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Chapter 18 Wei Zheng
The main hall of the Wei residence in Yongxingfang.

Guided by the housekeeper, Chen Guangrui sat down on a slightly worn wooden chair. The hall was filled with a faint, bitter scent of herbs and the cool air of the blue bricks. A single lamp cast its dim light on the neatly stacked firewood in the corner and the sieves of herbs hanging in the corridor, arranged like a star map.

The sound of hurried footsteps approached from afar, breaking the silence of the courtyard.

Before anyone could stand still, a thunderous roar echoed through the hall.

"The Ministry of War is full of idiots! Cutting 90% of the expenses for beacon towers as 'frugality,' while Turkic scimitars are practically at the throat of the Jing River!"

Wei Zheng burst into the hall.

He stopped abruptly, his gaunt figure wrapped in a faded, old blue official robe, his bones bony yet his back straight as a pine tree. His graying temples were disheveled, and beneath the deep, chiseled lines on his forehead, his eyes, like cold stars, pierced Chen Guangrui with a sharp, knife-like gaze.

"At the beginning of the year, the Censorate kept a hundred warhorses from Hexi just for spring outings! It's already been a laughing stock. Tell me, shouldn't these parasites that drain the national treasury be killed?!"

This must be Wei Zheng.

Chen Guangrui calmly met that gaze that seemed to penetrate his heart, and his mind quickly compared it with the image of "upright and outspoken, known for his straightforward remonstrances" in the biographies of historical figures.

The man's fierce anger before my eyes is remarkably consistent with the unyielding spirit depicted in historical records.

Faced with this barrage of questions and scrutiny, Chen Guangrui slowly raised the corners of his lips into an extremely subtle arc, as if he could see through everything. Instead of being alarmed, he calmly picked up the pot and filled a rough pottery bowl on the table.

He gently pushed the bowl of slightly rippling wine toward Wei Zheng, who was on the verge of exploding with rage, without saying anything more. At this moment, he was still observing Wei Zheng, and he knew that Wei Zheng was also watching him.

"This matter cannot be left like this; we must impeach these people no matter what!"

Seeing that Chen Guangrui did not answer, Wei Zheng seemed to have expected this, and calmly brought up another matter.

"This morning when the Imperial Guards withdrew, I straightened my hat in front of the mirror, having already prepared a coffin. Therefore, I am not afraid of these people."

As they were talking, he sat down opposite Chen Guangrui.

At this moment, there were only the two of them in the main hall. The butler had already checked the surroundings and there was no way anyone could be eavesdropping.

Wei Zheng poured a glass of cheap wine that Chen Guangrui had brought, and nodded slightly, "Thank you for your thoughtfulness."

Chen Guangrui lightly picked up his chopsticks and ate the steamed pork. As he ate, he commented on Wei Zheng's words, "With the coffin prepared, the road ahead is smooth."

"Oh?"

Wei Zheng paused for a moment, then said, "This sentence is somewhat similar to your saying, 'When you reach the end of the watercourse, sit and watch the clouds rise.'"

He looked at Chen Guangrui and said, "In just half a day, your poem has spread throughout Chang'an."

Then, the sharpness in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by the warmth unique to elders.

"The youthful spirit and vigor of young people are the most beautiful sight in the world..."

A rumble of thunder in his throat turned into a low sigh, "But the eye of the storm in Chang'an has never hesitated to tear apart the wings of a young man. Your poem has been planted in all 108 wards in half a day."

He gazed at Chen Guangrui, a hint of worry creeping into his wrinkles. “But you must remember, the tallest new branch is always the first to be struck by lightning.”

Having said that, he said no more.

Chen Guangrui simply nodded, indicating that he had learned his lesson.

Wei Zheng looked at Chen Guangrui's composure and nodded almost imperceptibly.
"Young man, your advice of 'to pacify the interior, one must first deter external threats'..."

He suddenly pulled a letter with frayed edges from the sleeve of his old robe.

"Your courage is astounding! But I'd like to know,"

His gaze pierced Chen Guangrui like a needle:

"Is this idea of ​​'deterring foreign powers' yours alone, or did you need guidance from a master?" Chen Guangrui looked at the letter and recognized that it was the one he had delivered to Wei Zheng's residence yesterday. He had also anticipated that Wei Zheng would ask this question today.

He did not answer, but asked instead,
"What do you think?"

Chen Guangrui put down his chopsticks and met Wei Zheng's gaze.
"In the entire city of Chang'an, who would still help you?"

Wei Zheng sneered, "You're helping me? Right now, all the former ministers of the King of Qin advocate purging the remnants of the Eastern Palace. If your 'expansion' advice is submitted..."

He suddenly leaned down, staring into Chen Guangrui's eyes, "Do you know what the Crown Prince will think if these words were delivered to him through my mouth? What will the other former officials of the Prince of Qin think?"

Upon hearing Wei Zheng's words, Chen Guangrui burst out laughing.
“Registrar Wei, do you still care what they think? Stop testing me.”

Wei Zheng remained expressionless, his fingers lightly tracing the edge of the wooden table. He didn't speak, but waited for Chen Guangrui to continue.

Chen Guangrui found it amusing. This Wei Zheng, seemingly upright and outspoken, appeared to be a little too cautious.

In this situation, with only the two of them present, Wei Zheng didn't dare to say a word more than necessary, insisting on hearing everything Chen Guangrui had to say before making a conclusion.

They were truly being very careful.

He said directly, "If I have any connection with the Qin Prince's mansion and want to get rid of you, it's very simple. I don't need to do anything; someone will naturally deal with you. Even if they can't come up with a way, do you think someone would kill Cheng Yaojin if he accidentally killed you?"

At this point, he picked up a piece of meat and looked at Wei Zheng's expression.

He discovered that the old man was completely unable to glean his thoughts from his expression.

It seems he doesn't fully believe in himself yet.

Chen Guangrui wasn't in a hurry. The more Wei Zheng waited for the next part, the less he said. He took a sip of wine, ate a bite of meat, and ate with relish.

Sure enough, Wei Zheng eventually lost patience and tentatively asked, "Is your plan to repel external aggression truly feasible?"

Whether it's feasible or not depends on what the new crown prince thinks.

Chen Guangrui didn't keep anyone in suspense.

"Right now, the Xuanwu Gate incident has a bad reputation, and the new crown prince needs a chance to clear his name."

"But the old officials of the Qin Prince's mansion have fought so many battles over the years and finally become loyal ministers. They all want to enjoy themselves and no one is willing to take this risk."

After he finished speaking, he stopped talking, not even glancing at Wei Zheng, as if he were reciting something to himself.
"Others don't want to fight, but the King of Qin wants to fight and can't say so. What is he using you for? Isn't it just for this purpose?"

Sure enough, after Chen Guangrui finished speaking, there was a loud crash, as Wei Zheng had accidentally broken the cup.

Wei Zheng did not move, maintaining the same posture as before.

After a moment, he silently bent down and picked up the broken pieces with his hands.
"But how can you be so sure that we will win this battle if we fight it?"

Chen Guangrui knew that Wei Zheng was still seeking stability and was looking for a completely accurate piece of advice that no one else had mentioned.

Chen Guangrui certainly knew what the correct answer was, but he couldn't say it.

Even if he told him, Wei Zheng wouldn't believe him.

So when Wei Zheng fell into deep thought again, Chen Guangrui just smiled. There was nothing he could do about it; he could only wait.

Wait until Wei Zheng believes it.

Or, wait until he has nowhere else to turn.

(End of this chapter)