Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 1127 Nowhere to Vent the Evil Fire
A gentle breeze passed by.

The standoff by the water bridge had already spread, and spies from many factions had already infiltrated the crowd. Even Bai Shuiyue, the leader of the White Lotus Sect who had retreated from the Honglu Temple, turned her gaze to this place when she passed by. In particular, seeing her junior sister's son so imposing, she felt a sense of loss.

"Shopkeeper, the young marquis is taking his anger out on the people of the Imperial City Guard. It seems only the young marquis has the guts to do that."

Ying Xiancai, the right protector following beside him, was filled with emotion. He wondered when it had started, but many voices within the church were advocating for the Holy Maiden's strategy. However, while official positions were easy to buy, genuine ones were hard to find.

"Hmph, so arrogant and domineering, my junior sister must be spoiled rotten. The imperial court is much darker than the martial world. With this kind of personality, she will suffer in the future. Let's go back."

He didn't know where the nameless anger came from, but he kept walking and was about to leave, which made the Right Protector Yingxian somewhat confused. Given the young marquis's current status, how could the court dare to touch the young marquis unless they were stupid? The sect leader was angry.

"Yes, sir, I'll go back right away."

Just as I was about to turn and leave, I heard what the cult leader said again;

"Oh, by the way, send another message to the Marquis's residence, saying that Senior Sister misses Junior Sister and specially brought some local specialties from Jiangnan. Also, have that storyteller at the restaurant give a good shout-out to this county magistrate. How many people in the world dare to scold the Emperor Emeritus?"

Bai Shuiyue, seemingly thinking of something good, resumed her smiling demeanor, leaving Ying Xiancai completely bewildered, and he could only respond with a nod.

On the water bridge

Zhang Jinyu continued to ask calmly;

"Lord Zhao, what's going on? Have the people of the Imperial City Guard started bossing me around these days?"

"Don't dare."

Zhao Cheng's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable firmness.
"This humble servant is only acting on imperial orders and dares not delay. If Your Excellency has any objections, you may submit them to the emperor afterward. Eunuch Chen will then give instructions. Under no circumstances should the time be missed."

"What Eunuch Chen? You mean Chen Hui from the Directorate of Ceremonial, right? I think he thinks he's done everything perfectly, but most of the time his tricks are full of flaws. The officials in the court aren't stupid. Sometimes, being too clever can backfire."

It was as if they had heard the biggest joke in the world. In the palace, only the Grand Eunuch Dai Quan and the Grand Eunuch of Chang Le Palace Xia Shouzhong held real power. Even the Second-in-Command of the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs was not enough to make him a threat. After all, His Majesty's proposed cabinet reform was to prevent any one family from becoming too powerful. Now that Chen Hui had jumped out, he was undoubtedly a sitting duck.

But these words couldn't be said, especially to the men under Chen Hui's command.

"By the way, thanks to Zhao Jian for reminding me, but before that, I'd like to ask, did you find anything remarkable during your search—no, your confiscation of the Xu family's property?"

His gaze swept over the boxes on the carriages; these must be the evidence. His expression suddenly turned stern.

"Did you find silver equivalent to half of the national treasury, or did you find evidence of forming cliques for personal gain?"

After this question was asked, only Li Yun lowered his head and stepped back, along with his own men. He left Zhao Cheng's men in front. This small action was noticed only by Ning Bian. Whether it was because the Imperial City Guard was used to being domineering or because he couldn't help himself, the centurion behind Zhao Cheng said something.
"No, Your Excellency, we have never done so. However, we have always acted in accordance with the rules. Your Excellency is making things difficult for us."

"rule?"

Zhang Jinyu raised an eyebrow, stretched out her leg, and kicked out. With just one kick, she sent the talkative centurion sprawling to the ground, groaning in pain. Zhao Cheng quickly stopped her.

"My lord, where is the dignity of the imperial court?"

"Hmph, you want to talk to me about rules? Then let's get down to business. I can't interfere with the fact that you confiscated your property and presented it to the Emperor. But I am one of the presiding judges in this case, so naturally I have to look into it. When you confiscated your property, you ransacked the mansion. How are you going to compensate us?"

He gave Ning Bian a meaningful look, and Ning Bian understood. He quickly sent someone to the Xu residence to check, and soon the person returned and reported back.

"My lord, the Xu family is in dire straits. Tables, chairs, benches, bedding, and clothes are scattered all over the floor. Even the vegetable leaves in the kitchen have been crushed. Xu's mother is still crying in the house. When I left, she brought me a clean set of clothes, saying that Lord Xu should change into them."

Holding the blue long gown in her hands, though it was worn and patched, it was clean after being starched. Zhang Jinyu grabbed it and sighed.

"The hearts of parents are always full of love and concern."

So he threw the clothes into the car.

"Put it on."

"Yes, my mentor."

Xu Changwen, his eyes already brimming with tears, changed his clothes inside the car.

Finally, Zhao Cheng broke out in a cold sweat, his lips trembling.
"My lord, we made a mistake by mistake. How can you forgive us?"

Extremely shocked, Zhao Cheng wondered how Marquis Luoyun could be one of the presiding judges. Wasn't it only Eunuch Chen who had the right to conduct investigations? Had there been changes in the court after they left? Thinking of this, Zhao Cheng quickly lowered his head and humbled himself.

Zhang Jinyu wanted to say something, but the Marquis of Xiangyang, who had just arrived, quickly grabbed her sleeve and advised her.
"My lord, you've had too much to drink. Please take a step back. The court is in a state of panic right now, and we must not allow any more trouble to happen. Also, the Thousand Autumns Banquet at the Court of State Ceremonial was disrupted by the cult, and many envoys were killed. It's another major case."

Bai Guangju looked helpless. The capital was in turmoil; how could they afford to cause any more trouble? Zhang Jinyu looked around at the people around her and suddenly lost her spirit.
"Very well, since Brother Bai has spoken, I must give you face. You will take Xu Changwen into the Heavenly Prison. If anything happens to you, I promise to send your entire family to accompany him. Go now."

One last look at Xu Changwen; he had changed into a long robe and stood up straight. Perhaps, some people are destined to be loyal subjects.

"Thank you, Lord Marquis."

Zhao Cheng's face turned pale. He nodded and led his troops to escort them back to the prison.

But those who remained, gazing at the desolate Xu residence and the lonely figure of the old woman, Xu's mother, couldn't bring themselves to take a single step out.
"Ningbian, go find someone to tidy up the Xu family. Have the Marquis's residence send them three meals a day. Leave some silver and take good care of Xu's mother. The rest of you, go back to the manor."

"Yes, Lord Marquis."

Seeing that the Marquis was in a bad mood, Ningbian did not dare to say anything. The Marquis of Xiangyang just sighed, shook his head, got into his own carriage, and took his leave.

And so, as Marquis Luoyun left, the number of people gathered at the water bridge actually increased, with many whispering amongst themselves, trying to gather information.
"Hey, brother, that Xu family member just returned to the capital, how come he got arrested? I heard that Lord Xu is a good official."

"Hey, what good is a good official? He'll be thrown into jail soon enough. I heard it's because he sent a congratulatory letter and angered the retired emperor."

"Oh, no."

It is unknown who started embellishing the stories about the palace among the crowd. Some even spread fragments of information from the "Security Book," causing the people to sigh with emotion. In less than half a day, Xu Changwen and his "Security Book" had spread throughout the capital.

The Grand Secretary's Residence

The eldest son, Li Chaosheng, had already helped his father down from the carriage and steadily returned to the main room, where he sat down on a reclining chair.

"Father, there are many troubles in the court. You should take care of your health. Brother Sun has already submitted an urgent report to the Court of State Ceremonial and has taken stock of the losses. Only the Donghu envoys were wiped out. It seems that these treacherous cultists are either after money and the people or they want to silence witnesses."

Thinking of the secret report that came from Senior Brother Sun on the way, Li Chaosheng was very puzzled. If the cult wanted to kill and cause trouble, they should have attacked and killed the princes and princes of the vassal states. Why did they target the Donghu people?
He couldn't understand it at all. The Donghu people were still raiding the border after the New Year, causing heavy casualties among the northern border troops, and the sons of various dukes were tied down on the frontier. These were all blood feuds and family feuds. If the court were to reconcile, it would likely cause further turmoil among the nobles. Little did he know that his words made the Grand Secretary shake his head, carefully move his body, slowly lie down on the recliner, cover himself with a blanket, and even take a breath.

"I didn't eat well at today's banquet, and my health isn't what it used to be. The commotion in court might have been partly due to His Majesty's indulgence. Some things could have been suppressed, but the Emperor remained silent. There's still more to come."

He shifted slightly, turned over, waved to the old butler, who nodded, carefully left the room, and closed the door.

"As for the killing of the Donghu envoy, it was nothing more than an attempt to provoke the Donghu people. At most, they would lead their troops south to contain the border army, thus allowing the interior to remain in chaos. Unfortunately, the capital garrison and the imperial guards are well-equipped and in high spirits. With a capable general like Marquis Luoyun, the interior is assured of peace. I believe the Emperor Emeritus has also considered this point. Therefore, regarding Xu Changwen's case, I will have you preside over one of the trials and handle it accordingly."

In just a few words, he sorted out the relationships in the court and also mentioned the cabinet's decision. However, Li Chaosheng was a little uncertain. The cabinet had already asked Grand Secretary Gu to take charge of the case. If Gu got involved, wouldn't the cabinet have two people involved?

“Father, there are several other Grand Secretaries in the Cabinet. If I participate, wouldn’t the Cabinet have three members? The Emperor Emeritus’s intention is for the Cabinet to send one member. Grand Secretary Gu is already in charge of this case, and the Minister of Justice has also joined the Cabinet. This position is already full.”

Thinking back to a few days ago, Lord Song had only been in the cabinet for a few days. If he were to get involved, under what pretext would he do so?

"Hmph, you used to seem so audacious, but you've become so timid since joining the cabinet. As a cabinet minister, you should consider the overall situation, but you should still fight for what you need to fight for. Think about it, the Emperor Emeritus has already said that Song Zhen will definitely be included in the Ministry of Justice. Although Gu Yichen has refuted this proposal and is in charge of this matter, he is not considered part of the cabinet. So, what problem would you have if you went there?"

His lips trembled, and he pulled the blanket tighter around himself, feeling much more exhausted. One thing he couldn't understand was why the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs had acted this way. What was their purpose? Had they really taken money from several princes and deliberately set a trap for Marquis Luoyun? But such tricks wouldn't affect Marquis Luoyun in the slightest. Suddenly, with a start, Chief Minister Li opened his eyes. Thinking of the eunuchs' manipulation of power in the previous dynasty, his heart sank. Could it be that the palace eunuchs were trying to seize power?
"Chao Sheng, you must attend this joint trial. See what that Eunuch Chen is up to, whether it's his own idea, or the idea of ​​Dai Quan of the Yangxin Hall, or Xia Shouzhong of the Chang Le Palace."

"This is what Father knows. There is another matter: how to explain things to Senior Brother Sun of the Court of State Ceremonial?"

Listening to his father's teachings, the eldest son felt something. Perhaps his father had a deeper meaning, but his senior brother Sun's side was also in a mess, and it was really difficult to clean up the mess.

"Listen, observe, and wait!"

After three times, there was no more sound. Li Chaosheng paused, stood up, bowed slowly, and left the room.

Honglu Temple Courtyard
The common people who had attended the banquet had already fled. By the time Lord Sun received the news and arrived with a large number of imperial guards, the plaque of the Court of State Ceremonial had already been half-stained red with blood.

On the ground lay numerous corpses scattered about. Sun Boyan walked along the corner of the wall, stepping on the sticky bricks and stones, his shoes slipping frequently due to the bloodstains on them. The white jade long table that had just been used to display the tributes had now been cleaved in two by a single stroke, the tributes on the table were scattered all over the ground, and the plates and bowls were thrown several meters away.

"Report, Lord Sun, more than a hundred civilians have been killed here. The scene in the West Garden is even more horrific. All twenty-three members of the Donghu delegation are dead, and even the stable boy who was feeding the horses in the stable was killed."

Merchants from other tribes who came with them also perished, demonstrating the ruthlessness of their methods.

"What? They're all dead? Not a single one survived?"

Sun Boyan paused, sensing something was wrong. He had been thinking that if he were to achieve merit at the Court of State Ceremonial, it would be through these foreign delegations, especially the secret Donghu delegation. He never imagined that he would be gone without even meeting them.

"Your Excellency, I personally inspected the area, but there wasn't a single survivor,"

The Imperial Guard captain's face turned pale. This humiliation at the Court of State Ceremonial was a disgrace to the Imperial Guards. He had even gone to the area where the Imperial Guards on the west side were stationed, and he was drugged and killed. Even the lowest-level tricks of the martial arts world couldn't stop him. It was truly shameful.

"Let's go over and have a look."

"Yes, my lord."

Sun Boyan's face turned ashen. Helpless, he led his men over to take a look. Inside the west courtyard, the bodies of Donghu people were already laid out. Upon entering the main hall, they saw eight crooked characters written in blood on the wall: "If the barbarians are not destroyed, the Han dynasty will not prosper."

With just one glance, he felt a chill run down his spine from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. This was no ambush; it was a frame-up. If the Donghu people thought the court was condoning this, war would surely break out in the northern frontier. If the other states saw this, they would realize that they couldn't even protect their foreign envoys. Where would their national prestige be? Moreover, it was the Emperor Emeritus's sixtieth birthday. If things got out of hand, how could he possibly handle it?

"Seal off the scene, send all these bodies, along with those outside, out of the area, and have them cleaned thoroughly. When the princes and foreign envoys return, make sure no oversight is noticed."

"Yes, my lord."

The officials behind him hesitated to speak, but did not want to say it outright. They then instructed their subordinates to go to the Imperial Household Department and request twenty new cotton quilts and ten bolts of white cloth to cover up the bloodstains.

But these measures were ultimately ineffective. The Donghu delegation did put up resistance, but unfortunately, faced with a sudden attack, even their resentment was futile.
"Report, sir, a foreign envoy has come to the courtyard to inquire whether the thieves have left."

A minor official came in from outside the courtyard to report, but Sun Boyan had no time to ask about such matters.
"The thieves haven't left yet. We need the imperial soldiers to search for them. Make sure they stay in the courtyard and don't hurt themselves. Go now."

"Yes, my lord."

The minor official quickly clasped his hands in agreement and returned anxiously to report. Just as the officials in the garden were frowning in worry, a servant dressed in a short blue cloth jacket stumbled in, clutching a bright red bamboo tube in his hand. Upon seeing Lord Sun, he knelt down on the ground.
"Lord Sun, Lord Sun, the eldest son sent me with an urgent message, saying that only you can personally investigate this matter."

Sun Boyan's eyes lit up. He snatched the bamboo tube, his fingers trembling as he unscrewed the sealing wax. Inside was only a plain sheet of paper with steady, powerful handwriting—it was written by the eldest son himself.
"Quickly bury the Donghu man's body, and tell the outside world that he suddenly fell ill and died. Check the spices used in the kitchen of the Honglu Temple today; there must be something fishy about them."

A thought struck him: the eldest son intended to keep this a secret. Now that a solution had been found, Sun Boyan felt relieved and gave his instructions.
"What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and carry everyone out. Everyone, remember this: the Donghu man died suddenly from a terrible illness. Also, you guys go and check the spices and ingredients we bought in the kitchen. Seal all the ingredients, don't leave a single tile behind."

No sooner had the words been spoken than another scholar wearing a square scarf entered, also carrying a [something] in his hand.

"Lord Sun, a letter from the Grand Secretary."

Lord Sun turned around, saw the brocade pouch in the scholar's hand, and frowned. His mentor, who had also arrived with the letter, carefully took it and asked...

"Did the old man give any instructions?"

"In reply to Lord Sun, the Grand Secretary said that we must learn to deflect certain matters."

The scholar lowered his head and whispered,
"I understand. Go back and tell the teacher that everything is fine."

"Yes, Lord Sun, I will definitely deliver it."

The scholar clasped his hands in a fist salute, turned, and left. Once he was gone, Sun Boyan no longer hesitated. He quickly opened the brocade pouch, took out the note, and examined it carefully. It was indeed his mentor's sharp, incisive handwriting.
"Although the thieves are rampant, the two religions are working together, but they are not truly at odds. In addition, the affairs of foreign envoys may not be without the involvement of these envoys. We can secretly inspect the purchase of spices. The manager of the Fushun Chamber of Commerce had secret contact with the Xilai Chamber of Commerce three months ago, which may have been a meeting between a Xianbei envoy and a secret envoy."

Sun Boyan was sweating profusely. He had forgotten that although both sects were rebels, the White Lotus Sect believed in the "Silent Mother" and the Taiping Sect believed in the "Maitreya's Descent." The two rebel factions each had their own agendas, so how could they continue to collude? They were bound to part ways. However, due to the pressure from the imperial court, they temporarily united.

"Quickly, immediately send a message to Commander Ma of the Southern Garrison, saying that the Court of State Ceremonial has discovered a clue: at the west end of the street, the innkeeper of Fushun Inn has been in secret contact with a Xianbei envoy and sent him spices, which are poisonous."

"Yes, sir, I will go immediately."

Although the problem with the spices in the kitchen hadn't been solved yet, every extra minute could lessen his responsibility. While he was still wondering if there were any oversights, his trusted confidant came out of the house.

"Sir, a wolf-skin token carried by a Donghu man was found inside the house."

"What,"

Sun Boyan's eyes lit up. The most important token of the Donghu people was right here—the Right Wise King's warrant!
(End of this chapter)