Chapter 276: Conflict Erupts Again

Liu Zheng was startled: "What's the situation?"

Jiang Xuan wore a bitter expression: "Young Master, Old San has caused a huge disaster, this, this, this..."

Liu Zheng frowned.

Old San?

He knew that Jiang Xuan's Dark Night Squad was composed of brothers he had personally raised, all of whom were formerly street urchins or thieves. Thus, their bond was very close, as close as brothers; Old Seven, who had sacrificed his life in the Western Regions, was one of them.

Liu Zheng also knew this Old San.

"Tell me about it!"

Liu Zheng stood up.

Jiang Xuan then slowly recounted the matter. After returning from the expedition to Yinzhou for several months, they were still a bit carried away with their revelry. After all, having braved life and death and returned in triumph, it was only natural for their hearts to swell with pride. Although Liu Zheng had repeatedly urged them not to cause trouble, there were, after all, forty thousand men—with fifty thousand Yinzhou troops having remained in Dunhuang.

Forty thousand men, a motley crew, with all kinds of people among them.

Of course.

These men were still quite obedient.

It was just that once some people started drinking, they couldn't control themselves. This Old San, named Chen Mingze, was originally from Liangzhou. He had been a scholar from a humble background since childhood, and in his youth, he had possessed quite a bit of literary talent, counting as one of the more cultured men in the Dark Night Squad.

In his youth, he had met a young lady from a wealthy family, and the two had fallen in love in secret.

After the young lady's family found out about this, they naturally tore the lovers apart.

Chen Mingze couldn't take it mentally, feeling that there was no damn use in studying; it was better to have money! So he went off to become a thief. The kid had a very high IQ, so he became a master among thieves, which was how he caught Jiang Xuan's eye.

This time.

Old San had also performed many meritorious deeds in the Western Regions and had been promoted to Military Aide, a rank of the seventh grade in the Yinzhou Army, which was a proper mid-level official position.

Just yesterday.

While he was taking a group of brothers to seek pleasure in a brothel, a group of Liangzhou Army officers and soldiers entered. This wouldn't have been anything; these days, although the Yinzhou Army and the Liangzhou Army looked down on each other, they usually kept to their own business. But unexpectedly, the fat officer leading them was actually holding Chen Mingze's first love in his arms!

How could he stand for this?

If I were still a loser, so be it.

Today, I am already a mid-level official. Chen Mingze made some inquiries and only then learned that his first love's family had been among those who once humiliated Liu Dahao, and this time, they were being liquidated by the "rebel officials" of the Liangzhou Prefecture. She had no choice but to become a concubine for this Commandant of the Liangzhou Army to save her family's wealth.

Taking a concubine to a brothel!

This matter greatly enraged Chen Mingze, and he clashed with the Liangzhou Commandant on the spot.

The clash itself was nothing.

Both sides had a fight and then dispersed.

Yet who could have imagined.

This morning, that Liangzhou Commandant died suddenly at home!

When the Liangzhou Army received this news, they immediately exploded, looking everywhere for people from the Yinzhou Army to settle the score. It was only just past noon, and the two sides had already clashed several times!

Liu Zheng frowned slightly as he listened: "Did he use heavy force?"

Jiang Xuan smiled bitterly: "Young Master knows what Old San is like; he is sinister. This matter, this matter, it's hard to say!"

"Let's go, let's go take a look!"

Liu Zheng sighed.

In reality, upon returning to Liangzhou, the thing he worried about most was whether a conflict would break out between the Yinzhou Army and the Liangzhou Army, so he had given countless warnings. He hadn't expected that trouble would still arise.

The Liangzhou Army.

Its internal situation was actually very complex.

Why say that?

Everyone knew that the Liangzhou Army was divided into two parts. One part was the Liangzhou Army of Chen Ping's Liangzhou Prefecture, totaling a full 150,000 men! The other part was the Liangzhou Army guarding the Beijing, led by Zheng Yuxing, which now numbered around 100,000!

And Chen Ping was the Crown Prince's man.

As for Zheng Yuxing, he was the Third Prince's man.

This made it inevitable that the Liangzhou Army and the Liangzhou Army would look down on each other.

But likewise, it was also inevitable that both sides would plant spies to keep each other in check.

Once Chen Ping brought charges, what would those 150,000 Liangzhou troops do? They were originally the elite troops of the capital of Yongliang, yet they had to watch the Yinzhou Army act arrogantly and live in luxury here, waiting to be rewarded for their merits?

Weren't they angry?

Soldiers were just that type of personality.

I don't care who you are; if your temper matches mine, I'll work with you. If it doesn't, I don't give a damn about you being the Contemporary Sage!

This was a problem Liu Zheng had intended to solve immediately, but he didn't want his methods to be too sharp. After all, the Emperor was coming to Liangzhou soon, and it wouldn't be good to trigger a conflict. So, these past few days, he hadn't held talks with the military officers, wanting to wait until after the Emperor arrived and the merits were rewarded before starting to replace generals with a heavy hand.

Who could have imagined.

That it would actually result in a death!

He felt a bit of a headache for a moment.

"Where is your Governor Liu? Tell him to come out and give us an explanation!"

"And that dog-X Military Aide Chen! Tell him to come out too!"

"If we don't get an explanation today, this matter won't be over!"

"Right!"

"Are you looking down on our Liangzhou Army?"

"Won a few battles and don't know your own weight anymore? If you're not convinced, come and spar!"

Just as he arrived at the camp where the Yinzhou Army was stationed, Liu Zheng saw a scene of chaos. The Liangzhou Army, wearing black uniforms, had surrounded the place several times over, while the green-clad Yinzhou Army was guarding the entrance. The two sides were in a standoff at the gate, various weapons had already been drawn, and the atmosphere at the scene was tense to the extreme.

Qin Zhangfeng stood coldly at the entrance: "Everyone, please calm down. We are all people of Liangzhou; why go this far? Commandant Wang died suddenly; there are many suspicious aspects to this matter. Let's wait until it is investigated before speaking."

"Bullshit!"

"If it isn't Chen Mingze, then who is it?"

"Last night's conflict, everyone saw it with their own eyes, heh, not cowardly when fighting, but cowardly now?"

"A life for a life!"

The Liangzhou Army, how could they listen to you all.

Liu Zheng watched quietly from the side and immediately saw the trickery in it. Someone was deliberately inciting the emotions of these Liangzhou Army soldiers! A few of the officers were the most agitated.

Sure enough...

He had offended Zheng Yuxing this time, and he was planning to cause some trouble for him using his influence within the Liangzhou Army.

He could not help but sigh.

Zheng Yuxing was actually a good general, and the two had originally admired each other. However, this did not mean that when the two began to stand in opposition, Liu Zheng would show mercy.

When positions differ, feelings must differ.

This time, Liu Zheng had played a trick on Zheng Yuxing; it would be strange if he weren't angry.

"What is this? Making a scene in the military camp, what kind of decorum is this?"

He rode over and shouted coldly.

Seeing it was Liu Zheng.

Qin Zhangfeng hurriedly called out, "Young Master."

Prefect Liu?

The men of the Liangzhou Army also changed color one after another.

At this moment, who did not know the great name of this Prefect Liu? Not only were those few troublemakers feeling a bit guilty, but they soon roared with a fierce expression but a cowardly heart: "So what if you are Prefect Liu?"

"You must give us an explanation!"

"Human life is a matter of great importance!"

One of them stood out and chuckled: "Prefect Liu, is this the style of your Yinzhou Army? What a 'meritorious' Yinzhou Army! What, relying on your outstanding military exploits, you can kill the innocent at will?"

Liu Zheng smiled: "You tell me, who killed them?"

The Liangzhou Army was stunned by Liu Zheng's question.

That man said angrily: "If it wasn't your people, then who was it?"

The others also clamored noisily.

Liu Zheng smiled faintly: "So, you saw Commander Wang die at the hands of the Military Clerk Chen, is that it? This General, one must be responsible for what one says. Human life is a matter of great importance; you cannot rely on just your empty words. According to the Longyan laws, slander carries responsibility! If you dare to stand by these words, I will register them in the records. If it is found later that this is not the case, you will be punished. How about it?"

Once this was asked.

The man's well-prepared, full-blown emotions were immediately extinguished.

Seen it?

Who saw it?

Wasn't it all just guessing?

Register in the records?

This Prefect Liu, why doesn't he play by the rules!

Seeing the Liangzhou Army immediately lose half their nerve.

Qin Zhangfeng and Jiang Xuan could not help but exchange a glance.

Young Master...

It really is the Young Master after all.

Seeing them not speaking, Liu Zheng chuckled: "Brothers, we are all soldiers; the occurrence of such a heartbreaking event is a tragedy for our Great Liangzhou."

"The murderer must be brought to justice!"

"But one must not be blindly credulous."

"Everything requires evidence: eyewitnesses, physical evidence, and documentary evidence! Today, a group of you, without a single one of these three, come to bully my Yinzhou Army. What, is it because I am Prefect Liu that I am so easy to bully? Do you really think my Yinzhou Army dares not fight you?"

By the time Liu Zheng finished, he had begun to rebuke them sternly.

The scene immediately went quiet.

The group that had been fierce and menacing just a moment ago was frightened by Liu Zheng's aura.

Several people's expressions changed slightly, and they could not help but take a few steps back.