Chapter 123 : Chapter 123

Chapter 123: What Could Possibly Happen? Don’t Tell Me Someone Might Actually Die?

Cheng Yu and Ma Minnong made their wager.

They were betting on whether Cheng Yu could, before resistance from every side arose and matters turned troublesome, completely wipe out Prince Qing’s Remnants, who had surfaced time and again over the past century to rebel, yet had somehow always remained unextinguished.

He would uproot them completely!

He would erase them entirely from the history of Great Qian.

If he could do it, then Ma Minnong would join Cheng Yu’s ranks and lend his strength to the Jinyiwei’s cause, while also gifting Cheng Yu an extremely precious treasure.

After seeing him off, Cheng Yu gathered all the Jinyiwei of the Jiannan Circuit Thousand-Household Office.

He began assigning tasks.

After this period of training and cultivation, the Jinyiwei had all developed professional skills with their own distinct specializations.

And with the many system rewards obtained after the affair at the Circuit Yamen, they now displayed a wholly different level of strength from before.

Cheng Yu said, “Now that Prince Qing’s Remnants have reappeared, we Jinyiwei, who have sharpened our blades for a thousand days, cannot sit by and let them snore beside our bed!”

“From this moment onward, Jiannan Circuit is under martial law. Any unusual situation in Jiannan City and the major prefectural cities must be reported at once, especially in Lingdong Prefecture, where Iron Halberd Mountain is located!”

All the Jinyiwei accepted the order in unison. “Understood!”

Cheng Yu then divided the tasks in detail.

To the Jinyiwei specially trained in concealing their tracks and gathering intelligence, he ordered, “Keep a close watch on the area around Iron Halberd Mountain. If Prince Qing’s Remnants dare make the slightest suspicious move, act as circumstances require first, then report back to me.”

“Yes!”

A portion of the Jinyiwei departed at once under orders.

As for the Jinyiwei who excelled in martial combat and direct fighting, he gave them their own instructions.

The somewhat weaker ones were to go from one force to the next and negotiate with the Jianghu factions of Jiannan Circuit, ordering them all to submit the results of the Register by Name process as quickly as possible.

If any of them dared show dissatisfaction or make excuses, they were to be dealt with directly as Accomplices of Prince Qing’s Remnants.

As for the stronger ones, they would follow him and “pay visits,” one household after another, to the powerful forces that had dared oppose him at the Circuit Yamen that day.

Such as the Yueshan Escort Agency and the like.

Poor Zuo Hong had indeed chosen his own surname well.

The moment his left foot stepped out the gate, though he was already badly wounded, Cheng Yu cut him down on the spot.

Now it was time to raid his household.

Since Cheng Yu had made his words clear back then, those who deserved death would die, and those who deserved to have their homes confiscated would be confiscated. Not a single one would escape.

If he said he would raid households and exterminate entire families, then that was exactly what he would do.

The rest were charged with gathering together all the Jinyiwei from the Hundred-Household Offices throughout Jiannan Circuit’s prefectures, and even from the Banner Offices in every county.

They were to cultivate professional skills as quickly as possible and drill in combined battle tactics, as well as the use of siege equipment such as trebuchets, so that they could become the backbone of the coming fight against the rebel Prince Qing’s Remnants.

Once everything had been arranged, Cheng Yu looked at the Jinyiwei as they sprang into motion and nodded in satisfaction.

He had worked painstakingly and invested generously in training his subordinates precisely for a day like this.

He no longer had to handle every matter personally like a solitary commander. His subordinates could now carry them out themselves.

“If I do not report matters through the Jinyiwei’s special channels, the memorials from Jiannan Circuit’s officials will not reach the Emperor for at least half a month.”

“The Jianghu will react even more slowly.”

“Ten days will be enough!”

The prejudice that the Jinyiwei were weak and worthless, incapable of accomplishing anything without relying on experts from the Great Qian Capital, was about to end with him!

…

Gao Residence.

“Inspector Xu, you have come all the way to Jiannan City from afar and must be weary from the long journey. Please, have some tea!”

“My thanks, Lord Gao.”

Xu Quan accepted the tea Gao Song offered and took a light sip.

He was immediately disappointed and disdainful.

This Circuit Intendant Gao was clearly a man who knew nothing about tea. The tea stocked in his residence was not even as good as what those rough men at the Thousand-Household Office had.

Still, he said nothing.

In the future, whether he was to exercise his supervisory duty in Jiannan Circuit or keep Cheng Yu in check, he would still need Gao Song’s help.

Xu Quan set down the teacup and cast a strange glance around him.

“Lord Gao, your residence is so magnificent that it resembles a private garden. Why are there so few servants?”

The moment he arrived at Gao Residence, he had noticed something was off.

The estate was enormous, yet the servants and attendants moving through it were far fewer than those found in an ordinary great household.

Then he looked at Gao Song.

The foremost official of Jiannan Circuit before him was pale and haggard.

It was truly strange.

At those words, Gao Song quickly shook his head.

Who would still dare keep slaves now? How many lives did they think they had to spare?

So he answered,

“It is not only my household. The same is true of all the great residences in Jiannan City these days. A few hired servants to handle the work are enough.”

“I see.”

Xu Quan nodded. He had assumed it was some local custom of frugality.

Then he smiled faintly instead. “A pity, though. A residence like this feels too empty with so few people. I think it still needs a few beauties and fine things before it can truly become a place of perfect delight.”

“What do you think, Lord Gao?”

There was temptation in his tone.

If Gao Song followed him, then in the future he could have whatever he wanted!

At that, Gao Song gave a bleak smile. “I am already planning to sell this residence and move into the Circuit Yamen. It will be more convenient for handling affairs there.”

When Xu Quan saw that Gao Song refused to take the bait, a trace of displeasure flashed through his eyes.

As expected, when the Emperor was far away, people became insolent.

He was the representative of the high ministers of the court, yet a mere Circuit Intendant dared play dumb and brush him off like this.

So he stopped speaking in circles.

“Lord Gao, ever since that Thousand-Household Commander Cheng took office a month ago, has Jiannan Circuit been well?”

Gao Song’s eyes widened, and he immediately shot to his feet.

“Well? It has been excellent! Exceptionally excellent! Better than words can say!”

Xu Quan was startled by his sudden agitation and frowned at once.

“You are afraid of him?”

What foolish nonsense. Who was not afraid of death? Did that even need to be asked?

Gao Song cursed inwardly, then quickly nodded. “Lord Cheng’s divine might is invincible, as though he were a heavenly being. I naturally hold him in awe.”

“Heh.”

Xu Quan rose to his feet, flicked his sleeve, and stood there proudly with his hands behind his back.

So he was just a coward.

At a time like this, it really did require someone with courage like him.

“He is nothing more than a mere Jinyiwei Thousand-Household Commander. You are the father-and-mother official of an entire circuit. Why should you fear him?”

A mere Jinyiwei Thousand-Household Commander?!

Has this man gone mad?!

Gao Song stood there stunned, eyes wide.

Seeing that Gao Song was frozen like a wooden chicken, Xu Quan naturally assumed the man had been overwhelmed by his bearing.

So he continued with a smile, “Cheng Yu is nothing more than a junior. He won his reputation only because he relied on the court’s support to run wild. We court officials are his backing, so what is there to fear?”

“If he dares refuse to submit, the lords of the court can cast him out like a dead dog with the greatest of ease!”

“Now that I have put it so plainly, are you still afraid?”

Having laid out the stakes, he quietly watched Gao Song’s reaction.

The man was trembling all over. He must have been utterly shaken!

Any moment now, he should drop to his knees and swear allegiance!

Gao Song trembled for a moment, then his gaze instantly turned razor-sharp.

He had only managed to keep his life by staking even his ancestral graves and his whole clan of relatives on it.

Did Xu Quan think that had been easy?!

“Throw this madman out of here!!!”

Xu Quan’s expression changed drastically. “Gao, what do you mean by this?!”

The next moment, several martial artists hauled him out of Gao Residence by force. He ended up standing by the roadside in humiliation while passersby pointed at him and whispered.

In the struggle, several places on his clothes had been torn open, leaving him looking like a stray dog by the roadside.

“You are courting death!”

Grinding his teeth, Xu Quan returned to his lodgings and swore that he would take revenge.

Just then, the subordinate he had sent out to gather information came rushing back in utter terror.

“My lord, something has happened!”

Still in the middle of his rage, Xu Quan let out a cold snort and mocked him. “What could possibly have happened? Don’t tell me someone might actually die?”