After this dispute, the brotherhood between Wei and Xia became increasingly cold. Wei Huai began to hate Xia Yuanlong's stern face. He never thought that Xia Yuanlong only believed in the name of reform, and his best friend who fought alongside him seemed to be just a tool: once he broke away from the will he believed in, he would suffer the former's deepest contempt. He didn't want to stay in the academy for a moment longer. Even though his own house was not at peace, the people's scoldings could even make Wei Huai sober up.
Gradually, everyone in the alliance noticed something strange and began to form separate camps and cliques. Most of them supported Xia Yuanlong and encouraged him to act on his own to save the academy from the fire and water.
Xia Yuanlong also wanted to clean up the current messy situation, but he finally remembered his long-term friendship with Wei Huai and did not want to play such a conspiracy behind his back, so he sternly scolded everyone: "Although Mr. Wei mentioned it in front of everyone, Regarding the matter of resignation, there is no conclusion yet, and I can’t make the decision. If you are for your own selfish interests, and the party is united and opposed, wouldn’t you be guilty of your true intentions? As long as Yuan Long is here, he will not let the evil wind cause trouble! "
Everyone was silent and did not dare to mention this matter again; Xia Yuanlong got to know the true faces of several people because of this, but due to the imminent crisis, it was not appropriate to internalize them, so he only secretly derogated them.
But Xia Yuanlong has always been a persistent person, and of course he would not sit idly by, so he found another way and came directly to Ye Yongjia for discussion. But he himself was not in the yamen. Xia Yuanlong asked the yamen servant to get a chair and sit in the second hall to wait.
At this time, Ye Yongjia was inspecting the water situation in front of Yundu. When he saw the Yamen servant coming to report, he hurriedly asked what was going on.
The yamen servant pointed back: "Xia Siye is now at the yamen and wants to discuss official business with you."
"Official business?" Ye Yongjia frowned, "Okay. I understand."
He first took care of the things at hand in an orderly manner, then left Yundu in a hurry, asked his entourage to come in an official sedan, and took a shortcut to the government office.
The bearer was about to pass through the street in front of the Wei Mansion Gate. Unexpectedly, there was a crowd of spectators in front of him. People were everywhere, making it impossible for the sedan chair to pass through. He had no choice but to lower the sedan pole and turn it back.
Ye Yongjia also heard the noise outside, so he rang the copper bell, stopped the sedan, stuck his head out from the curtain, and asked, "Why can't it work?"
"My lord, for some unknown reason, many people gathered on the road, as if they were cursing people."
Ye Yongjia turned his head and saw that there were hundreds of people climbing on the wall or kicking in the door, and some were throwing stones into the courtyard, making a sound that could crack the ground.
"I can't see clearly. Whose house is that?"
The bearer of the sedan chair stood on tiptoe to take a look and replied: "Wei Jijiu."
"Is it."
A strange smile appeared at the corner of Ye Yongjia's mouth. He leaned out and dropped his legs to the ground, feeling the warm sunshine above his head.
"I won't cause trouble," Ye Yongjia stood under the wall, "Just watch from a distance."
He stood alone on a large piece of empty land, which formed a very interesting contrast with the scenery there: the sky was sunny and sunny here, and there were crowds of people and shouts like thunder, but it seemed to have an extra layer of dark clouds.
Ye Yongjia was staring, even though his expression was not serious, but rather teasing and looking on with a cold eye, what could not be changed was always that profound gaze.
His mind immediately drifted away, as if his perspective had suddenly been zoomed in, and he fell into the indescribable frenzy, clearly seeing the ferocious faces of the spectators. These people's facial features were almost torn, and their eyes were bloodshot, aiming at Wei Huai's door as if they were enemies. Their words became clearer and clearer:
"Wei Huai, where have all your lies?! You swore before that you would take us out of the sea of misery, but why haven't you seen the New Deal come out now? Everything we should have has been ruined by you! "
A scholar who claimed to be a student of Wei Huai stood in front of the door and claimed, "I'm afraid this Wei sacrificial wine was paid for by the government!" These words were like a handful of firewood, igniting the scene even more vigorously.
Although Ye Yongjia did not remember Wei Huai ever making a similar oath, it became unquestionable among the crowd. As for the 'student', the prefect also knew that he was a son of a wealthy gentry, and his family was under guard. The land confiscated by Huai was only taken back yesterday due to the repeal of the New Deal.
The enemy who deserves to be denounced is standing right in front of them, but they blindly believe in it and insult the dean who has upheld justice. He knew that the people were burdened by taxes and exploited by landlords, so he longed for a saint to appear to save the people. They are willing to pursue this saint fanatically and carry a bloody banner for him; but for the New Deal, they just stand on tiptoe and look at each other from afar - they think that ideas are something that saints are born with and are unfathomable. , difficult to approach, it seems that all we have to do is wait for the saint to take action, and everything will be solved.
This kind of fanaticism is ultimately based on numbness. Ye Yongjia thought of the people in Chenzhou, why couldn't it be the same? He suddenly realized that his emotions towards people were complicated. Sometimes he would stand on the sidelines and laugh at this numbness; sometimes he would also pity their situation and want to make everyone in the world cheer. He wanted to see a day when this enthusiasm came from the heart and made his enemies truly tremble.
He put back his mixed emotions, lowered his eyelids, sighed secretly, and ordered his servants: "Let's go, get in the sedan."
"Master Ye!" Xia Yuanlong saw Ye Yongjia's face, his eyes shone with joy, "You really made me wait!"
Ye Yongjia hurriedly bowed and said, "I am busy with official duties, so I forgive you for keeping me waiting."
"The academy is in crisis now. I think the only person in Nanjing who can help me is you, Futai." Xia Yuanlong patted his shoulder without hesitation, "I hope you can help me."
"Say it." The two sat down.
When Xia Yuanlong saw someone on his left and right, he dipped his finger into the tea and wrote a few square words on the table: "Please try to rescue the captured righteous man".
Ye Yongjia couldn't recognize all the words, but he roughly understood what he meant. He nodded and said, "This matter is a little difficult, but I can do something about it."
Xia Yuanlong clasped his fists and thanked: "The future of the academy depends entirely on you!"
"I wonder if Mr. Wei knows?" Ye Yongjia knocked on the pot lid and asked naturally.
Xia Yuanlong's face actually turned pale, and after pondering for a long time, he replied coldly: "He doesn't need to know."
"What happened to you and him?" Ye Yongjia rubbed his eyebrows and asked in confusion, "Nowadays we need to unite as one."
"He has lost his true nature as a reformer and is no longer on the same path as me. Whether he is dead or alive has nothing to do with me." Xia Yuanlong's words were very anxious. "To put it simply, he has backed down."
