Chapter 176

"It's too early to speak of rebellion."

Yuwen Xuzhong sighed. "At the very least, he still knows he must report to me, the Vice Commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs, before killing a Grand Coordinator. This can only be considered him urging me, His Excellency, to kill a Grand Coordinator. Moreover, as I expected, his desire to kill Wang Shu this time is mostly just to absorb Wang Shu's remaining troops and unify military command... But this man is overbearing by nature, and with Wanyan Loushi invading northern Shaanxi this time and Wang Shu returning in a crushing defeat, there is no one left to restrain him at the front, hence his rebellious intent is gradually growing."

This Lord Yuwen was far too indecisive. Regardless, a subordinate military officer plotting to kill his direct superior, and a military officer killing a Grand Coordinator at that—this was virtually unheard of. The mere thought of it made the man a rebel, even if he wasn't one yet.

With this thought, Mo Qixie felt a trace of contempt for Yuwen Xuzhong, but his face remained solemn as he promptly changed his tone:

"Your Excellency is precise—'rebellious intent is gradually growing' is exactly right... No one dares rebel from the start, but with the situation as it is and no one to restrain him, this scoundrel's rebellious intent will only grow stronger, and sooner or later he will cause chaos!"

Yuwen Xuzhong nodded repeatedly: "So, my meaning is that, regardless, Qu Duan can no longer be entrusted with important tasks. Add to that Wang Xie's incompetence and Wang Shu's complete loss of his army, there's no need for you to continue investigating these three men. It's better to return to Dongjing and let His Majesty and the central authorities make a swift decision and set a new policy for Guanxi. As for Wang Shu, I will find a way to use the court's authority to rescue him from Qu Duan's army..."

Hearing this, Mo Qixie sighed inwardly, lamenting that his arduous journey had ultimately yielded nothing. But his face showed only nods as he said that Your Excellency's arrangements were proper.

Then the two of them looked together at the chief envoy of this mission, Censor-in-Chief Hu Yin, waiting for him to nod before they would turn back to Dongjing.

Unexpectedly, after a moment's hesitation, Hu Mingzhong spoke of something else: "Your Excellency is from Jingdong, so you must know about the rebel Liu Yu brazenly declaring himself the puppet emperor?"

"How could I not know?" Yuwen Xuzhong smiled bitterly. "What does Censor-in-Chief Hu wish to say?"

"During the battle at the start of the year, I spoke with Academician Lin Jing, and one of his remarks has occupied my thoughts ever since." Hu Yin glanced at Mo Qixie, causing the latter's heart to stir. "I won't repeat the exact words, but the meaning was clear... Since the Jingkang Incident, over the years, the realm has once again fallen into chaos. His Majesty ascended the throne at Nanjing, tossing and turning, building from nothing. He has indeed restored the court and brought some improvement to the state, but just like Emperor Guangwu's restoration, the systems of the Former Han could not serve the Later Han..."

Yuwen Xuzhong was startled for a moment, but immediately nodded: "Actually, Censor-in-Chief Hu need not be evasive. I think the same way... Times change, and the ancestral institutions are indeed unreliable."

This time, it was Hu Yin's turn to be slightly startled, but he quickly continued: "Your Excellency understands clearly. What I mean is that in this age, even a proper jinshi degree holder can commit such heinous treason—it shows that customs have completely decayed. So why should we still judge military officers by the old standards?"

Qu Duan was on the verge of rebellion, and they were still talking about old standards?!

Mo Qixie was speechless inside, but his face remained unchanged: "What the Censor-in-Chief says is actually reasonable."

"His Majesty once said that if he could resist the Jin, he could endure anything." Hu Yin ignored Mo Qixie for the moment and continued earnestly to Yuwen Xuzhong. "Lord Yuwen, the current situation is that, regardless, Qu Duan has stabilized the front... Even if his ambition is truly uncontainable and he harbors thoughts of secession and rebellion, he might still be usable!"

Yuwen Xuzhong stroked his beard and nodded: "Indeed."

"Moreover, even if Qu Duan has rebellious intent, his troops are still court soldiers. From the fact that he reported to Your Excellency before killing Grand Coordinator Wang, it's clear that his prestige in the army may not be absolute. Besides, Guanxi is of great importance. Even if Qu Duan is completely unusable, we must find someone capable to take over the situation..." Hu Mingzhong continued, then looked earnestly at Mo Qixie.

"So, Censor-in-Chief Hu still wants to go to the army in person and see if anything can be done?" Before Mo Qixie could respond, Yuwen Xuzhong, who had already discerned his meaning, asked directly.

At this point, Hu Yin finally sighed:

"To be honest with Your Excellency, the state is in difficulty and lacks people to do the work. I am but a mere scholar. In my youth, driven by reckless courage, I submitted a preposterous memorial urging His Majesty not to ascend the throne, which earned me some reputation and allowed me to become an official. Later, by His Majesty's grace, I was promoted from a close attendant and became Censor-in-Chief at thirty. Looking back, most of my achievements come from seniority and remonstrance. I have no real accomplishments to my name, and I have even made many absurd statements on military matters... So I truly do not wish to return empty-handed from this trip."

"Then go, Censor-in-Chief!" Yuwen Xuzhong nodded directly. He understood the other's mindset very well, because before the Jingkang Incident, he too had been one of those so-called pure critics, but after Jingkang, filled with shame, he had desperately wanted to do something for the state, yet always failed to do it well. "It's just right to rescue Grand Coordinator Wang in the name of the court's envoy, and also to take the opportunity to ascertain Qu Duan's intentions and the state of his army. But regardless, you must prioritize your own safety... Remember, you are the Censor-in-Chief of the Great Song. Your personal safety is of great importance."

Hu Mingzhong quickly rose and made a deep bow.

Mo Qixie sighed inwardly and also rose to bow.

To be honest, Mo Qixie's thoughts were a bit strange. With his skill at reading people, he had naturally discerned Hu Mingzhong's intention from the start, and at first, he was unwilling to take the risk with him.

But for some reason, when Hu Yin was revealing his true feelings to Yuwen Xuzhong, he went along with it without any objection. This was not only because he was of low rank and had no say between the lord and the censor-in-chief, but also because of a genuine inclination to go along—he felt that making this trip might not be a bad thing.

And by the day of departure, Mo Qixie had figured out the reason—he still wanted to earn merit and become a high official!

After all, when he had first been appointed to office, he had dared to venture into dangerous places like Dongting Lake, and it was precisely for this reason that he had caught His Majesty's eye, becoming one of the two most favored among that batch of appointees, leading to his subsequent opportunities.

Now, although he had already established a solid foundation, the fact remained that he was older, had served before His Majesty for too short a time, and had very little seniority... During the spring rewards in Dongjing, he could have been appointed to an external prefecture, but because he knew that the Bureau of Military Affairs carried more weight and was closer to the imperial presence, he had endured and stayed. Now, he clearly wanted to accumulate a few major merits in his current post and then try to directly transfer to a high position in the central Secretariat.

One could only say that people have different aspirations.

The next day, the group set out again. Hu Yin, confident in his complete set of official documents and seals, declined Yuwen Xuzhong's offer to send veteran Western Army men as escorts, only asking for two guides before departing immediately... However, Hu Mingzhong and his party soon realized that even the guides were unnecessary, as military supplies were continuously being sent from Chang'an to the northern front. They only needed to follow the general flow of people to head north to Fuzhou in the Yanfu Circuit, where the Guanxi forces were currently massed, facing off against the Jin army from Yan'an Prefecture across the mountain range.

The scenery of Guanxi was different from elsewhere—the land was poor, and the people were all martial. Along the way, they saw women and youths all carrying bows and arrows, while adult men often traveled in groups, giving off a military atmosphere... But Hu Yin and Mo Qixie could only sigh inwardly, too pressed for time to linger.

On the twenty-seventh day of the fourth month, they arrived within Fuzhou's borders and prepared to cross the Huachi River at Sanchuan Town to reach the heart of Fuzhou.

But it was at this moment that an unexpected incident occurred.

Sanchuan Town was a major commercial hub in northern Shaanxi, a convergence of land and water routes. Troops taking shortcuts from the Huanqing Circuit to the west, military equipment shipped down the Luo River from the southeast, and funds and grain transported from Sichuan via the main road to the southwest all gathered here, making it the front's logistical headquarters.

As a result, the place was a mix of various troops and had long been under military control.

Hu Yin and his party tried to cross the river but found the pontoon bridge guarded, with ordinary people strictly forbidden from passing. Moreover, the small camp in front of the bridge was staffed only by a single Preparatory Commander and two Company Commanders, who had no idea what a Censor-in-Chief was or how high an official that was. Combined with Qu Duan's strict military discipline—he had issued clear orders that non-military personnel were not to cross the river without authorization—they dared not let them through.

However, the Preparatory Commander did understand that the Bureau of Military Affairs was a formidable institution and dared not be negligent. He pointed upstream and suggested they cross at Zhiluo City, twenty li upstream, where a Controller-General named Xue, who had retreated from Yan'an for rest, was stationed. He would likely recognize the documents and could also provide an escort.

Hu Yin and Mo Qixie exchanged glances, had nothing to say, and instead inwardly praised Qu Duan for his strict military discipline despite his arrogance. They immediately followed the advice, and the Preparatory Commander also sent a man to notify that Controller-General.

And sure enough, as a Controller-General, how could he not know what a Censor-in-Chief was?

In fact, upon hearing that the Censor-in-Chief had come on the Son of Heaven's orders to inspect Guanxi, he immediately opened the city gates wide and personally led several hundred soldiers out to welcome him.

Up to this point, everything had gone smoothly. But the moment they met, a sudden change occurred.

"Who are you, and how dare you wear a purple robe?" This Controller-General Xue, having led several hundred soldiers to respectfully welcome the arrivals by the roadside, saw the man in purple approaching and immediately knelt in salute. But when he heard the order to rise and looked up to see Hu Yin's face, he suddenly stood up and pointed at him accusingly.

"I am Censor-in-Chief Hu Yin, so naturally I wear a purple robe." Hu Mingzhong was baffled but replied earnestly. "What does Controller-General Xue mean?"

"Judging by your face, you're not even thirty. When has there ever been a Censor-in-Chief who looks like this?" The Controller-General Xue sneered. "I was wondering how a dignified Censor-in-Chief could come here with only twenty or thirty attendants. Could it be that you're some wretched swindler taking advantage of the situation, a fake Censor-in-Chief?!"

Hearing this, Hu Yin instinctively showed some shame, momentarily embarrassed, before blushing and trying to explain.

But the Controller-General had already lost patience. Seeing the other's reaction, he was even more convinced that this man was an impostor. He glared fiercely and, by the riverside, harshly ordered: "Drag this fake Censor-in-Chief, who dared to fool me and make me kneel to him, off his horse and give him twenty lashes first!"

The moment the words fell, armored soldiers stepped forward, dragged Hu Mingzhong and the others off their horses, and restrained Mo Qixie and the rest with blades. Without further ado, they stripped Hu Yin of his purple robe by the roadside and mercilessly lashed him twenty times with a horsewhip!

The whip rained down, leaving bloody welts. Mo Qixie, with a blade at his neck, saw this and drew in a cold breath. He immediately abandoned any thought of arguing on the spot, because angering the man or confirming their identities then and there would only invite death. Of course, he could not admit that they were impostors either... One could only say that when a Censor-in-Chief meets a soldier, reason has no place.

Hu Mingzhong endured the twenty lashes without uttering a single sound, gritting his teeth and bearing it.

And in his mind, only one phrase echoed repeatedly—this truly is an age of chaos!