Chapter 627

If Lu Chuan hadn't introduced himself, Chen Wuji would have found it hard to connect this person with Lu Ping'an.

This father and son are completely unrelated, hardly any connection at all.

Upon seeing Lu Chuan, Chen Wuji suddenly felt a strange sensation.

In Da Yu, both the martial and civil officials seem quite contrasting.

I don't know whether it's just what he saw that's like this, or if the whole of Da Yu is like this.

If that's the case everywhere, then there's some truth to the saying about this place.

Among the generals, Xie Fengxian and Cao Mu are the type who look very refined.

If you only looked at their appearance, absolutely no one would associate them with being generals.

Cao Mu is so introverted that he blushes even when speaking to women.

Yet such a person fights with ferocity that is utterly disastrous.

"Has your father arrived in Qingzhou?" Chen Wuji asked.

Lu Chuan clasped his hands, "My father probably arrived in Qingzhou about three days ago."

"How is Qingzhou?" Chen Wuji asked.

"With General Qian sitting in command, Qingzhou is peaceful and secure, and the wealthy elites in the prefecture have all submitted."

Chen Wuji nodded, "You've come rushing to see me so urgently—what's the matter?"

"I want to talk to the Commander about the Snake Staff Elder, and also use this as a stepping stone to seek an easy post before the Commander." Lu Chuan said this very bluntly, without any concealment.

Chen Wuji looked at him with a calm expression, "You've uncovered the Snake Staff Elder's background but didn't tell your father, instead coming to see me—what's the reasoning behind that?"

"The Commander has misunderstood me; it's not that I don't want to tell my father, but I simply hadn't had the chance to tell him. I only recently realized that the Snake Staff Elder might be problematic, so I sent people to investigate deeply; by the time my father suffered defeat, I still had no clues." Lu Chuan said.

"I only obtained this clue not long ago; coincidentally, at that time my father, acting on the Commander's order, had returned to Qingzhou to assist the former general in overseeing prefectural affairs. After discussing it with my father, I hurried here to see the Commander."

Chen Wuji nodded, "First, tell me what you've found."

"The Snake Staff Elder seems to be a person from the former Ning Prince's faction!" Lu Chuan said in a low voice.

Chen Wuji felt somewhat bewildered—how did this get tied to the former Ning Prince again?

"That's ancient history from many years ago."

"The Ning Prince was the biggest traitor of the former dynasty; without him, perhaps there would be no Da Yu today."

"But the Taizu Emperor of Da Yu utterly eradicated the Ning Prince's line."

"That extremely hypocritical emperor issued a clear edict to the world, declaring he most hated such traitorous rebels."

"He said that eating the ruler's stipend means bearing the ruler's worries; how could one, for personal gain, destroy the ancestral foundation?"

"You used 'seems'—you're not certain?" Chen Wuji asked.

"Yes."

"Tell me the specifics."

"I found a woman deeply connected to the Snake Staff Elder; she comes from the former Ning Prince's mansion, daughter of a strategist who served under the Ning Prince back then. I uncovered some vague clues indicating that this strategist was likely the daughter of Lü Lang, who was highly favored by the Ning Prince."

Chen Wuji frowned, "You're basing the conclusion that the Snake Staff Elder is related to the former Ning Prince's mansion solely on this?"

"Not only that!" Lu Chuan said.

"The Snake Staff Elder's movements have always been mysterious, leaving few traces, but I discovered that he goes to Yan Zhou every year to honor his ancestors and has adopted many orphans there."

"The former Ning Prince's fief was precisely in Yan Zhou!"

Chen Wuji nodded, "The exact identity of the Snake Staff Elder hasn't been uncovered?"

"Not yet." Lu Chuan shook his head, "His movements are too mysterious, as if his past is a blank slate. But if the Commander is at ease, you can entrust this to me; I can issue a military order and, within three months, surely dig out his roots completely."

Chen Wuji didn't immediately respond to Lu Chuan's remark, but said, "Sometimes a single coincidence is just chance, but if two things coincide, it's certainly not that simple a coincidence."

"I'm willing to trust your judgment on this matter. However, the current evidence is still too thin to justify any firm decision on my part. You just said the Snake Staff Elder adopted many orphans in Yan Zhou—are they boys or girls? Where did those people end up? Have you ascertained that?"

"Both boys and girls. As for the number, it's not clear; I've only gotten a very rough figure—about several hundred." Lu Chuan said, "As for where these people went, I'm unable to find out for now."

Chen Wuji fell into thought.

Actually, there's no need for him to overly concern himself with the Snake Staff Elder anymore.

He's just a clownish troublemaker.

After all this tumultuous turmoil, he hasn't really managed to pull off anything major.

That old fogey is only fit to play petty tricks in the shadows.

But if that old fogey isn't caught, Chen Wuji can't let his anger subside; it's unpleasant.

Besides that, he's a little worried about the Snake Staff Elder's ability to bewitch hearts and turn people against their own.

Even Lu Ping'an's forces were nearly corrupted by his people.

Such tactics are sometimes impossible to guard against; a moment's carelessness can easily lead to being ensnared.

The best defense is to eradicate the problem at its root.

Eliminate the person causing the trouble, and deal with the nuisance at its source.

There's never been a principle of guarding against thieves for a thousand days.

"Where is the Snake Staff Elder now?" Chen Wuji asked.

According to earlier intelligence, he took Gu Wenjie and the remnants and fled to Yushan Prefecture.

But in the intelligence sent this time by the central command, there was not a single mention of Gu Wenjie and the Snake Staff Elder, suggesting they didn't encounter them.

Lu Chuan said, "Reporting to the Commander, he seems recently to have been active in the Qiang people's territory. However, Gu Wenjie and his remnants remain in Yushan Prefecture; as for what exactly they are plotting, I've been unable to find out."

Chen Wuji smiled, "It sounds like your intelligence network is quite extensive? I've only received a rough report on these matters."

"I dare not accept the Commander's praise; my intelligence network amounts to little more than petty gossip." Lu Chuan clasped his hands, "Wherever merchant caravans pass, they bring some news; if there are no caravans, I get nothing at all from that place."

Chen Wuji nodded, "You want to use this information to seek a post here with me?"

"Yes!" Lu Chuan replied.

I know this news is somewhat trivial, but I want to prove my ability to the Commander. Although some of what I say may be inappropriate, the Commander was even able to bring my father under his command, and I dare say my abilities surpass my father's.

Moreover, I think given the Commander's character, he shouldn't hold a grudge over those minor past matters; what I did was indeed somewhat overbearing, but it wasn't a serious fault. I may not be a good person, but I have never committed the atrocity of slaughtering the innocent or offending heaven and reason.

The Commander's forces shouldn't consist only of good people; someone like me, a bad person, can actually accomplish quite a lot.

Chen Wuji smiled.

This kid really can!

In order to prove himself, he actually went so far as to use his old father as a sacrifice to the Knife, and his words were quite blunt as well.