Chapter 128: Just Wait

"So, Marquis, you also feel that everything is being done by them on purpose?"

"Also? It seems Prefect Shen has already sensed it!"

This time, the old Marquis gradually began to look at Shen Yu in a new light. It seemed this new Prefect was not as the rumors suggested; he was certainly no mere brute, and was definitely much smarter than imagined.

"I know that you, Prefect Shen, are implacable toward evil, and these people naturally know it too. A good official like you, who cherishes the people, would surely refuse to let those families go if you learned of the Extreme Joy Flower!"

"Once things escalate to the point of no return and these families feel a fatal threat, they will likely defect!"

With a wry smile and a shake of his head, the old Marquis then said, "Relying solely on the strength of the Dongning Army, they are like duckweed without roots—it cannot last long. But if they have the support of these families—grain, weapons, and even soldiers and experts—they could be supplied continuously, and that is when they would become a true disaster!"

"Therefore, I must urge you, Prefect Shen, not to be impulsive! Now that you have sensed it yourself, I can rest easy. You are a smart man, Prefect Shen, and naturally know how to choose!"

Patting Shen Yu on the shoulder, the old Marquis looked relieved. If he knew what Shen Yu was thinking, he would probably be jumping with rage; Shen Yu had no intention of letting these people go at all.

"Prefect Shen, as long as you give these families a chance, they will surely turn the tables at the most critical moment. These families also know they have little chance of winning, so making amends for their crimes is their best choice!"

"The Marquis is right; this official will consider it carefully!"

"Prefect Shen, I am not asking you to consider it; I am hoping you will prioritize the big picture!"

"Prioritize the big picture!" With a light smile, Shen Yu nodded on the surface, but inwardly, he gave a faint huff. He had already made up his mind not to let these people go; at worst, he would just delay it a little.

Once the problem of the Dongning Army was solved and there were no worries behind him, he would free up his hands to slowly deal with these people. As for whether they would curse him for not observing martial ethics, that was not something Shen Yu needed to consider.

This old Marquis had repeatedly urged him not to take action against those families; while wanting to stabilize the situation in Songnan Prefecture was one aspect, the other was likely that the Wei Wu Hou Mansion was not as clean as it appeared on the surface.

"Prefect Shen!" Seeing the somewhat silent Shen Yu, the old Marquis thought he had made up his mind, and then spoke again, "I actually have another favor to ask by bringing you here today!"

"Marquis, please speak freely; if I can help, this official will certainly do my best!" Shen Yu dared not make such a promise too firmly; this old Marquis was not comparable to the old master of the Lin Family—he was a man with deep, calculating schemes honed by years of ups and downs in officialdom. A slight pit dug by him could bury a person.

Besides, for a Marquis of such stature to ask for his help, it couldn't be a trivial matter like finding a lost cat or dog. If things went wrong, it would be another major affair to handle. But the same principle applied: whether he would handle it depended on the scale of the matter, and whether he *wanted* to handle it depended on his mood.

"Prefect Shen may not know, but the current Commander of the Dongning Army, Ye Jing, was once my Deputy General. In the past, he campaigned on the battlefield with me; he was loyal, honest, and kind, and furthermore, he was unfailingly loyal to the imperial court. I absolutely do not believe that one day he would betray the court, nor do I believe he would raise a hand against me!"

"And yet, over these years, I have always felt that Ye Jing was somewhat off, as if he were no longer the person he used to be."

"No longer the person he used to be? Then, Marquis, you mean..."

"I am worried that the dignified Martial Guard General of the imperial court has been replaced by a body double!"

Speaking to this point, even the old Marquis could not help but become serious. "Prefect Shen should know that there are countless miraculous Martial Arts in the Jianghu, and many talented people emerge; changing one's appearance is an easy feat. Not to mention, there are quite a few people in this world who look alike."

"I know that your Martial Arts, Prefect Shen, are unfathomable, and your light-body technique is supreme, so I hope you can help me investigate!"

"Marquis, you overrate me; this official is not as strong as you say!" Where did you hear that my light-body technique is good? Damn it, this is asking me to risk my life.

You, a Marquis, don't dare to go yourself, yet you want me to charge into the fray. One must know that in the eyes of others, this old Marquis is bedridden and on his last breath, so if anything happened, he would be the only one bearing the consequences.

This old guy is quite dark-hearted!

"Prefect Shen, please do not be overly modest; I still trust your Martial Arts. If this Ye Jing is a fake, everything will be easy to handle. As long as these 180,000 Dongning Army troops are stable, Songnan Prefecture will not collapse no matter how much it is tossed about!"

"This official understands the Marquis's meaning!" Narrowing his eyes slightly, the old Marquis's intent could not be clearer.

As long as the stability of the Dongning Army could be guaranteed, the rest would be easy to handle. With these 180,000 Dongning Army troops stationed here, even if Shen Yu were to execute every family in Songnan Prefecture, large or small, no one would dare to resist easily.

This old Marquis saw that he was unwilling to let those who oppressed the people go, so this could be called a deal, or it could be called a piece of advice. You can toss things about as much as you want, but the prerequisite is that Songnan Prefecture must not fall into chaos.

Shen Yu nodded and gave the other party a slight smile, and the old Marquis then gave him a light smile in return. Both were smart men, so everything was understood without words.

"Also, Prefect Shen must be careful. I know these families in Songnan Prefecture all too well; they will definitely send assassins!"

"Many thanks for your concern, Marquis; mere assassins are nothing to worry about!" Shen Yu understood very well that these families in Songnan Prefecture were not top-tier clans; they would not dare to cause chaos easily, so eliminating the troublemakers was the most convenient choice, and assassination attempts were within reason.

However, with his current strength, even if he stood here and let them hack at him, they would have to be able to make a dent first.

"Prefect Shen, I must still advise you to be restrained. Do not get angry if you encounter assassinations or the like; wait until everything is resolved, and then it won't be too late to talk about other matters!"

Looking back at Shen Yu, the old Marquis wore a look of helplessness. Heh, am I worried that you'll be assassinated? I'm worried that you'll be provoked.

He had heard of this Prefect Shen's reputation; he was the type who dared to stand firm against 20,000 cavalry, and his head was not just ordinarily stubborn.

And it was rumored that he acted impulsively, leaving absolutely no room for maneuver. If he were to get hot-headed and, in a fit of rage, go and execute a few more families, wouldn't the remaining families all be in a state of panic?

"Everything has been laid out, but why do I still feel so uneasy!"

"Prefect Shen, if there is any need, my Wei Wu Hou Mansion will certainly assist with all our might!"

"You are too kind, Marquis; if there is a need, this official will certainly speak up!" Shen Yu only listened to such words; the so-called "assist with all our might" had to be taken with a grain of salt—the prerequisite being that their own family was not dragged into it.

If you were truly assisting, why would you distance yourself from everything? Shen Yu could see it now; this old Marquis was a crafty old fox. The reason he called him over today was nothing more than to have him charge to the front, while incidentally telling him that the Hou Mansion would share in the credit.

This old Marquis wanted the credit, but didn't want to exert the effort, and even less did he want to drag the Wei Wu Hou Mansion into the whirlpool. He would continue to comfortably feign illness and let Shen Yu, the Prefect, take the heat at the front.

Hmph, just wait. How could there be such a good deal in this world?