Chapter 650

Beside him, a junior member was puzzled and asked curiously: "Boss, who are those mysterious people? Their move is incredibly extravagant—ten taels of silver per household—enough for us brothers to make a big fortune."

Another junior member nodded and said: "If we had work every night, we wouldn't need a month for us brothers to strike it rich."

The gang leader stared, kicked a few juniors' buttocks, chuckled, and said: "Continue tomorrow night—this job must go on for five days!"

"Ah?" The gangsters were suddenly startled, then chatted and laughed as they walked away.

The next day.

The whole Lin'an Prefecture bustled with activity.

First, the entrances of all officials' mansions reeked horribly, not sparing even some nobles.

Those who rose early to prepare for court all fell flat on their faces, their official robes also reeking.

"Damn it, which bastard is so depraved?" an old man shouted, his face turning livid with rage.

In the end, he could only go back to wash up, then put on his official robes and head to court. But this round trip made them late.

At court, the Emperor of Zhao Song frowned and asked displeased: "My lords, why are you all so late today?"

"Your Majesty, we…" many officials hesitated—such an affair of stepping in feces could hardly be brought to court—and they wore gloomy expressions.

And nearly all high officials were on the list, each suffering terrible misfortune.

Many could barely endure it, secretly guessing which scoundrel was so bold as to dare inflict such humiliation on the entire civil and military officials.

But after thinking for a long time they could not identify an opponent, so they gave up.

Seeing their grim faces, the emperor waved his hand and said: "Forget it, no need to dwell on minor matters. Let's begin the court discussion on aligning with the Mongols to resist the Jin……"

After court adjourned, these people scrambled to use their connections to find the hidden culprit.

But they never imagined that the mastermind was actually Ye Qin!

Inside the Imperial City Surveillance Office headquarters, Ye Qin listened to his subordinates' report and burst out laughing: "No matter who it is, after this affair their tail will show. Dare to move against me, and I'll make them regret it."

His gaze cold, Ye Qin then ordered: "Keep a close watch on those high officials, especially Shi Miyuan and Jia Si Dao—I only have a grudge against those two."

Of course, others might also act, but only those with a grudge would be more eager. Whoever wants to get rid of him is none other than someone who bears him a grudge.

Blocking his career path? Impossible. The Imperial City Surveillance Office and ordinary officials are not on the same track; personnel transfers are directly assigned by the Emperor, outsiders can't interfere—even without Ye Qin it would be the same.

In the evening, at a tavern.

Two people sat in a private room; after the food and drinks were served, one said: "Master Shi, please!"

Shi Miyuan frowned, curious: "Master Jia, why did you summon me? This fine wine and feast don't suit your style."

The other person was Jia Si Dao.

He smiled at Shi Miyuan and said: "I once served under your lordship, and now we are colleagues—just call me Si Dao, Elder Lord. Let's eat and drink first, then discuss the matter."

Jia Si Dao wore a full smile, knowing Shi Mian Yuan hated Ye Qin even more than he did, so he wasn't in a hurry. Given Shi Miyuan's old craftiness, he would surely guess the purpose of this meal.

After three rounds of wine, Jia Si Dao spoke slowly: "Elder Lord, what do you think of this morning's incident?"

That incident was clearly sabotage, instantly offending all high officials and the nobles of Lin'an Prefecture; once uncovered, there would be no way out.

Shi Miyuan blinked slightly, his old face a bit embarrassed: "If I recall correctly, Master Jia also suffered misfortune this morning? It seems I'm not the only one affected."

His tone was light, as if he hadn't taken this morning's affair to heart, yet he frowned and asked: "Master Jia, speak plainly—I'll certainly not stint on any help I can give."

His expression was blank, as if he cared about nothing.

But Jia Si Dao knew that Shi Miyuan had been Prime Minister for many years, absolutely an old schemer; outwardly calm, he muttered: "Really an old fox!"

He glanced resentfully at Shi Miyuan and said: "I've heard Master Shi wants to deal with that brat from the Imperial City Surveillance Office—do you have a plan?"

Shi Miyuan blinked, then rose suddenly, turning his back to Jia Si Dao and said: "Is this related to Master Jia? I heard Master Jia, in his bid for higher office, once fawned over that Commissioner—why now does he want to get rid of him?"

Jia Si Dao wasn't angry, replying calmly: "Elder Lord, you're joking—times change, circumstances differ."

Shi Miyuan merely smiled, said nothing more, for an old schemer would hardly trust anyone lightly, let alone Jia Si Dao's words.

"This is also a fox!" Shi Miyuan thought darkly, pondering: "Perhaps he's here to test me, and might even move against me."

Although he is no longer Prime Minister, he still serves as Chief of the Privy Council, remaining at the heart of power; who knows if Jia Si Dao aims to hold both the Chief of the Privy Council and Prime Minister posts, a dual role he himself once held.

Seeing Shi Miyuan silent, Jia Si Dao added: "I've heard that lately several of Master Shi's students have been acting strangely, especially those Assistant Ministers who lead them, gathering together every few days……"

He hadn't finished speaking when Shi Miyuan interrupted, "It's just normal communication between friends; Prime Minister Jia is overthinking. Even if this were told to the emperor, it wouldn't matter. Prime Minister Jia, you're not trying to use this as leverage, are you?"

Uh!

Jia Shi Dao stared, a bit embarrassed; he had indeed considered this, but thinking of Ye Qin's actions in the Imperial City Surveillance, he no longer thought so, "You're joking, Senior. That Commander Qin is our common enemy and rival; I plan to act together with you."

Shi Miyuan gave no response upon hearing this; he wasn't sure whether Jia Shi Dao was telling the truth or lying.

After a while, he slowly said, "Prime Minister Jia, how do you propose we cooperate? Speak first, but this old man cannot guarantee we'll join forces; you know the reason."

Even without Jia Shi Dao, he has a way to settle it himself. This old fox, who has been mingling in officialdom for years, wouldn't lack means.

Jia Shi Dao felt it didn't matter, and slowly said, "Senior, you're right; then I'll speak plainly."

He paused, then uttered three words: "Imperial Academy!"

Seeing Shi Miyuan show no surprise and nothing amiss, he explained, "Many of your students and juniors serve in the officialdom, but a large portion hold posts elsewhere; few actually serve in the court."

But I still have some connections at the Imperial Academy; if we combine your methods, we might produce an unexpected effect, and I'm certain we can get him dismissed! No one knows this better than I do: although the Imperial Academy doesn't engage in politics, it can memorialize the emperor and discuss current affairs. The Song dynasty treats scholars best; once an uproar starts, the emperor gets a headache, because this country has long established the principle of governance by scholars.

Oh?

Shi Miyuan gave a slight smile, "Those students of the Imperial Academy are used to living in comfort; Prime Minister Jia, you couldn't have already..."

A gleam flashed in his eyes; although Shi Miyuan was already in his sixties, he remained obsessed with power. He hadn't expected Jia Shi Dao to even reach out to the Imperial Academy—quite impressive.

"Having the Imperial Academy intervene would naturally be best; the emperor always treasures the Imperial Academy." Shi Miyuan smiled lightly, saying no more; after all, power is just like that.

He understood, and Jia Shi Dao understood as well.

"After all, the Imperial Academy is the future of our Great Song!" Jia Shi Dao gave a slight smile, without changing expression, and said to Shi Miyuan, "Then, Senior, we have it settled: we'll act in three days; this time he won't be able to escape."

Shi Miyuan didn't respond, instead staring at Jia Shi Dao for a long time before nodding, "Fine, I agree to this matter."

Having said that, he turned and left, seemingly not intending to stay longer.

The two veteran conspirators secretly plotted to join forces to eliminate Ye Qin quickly. The former Imperial City Surveillance was like a worm; now it's a dog, and is gradually becoming a wolf.

!

But if the Imperial City Bureau were all to become wolves, for those who love to play with politics and intrigue, it would be nothing short of a great disaster. Therefore, even from the perspective of scholars, this dog should not be allowed to become a wolf, and at best could only become a worm.

Watching Shi Miyi's retreating back, Jia Sidao muttered: 'The Imperial City Bureau used to be worms, and it can only remain worms!'

At night, Ye Qin's residence was immersed in tranquility.

Inside the lakeside pavilion, Ye Qin, who was cultivating, slowly opened his eyes, his breath growing ever more substantial. He softly asked: 'Rong'er, is there something?'

Huang Rong smiled beside him: 'Qin brother, the Imperial City Guard has sent good news; take a look at this.'

Saying this, she handed over a slip of paper densely filled with numeric characters. This is a simple cipher Ye Qin specially made for the Imperial City Bureau, conveying information through the correspondence of numbers and letters.

After some deciphering, the new information appeared before his eyes.

'Interesting!' Ye Qin curled the corner of his mouth with a smile, lightly saying: 'These foxes really don't let one rest easy, truly treating me like a soft persimmon to squeeze?'

He shook his head, took the towel Huang Rong handed him, wiped the sweat from his face, and continued: 'But this time they're likely to be disappointed; the Imperial City Bureau is no longer a worm to be bullied, nor a fawning dog, but a wolf lying in wait!'

Though the foxes are cunning, they do not realize that everything they do is under his control. Thinking of this, Ye Qin couldn't help but show a smile.

Seeing this, Huang Rong exclaimed in surprise: 'Qin brother, they want your life, yet why are you still happy?'

She looked at Ye Qin, her heart full of curiosity. In the face of mortal threats, a normal person should immediately take defensive measures.

'Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles.' Ye Qin well knew the craftiness of these old fox officials: 'They have gotten to where they are today, not one of them is easy to deal with. But if they dare block my path, I will certainly not be polite.'

'Could it be that they deliberately leaked false news?' Huang Rong suddenly raised a question.

If being surveilled were discovered, the other side would likely turn the tables...

From the content of the intelligence, there seems to be no suspicious point, but this might actually be the biggest suspicion, after all, the other side are all crafty people.

Ye Qin blinked slightly, then said: 'Such a possibility does indeed exist, but whether it's true or false will be clear in three days.'

The intelligence mentioned that the other side would act in three days. So, waiting a bit is fine.

But Huang Rong worriedly said: 'Qin brother, wouldn't that be too late and too passive? We would be in a disadvantageous position.'

Once it begins, falling into a disadvantage would make this contest difficult to proceed.

Ye Qin gazed affectionately at Huang Rong and comforted: 'Rong'er, you need not worry; whether true or false, I will make thorough preparations. Only when they act can I meet their moves and crush them all. I am not someone to be provoked either!'

Hearing this, Huang Rong's worries eased a little, but she still felt uneasy, unsure whether Ye Qin's passive counterattack strategy was correct. Theoretically, she does not wish to take risks.

Ye Qin embraced Huang Rong, softly comforting: 'Don't be afraid, they are merely a bunch of clowns.'

At this moment, Ye Qin was unusually clear-headed and aware.

The Great Song court is not as strong as he imagined. The state of the world concerns not only the clash of interests between nations and ethnicities, but is also influenced by those called the Qin-Hu baseborn. Although there are many true heroes among them, there are also many scoundrels.

Furthermore, there exist great sects such as the Daoist Sect and Buddhist Sect, which have been passed down for hundreds or even thousands of years, with profound foundations. Speaking solely of the Daoist Heavenly Master Zhang lineage, it can be traced back to Zhang Daoling of the Three Kingdoms period. The hidden Innate Realm martial artists are countless, and this foundation is even more terrifying than aristocratic clans. After all, the clans were weakened once during the Tang Dynasty.

In ancient times, scholars held sway over everything.

As for whether these scholars have the support of sects such as the Daoist Sect and Buddhist Sect behind them, Ye Qin does not know. But right now it is indeed a great opportunity to entrap others, and he believes these foxes have honed their skill in amassing wealth and resources over the years.

Ye Qin also clearly knows his purpose and identity. He secretly pondered: 'I come from the Azure Mystic Continent's Vast Heaven Immortal Sect; if not for the ordinary low-level Foundation Establishment cultivation method within the sect being unable to establish my foundation, and the Vajra Bracelet also being unable to obtain more cultivation methods for comprehensive optimization, I would not have come to this world to seek martial arts cultivation to enter the Dao through martial prowess.'

'The position of Commissioner of the Imperial City Bureau is merely a tool for me to scrape secret manuals from across the world. Rebuilding a force would be too troublesome, and acting alone would make it hard to see the situation clearly.'

The existence of the Imperial City Bureau gives the imperial court a modicum of trust in him. Otherwise, the ancestors of the old Zhao family would not have left such a trump card. His willingness to help the Zhao Song court is not because he wants to become a enforcer or lackey.

'I merely wish to repay the court a favor. After all, I have used the Imperial City Bureau for many private matters.'

Initially he mobilized troops to go to Changzhou to kill the Jin people; although using the Imperial City Bureau's authority to mobilize so many troops lay within normal jurisdiction, it was ultimately a case of striking first and reporting later.

Moreover, he has always been uneasy about the problem of foreign invasions. He coldly muttered to himself: 'In my previous life, I was at least a hot-blooded youth on Earth; not dealing with foreign tribes, how could I rest easy in my conscience?'

Even before crossing over to the Azure Mystic Continent, he hated foreign tribes, being a so-called hot-blooded youth!

The Jin people are about to perish; he need not pay them much heed. He only needs to break through the Innate Realm, and also strive to seek more secret manuals.

These days Ye Qin finally understood one thing: the Vajra Bracelet actually absorbs the primal force of the world, while martial arts secrets, bearing heavenly mandate and receiving earthly virtue, are a path left by this world for those seeking the Dao. The method of the secret manuals is merely an object that carries the primal force. (End of chapter)