#612 - Goodbye, old friend
Half an hour later.
The city defense troops around the South Gate had withdrawn, the civil and military officials had returned to their respective homes, and Ning Wenjun had also departed back to the palace.
They had come this time to welcome Wei Changtian, and the discussion of resisting the enemy would certainly require another time, so after the task was completed, they each returned home.
Wei Changtian also sat in a carriage, preparing to return to the Wei residence first, and then begin to handle the matters he needed to do in the capital.
"Young Master, it's only been two years, but I didn't expect the capital to have become like this."
In the carriage, Yang Liushi looked at the scenery outside the window, her tone somewhat melancholic.
Wei Changtian was feeling much the same way at this moment.
As they traveled, although there were many people on the street, most of them looked dejected.
Each one was either hurrying along with their head down, or wandering around aimlessly with nothing to do.
The originally bustling capital had become lifeless, a world apart from how it was when Wei Changtian left.
But thinking about it, it was normal.
Wei Xianzhis rebellion and the enthronement of Ning Wenjun as the new emperor must have resulted in the deaths of many people.
Including the inevitable "cleansing" after Ning Yongnian's death.
Two "great purges", coupled with the nearly year-long "grain market turmoil", must have left everyone in the capital feeling insecure and all industries in decline.
Even now that Ning Wenjun had firmly established himself on the throne and the political situation was stable, the past damage was not so easily smoothed over.
He didn't know how long it would take for the capital to return to its former prosperity.
"Alas, the people suffer in prosperity, and the people suffer in ruin."
Shaking his head, Wei Changtian sighed softly.
This line, which everyone in his previous life had to memorize, immediately stunned Yang Liushi.
She pursed her lips, her eyes lowered, as if pondering the deep meaning of these words.
Wei Changtian glanced at her, then shifted his gaze to Li Zimu.
The latter had been silent since getting into the carriage, constantly looking out the window, probably shocked by the scene just now.
After all, from a pitiful woman who was almost tortured to death by bandits to a Wei family retainer who could personally see the emperor of a country, such a change in status and perspective could not be achieved in just two days.
"Miss Li, you saw the situation just now."
Suddenly, Wei Changtian asked without warning, "Do you think Ning Wenjun is the kind of person who is willing to be a puppet of my Wei family for the rest of his life?"
"Ah?"
Li Zimu was stunned, hurriedly turned her head, her eyes meeting Wei Changtian's.
She obviously didn't expect the latter to suddenly test her, but she quickly recovered, pondered for a moment, and then slowly replied:
"Young Master, he is not."
"Why?"
Wei Changtian had already obtained the answer through his conversation with Ning Wenjun, so he knew that Li Zimu's analysis was correct again this time.
But he still wanted to hear how the latter reasoned.
"If Ning Wenjun dares to defy the Wei family, there is only one outcome: death. He is very clear about this himself."
"So why do you think he is willing to risk his life to find an opportunity to break free from my Wei family's control?"
"Young Master, since the Emperor greeted you today with such fanfare, he certainly would not take such a risk."
Li Zimu earnestly corrected, "Therefore, I only said that he is unwilling, but I did not say that he would do so."
"Hmm?"
Wei Changtian's expression was calm: "What do you mean?"
"Hmm... Being unwilling means that he always has the thought in his mind, and he will act if there is an opportunity, but he will not act if there is no opportunity."
Li Zimu looked at Wei Changtian, her hands neatly placed on her knees: "The Emperor will definitely accumulate power in secret. If Young Master remains strong, he will continue to endure and not oppose Young Master."
"But if one day Young Master's power declines, then he might launch an attack."
Li Zimu lowered her head shyly, just about to say something.
However, the carriage slowly stopped at this moment, and Zhang San's slightly relaxed voice came from outside the carriage.
"Young Master, we've arrived."
The familiar vermilion gate, the bluestone road in front of the gate, the old trees beside the road...
After being away for more than two years, he had finally returned to the "first stop" after his transmigration.
Standing in front of the gate, Wei Changtian looked up at the words "Wei Residence" on the plaque, and couldn't help but feel a sense of emotion in his heart.
He originally thought that he would return after the "three-year period", but unexpectedly it was a few months earlier.
From leaving as a "criminal guilty of assassinating the Prime Minister" to returning as someone personally welcomed out of the city by the current Emperor, if he had been a little more miserable when he left, this would undoubtedly be a classic trope of "you ignored me in the past, but you can't afford me now."
Put it in a certain classic web novel from his previous life, and there would definitely be a line—
Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river, don't bully the young and poor!
But unfortunately, Wei Changtian was not "poor" when he left, and now he is at most a little "richer" than before.
So, apart from feeling a little emotional about the passage of time, he didn't have the slightest feeling of "returning home in glory, raising his eyebrows and breathing freely."
"Young Master!!"
Suddenly, a familiar voice came first, followed by a robust figure.
Looking at Wang Er, who was coming to greet him from the courtyard, a smile appeared on Wei Changtian's face.
"Hahaha, Wang Er!"
"Young Master!"
"Wang Er!"
"Young..."
"Alright! Stop!"
"Yes!"
The reunion of a pair of evil master and evil servant instantly brought back many memories for Wei Changtian.
Strictly speaking, Wang Er was the first "own man" he had won over. Not only did he do many things for him, but he also managed the Gongji Society in an orderly manner during the two years he was away from the capital.
He could be considered to have lived up to his expectations.
"Young Master..."
A gentle breeze stirred the corners of the clothes of the master and servant who had once colluded to do all kinds of bad things.
Wang Er, who was powerfully built, looked Wei Changtian up and down, brewed for a long time, and then uttered a faint sentence—
"You seem to have lost weight."
"???"
Looking at Wang Er's somewhat distressed expression, Wei Changtian had a black line on his face.
"If you don't know how to talk, just say less!"
"Yes, yes, yes, this little one is just a little distressed about the Young Master's health..."
Realizing that Wei Changtian's face was getting darker and darker, Wang Er stopped talking in time, and then pointed to the side as if taking credit.
"Young Master! Look, who is this?!"
"..."
Good fellow, after not seeing him for two years, Wang Er hasn't changed in other ways, but his skill in creating suspense has greatly improved.
Wei Changtian rolled his eyes, and his gaze also shifted to the fair-skinned man beside him.
He wore a Xiaoyao scarf on his head, a white scholar's robe, one hand behind his back, and the other hand holding an open folding fan, shaking it slightly.
If it weren't for the fact that fanning himself in the middle of winter made him look very stupid, he would have looked quite dashing at first glance.
It's just that...
"Uh, this brother, I don't know who you are..."
Looking at the young master who was smiling at him, Wei Changtian was confused and didn't know who this person was.
As soon as he said this, the smile on the young master's face suddenly froze, and then he wailed with a mournful face:
"Brother Wei!! It's me!! Li Yang ah!!!!"
"What? Brother Li??!"
Wei Changtian was shocked and repeatedly examined him, finally finding a few similarities to Li Yang on this fair-faced young master's face.
"Brother Li, did you... get plastic surgery???"
