Chapter 479: Trustworthy

"Chuanzong is back — quick, have a seat." Chen Xin, his face wreathed in smiles, gestured toward the lower seat. The man he was receiving was none other than Lu Chuanzong, the very first to follow him. Two guards and an adjutant also stood in the room.

Lu Chuanzong saluted with the utmost respect, then took his seat. He said to Chen Xin, "Your subordinate has not seen my lord for a very long time. The first thing I did upon returning to Dengzhou was to come pay my respects."

Chen Xin cheerfully poured tea and handed it to Lu Chuanzong personally, then smiled and said, "I had originally planned to visit Wendeng soon and look in on your situation at the military academy. As luck would have it, you've returned. If there is anything troubling you, you may speak of it to me."

"Thank you, my lord, for your concern. So long as I am working for my lord, it is all the same wherever I am." Lu Chuanzong spoke earnestly. "But to be honest, your subordinate has had considerable conflict with Shi Pingli at the academy, and I have little desire to manage academy affairs. It is somewhat a waste of the headmaster's post."

Chen Xin asked in surprise, "Then why did you not come to speak with me sooner?"

"My lord handles ten thousand matters daily; your subordinate did not wish to intrude. I also felt I could talk things over further with Shi Pingli — perhaps things would improve later."

Chen Xin nodded with a slight smile. "That's the right attitude. If you have any requests, speak them out. Keeping things bottled up inside only breeds suspicion in others. Communication is very important. Perhaps Shi Pingli also wishes to reconcile with you — one never knows."

Lu Chuanzong raised his eyes to look at Chen Xin and suddenly said, "My lord, your subordinate has a matter to report."

"It's no trouble — speak."

"Recently, that fellow Er Tun suddenly came to see your subordinate. He said that men from the Eastern Depot had approached him and asked him to pry into Dengzhou's secrets."

Chen Xin froze for a moment. He had not expected Lu Chuanzong to volunteer this matter. He stood still for a few seconds, then rose and said, "There is such a thing?"

Lu Chuanzong's expression grew grave. "It is indeed so. My lord, you know this Er Tun. That shop he opened last time... it was also because I had spoiled him in the past that he did some things he ought not to have done, and later the Bureau of Industry and Commerce investigated him. After your subordinate was demoted, I gave him a harsh scolding. But I never imagined that because of this, he would harbor some resentment toward Dengzhou — mainly toward the Bureau of Industry and Commerce and the Intelligence Bureau. His elder brother and sister-in-law were wounded and died during the investigation, so he has never been able to let it go in his heart. This time, he was bought off by the Eastern Depot."

Chen Xin said, astonished, "There is such a matter? Why did the Intelligence Bureau never tell me? Had I known, he would never have been let off lightly."

Lu Chuanzong rose in alarm and said, "Your subordinate cursed him out thoroughly at the time, and he also seemed to repent on the spot. In a moment of soft-heartedness, mindful of our old ties as fellow townsmen, I did not arrest him. Later, thinking on it, I feared he might do something harmful to my lord, so the moment I received orders I hurried back — also to busy myself with reporting this matter."

Chen Xin paced back and forth in the room, his expression shifting several times. He lowered his head to look at the floor, using it to conceal the doubt in his heart. Lu Chuanzong had actually come to expose Er Tun — was this a genuine desire to mend his ways?

When Chen Xin stopped, Lu Chuanzong spoke again: "In coming to report Er Tun, your subordinate also wishes that Lord Chen will swiftly arrest this man. But I beg my lord, in consideration of your subordinate's many years of bitter toil, to spare Er Tun this once. Your subordinate will keep him under strict watch from now on; absolutely nothing will happen again."

Chen Xin fixed his gaze on Lu Chuanzong. His face once again wore a professional smile. "Chuanzong, the fact that you can report Er Tun shows that you hold the greater interests of Dengzhou Garrison in your heart. I truly did not know about the killing of Er Tun's family. Since you vouch for him, his life may be spared."

Lu Chuanzong said gratefully, "Your subordinate thanks my lord."

Chen Xin, somewhat stirred, said to Lu Chuanzong, "It is very good that you can behave this way. You must understand — you are the man who has followed me the longest. I also think highly of your talents. That post at the military academy is not the idle sinecure others take it for. It is the future of our Dengzhou Garrison. Do your work well; there will be other positions in the future."

"Your subordinate understands. There is one more matter: the Eastern Depot men have come to conduct interviews. Your subordinate's garrison post is at Zhaoyuan, but my residence is in Dengzhou. I do not know which place I should return to."

Chen Xin said dismissively, "Go ask Wang Tingshi. Those scoundrels came looking for him."

Lu Chuanzong hesitated a moment, then said, "If your subordinate is to go to Zhaoyuan, there will also be scoundrels at my home. Your subordinate would be somewhat uneasy. When the time comes, I beg my lord to send men to keep an eye on things, lest those scoundrels stir up some trouble. The household is all womenfolk and small children..."

"Go with peace of mind. I will watch over it. I expect those scoundrels lack such nerve."

Lu Chuanzong sat a while longer, then prepared to leave to see Wang Tingshi and inquire about the Eastern Depot's arrangements. Chen Xin saw him to the door and admonished him: "This Eastern Depot business stems from that bit of trouble at Zhangjiakou. If they question you, just curse Zhong Caisheng freely as a crude and rash character. As for the rest, you should know how to speak."

Lu Chuanzong nodded repeatedly in agreement, then saluted Chen Xin and took his leave. He said loudly, "Your subordinate has always remembered those earliest days when we faced life and death together with my lord. Where I did wrong in the past, your subordinate has thought it all through during my time at the military academy. I beg my lord to observe your subordinate's words and deeds in the days to come."

Chen Xin, his face full of smiles, praised him a few times and saw him all the way to the main gate. Lu Chuanzong strode out. Watching Lu Chuanzong's retreating figure, Chen Xin slowly let his smile fade. The adjutant beside him leaned in close and asked, "My lord, shall we have Zhou Shifa hold off for a while?"

Chen Xin's eyes remained fixed on Lu Chuanzong's retreating figure. Scenes from the past flickered before his eyes, and he found himself somewhat lost in thought. After a long moment, he finally said, "Do not kill Lu Chuanzong yet, but have him watched to death. Have Zhou Shifa find the whereabouts of that Er Tun and the three Eastern Depot scoundrels as quickly as possible."

As the adjutant was noting this down, Chen Xin murmured, "Could it truly still be salvaged?"

At Lu Chuanzong's residence outside the Chunsheng Gate, Jiang Yuegui openly and righteously moved into the Lu household. When the two met in the courtyard, they were exceedingly polite, speaking only in the presence of servants and maids. Lu Chuanzong was polite but tinged with coldness.

That very day, Jiang Yuegui took up residence in Lu Chuanzong's home. Nothing happened that night. The next day, Jiang Yuegui, bringing along one Eastern Depot operative, formally requested a face-to-face discussion with Lu Chuanzong, so as to complete the task assigned by the imperial court. It did not appear out of the ordinary.

The moment both parties entered the study, Jiang Yuegui shut the door and first swept the room with his eyes. The other Eastern Depot operative meticulously checked every place where a person might hide.

Once everything was in order, the three sat down. One Eastern Depot operative began asking questions in a loud voice. His questions were very long, and his voice was so loud it could be heard outside.

Under the cover of his voice, Jiang Yuegui swiftly leaned in close and whispered into Lu Chuanzong's ear, "When you saw Chen Xin, did you say what I told you to say?"

Lu Chuanzong immediately replied, "I said everything just as instructed. I reported Er Tun, expressed that I had no complaints at the military academy, and even reminisced about the old days. Chen Xin seems to have let go of some of his misgivings. However, that man is deeply calculating. He will never fully trust anyone, except for that Liu Minyou."

"It's good that he has relaxed. At least he won't move against you immediately, which gives us time to arrange our escape. Also, why did you arrange for Er Tun to seek out other people from Yanggu? That could very easily be exposed."

At that moment, Lu Chuanzong loudly answered a question from the interrogating operative, who then began asking the next question.

Lu Chuanzong turned back to Jiang Yuegui and said with a cold laugh, "Er Tun only sought out Huang Yuan. Only Huang Yuan and Xu Yuanhua know the truth. As for the others, Huang Yuan only told them about selling grain, so as to obtain boats. They know nothing of the Eastern Depot matter. If they can successfully put out to sea, Huang Yuan will take them away at the time of boarding. These men are useful for drilling troops and are also the most familiar with the Dengzhou Garrison's system."

Jiang Yuegui furrowed his brow. Lu Chuanzong was clearly using these people to divert attention and make his own escape easier. Feeling a touch of contempt in his heart, he immediately asked, "First, tell me about the Dengzhou army's system."

Lu Chuanzong gave a faint smile. "Lord Jiang is still a bit too impatient. A sentence or two cannot explain it fully. It would be better to speak of it slowly once we reach the capital."

Jiang Yuegui stared at Lu Chuanzong for a moment, then with difficulty forced a smile onto his face. "You truly live up to the name of Dengzhou's Tiger General."

Lu Chuanzong asked coolly, "Lord Jiang said that Eunuch Cao promised me the rank of Regional Commander. Is there a handwritten note from Eunuch Cao as proof?"

"There is not. I could not possibly carry such a thing when traveling. What if I met with danger in Denglai and such a thing fell into the hands of others? Furthermore, before I left the capital, Eunuch Cao did not have a clear understanding of the Dengzhou Garrison. He could not determine who could come and who could not. How could he write such an order? However, he did say in person that His Majesty's instruction to him was: all officers of Assistant Regional Commander rank and above coming from Dengzhou are to be given important posts, and those of Vice Regional Commander rank and above are to be assigned as Regional Commanders."

A trace of doubt still lingered in Lu Chuanzong's eyes. But the resentment that had weighed on his heart for so many years left him no leisure to carefully discern the truth.

"Then how are the preparations for withdrawal proceeding?"

Amid the operative's loud, recitation-like questioning, Jiang Yuegui said rapidly, "I am even more concerned about this matter than Lord Lu. I had already begun making arrangements before I went to see Lu Zhi. My men have already set to work on this in Zhaoyuan, and there will be results very soon. In a few days, you will use the pretext of returning to your garrison post to go to the Zhaoyuan military camp. Everything outside the camp will be arranged solely by me. How you get out of the camp — that you will have to figure out yourself."

Lu Chuanzong nodded. "If I cannot even manage that, then all these years in the army have been in vain."

Jiang Yuegui asked one last question: "That Huang Yuan and Xu Yuanhua — can they be trusted? I keep feeling this is a loose end."

Lu Chuanzong said firmly, "Absolutely trustworthy. They are both playmates I grew up with, and in Dengzhou we have faced life and death together. I trust them. Moreover, both men are of great use and are indispensable."

Jiang Yuegui finally nodded and said, "Very well. But I will add one condition: you must not tell them the final departure point and time until after you have gone to Zhaoyuan."

Three days later, at the hour of Xu, in a courtyard on the east side of the Civil Affairs Department, Xu Yuanhua was pacing restlessly back and forth in his study.

Because of Chen Yijing's implication and the unearthing of Er Tun's shop affair, Xu Yuanhua had been transferred from the important Bureau of Industry and Commerce to the inexplicable Bureau of Science and Technology. There were only three clerks here in total. At first, there were a few project-establishment matters to handle, but later there was nothing at all. It had become a true idle post. Every day was just drinking tea. But sitting idle all day with nothing to do was more agonizing than being busy.

Among the clerks, there were likely also agents of the Intelligence Bureau. That constant feeling of being watched made Xu Yuanhua restless and uneasy. Later, all the Yanggu people were transferred back to Denglai and placed in idle posts across various bureaus. Huang Yuan, in the Mobilization Bureau, also had nothing to do.

Of the Yanggu faction, only Dai Zhenggang, who had not been involved in Er Tun's shop, remained. Dai Zhenggang had also swapped posts with Zheng Sanhu, becoming the commander of the Third Battalion and going far away to Pingdu Department. Chen Xin's intention to suppress the Yanggu faction was exceedingly clear, and it was carried out with thunderous speed. It caused only a slight ripple in the Dengzhou Garrison before calming down. The Yanggu gang, which had once run through the military, civil affairs, and commerce, had in an instant become a bunch of idlers living off handouts, their influence vanishing like smoke.

This time, Xu Yuanhua truly came to recognize Chen Xin's character. But he was still unwilling to accept such an outcome. He sought to see Liu Minyou many times, but Liu Minyou did not see him either, only sending word for him to manage the Bureau of Science and Technology's affairs well.

After spending a year in this kind of anxiety, Huang Yuan brought him shocking news: Lu Chuanzong was going to follow the Eastern Depot men and defect to the imperial court. The court's offered price was not low. They hoped Xu Yuanhua would leave with them, follow Lu Chuanzong to find a place to establish a foundation, and continue managing civil affairs.

Xu Yuanhua was somewhat tempted. However, he would have to abandon his entire family, and he could not bear to part with his wives and children. He had followed Chen Xin to Weihai as early as the seventh year of Tianqi. After all these years, he now had five concubines and seven children in total. It was not something he could abandon just by saying so.

"The imperial court?" Xu Yuanhua muttered to himself, then shook his head. What Lu Chuanzong saw was only Dengzhou's military strength. Perhaps he also knew that the Civil Affairs Department was necessary, but the true power of the Civil Affairs Department and the trading company — only someone like Xu Yuanhua understood that. Just like the recent grain shortage along the Grand Canal, Xu Yuanhua had gradually seen through the whole story.

Compared to the ever-increasing chips in Chen Xin's hand, the imperial court was simply too distant. Not to mention that he might not even be able to escape Dengzhou.

Lu Chuanzong's plan was to use other unimportant people in Yanggu to divert the Intelligence Bureau's attention, ostensibly to sell grain, but in reality Huang Yuan had secretly purchased another boat — that was the route by which Huang Yuan and Xu Yuanhua would leave. This was an act of betraying his fellow townsmen.

Xu Yuanhua stomped his foot fiercely. "Lu Chuanzong. Lu Ertun, I've already done too much for Yanggu. If it weren't for you people, I'd have long since become Director of the Garrison Affairs Department and Deputy Chief of the Civil Affairs Division. Now you still want to drag me down — you can't blame me for this."

Xu Yuanhua swiftly wrote a letter. He summoned the guard assigned to every department head and instructed him, "Please deliver this letter to the Regional Commander's residence. It is of the utmost importance. The utmost importance."

With a clang, an inkstone shattered into several pieces on the floor.

The main door burst open with a bang, and several guards rushed in. Chen Xin shouted, "It's nothing, no one come in."

The guards ran back out just as quickly. Chen Xin turned, grabbed a brush holder, and hurled it hard onto the ground. The brushes scattered across the floor, and the wind stirred by his robes made the candle shadows flicker violently.

Soon everything on the desk had been smashed except the candlestick. Chen Xin gripped the base of the candlestick, panting heavily, then finally slowly released his hand. He lowered his head, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the crumpled letter in his left hand, his fingers trembling involuntarily. After a long moment, he suddenly clenched his fist, took deep breaths to steady his breathing, sat back down behind the desk, and pulled the bell cord.

The adjutant walked in swiftly, ignoring the debris covering the floor, and stood at attention with his chin slightly raised. "My lord."

Chen Xin asked calmly, "Where is Zhou Shifa?"

"Yesterday Lu Chuanzong went to Zhaoyuan. The Intelligence Bureau also discovered traces of one of Jiang Yuegui's agents in Zhaoyuan. Zhou Shifa went personally to Zhaoyuan to conduct surveillance. The Dengzhou Intelligence Bureau is temporarily under Wu Jianzhong's charge."

"Notify Wu Jianzhong immediately. All standby action teams are to deploy. Apart from Xu Yuanhua, arrest all Yanggu personnel remaining in Dengzhou at once. Kill that Jiang Yuegui, wherever he is. Notify the heads of the Training, Military Orders, Military Affairs, and Military Law departments to come to my office for a meeting. Also, send riders out of the city at full speed to Zhaoyuan to notify Zhou Shifa — arrest Lu Chuanzong immediately."

The adjutant said loudly, "My lord, Zhou Shifa may not be able to enter the military camp. The guards won't let Intelligence Bureau personnel in to make arrests."

Chen Xin smacked his own head. "First send someone to notify Zhou Shifa to tighten surveillance. Have Nie Hong of the Military Law Department go personally to Zhaoyuan to arrest Lu Chuanzong!"

The adjutant acknowledged the order loudly and left. Chen Xin braced both hands on the table and said through gritted teeth, "Lu Chuanzong, you've actually learned to be clever, daring to deceive me, even using grain sales to divert my attention. This time, don't blame me."

Chen Xin sat alone by the desk in silence for a long while, then pulled the bell cord again and said to the guard who entered, "Go invite Master Liu. Tell him I have an urgent matter to discuss with him."

Late at night on the third day of the seventh month of the seventh year of Chongzhen, outside a small fishing village by the Zhongli River in Zhaoyuan, two dark figures arrived a hundred paces from the village.

Lu Chuanzong had fled the military camp and successfully reached the final embarkation point. This was a small inlet on the Zhongli River in Zhaoyuan, from which one could smoothly put out to sea. A sand ship waited at the embarkation point to receive them, while Huang Yuan and the others would depart from a private dock in Dengzhou. They would rendezvous in Tianjin. Once they entered Jingshi —

Glory and wealth awaited just ahead. Lu Chuanzong had by now developed some political instinct. The imperial court was certainly wary of Dengzhou. Since Liaozhen was insufficient to check Dengzhou, another force was needed.

The best-positioned choice was of course Xuan-Da, far from Jingshi, where one could be a local emperor just like Chen Xin. Staying in Jingshi was not a good option — the Dengzhou Intelligence Bureau's strength there was equally formidable, and it would be difficult to develop one's own influence. So Lu Chuanzong planned to petition the Emperor for a Beijing garrison battalion to pursue the roving bandits. That way he could escape Dengzhou's sphere of influence and carve out a base in Shaanxi, Henan, and other places.

In the darkness, Lu Chuanzong's eyes flickered as he laid plans for his future prospects. Ertun, who was following him, asked in a low voice, "Brother Lvzi, it's that thatched hut up ahead. The boat is by the river just beyond the hut. The agent is inside that hut."

Lu Chuanzong returned his focus to the present and warily scanned the dark surroundings. The thatched hut stood by the Zhongli River, about fifty paces from the fishing village, isolated off to one side. Going there at night would not alert the village dogs — it was a good position for withdrawal.

The wilderness was utterly silent, only the chirping of insects rising and falling. Lu Chuanzong listened carefully for a moment. Detecting nothing unusual, he led Ertun as they crept toward the thatched hut.

Reaching the front of the hut, Ertun called out in a low voice into the pitch-dark interior, "Master Huang, Assistant Regional Commander Lu and I are here. Let's go."

There was no response from inside the hut. Lu Chuanzong's heart tightened. He quietly drew his short gun and his Japanese sword and whispered to Ertun, "Did you get the wrong place?"

Suddenly a familiar voice came from inside the hut: "The place is right. It's the people who aren't quite right."

Lu Chuanzong took a step back in the darkness. "Zhou Shifa!"

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