Chapter 75

“Senior Minister, it’s already late.”

“Our colleagues in Fengyang have prepared a banquet; why not enter the city to rest tonight and continue our journey tomorrow?”

The private secretary asked as usual.

Xu the Senior Minister had traveled slowly, entering every city he passed, growing fat on bribes—and his private secretary had grown rich too.

At this pace, by the time this mission was done, he’d be financially free.

“The Huai’an rebels have been decisively defeated; the siege of Yangzhou has been lifted. The initiative in the Two Huai region has now returned to the imperial court.”

“Xu Xintian, the Salt Transport Commissioner of the Two Huai, and Xia Shigao, the Salt Inspection Censor, have both been arrested by the eunuch faction.”

“Numerous officials—including those from the Salt Transport Office and the Nanzhili Provincial Administration Commission—are implicated in the treason case and are now in chains.”

“If I don’t go there soon, they’ll be convicted.”

“Since ancient times, few cases of treason have ever been overturned.”

“The Six Ministries of Nanjing have sent repeated orders urging action—they’re clearly unable to withstand the eunuch faction’s pressure.”

“We have no time to waste on the road.”

“Push another twenty li—we should reach a post station nearby. We’ll rest there tonight.”

Xu Wenyue shook his head.

Money could always be made; at his rank, he was destined never to lack it.

The rebels had been too weak; the Two Huai situation hadn’t deteriorated as expected, leaving him no chance to clean up the mess.

If he continued dawdling on the road, the Qingliu faction’s roots in the Two Huai region would be ripped out entirely.

…

“Left Chancellor, the situation in Huai’an is settled. We should move on to Yangzhou.”

Gu Yuansong said with a smile.

This trip to the Two Huai region had been a major triumph for the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Whether forcing the Seven Great Families into rebellion or suppressing the uprising afterward, they had rendered invaluable service.

Their rivals, the Eastern Depot, had been mostly inactive, confined to the capital’s vicinity—mere spectators.

Power determines influence.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard’s outstanding performance had propelled Gu Yuansong, as its Commander, to greater influence within the eunuch political alliance.

“No need to rush. Now is not the best time to enter Yangzhou.”

“The Five City Military Command’s performance was unexpected. Who knows how much the Marquis of Wuyang will gloat? I have no desire to witness his smug face.”

“Xu the Senior Minister has always been upright—let him deal with the nobles and imperial relatives!”

Zuo Guang’en sneered.

Emperor Tianyuan loved playing the game of balance; he would never entrust the Two Huai salt trade to a single hand.

The four Imperial Commissioners appointed included representatives from the Qingliu, the eunuch faction, the nobility, and the imperial relatives.

All were Imperial Commissioners; none held clearly superior rank.

If the Marquis of Wuyang cooperated, fine. But if he refused to yield, this eunuch seal-bearer would be left in an awkward position.

“Left Chancellor, your insight is profound!”

“Yangzhou is indeed not easy to take control of right now.”

“But the salt merchants are still imprisoned there. To bring this case to a perfect close, we must ensure they are silenced forever.”

Gu Yuansong smoothly offered his flattery.

Provoking conflict between the imperial relatives and the Qingliu was undoubtedly a great advantage for the eunuch faction.

The only problem: this salt merchant rebellion had been executed far too crudely.

The arrested salt merchants knew nothing from start to finish—they were falsely branded as traitors.

Anyone with half a brain wouldn’t easily confess.

If the authority to interrogate fell into Qingliu hands, the eunuch faction, which had orchestrated everything behind the scenes, would be thrown on the defensive.

“Don’t worry. The Marquis of Wuyang understands the stakes.”

“He knows the Emperor’s intentions.”

“Even if he angers the Qingliu, he will carry out the Emperor’s will.”

“I suspect he’s already fretting over how to handle the salt merchants in his custody.”

Zuo Guang’en shook his head.

Killing all the arrested salt merchants under the heavy guard of the Five City Military Command was not impossible.

But then, the moles embedded within the Five City Military Command would be exposed.

The Five City Military Command was the private domain of the imperial relatives and nobility; if their reach extended so far, neither faction would let it pass.

Political struggle is always about eliminating enemies and gaining allies.

Provoking conflict is a cardinal sin in officialdom.

…

Yangzhou Camp.

“Master Zhou, I apologize for taking so long to meet you—it’s my fault!”

“I’ve long heard of the fame of the Zhou family of the Two Huai. Which branch do you belong to?”

Li Mu’s cheerful opening left Zong Guangtai restless.

Like his own Zong family, the Zhou family of the Two Huai was one of the Seven Great Families—and a principal player in this rebellion.

His forged name had been linked to the Zhou family—it was a death sentence.

Had he known this would happen, he should’ve chosen a different surname when forging his travel pass.

“Your Excellency, I am merely a country scholar with no connection to the Two Huai Zhou family.”

“The rebels seized my hometown and captured me. I have no ties to the traitors—I beg Your Excellency to investigate!”

Zong Guangtai spoke nervously.

One lie always demands more lies to cover it.

Though he concealed himself well, his tense body betrayed his deception.

“Master Zhou, what of your family? Were they all killed by the rebels?”

Li Mu asked casually.

By this point in the interrogation, he was certain: this “Master Zhou” was an impostor.

That travel pass should never have been on him.

Normally, someone whose hometown had been seized by rebels wouldn’t have time to obtain a travel pass.

Especially for a scholar—his academic title was far more useful than any pass.

Even without a title, if his teacher was powerful enough, a letter of recommendation would grant him free passage.

“Your Excellency, my life has been tragic. I lost both parents in childhood.”

“My grandfather raised me alone. Five years ago, after his death, I had no living relatives left.”

As he spoke, tears streamed down Zong Guangtai’s face.

To save his life, he had gone all in—even turning his ancestors into dead men.

But whether he avoided the truth no longer mattered.

Given the current situation, even if the Zong family hadn’t yet died, they were already on the brink of hell.

The rebels had failed to shake Great Yu’s rule; now these traitors could only hide and flee.

Every past connection was now a death warrant.

Many would gladly cut off their heads to earn imperial rewards.

Especially those closely tied to the Zong family—they’d need those heads to prove loyalty to the court.

“I apologize, Master Zhou—I spoke of your pain. It was my fault.”

“But suppressing rebellion is the Emperor’s mandate—I dare not be negligent.”

“You were held in the rebel camp; surely you know them well. Please, share what you know.”

“The Emperor is magnanimous. If you contribute to quelling this rebellion, he will surely overlook your past association with the traitors!”

Hearing Li Mu’s words, Zong Guangtai’s head buzzed.

To make a rebel leader help suppress the rebellion? This was a joke!

Yet he couldn’t refuse.

Whether voluntary or not, “collaborating with traitors” was a grave crime.

A chance to redeem himself through service—any normal man would be grateful.

But the Zong family was one of the rebel leaders, and he himself had made outstanding contributions to the rebellion.

Even if he earned merit, it couldn’t erase his past crimes.

Unless the Emperor personally pardoned him, even an Imperial Commissioner couldn’t absolve him—let alone Li Mu, a mere Battalion Commander.

“Your Excellency, I swear—I will answer every question truthfully!”

Zong Guangtai gritted his teeth.

Let the other guy die; I’ll live.

To survive now, he must keep his identity secret—and revealing some rebel intelligence was unavoidable.

He’d been forced into it: after guiding a death squad, he’d been dragged to the camp.

They were all driven to it—after guiding the suicide squad, they were taken straight to the military camp.

At first, no one took him seriously, and there were many opportunities to flee; Zong Guangtai had prepared multiple escape plans.

But he was merely a frail scholar—his planning ability was more than sufficient, yet his execution ability was severely lacking.

He had barely run a few steps when he encountered a patrol of soldiers.

Had he not reacted quickly enough to bluff his way past them, he might not even have had the chance to stand here.

(End of Chapter)