usatvline Chapter 93 Carrying Thorns
Chapter 93 Carrying Thorns
A few days later, Yin Nantian returned to Cangzhou quietly after attending the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet.
That afternoon, Yin Nantian summoned Liu Shan again.
In the main hall of the Yin residence, Yin Nantian recounted the grand occasion of the birthday banquet with great enthusiasm, especially mentioning the Empress Dowager's praise for Cangzhou, his words filled with pride.
"When it came to the poetry and treasure presentation, Cangzhou won the favor of the Empress Dowager. She repeatedly praised Cangzhou for its abundant resources and outstanding people."
Yin Nantian also specifically mentioned: "The Empress Dowager greatly admires 'New Lotus Leaves - Dewdrops Falling,' praising its profound artistic conception. I intentionally mentioned your name, and after hearing it, she nodded repeatedly, praising you for your outstanding talent and literary skills, calling you a rare talent."
Liu Shan's attention, however, was focused on the words "presenting treasures," and he asked, "Prefect, does our Cangzhou have any treasures? What have you presented?"
Yin Nantian revealed a smug smile, “I used six thousand taels of silver to buy a rare jade inkstone from an antique dealer. The inkstone is as warm and smooth as jade, and the carving is exquisite. The Empress Dowager was very pleased when she saw it and praised it repeatedly.”
Liu Shan didn't know how valuable the jade inkstone was, but the number "six thousand taels" felt particularly familiar to him.
If he is not mistaken, the silver Yin Nantian used to buy the jade inkstone was the same six thousand taels he had recently donated.
Oh, it was six thousand taels donated by Sun Wangang and Zhang Tienan.
Liu Shan carefully examined Yin Nantian, thinking to himself: This old guy is something else; he's really mastered the art of getting something for nothing.
Together with the poems and the jade inkstone, it was all a clever scheme by Yin Nantian to use someone else's talent to his advantage.
It was an extremely clever tactic to please the Empress Dowager without having to pay out of his own pocket.
Although Liu Shan felt a little strange, he could only admire him inwardly. After all, he was the prefect!
As a lowly ninth-rank official, what could I do besides cooperate?!
Liu Shan smiled slightly, inwardly sighing: the officialdom is like a game of chess, every move is carefully calculated.
However, since Yin Nantian received praise, his "capable assistant" naturally benefited as well, and aside from anything else, he still had a good chance of being promoted in the future.
However, Yin Nantian changed the subject and said seriously, "The officialdom is unpredictable and full of deceit. One moment you may be a prisoner and the next you may be an honored guest."
Liu Shan was taken aback. He knew that Yin Nantian wouldn't say such things for no reason; there must be a deeper meaning behind them.
He quickly composed himself and waited for what was to come.
Sure enough, Yin Nantian lowered his voice and continued, "Recently, the political situation in the court has been turbulent. Someone has used their connections to present the Empress Dowager with a jade carving of a pine tree and crane, which is more than half a person tall and of immeasurable value."
A jade carving of pine trees and cranes symbolizing longevity? Or is it more than half a person's height?
Wow! That's a big spender!
It is at least a hundred times more expensive than Yin Nantian's jade inkstone.
only……
Liu Shan waited patiently for the next installment.
Yin Nantian's sharp gaze swept over Liu Shan, and he said in a low voice, "With the appearance of this item, the Empress Dowager was overjoyed, and the power structure in the court was reshuffled as a result."
Liu Shan didn't care about how the power structure in the court would be reshuffled; he only cared about how this matter was related to him.
"Your Excellency, please stop beating around the bush. What impact will this matter have on me? Please tell me frankly."
Yin Nantian pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "The Empress Dowager has shown great favor to the person who presented this jade carving, and the person who presented it is none other than Liu Xinian."
Liu Shan was immediately shocked!
Liu Xinian?
Does he have that much power?
Does he have that much silver?
Before he was dismissed from his post, he was just a minor county magistrate of the seventh rank, and he was over seventy years old... no, at this moment he should be an old man who is already seventy years old.
Liu Shan was in turmoil. He just couldn't understand why someone who was seventy years old, with his neck almost buried in the ground, would still be so restless.
Why not just wait to die quietly?
Why does he have to stir up trouble in his twilight years? Does he really want to make one last gamble before he dies?
Uh... surely he's not trying to climb back to a higher position and take revenge on me, is he?!
Thinking of this, Liu Shan hurriedly asked, "Prefect, what was the outcome of Liu Xinian's offering of the precious treasure?"
Yin Nantian frowned slightly and said in a deep voice, "The Empress Dowager has issued an edict pardoning Liu Xinian from all his crimes. Although he has not been reinstated, everyone knows that his reinstatement is only a matter of time."
Liu Shan felt a chill run down his spine, thinking to himself: If Liu Xinian is truly reinstated, he will surely bring up old grievances, and things will likely turn out badly then.
However, he remained relatively calm. He was confident that if he could dismiss Liu Xinian once, he could dismiss him a second time.
Seeing Liu Shan's solemn expression, Yin Nantian comforted him, "You don't need to worry too much. Don't you still have me, the prefect? I can't guarantee anything else, but if he wants to be reinstated, I will do my best to stop him."
With Yin Nantian's words, Liu Shan felt somewhat at ease.
As the highest-ranking official in Cangzhou, Yin Nantian certainly carries some weight.
……
As Liu Shan left the Yin residence, his steps were heavy, his mind filled with a myriad of thoughts.
Liu Xinian's reinstatement is not the scary part; what is scary is the powerful background he revealed in this tribute.
Moreover, he has now caught the eye of the Empress Dowager, making it even more difficult for her to easily deal with him again.
Just then, he ran into Zhang Tienan.
Seeing Liu Shan's serious expression, Zhang Tienan, who was beaming with joy, asked with concern, "Brother Liu, what's troubling you so much?"
Liu Shan sighed and said with a wry smile, "Brother Zhang, it's a long story."
Zhang Tienan suppressed his excitement and said seriously, "Brother Liu, if you trust me, please speak frankly. Perhaps I can help you in some way."
However, Liu Shan shook his head, saying that some things could not be told to outsiders.
Seeing this, Zhang Tienan knew it was a secret of officialdom and didn't want to ask too much. So he patted Liu Shan on the shoulder and said gently, "Brother Liu, come with me to see some good news. It will surely ease your worries."
Liu Shan followed Zhang Tienan to a bustling courtyard, where a large crowd had gathered and people were whispering among themselves.
Liu Shan was puzzled, so he followed Zhang Tienan into the crowd. There he saw a man with his upper body naked, carrying two thorns on his back, kneeling at the gate of the courtyard, muttering something as if he were repenting.
Bystanders pointed and whispered among themselves, but no one stepped forward to inquire or dissuade them.
Liu Shan's heart skipped a beat. The figure looked familiar. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was Zhao Tingxiao from the Zhao family.
"Bearing thorns to apologize? What's he up to?"
Faced with Liu Shan's doubts, Zhang Tienan explained in a low voice: "A few days ago, the Zhao family wanted to take over my family's restaurant. Fortunately, Brother Liu helped us and they didn't succeed. In the past few days, the Zhao family has been secretly sabotaging us and has tried several underhanded tricks, but they have not worked. So the Zhao family head took his anger out on Zhao Tingxiao and wanted to drive him out of the Zhao family."
"So, whose idea was this to apologize with thorns on one's back? Could it be that Zhao Tingxiao acted on his own, trying to gain everyone's sympathy and win back Zhao Si's heart?"
Zhang Tienan shrugged and said, "I'm not too clear on the specifics, but judging from this situation, Zhao Tingxiao must have been desperate to resort to this tactic. Brother Liu, you don't need to worry too much; just treat it as a joke."