Pingkang Ward that night.
He did not take his duty the next day, but instead spent the morning loitering at the Censorate.
By the third day, numerous rumors began to spread throughout Chang'an...
Some people say that the people of Guanzhong were immediately allocated land and settled down in Hebei, and their future was promising. After all, how could Fang Jun, who was always praised by the people of Guanzhong as the "Buddha of Ten Thousand Families", harm the people of Guanzhong?
Some say that the reason why the people of Guanzhong despised and cursed Fang Jun as "inhuman" and moved their entire families to Hebei to die was because certain political opponents deliberately guided public opinion and spread rumors.
Some even said that Fang Jun had gone to the Censorate to personally report and expose those who were behind the rumors and spread them, and that they would bring them to justice.
The fastest-spreading and most widely circulated news said that Fang Jun was furious about the rumors and was going to confront them to demand an explanation.
It wasn't explicitly stated whose door they attacked, but whoever did what knows the truth...
The people of Chang'an were certain that the saying "they went to his door" was not a rumor. After all, Fang Er was a man with a truly fiery temper. Would a "fool" become gentle and polite just because he got older and his status rose? Others might, but Fang Er certainly wouldn't.
The mere thought of Fang Jun, a man of unparalleled bravery and superhuman strength, storming into the official residence of a political rival and brutally beating him to the ground... filled the entire city of Chang'an with a sense of anticipation and excitement, everyone waiting to see who dared to spread rumors behind their backs and who would be given a sound beating by Fang Jun.
For a time, a strange atmosphere permeated Chang'an and the imperial court. Some people sat on the sidelines watching the tigers fight, while others were in a state of panic and anxiety, constantly worried day and night.
Especially those who spread rumors and slander behind Fang Jun's back in an attempt to smear his reputation, fearing that Fang Jun might come to their doorstep or visit their official residence, they would beat them up without saying a word...
……
Fourth day.
Early in the morning, Fang Jun, dressed in a purple official robe, a soft-brimmed turban, a nine-ringed white jade belt around his waist, a gold fish-shaped pouch with brocade silk ribbons, and black leather boots, rode out of the gate of the ward and, surrounded by his personal guards, entered Yanxi Gate and headed south, then west along the fourth horizontal street to the official residence of the Ministry of Personnel.
Officials who arrived one after another at the entrance stood respectfully to one side, while also secretly observing Fang Jun's expression and complexion.
It is said that this man has cursed Pei Huaijie, the Chamberlain, eight hundred times in the past two days and has threatened to settle accounts with him at his official residence. I wonder if he will actually go and storm the Secretariat today?
The saying goes, "One should strike while the iron is hot, but the momentum will wane with each attempt, and exhaust it with each subsequent effort." If we don't go today, and things calm down by then, we might miss out on this great show...
Fang Jun walked with a bright smile and his hands behind his back, exuding the dignified and reserved demeanor of a superior, yet he did not appear arrogant or domineering. Many people were slightly disappointed, as he did not seem to want to cause trouble for Pei Huaijie.
As soon as they entered the government office, a clerk quickly stepped forward and said that the Duke of England had invited them.
Fang Jun asked in surprise, "Ying Gong is on duty so early?"
In the Ministry of Personnel, Li Ji, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, was the chief official. However, he was always impatient with specific matters and was well-versed in the art of self-preservation. Therefore, unless there was a major event, he would leave ordinary matters to his subordinates to handle, and he himself rarely even came to the official residence.
Not only did they arrive today, they even arrived very early.
The clerk bowed and replied, "Lord Ying has been here for a while and is having tea in his office. He has ordered us to wait here to invite the Grand Commandant to meet him."
In his heart, however, he was thinking, "Don't you know why Lord Ying came to be on duty so early?"
We've been waiting for you!
Fang Jun smiled wryly and nodded slightly: "Lead the way."
"Here!"
The clerk took two steps ahead, sideways, and led Fang Jun to Li Ji's office. After announcing his arrival, he respectfully invited Fang Jun inside.
Li Ji, dressed in official robes, was kneeling beside a tea table by the window. When he saw Fang Jun enter and greet him, he casually waved and said with a smile, "Why be so formal? Come, come, have a cup of tea and chat."
Fang Jun hesitated for a moment, then said, "If you have something important to say, please speak freely. If not, please forgive my rudeness. I will go and take care of some business first, and then come back to have tea with you."
The clerk standing nearby glanced sideways.
Although Li Ji was the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel and Fang Jun was the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Li Ji was half a rank higher than Fang Jun. However, Fang Jun was also the Grand Commandant and one of the Three Dukes of the court, which was half a level higher than Li Ji. Li Ji was the foremost meritorious official of the Zhenguan era and the top figure in the military, while Fang Jun was a rising star whose prestige in the military was approaching that of Li Ji, and whose strength was even greater...
These two can be described as the "two prodigies of the military," and their overall assessments are equally impressive.
Now that Fang Jun is being so impolite, does that mean we're going to have a direct confrontation?
After all, the two men were on different sides and had different stances. In the past six months, Fang Jun had been constantly attacked and insulted in various parts of Guanzhong. Li Ji had remained silent and let it go. Although no one knew whether Li Ji was behind this, his indifference alone made it hard to dispel suspicion.
Considering the rumors circulating in the markets and among the officials over the past two days, the clerk was somewhat apprehensive. Could this man possibly punch Duke Ying twice?
Although Duke Ying was once a fierce general who fought bravely on the battlefield and captured enemy flags, he was getting old after all, while Fang Jun was known for his unparalleled bravery...
While the clerk was filled with doubt and uncertainty, Li Ji still smiled and did not seem annoyed by Fang Jun's refusal. He said in a friendly manner, "Young people are so decisive. Have a cup of tea to calm your temper first. You can do whatever you want later. I won't stop you."