Chapter 190 - 189: Deficit
Feng Zhan stood up straight, his gaze somewhat vacant, as he laid out Zhang Heming’s plan: a diversion.
A decoy convoy was meant to draw the rebel army’s attention, while Magistrate Zhang secretly transported the real silver by water. But now Zhang Heming was dead, and the true silver was nowhere to be found.
"Absurd!"
After hearing this, Yan Wenlu’s face darkened, and he rose abruptly. "Rebels are running rampant! This is no ordinary time. If you had reported to the Commandery City earlier, the Commandery Magistrate’s Office would have considered sending an armed escort. How could it have come to this?"
Feng Zhan’s lips twitched with a hint of bitterness, but he didn’t argue. He simply bowed again. "I know my crime. Since it has come to this, I dare not conceal anything. I am here to plead guilty and await your judgment, my lord."
Seeing his attitude, Yan Wenlu’s anger subsided slightly, but the matter was serious and could not be delayed.
He immediately assembled a team of County Soldiers and government constables, brought Feng Zhan along, and hurried to the posthouse where the Silver Carriages were stored.
Inside the posthouse storeroom, the atmosphere was heavy.
Under the watchful eyes of all present, Yan Wenlu ordered, "Open the chests and inspect them!"
A government constable stepped forward, cut the seals, pried the bronze locks, and lifted the lids.
But when he ordered the top layer removed, revealing the dusty, clay mock ingots underneath, Yan Wenlu’s expression turned exceedingly grim.
They opened several more chests in succession, with the same result.
Feng Zhan watched all this with little reaction, merely closing his eyes for a moment.
Yan Wenlu’s face was ashen. This matter was no longer ordinary, nor was it something he could decide on his own. He had to report to the Governor immediately.
...
In the Governor’s study, the night was deep.
The candlelight flickered, illuminating Governor He Mingyun’s calm face.
He was over fifty, with hints of frost at his temples. His gaze was profound, and he possessed an air of authority without being angry.
After listening to Yan Wenlu’s report and Feng Zhan’s confession, He Mingyun slowly set down his brush. A drop of vermilion ink from its tip congealed on the rice paper.
He didn’t speak. After a long while, he finally raised his eyes and looked calmly at Yan Wenlu. He didn’t comment directly on the fake silver case, but instead picked up a document from his desk and handed it over.
"Wenlu, take a look at this first. It’s an urgent report just sent back from Mirror Mountain by Zhao Yuanqi."
Yan Wenlu took it, unfolded it, and read it carefully.
The further he read, the more solemn his expression became, his brows knitting tightly.
The letter reported that Zhang Heming was suspected of being He Liu, a fiend from an Evil Sect, that his godson had died a violent death, and that secret letters were found in a grain store... Each detail was more shocking than the last.
"Your Excellency!"
Yan Wenlu looked up, his voice filled with shock and doubt. "...Was this all orchestrated by the Sect from behind the scenes? Was their target the tax silver? No, that can’t be right. If so, why wouldn’t they have destroyed the evidence? Why would they let us investigate? There must be something else going on!"
He Mingyun didn’t answer directly. He stood up, walked slowly to the window, and gazed out at the deep darkness of the night.
After a long moment, he let out a soft sigh.
"Ah, Wenlu..."
He Mingyun’s voice was low. "The Lishui County Magistrate died in the line of duty, the rebellion has dragged on without being quelled, and the decay deepens by the day. The Magistrate of Mirror Mountain County has died suddenly, and eight hundred thousand taels of tax silver are missing... For these matters, you and I, in our positions, cannot escape responsibility."
He slowly turned and looked at Yan Wenlu. "This heaven-collapsing disaster needs an explanation that will suffice. The Court needs one, and we... we need one too."
He Mingyun walked to his desk. "At this point, whether it’s true or not, it has to be true."
His voice grew softer. "So what if we find the real culprits? Find a few Spirit Realm cultivators and kill them? Would that be a sufficient explanation? Only blaming the Sect can give us an explanation for those above and those below. Otherwise, who can bear the blame for this negligence, for the decay in this region?"
Yan Wenlu understood immediately. He bowed and replied, "I understand."
He hesitated slightly, then asked cautiously, "How should the report be worded? Should we leave some room for maneuver?"
He Mingyun pondered for a moment. "Draft the document at once. Combine the fake silver case with the Jingwu Bureau’s report. Report to the Prefecture and the Court that the Magistrate of Mirror Mountain County, Zhang Heming, is suspected of colluding with a Cult to plan the silver robbery, and was subsequently silenced by his own people. Request a decree to strictly investigate the remaining Cult members and recover the tax silver."
"Yes, Your Excellency."
Yan Wenlu accepted the order.
"Also..."
A sharp glint flashed in He Mingyun’s eyes. "The chaos in Lishui cannot be allowed to drag on. Immediately gather all available Spirit Realm cultivators from the Commandery Magistrate’s Office and coordinate with the Jingwu Bureau to send personnel to assist. Within one month, you must completely annihilate the Lishui rebels."
Hearing this, Yan Wenlu looked troubled. He gently reminded him, "Your Excellency, the Cao Family... they don’t seem to be satisfied yet."
"To the Cao Family, ten thousand deaths is a number, and one hundred thousand deaths is also just a number. But we are different..."
He Mingyun shook his head. "For us down here, making small mistakes is only human. But if those above find out, then it becomes a major, unforgivable mistake."
Seeing that He Mingyun’s mind was made up, Yan Wenlu could only bow and reply, "...I understand. I will go and issue the orders now."
In the study, the candlelight still flickered. He Mingyun stood alone at the window, his shadow stretching long, his silence as heavy as a mountain.
’Who really did this?’
’This level of planning, this clean execution... this is definitely not something one or two ordinary Spirit Realm cultivators could accomplish.’
’Could it be related to the Noble Families?’
’Not reporting it doesn’t mean I won’t investigate!’
A deficit of eight hundred thousand taels of silver required an explanation, and someone had to make up for the loss.
...
「Morning.」
Feng Zhan sat alone at a table, his eyes sunken, his face ashen as if from a hangover he hadn’t slept off.
The breakfast just delivered by the waiter was laid out before him.
A bowl of white congee steaming faintly, a small dish of pickled melon, and a small dish of salted vegetables.
He picked up the spoon and brought a spoonful of congee to his mouth. The rice was boiled to a mush and still warm, but he couldn’t taste anything, as if he were chewing sawdust.
He forced down a few mouthfuls, but his throat tightened and his stomach churned with discomfort. With a CLANG, he had to put the spoon down.
Another sleepless night. The matter of the tax silver weighed on his heart like a thousand-pound stone, leaving him unable to breathe.
Just then, Chen Shouye walked in, accompanying the father and son duo, Li Weikun and Li Jiwei.
It turned out the Martial Arts Examination County Trial had ended several days ago.
Li Jiwei had failed. He had arrived full of ambition, but now he couldn’t hide his dejection and seemed rather listless.
Li Weikun sighed inwardly, unsure how to console him, so he had him stay in the Commandery City for a few more days.
It was partly to lift his spirits, and partly to wait for the arrival of Chen Shouye and the other disciples from Kao Mountain Martial Arts Hall.
But when the disciples arrived, the news they brought made him both happy and worried.
When he heard that the disciples had been embroiled in the fake tax silver case, he became fraught with anxiety.
But then he heard that his son-in-law, Chen Shouye, had broken through to the Spirit Realm in the heat of battle and repelled a powerful enemy, and his heart swelled with genuine, joyous surprise.
The Spirit Realm!
Li Weikun knew perfectly well what this meant.
As long as his son-in-law was willing, the title of Martial Scholar was practically in the bag. He might even have a shot at becoming a Military Science Scholar.
’My daughter Jinru really married the right man.’
Even if his son Jiwei’s future in the Martial Dao was uncertain, with a brother-in-law like this to support him, his future would be secure.
At this thought, Li Weikun, who normally disliked socializing, made a rare effort to be proactive.
He came to the posthouse almost every day, both to get the latest news from Feng Zhan and out of fear that Chen Shouye would be dragged into some monumental trouble that would ruin his future.
Seeing Feng Zhan’s listless state, unable to even swallow his congee, he could guess what was happening: there had been no breakthrough in the case.
He couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. He walked over and offered some comfort, "County Captain Feng, try not to worry. Fortune favors the good. I’m sure you’ll find a way through this."
Feng Zhan just nodded numbly, too drained to even offer a polite reply.
The group ate their breakfast in silence.
Suddenly, a flurry of footsteps was heard from outside the posthouse, and a Chief Steward from the Experience Department of the Commandery Magistrate’s Office, dressed in a green official’s robe, walked in.
"County Captain Feng, congratulations, congratulations!"
The Chief Steward clasped his hands in a salute, his voice booming.
Feng Zhan’s head snapped up, a glimmer of light flashing in his eyes. He asked urgently, his voice hoarse, "Steward Han, what is there to congratulate?"
Steward Han smiled. "Regarding the tax silver case, the Commandery Magistrate’s Office and the Jingwu Bureau have now determined that County Captain Feng and the other escorts had nothing to do with it. The Governor has ordered that County Captain Feng may return to Jingshan County immediately."
He then briefly recounted the findings of the investigation conducted by the Commandery Magistrate’s Office and the Jingwu Bureau in Jingshan County.
Then he added, "The selection of a new County Magistrate still requires an appointment from the Court. In the meantime, the affairs of Jingshan County will be temporarily managed jointly by County Magistrate Li and you, County Captain Feng. We’ll be counting on you both."
A sudden twist of fate, snatched from the jaws of death!
Feng Zhan felt a rush of hot blood surge to his head.
The immense surprise instantly shattered the tight control he had held over his Heart Spirit for days.
’Not only do I get to keep my head, but I even get to keep my position?’
"Hahaha..."
He first threw his head back and laughed, but his laughter soon turned to sobs, as if he had gone mad.
The ups and downs of official life, the torment of life and death—it all erupted in that single moment.
Everyone in the hall was stunned by this sudden turn of events.
Suddenly, Feng Zhan’s laughter stopped abruptly. His face, which had been an unhealthy red, suddenly turned a terrifying, ashen blue.
His body swayed, and with a THUD, he fell straight backward, rigid. His breathing had become chaotic, his heart’s blood flowed in reverse, and he had passed out.
"Lord Feng!"
"County Captain!"
The crowd cried out in alarm, descending into chaos.
Who could have predicted that just after escaping a great calamity, Feng Zhan’s extreme joy would turn to sorrow, leaving his life hanging by a thread?
At the critical moment, Chen Shouye stepped forward, placed a palm on Feng Zhan’s chest, and slowly channeled his Inner Qi into him, calming the wild, out-of-control flow of qi and blood in his body.
After a few moments, the ashen color of Feng Zhan’s face gradually subsided. A faint groan escaped his throat, and he slowly regained consciousness.
He looked around in a daze. Seeing Chen Shouye kneeling beside him and the terrified looks on the faces of those around them, he understood what had just happened.
"Young Master Chen... thank you..."
Feng Zhan spoke with the relief and lingering fear of someone who had survived a brush with death. "If it weren’t for you, I’m afraid I would have met my end here today."
Helped to a sitting position by a government constable, he caught his breath and his gaze swept over everyone present. He said gratefully, "This time, it was all thanks to you brave men, especially Young Master Chen, for turning the tide and saving... the tax silver. You have shown me a kindness as great as saving my life. When we return to the county, I will be sure to reward you all handsomely."
Chen Shouye’s mind was on the situation with his father, Chen Li.
Seeing that the matter here was resolved, he had no desire to linger. He cupped his fists and said frankly, "Lord Feng, you are too kind. It was my duty. Since there is nothing more of concern here, and I have matters to attend to at home, I will take my leave."
A flash of awkwardness crossed Feng Zhan’s face, but he couldn’t very well insist he stay. He could only give a dry laugh. "Ah, very well. You have indeed been delayed in the Commandery City for quite some time, Young Master Chen. Please, do as you wish. I will remember this kindness."
Chen Shouye said no more. After bidding farewell to his father-in-law Li Weikun and brother-in-law Li Jiwei, he swung himself onto his horse and left immediately.