Chapter 875: The more you try to hide, the more obvious it becomes (Part )

At noon, Lord Jia greeted Lord Qian and said goodbye on the grounds that he had "been bothering him for a long time", and left the Privy Council accompanied by Qin Wei, who was full of worries.

Along the way, Qin Wei suppressed his inner anxiety and chatted with Lord Jia about family matters.

I don't know why? Lord Jia seemed to be particularly enthusiastic towards Qin Wei today, just like an elder in the family who was concerned about the younger generation. His attitude could even be described as "earnest", which made Qin Wei, who didn't know the reason, difficult to adapt to for a while.

Even so, after Qin Wei escorted Lord Jia back to the Prime Minister's Mansion, he still rushed back to the Privy Council in a hurry.

Although Lord Jia was unusually concerned about him today and even showed his willingness to win him over without hesitation, Qin Wei knew that he had come this far thanks to Lord Qian's support and cultivation. As for Lord Jia... he was so cunning that he was beyond his comprehension, so Qin Wei always remained a little wary of him.

More importantly, Lord Jia knew that Qin Wei and Lord Qian were close friends, but he deliberately showed his favor to Qin Wei in front of Lord Qian. Such a blatant "poaching" would not only make Lord Qian unhappy, but even Qin Wei himself felt that something was wrong.

Because of this, Qin Wei couldn't wait to rush back to the Privy Council after sending Lord Jia back. He had to "admit his fault" to Lord Qian in person.

, saw Mr. Qian's attitude with his own eyes, heard Mr. Qian's teachings with his own ears... Even if Mr. Qian scolded him, it was better than letting the rift grow for no reason.

After all, Lord Qian is still Qin Wei's most solid backer to this day. Besides, he had finally gotten rid of Bai Jin. Now was a good opportunity to "take a step further" with Lord Qian. How could he allow any unnecessary trouble to arise?

Only by being frank with Lord Qian can Qin Wei feel at ease.

However, when the anxious Qin Wei was riding his horse at full speed back the same way, Lord Qian, who was originally recuperating in bed, was slowly walking out of the Privy Council under the protection of seven or eight guards.

At this moment, a carriage and hundreds of armored soldiers were waiting outside the gate.

Ever since Lord Qian was assassinated by Liu Xunyi ten days ago, everyone in Lin'an, from the royal family to the government officials, has been in a panic and trembling with fear. They are cautious when going in and out, and are accompanied by groups of guards.

Especially for Lord Qian, who survived the disaster, a hundred elite soldiers were dispatched to protect him closely. As long as he stepped out of the Privy Council, they would be on high alert and would not leave his side.

In fact, it is not that these officials are making a fuss over nothing, it is just human nature. After all, ordinary people know the truth that "a good death is worse than a miserable life", let alone these powerful people who hold great power?
Regardless of whether there is reincarnation or not, the blessings of this life alone are enough to make them afraid of death and reluctant to leave the world.

"Your Excellency's injuries have not healed yet. This is..."

"It turns out to be Master Qin!"

Hearing Qin Wei's voice, Lord Qian slowed down his pace, turned around and waved gently at Qin Wei, who had a confused look in his eyes. Only then did the two guards who were blocking him with their swords let him approach.

"Greetings, my lord!"

"Qin Wei, why are you back?" Looking down at Qin Wei who was kneeling on the ground and was very respectful, Lord Qian asked with a hint of meaning, "Does your master not need your service?"

"Your Excellency, I was only escorting the Prime Minister back to his residence, not the master."

"Oh?" Lord Qian raised his eyebrows and asked with interest, "You are the head of the East Palace Wu Pavilion, and Lord Jia is the prime minister of the East Palace. If he is not your master, who is your master?"

"The Prime Minister is Qin Wei's superior, but not Qin Wei's master." Qin Wei said in a righteous and resounding voice.

"What is the difference?"

"Of course it's different! All those who are higher in rank than me are my superiors, there may be ten, a hundred, or even a thousand of them. But there is only one master, and he will never change." Having said this, Qin Wei suddenly raised his head, looked at the expressionless Lord Qian with sincere eyes, and said righteously, "Qin Wei has only one master in this life... that is you, Lord!"

However, facing Qin Wei's sincere words, Lord Qian just smiled and did not respond.

"If you don't believe me, I will swear an oath in public..."

"Get in the car!"

Before Qin Wei finished speaking, Lord Qian's expression relaxed, and he said something lightly, then walked towards the carriage without looking back.

Hearing this, Qin Wei, knowing that he had escaped a disaster, could not help but be overjoyed. He trotted all the way to Lord Qian, and without caring about his dignity, he knelt on the ground in public, allowing Lord Qian to use his body as a stool and step on his back to get into the carriage.

With a shout, the carriage started slowly under the protection of more than a hundred guards, and moved towards the distance in a mighty manner.

"Sir, Lord Jia came to visit unexpectedly today, and I had no prior knowledge of it..." "No need to say more, I believe you."

Inside the carriage, when Qin Wei, unable to suppress his excitement, wanted to explain, Lord Qian waved his hand nonchalantly and said with a faint smile: "I know you very well, otherwise I would not be in the same carriage with you."

"Your Excellency is wise!" Qin Wei breathed a sigh of relief, and at the same time wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeves.

"Actually, there is something I have always wanted to ask you." Lord Qian changed the subject and said thoughtfully, "What happened in Tianji Pavilion the night Liu Xunyi tried to assassinate me?"

Just these words made Qin Wei panic and he swallowed subconsciously. He could hear the hidden meaning of Mr. Qian and knew that what Mr. Qian really wanted to ask was not about the fate of Tianji Pavilion, but about Bai Jin who died tragically in Tianji Pavilion.

After all, people are made of flesh and blood, and Lord Qian is not heartless. Bai Jin has followed him for many years, and has always been devoted and loyal. Now that he has suddenly met with misfortune, it has a great impact on Lord Qian both publicly and privately.

"It was my fault for not thinking things through and neglecting to take precautions, which allowed Liu Xunyi to... take advantage of the situation."

"You were just careless in guarding against it?" Lord Qian raised his eyebrows, as if he was doubtful.

"Yes... No! No..." Qin Wei was vague at first under the scrutiny of Lord Qian, and then hurriedly changed his words, "I admit that when I faced Liu Xunyi that night... I did take into account our old friendship and could not bear to fight him to the death. But unexpectedly, Lord Bai hated evil and refused to listen to my advice, and rashly attacked Liu Xunyi... Unfortunately, although Lord Bai was skilled, he was far inferior to Liu Xunyi... Therefore, before I could help, Liu Xunyi had already killed Lord Bai with a thunderous force. This matter is my fault, I can't quibble, and I dare not quibble..."

In fact, Qin Wei had already explained this to Lord Qian the night Bai Jin died. However, Lord Qian had always been bothered by Bai Jin's death, so he kept asking for details.

"I know Bai Jin's character very well. He died because of his impulsiveness... I can't blame you." When Bai Jin was mentioned, Lord Qian's eyes became dim, and he let out a long sigh, and then said, "Since you couldn't bear to attack Liu Xunyi, why did you stab him with a sword in the end?"

Hearing this, Qin Wei's trembling eyes suddenly condensed, and he said word by word: "In my heart, Liu Xunyi is a brother who is as close as a brother, and you are my parents who have given me a new life. As for which is more important, parents or brothers, I used to be inconsistent and couldn't figure it out, but that night ten days ago, when I saw with my own eyes that Liu Xunyi wanted to kill you... I found the answer."

Today, Liu Xunyi has become a "hidden disease" deep in Qin Wei's heart. Whenever he mentions her, his heart aches uncontrollably.

"Qin Wei, I am very pleased that you can not be partial to personal feelings in the face of major issues." Lord Qian seemed quite satisfied with Qin Wei's answer, and said meaningfully: "Humans are not plants or trees, who can be heartless? This matter... is difficult for you."

"grown ups!"

Seeing that Lord Qian was so sad and sighing over Bai Jin's death, Qin Wei hurriedly struck while the iron was hot and knelt down in front of Lord Qian with a plop, vowing: "Although Bai Jin is gone, Qin Wei will always stay by your side, lead your horse and stirrups, and charge into battle for you. If you don't mind my humble background and weak abilities, I dare to ask you to take me in as a servant. Although I don't have the wisdom to strategize, nor the ability to subdue tigers and dragons, I have a loyal heart that will never regret even if I die nine times, and I am willing to serve you all my life!"

"What's the matter?" Lord Qian pretended to be surprised and quickly stretched out his hand to lift Qin Wei up. "Now you are a dignified third-rank official, and you are only one step away from me. How dare I take you as a slave?"

"Whether it's the third or fourth rank, it's all thanks to you, sir. Without your support, Qin Wei would be a useless person." Qin Wei said humbly, "I beg you to take me into the West Palace. I would rather be a lowly clerk in the Privy Council than stay in the East Palace and be a third-rank official. As long as I can be with you and serve you, anything I do is worth it!"

Qin Wei's words were not as good as his words. In fact, he was not a man who would keep his ambitions in poverty. The reason why he was so eager to work as a minor official in the Western Palace was, firstly, to show his attitude to Mr. Qian and please him, and secondly, to satisfy his greater ambitions.

What Qin Wei really loves is not Mr. Qian, but the power in Mr. Qian's hands. He volunteered to serve in the West Palace, and what he coveted was the real power of the West Palace, which was far superior to that of the East Palace.

After all, most of the officials in the East Palace are weak and powerless. They may have some power in a peaceful and prosperous era, but they can hardly do much in a chaotic era. Moreover, the East Palace has just experienced a turmoil, and the power of the prime minister and the petty officials has been reduced by the emperor. Even a figure like Lord Jia is only glorious on the surface, but in fact his foundation is unstable and he has no power to use.

More importantly, in the East Palace where people are fond of literature and painting, there is no room for people with martial arts training to display their talents. Qin Wei's promotion to Tianji Marquis is already a dead end. To move up to the second-rank official or even the first-rank important official, one must be a disciple of the emperor or a top scholar. Based on this alone, Qin Wei, who has been wielding swords and guns since childhood, will have no hope of promotion in this life.

As for the third-rank "Tianji Hou", it sounds impressive, but in fact it is just an empty title, and he can only control the small Tianji Pavilion. Just like Zhao Yuan's embarrassment in the past, after leaving the Tianji Pavilion, the power in his hands is not even as good as that of a county magistrate.

In terms of actual power alone, the "third rank" of the East Palace is far inferior to the "third rank" of the West Palace, and Qin Wei is not even as good as Bai Jin in the past.

However, the situation in the West Mansion is quite different. The West Mansion is the territory of military officers. Even if Qin Wei does not rely on Lord Qian, he can still thrive with his martial arts skills. Now with the cultivation and promotion of Lord Qian, his future is bound to be bright.

The most important thing is that those who are close to the water get the moon first. In three to five years, he is very likely to succeed the elderly Mr. Qian and become the deputy privy envoy with real power, or even the privy envoy in charge of the military power of the Song Dynasty.

By then, Qin Wei will truly be second to none and above everyone else.

Therefore, in order to realize his greater ambitions and win a better future, Qin Wei decided to take advantage of the fact that Bai Jin died and Lord Qian was in urgent need of people, to make a small concession and retreat to advance, and resolutely change his course and defect to Xifu.

……

(End of this chapter)