Chapter 1149: No coincidence, a Southern Frontier conspiracy (Two-in-one, beginning of the month)

Inside the military camp, a purple-gold brilliance soared into the sky, magnificent and earth-shaking. Every inch of land here, every puddle of water, shone with a radiance that perceived all things.

So dazzling!

Purple-gold is high, the Embroidered Uniform Guard is tough.

The Purple-Gold Embroidered Uniform Guard, both high and tough!

This is what you call a super detective.

Running around the Blood River Realm for half a month, reporting to the Shuyu Pavilion, confirming identities, settling family assets, and handling connections—Liang Qu had spent his time exceptionally fully, almost forgetting about this matter.

Recalling their meeting at the beginning of the month, he felt even more that their actions were swift. It felt as if Ling Xuan had just left and returned, and this sense of displacement made his admiration reach a new level.

"Pah." Ling Xuan spat out tea leaves, savoring the lingering fragrance on their lips and teeth, sweeping away the fatigue of the journey. They set down the teacup. "The story of what happened is rather convoluted..."

"Wait!"

Raising a hand to interrupt, amidst Ling Xuan's confusion, Liang Qu lifted the door curtain and ran quickly out of the tent.

Ling Xuan looked toward Long Eying.

Long Eying did not speak; she picked up her teacup and took a quiet sip.

When they appeared again, Liang Qu was returning with Xu Yuelong, Long Yanrui, and Long Binglin.

"Attention, everyone!"

*Swish. *

The Otter jumped down from the main beam, performed a few side flips, pushed and pulled with bent arms, eyes sharp. It grabbed a small stool from the corner and threw it; as it landed, the stool crossed and opened perfectly. The little Xiao Xiao Shenlong flew in the sky, let out a "Wuhu," and swooped down to place a small square table.

*Clatter. *

Long Eying took the porcelain plate sent by the little river otter, wiped off the short fur, and set it on the square table. Liang Qu took out a whole branch of sand oranges, snapped off two clusters, and distributed them to Xu Yuelong and Long Eying on his left and right.

The hedgehog stood halfway up, leaning against the edge of the table, pulling fruits off its back one by one and placing them into the fruit platter.

Xu Yuelong naturally would not stand on ceremony.

Long Eying peeled a small orange, meticulously picked off the pith, and stuffed it into Liang Qu's mouth.

"Forgot to introduce, this hero is Commandant Xu Yuelong, grandson of the Duke of Wei, son of the Earl of Guanying. He knows quite a bit too, one of our own." Liang Qu puffed out half his cheek and introduced him simply. "Anyway, you can speak now. Go ahead."

A silence followed.

Ling Xuan reorganized their chaotic thoughts.

"The matter is simpler than I thought..."

"Pfft." Liang Qu spat out a white seed. "Eat, don't be polite. It's the perfect season for Lingnan oranges in December. Eat while you talk."

Ling Xuan subconsciously reached out and touched a small orange, but halfway through peeling it, they remembered why they had come.

"Hoo..."

The original feeling of being caught in the north-south standoff and the hurried mood were eased quite a bit by Liang Qu's interruption.

They set down the orange.

"Let's talk about the business first."

"Please."

Liang Qu pricked up his ears.

"At the end of last year, the Censorate in the Imperial Capital filed a report. Because it faces the Southern Frontier directly, Qinzhou's location is special and the local situation is sensitive. His Majesty ordered a thorough investigation in Lingnan. Upon receiving the decree, the Lingnan Provincial Government dispatched Prefect Lai Jiazhang to investigate."

"Just an investigation, surely that wouldn't lead to defecting to the enemy, right? Could it be that Qinzhou really had problems? Were they fearful in their hearts?" Xu Yuelong asked.

As long as someone is an official, there will always be problems somewhere. If someone investigates, no one is unafraid, but being afraid doesn't mean they would defect.

"It shouldn't have. I traveled through many places and finally found the investigation results and records of Prefect Lai Jiazhang at the local government office. According to the records, the so-called incident of raping women and cutting off their feet was completely groundless."

"According to the records, the true situation at the time was that a granddaughter of a Perfected Form family and her three female relatives went missing during a temple fair. They were later found, having only lost one embroidered shoe. As for the rape, the Perfected Form family refused to admit it."

Refused to admit it?

Long Yanrui scratched his head: "So, were the granddaughter and the three female relatives raped or not?"

"Don't ask what you shouldn't. Why are you so curious?" Liang Qu slapped Long Yanrui on the back, hooked his arm over his shoulder, and leaned on him. "Continue, Embroidered Uniform Guard Ling."

"Whether they were or not, I cannot be certain. This matter is now dead without proof." Ling Xuan rubbed their forehead. "This Perfected Form family was almost wiped out when Qinzhou fell, and the parties involved are nowhere to be found. The culprits who abducted the granddaughter and the female relatives were bandits roaming the 'three-no-man's-land' between the Southern Frontier and Great Shun."

"Bandits are bandits; they naturally commit all kinds of evil. After abducting the women, they robbed and killed. Before Lai Jiazhang went to investigate, they had already been captured by the Qinzhou Governor and beheaded according to the law."

Xu Yuelong's eyes flickered: "Interesting. Preserving the women's reputation, building good relations with a local great clan, cutting the Gordian knot, and leaving no proof, eh?"

"Sister." Long Yanrui leaned back and tugged on Long Eying. "Were they raped or not?"

"No." Long Eying replied irritably.

"Oh, that's good then." Long Yanrui felt a bit relieved.

Long Binglin shook his head with a wry smile.

Ling Xuan continued: "After Lai Jiazhang investigated clearly, he returned and suggested reporting the matter truthfully, saying that the story was a miscommunication from Lingnan to the Imperial Capital."

"These are just Lai Jiazhang's one-sided words, right?" Xu Yuelong asked.

"Correct. I suspect that the officials in Lingnan at the time had the same thought as Commandant Xu. They didn't know if Lai Jiazhang had taken bribes and was lying, so after Lai Jiazhang returned, they dispatched a second person, Prefect Gong Qianqing."

"Wait." Long Yanrui raised his hand again. "If there's no problem, that's a good thing for Lingnan Province, right? Why does it look like they were determined to find a problem?"

"No problem is a good thing, but that's on the premise that there really is no problem." Xu Yuelong tore open an orange peel. "If reported, will His Majesty believe it? Will the Censorate believe it? If the Imperial Court doesn't believe it, what if they send an Imperial Envoy?"

"It's just like Lord Ling Xuan here, acting as an Imperial Envoy. If Lai Jiazhang took bribes and the Envoy finds a problem, then Lingnan Province's trouble would be truly huge. At the very least, 'officials shielding officials' would be unavoidable."

"Then how do they know there's really no problem? If there's always no problem, they'll keep sending people." Even Long Binglin, who was usually more mature, couldn't grasp the logic. But halfway through, he suddenly thought of something, and his expression changed.

Xu Yuelong popped the orange into his mouth. As the grandson of the Duke of Wei, having grown up in the Imperial Capital, how could he not understand the logic? He sneered: "I can roughly guess the situation. The problem lies with Gong Qianqing, right?"

The Qinzhou Department Magistrate is indeed not the problem; it is just that the officials in Lingnan Province are uneasy. Once such a matter is reported, it is very likely to offend the Imperial Censor in the capital who is in charge of impeachments. To avoid being deliberately targeted by them in the future, they simply decided to go all the way and frame the Qinzhou Department Magistrate!"

Long Binglin frowned.

Long Yanrui was completely dumbfounded.

"Deliberate slander? If Qinzhou has a problem, doesn't Lingnan Province, which manages Qinzhou, also have a problem?"

"No, it's different." Liang Qu stepped on the wooden bar under the table and sucked the orange into his mouth. "If Qinzhou has a problem and Lingnan reports it, then it's the Qinzhou Governor who concealed it. Lingnan Province is also an 'innocent party' that was kept in the dark. There will be trouble, but it will be a small matter! This way, everyone is happy: the Censorate keeps their face, and the province lands safely."

"Conversely, it's not the same. This is a self-proving trap. If the higher-ups say you have a problem below, is there one or not? Regardless of good or bad, just dig out all the flesh with the 'lesion'."

Ling Xuan did not respond: "I found the commoners where Gong Qianqing was stationed and discovered that his reputation wasn't very good. He was extravagant and often went to brothels, staying out all night. But this cannot serve as evidence; it's only a clue."

"Based on the testimony of servants, I investigated Gong Qianqing's travel records and found that he spent two and a half months away from his office in the first half of the year. According to the distance, he stayed in Qinzhou for two months. Because Qinzhou was occupied and guarded by a Wu Sheng, I couldn't sneak in to investigate."

"Fortunately, there was the clue about his fondness for brothels. After searching for three days, I found a pimp from the most famous brothel in Qinzhou within Nanhai Commandery."

No way.

They could find even this?

Any time, any place, super detective, handling cases seriously?

Liang Qu marveled at Ling Xuan's professional ability.

A pimp is a man who does odd jobs inside; in the south, they are called "pimps," and in the north, they are called "big teapots."

In a large brothel, there are many such people, serving food and cleaning waste. It's not impossible for one to escape, but being able to find one is outrageous.

"Qinzhou fell, and the experts couldn't escape, but these low-class people fled with the commoners, all the way to Nanhai Commandery. According to that pimp's testimony, from March 6th to May 3rd, Gong Qianqing stayed in the brothel every night."

Liang Qu raised an eyebrow: "What kind of brothel is so attractive? *Cough cough*, never mind, continue, continue."

The gaze on him shifted away.

"In other words, if that pimp wasn't lying, Gong Qianqing went to Qinzhou for two months and stayed in a Qinzhou brothel for two months. And according to the pimp's impression, this person was generous, eating delicacies every day, but it was all paid for by the Qinzhou Governor. The specific amount is unknown."

Liang Qu rubbed his chin: "Gong Qianqing probably guessed the province's intentions and took the opportunity to make a profit?"

"I don't have evidence for that, but based on speculation, it should be so."

"The Qinzhou Governor defecting to the enemy was likely forced by Gong Qianqing." Xu Yuelong guessed. "He thought that by entertaining him with good food and drink and spending a fortune, he would be safe. Instead, he was set up by Gong Qianqing. From the moment Gong Qianqing set off, his fate was to be dismissed. Unfortunately, he didn't see through the minds of the Lingnan officials, making matters worse."

Liang Qu remembered the snake demon incident in Xiangyi County.

At that time, he used the excuse of solving the snake demon disturbance to demand benefits from local wealthy families.

The difference was that he solved the snake demon, while Gong Qianqing just ate and did nothing.

"Is there a reason for the dismissal?" Liang Qu asked.

"Neither Nanhai Commandery nor the local area left any documents; they should have been deliberately hidden." Ling Xuan shook their head. "However... I privately went to find Prefect Lai Jiazhang to record his testimony. According to him..."

"At the time, the reason Gong Qianqing gave was that the Qinzhou Governor was 'morose' and unable to shoulder the heavy responsibility of guarding the frontier. The province agreed. Before the document reached the Imperial Capital, the White Ape died, the world fell into chaos, and Nanhai Commandery realized the matter had blown up, so they hurriedly withdrew the document."

"..."

Xu Yuelong sneered: "What a 'morose'."

Well, he's not morose anymore.

Full of life, causing chaos everywhere.

Liang Qu sat back on his small stool.

Things have come to this.

The context of the Qinzhou Governor's defection is already very clear.

Gong Qianqing's extortion and the 'morose' evaluation were definitely extremely important catalysts, while Lingnan Province's 'one-size-fits-all' approach was the root cause.

To settle the matter, one only needs to find Gong Qianqing.

Quite easy.

Regarding the Nanhai King, Liang Qu originally thought it would involve twists and turns, various decoding, solving cases, and wits. As a result, Ling Xuan turned around, and in half a month, laid out the whole picture.

Clear and distinct.

Everyone looked at Ling Xuan.

Ling Xuan spread their hands: "Gong Qianqing is the Nanhai King's nephew."

Damn!

The last piece of the puzzle was in place.

The whole process was clear and bright.

In the end, it was actually the operation of hidden rules within a bureaucratic system. The local area and the Imperial Court played a game, and no one thought there was a problem. As a result, the Qinzhou Governor, who received the 'morose' evaluation, and Lingnan Province exploded, defecting to the Southern Frontier.

Coinciding with the Southern Frontier unleashing the Mayfly Blood Collection and Blood Hidden Gu, two great divine arts, they seized this great opportunity and fiercely devoured more than half of Lingnan, pushing the front line to the gates of Nanhai Commandery in one breath.

The matter became completely serious.

The Nanhai King, concurrently serving as the Lingnan Viceroy, was roasted on a fire and bore direct responsibility for this.

If the Qinzhou Governor hadn't defected, could the Southern Frontier have devoured more than half of Lingnan?

Mostly likely the same.

The Mayfly collecting Qi was not a one-day effort; it took a full two or three months. The fact is that after the war began, the Southern Frontier had already opened 'full perspective' and 'friendly fog'.

If one must compare, the White Ape's sudden death had a greater impact than Qinzhou's defection.

Perfected Form and Xiao Xiao Shenlong—undoubtedly, the latter brought greater opportunities.

Qinzhou was just a point on the entire line, affecting tactics. The key to the entire war situation was the Mayfly Blood Collection and Blood Hidden Gu; this was strategy.

However, it was a coincidence that they met like this, appearing very glaring, and someone must be found to take the blame.

What can the Nanhai King do?

It's easy to solve if you want to: push Gong Qianqing out to be the sacrificial flag.

The second time Gong Qianqing was sent out, although it had a bit of a 'finding fault' meaning, after all, the province didn't explicitly state it; it belonged to a mutual tacit understanding. When the matter happened, it could be used as an excuse for 'precaution' and 'worrying about bribery'. Previously, they hadn't thought Gong Qianqing would do this.

If it were someone else, Liang Qu believes they would have been beheaded long ago.

It just so happens that Gong Qianqing's identity is special.

After all, he is his own nephew.

If you send someone away as soon as there is trouble, what will your subordinates think? What will the Imperial Court think?

Unfeeling, cold-blooded?

Covering for relatives.

The matter happened suddenly. The Nanhai King's battle with the Southern Frontier Wu Sheng was not watered down; he was indeed injured and has been claiming illness and not appearing. I'm afraid he wants to take this opportunity to plead for mercy, using time to sell misery, and try to exchange for a good result.

"Oh!" Long Yanrui smashed his fist into his palm. "I understand. So that's how it is. But, were the granddaughter and the female relatives raped or not?"

"..."

"Sigh..." Xu Yuelong's head ached. "If the Qinzhou Governor hadn't cared about the women's reputation and had written it directly in the file, and had them sign and press their fingerprints before beheading them, it wouldn't have blown up to this point."

"Can't write it." Liang Qu tapped the table with his index finger. "If written, there wouldn't be the subsequent trouble, but it would offend the Perfected Form family. Local snakes are just as difficult to deal with. Either way, there's no way."

Ling Xuan is indeed formidable, sorting out the whole matter in half a month, basically the truth.

Of course, it's also because there weren't too many conspiracies involved.

This was just a result that emerged from the collision of choices made by various parties after an excuse appeared.

"I'm safe, at least." Liang Qu thought.

At least the Nanhai King didn't defect, so his own actions won't have too many worries. There are people to restrain the Wu Sheng level, unless...

Wait.

Can't guarantee it.

To properly settle this matter, the Imperial Court must find a balance between appeasement and punishment.

Too much appeasement will make people suspect if there will be a reckoning later. Too much punishment, and the Qinzhou Governor is a warning from the past. Even if it's just right, if the Nanhai King's personality is sensitive, he will still worry about the bad impression left this time and the anxiety of losing trust again.

The reasons why a matter can happen are too complex.

Personality, environment, the influence of relatives, the enemy's bewitchment—it's like a chaotic black box.

No one knows what will come out when something is thrown in.

Ling Xuan cupped their hands: "Based on my investigation, the matter is roughly like this. I hope Brother Liang can lend me the Chishan again so I can send a message back."

"Can't the Purple Lightning Ship do it?"

"The Purple Lightning Ship is inside the Nanhai King's Mansion. If I go to the Mansion to send a message, there's no guarantee something won't go wrong. But this time it doesn't need to be too long; just send it to the Southern Zhili or even Pingyang, and then send the message from the Purple Lightning Ship in Pingyang. One round trip, six days is enough."

"Take it and use it." Liang Qu was very generous.

"Many thanks!"

Ling Xuan stuffed the confession and evidence into a tube, sealed it, and tied it to Chishan.

Red light flowed, moving along the ground. After staying away from Lingnan and confirming it wouldn't be shot down by the Southern Frontier, it soared into the sky.

"Chaotic, truly chaotic!"

The tent was empty. Liang Qu paced around the square table.

To act without leaving any future trouble and solve the Southern Frontier, he waited patiently for Ling Xuan's investigation, only to find such a result.

The Nanhai King and his nephew's messy business had absolutely nothing to do with Liang Qu.

However, a Wu Sheng is a pillar of the nation. Liang Qu is now a martial artist in the house, fighting with the enemy. If the pillar is unstable and the roof beams are falling, it's hard not to affect his performance.

"Damn it, one by one, all controlled by their crotches. Does the Southern Frontier have a crotch demon?"

Liang Qu considers himself a model youth—loves his country, loves his home, loves his wife, loves his parents, loves his water beasts, and never goes to shady places.

He did remember an old friend he had never met—Yuan Yuwen.

The previous Hunting Tiger record holder before him, only nineteen years old, was conferred a title not long after, hooked up with a Southern Frontier Saintess, was planted with a love Gu, and died suddenly in a brothel.

Now it's the same: the bandits who abducted the granddaughter, and Gong Qianqing who spent two months in a brothel.

The Feng Shui of this place is problematic!

"Everything is a Southern Frontier conspiracy!" the little Xiao Xiao Shenlong said viciously.

"What did you say?" Liang Qu looked up.

"Ah?"

The little Xiao Xiao Shenlong covered its mouth, thinking it had said the wrong thing, flicked its tail, and hurriedly shrank behind Long Eying.

Long Eying pulled the little Xiao Xiao Shenlong out: "I'm here, what are you afraid of? I'm asking you a question."

The little Xiao Xiao Shenlong hugged its palms and tested: "Southern Frontier conspiracy?"

"Southern Frontier conspiracy, Southern Frontier conspiracy... Yes, it's all a Southern Frontier conspiracy!"

Liang Qu's eyes flashed.

With one secret report from Ling Xuan, the Holy Emperor will surely know the whole truth. But sometimes the truth isn't important; knowing it will only make the Nanhai King anxious.

The urgent task is to resolve the trust crisis, help the Imperial Court, and appease the anxious Nanhai King.

Have a stable rear, so he can show off his skills on the front line.

Resolving the Lingnan problem as soon as possible and stabilizing the situation—this is the main contradiction.

"Just between Lingnan and the Imperial Court, the contradiction between the center and the local area is too sharp and difficult to reconcile."

"No matter what, there is a game between the two. Since that's the case, why not pull the Southern Frontier in?"

Liang Qu's eyes shone brightly.

Stabilizing the front line, the Holy Emperor will surely be happy to go with the flow.

"Yuan Yuwen and the Southern Frontier Saintess are a warning from the past, which has credibility. Can we splash dirty water on the Southern Frontier?"

The bandits at the beginning of the year were deliberately instigated by the Southern Frontier!

Thinking of the Southern Frontier Saintess.

Liang Qu subconsciously touched his wrist.

Having been in the Southern Frontier for half a month, A-Wei has been gone for half a month...

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 1150 =====