Chapter 126: Green Forest Counterattack

"Both of you, the inner palace must not interfere in state affairs." Chu Danqing had palace maids help the collapsed Empress Dowager and Empress Dowager to their feet, speaking with solemn gravity.

To summon a rabble as your last resort out of greed is utterly foolish.

If they succeeded, letting green forest bandits run the court—given their primitive bandit mentality—would bring nothing but ruin to the realm.

True bandit mentality means external colonization and plunder; they cannot do that, only internal oppression and extraction.

Seeing the two remain silent, Chu Danqing continued: "Take these two to their proper imperial quarters. Do not return to the Yangqi Hall or Qingrong Palace."

"Those are not their places to reside—they are the Emperor's chambers."

Several Imperial Guard and Feathered Forest troops surrounded them, "escorting" the Empress Dowager and Empress Dowager, supported by maids and eunuchs, away from the banquet hall.

"Alright, Your Majesty, you may return to your chambers now." Chu Danqing said to the young Emperor.

The young Emperor's mind was in chaos.

The outcome was one he had anticipated, but the process was wrong.

Why did it seem as if this Commander Chu was truly a loyal minister?

Yet his words and actions showed not the slightest reverence or respect—this was deeply contradictory.

"Many thanks, Commander Chu." The young Emperor maintained his timid demeanor: "There, there is a reward!"

As he spoke, several eunuchs grunted and heaved in a jade-screen wall.

"I hear Commander Chu delights in treasures; I bestow this upon my loyal subject." The young Emperor hurriedly said.

With Chu Danqing's help, he had smoothly moved palaces to affirm his legitimacy; now he could further plot to reclaim power.

Chu Danqing reached out and touched the screen—his face lit up with delight.

【Imperial Tribute · Spring Blossom, Autumn Moon Wall】

【Type: Treasure】

【Quality: Excellent】

【Effect 1:.】

【Effect 2: Sell to Dimension Paradise; selling price: 20, 00 Paradise Points】

Upon seeing the selling price, he briefly entertained the thought of looting the imperial treasury.

But the thought was immediately suppressed.

They had never wronged him; his work bonuses were generous.

He could not be greedy and commit such a vile act.

If he truly held the "after I die, let the floodwaters rise" mindset, Chu Danqing would have already usurped the throne.

Looting would plunge the realm into chaos again, rendering all his stability efforts useless.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Chu Danqing accepted it, taking his earned reward without guilt.

Even if there had been a misunderstanding, if the boss gave too much and didn't come to reclaim it, Chu Danqing would never return it voluntarily.

Bonuses and looting are fundamentally different.

Seeing Chu Danqing's demeanor, everyone relaxed.

They feared he would refuse the gift and use it as an excuse to strike.

The young Emperor's doubts grew deeper; he understood Chu Danqing less and less.

"I am weary. I shall rest first. Commander Chu, enjoy yourself." The young Emperor, seeing the mess on the floor, had no appetite.

Besides, he needed to hurry and move—lest delay bring more misfortune.

Chu Danqing replied, then left with Da Bao after the young Emperor departed.

Upon returning, he ordered intelligence retrieved from the Secret Investigation Bureau.

He wanted to uncover the full truth.

After Li Wanwu and Feng Sheng Lady died, Chu Danqing assumed the post of Director of the Secret Investigation Bureau.

After purging corrupt elements who colluded externally, the bureau became much purer.

Intelligence arrived swiftly; after reviewing it, Chu Danqing learned the truth.

"Li Wanwu's several adopted kin gathered green forest bandits into a force aiming to 'purify the court.'" Chu Danqing found it both absurd and tragic.

"I must admit, Li Wanwu's background and his eye for talent were truly impressive."

"These adopted kin were no ordinary men—how quickly they gathered three thousand green forest bandits."

"Perfect. I'll net them all."

Chu Danqing had previously seized partial daily logs from Li Wanwu's residence; after investigation, he confirmed Li Wanwu's identity and understood why he acted so bizarrely.

Li Wanwu was born as his entire family was exiled.

Everyone but him died in the frozen wasteland.

Saved by a friend of his father, he faked his death and escaped.

Later, to seek revenge, he changed his name, castrated himself, and entered the palace as a military eunuch.

He trained daily, all to one day get close enough to Emperor Taichang to assassinate him.

Until he obtained the Blood Scholar's spellbook and modified himself.

Only then did his desire for vengeance grow larger.

Killing Emperor Taichang would not quench his hatred—he wanted the entire Taichang dynasty to perish.

Thus, all his seemingly contradictory actions pointed in one direction: internal chaos.

The adopted kin he raised and trained had not only talent requirements but also lineage requirements.

Their families had all been persecuted by Emperor Taichang.

Of course, he had subtly pushed some of them along.

With this bond, and having raised them from childhood, they shared not only a common goal but also a debt of nurture.

Naturally, they were utterly loyal and would never betray him.

After Li Wanwu's death, his scattered adopted kin learned the news and immediately mobilized all resources to avenge him—this was normal.

The rabble assigned by the Empress Dowager and Empress Dowager as executioners were placed by one of Li Wanwu's adopted kin.

Their aim: to widen internal court conflicts, granting the bandits enough breathing room to grow their strength.

Once their power matured, they would deliver a killing blow to the Taichang dynasty.

The plan was sound—but rabble remain rabble.

This force had not even reached Chu Danqing's ears—not because subordinates concealed it, but because they were no match for proper troops.

Especially since they abandoned their guerrilla advantages; they weren't just defeated—they were routed, fleeing in panic.

Chu Danqing's purges did leave many power vacuums in the Taichang court—but capable men were the least scarce; all they needed was a platform to display their talent and they would swiftly fill those gaps.

"Sir, your tea is ready." A servant placed a steaming cup on Chu Danqing's desk.

"I didn't call for tea." Chu Danqing looked up, puzzled, and was about to order it removed when sudden change erupted.

The servant suddenly drew a dagger and lunged for Chu Danqing's throat.

The idea was clever—but Da Bao snatched it mid-air with his claw, deflecting the strike and reducing the attacker's arm to bloody pulp.

He was swiftly pinned down; in struggling, his human-skin mask fell off.

"Corrupt official! You slaughtered my entire family! Today I die, but I wait for you in the netherworld!" the man screamed.

She was a woman—beneath the mask, her face was lovely—but Chu Danqing was not the type swayed by appearances.

"You are the illegitimate daughter of Prince Fu?" Chu Danqing asked, puzzled.

To say he slaughtered her family—he had only killed Prince Fu's wife and children, not his servants.

"Spit! You corrupt official, you've forgotten the blood debt of Cang River Society!" The woman's face flushed crimson: "You killed my uncle, then slaughtered my entire household—you shall die struck by five thunderbolts!!!"

Hearing this, Chu Danqing recalled Zhang Cai and the Cang River Society, a minor Jianghu faction.

He had forgotten them entirely in his recent busyness.

How they were destroyed was simple: local officials handled it.

"Tell me who helped you escape." Chu Danqing asked coldly.

To survive a massacre and then slip into the capital, infiltrate his side—someone must have aided her.

Since he caught her, he'd trace the chain and uproot them all.

Save himself the trouble of worrying again.

"Forget it. Take her down and interrogate her properly." Chu Danqing saw her expression—he knew questioning her directly would yield nothing.

Let his professional staff handle it.

Would he spare her because she was beautiful? How merciful was she when she tried to kill him?

She showed no mercy—he would show none because of gender or appearance.

He did good deeds without regard to gender or appearance; he disliked people without regard to gender or appearance either.

She was dragged away; she opened her mouth to curse again—two slaps silenced her physically.

To curse their leader in front of his men—especially a leader who shared the meat—did she think they were dead?

"Nine out of ten, it's those green forest bandits again."

"If not them, then Susen." Chu Danqing had two enemies.

Susen was less likely—Xiong Zhigang was restraining them; Susen probably had no spare energy to target Chu Danqing.

Rather, his suppression of bandits had forced them to burn their bridges.

If Chu Danqing lived, they died.

Fortunately, the Ghost Market had been dealt with—if it hadn't been, suppressing the bandits would have met resistance from the start, not now.

"Order your men to increase vigilance." Chu Danqing instructed his subordinates.

Once or twice was fine, but after too many times, Chu Danqing grew uneasy.

"Then urge them to accelerate the suppression of bandits, notify the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of War, and the Ministry of Revenue to strengthen support for local anti-bandit operations, and have the Ministry of Revenue strictly supervise and pressure them."

Chu Danqing once again intensified the anti-bandit campaign; as for the consequences, he did not know.

He was not a politician or an economist—he only knew that bandits harmed ordinary people, and thus must be dealt with.

Better for the court to bear the cost than for ordinary people to suffer the pain.

The court will not fall, but ordinary people will die because of bandits.

"Commander, it's already fast enough; further pressure will overwhelm the local troops," said a nearby Registrar hastily.

Chu Danqing was unprofessional, but he listened.

"Then strengthen vigilance and focus on defending the capital—just make sure no one gets close to His Majesty." Chu Danqing did not demand more; he was not afraid of assassination, but the young emperor might not be so lucky.

Everything Chu Danqing did was made possible only by the young emperor's stabilization of the situation.

He could refrain from using the young emperor as a tool, but he could not do without the young emperor as the foundation of the larger momentum.

(End of Chapter)