Chapter 99

Chapter 99

The commoners outside the government office dispersed as word spread that the two princes had specially ordered an immediate investigation into corrupt officials in Jiangnan, which the people loudly applauded. Several officials walked out of the government office alongside Zhang Wuyong; at the time of the Ningjiang shipwreck, they never imagined the salt case would have a chance to be reopened.

"Are you not going to see Prince Yan?" an official asked. "Today, Prince Yan has made his stance clear. If you go see him, maybe you could..."

Zhang Wuyong knew that today, the Sixth Prince had opened up the situation. Now, the Sixth Prince was acting for the people and for Jiangnan. If they grew too close, it would give someone leverage; he himself could become a weapon used against the Sixth Prince. Instead, it was best to keep things as they were.

"Take those case files from before and find a way to get word about the corrupt officials to the imperial court. Go to Hu Buyu in the Ministry of War—he's the Emperor's trusted man," Zhang Wuyong instructed. "Brother Qian's matter has already sown a seed in the court. Now that Prince Yan is in Jiangnan, we can go all out."

The subordinate official was startled. "Lord Zhang, this is about the Jiangnan official circle. Wouldn't it be a bad idea to send it to the imperial court?"

"Precisely because it must reach the court. Prince Yan has opened a path for Jiangnan's self-investigation, but you and I both know how deep this officialdom's murky waters run." If they let Jiangnan investigate itself, in the end, everyone would cover up evidence and put forward scapegoats, as had been the case for years. Zhang Wuyong said calmly, "The Fei family will try every means to suppress this. What we can do is, like Prince Yan, make a huge stink about it. We can't let Brother Qian die for nothing."

Public sentiment had already been stirred. Only if Jiangnan's officialdom is in enough chaos, or by sending evidence of treason to the capital, could the imperial court dispatch an imperial envoy to Jiangnan.

This was different from the earlier self-investigation under the pretext of the flood. Only by investigating corruption could they legitimately rein in the Fei family. The news needed to travel as fast as possible. Today's events had caught the Fei family by surprise; he couldn't waste the opportunity Prince Yan had created.

So they, too, had to act quickly.

Zhang Wuyong planned to hurry over to Yingtian Prefecture right after leaving the government office. He mounted his horse, handed off other matters to his attendants, and soon galloped away.

But the moment he left the government office, spies hiding at the entrance had already silently tailed him. Trained assassins fanned out, lurking behind various officials, keeping watch on those connected to Zhang Wuyong.

The Brocade Guard stationed outside the government office immediately noticed the problem. Ji Wuming sensed something amiss and was about to follow, but the pain from his lost arm made it difficult. He turned and ordered, "Zhang Wuyong is likely in danger. Send people to protect him."

Ji Wuming dispatched men to follow Zhang Wuyong, then turned to a trusted Brocade Guard by his side. "We cannot use the secret scouts to the capital. Take my order back to the capital—when His Majesty sees it, he will handle it."

The Brocade Guard accepted the order and set off. But before he could reach the city gate, a scream shattered the calm at the city gate.

"Someone's dead!!!"

The fallen official tumbled from his horse, the case files he had carefully clutched to his chest stained with blood. An assassin took the files, and the official stared with his dying eyes at the killer's retreating figure. "You—"

The assassin vanished after the murder, and panic spread among the surrounding commoners. The city guards of Huaizhou City arrived at the scene. "By Lord Fei's order, someone has murdered a court official. Seal the city!!"

As the order to seal the city came down, Assistant Prefect Fei let another bloodstained secret letter slip from his sleeve, falling into a pool of blood and turning deep red. When the officials behind him arrived, he quickly said, "His death is suspicious—he was carrying a secret letter, as if he was about to tip someone off!"

"Corrupt official! The corrupt official is fleeing in fear of punishment!" a voice shouted.

In the crowd, a Light Garment Guard who witnessed this knew something was wrong.

News quickly spread that an official had died at the gate of Huaizhou City, carrying a suspicious secret letter. The assassin was still at large in the city, and to protect the safety of Huaizhou's citizens, Assistant Prefect Fei ordered the city sealed for investigation.

"Our men had just followed Zhang Wuyong out of the city when trouble broke out inside the city," Ye Xuanqi reported. "Huaizhou is sealing the city under the pretext of searching for the murderer. The sealing order has already been obtained."

Ying Fusheng's expression tightened when he heard that an official had died. "Who died?"

The coroner in Huaizhou had already retrieved the body. The news of the death had spread to the residence of Prince Jin.

"An official working under Zhang Wuyong. A secret letter was found on him, likely a planted accusation."

Ye Xuanqi said calmly, "I failed in my duty. Lord Zhang had too many officials around him; we could not protect everyone."

The capital was strictly regulated; such audacity had never occurred there. But in Jiangnan, murdering an official in broad daylight actually happened.

Ye Xuanqi noticed Ying Fusheng's silence.

The Fei family had a high reputation in Jiangnan and formed an extensive network. Today, Prince Yan had forced Prince Jin to take a stand in court. Once the news got out, it would sway the opinions of some princes and marquises. To calm the nerves of those backers, the Fei family would have to make a risky move. The best way was to control the flow of information.

"Find a way—don't let the fire burn Zhang Wuyong."

Ying Fusheng said in a low voice, "Assign some of the Light Garment Guards to prioritize his protection."

Ye Xuanqi was taken aback. "Your Highness, you need people by your side."

"This is Prince Jin's residence. Prince Jin can only protect me," Ying Fusheng said, looking at him. Zhang Wuyong represented the faction of honest officials in Jiangnan. To cleanse the officialdom, the evidence from him and his allies was crucial. Only he could overturn Magistrate Qian's case. But if the officials around him were labeled corrupt, that would taint his own reputation.

"If you don't go now, you won't be able to leave," he said.

Ye Xuanqi had no choice but to take the order and leave. Ying Fusheng sat in his wheelchair; the medicine in the bowl had gone cold without him noticing. There were too many officials in Jiangnan's officialdom, and the Light Garment Guards were limited in number. They couldn't assign protection to everyone. Today they could kill this official, tomorrow they could kill others, and then pin the blame on some corrupt official, finding a scapegoat to end the matter.

He gazed out at the darkening sky, his fingers unconsciously tracing the hidden patterns on the wheelchair's armrests. Qi Hanzhou was still in Huaizhou City.

Perhaps there were other arrangements in the city. Sealing the city would not only trap today's news within Huaizhou but also serve as a pretext to purge dissidents. The hidden Brocade Guards, the missing witnesses... They were turning the tables, using an open murder to turn the situation to their advantage instead of a more covert method.

Why? Killing an official only made things worse, making it even more reasonable for the emperor to send someone to clean up.

Sealing Huaizhou could not be permanent... It could only be a delaying tactic.

At this thought, he couldn't help gripping the wheelchair armrests. Delaying—aside from stirring up chaos between Jiangnan and the court, they had other plans.

"Song An," Ying Fusheng called softly.

Song An entered from outside. Ying Fusheng told him to prepare brush and paper.

He gave a soft whistle, and a falcon swooped in from outside Prince Jin's residence, landing steadily on his armrest. The Brocade Guard's secret couriers were unusable, but this falcon answered only to one whistle—it would fly only to Qi Hanzhou.

He wrote a letter, sealed it in a tube, but did not release the falcon. Instead, he handed it to Song An.

Song An was startled. "Your Highness?"

Just then, footsteps approached from outside. A servant from Prince Jin's residence arrived, and a voice was heard—

"Your Highness, the prince requests your presence."

...

Outside Huaizhou City, assassins raced toward Zhang Wuyong, blades drawn, forcing him to fall from his horse. Just as a sword was about to reach his face, the blade clashed with a longsword head-on. The young swordsman's blade spun, sweeping the attacker off his horse and landing between them, blocking Zhang Wuyong.

Two of Zhang Wuyong's guards were already dead. More than a dozen assassins were closing in. After the young man killed two on his own, the remaining assassins grew cautious. The youth's eyes were sharp above his mask. Several disguised Brocade Guards stepped forward to block the assassins.

Truly a grand gesture—to kill Zhang Wuyong, they had sent a group of death squad.

Zhang Wuyong was stunned. "Who are you?!"

Qi Hanzhou said nothing. He pulled Zhang Wuyong behind him, shielding him with one hand, the wound on his waist aching dully. Then his ears twitched—he heard familiar hoofbeats in the thick woods. Expressionless, he killed another attacker, gave a long whistle, and a squad of elite horsemen burst from the woods, surrounding the assassins.

The death squad hadn't expected Zhang Wuyong to have reinforcements. As they tried to retreat, the new squad moved swiftly, encircling them with a pincer formation. Seeing this formation, the death squad's eyes widened. "Light Gar—"

Before they could finish, Qi Hanzhou swiftly cut them down.

The Light Garment Guards knelt, "We arrived late."

Qi Hanzhou said coldly, "Leave none alive."

The death squad would not talk; they could not be allowed to go back.

The Light Garment Guards closed in, and Qi Hanzhou dragged Zhang Wuyong to a safer spot. Poor Lord Zhang, who had just fallen from his horse and was covered in wounds, was yanked so hard he couldn't speak a word. He gritted his teeth, glaring at Qi Hanzhou with wary eyes.

"Lord Zhang, to make a long story short, if I wanted to kill you, I wouldn't have saved you." Qi Hanzhou cut straight to the point: "Ji Wuming told me you have ironclad evidence of the salt case. News from the Huai prefecture court will spread soon. The Embroidered Uniform Guard will keep you alive until the imperial envoy arrives. Before that, you need to tell me about the princes and marquises—which ones are backing the Fei family."

Zhang Wuyong looked tense. "How can I trust you?"

"I know you don't trust the court, but given the current situation in Jiangnan, since you saved Ji Wuming, you know His Majesty intends to thoroughly investigate Jiangnan." Qi Hanzhou left a character on the ground beside him. When Zhang Wuyong heard the character 'Qi', his pupils contracted sharply. "You are Qi—"

"How much evidence do you have? Today Prince Yan brought you into the game. You understand Prince Yan's goal. I share the same purpose as him." Qi Hanzhou reached out and reset the dislocated joint. "The Fei family's web can be overturned, but we need to know your trump card."

"Some princes and marquises have already secretly defected to the Fei family. On the surface, they are neutral and follow Prince Jin's lead, but in truth they only obey Assistant Prefect Fei's orders."

Enduring the pain, Zhang Wuyong looked at the distant assassins and said calmly, "There is ironclad evidence for the salt case, including all the evidence against the Fei family gathered by Jiangnan officials over the years. I have hidden it in a safe place."

Qi Hanzhou heard him mention an address. "What about the list of princes and marquises?"

Having collected evidence against the Fei faction with Jiangnan officials for so many years, Zhang Wuyong knew he couldn't produce it unless absolutely necessary—the Ningjiang Salt Case was a bitter lesson. With Prince Yan present today, it still wasn't enough: "Do not underestimate the Fei family. They can cover the sky with one hand in Jiangnan. I can give you the evidence against the Fei family, but not the list of princes and marquises."

Prince Yan's reputation is enough; he might be able to make the Fei family's crimes known to the world. But once the Fei family falls, if the Fei family gives up the names of the princes and marquises supporting them, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Zhang Wuyong was a local Jiangnan official. He didn't fully trust the court. The corrupt officials in the court over the years made it impossible for him to completely trust those in the distant capital. He could work for Prince Yan and protect Ji Wuming, but on this point he would not yield: "Lord Qi, you only want to bring down the Fei family. But have you considered that if the Fei family falls and the princes and marquises turn hostile, what will happen to the people of Jiangnan?"

Qi Hanzhou watched Zhang Wuyong. The middle-aged man endured the pain and stood up. Through years of forbearance, he had never stopped gathering evidence, yet he dared not rashly expose the ugliness of Jiangnan officialdom. He had protected Ji Wuming but dared not openly pledge allegiance to the emperor. If the evidence was true, the emperor, even if it meant losing the people's support, would use military force to subdue Jiangnan.

Zhang Wuyong did not want the people of Jiangnan to fall into suffering.

Qi Hanzhou said, "You should trust Prince Yan."

"Prince Yan has no military power."

Zhang Wuyong certainly trusted him. But having seen the situation in Jiangling, he reminded him, "If he had military power, I would have dragged the princes and marquises behind the Fei family into this, even if it cost me my reputation in court today."

The princes and marquises of Jiangnan all have troops. But if pushed to the extreme, the local forces would rebel first. If he couldn't firmly hold the princes and marquises in check, how could he dare risk the lives of the people?

Prince Yan only controls Jiangling.

At the stalemate, Qi Hanzhou said no more. Seeing that the Light Garment Guards had finished handling the situation, he could only take Zhang Wuyong back for now.

Just then, a scout from the Light Garment Guards rushed over: "The Junior General is in trouble. Huai Prefecture City has been sealed off."

Qi Hanzhou's expression changed slightly. He looked toward Huai Prefecture City. "No news has gotten out?"

"No. After the city was sealed, all gates were heavily manned."

The Light Garment Guard said, "Prince Yan sent an urgent letter just before the city was sealed. The Fei family has covered up what happened in court today."

Informants couldn't leave the city. The people were trapped inside. News from today's court session was contained before it could spread.

Zhang Wuyong was stunned. When he heard that an official had been killed at the city gate, he couldn't help swaying. The documents he had intended to send to the court had not been delivered.

The Fei family's sealing of the city at this moment was not only to prevent news from reaching the capital but also to destroy the situation Prince Yan had set up today within Huai Prefecture City.

For corrupt officials, just offer a scapegoat. Once the matter is settled, the people's grievances subside, and everything can be smoothed over.

Qi Hanzhou realized the gravity of the situation. Magistrate Qian's death had already strained the relationship between the court and Jiangnan. If another frame-up occurred now, especially involving a court official, it would become the Fei family's backup plan. What about him? Qi Hanzhou turned around. If Huai Prefecture City was sealed, he would be inside enemy territory.

……

Inside Prince Jin's mansion, news of the urgent sealing of Huai Prefecture City arrived. There were many officials coming and going outside the mansion. An official had been killed in the street, and rumors of corruption were rampant. A secret letter found on the official was delivered to Prince Jin's mansion. When opened, it turned out to be a coded letter, roughly reporting what had happened in court today to others, suggesting collusion with corrupt officials.

"The dead official was a subordinate of Lord Zhang of Yingtian Prefecture. Judging by the letter's content, there should be other corrupt officials above him."

Assistant Prefect Fei, shedding his earlier dejection in court, said with an anxious tone, "This matter is urgent. Your Servant sealed the city at the first opportunity to avoid alarming the snakes in the anti-corruption investigation. We will follow this man's lead and investigate thoroughly, and we will certainly get to the bottom of the collusion between officials, merchants, and bandits."

At this point, Assistant Prefect Fei sighed and said, "It's just that I never expected that lord to be so brutally silenced. The culprits may strike again, and whether more will die is uncertain... The murderers remain at large. I have stationed men outside Prince Jin's mansion to ensure the safety of both princes. I hope the two princes will not take offense."

Having said that, he looked at Ying Fusheng.

Not long ago, Ying Fusheng had ordered the authorities to watch the Fei family. Now, in turn, the Fei family had placed spies outside Prince Jin's mansion.

Prince Jin said nothing, but as he spoke, his gaze fell on Ying Fusheng. The man in the wheelchair wore a calm expression. Hearing Assistant Prefect Fei's words, he lifted his eyes slightly, his gaze placid and unreadable. Finally, he spoke: "Lord Fei has put much thought into this."

"Prince Yan is of inestimable value. This is what Your Servant should do."

Assistant Prefect Fei looked at Ying Fusheng, but there was no respect in his eyes. "Your Servant knows that Your Highness came to Huai Prefecture for medical treatment and requires many medicinal herbs. Rest assured, the sealing of the city will not affect your supplies."

Prince Jin stepped in at the right moment to smooth things over, his tone somewhat somber: "You are thoughtful. The sealing of the city is permissible, but do not affect the common people."

In these words, he lacked his usual playful tone.

"Your Servant understands," said Assistant Prefect Fei.

At that moment, a voice came from outside: "Elder Master Fei has arrived."