Chapter 480: Farewell

A rustling sound rose from the ground around the thatched hut, and over ten dark figures emerged, sealing off all escape routes. They aimed their powerful crossbows at Lu Chuanzong and his companion. Er Tun was so terrified he let out a shriek.

"I have been a close friend of Brother Lu for many years. Truly, I did not wish to see you here, but in the end, you came anyway." Zhou Shifa's voice drifted leisurely from inside the hut. "We parted last year, and now we meet again under such circumstances — laughable and lamentable. Recalling the past, my heart is now filled with a tumult of emotions."

Lu Chuanzong bit his lip and said nothing, pondering a way to escape. His eyes darted toward the fishing boat by the riverbank, where three more figures had emerged. Lu Chuanzong's throat involuntarily went dry.

"Brother Lu thought he could deceive everyone in Dengzhou, showing far too little regard for me, his brother. However, if Brother Lu is willing to say a few words, drop that hand cannon, and I will grant you a swift end when the time comes."

Lu Chuanzong hesitated for a moment, then gently shook his head. "I am a military officer. I don't need anyone to grant me a swift end. Zhou Shifa, you have always lurked in the shadows; I'm used to us talking like this. I just want to know — how did you find this place?"

Zhou Shifa sighed. "Those Eastern Depot agents are all experts, but a man leaves traces wherever he goes, and a Jingshi accent is still easy to recognize. They killed men from my Intelligence Bureau on Dengzhou Garrison territory. If I let them get away, I would no longer be fit to serve as bureau chief. The same goes for Brother Lu — if I let you escape to the imperial court to run your mouth, I would have no choice but to die to atone to Lord Chen. Also, a word of caution, Brother Lu: best stay right where you are. Don't think of charging in to take me hostage. I have several men inside the hut with powerful crossbows. I'm warning you in advance, Brother Lu."

Lu Chuanzong chuckled coldly. "Rest assured, I bear you no grudge. On the contrary, we've been brothers for many years. I am already in a dead end; there's no need to drag you down with me. If it were Chen Xin standing here, I might give it a try."

Zhou Shifa laughed in spite of himself. "Listening to Brother Lu, so full of resentment toward Lord Chen, yet calling himself a soldier — it seems you believe you've already learned all of Dengzhou's secrets and can contend with Lord Chen. That's why you've always harbored bitterness over Lord Chen transferring you to the Military Academy."

Lu Chuanzong snorted. "I am the court-appointed Right Assistant Vice Regional Commander of Dengzhou. I answer to the Military Defense Circuit and the Provincial Governor. I do not answer to the Dengzhou Regional Commander. By what right does Chen Xin transfer me back and forth?"

"So Brother Lu serves as an official of the imperial court. I, unworthy as I am, can only serve as an official of the Dengzhou Garrison."

Lu Chuanzong laughed loudly. "Zhou Shifa, with your talents, you are more than fit to be the Embroidered Uniform Guard Commander..."

Zhou Shifa's voice cut in calmly. "What one is fit to do is not important. What matters is what one does, and who gave you such recognition. I came to know Brother Lu back in Tianjin. The first time I saw Brother Lu was at Lord Chen's open banquet. At that time, did Brother Lu think my talents were enough to be the Embroidered Uniform Guard Commander?"

Lu Chuanzong was momentarily speechless. After a long while, he finally said, "Brother Zhou, you too have risked life and limb for him. The position you hold now — that was earned by your own sacrifice." Lu Chuanzong replied coldly.

"I was once a mere retainer in the Tianjin Guard. By Lord Chen's recognition, I now oversee the affairs of this Intelligence Bureau. I often think: had I gone to the capital battalions to be a retainer back then, though I'd still be selling my life, it would have been sold far more cheaply. How vast and far-reaching the future of the Dengzhou Garrison is — I believe Brother Lu can see a hint of it. With the watermelon already in your arms, to throw it away for the sesame seed before your eyes is truly a pity."

Lu Chuanzong snorted but said nothing.

Zhou Shifa paused for a moment before speaking leisurely. "Back then, the three of us went to Dengzhou on a mission. Nie Hong was with us too, and Brother Lu led the operation. It was through that that I came to be heavily relied upon by Lord Chen. Brother Lu was brave and resolute in those days — the site selection, coordination, surveillance, assassination, and withdrawal were all flawless. Even today, that Dengzhou assassination is still a mandatory case study for Intelligence Bureau recruits. To tell the truth, though I had been a retainer, that kind of street killing was my first time. I admired Brother Lu immensely then, and never imagined a day would come when I would have to deal with Brother Lu myself. The irony is, this time, it is Nie Hong and I leading the team to capture Brother Lu. Fate toys with men, and it is ever thus."

Lu Chuanzong's eyes grew distant. The memory of assassinating Han Bin surfaced from deep within. Seven years ago, he had walked out of a shack by the Tianjin riverbank, gone to sea once with Chen Xin, made a fortune, and glimpsed hope in life. Then came battle after battle, drinking heartily with brothers in the camp after each promotion, taking concubine after concubine into his home, leaving behind child after child, and finally, step by step, arriving outside this thatched hut on the riverbank in the dark of night.

The sound of Er Tun weeping drifted over. Lu Chuanzong's eyes refocused. He said toward the hut, "Brother Zhou willingly sells his life for Chen Xin. I have nothing to say to that. Since I've fallen into your hands today, at least we were brothers who faced death together. My head hasn't been given in vain to enrich running dogs like Wu Jianzhong. But if I meet my end today, you, Zhou Shifa, will not escape Chen Xin's venomous hand in the future either."

Zhou Shifa was silent for a moment, then said, "Brother Lu still doesn't understand where you went wrong. Let me ask you: if the court wanted to transfer men like Zhu Guobin, Wang Zhangfu, or Zheng Sanhu, would Lord Chen simply arrest them? Lord Chen would only think of ways to keep them in Denglai. Those men would also come to Lord Chen to think of solutions together — not like Brother Lu, trading Dengzhou's secrets and your own townsmen to secure your own official rank. Brother Lu always carried a sense of grievance in his heart. The way I see it, Brother Lu was a bit too proud, always thinking you could do greater things. You looked down on all of us in Dengzhou, even Lord Chen and Lord Liu. You wished you could sit in the Dengzhou Regional Commander's seat yourself. Many times when drinking, I used the wine as an excuse to hint at this to you. I don't know if you were truly drunk or just pretending, but you never took it to heart. Today's outcome is truly of your own making!"

Inside and outside the thatched hut, all fell silent. Two comrades who had assassinated Han Bin together seven years ago now faced off across the hut's brushwood wall. That flimsy brushwood wall seemed as impregnable as the defenses of Lushun, demarcating the boundary between the two men now. The chirping of insects rose and fell around them, mingling with the sound of flowing water in the Zhongli River, making the night seem even more mysterious.

Lu Chuanzong sneered. "Zhou Shifa, you don't need to make it sound so noble. Are there men from the Aide Office among those around us? Do you need to use their mouths to profess your loyalty to Chen Xin?"

Zhou Shifa's voice remained unhurried. "Loyal or not, Lord Chen knows best in his heart. By the way, let me tell Brother Lu: all the Yanggu people in Dengzhou have been arrested. Lord Chen's order is that everyone involved in Brother Lu's escape attempt is to be executed. Brother Lu, you have not only ruined yourself, but also dragged your fellow townsmen down with you."

Lu Chuanzong, knowing he was doomed, suddenly laughed loudly. "I'll also tell Brother Zhou something in passing. This time, when we were buying grain and looking for boats in Dengzhou, we had much help from Hai Gouzi. Lord Zhou, after all that righteous indignation just now, when it comes to Hai Gouzi, please don't..."

Zhou Shifa suddenly roared in fury, "Kill them!"

The dense twang of bowstrings sounded simultaneously. Er Tun and Lu Chuanzong grunted repeatedly. Lu Chuanzong's fire lance boomed — he had not expected Zhou Shifa to kill him here. He had thought he would be taken back to Dengzhou for public execution. Caught off guard, his body was struck by the powerful crossbow bolts. His muzzle, knocked askew, spat a tongue of flame toward the thatched hut, leaving a blinding trail in the pitch-black night. The firelight illuminated Zhou Shifa's face, crisscrossed with branch shadows, through the gaps in the brushwood. The light vanished in an instant. Lu Chuanzong collapsed limply to the ground.

The two bodies writhed on the ground for a moment, emitting low groans. The dark figures surrounding them closed in and fired several more arrows into the corpses. Only when both bodies lay completely still did they approach to check for a pulse.

Because they were engaged in covert operations, danger could arise at any moment. So these action team members, though they appeared fierce, were in fact far more cautious than combat soldiers, exercising extreme prudence at all times. They did not consider this cowardice, but rather a standard procedure. Once they confirmed the kills, one team member said toward the hut, "Lord Zhou, they are both dead."

A dark figure emerged from the pitch-black doorway of the hut. He came and crouched before Lu Chuanzong's corpse, taking a lit torch handed to him by someone nearby. Lu Chuanzong's eyes were wide open, his expression still carrying a trace of unyielding defiance.

Zhou Shifa shook his head and said to the team members around him, "Take them back to Dengzhou. Lord Chen wants to see them."

In the office of the Regional Commander's residence, the adjutant had just closed the door and left. Liu Minyou and Chen Xin sat facing each other. The two had read the results of the surprise interrogation and remained speechless for a long time. When the Yanggu people in Dengzhou colluded to traffic grain, they had actually bribed Hai Gouzi, Chen Xin's number one personal guard. Hai Gouzi had just recently married and was resting at home. He did not fully understand Chen Xin's actions against the Yanggu faction. The Yanggu people promised him benefits, and he thought it was just making money by selling grain, so he went to help them request boats and grain. As Chen Xin's trusted confidant, he handled things very smoothly. But now he had been exposed by the Yanggu faction.

After a long while, Liu Minyou finally spoke. "Must he be killed?"

Chen Xin squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth. "Lu Chuanzong and his whole lot must die."

"Then what about Hai Gouzi?" Liu Minyou let out a long breath. "Why is Hai Gouzi so senseless? Did he think the Yanggu people sought him out with good intentions? He's truly foolish beyond belief, even helping them request boats."

Chen Xin rubbed his forehead with his eyes closed. After a long moment, he looked up and said, "Everyone involved in this Yanggu collusion to flee must die. Many people in the Intelligence Bureau's investigation already know about Hai Gouzi's involvement. Huang Yuan and Lu Chuanzong told every single Yanggu person about Hai Gouzi's help. Even Xu Yuanhua knows. If I don't kill Hai Gouzi, I cannot satisfy public opinion."

"Perhaps... imprisoning them would also be acceptable."

Chen Xin shook his head. "This is no time for soft-heartedness. We are surrounded by enemies on all sides — not only military threats, but also the breeding of all kinds of internal desires. Maintaining a high degree of internal unity and authority is of paramount importance. At this critical juncture, I will not tolerate any oversights. Everyone must be given a deterrent."

Liu Minyou sighed. "Huang Yuan is the most hateful. He also told this matter to many irrelevant people in the Military Affairs Bureau."

Chen Xin slapped the table and stood up. "Needless to say, it was Lu Chuanzong who orchestrated it. The Military Affairs Bureau had just issued a general order that anyone involved in smuggling grain would be severely punished under military law, and he dragged Hai Gouzi into it. Hai Gouzi deserves it — bought off for eight hundred taels of silver, running off to help people traffic grain. Everyone knows he's my trusted man, so they gave him the boats. His brain is full of mush. He deserves to die."

Liu Minyou held his head. "Hai Gouzi was just momentarily muddled. He just got married, and he didn't understand the gravity of this matter. Why must you..."

Chen Xin stared at Liu Minyou with firm resolve. "I have long conveyed to the Military Justice Bureau and the Intelligence Bureau: all involved are to be executed. Too many people already know about Hai Gouzi's matter. Even if Hai Gouzi didn't know I was moving against the Yanggu faction, he did know about the Military Affairs Bureau's general order prohibiting the smuggling of grain out to sea. He knowingly violated it, or perhaps thought I wouldn't deal with him. If I let one Hai Gouzi off, what authority does military law have left? I have always been too soft-hearted toward our own people. Now we are surrounded by enemies on all sides. In such an environment, if a team does not strengthen its discipline, how can it survive? If everyone thinks of betraying Dengzhou to the court for promotion and riches, or openly defies orders like Hai Gouzi, then it won't just be a matter of one Hai Gouzi dying — how many more will have to die? You must support me this time. Do not shake my resolve."

On the afternoon of the sixth day of the seventh month, in Chen Xin's office at the Regional Commander's residence, the moment to decide the fate of the Yanggu faction arrived. Over one hundred and ten people of the Yanggu faction had been arrested in this operation, twenty-three of whom were directly involved in Lu Chuanzong's escape. Aside from Xu Yuanhua, virtually all Yanggu people holding any position had been arrested. Dai Zhenggang was temporarily relieved of his duties as commander of the Third Battalion, and the Third Battalion was taken over by the Military Affairs Bureau.

Jiang Yuegui had been poisoned in Lu Chuanzong's residence and died that very night. Wang Tingshi assigned the case to the Penglai County Magistrate. An Eastern Depot agent had died on the grounds of the Dengzhou Garrison government office. Magistrate Tang was scared out of his wits, but in the end, he had no choice but to proceed. He could not produce a conclusion for the time being. Magistrate Tang's strategy was one word: delay. Any conclusion drawn in this case could lead to disaster. Only delay was most appropriate. At worst, he would be labeled mediocre and dismissed from office — far better than losing his head.

Within the Dengzhou Garrison, the tone of Chen Xin's handling had already been set. Military personnel like Lu Chuanzong were to be sentenced to death for treason and desertion, with the verdict disseminated within the army down to the Company Commander level. Civilian and trading company personnel involved were to be executed in the name of colluding with the Jianzhou Bandits. The target of this deterrent was not the rank-and-file soldiers, but the mid-level and core institution personnel.

Nie Hong said softly, "My lord, tomorrow your subordinate is to supervise the execution of Huang Yuan and the other Yanggu involved parties. Will you see them one last time?"

Chen Xin thought for a moment, then waved his hand. "No. Execute them directly."

Nie Hong stole a glance at Chen Xin and stammered, "Then... then what about Hai Gouzi?"

"Hai Gouzi..." Chen Xin murmured. That foolish, familiar smile appeared before his eyes. For a moment, he could not speak.

Zhou Shifa kept his eyes fixed downward in deep concentration. He and Chen Xin were old neighbors from the streets of Tianjin, and he had later been among the earliest to follow Chen Xin. He understood the relationship between Chen Xin and Hai Gouzi best — something like that of an elder brother and a father. Hai Gouzi had always served as Chen Xin's personal guard; the two were nearly inseparable at all times.

Chen Xin clasped his hands together, rubbing his left fist with his right palm. Nie Hong, Wu Jianzhong, and Zhou Shifa all lowered their heads to stare at the floor, daring neither to advise nor to urge. Even Liu Minyou beside him was the same. Liu Minyou neither wished for Hai Gouzi to die, nor wanted this handling to fail to satisfy public opinion. He dared not look at Chen Xin's expression, unsure where to rest his eyes.

"I do not wish to see Hai Gouzi again, nor do I wish to hear him." Chen Xin finally said softly.

Liu Minyou let out a long sigh, slumped painfully in his chair and shook his head, then stood up and walked out.

Chen Xin acted as if he had not seen it. Nie Hong and the others did not try to persuade him further either. A moment of silence filled the room. Chen Xin waved his hand gently, and Nie Hong and the other two withdrew together. The moment Nie Hong stepped out of the Regional Commander's residence gate, he hastily pulled Zhou Shifa aside, dragging him to the wall beside the military gate. With a deeply worried expression, he said, "Brother Zhou, Lord Chen truly means to kill Brother Hai Gouzi! Your mind is sharp — quickly, think of something."