Chapter 74 I’m a Messenger, Not a Scout

Chapter 74: I Am a Messenger, Not a Scout

"A... a loyal subject?" Yu Hong nearly leaped in alarm at the term. "I don’t understand what Historian Xie means. I am currently observing mourning for my father, secluded at home, with no connection to court affairs. How can I be called a loyal subject?"

"Then, was your father truly so despairing of his future after hearing what the celestial screen revealed that he chose to take his own life?" Xie Daoyun countered.

Yu Hong fell silent.

"I accommodated the wishes of some, temporarily suppressing the news of your father’s death, merely instructing you to act cautiously and remain secluded at home, to prevent his death from becoming a topic of gossip in Jiankang at this critical juncture. How did you respond?"

Xie Daoyun’s tone was unhurried: "Knowing your temper, regardless of what followed, hearing of his death would surely have shocked and enraged you, compelling you to cause a stir."

Yu Hong instinctively retorted, "I did react that way!"

"But you were too easily persuaded!" Xie Daoyun pulled no punches, bluntly exposing his flaw.

Among young men in their twenties and thirties, Yu Hong’s performance might not have seemed so flawed. But in the eyes of an elder like her, his response could only mean one thing: Yu Kai had died in his presence.

Thus, his shock seemed performative.

Xie Daoyun continued, "Moreover, when I sent officials to visit and offer condolences, what tone did you use when speaking of your father?"

"I..."

"Interesting. You spoke of him with nostalgia, gratitude, even reverence. For someone who supposedly witnessed his father’s death, such an attitude suggests something significant. At the very least, his death held meaning and brought you some benefit."

Yu Hong felt as though Xie Daoyun’s eyes were a mirror, reflecting all his hidden thoughts, making him gulp nervously again. "But... I could have teamed up with others, intending to use my father’s death to hold the court accountable and denounce Emperor Yong'an."

"Then you shouldn’t have contacted Liu Yi."

Yu Hong’s words were tantamount to admitting his chosen stance, but Xie Daoyun did not use his "admission" as her reply. Instead, she offered her own reasoning.

"The Yu family knows more people than just Liu Yi—many more, in fact. And his influence isn’t even the greatest. If Yu Kai’s final words to you were to oppose Her Majesty and avenge him, your choices would have deeply disappointed your father."

Xie Daoyun concluded, "Here's how I see it: your father used his death to clear a path for you, and you chose to follow his wishes by carrying out this mission. Your family background allows you to fit right in with that rebel crowd while preparing for your next move."

"Now—shall we discuss other matters?"

Yu Hong replied, "...Yes."

He had thought his performance flawless, even earning Wang Yu’s approval. Yet Xie Daoyun had uncovered so many flaws.

But he was also hugely relieved—he wouldn’t have to pull a sudden double-cross while cooperating with Wang Yu, flipping sides mid-mission...

If mishandled, and Xie Daoyun failed to distinguish friend from foe, whether he could escape unscathed was far from certain.

Nor did he need to explain every word his father had spoken before his death to prove himself.

Xie Daoyun’s calling him "loyal," in a way, also represented Emperor Yong'an’s stance. The moment he finally received this explanation, he felt tears welling up, having endured all that stress.

Compared to Wang Yu’s side, the figure of Madam Xie before him let Yu Hong see what real allies meant.

Could they discuss the next steps? You bet!

"Please wait a moment." Yu Hong hurried back to his study and grabbed the letter Wang Yu had sent, handing it to Xie Daoyun. "This is the list I received. It’s only just arrived, and I haven’t had time to verify each name..."

"No matter." Xie Daoyun took it, giving it a quick look before her eyes flickered with scorn. "Fewer names than I expected. There must be omissions, but these are enough to connect the dots."

The intricate web of connections among these noble families had long spun a web over Jiankang.

But whether this net would catch its prey first or snap under the strain remained to be seen in the coming confrontation.

Yu Hong asked nervously, "In Historian Xie’s view, when should I turn coat?"

"That’s unimportant. Your safety matters more before Her Majesty’s return." Xie Daoyun replied. "Nor should you rush to expose yourself to danger. For now, their targets are me and the palace, the symbol of Her Majesty’s authority."

"Then I..."

"Don't worry. Since you wish to show where you stand to Her Majesty, I won’t leave you idle." Xie Daoyun reassured him. "As it stands, there’s a task better suited to you than me. I can only entrust this heavy responsibility to you."

Yu Hong’s eyes brightened. "Please, tell me what to do."

"Ah," he suddenly remembered something and added, "There’s one more matter requiring Historian Xie’s decision."

"It’s about Madam Huan..."

***

When Jiankang’s gates reopened, a small, unnoticed group dispersed among the crowd, slipping out of the city before regrouping swiftly.

Composed of trusted aides sent by Wang Yu and Yu Hong, the team headed for Jingkou.

Their boat moved swiftly, getting there fast. After showing their passes, they were admitted into the Beifu Army camp.

Before even sitting down, Yu Hong’s confidant asked Liu Yi, who had been waiting, "How are the preparations for the operation?"

Liu Yi, well-prepared, answered promptly, "We await only the order to mobilize."

The Beifu Army was a rough bunch, and with the Emperor’s support for Luoyang having taken too many soldiers, six of the ten camps were empty, making his mobilization that much easier.

The envoy gave a noncommittal nod, thinking to himself, *When the cat’s away, the mice will play.* But at least this "mouse" seemed more like a leader than the one Wang Yu had contacted—worth humoring.

Yet recalling how he’d once believed Liu Yi was merely acting in collusion with Yu Hong, he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of displeasure.

Fortunately, he kept it off his face and said, "You know whom I represent. The master said there’s no need for further instructions—after all, you’re the one with military experience, not him. Only two things require confirmation."

Liu Yi straightened. "Please, go ahead."

The envoy asked, "Has any Beifu Army unit returned from Kuaiji or Wu commanderies to report on the situation there or issue orders to you?"

Liu Yi thought for a moment before shaking his head. "None. To be frank, after agreeing to your master’s request to join the uprising, I’ve been worried about Liu Laozhi returning from Wu and Kuaiji. Scouts have been monitoring the area, but so far, nothing unusual has been detected."

The envoy’s heart sank slightly, though his expression remained unchanged. "The second matter doesn’t require your answer. It’s merely a reminder from the master regarding propriety."

"This assault on Jiankang from Jingkou will be led jointly by you and Colonel Zhuge. Though even a mere courier like me knows who’s truly fit to command, Colonel Zhuge has backers. For the sake of harmony, avoid conflict before Jiankang is taken, lest it jeopardize our plans."

"...Hah! To say that is to underestimate my magnanimity."

Yu Hong’s envoy turned to see Wang Yu’s messenger entering with Zhuge Zhangmin. The latter, who seemed to have already spoken with Liu Yi, exchanged a knowing smile with him.

A chill ran down the envoy’s spine—thankful for Xie Daoyun’s warning, which had kept him from saying anything incriminating.

"So... you two know each other?"

"We’re both from the Beifu Army. It’d be stranger if we didn’t. Though without this, I wouldn’t have known we shared the same ideals."

Liu Yi didn’t elaborate on how he’d connected with Zhuge Zhangmin, pausing only to ask, "Does Master Yu have any other instructions?"

"If I must say, there is indeed one more thing," the trusted aide sighed lightly before replying. "Some words may sound unpleasant but hold a truth. Due to the influence of the heavenly signs, where Jiankang's loyalties lie is obvious. To achieve a swift victory, we must attack from the north, directly targeting the palace, and must not give Xie Daoyun the chance to rally the citizens of Jiankang to obstruct our forces. The northwestern and northeastern gates will also have allies within attempting to seize control upon receiving the signal, coordinating with you from within. Don't split your forces carelessly and delay progress."

"Entering Jiankang from the south would most easily cause chaos..." Liu Yi pondered for a moment before saying, "But you are right. We are creating time for our allies and forcing the wavering factions to make a choice. We should indeed attack from the north to fulfill the decisive strike at the head."

"As for the northern palace's defenses... No matter how strong, with the manpower we've gathered, we have plenty of ways to breach the walls!"

With Xie An and Xie Xuan dead, how could some woman like Xie Daoyun expect the Beifu Army to obey her orders?

Instead, it is up to generals of lesser gentry like him, standing alongside those who share common interests, to teach her a lesson she won't forget!

Wang Yu's envoy interjected, "Since everything has been settled, including the direction of the attack... shouldn't we move out immediately?"

Liu Yi immediately replied, "Naturally!"

He had been waiting for this very order!

Perhaps due to the heavenly signs' influence, he truly feared that Emperor Yong'an might return from Luoyang before they could launch their operation.

Liu Yi mounted his horse and promptly gave the order to march.

The gathering of this army had not caused much commotion, but its sudden mobilization inevitably drew attention.

Thus, as soon as the troops began moving, a cavalry blocked their path.

The leading soldier demanded suspiciously, "Do you have the Emperor's military orders or General Liu's written command to mobilize troops?"

Liu Yi sneered. "I am General Liu!"

"You..."

You're no General Liu!

But before the soldier could retort, a stray arrow pierced his chest, knocking him off his horse. The rest of his companions were swiftly struck down by arrows, leaving no time for further questioning.

Before the conflict could escalate and attract more attention, the bodies of the obstructing soldiers were dragged away, disappearing without a trace.

Due to this swift response, when this advancing column appeared before the people of Jingkou, who would have guessed that this was not a unit obeying Emperor Yong'an's orders to garrison Jiankang, nor were they marching to defend the capital, but rather to start their revolt?

Liu Yi and his deputy, Zhuge Zhangmin, rode smugly, oblivious to the fact that one of Yu Hong's trusted aides had quietly disappeared from their ranks.

To cover up this disappearance, the aide who had earlier advised Liu Yi approached Wang Yu's envoy and said, "It seems we'll have to rely on our own private forces in the end. I knew Colonel Zhuge was money-grubbing and crude, but I didn’t expect these two to get cocky before even achieving results."

Frowning, he displayed deep concern for their prospects.

This reaction drew a knowing smile from Wang Yu's envoy. "We are here to clean house—where's your spine?"

Why worry so much? As long as these men help them seize Jiankang, who cares if they swagger? What they lack now are people bold enough to oppose Yong'an!

The large force made no attempt to hide, their brazen display making onlookers question nothing of their purpose.

Meanwhile, another contingent, which had appeared ragtag when leaving Liu Laozhi's sight, passed through the affluent southlands without raising any suspicion.

Following Zhang Dingjiang's advice, they first headed north, skirting the northern bank of the great river to approach Jingkou.

This strategy avoided detection by scouts from Jingkou.

Soon, it brought them two pleasant surprises.

Sun En's forces, initially smaller than Sun Wuzhong's Beifu Army, grew exponentially as they recruited river refugees along the way. This was the first boon.

The second came when they were less than a day's journey from Jingkou—they encountered a unit hastily returning from the north.

"What did you just say you did?" Sun En had barely begun celebrating his achievements when Liu Bobo's boast caught him off guard.

The proud Xiongnu youth lifted his chin. "I said, I burned Tuo Bagui's newly captured Yecheng, captured his general, and brought back the royal family of Later Yan."

Sun En was burning with jealousy. He stiffened, refusing to praise his rival, and only muttered, "But His Majesty only tasked you with escorting the Wang family to Langya and scouting the northern enemy’s movements."

Who asked you to show off like this!

Liu Bobo smirked at the troops behind Sun En. "And didn’t His Majesty only ask you to fetch your uncle back from overseas? Who was it that killed Wang Ningzhi and raised such a force?"

There was no point in them acting like thieves calling each other robbers—both were here to claim credit, and neither could fool the other.

Chu Lingyuan nearly rolled her eyes at their squabbling, recalling how absurd Sun En and Liu Bobo had looked when they first appeared before the Emperor after an unexpected selection for the Empress's Personal Guard.

Now, despite their merits, they still acted the same.

But before she could speak, her expression darkened as she saw a rider approaching fast. "What’s happening ahead?" she called out.

A scout galloped up and dumped a tied-up man to the ground. "We caught a suspicious scout and brought him here immediately."

The bound man, once the gag was removed, angrily protested, "I said it was a mistake! Couldn’t you listen to me? I’m no scout—I’m a messenger!"

He scanned the group before him and, with a pained expression, looked at Chu Lingyuan.

"I was sent by Historian Xie with critical intelligence from Jiankang!"