Chapter 161: Striking One's Own People Too

"Wu Si'an!"

After finishing off Wumian, Shen Yu returned to Anzhou City and called Wu Si'an to his side; that direct, piercing gaze made Wu Si'an tremble all over.

He knew the ruthlessness of this Lord Shen, and understood even more that there were some things he could not hide.

"Lord Shen, this subordinate has truly never been in cahoots with He Yuan; those things were only done because this subordinate was forced and had no other choice!"

Thumping to his knees beside Shen Yu, Wu Si'an said while trembling all over, "If I didn't do those things, it would have aroused He Yuan's suspicion. In order to collect evidence, this subordinate could only act in cahoots with them. I beg you, my Lord, to investigate clearly!"

"Wu Si'an, let's put your affairs aside for now. This official asks you: do you know about He Yuan being swapped?"

"What? He Yuan was swapped?"

Lifting his head in surprise, Wu Si'an said with some astonishment, "My Lord, where did you hear this from? This matter is absolutely impossible!"

"You don't know?" Wu Si'an's reaction made Shen Yu pause slightly; he had assumed Wu Si'an knew everything, which was why he had deliberately guided him to Tingfeng Pavilion.

He had originally thought Wu Si'an wanted to use the hands of Tingfeng Pavilion to tell him, but it seemed now that he had overthought it.

"My Lord, from the day He Yuan arrived in Xichuan, this subordinate has been following him; I am extremely familiar with his every move and even every detail."

"If he had been swapped by someone, it would be impossible for this subordinate not to notice!"

Wu Si'an was He Yuan's number one lackey; as a lackey, knowing his superior's hobbies and even every single detail was a mandatory course of study.

Only in this way could he cater to his superior's preferences and climb the ladder step by step.

It could be said that, apart from those who shared He Yuan's bed, no one understood him better than someone like Wu Si'an.

Precisely because of this, Wu Si'an dared to be certain that even before he was taken down, He Yuan was still that same He Yuan, and it was absolutely impossible for him to have been swapped.

"I know!" Shen Yu nodded, then said, "Then what if he was swapped before entering Xichuan? What if the one who came to Xichuan was not the real He Yuan?"

"What? This, this..." Shen Yu's words made a chill rise from the bottom of Wu Si'an's heart.

He Yuan was a dignified Governor of a region, a true high-ranking official with great power and authority; who could replace him without a sound?

But at the thought that the He Yuan who arrived in Xichuan was completely different from the rumors, with all sorts of doubts surging in his heart, Wu Si'an no longer dared to be certain.

However, this matter was simply too absurd; that even a Governor could be replaced without a sound and not be discovered until now—how could this be possible!

Were those experts who escorted He Yuan to his post dead? Were the Black-Clad Guards of Xichuan dead?

"My Lord, could it be that Tingfeng Pavilion did it?"

Seeming to recall something, Wu Si'an said with extreme conviction, "Yes, in all of Xichuan, only they have this capability, and only they have such great audacity!"

"You hate Tingfeng Pavilion so much that you even wanted to lure me over to wipe them out?"

"This..." Hearing Shen Yu's words, Wu Si'an's heart trembled again. "What is my Lord saying? This subordinate does not understand!"

"You don't understand? I believe you understand perfectly well!"

Patting Wu Si'an on the shoulder, Shen Yu said indifferently, "The reason this official came to Tingfeng Pavilion—wasn't it because you deliberately guided me there?"

"Speak, what exactly is your grudge with Tingfeng Pavilion?"

"It seems nothing can be hidden from you, my Lord. It is true that this subordinate deliberately lured you here, but I have never had any grudge with Tingfeng Pavilion!"

Shaking his head, Wu Si'an appeared extremely calm. "I just didn't want Tingfeng Pavilion to continue harming people!"

"Why?"

"Because the people of Tingfeng Pavilion bewitch the hearts of men; the destruction they cause is even worse than He Yuan!"

"My Lord should know that this subordinate is in charge of the Criminal Judge's office, but what you don't know is that the criminal cases in Xichuan have become so numerous that they can no longer be handled, and a popular uprising is likely just around the corner!"

Taking a deep breath, Wu Si'an then said silently, "My Lord, I don't consider myself a good official, but I have my bottom line!"

"But my Lord may not know that Tingfeng Pavilion harbors filth; anyone who enters Tingfeng Pavilion changes!"

"Just like He Yuan; this subordinate once heard that when He Yuan was in the Capital, he had a backbone of steel and was famous for being loyal, upright, and incorruptible!"

"But he degenerated rapidly after entering Xichuan. This subordinate previously thought it was Tingfeng Pavilion's fault, but now it seems He Yuan had already been swapped!"

"It must be so; how could a person with a backbone of steel like Lord He Yuan degenerate and rot in such a short time!"

"But even so, Tingfeng Pavilion is still unforgivable!"

Gritting his teeth, there were some things he had kept in his heart for a long time, to the point where he had to speak them out.

He knew his little cleverness could not hide from this Lord Shen before him, and he knew he was not a good official, so he might as well be honest; perhaps he could still have a glimmer of survival.

"Lord Shen, ever since Tingfeng Pavilion appeared, those who entered it changed one by one."

"Good officials who were once clean and honest became corrupt officials who broke the law, and great heroes who were once righteous became petty people who wallowed in the mire."

"Everyone changed. This subordinate, in charge of the Criminal Judge's office, is most sensitive to these changes. Major cases began to occur frequently everywhere, all the common people were in misery, and countless people were harmed to death."

"And behind these major cases, the vast majority involved these guests of Tingfeng Pavilion."

"But this subordinate dared not speak, because Governor He Yuan changed the most and was the most ruthless!"

Kneeling on the ground, Wu Si'an trembled all over due to the fluctuation of his emotions, as if he had thought of something that filled him with grief and indignation.

"I saw with my own eyes that He Yuan once collected dozens of infants not yet a month old, cutting open their bellies and digging out their intestines as offerings, and this was just a scene this subordinate happened to witness."

"How many times He Yuan has done this in private and how many people he has harmed is unknown. There are countless people in this world without humanity, but He Yuan is even worse!"

"So this subordinate dared not speak, because the moment I spoke, the first person to be taken down would be me."

"With only my own strength, how could I block the entire Xichuan officialdom? I could only choose to ignore it. But I knew that one day, the things here would not be able to be covered up!"

"Tingfeng Pavilion wreaks havoc on people's hearts, leading to the degeneration of human nature and the suffering of the people. Every word this subordinate has said is true; I beg my Lord to investigate!"

Looking at Wu Si'an kneeling on the ground, Shen Yu sighed long and remained silent.

It was true that Wu Si'an might also be a corrupt official, but he still had some bottom line, or rather, he knew he could not drain the pond to catch the fish. For the common people, one could not push them too hard.

However, in these past few years, he had discovered that the entire Xichuan had exceeded his understanding. Everywhere there was corruption, and everywhere there were major cases.

And the people who concocted these cases were not those villains who committed crimes, but clearly the local officials and powerful gentry.

He was afraid—afraid that after a popular uprising, the imperial court would come to investigate thoroughly, and the first to be taken down would be him, the one in charge of the Criminal Judge's office.

In his view, the reason these people were so crazy was entirely because Tingfeng Pavilion demanded without limit and bewitched people's hearts. This was what made these people degenerate and become what they were now.

But he did not understand: it was not that everyone who entered Tingfeng Pavilion changed, but that those people had changed first, and only then went to Tingfeng Pavilion!

Tingfeng Pavilion does not force people to enter; rather, it waits for them to come knocking. If someone were to keep themselves clean and upright, how could they possibly go there?

It is precisely because those people changed, and coupled with the fact that Mu Shang of Tingfeng Pavilion is famous for her beauty, how could those who are greedy for wealth and lustful resist going?

That is why Wu Si'an mistakenly thought it was Tingfeng Pavilion that bewitched them, not realizing that this was merely their own true nature being exposed.

"What if I were to tell you that, besides He Yuan, many of the civil and military officials in Xichuan and the powerful experts from various regions have been swapped out?"

"It is not that they changed after entering Tingfeng Pavilion, but that they changed first, and then entered Tingfeng Pavilion!"

"What? My, my lord, this...!" Hearing Shen Yu's words, Wu Si'an could hardly speak clearly.

If it were just He Yuan being swapped out, that would be one thing, but if so many civil and military officials in Xichuan have been swapped out, then the trouble is truly massive.

Lord Shen, I am a timid person; I cannot handle being scared like this!