Chapter 39: Turning Danger into Safety

In the cold wind, Jiang Jiang Mingyu coughed once: "This Imperial Envoy has no silver."

The little-bearded man flew into a rage: "Surname Jiang, are you playing me?"

The wide waist sword was instantly half-drawn from its sheath with a swish.

The blade's gleam flickered, reflecting a patch of blood-red in the sunlight.

Facing life and death, Jiang Jiang Mingyu remained calm: "Do not rush. Though this Imperial Envoy has no silver, I can point you toward a clear path."

"Wait a moment; very soon you will know whom to ask for silver."

He turned and instructed Lord Murong Murong Yunhai: "Brother Lord Murong, fetch the ledger I perused last night, the one on the very top."

Lord Murong Murong Yunhai looked at the calm Jiang Jiang Mingyu, then cast a wary glance at the little-bearded man before turning and hurrying away, still not entirely reassured.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu was the hope of Shangmu County; he could not be chopped down so carelessly.

The little-bearded man's eyes held doubt: "What do you mean? Best not to play tricks, or else..."

He slapped the sword hilt; everything was understood without words.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu rubbed his stiff hands: "Rest assured; today this Imperial Envoy will certainly give you an account."

Lord Murong Murong Yunhai was not slow; soon, the ledger was delivered into Jiang Jiang Mingyu's hands.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu flipped it open with practiced ease and waved a hand toward the little-bearded man: "Come and look."

The little-bearded man blinked skeptically before slowly stepping forward a few paces.

Seeing more suspicion and alarm on his hunger-haggard face, Jiang Jiang Mingyu chuckled: "Do you understand?"

The little-bearded man's face was filled with disbelief: "Impossible, this is impossible..."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu smiled at the little-bearded man: "This bears the great seal of the former County Assistant; can this be forged?"

He spoke loudly: "Everyone, look clearly. Your military pay was delivered into Commandant Ma's hands before the former County Assistant was dismissed."

"As for why you did not receive it, you must return and ask your Commandant, my lord."

The little-bearded man still did not quite believe it: "Is this true?"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu weighed the ledger in his hand: "The evidence is conclusive; what do you say?"

"If you still do not believe, this Imperial Envoy can confront Commandant Ma face-to-face in court."

The little-bearded man hesitated for a long while before slowly sheathing his sword: "Very well; we will trust you this once."

"But remember, if this proves false, you will die in a very ugly manner."

"Commandant Ma treats us like brothers; not just anyone can slander him. Brothers, let us go."

The angry retreating figures of the crowd made Jiang Jiang Mingyu smile lightly: "Commandant Ma, this time it is your turn to suffer misfortune; let us see how Prince Qi protects you!"

Lord Murong Murong Yunhai, whose face was charmingly beautiful, looked puzzled and could not help but speak: "Brother Jiang Xingqiu, what is going on?"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu did not hide it; he gradually ceased smiling: "The so-called arrears of military pay were actually disbursed long ago."

"Only Commandant Ma, taking advantage of the foreign tribes' unrest, conspired with Liu Liu Ershou to fish in troubled waters and embezzled all the military pay."

"He believed that with Liu Liu Ershou dismissed and the documents lost, he could act with impunity."

"Had this official not examined these documents in detail yesterday, today would indeed have been troublesome."

Tu Tu Kesiluo's rugged brows furrowed; he ground his teeth and cursed: "Damn it! Embezzling military pay is simply insane; such conduct differs how from that of beasts? I will certainly report to the Emperor to have his head chopped off and his nine clans exterminated!"

Because Tu Tu Kesiluo was, after all, a man of the military, he was extremely furious at this kind of embezzlement of military pay.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu shook his head: "He will have his time of misfortune; let us not speak of this now; hurry into the city to look around."

Tu Tu Kesiluo snorted fiercely, then signaled Lord Murong Murong Yunhai, along with Li Goudan and Wu Xiaoer who had arrived yesterday, to follow Jiang Jiang Mingyu out the door.

At midday, on the main street of Xicheng in Shangmu County.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu observed the surroundings meticulously; most of the civilian houses on the street were crooked and dilapidated, as if powerless to resist the ravages of time.

Some houses, having endured the trials of time and ruthless fires, were reduced to crumbling walls and broken beams, making one inevitably recall former prosperity and present desolation.

Occasionally, a relatively intact civilian dwelling could be seen, yet it too was inevitably scattered and ruined, looking utterly wretched.

Pedestrians on the main street were few; several beggars in tattered rags and frail elderly people walked together, their faces inscribed with suffering and helplessness.

Young people had almost vanished from these streets; only those twilight, desolate elders, leaning on canes, moved forward slowly—a picture of utter powerlessness.

"Why is there not a single strong young person here? If the foreign tribes return again, how can these old, weak, sick, and disabled resist?"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu felt puzzled and uneasy in his heart as he posed the question to Li Goudan.

Li Goudan, who spoke loudly and clearly, gave a bitter smile and explained helplessly: "Is it not the fault of the foreign tribes? Who would wish to struggle bitterly in Shangmu? The strong and capable, seeing no future, all fled; only the too-old-to-walk, the limb-impaired, women, and children remain to struggle on."

"Had it not been that my mother and Xiaoer's mother are too old to endure the journey, we would have long abandoned Shangmu and escaped to safety."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu looked at the dilapidated houses around him and asked: "Under such conditions, how many soldiers does Shangmu still have available?"

Li Goudan spoke with regret: "Just over a thousand people; if the foreign tribes come again, relying on these old, weak, sick, and disabled, we fear it will be the end."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu nodded, then asked Lord Murong Murong Yunhai: "Then why did you not ask the Emperor to transfer you back to the capital?"

Lord Murong Murong Yunhai's smile vanished at once; in his effeminate voice, visible pain was present: "In the future, you will understand."

Even Li Goudan and Wu Xiaoer, upon hearing these words, had expressions that became extremely unnatural.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu asked no more: "Very well; it is still early; let us go see the Eastern City as well."

On the road to the Eastern City, Jiang Jiang Mingyu conversed with the local common people.

He learned that Shangmu County had faced various difficulties in recent years.

Collusion between officials and bandits had made the people's livelihoods even worse.

Food shortages caused hunger and starvation to occur frequently.

And the constant invasions by foreign tribes threatened the peace and stability of the county town.

Stagnation of the economy within the city caused the people's lives to be unsupported, creating a predicament where young people could see no future.

Yet Lord Murong Murong Yunhai's gaze always held a faint, vacant haze; he remained absent-minded throughout.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu could clearly feel that a chillier-than-north-wind aura permeated around Lord Murong Murong Yunhai, as if an insurmountable high wall separated him from others.

Just then, an unusual action by a man not far from them caused Jiang Jiang Mingyu's expression to change drastically.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu's brows knitted in anger. His eyebrows furrowed, a sharp look flashed in his eyes, his right hand pointed from afar, his voice booming as he shouted sternly, "Stop! What are you doing!"