Chapter 197: Disaster Strikes

Late at night.

Yanguan.

Candlelight still shone in the residence of Xiao Yuanshan.

At this moment, he was drinking by candlelight with an official.

"Hehe, I'm afraid Mo Di won't be able to clear his name this time, though this still relies on Director Sun; otherwise, this matter could not have been uncovered," said Xiao Yuanshan.

"Oh, General Xiao, you mustn't say that. Without General Xiao's help, that person would not have spoken so honestly," said the middle-aged official known as Director Sun.

He was one of the officials sent by Ma Yuan to Yanguan to conduct an investigation.

After speaking, the two looked at each other and smiled.

Drinking another cup, Xiao Yuanshan said, "This time, the position of Main General of Yanguan will surely be mine. I have truly had enough of him all these years."

Upon hearing this, Director Sun suddenly shook his head, "That is not necessarily true!"

Xiao Yuanshan's face showed displeasure, "Besides me, who else could be the Main General of Yanguan?"

"What has been uncovered so far is merely that Mo Di sent troops to support Yan Wang without authorization. It is not a major crime, and given the Emperor's temperament, it might just be brushed aside again," said Director Sun.

Xiao Yuanshan let out an angry snort upon hearing this, "The Emperor is far too biased."

Director Sun smiled, "The Emperor doesn't care about other things, but he is very particular about the Main General of Yanguan. It is a pity for you, General; after this matter, you will still only be a Vice General."

Xiao Yuanshan felt even more resentful upon hearing this.

This position of Main General of Yanguan was a famous lucrative post in the Great Song.

Every year, the Imperial Court allocated millions in Silver to Yanguan.

He was naturally very greedy for this sum of money.

Yet with Mo Di there, he had no way to get his hands on it.

If he were in any other army, wouldn't it be easy to scrape together a few hundred thousand taels every year?

Precisely because of this, he had always loathed Mo Di; as the saying goes, blocking someone's path to wealth is like killing their parents.

Now that he had finally managed to act as the Main General, seeing the military pay allocated by the Imperial Court waiting for him to take it.

Yet now he might have to return to being a Vice General at any time; how could he be reconciled to this?

Thinking of this, he said nothing and drank his wine in sullen silence.

Seeing Xiao Yuanshan like this, Director Sun laughed softly and said, "General Xiao, why be so troubled? If you want to sit firmly as the Main General of Yanguan, isn't the present moment an opportunity?"

"Oh?" Xiao Yuanshan looked puzzled.

Director Sun continued, "Although we have only uncovered that Mo Di sent troops without authorization, it does not mean Mo Di does not have other intentions. If he were to commit suicide out of fear of punishment at this time..."

Having said this, Director Sun stopped.

Xiao Yuanshan felt a shock in his heart.

That's right, if Mo Di died at this time, it would truly be a suicide out of fear of punishment, and no one could explain it clearly.

Thinking of this, he suddenly had an impulse to take a risk.

But he immediately calmed down, "With the Gongting Jinjunjun guarding Mo Di, how can one get close? Sigh."

"Hehe, just because the General has no way, it doesn't mean I don't have a way." Director Sun suddenly smiled with deep meaning.

Xiao Yuanshan looked up abruptly, "Who exactly are you with, and what do you want to do?"

This Director Sun had been trying to get close to him ever since he arrived at Yanguan.

He had originally thought this was just him sucking up because he was going to be the Main General.

But now, he finally revealed his true face.

Director Sun was not nervous; instead, he took a letter from his bosom and handed it to Xiao Yuanshan, "It is not only General Xiao who wishes for Mo Di to die. Now is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; as long as Mo Di dies, the person on the letter guarantees that General Xiao will be the Main General of Yanguan."

Xiao Yuanshan finished reading the letter and looked at the name at the bottom, his expression complex.

At this moment, that impulse became increasingly difficult to suppress.

"Fine, I agree, but you must find a way to deal with the Imperial Guard," said Xiao Yuanshan.

Director Sun nodded.

Late night.

Mo Di woke up suddenly; as an old general who had fought on the battlefield, staying alert was his instinct.

Taking out the Dagger hidden under his pillow, he quietly got out of bed and suddenly brought out a Fire Tinder and blew it bright.

When the firelight illuminated the room, he suddenly saw a net flying toward him.

Bound by the net, his movements were restricted.

Just then, more than ten masked men pounced on him, a club struck his head, and his consciousness immediately plunged into darkness.

Early morning.

The Imperial Guard on duty delivered breakfast to Mo Di as usual.

When he entered Mo Di's room,

he saw Mo Di's body hanging from the rafters.

The food in his hands dropped, and he shouted in a panic, "General Mo, General Mo has committed suicide."

"What, Mo Di hanged himself?"

Fanyang.

Ma Yuan's face turned deathly pale upon receiving the news, "Nonsense, how could General Mo commit suicide?"

"My Lord, it is absolutely true, many people saw it," said the Imperial Guard commander, "Now there are rumors in Yanguan that General Mo committed suicide out of fear of punishment."

A layer of cold sweat broke out on Ma Yuan's back.

He absolutely did not believe that Mo Di would commit suicide, because he knew Mo Di was a man who considered the big picture.

At this critical juncture, he could not disregard the safety of Yanguan.

Even if he truly intended to rebel, he would not commit suicide now.

Now, he suddenly felt that this investigation into Mo Di was full of the scent of conspiracy.

"Someone come, go to Yanguan," Ma Yuan said.

He had an ominous premonition that something major was about to happen this time.

Just as he was about to leave, an official hurried in.

"My lord, it is bad. A disturbance broke out in Dong Shi of Fanyang. A large crowd of commoners attacked us, and after the chaos, the head of that soldier was gone," the official said.

Ma Yuan was even more furious upon hearing this; it was clear that someone was sabotaging the investigation.

And in Fanyang City, besides the Yuan Family, it was impossible for anyone else to have this capability.

In that case, the Yuan Family was highly suspicious regarding the assassination of Mo Di.

It was just that now the evidence had been destroyed, and the investigation would have to be delayed again.

With an angry snort, he said, "Then investigate the Armor. Send out all the Gongting Jinjunjun soldiers in Fanyang. Investigate from the source and see whose household has recently purchased a large quantity of iron ore."

"Yes, my lord," the official replied and left.

After giving these instructions, he immediately went to Yanguan.

After some interrogation, the soldiers' accounts were all the same; they all said that Mo Di had died hanging from a white silk ribbon.

For several days in a row, he still could not find any suspicious points, and Ma Yuan became even more agitated; for the first time, he regretted coming to Yanzhou.

"No, there is still Yan Wang. Yan Wang cannot have anything else happen to him." Thinking of something, he immediately said, "Go to Yancheng."

Yuan Mansion.

Yuan Li took the letter handed to him by Yuan Xiu.

Although he was under house arrest, it only meant he could not leave the mansion; he could still see people from the Yuan Family.

"The Northern Di have raised an army?" Yuan Li read the letter, his face full of surprise.

"Yes, this was just delivered, and there is also good news: Mo Di is dead," Yuan Xiu said.

"Heaven truly helps my Yuan Family," Yuan Li said, looking at the sky. "Since that is the case, we should raise our army."

"And the Gongting Jinjunjun outside the mansion?" Yuan Xiu asked.

"Of course we kill them; consider it a sacrifice for the flag," Yuan Li said indifferently. "From now on, what our Yuan Family serves is not the Great Song, but the Northern Di. Why bother caring about them? It is a pity Ma Yuan went to Yanguan; otherwise, I would have killed that old dog as well."

Yuan Xiu nodded; indeed, from now on, they would no longer be subjects of the Great Song.

Bowing, he left to assemble the Yuan Family's troops and horses, preparing to rise in revolt.