Chapter 643: Chapter 395: A Real Fight?

Yan Wenli’s eyes widened in irritation as he said, “What are you so afraid of? Could I possibly eat you?”

“I might as well be eaten, at least then I’d die a swift death.”

Tang Fei had become quite familiar with Yan Wenli and had gotten to know some of his personality and character.

Daring to joke around in front of him occasionally actually made Yan Wenli feel closer to him and consider him one of his own.

If you were always formal and just reported to him, he wouldn’t suspect anything wrong with you, but that would be limited to the normal superior-subordinate relationship.

Those who sent tea to the leader’s office every day were definitely good colleagues, but those who could pick tea leaves from inside the leader’s office were definitely the leader’s trusted direct subordinates.

Tang Fei was gradually becoming one of Yan Wenli’s trusted insiders in his own subtle way…

Great peril!

“What? Guilty conscience?”

As expected, Yan Wenli was not bothered by Tang Fei’s manner of speaking.

He was used to it.

“Director, I’m not a thief, but I do feel guilty. I took people to assist the Security Bureau with their case, everyone else came back missing arms and legs, but I’m unharmed with not a scratch on me… how could you not be suspicious?”

“To tell the truth, I just came back from the Security Bureau, Shen Wuxiang already interrogated me for half a day, and I had this feeling that if I answered anything wrong, Shen Wuxiang might chop me into pieces…”

“What? You directly call Lord Military Minister by name? No respect at all.”

Tang Fei looked seriously at Yan Wenli and said, “Director, stop pretending, I know you dislike Shen Wuxiang.”

Yan Wenli raised his eyebrows and replied, “Oh, you can read my mind?”

“It used to be that our Monitoring Bureau handled the army’s internal discipline inspections, which was a great power. After Shen Wuxiang secured his position as Military Minister, he forcefully ousted our Monitoring Bureau and created his own internal Security Bureau… letting his own people supervise themselves.”

“Hehehe, regarding Shen Wuxiang’s barbaric behavior of snatching the cake, don’t tell me you don’t have any thoughts, Director? Who could like such a dominant figure?”

“You little rascal…” Yan Wenli paused, but he did not deny: “You see clearly.”

Indeed, he did not like Shen Wuxiang, just as Shen Wuxiang did not like him.

At their level, they both had strong temperaments and very clear political stances.

Not to mention there were conflicts of interest, making it unrealistic to like each other.

Tang Fei was playing to his superior’s dislikes…

Why should I respect someone whom the leader dislikes?

“I am just concerned for the leader, thinking of what the leader thinks, anxious about what the leader is anxious about.”

“Stop flattering me and use that cunning of yours for real work. He suspects you, so you think I would too?”

“All of you big shots have a common problem, and that’s being overly suspicious. If he is suspicious, I would think with your wisdom, Director, you would be too.”

“There’s no issue, ask away. I’m psychologically prepared and I promise to be completely forthright in front of the leader.”

“So are you saying… you’ve already prepared your excuses? Just waiting for me to make my move?”

“How could I possibly do such a thing, being so loyal and devoted to you, Director? I wouldn’t dare to deceive you.”

“Besides, with my intelligence… could I really deceive the Director?”

Yan Wenli nodded and said, “There’s some truth to that. However, you don’t need to worry.”

“Shen Wuxiang has his reasons to suspect you. But I won’t suspect you, you are one of our Monitoring Bureau’s own, you are Yan Wenli’s man. Isn’t it a good thing you came back alive and unharmed?”

“Do you really need to return like them, missing limbs or blind in one eye for me to feel relieved? That’s nonsense.”

“Besides, if that truly happened, I wouldn’t know how to explain it to Xiu Xue…”

“…”

Tang Fei gave Yan Wenli a resentful glance and said, “Director, I’ve told you before, Princess and I have a purely platonic friendship, you can’t unjustly taint our reputations.”

“Pure? Haha.”

“…”

“Tell me what exactly happened.” Yan Wenli sat down on the sofa, poured himself a cup of tea, and said, “Start from the beginning and don’t leave out any details.”

“Yes, Director.”

Tang Fei knew Yan Wenli needed the inside information and the truth to assess the situation, so he started from their arrival at the Security Bureau and continued until Lu Dongsheng smoothed things over and arranged for a car to take them out of the tunnel.

Of course, the content of his chat with Lu Dongsheng in the backyard was naturally omitted.

After listening, Yan Wenli’s expression was somber.

“Is there a problem?” Tang Fei asked.

“Unexpected, but not surprising,” Yan Wenli waved his hand and said, “Shen Wuxiang really has a big appetite.”

“When I was leaving, I asked Shen Wuxiang… is that the end of it? He said it was a major issue and told me to go back and wait for news, that he would definitely seek justice for us.” Tang Fei tentatively asked, “What is he planning to do?”

“Besiege Lu Ban Mountain.”

“???”

Tang Fei’s eyes widened in shock as he looked at Yan Wenli.

“Would he dare?”

“Why wouldn’t he?” Yan Wenli countered.

“One Lu Ban Mountain could deplete a hundred thousand troops. Lu Ban Mountain is easy to defend and hard to attack, and the Lu Family is adept at mechanical arts… how many lives would be lost to break through Lu Ban Mountain?”

“Besides, once military force is used against Lu Ban Mountain, the situation will become chaotic… and it won’t be easy to settle down afterward. Regardless of win or loss, it will be a loss for the Empire.”

Yan Wenli watched Tang Fei with a chuckle and said, “You’ve given it quite a lot of thought.”

“Eating the Monarch’s food, bearing the Monarch’s concerns, and sharing the Monarch’s worries… I’m just doing what a subject is supposed to do.”

“Well, that’s a high level of ideological awareness, I’ll mention it to the Monarch.”

Tang Fei smiled ingratiatingly and said, “Thank you for cultivating me, Director, and please continue to speak well of me. I am a soldier under your command; if I rise, you too will shine, won’t you?”

Yan Wenli’s gaunt face filled with a smile as he said, “What if you turn out to be an ungrateful wolf pup?”

“Director, others might find a new hill to pledge allegiance to, but as for me…a man who’s come from the Old Land and is penniless here in New Star, who else but you would sincerely help me?”

“Moreover, from the moment I donned this black dog’s hide, I understood that this skin can’t be shed… Wearing it, I might live. Without it, I face certain death.”

“Within the Monitoring Bureau system, Director, you are the highest mountain… Who else can I depend on if not you? If I were to betray you, where else could I turn?”

“It seems you’ve thought it through.”

“When it comes to my career and my very own life, I must think more.”

“I understand what you mean, and should the opportunity arise, I will naturally think of you. Whether you can seize it will depend on your own skills and comprehension.”

“I will certainly not let you down, Director.” Tang Fei said respectfully.

“Heh, being in the officialdom, you must grasp one truth. Don’t watch what others say, but what they will do.”

“Yes, Director, you can just watch over time, I definitely won’t disappoint you.”

Yan Wenli waved his hand, no longer wanting to see Tang Fei’s obsequious face, “Alright, you go rest as well. Make sure those who were injured are looked after, those who need medical treatment get it, and those who should be compensated are compensated.”

“Yes. Director.”

Tang Fei respectfully bowed.

After Tang Fei left the office, Yan Wenli lazily savored the tea in his cup.

But his expression was solemn and his eyes were deep, as if contemplating something profound.

After a long while, he spoke, “Prepare the car, to the Phoenix Palace.”

——

Phoenix Palace.

Shen Wuxiang sat on the couch, imposing as a dragon coiled and a tiger ready to leap, his eyes gleaming with sharpness. Even in a private gathering, he kept his backbone straight as an arrow.

In contrast to Zhong Daolong across from him, who wore glasses and looked every bit the cultured and refined university professor, Shen Wuxiang’s presence was more commanding, more befitting that of a Monarch.

Zhong Daolong lifted the whiskey bottle and asked Shen Wuxiang, “Military Minister, care for a drink?”

“Monarch, I don’t drink,” Shen Wuxiang declined with a wave of his hand.

Undeterred, Zhong Daolong chuckled and said, “If the Military Minister doesn’t drink, then neither will I.”

He put the bottle back and asked, “What brings the Military Minister over?”

“The Lu Family, without a king or a father, disregards national laws; I recommend an encirclement campaign against them.”

The smile disappeared from Zhong Daolong’s face, and his expression turned serious as if hearing of this for the first time. Unsure, he inquired, “An encirclement campaign?”

“Yes, against Lu Ban Mountain.”

“And the reason?”

“The Eldest Prince’s assassination attempt implicates the Lu Family. I had someone ask Lu Dongsheng from the Department of Mechanical Engineering to cooperate with the investigation. As a result, fearing the guilt, Lu Dongsheng fled and has already returned to Lu Ban Mountain.”

“I arranged for Security Bureau personnel to go to Lu Ban Mountain to summon them and to ensure fairness, I specially invited the Monitoring Bureau to assist… Unexpectedly, Lu Dongsheng violently resisted the law, killing seven from the Security Bureau, injuring over three hundred…”

“From the Monitoring Bureau, aside from Tang Fei, everyone else was injured…”

“Tang Fei?”

“Yes, Tang Fei is the one in charge from the Monitoring Bureau.”

“He wasn’t injured?”

“Without a scratch.”

Zhong Daolong fell silent, rhythmically tapping his fingers on the dark brown leather couch.

Shen Wuxiang also remained silent, focused within.

After a long time, Zhong Daolong looked toward Shen Wuxiang and said, “Do you understand the gravity of this matter?”

“I do.”

“Do you know the consequences of encircling Lu Ban Mountain?”

“Are you still insistent on proceeding?”

“This was the consensus reached after discussion by the Military Committee members.”

The Military Committee serves as the highest administrative institution within the Imperial Army, governing and managing all military affairs.

Including initiating or ending a war.

The Imperial Family of the Phoenix Empire does not hold an official position within the Military Committee, but they do have their spokespersons there.

Moreover, the Monarch of the Empire has veto power over the decisions of the Military Committee.

So, it appears that the military power is in the hands of the Military Committee, but in fact, it still lies within the hands of the Imperial Family.

Actually, while it seems that the military power is in the hands of the Imperial Family, most of it is actually in the hands of the Military Committee, or more accurately, in the hands of Shen Wuxiang.

Represented by the Zhong Family of the Imperial Family, the direct lineage army led by Shen Wuxiang of the Shen Family, and the military power possessed by other major families…

They all engage in mutual gamesmanship while coordinating with each other, forming the new military power landscape after Tang Li’s death.

Zhong Daolong could veto Shen Wuxiang’s proposal and refuse the decision of the Military Committee.

After pondering for a moment, he nodded and said, “Alright, if that’s the Military Committee’s decision… then proceed according to your regulations.”

Shen Wuxiang stood up, bowed deeply to Zhong Daolong, and said in a solemn voice, “Those who dare defy the Monarch’s authority and belittle the national law… the Imperial Army will make them pay a severe price.”

“I believe you, and I believe in the army of the Empire,” Zhong Daolong nodded firmly.

Shen Wuxiang turned to leave.

Yan Wenli, who had been in the inner room, came out and sat down in front of Zhong Daolong to inquire, “Are we really going to fight?”

“Don’t you find it strange? When Lu Dongsheng was under investigation by the Security Bureau, he didn’t come to the Royal Family to complain but ran straight back to his family’s stronghold… as if they were already prepared for battle.”

“So, a test of the waters?”

Picking up the whiskey bottle, Zhong Daolong poured a glass each for himself and Yan Wenli, clinking glasses, he said, “Without the trial of life and death, how can I know who’s really performing in front of me?”