novelaction Chapter 122 Faction
Chapter 122 Faction
The old man withdrew his palms and stood up, his eyes showing concern: "Young man, are you alright?"
Liu Shan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "It's nothing, thank you for your mercy, sir."
The old man nodded slightly, his eyes filled with even greater admiration: "With your resilience, you have a bright future ahead of you."
After speaking, he turned and looked towards the entrance of the training ground, where the princess's figure gradually appeared.
Liu Shan also looked over, secretly relieved that although the contest was dangerous, it had not disappointed him.
Princess Changning was quite surprised by Liu Shan's arrival and did not expect him to be waiting for her at the training ground.
The princess moved gracefully, her brows slightly furrowed: "Liu Shan, why are you here?"
After bowing respectfully, Liu Shan briefly explained his purpose.
After hearing this, Princess Changning's brows furrowed in deep thought, and she slowly said, "Qu Dacheng is a captain in my father's personal guard. His promotion was not my idea."
After speaking, Princess Changning looked at the old man and asked in a gentle tone, "Uncle Xu, when did Father begin to pay attention to Qu Dacheng?"
Xu Bo stroked his beard and pondered for a moment before slowly saying, "In recent months, although the Prince still does not attend to state affairs, he has paid special attention to Qu Dacheng's performance and often inquires about his situation in private."
Upon hearing this, Princess Changning's eyes flickered slightly, and she sighed softly, "It seems that Father has a deeper meaning. Qu Dacheng is indeed extraordinary."
Liu Shan didn't know whether Qu Dacheng was truly exceptional or secretly favored, but he still reported the Qin family's affairs and Qu Dacheng's connection in detail.
Upon hearing this, Princess Changning's brows furrowed even more solemnly, and she said in a deep voice, "The private possession of prohibited weapons is no small matter. If it is truly related to Qu Dacheng, it will surely implicate a wide range of people."
Liu Shan clasped his hands and said, "Your Highness is wise. I am willing to do my utmost to thoroughly investigate this matter."
However, Princess Changning gently shook her head, her gaze deep: "This matter is complicated and cannot be solved by one person alone. Moreover, the personal guard battalion is not under my direct command. You go back first, and I will investigate secretly and make a decision when the time is right."
Although Liu Shan was unwilling, he had no choice but to accept the order.
At this moment, Xu Bo interjected softly, "Princess, although Liu Shan is young, his loyalty and ability should not be underestimated. It is a waste of his talents to only serve as a county magistrate."
Princess Changning clearly valued Xu Bo's opinion. Her eyes flickered thoughtfully as she said, "Xu Bo is absolutely right. Liu Shan's talent certainly deserves to be given more responsibility."
Xu Bo smiled slightly and continued, "If the princess trusts me, why not let Liu Shan temporarily take over as the assistant prefect of Cangzhou, so that he can hone his skills and also help the princess share her burdens?"
Princess Changning pondered for a moment, then said with a wry smile, "Uncle Xu, the promotion from an eighth-rank county magistrate to a fifth-rank assistant prefect is too great and may cause controversy."
Liu Shan stood aside, completely stunned. He was directly promoted to the rank of Assistant Magistrate of the Fifth Rank?
That's a joke that's gone a bit too far.
Although the position of Assistant Magistrate of Cangzhou was vacant after Song Bowen was dismissed, such a promotion was indeed unheard of.
Xu Bo calmly replied, "Princess, extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. If Liu Shan is capable, not only will it be harmless, but it will also deter villains."
Princess Changning's eyes flickered, but she ultimately shook her head in refusal.
She pondered for a moment and then said, "Uncle Xu, since Li Polu was promoted to Vice Prefect of Cangzhou, the position of Zhongwu Colonel has been vacant. I want to let Liu Shan take on this position concurrently to see his abilities. If he performs well, we will make further arrangements."
Xu Bo nodded, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes: "Your Highness is wise. This arrangement is both safe and allows us to assess Liu Shan's talent."
Upon hearing this, Liu Shan was deeply moved and clasped his hands in thanks, saying, "Thank you for your trust, Princess and Uncle Xu. I will certainly live up to your expectations."
Princess Changning nodded slightly, her gaze gentle: "Very well, I hope you will be diligent and responsible, and live up to my expectations. Once this matter is investigated, we will reward you according to your merits."
Liu Shan accepted the order and withdrew. Although he had not achieved his goal, he unexpectedly obtained the position of a sixth-rank military officer, which at least allowed him to stand on equal footing with Qu Dacheng and facilitated his covert investigation.
After Liu Shan left, Princess Changning said to Xu Bo, "Is it worth using the life-saving grace you showed me on Liu Shan?"
Uncle Xu smiled calmly and did not answer, but the expression on his face said it all.
Princess Changning remained silent for a moment, then asked again, "Uncle Xu, are you so optimistic about Liu Shan's potential and future?"
Xu Bo laughed and asked in return, "If I'm not mistaken, the princess is probably grooming him to be her confidant, isn't she?"
"Oh? How do you know?" Princess Changning asked.
Xu Bo stroked his white beard. "I heard that the princess is in business with Liu Shan, and he owes her three requests. Isn't that proof of their close relationship?"
Princess Changning smiled slightly and did not answer, but the smile on her face revealed her tacit agreement.
Seeing this, Xu Bo became even more confident and slowly said, "The princess has a discerning eye, and Liu Shan will certainly live up to expectations."
Princess Changning gazed into the distance and asked softly, "How skilled is Liu Shan in martial arts?"
After a moment's thought, Xu Bo replied, "Liu Shan's martial arts skills are extraordinary. Although not top-tier, he has reached the level of a second-rate master, which is enough for him to protect himself. Moreover, he is exceptionally intelligent and remains calm in the face of danger, making him a rare talent. If the princess can make good use of him, he will surely achieve great things."
Princess Changning asked with a smile, "Uncle Xu, it's just a friendly sparring match in the training ground, why are you speaking so highly of him?"
Xu Bo calmly replied, "No, the sparring was just the trigger. The calmness and wisdom that Liu Shan showed at the critical moment is the fundamental reason why I value him."
Princess Changning nodded noncommittally.
Actually, there was something else that Xu Bo hadn't explicitly said: he recognized that Liu Shan's internal energy cultivation method was the long-lost "Nine Revolutions Profound Technique".
This technique is extremely rare in the world. If it were to become known to the outside world, it would surely cause a great uproar. Moreover, the only person who knows this technique now is his former junior brother, Xiao Yan.
……
Not long after Liu Shan returned to Jinhua County, two promotion documents from the Kang Prince's Mansion were delivered at the same time.
One letter appointed Qu Dacheng as the magistrate of Jinhua County, and the other promoted Liu Shan to the rank of Zhongwu Colonel, a sixth-grade official.
Although the title of Zhongwu Colonel was merely a military honorary title without real power, promoting Liu Shan at this crucial juncture was undoubtedly a form of protection and a subtle hint to him.
The protection goes without saying, but the implication is more subtle, intended to inform all parties that Liu Shan has gained the favor of the Prince of Kang's mansion and should not act rashly.
This is interesting. Promoting Qu Dacheng to county magistrate was clearly intended to suppress Liu Shan, while promoting Liu Shan was clearly intended to restrain Qu Dacheng...
Crucially, both of these promotion documents originated from the Prince Kang's residence.
This makes it hard not to speculate whether there is already factional infighting within the Kang Prince's residence!
At the same time, Yin Nantian was looking at Li Polu and He Qiong in bewilderment.
After a long pause, Li Polu tentatively asked, "Could it be that Prince Kang has an illegitimate son besides Princess Changning? Is this illegitimate son now returning to seize power? To rival the princess?"
He Qiong looked at Li Polu as if he were an idiot. This guy was indeed both broken and ruthless, speaking without thinking. Just that sentence he just said, if it gets out, Li Polu will be severely punished, if not killed.