Chapter 95

Chapter 95

The Commander-in-Chief of the Embroidered Uniform Guard had been missing in Jiangnan for some time. Qi Hanzhou had been investigating following the clues he had left. The list of former Prefect Liu of Jiangling and his subordinates was delivered by Qi Hanzhou. Now, not only had the Commander-in-Chief's whereabouts not been found, but Qi Hanzhou had also gone silent.

"The Young General instructed that if anything happened to him, we, your servants, were to follow Your Highness's orders," Ye Xuanqi said.

That was why he had come with the Light Garment Guard immediately.

Everyone in the room looked at Ying Fusheng. He sat quietly, his gaze heavy as he stared at the map of the Southern Frontier before him.

The map was marked with many points—information Qi Hanzhou had gathered over this period. The Jiangnan region was vast, and the intricate relationships among the princes and marquises were now detailed on the map, converging into clusters around the most critical locations.

Weng Yanqing pondered for a moment, then continued what he had been about to say earlier: "Your Highness, the court's stance on Jiangnan has shifted. Censor Xiao sent word that a few major incidents have erupted among the common people in Jiangnan, where local gentry interfered in official affairs. Of the court-appointed officials sent there, one has died."

Ye Xuanqi knew of this and explained in detail: "This matter came to us through the Young General's subordinates in the Embroidered Uniform Guard. The deceased official was one of His Majesty's trusted men, serving as magistrate of a key county in Jiangnan. Last year, he ruled on a case involving the largest local gentry family. The gentry mobilized scholars to go to the county court, listing various unjust rulings by the magistrate. In the name of the people, they claimed to be acting for heaven, driving the magistrate out of the yamen."

"In the end, unable to bear the humiliation, that official hanged himself outside the city."

The scholars hounded him to death. As a father-mother official, he was publicly condemned.

The gentry of Jiangnan—except near the capital, all the learned men of the realm dwelled in Jiangnan.

The late emperor had campaigned, and the current emperor had suppressed rebellions. The messy legacy left by the former dynasty in Jiangnan had long been a thorn in the emperor's side. He had relied on the Xu family's faction of civil officials, sending many to Jiangnan to dismantle the vast network between officials and gentry.

Ying Fusheng thought with a cool head: but the Xu family had fallen, and behind them, remnants of the former dynasty. The military funds had disappeared without a trace in Jiangnan and Western Shu.

The emperor knew about the huge network in Jiangnan, and so when the Xu family fell, he had already started scrutinizing Jiangnan. To this end, the conspirator first attempted to stir conflict between the court and the local princes using the Grand Sacrifice and the Jiangling dike, aiming to throw Dayuan into civil strife. Now, the conspirator had abandoned all pretense—previously, they had only covertly fomented tensions between the court and the provinces; now, they were openly flaunting Jiangnan's conflicts before the court.

This was undoubtedly a provocation.

"Once the emperor decides on military suppression..." Weng Yanqing said solemnly, "civil conflict will be unavoidable."

Currently, the Jiangnan gentry still held prestige in the eyes of the common people. If the emperor were to resort to military suppression without cause, the scholars would mobilize, triggering a confrontation between the populace and imperial authority. Unless absolutely necessary, the emperor would never take such a step. But after these incidents, his resolve to reclaim power in Jiangnan was like an arrow notched to the bow.

How fast. In less than half a year, the conspirator had repeatedly pushed this relationship to the brink.

What started as suspicion had now erupted into direct conflict.

"Once military suppression begins, the princes will be dissatisfied, and Father would most likely mobilize the military power of the Qi family in the Northern Frontier," Ying Fusheng knew. The conspirator was forcing the situation to a point where military action was inevitable. Then, upheaval in the Southern Frontier would drag the hard-won stability of Dayuan into turmoil from within and without once more. "So he is forcing the issue—using scholars to provoke Imperial Power..."

"Without the Light Garment Guard, using the Embroidered Uniform Guard's capabilities, how long would it take for this matter to reach the capital?" Ying Fusheng asked.

Ye Xuanqi considered for a moment. "At least half a month."

Qi Hanzhou's covert investigation had certainly stirred something. What was exposed was the Embroidered Uniform Guard's undercover agents, indicating that the enemy was targeting the court. The Light Garment Guard's existence had not been discovered. Qi Hanzhou was clever; he had mixed the Light Garment Guard into the Embroidered Uniform Guard, so the conspirator did not know that he had mobilized the Qi family's forces in secret investigation, nor that he maintained an undisclosed line to Jiangling.

Ying Fusheng's thoughts turned rapidly. Then they still had time.

He glanced slightly at the falcon perched on the stand nearby. Knowing Qi Hanzhou's capability, he didn't believe the man would vanish without reason at such a juncture. On the contrary, this empty message cylinder seemed more like a signal from him.

If his speculation was correct... Ying Fusheng considered a possibility.

A cold wind blew in slightly, and Ying Fusheng, caught by the draft, coughed lightly.

Song An, standing nearby, noticed and hurriedly sent for medicine: "Your Highness, this servant will fetch the medicine."

Ye Xuanqi and the others quickly stepped back a few paces; the smell of blood on them was too strong.

Those around grew tense with concern. Weng Yanqing looked worried and was about to send for Miss Chen and Old Wu.

Ying Fusheng waved his hand. After the coughing subsided, he looked up at Ye Xuanqi and continued, "When he last replied, where was he?"

Ye Xuanqi replied, "Huai Prefecture."

Just then, footsteps sounded outside.

Ye Xuanqi and his men withdrew to the depths of the side room.

"Your Highness, an urgent letter has arrived from Prince Jin's residence," Song An reported as he stepped outside to meet the messenger.

Weng Yanqing went forward to converse with the messenger, then returned to whisper in Ying Fusheng's ear.

And Prince Jin's residence was located in Huai Prefecture.

Prince Jin—when Ying Fusheng first arrived in Jiangnan, this man had sent him Wang Guanzhi.

Wang Guanzhi was a thorny character who had offended many court officials and was not valued in the Jiangnan officialdom. However, from the attitude of the Jiangling local craftsmen toward him, this man enjoyed the trust of ordinary officials and artisans. Such a person, placed temporarily in his hands, had deep implications. Used well, he would be a fine blade for urgently repairing the dike; used poorly, he would incite anger among the lower-level officials and common people.

Ying Fusheng had kept an eye on Wang Guanzhi for a long time. Apart from sending word to Prince Jin during the dike repairs, Wang Guanzhi had caused no further trouble.

Prince Jin's attitude was enigmatic. If he didn't care, why would he send someone when a prince came south? If he did care, he had left the man here for months without any attention—as if Wang Guanzhi had nothing to do with him at all.

The Light Garment Guard watched the young man sit in contemplative silence. The side room seemed to quiet down. Ye Xuanqi hadn't been in Jiangling long, but after the Jiangling incident, he had a clear understanding of the Young General's ally. This man had been convalescing for some time, yet despite the continuous assassins and numerous civilian affairs over the months in Jiangling, nothing had fallen into chaos.

After a long while, Ying Fusheng's gaze shifted slightly to the location of Yingtian Prefecture on the map.

"Qi Hanzhou has given me a reason."

...

Huai Prefecture, Jiangnan.

Inside Prince Jin's residence, music and dance filled the courtyard. A lavish feast gathered many scholars and notable figures of Jiangnan. Prince Jin sat among them, surrounded by Huai Prefecture officials, all drinking and reveling in luxury.

Amid the peaceful tunes, Prince Jin squinted, raising his goblet toward an elderly man seated at a distance: "Fei Gong, your health."

The old man seated afar was surnamed Fei, a prominent gentry member of Jiangnan. The Fei clan had been a prestigious family since the previous dynasty, with countless successful candidates in the imperial examinations, enjoying great renown in many parts of Jiangnan. Nowadays, one of their members served as magistrate of a county under Yingtian Prefecture, and the deputy prefect of Yingtian was said to have close ties with the Fei family.

The academy established by the Fei family was a renowned institution in Jiangnan. Scholars all felt proud to have studied there. Though few entered officialdom, the family's influence across the Southern Frontier was considerable. Before the Xu family's fall, there was a saying: "In the north, Xu; in the south, Fei."

"Fei Gong, what happened with Lord Qian the other day was a bit excessive. That Qian was an official sent by the court, after all," someone remarked.

The old man known as Fei Gong replied, "If he was without fault, why would he take his own life?"

"Exactly. If he were innocent, he wouldn't have hanged himself in penance. Clearly, he had made a wrong judgment," another official added. "He was merely a sixth-rank official. It was time for him to vacate the post. He was no prince in Jiangling."

Mention of Jiangling reminded everyone present. The Fei family had a branch in Jiangling. Last year, when Jiangling was in turmoil, that branch had close ties with the prefectural office. Two of their junior members were imprisoned by the Jiangling prefecture and were still held in its jail. Because of Prince Yan, Ying Fusheng's presence, no one could interfere with the new Jiangling prefectural office. The Fei family had sent letters to Yingtian Prefecture several times over this, all to no avail.

"That incident in Jiangling didn't just affect the Fei family," Prince Jin added.

"Prince." Fei Gong's complexion darkened. "Those at fault deserve punishment."

This statement clearly meant that the punishment of the Jiangling branch members was deserved and had nothing to do with the Fei family in Jiangnan.

"Ah, you say that, Fei Gong—strict discipline," Prince Jin said with a laugh, waving his fan. "I was just joking. Someone, bring Fei Gong a fine wine."

Fei Gong thanked Prince Jin. The banquet ended, and a group of people staggered out, slightly drunk.

Prince Jin personally saw them off. After escorting Fei Gong out, he glanced towards the carriage parked behind Fei Gong, then turned and went back into the residence.

The Fei family's carriage was already waiting outside. Fei Gong walked out and saw a carriage parked there; he was helped aboard by his attendants. Inside the carriage behind him, a young gentleman was seated, gentle as jade. He raised his hand to let Fei Gong's carriage go first, "Instruct them to say that Fei Gong is not feeling well recently, and decline all other tea gatherings."

"Yes, Elder Master," the attendant replied.

"There was no need to come today. Prince Jin sent Wang Guanzhi to the Sixth Prince, which helped him quite a bit. Wang Guanzhi is not easy to win over," someone in the carriage spoke.

Elder Master Fei looked at him. The young man had ink characters on his neck, bearing the tattoo of a criminal punishment: "Is Young Master Zhou insightful?"

"The death of the Deposed Crown Prince is not mentioned in the court, but the one who pushed it behind the scenes should be the Sixth Prince," the young man continued. "Since the Emperor's victory banquet after the campaign, he seemed uninvolved, yet he has benefited from everything. This man is patient. Now in Jiangling, he is likely acting deliberately. You must be cautious, Elder Master."

Elder Master Fei asked, "You know him?"

The young man said, "We have never crossed paths, only a few encounters. To act under the noses of those old foxes in the capital without being discovered—he has the greatest cunning among the emperor's current sons. If he truly wants to play, the cliques in the court may not be able to touch him."

Elder Master Fei let out an intrigued "Oh," and said, "Since you can see all this, why didn't you help the Deposed Crown Prince back then?"

"The Deposed Crown Prince was foolish and arrogant. If he had followed your instructions, our Zhou family would not have been reduced to this state," the young man said coldly, his face grim. "My father helped the Xu family for many years, only to end up like that."

As he spoke, the carriage had arrived at the Fei residence.

The young man took his leave. Elder Master Fei watched him go, then said, "Keep someone tailing him."

"Why keep him around, sir?" a subordinate asked.

"Why not, when the Zhou family can produce such talent?" Elder Master Fei replied.

Zhou Qingyuan, the youngest son of former Minister of Works Zhou Bingjun, was once the companion of the Deposed Crown Prince.

When serving under the Deposed Crown Prince, this man helped him with many tasks and also uncovered the Second Prince's secret activities. Following clues from the Deposed Crown Prince's circle, he traced them all the way to Jiangnan, even using an Imperial Guard mole as a pledge of loyalty, helping them deal with the trouble of the Chief of Imperial Guard.

"He knows about the Imperial Guard moles. That alone is enough to keep him by our side."

Elder Master Fei said, "Still no word on Qi Hanzhou's whereabouts?"

"No. After we used the Imperial Guard mole to lure him out and set an ambush, he fell into the river and disappeared," the subordinate reported. "He's not dead. We discovered he tried to send a message to the capital via the Qi family's falcon, but we intercepted it in time. Here is the seized letter."

Elder Master Fei had not yet read the letter, but his expression shifted upon hearing this: "How did you intercept it?"

"Naturally, through the Imperial Guard's—" the subordinate began.

"Fool!" Elder Master Fei said coldly. "He deliberately used the Imperial Guard mole to send the message. By doing that, you've exposed that we have a mole here."

"But if we hadn't intercepted it, the letter would have reached the capital..." the subordinate argued.

He deliberately used the Imperial Guard mole as a test to see if there was a traitor within the Guard. If successful, the letter would reach the capital; if not, it would be intercepted. Qi Hanzhou likely has personal guards from the Qi family. If the timing of the letter is off, it will reveal the problem.

No wonder the Qi family has been favored by two emperors. At fourteen, he was left in the capital as a hostage, yet he still served the emperor so loyally. Now, at such a young age, he has the entire imperial palace sealed off like an iron wall. Their numerous attempts to plant spies near the emperor have all been thwarted by him.

Since the Xu family's downfall, their position in the court has become precarious.

The Imperial Guard, the emperor's personal guard—if they cannot infiltrate it, they must destroy it.

Suddenly, an urgent message arrived outside the Fei residence. A messenger rushed in with the latest news from Jiangling—

Prince Yan, citing a need for medical treatment, was personally coming to Jiangnan.

"Prince Yan shouldn't be able to leave Jiangling, right?" the subordinate murmured.

Elder Master Fei said, "Not before the Imperial Guard incident."

"But something happened to Qi Hanzhou."

Prince Yan's illness had slightly improved. Hearing of a famous doctor in Jiangnan, he sent word back to the court, intending to seek medical treatment in Jiangnan.

He has no fiefdom. How many eyes in Dayuan are watching him? Every move he makes could be magnified. They were waiting for him to use the Jiangling granary matter against Yingtian Prefecture, but after so long, he did not move, nor did he take the initiative.

Elder Master Fei suddenly looked at the intercepted letter, his thoughts stirring. "What would happen if a prince died in Jiangnan while seeking medical treatment? He came on purpose. He wants us to kill him."

The emperor wanted to reclaim power in Jiangnan. After the Jiangling dike burst, he had already used the opportunity to send troops to inspect the three prefectures of Jiangnan, but found nothing substantial.

He did not use the granary matter as an excuse to travel; instead, he cited a need for medical treatment. As a sickly prince without a fief, the court could find no fault with that. Yingtian Prefecture had no choice but to welcome him personally.

Who was behind the Sixth Prince's strategies? They had investigated for years without finding an answer. After the Jiangling incident, they realized there was no one behind the Sixth Prince. Years of poisoning had not dulled his mind. He personally sent the Ning family to ruin, then mercilessly suppressed his own mother and her Xu family. He had never seen such an intriguing man.

From having nothing to becoming Prince Yan.

Able to destroy so many of their pieces, forcing them to deploy the Jiangnan scheme now—such a master strategist, and he was only sixteen.

"Fortunately, the poison crippled him."

If he were the Crown Prince, they would never be able to touch Dayuan.

"Young Master, you want to stir up internal strife, and your father also wants to kill the Sixth Prince. Wouldn't it be good if he died in Jiangnan?" the subordinate asked.

Elder Master Fei sneered in response, "So he's provoking us."

In Jiangnan, there are their people and also those who want to keep the peace. Once he comes to Jiangling, who wants to kill him and who is loyal to Dayuan will become as clear as day.

He is playing an open strategy.