After Fang Ke left…
Yang Ge sat alone in the room for a long time, still feeling unsettled.
He thought of a saying:
"History books are too large, able to contain five thousand years of Chinese history."
"Yet, they are also too thin to encompass the grand life of an individual."
The page casually flipped in a history book, the content marked by a pen, might represent the lives of countless people…
In Yang Ge’s opinion, something like the current rise in grain prices, which might seem like a "minor issue," might not even merit a mention in the annals of history.
Or perhaps, future generations will scour the history books, only to extract a sentence amid the vast, smoke-like text: "In the twelfth year of Xiping of the Wei, there was a great famine."
But the anxiety and hardship of people like Zhang Erniu were real and vivid.
Unable to afford grain, they indeed had to sell their houses, fields, and even their sons and daughters…
Perhaps they had already grown accustomed to such a world, just like oxen used to the hammer, bowing their heads and enduring silently, accepting the exploitation and oppression from the powerful.
At most, they would secretly curse under their breath: "Born without an asshole…"
But Yang Ge had not gotten used to it.
And he didn’t plan on getting used to it.
Thus, when he suddenly faced such cruel and dark matters, it was as though he stood alone in a frigid, snowbound land. Even though he was wearing a thick, warm coat, he still felt cold… a bone-chilling cold.
He was not a martyr; he couldn’t shout out the impassioned slogan "Where the Dao is, I will go even if I face thousands and millions of men."
But this cannibalistic world, if it thinks it can easily and comfortably bend his will, and expects him to go along with it and call out "How refreshing!"... then that’s nothing but a pipe dream!
Under the lone moon…
Yang Ge, with his sword in hand, walked slowly into the courtyard.
He leaped up, with one stroke of his sword, sending snow flying everywhere.
The Frost Blade, thus embarked on its path.
…
Four days later, at the Northern Pacification Commission in Luoyang.
Shen Fa, wearing a dark brocade robe with a qilin pattern and a black gauze military cap, sat on the platform. Fang Ke, with a face weathered by the elements, stood below, reporting in full about the three major grain merchants manipulating grain prices and bribing the Jinyiwei of Lu Ting.
"Smack!"
Shen Fa slammed his palm onto the armrest of the sandalwood chair, breaking it. Infuriated and shocked, he bellowed, "Damnation, corrupt officials and a scourge upon the nation, how dare they!"
Fang Ke clenched his fist in salutation and bowed, not daring to speak more.
Shen Fa, unable to contain his anger, stood up and paced back and forth on the platform with his hands behind his back, clenching and unclenching his fists repeatedly.
After a while, he suddenly let out a deep sigh, his voice losing its edge as he said, "Was it Yang Ge who sent you to make this report?"
Fang Ke replied, "Indeed, it was General Yang who sent this subordinate to the capital to report."
Shen Fa heavily sat down in the Taishi Chair, smiling wryly as he shook his head, "Yang Ge, oh Yang Ge, you’ve really given me a tough problem here!"
Fang Ke quickly said, "Sir, General Yang is wholeheartedly acting for justice and pleading for the people, he has no other intentions."
Shen Fa spoke wearily, "No need to say more, I understand that man better than you. If he were self-serving, it might actually be a good thing, but this matter... sigh!"
He indeed had only just learned about the situation.
But he also knew that the current Emperor must have already been aware of it.
It’s true that the Jinyiwei are the eyes and ears of the Emperor, but the Emperor has more than just this set of eyes and ears.
```
Since the sage has not mentioned or inquired about this matter until now, it means that he has tacitly approved of it.
All are exchanges of interest.
Everything is for next year’s northern campaign against the Tatars...
But now that he is aware of the matter, he can’t fail to report it.
Even if he does report it, the outcome will certainly not be satisfactory.
The affairs of the court are like pastries filled with feces, you either abstain or swallow it whole, shit and all.
Even His Majesty cannot free himself from the court’s rules of "the emperor governs with the scholar-officials" to administer state affairs, let alone a mere commander of the Imperial Guards?
Fang Ke, hearing Shen Fa sigh, struggled internally for a few moments before finally mustering the courage to say, "I humbly ask that you help protect the Yang Ge Brigade Commander. Someone as sincere as him should not die over such filthy affairs!"
Shen Fa waved his hand: "If he is willing to stand up for the country and the people even against a dead snake, how could I fail him? However, the outcome of this matter will likely disappoint him!"
Fang Ke quickly responded, "I humbly thank you on behalf of Yang Ge Brigade Commander for your lifesaving grace!"
"Ha!"
Shen Fa chuckled with interest, looking at him and saying, "It seems you two get along quite well?"
Fang Ke hesitated briefly, then answered truthfully, "To reply to your excellency, although Brigade Commander Yang is perhaps a bit too... guileless for an official, his chivalrous spirit of valuing justice, hatred for evil, and the gentlemanly virtues of loyalty and righteousness are among the few I have seen in my life, aside from you, sir. Under Brigade Commander Yang, I only need to be wary of the overt attacks from thieves, without fear of secret backstabbing or the troubles of human relationships and petty squabbling. Indeed, it is a joy and fitting as a fish in water."
"Clap, clap, clap!"
Shen Fa laughed and clapped his hands: "It seems I indeed have the discerning eye to recognize talent and delegate appropriately!"
Fang Ke hastily flattered, "Your excellency’s wisdom shines bright; your insight penetrates the minutest detail. My admiration for you is like..."
"Enough!"
Shen Fa interrupted, "I’m tired of hearing the same platitudes over and over; if you’re not sick of speaking them, I’m sick of listening!"
Fang Ke grinned sheepishly and kept silent, keeping his achievements and fame hidden.
Shen Fa pondered for a moment, then reached out to open a cast-iron box on the desk, rummaging through it to find a silver token, which he tossed towards Fang Ke.
Fang Ke quickly caught the token with both hands, looked at it, and his eyes immediately widened: a Hundred Household Officer’s waist badge!
He looked at Shen Fa in bewilderment, with a hint of surprise, "Your excellency, this...?"
Shen Fa gestured towards the palace complex, "For my contribution to overseeing the case of Marquis Zhaowu of the Xie family colluding with the enemy, His Majesty bestowed his favor on me, and I will soon be promoted to be the Governor of the Northern Pacification Commission. I have the final say on the promotion of all officers below the rank of a thousand households in the commission!"
"First, take this order back to Lu Ting and hand it to Yang Ge, saying it is his reward for reporting the three grain merchants for hoarding, as a token of his meritorious deeds. The seal, robe, and all necessary items will follow to Lu Ting."
"As for you, you will take over the official position of your family’s Yang, and henceforth you will be in charge of the Lu Ting Brigade."
Fang Ke, ecstatically holding the token, bowed deeply, "I humbly thank you for your cultivation, and on behalf of Yang, I thank you for the promotion!"
Shen Fa, "Don’t thank me for him, tell him this for me: I expect him to invite me to his promotion banquet... As for the matter of the grain merchants hoarding, I will take care of it myself. Tell him not to interfere anymore, just wait quietly.
Fang Ke bowed with a fist, "I will relay your excellency’s instructions to Yang without omission."
Shen Fa waved his hand, "Go rest, and return to Lu Ting sooner. We wouldn’t want that stubborn donkey to become impatient and spoil the grand strategy over something trivial."
Fang Ke, "Yes, I shall take my leave!"
He bowed and backed out of the room, but before he had gone far, he heard another voice from above.
"That’s right, I will prepare some New Year’s goods later. You can deliver them to your family’s Yang, as my congratulatory gift for his trial position as a Hundred Household Officer."
Fang Ke was stunned, answering unsure whether to stay or go.
Shen Fa sat engrossed in thought for a moment, then looked up to see Fang Ke still standing below, and asked puzzledly, "What? Don’t you know the way to the dining hall?"
Fang Ke: ...
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After Fang Ke had left, Shen Fa grabbed his side-sword and slung it on his waist, calling out loudly, "Someone, prepare my horse; I am going to the palace for an audience with His Majesty."
```