Chapter 1392: What Is His Origin?

As a court minister, that person incited him to oppose the Donglin faction, surely intending to use him to sow chaos and profit by fishing in troubled waters. Even now, reduced to such a state, he did not want to be used by others to kill with a borrowed knife.

After uttering this firm and decisive statement, he waved his hand wearily. "Enough. The hour is already late, and I am tired. If you have nothing else, you may take your leave first..."

Seeing Wei Zhongxian act this way, a sharp glint flashed in Li Zhao's eyes; he was clearly enraged to the extreme.

Over the years, while handling affairs in the Eastern Depot, he had thrown every region he visited into utter turmoil and had killed who knows how many people. Where had he ever suffered such treatment?

A phoenix fallen from its perch, yet still daring to be so arrogant! If not for the important matter at hand, I would have long since settled accounts with this gelded wretch with a single slash!

He forcibly suppressed the fury in his heart, then fixed his gaze on Wei Zhongxian.

"Ha ha ha ha!" After a moment, he suddenly burst into loud laughter. "Eunuch Wei, earlier I merely thought that although you had fallen, you still retained some measure of ambition. I never imagined you would have grown so utterly despondent! You do not wish to become a blade in another's hand, but will other people's blades not come chopping at you all the same?"

"You... what do you mean by that?!" Wei Zhongxian stiffened slightly, clearly having thought of something.

"Eunuch, you have guessed correctly. Did you think that by leaving the capital and admitting defeat, others would simply let you off? Humph, how laughable. And to think you once commanded the Eastern Depot and held sway over the entire court!" Li Zhao continued his cold sneer. Now that all pretense was torn away, there was no need to maintain superficial respect, so deference turned into mockery. "Back then, Eunuch, you let very few people off, and now very few people wish to let you off! Indeed, just recently, a great host of court officials have been submitting memorials to the Son of Heaven, saying your punishment is far too lenient and demanding that you be swiftly hauled back to the capital to face a formal public execution!"

Wei Zhongxian drew a heavy breath, his entire body trembling.

"Is this... true?"

"True or false, can't the Eunuch simply guess for himself? The enmity between you and the Donglin runs as deep as the sea, with countless old scores settled. Did you truly think you could be let off so easily?" Li Zhao's mockery grew thicker. "But take a guess, Eunuch: if it comes to a formal public execution, how exactly do you think you will be dealt with?"

Wei Zhongxian's whole body trembled more and more violently.

From what he knew of those Donglin faction members, what Li Zhao said was likely true; moreover, Li Zhao had no need to deceive him on such a matter.

When Yang Lian had visited him that time, he had thought that as long as he submitted this time and handed over the greater part of his family fortune, he could escape disaster, and the Donglin would not exterminate him completely.

He had never expected his dream would come to nothing. Even now, fallen to such a wretched state, the Donglin still refused to let him go, insisting on his violent death before they would relent!

Had Yang Lian broken faith?

No, not necessarily. But even if it was not his betrayal, judging by the conduct the Donglin faction had always displayed, they would not easily stop their hand.

When Yang Lian visited, he had felt he would not extricate himself so smoothly. Looking back now, that premonition had been utterly correct.

He slowly raised his hand, then suddenly slammed it heavily against the edge of the bed, producing a muffled thud.

"Donglin brats, you push people too far! Donglin brats, you push people too far!"

Li Zhao had asked how he would be dealt with, and he knew all too well in his heart. Given the Donglin's hatred for him, if he truly faced a "formal public execution," he would probably be sentenced to death by slow slicing... and among his clansmen, very few would be spared either.

If this can be endured, what cannot? Do they truly think I am now just meat on a chopping board, to be carved up at their will?

"Eunuch Wei, do you understand now? You have become the target of universal condemnation by the Donglin." Li Zhao continued with a cold sneer. "The Donglin partisans want your life, and court deliberations seethe with this demand. Yet how many in the court will step forward to protect you? Indeed, you once had many partisans yourself, but since you fell from power, they have either been struck down alongside you, or fallen silent as winter cicadas, their own positions precarious, or long since thought of switching their allegiance. None of them can speak for you in the court assembly... Therefore, Eunuch, if you still do nothing, let alone returning to the capital to command the Eastern Depot, I fear even your life will be difficult to preserve..."

Having spoken, he let out a hypocritical sigh.

Yet Wei Zhongxian, on the contrary, sobered up amid these cold and cutting words.

These Donglin brats were certainly hateful, but this Li Zhao and the person behind him were also not to be trusted.

However, while they wanted to use him, he could also turn around and make use of them in return.

Only, was this Sun Chengzong's man, or Wang Zaijin's man, or someone else entirely who wanted to fish in troubled waters?

"Hmph... I understand now. You people merely want to use me to squeeze out political rivals." Wei Zhongxian gave a cold snort, while inwardly pondering how to probe the other party.

"If the Eunuch insists on thinking so, this subordinate has nothing else to say." This time, Li Zhao no longer denied it, but instead nodded directly. "However, even if we do wish to provoke court strife, why should Eunuch Wei mind? For the Eunuch, is there any matter more urgent than returning to court and rising again?"

The more he emphasized returning to court and rising again, the more Wei Zhongxian utterly disbelieved it in his heart. He knew full well the Emperor loathed him to the extreme. The person behind Li Zhao was merely using such words to deceive him; the moment they obtained what they wanted, they would immediately cast him aside.

"Eunuch Wei... do you still not trust us?" Seeing Wei Zhongxian still noncommittal, Li Zhao pressed again. "It is only natural that the Eunuch does not trust us, arriving so suddenly. But... think carefully, Eunuch. Do you have any other path left to walk now? The Donglin—those Donglin brats have pushed you to this point. Should you not strike back? Do you truly intend to let them carve you up? Since things have already come to this, what harm is there in a desperate gamble? Even at worst, you can drag a great crowd of people down to accompany you, can you not?"

This last sentence carried a distinctly acerbic, mocking tone, yet this reasoning did not displease Wei Zhongxian.

It was indeed true. He had already been driven to this point. Now, court officials were submitting memorials one after another demanding his complete extermination, and judging by the Son of Heaven's opinion of him, the Emperor would surely be most delighted to kill him.

Even if he was deceived by this Li Zhao, he could at least drag a great crowd of people down to fall together with him.

"What you say does have some reason." He gritted his teeth. "As things stand, what more is there for me to say? If I can drag one down, I'll drag one down. I am merely of humble village stock. To be able to make so many court officials fall to the ground with me—I could be happy even in the underworld! Heh heh, heh heh ha ha! You have guessed correctly. I have indeed preserved many secret letters and evidence of bribes that Donglin men wrote to me. At the time, I kept them as talismans to protect myself in case I ever unfortunately fell from power. I never thought... they might actually prove useful now. Heh heh... heh heh ha ha!"

In the dim lamplight, dark shadows flickered unceasingly. This sharp, sinister laughter was by no means pleasant to hear, but upon hearing it, Li Zhao was instead delighted at heart and grew even more pleased.

Good, you have finally agreed to take the bait.

"It is good that the Eunuch can think this way." Li Zhao's face was wreathed in smiles. "I said it before—the Eunuch is, after all, someone who once held sway over the court. How could he so easily reconcile himself to obscurity?"

"However, I have one condition." Wei Zhongxian did not take offense, merely sweeping his gaze over him.

"A condition?" Li Zhao was somewhat taken aback. "What condition does Eunuch Wei want? Do not forget, Eunuch, we are seeking justice on your behalf, not coming to beg and wag our tails at you! If the Eunuch thinks he now holds the upper hand and puts forward some condition that makes things difficult for us, then we will have little means to stand up for the Eunuch..."

"My condition is very simple." Wei Zhongxian cut him off directly, staring straight at Li Zhao. "Tell me, who exactly is the person directing you from behind? If I do not know, how can I entrust these things to you with peace of mind?"

"Eunuch Wei!" Li Zhao's eyes widened, and he took another step forward, as if about to come to blows with Wei Zhongxian. "Does the Eunuch imagine he is still the man he once was?!"

Shrouded in shadow, his face appeared even more ferocious in Wei Zhongxian's eyes.

"Heh heh ha ha! If you want to strike, go ahead... fine by me..." Wei Zhongxian, as if fully prepared in his heart, continued laughing loudly. "Then strike. I am old and frail; surely you can finish me off with ease. But then you won't get the goods! Killing me is a small matter, but I wonder—if you fail to obtain the goods, how will you go back and account to the man behind you?!"

Li Zhao's eyes opened wider and wider, and his hand trembled slightly as it moved to the hilt of his blade, as if ready to strike at any moment. Yet Wei Zhongxian's face was completely relaxed, as though the one in mortal danger was not himself.

Before long, the heaving of Li Zhao's chest finally ceased to be so violent.

"The Eunuch is truly formidable!" he exclaimed, half in mockery and half in admiration. "I have indeed underestimated you."

"You flatter me, you flatter me." Wei Zhongxian still smiled.

"Very well. Since the Eunuch is so fixated on this matter, there is no need for me to persist further. I shall tell you..." Li Zhao sighed. "The one who sent me to find the Eunuch is Grand Secretary Wang Zaijin."

Wang Zaijin? It was actually Wang Zaijin?!

Wei Zhongxian's brow twitched involuntarily.

How could it be Wang Zaijin?

In truth, Li Zhao's earlier analysis was not wrong. The current situation at court was a tripartite balance of power, and among them, Wang Zaijin's influence was relatively weak. First, he did not enjoy the Son of Heaven's favor—he was never one of the Emperor's old confidants, and having suffered such a rout at the hands of that Zhao scoundrel, how could the Emperor possibly swallow his anger? He had only been specially placed in the cabinet to check and balance the other grand secretaries.

Second, his subordinates were merely a rabble of defeated soldiers, their courage already scattered. How could they possibly go to great lengths and brave great dangers again for Wang Zaijin's glory and fortune?