readbooksol Chapter 5548 A Tiger in the House
Chapter 5548 A Tiger in the House
Chapter 5548 A Tiger in the House
Today, the son's power surpasses that of his father at the height of his career...
Although he occasionally felt jealous of his son as a father, he was mostly happy and gratified. For the first thirty years, he respected his son as a father, and for the next thirty years, he respected his father. Now, with his status and experience, he no longer cares about his own achievements or honors. A mature and wise son is his greatest achievement.
In his eyes, there was nothing in the world that he couldn't do if his son wanted to.
Fang Jun hesitated for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "I am not worried about the political situation. This incident is a good opportunity to support the Crown Prince's ascension to the throne. The court has been thoroughly cleaned up, which can ensure that there will be no obstacles to the implementation of the new policies within the next thirty years... I am worried about Meiniang."
He then recounted what he had learned from interrogating Cheng Wuting.
Fang Xuanling relaxed his brows and, seeing his son's worry and agitation, couldn't help but laugh, saying, "I laugh at you for worrying unnecessarily and making trouble for yourself."
Fang Jun was taken aback: "Why do you say that, Father?"
Fang Xuanling poured tea for his son, Fang Jun, and Fang Jun quickly thanked him.
After the father and son took a sip of hot tea together, Fang Xuanling said, "It's not that I'm trying to discourage you, but in my opinion, when it comes to political talent alone, you are far inferior to Meiniang. Your ability lies in always finding alternative ways to solve problems. You are knowledgeable in astronomy and geography, and your erudition is truly unparalleled in my life. But you should also understand that doing things is different from being a person, and doing scholarship is different from understanding people's hearts. Meiniang's strength lies in being a good person, and even more so in understanding and appreciating people's hearts."
When talking about his eccentric daughter-in-law, Fang Xuanling was filled with emotion.
He had certainly witnessed women proving themselves equal to men. Leaving aside ancient times, Princess Pingyang Zhao alone deserved the praise of being a "heroine among women." Emperor Gaozu doted on her greatly, and she was revered and admired by the entire court and the public. She was the first princess in recorded history to be buried with honors for her military achievements...
However, when it comes to political acumen and the ability to control people's hearts, he believes that Wu Zetian is far superior to Princess Pingyang Zhao.
He even felt that Wu Zetian, who seemed so powerful and imposing even today, had not fully realized her potential. If she had been born in a chaotic era like the end of the Sui Dynasty, when heroes vied for power, she might have been able to accomplish some unparalleled feats that would shake the world...
Such a sharp-minded and perceptive person often has a beast-like intuition for danger around her. She will instinctively react to anyone who harbors ill intentions towards her and to any danger that may arise. It is extremely difficult to harm her.
Moreover, Wu Zetian is currently stationed in Huating Town, surrounded by the royal navy, with heavily guarded soldiers and armed guards all around her.
Fang Jun was quite surprised. Although his father had always treated Wu Meiniang differently from others, valuing and trusting her more, he still did not expect her to be praised so highly.
"Father actually values Meiniang so much?"
Fang Xuanling glared at him and snorted, "What you do is nothing more than rely on those methods of investigating things to strengthen yourself and act violently. When you encounter difficulties, you just push them aside. It seems like you can overcome anything with sheer force and are unstoppable, but you really lack political maneuvering, cunning, and strategy. You are ugly, violent, and vulgar! Look at the various methods that Meiniang has used in the business. Which of those royal nobles and powerful families hasn't been immersed in power struggles for hundreds of years? Yet she has managed to organize them in an orderly manner and make them obedient. Without Meiniang in charge, the business would never have been able to develop smoothly, let alone have the strength and achievements it has today."
At this point, seemingly realizing that such words might hurt her son's pride, she patted his hand, softened her tone, and spoke earnestly: "Don't have too many ideas about male superiority over females, and don't think that listening to women is a sign of weakness or making a fool of yourself. Having such a wise and resourceful woman in the family is a blessing for the whole family. You should humbly listen to any advice Meiniang gives. Compared to so-called titles and official positions, Meiniang is the most precious thing that Emperor Taizong bestowed upon our family."
The thought of Wu Zetian being bullied by her brothers in her maiden home, being abused by palace servants after recommending herself to enter the palace, and finally being given to Emperor Taizong's son by him... made Fang Xuanling feel as if he were in a dream.
Who would have thought that such a delicate and frail woman, with her innate charm, could be so beautiful and intelligent, with outstanding wisdom and resourcefulness?
Fang Jun laughed, leaning back in his chair with a smug look on his face: "Father, you think too highly of me, don't you? I'm not that kind of self-righteous fool! With Gao Yang as the matriarch, her status as a member of the imperial family brings her privileges. And with Meiniang's strategic planning, our family business will only flourish... I'll stay home to take care of you two, educate our children, and in my spare time, enjoy the beauty of nature and delve into the ways of the world. Isn't that wonderful? Why would I want to create trouble for myself!"
Even today, although he holds a high position, wields immense power, and is incredibly wealthy, he has never actively pursued power or wealth. His greatest ideal in being able to live a second life is to live a carefree life, ignoring the intrigues and power struggles.
Living in such an era, and possessing knowledge from the future, I always feel that I should not only look after myself, but also shoulder the responsibilities that history has bestowed upon me.
But now, he has used almost all the knowledge he has acquired, and the Tang Empire has embarked on a completely new path that is contrary to history. Firearms, metallurgy, agriculture, navigation, natural science... everything is developing smoothly as expected.
All he could do was wait patiently.
We await the rise of natural sciences under the oppression of Confucian culture, the influx of wealth into the Tang Dynasty, the gradual loosening and decline of the imperial supremacy mentality in the face of the times, and the accumulation of powerful energy by capital to completely overthrow the imperial power.
The force that dismantles imperial power is not democracy or freedom, but capital.
The transformation from quantitative to qualitative change is a complex and lengthy process, but fortunately, he did everything he could...
Unable to bear his son's smug expression, Fang Xuanling sneered, "You rely on your wife for everything; you're just a good-for-nothing!"
Fang Jun coughed lightly and reminded him, "Don't laugh at me for this. We're father and son, we're from the same family, we have a long tradition of learning from each other."
Fang Xuanling paused, then glared at him and asked, "What do you mean?"
Fang Jun smiled and said, "Of course, Father knows what I mean."
Fang Xuanling's face flushed red: "The rumors circulating outside are mostly nonsense. I was once the Prime Minister of the Empire, and I have read thousands of books. I am a man of integrity and upright character!"
"Hehe, I believe you, but do you think others will?"
"I stand tall and my word is my bond. What do I have to fear from rumors, slander, and attacks?"
"Alright, when I get home I'll discuss this with my mother and ask her just how strong your backbone is and how unwavering your promises are."
"Rebel!"
*****
As May approaches, the Yangtze River basin has entered the plum rain season. As the saying goes, "the sky is never clear for three days in a row." The mighty Yangtze flows on, and a light drizzle comes. Thatched cottages are easily dampened, and the dense fog is hard to disperse. At dusk, the fine rain wets the grass, trees, and leaves. Wu Zetian looks out the window and can see the Wusong River rippling with rain and mist, with boats passing by, their sails standing tall and their oars like clouds.
Hearing the report from Hei Chi Changzhi behind her, Wu Meiniang finally turned her gaze away from the Wusong River outside the window, her bright phoenix eyes sparkling: "You mean there are people with unknown whereabouts who have sneaked into Huating Town with merchant ships?"
Black Tooth Chang, clad in leather armor, was eight feet tall and had a robust physique with broad shoulders, a thick back, and a slender waist. However, when standing in front of the petite and exquisite Wu Meiniang, he bent slightly and held his breath, as obedient as a hunter's patrol dog.
"In reply to Madam Wu, that is indeed the case. Previously, some yamen runners from the town government discovered that after several merchant ships docked at the pier to unload their cargo, the number of people on board did not match the number reported when they entered the port. The reasons given were varied and seemed reasonable, but in fact they were not."
Wu Zetian frowned slightly. This man with black teeth, Changzhi, was a skilled bodyguard that her husband had arranged to protect her. Because he was of Goguryeo origin, his Chinese was not very fluent, and he often failed to express himself clearly. However, she did not pay attention to it, as long as he could understand her.
"Unable to track down their whereabouts?"
Hei Chi Changzhi shook his head: "This humble general personally led the investigation, but found nothing."
Wu Meiniang pondered for a moment: "That means someone was there to meet us at the dock, which is how we managed to evade your investigation."
"exactly."
"Then let's ignore it."
Hei Chi Changzhi: "..."
The people have already gone into hiding, clearly with ulterior motives. Shouldn't we do everything we can to investigate and bring them to justice? How can we ignore them?
Seeing the puzzled look on Hei Chi Changzhi's face, Wu Meiniang chuckled, her charming and dignified smile radiant, and said in a sweet voice, "I roughly know why these people have come, so there's no need to make a big fuss about investigating and searching. We can just wait here."
Hei Chi Changzhi was startled by the stunning beauty of the woman and quickly lowered his head to avoid her gaze. He humbly asked, "Does Madam Wu mean that these people are here for you?"
Wu Meiniang turned to look out the window again, her fair hands clasped behind her back, her hair piled high, her neck long and slender, her shoulders sharply defined, her back view infinitely beautiful: "Huating Town is the garrison of the royal navy, with tens of thousands of soldiers inside and out, and countless muskets and cannons. It is no exaggeration to say that it is an impregnable fortress, a den of dragons and tigers. Yet, people still managed to sneak in. Whatever their purpose, they clearly did not intend to return alive. Those who came must be suicide soldiers."
“Death warriors are extremely difficult to train. They require not only a lot of money but also a lot of time, so no family would use them to plunder money.”
"In Huating Town, the only ones who can be dealt with by sending out assassins are myself and Su Dingfang."
“Su Dingfang is just a military man. Even though he is the Grand Admiral of the Navy and can be considered a local hero, killing him would not weaken the navy’s fighting power.”
"Then I'm the only target left."
"What would be the consequences of killing me? Would the business fall into internal strife? Would the maritime trade collapse? Or would my lord be enraged by it?"
Wu Meiniang's eyes were piercing: "Something must have happened in Chang'an."
Hei Chi Changzhi: "..."
What are you muttering about? I don't understand!