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mi*J Nanjing i n Danger Ruan spread out his hands and said, 'Hou is in the prison under the control of the Embroidered Guards . He i s not i n a military prison. It is not u p to me to decid e whether to release him or not. What i s the use of pestering me?' Yang saw that h e wa s being rejecte d ou t o f hand an d no t bein g give n an y room for a graceful retreat . Greatly displeased he spoke heatedly, 'Ho u and I are but ordinar y acquaintances . I have com e t o se e you i n th e middl e o f the nigh t purely out of regard for the nation! Old Ruan, you may refuse me in other matters, but you must accommodate m e in this! True, Hou has in the past offended you , though you are a member of the senior generation! But you are in effect a n uncle to him, so why lose your temper with a youngster? In this life of ours, riches are but drifting clouds ! Life and death are but a dream! No matter how long one lives, it cannot b e more than a hundred years . You are already over sixty, why persist i n fighting with the boy? It is really pointless to settle your scores so relentlessly!' Now Yang was only a minor official occupyin g the sixth rank. Ruan felt tha t as a mere Secretary, Yang had no right to give his superior such a lecture. Greatly incensed, he roared, 'Brother Yang, even if you insist on being a "good sort", you must first distinguish right from wrong! Though this fellow is like a nephew to me, but he should not have joined the Revival Club to commit deeds which harm the people and the country! I am more than willing to assist, but I am afraid while my heart is enthusiastic, my ability is inadequate. I am not in charge of the case; the Embroidered Guards are in complete control. Besides, let me tell you frankly, while I can forgive him for his recent misdeeds, I cannot overlook our old scores. Even if you are willing to let bygones be bygones, he may not reciprocate! If you do no t climb over his head, he will surely trample you under his feet!' 245 The Peach Blossom Fan Yang was enrage d b y th e thrashin g h e receive d fro m Ruan . Baske d i n th e reflected glory of his relationship with the Prime Minister, he had never had much regard for the Additional President of the Board of War. This time he was forced to retaliate without reservation , ' I only fear tha t afte r yo u settle your old scores, the natio n wil l have alread y collapsed ! The n ever y perso n wil l have los t mor e than he receives. Just ponder on it carefully! ' Ruan gazed at him and studied him for a while. Then he cross-examined Yang severely, 'What do you mean by these words?' Raising his head, Yang drawled, 'Regarding the matter about the pretendan t Crown Prince, General Zuo Liangyu said publicly in Wuchang that he was coming to Nanjing to purify the court! Will it not be adding fuel to the fire when he hears of Hou Fangyu's arrest? The matter will be a deadlock!' Shouting in a rage, Ruan argued, 'What is meant by "purifying the court"? Is it a case of "purifying th e court" by embarking on a military revolt? Pshaw! This is treason! If that wild bastard dares to betray the court, we have our national laws to deal with him! You and I need not worry about this sort of things!' When Yang saw that Crotchy Ruan had lost his temper, he was so scared that he dared not open his mouth. When Ruan saw that Yang was completely stunned, he too regretted havin g offended th e clos e relativ e o f Prim e Ministe r Ma . S o h e turne d hi s hostil e countenance int o one full of smiles and cooed, 'Brother Yang, let us talk about a serious matter. Three months ago I purchased from Suzhou City a batch of singing girls. They ar e truly first clas s in looks and i n skills. Zang Yijia...

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