NCCnovel Chapter 270 Temporary Personnel Replacement
Chapter 270 Temporary Personnel Replacement
Two days later, Wang Ling, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, suddenly asked the emperor for leave.
Just yesterday, Wang Ling was hit by a startled horse on his way home from work, injuring his leg and nearly losing consciousness on the spot.
I heard he was seriously injured, with a fractured shinbone, and he will be unable to walk for a while, probably needing to rest for more than half a month.
Emperor Wenjing sent a physician from the Imperial Medical Academy to his residence to treat him. After the physician's examination, the diagnosis was the same as that of the other doctors.
Wang Ling's leg injury won't heal anytime soon.
When Emperor Wenjing learned of this, he was truly displeased.
This year's Winter Festival was originally planned by Wang Ling, but now that Wang Ling has run into trouble, the Winter Festival can only be prepared by another Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites.
Although Emperor Wenjing admired Yunshang's talent as a young man, he still felt that Yunshang was inexperienced and could not compare to Wang Ling, who had served in the Ministry of Rites for many years and participated in many winter sacrifices.
Despite the concerns, the matter could only be left to Yun Shang to handle.
The news quickly spread throughout the court, and everyone discussed it.
Upon learning this, Yun Shang felt a sense of unease.
Wang Ling was always cautious, and with the year-end approaching, the control over carriages and horses in Shengjing City was becoming increasingly strict, so there shouldn't be any accidents like a runaway horse.
By sheer coincidence, he bumped into Wang Ling.
On the very night he received the imperial edict from Emperor Wenjing, Prince Chen sent someone to summon him to his residence.
The night was as dark as ink. When Yu Wan saw him going out in the middle of the night, she took a cloak and put it on him.
With a hint of concern, he added, "Be careful on the road."
Yun Shang watched the girl carefully tying her cloak, and couldn't help but lower his head to gently touch her forehead, his voice low and deep, "I'll be back soon."
Yu Wan watched Yun Shang ride away at full speed until he was out of sight, and only then did the smile on her face fade.
She had a bad feeling.
Having broken away from the original storyline, Yun Shang also escaped the control of the plot.
But what if, like before, the storyline manipulates other fictional characters to try and correct the plot?
At Prince Chen's residence, Yun Shang was led into the study.
The candlelight flickered inside. Prince Chen, Li Yuanhe, dressed neatly, stood by the window with his hands behind his back. When he saw him enter, he raised his hand slightly to indicate, "Yun Shang, sit down."
Yun Shang took his seat, looked at Prince Chen, and waited for him to speak.
Prince Chen slowly turned around, his expression grave: "What are your thoughts on Wang Ling's injury?"
Yun Shang frowned slightly, his tone steady: "Your Highness, this doesn't seem like an accident."
“In previous years, the winter festival was organized by the Minister of Rites. However, since the position of Minister is vacant this year, it was the Vice Minister of Rites who took over. Wang Ling tried his best to take on this task and has been very careful for the past two months. Why did things go wrong at this time?”
Prince Chen nodded slightly, raised his eyes to meet Yun Shang's gaze, and said coldly, "Someone saw that Wang Ling had met with people from the Yong Prince's residence."
Prince Yong?
Yun Shang's gaze instantly darkened. Upon hearing this name, he immediately understood something.
Recalling how Prince Yong had repeatedly caused trouble for Yu Wan, he knew that Prince Yong was targeting him.
But what he was really targeting was Prince Chen.
Prince Chen clearly realized this as well, and his face turned extremely ugly.
Prince Yong had harbored ill intentions towards him and Prince Chen before, and now it seems that Wang Ling's injury was most likely a conspiracy by Prince Yong.
Prince Chen's usually gentle eyes were now filled with coldness. "Wang Ling's injury was most likely a setup by Prince Yong. He deliberately caused Wang Ling's accident to disrupt the preparations for the Winter Festival. With Wang Ling injured, you are the only one left in the Ministry of Rites who can take over this matter."
A hint of worry flashed in his eyes. "Yun Shang, this year's Winter Festival is unlikely to be peaceful."
Yun Shang narrowed his eyes slightly, his fingertips gently stroking the rim of the cup. After a moment of contemplation, he lowered his gaze and said calmly, "When soldiers come, we will meet them head-on. Your Highness, rest assured, I will be careful and do my best."
“Of course I trust you.” Prince Chen stood up and paced slowly around the room, looking worried. “But those people are treacherous and cunning. It’s hard to guarantee that they won’t use some insidious tricks that are hard to guard against.”
He paused slightly, his eyes filled with expectation, and looked at Yun Shang, saying:
"I will arrange for people to keep an eye on things from all sides. If this winter festival goes smoothly, it will be a rare opportunity for you to shine."
"In the imperial court, seniority is certainly important, but being able to step forward at critical moments, turn the tide, and demonstrate extraordinary ability and responsibility will surely earn you everyone's respect."
"This will not only solidify your position in the Ministry of Rites, but also earn you more recognition in the court in the future."
"I understand."
For the next two weeks, Yun Shang was busy preparing for the Winter Festival.
Those who originally worked for Wang Ling did not cooperate with his instructions; they either outwardly complied but inwardly defied him, or deliberately delayed.
Yun Shang simply excluded those people.
Yun Shang was busy at the Ministry of Rites every day, personally overseeing every detail, from arranging the sacrificial process to selecting offerings, from allocating personnel to setting up the venue.
In this way, Wang Ling could not find an opportunity to cause trouble in secret.
Wang's house.
Wang Ling lay on the couch, his face so gloomy it seemed to drip water.
The butler stood cautiously to the side, not daring to breathe.
"That Yun Shang is quite capable; he managed to arrange everything so meticulously," Wang Ling said through gritted teeth. "Couldn't he find even the slightest opportunity to make a move?"
The steward gave a wry smile. "Master, we've already instructed our men to do everything they can, but every time we haven't even made a move, they've already been discovered by Vice Minister Yun's men."
“Now, almost half of the people in the Ministry of Rites have been bought off by Yun Shang, and our people can’t get involved at all.”
Wang Ling's face turned ashen with anger.
He's only been on leave for less than half a month, and the Ministry of Rites is already practically becoming Yun Shang's one-man show!
If he had known this would happen, he shouldn't have agreed to Prince Yong's request...
Having been unable to find an opportunity to make a move, he is now starting to doubt whether he has made the wrong decision.
The broken shinbone still throbbed with pain. Recalling the agony of the broken bone, Wang Ling took a deep breath and looked up at the butler.
A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes. "I don't believe he can be so thorough! Tell them not to go home for the next few days, but to stay at the Ministry of Rites. I don't believe they can keep an eye on them all the time!"
At that moment, there was a knock on the dormitory door.
The butler looked towards the door. "Who is it?"
A servant boy walked in with his head down. "Master, someone from the Prince Yong's residence has arrived."
A hint of surprise flashed in Wang Ling's eyes.
Why would Prince Yong send someone over at this time?
Before long, a man in black entered the study. He had plain features, the kind of face that would go unnoticed in a crowd.
The man bowed slightly to Wang Ling, "Minister Wang, His Highness Prince Yong has a message for you."
Upon hearing this, Wang Ling hurriedly tried to sit up straight, but his leg injury had not yet healed, and any slight movement caused him to grimace in pain.
He endured the pain, finally managed to adjust his posture, and forced a fawning smile onto his face as he eagerly asked, "What are your orders, Your Highness?"
The man in black leaned closer to Wang Ling and whispered a few words.
Wang Ling's face first showed a look of surprise, his eyes widening instantly, as if he had heard something unbelievable.
Then, the corners of his mouth slowly turned up, and a smug smile appeared on his face, a smile as eerie as an owl's. "Good, good! We'll do as Your Highness says."