Chapter 97: All Men Are Born Equal

He sneered, curling his lips: "My Lord Inspector, those words are a bit too heavy. Jiang Jiang Mingyu privately recruiting an army is, by nature, plotting treason and committing heinous crimes."

"As a Tang Sima of this commandery, I naturally must be responsible to the court; I ask myself, have I done anything wrong?"

"As for you, My Lord, even if you did not know of Jiang Jiang Mingyu's conduct, as an Inspector, the crime of negligence in oversight is unavoidable, is it not?" Tang Cheng spoke with an arrogant tone, his eyes revealing determination.

But what he did not know was that while rage surged wildly in Wang Zhe's eyes, he also secretly breathed a sigh of relief. As long as the letter Tang Cheng sent to Prime Minister Tu did not mention that he had accepted one hundred thousand taels of silver from Jiang Jiang Mingyu, everything would be manageable.

Wang Zhe sneered, a hint of cunning flashing in his eyes: "Tang Sima Tang, if you think you can topple this official based on this matter, then you are greatly mistaken."

Tang Cheng frowned in confusion: "What does this mean?"

"Right now, Jiang Jiang Mingyu's troops are in the Shangmu County defense camp; I witnessed it with my own eyes. Does My Lord still intend to deny it?" Tang Cheng raised his voice, urgency permeating his tone.

Wang Zhe, however, remained composed, looking into the other's eyes and asking with some mockery: "How do you know that Lord Jiang recruited soldiers privately?"

"In the few days before you arrived at Yasi Mo Regional Military Commissioner's office, besides Huang Huang Chaoran being dismissed, many other things happened at the Yasi Mo Regional Military Commissioner's office."

"One of them is that this official has already reported this matter to the Ministry of War, and has already received the reply from the Ministry of War."

"The reply is kept in the Inspector's residence; if Tang Sima Tang does not believe it, you may order someone to fetch and read it at any time." Wang Zhe was extremely calm, his attitude arrogant.

Tang Cheng's face changed; he did not expect Wang Zhe to be prepared long ago, and his own hasty and rash move had probably already put him at a disadvantage.

Back when Huang Huang Chaoran and Jiang Jiang Mingyu were in a fierce conflict, Tang Cheng was inspecting several counties below.

By the time he returned to the Yasi Mo Regional Military Commissioner's city, Jiang Jiang Mingyu had already returned to Shangmu County with the conscription documents, so he knew nothing about this matter.

As soon as Wang Zhe finished speaking, Tang Cheng's face immediately changed. He saw the corner of his mouth, which had been slightly upturned, instantly droop; his eyes widened, his muscles suddenly tensed, and his bewildered, helpless look was as if he had been struck squarely on the head.

"This... how is this possible?" His face turned deathly pale, his voice trembling as he muttered to himself; his originally confident and self-satisfied attitude vanished completely.

Wang Zhe snorted coldly and raised his hand to cut off his explanation.

Wang Zhe frowned displeasedly and said coldly: "Written clearly in black and white, how can you say it is impossible?" His eyes were filled with contempt, as if looking at an ignorant and dull child.

"Could it be that in your, Tang Cheng's, eyes, this official, as an Inspector of a commandery, must be a rebellious traitor?"

"Moreover, what do you think Lord Jiang recruited soldiers for? He did it for the people of Shangmu County, to guard the Great Feng's northern gate."

"Without those tens of thousands of troops, once the people of Other Xi Xia return, what will happen to Shangmu County, and what will happen to the entire Yasi Mo Regional Military Commissioner commandery?"

"Could it be that at that time, you, this Tang Sima My Lord, will personally don armor and go to the battlefield, using your flesh and blood body to block the Other Xi Xia cavalry?"

He flicked his wide sleeves and paced back and forth in the hall. The apricot-yellow light cast shadows on his stern face, making his momentum even more terrifying.

"As a Tang Sima of a commandery, a high-ranking border official, yet harboring such filthy thoughts, truly makes this official's teeth shiver."

"Does one have to watch until the people of Shangmu County are all dead, and the Other Xi Xia iron cavalry directly threaten the Yasi Mo Regional Military Commissioner city, before you, Tang Sima Tang, are happy?"

He suddenly slammed the table, the heavy sound echoing in the empty hall.

Tang Cheng's face grew even paler; he lowered his head, daring not to meet Wang Zhe's gaze.

Wang Zhe didn't even give Tang Cheng a chance to speak, continuing to demand: "Or do you harbor dissatisfaction with our Great Feng?"

"Have you already secretly colluded with the people of Other Xi Xia, wanting to ruin Lord Jiang's grand plan for recruiting soldiers, acting as an inside agent to hand over the entire Yasi Mo Regional Military Commissioner commandery to Other Xi Xia?"

"If this official reports this matter to His Majesty, how do you think He will deal with you? Will it be being torn apart by five horses, or will you be lit as a sky lantern?"

Wang Zhe sneered, turned around, and the hem of his robe brushed the ground, making a rustling sound.

Tang Cheng was suddenly startled, immediately clasping his fists in a bow, bending low and saying: "This official is confused; it is all due to this official's poor eyesight. Please, My Lord, forgive me!" His movements revealed flattery and urgency, like a monkey using all four limbs.

Wang Zhe sneered, patted Tang Cheng's shoulder, and said hypocritically: "Forget it, forget it, we will not pursue this against you. However, you should also be grateful to this official; if this official had not intercepted it in time, your letter would have already reached Prime Minister Tu's hands, and that would be the crime of slander!"

"At that time, not only you, but even Prime Minister Tu, who listened to your slander, would have to face His Majesty's questioning."

"Think about it; once your protective charm, Prime Minister Tu, suffers a major loss because of this matter, who will be the first one he will not forgive?"

In his cold eyes, there was an unhidden smile, as if watching a clown on a stage.

After hearing this, Tang Cheng shuddered violently; his face instantly turned ghastly white, and even his lips trembled slightly.

He clasped his hands together, looking at Wang Zhe as if begging for mercy, his eyes full of fear and despair.

Wang Zhe was right; once Prime Minister Tu suffered a setback because of this matter, he would absolutely be in deep trouble.

Thinking of the severe consequences once Prime Minister Tu became angry, Tang Cheng, who had just been dreaming of great success, found his back already soaked in cold sweat.

Seeing his state, Wang Zhe, full of smiles, directly stuffed that "greeting" letter into his hand.

Wang Zhe said leisurely: "Very well, this official has said all he needs to say; as for what Tang Sima Tang wants to do, that is up to you."

Having said that, in high spirits, he flicked his wide robe sleeves, turned around with measured steps, and left.

But at the very moment he turned to leave, Wang Zhe's eyes, which had been full of deep smiles, suddenly turned cold. His tightly furrowed brows and lips pressed into a straight line revealed inner anxiety and urgency.

He thought secretly in his heart: "If this troublemaker Tang Cheng is not removed, I will be on edge day and night; I must inform Jiang Jiang Mingyu of this matter as soon as possible to prevent the unexpected."

As soon as Wang Zhe left, the servant saw his master standing still and immediately asked: "Master, how should we arrange the delivery of the letter?" His cautious manner was as if facing a volcano ready to erupt at any moment.

Tang Cheng, who had nowhere to vent his frustration, slapped him hard across the face. The servant, in pain, covered his red half-face, but still asked recklessly: "Then, should this letter be delivered?"

Tang Cheng widened his eyes, as if wanting to swallow a person alive: "The letter? Eat it!"

Seeing the servant's confused face, Tang Cheng slammed the table and roared: "Are you deaf? Laozi told you to eat the letter!"

The servant trembled all over in fear, dared not say anything more, and could only crumple the letter into a ball and stuff it fiercely into his mouth. His throat bobbing up and down made the coldness in Tang Cheng's eyes even more intense.

"Huang Huang Chaoran, you beast! For the grudge against Jiang Jiang Mingyu, you dare to deceive me and make me lose face in front of Wang Zhe. This is intolerable! I cannot deal with Wang Zhe for now, nor can I punish you, a commoner; just you wait!" Fire erupted in Tang Cheng's eyes; he wished he could tear Huang Huang Chaoran and Jiang Jiang Mingyu apart immediately.

"Wang Zhe, Jiang Jiang Mingyu, just you wait! Once I find an opportunity, I will definitely kill you both!" Tang Cheng ground his teeth, his voice filled with hatred.

Within the borders of Shangmu County, at Mount Sanqing Shanzhai.

Under the sickle-shaped crescent moon, on the silver-white snow, a cold light emanated.

The bloodstains of more than a hundred bandits before their deaths had long since frozen into ice, yet they still looked somewhat glaring.

Zhu Ge Yu had returned long ago, but Jiang Jiang Mingyu, sitting alone in the hall, still had no trace of sleepiness.

Under the lamplight, Jiang Jiang Mingyu sat on a huge redwood chair, wearing a thick black sable fur cloak; his tall figure cast a huge shadow under the light.

His hands gripped the chair armrests tightly, his whitened knuckles revealing the anxiety in his heart.

Deep wrinkles were carved between his tightly furrowed brows, and a hint of cunning permeated his solemn eyes.

Occasionally, he would rub and press his temples hard, as if planning some strategy.

After a long silence, the wooden chair creaked. Jiang Jiang Mingyu suddenly slammed the table and spoke in his characteristic booming voice: "Fortune is not misfortune, and misfortune cannot be avoided. The bandits must still be purged."

"Only in this way can this official gain greater public favor and the support of the people."

"As the saying goes, the wrath of the masses cannot be offended. Even if the Prince of Qi, knowing everything, wishes to strike at this official, he must weigh it carefully."

Speaking to this point, he could not help but let out a cold sneer, a trace of ferocity appearing on his face. His tall figure leaned forward, hands braced on his knees, his eyes gleaming with cold light: "Since I arrived here, the Prince of Qi has either insulted me or plotted against me. What does he take me for?"

"I have endured for a long time. With insufficient strength, I was forced to bow and scrape. But now I hold heavy power, the people's hearts are available for use, and the Prince of Qi still expects me to bow?"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu punched the table, causing the wooden chair to vibrate. His voice was booming, his tone righteous: "All men are born equal. I am a man just like the Prince of Qi. Why should I bow? I am determined to resist him to the end!"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu's eyes shone brightly, his whole body radiating an aura of determination and certainty of victory.