Chapter 197: Slander and Hidden Arrows

The aftermath of the great victory at Black Pine Ridge has not yet subsided, a foul undercurrent.

Yet it has quietly taken root and spread in Chan Prefecture and as far as Bian Liang.

At first, it was merely in the corners of some taverns and teahouses.

Two or three men who looked like idlers leaned close, their voices lowered to a whisper.

Yet it happened to let attentive or unintentional listeners at neighboring tables catch a few words.

"…Have you heard? That fellow up north fought the battle splendidly, but his aftermath isn't clean either…"

"Oh? How so?"

"Hey, where did all the grain and materiel seized at Black Pine Ridge go? Were they really all turned over?"

"They say, if he reports even three tenths of what he's taken, that would already count as loyal service from Defense Commissioner Chen!"

"No way? Envoy Chen isn't that sort of person…"

"You can know a person's face but not his heart! These days, having grain and troops is the hard truth."

"He controls the three Luo River counties, and now he's achieved this great merit, yet the court's rewards haven't come down."

"He first lined his own pockets, expanded his private forces—what do you think the reason is?"

Similar conversations, like mold, proliferated rapidly in dark corners.

The versions also gradually upgraded, becoming more vicious and pointed.

"…Not just embezzling military funds! I have a distant cousin serving in the Jing'an Army, and I heard…"

"Cough, cough, just hearsay, but Envoy Chen erected that plaque at Black Pine Ridge."

"'Those who invade our borders shall be punished as an example'—the phrasing is imposing, but do you think that's something a subject ought to say?"

"It sounds more like… the act of carving out a fief and proclaiming oneself king!"

"Hiss—watch your words! Watch your words!"

"What's there to fear? Who in Chan Prefecture city doesn't know?"

"Wang Ru is gravely ill, and the old generals Han and Zhang can barely hold the line!"

"That Envoy Chen, who commands troops abroad, is said to be feared even by the Northern Barbarians, who call him something like 'Chen the Killer Star'…"

"If he truly harbored rebellious intentions, who could restrain him in the Hebei region?"

The rumors, having grown wings, quickly flew out of the marketplace, into the camps, and even toward the government offices.

Some, who originally felt uneasy about Chen Wen's rocket‑like rise in status…

…or officials and old military factions who felt their interests had been harmed in the distribution of benefits.

They also began, intentionally or not, to spread and amplify these voices.

Within the Chan Prefecture army, pre‑existing fissures became all the more evident because of the rumors.

Officers inclined toward Chen Wen, hearing this, flew into a rage and clashed several times in small skirmishes with those spreading the rumors.

And those close to Zhao Kuangyin, or who already held a neutral, wait‑and‑see stance, inevitably planted seeds of suspicion in their hearts.

……

Zhao Kuangyin's mansion, study.

By candlelight, he listened to the report of his trusted aide; his face showed no expression, only a faint twitch at the corner of his eyes, betraying his inner unrest.

"…Big brother, the rumors have already spread; the effect is not bad—now many in the city are talking about them."

"Especially the phrases 'carving out a fief and proclaiming oneself king' and 'holding troops to maintain one's position'—they struck a chord in many people's hearts."

Zhao Kuangyin lifted his teacup, took a sip of the now‑cold tea; the chill slid down his throat, slightly cooling his agitated feelings.

"And Bian Liang?"

He set down the teacup, his voice low.

"Replying, big brother, Dong Xuanhui (Dong Zunhui) has already taken care of things on his end; he has accepted our 'goodwill' and promised that, at an appropriate moment, he will faithfully report to the court the northern troops' 'misgivings' and 'concerns'."

"Moreover, our people are also spreading similar rumors in Bian Liang, emphasizing that Chen Wen is 'too big for his own good' and 'not a blessing to the state'."

Zhao Kuangyin nodded, a flicker of ruthlessness crossing his eyes.

This was not a spur‑of‑the‑moment impulse on his part, but a strategy devised after consulting with the envoy of the Iron Crow Army.

"He wants everyone to know that, no matter how skilled you are in battle, Chen Wen, you are nothing but a martial man who lacks restraint and invites suspicion!"

"He wants the emperor and the regents of Bian Liang to grow wary of you!"

"He wants the veteran generals Han Tong and Zhang Yongde to be even more on guard against you!"

It's precisely to make those veteran generals like Han Tong and Zhang Yongde more wary of you!

Zhao Kuangyin said slowly.

"Spreading the rumors only in the marketplace and among the lower classes has limited impact."

"We must turn this rumor into a 'consensus', a sword hanging over his head."

He pondered for a moment, then gave the order.

"Go find a few scholars who have studied, hold some official rank, yet are frustrated, and offer them great profit."

"Have them write a few 'worried‑for‑the‑state' essays; they need not name names, but every sentence should hint at a certain northern commander, arrogant in his achievements, seemingly unbefitting a subject."

"Once written, find a way to deliver them into the hands of the upright censors in Bian Liang."

"After it's written, think of a way to send it into the hands of those upright censors in Bian Liang."

A cold light flashed in his eyes.

"Let our brothers in the military also, unintentionally, leak some 'worries'."

"For example, the Jing'an Army's treatment is overly generous, its equipment excessively refined, far surpassing imperial regulations…"

"Furthermore, Chen Wen treats his troops overly kindly; the soldiers know only of Envoy Chen, not of the imperial court…"

For another example, Chen Wen is overly "benevolent" toward the troops under his command; the soldiers only know there is Commander Chen, they don't know there is the Imperial Court.

He wants a little bit, to have Chen Wen roasted over the fire.

He wants this merit to turn into a death-summoning talisman.

……

The jiedushi's mansion, inner hall.

Chai Rong on the sickbed, his complexion waxen, his breath feeble.

Han Tong and Zhang Yongde stood at the bedside, their faces extremely grim.

They also heard those rumors growing ever more intense.

"Cough cough... outside... it's spreading so badly?"

Chai Rong opened his cloudy eyes, his voice as thin as a spider's silk.

Han Tong and Zhang Yongde exchanged a glance, both somewhat hesitant.

"Speak!"

Chai Rong suddenly raised his voice a notch, then immediately triggered a violent bout of coughing.

Zhang Yongde sighed, and could only briefly recount the several most widespread rumors circulating among the populace and the army.

After listening, Chai Rong fell silent for a long time, so long that Han Tong and Zhang Yongde thought he had dozed off again.

"Clumsy... yet effective..."

He finally spoke, his voice filled with endless fatigue.

"Behind the scenes... someone is fanning the flames..."

"Is it Zhao Yuanlang? Or... Bian Liang?"

Han Tong couldn't help but say.

"Military governor, Chen Wenzhong has just achieved great merit, yet now suffers this slander, which is detrimental to army morale and to the northern front's warfare! Should we..."

Chai Rong weakly waved his hand, cutting him off.

"Can't be stopped... the endless mouths of the populace..."

"To step forward now to suppress it... would rather appear... as trying to cover up, only making it more obvious."

He took a few breaths, struggling to gather a shred of spirit.

"You... must stabilize... the situation in Chan Prefecture..."

"The northern front... cannot do without Chen Wenzhong..."

"As for the rumors... the clear will clear themselves, the turbid will turbid themselves."

"When he... returns victorious with the might of a great victory... those petty words... will naturally... dissipate like smoke."

Although he said so, the worry deep in Chai Rong's eyes did not lessen.

He knows well that in this chaotic age, often it is not true that 'the clear will clear themselves.'

Merit that shocks the sovereign is essentially a path to death.

Moreover, Chen Wen bears too many unsettling 'variable' traits.

These rumors may not kill a person.

But they can seep into people's hearts, erode trust, and plant the most lethal fuse for a possible future rupture.

……

Outside Gu Kou Pass, the Jing'an Army's great camp.

Inside the central commander's great tent, charcoal fires burned brightly, dispelling the northern chill.

Chen Wen looked at the urgent report sent by Qian Gui through secret channels, which detailed the various rumors spreading in Chan Prefecture and Bian Liang.

His face showed no surprise, calm as a deep pool.

"Military governor, Zhao Kuangyin and the Bian Liang side are bullying people too much!"

Shi Dun's veins bulged on his forehead from anger, his fists clenched with a cracking sound.

"We are fighting to the death on the front lines, while they stab us in the back! Let me lead troops back and slaughter those gossiping bastards!"

Chen Wen brought the secret report to the candle flame, watching it slowly burn to ash.

"Petty clowns, what's there to get angry about?"

His voice was flat, revealing no emotion at all.

"Rumors stop at the wise, and even more so at... strength."

"The more they jump for joy now, the harder they will fall later."

He lifted his head, his gaze seeming to pierce the tent curtain, looking toward the southern direction of Chan Prefecture, and further toward the center of that power vortex.

Jealousy, suspicion, conspiracy... all of this was within his expectations.

Such is the rule of this chaotic age.

He never placed his hope in others' trust or kindness.

His sole reliance is the power firmly grasped in his hand, and the indisputable facts that power brings.

"Pass the order down."

Chen Wen's voice remained steady, yet carried an undeniable resolve.

"No need to worry about matters behind us."

"All units, tighten your rest; in three days we will have a new move."

"It's time to let the beacon fires of Bei Jing burn even brighter."

He wants to use a greater, indisputable victory.

Let all the cold arrows in the dark, all the venomous rumors.

Before the iron and blood of facts, be utterly shattered!