20demayo Chapter 450
Chapter 450
this year's new year's banquet was much more low-key than in previous years. after a reunion meal between the monarch and his ministers, everyone dispersed.
jiang yankun's status within the grand secretariat rose another notch after the new year.
master jing, after all, was getting on in years. serving as the grand tutor was already quite taxing, and he truly lacked the energy to oversee the affairs of the grand secretariat.
for the past six months, it had been jiang yankun handling the official documents of the grand secretariat.
of course, it wasn't all smooth sailing.
the jing family had only recently cleared their name and returned to the capital with their honor restored. naturally, there were a few ambitious individuals within the family.
they all hoped that master jing would groom members of the jing family to take over the grand secretariat in the future, allowing them to wield significant influence in the imperial court.
"grandfather, what exactly are you thinking? why would you rather promote someone from the jiang family than one of our own?"
"jiang yankun has the empress paving the way for him. why would grandfather need to worry about him?"
"the grand secretariat is the key to the imperial court, a matter of utmost importance. father, what exactly are you thinking?"
"elder brother, don't speak to father like that. father must have his reasons. father, please explain!"
"hmm..."
the old man let out a heavy sigh through his nose. compared to the vigor he had shown when he first arrived in the capital a year ago, his cheeks now bore deep signs of weariness.
the additional wrinkles at the corners of his eyes also spoke of his exhaustion.
"then tell me, why am i not promoting our own family but instead elevating jiang yankun?"
what did father (grandfather) mean by that?
was he saying that the jing family was inferior to jiang yankun?
but with master jing at the helm, the jing family couldn't possibly make any mistakes!
the eldest son of the jing family pondered for a moment before speaking seriously: "father, are you worried that jiang yankun, being the maternal grandfather of the crown prince, might cause the crown prince to hold a grudge against the jing family in the future?"
but master jing was the crown prince's great-grandfather and his teacher. shouldn't the jing family be the closest to the crown prince?
"perhaps... could this be the empress's doing? her ambitions are too great. not only does she want to sit as an equal to the emperor, but does she also intend to manipulate the crown prince in the future and control him?"
when jiang yankun returned to the grand secretariat the next day, he noticed that those who had previously been somewhat resistant to him were now much more respectful.
as for the reason, he didn't care to delve too deeply.
sometimes, being a little oblivious was better for oneself.
as long as these people would serve him in the future, it didn't matter who they had followed before.
if they didn't serve him, it didn't matter either. another imperial examination was coming up in three years, and the hanlin academy would welcome a fresh batch of talented individuals eager to serve the court. those newcomers would be much easier to work with than the old guard.
"whoosh—whoosh—"
dozens of figures clad in white, wearing white hats, swiftly crossed the snowy mountains, their skis gliding rapidly over the snow.
the wind and snow stung their eyes, but they wiped them clean with the rabbit fur scarves around their necks and continued their rapid descent.
"general shi, once we cross this mountain, we'll reach the foothills of yuejian village in the border town of fusang."
"leave eight men at the foothills to provide support. the deputy general and i will enter the town to investigate."
it wasn't just goguryeo and fusang who planted spies in great yan; great yan also left its own agents in their territories.
when shi ruojun first left the palace, she had been worried about being recognized as a woman.
but after enduring months of wind, rain, and violent snowstorms, her skin had become dark and rough, losing all traces of a woman's delicacy and fairness.
following third yan's advice, she also wore a layer of soft armor beneath her clothes. even if a soldier impulsively patted her chest, they would only feel the hard armor.
as third yan had said, she was now indistinguishable from a man.
shi ruojun felt both pleased and displeased.
she wanted to be a female general, not a man.
but at least she could console herself with the fact that she no longer had to fear her identity being exposed.
after months of life-and-death experiences, the black-armored guards had formed a deep bond with her.
now was the critical moment. she would kill the king of fusang and prove to the world that she was a woman.
a woman could also be a general, charging into battle and taking the heads of her enemies.