Without money, what is the point of being a traitor?

Chapter 673 Priorities

After Pei Yuan finished singing, he reached out his hand to Deng Liang.

Deng Liang quickly handed the letter he had just finished reading back.

Pei Yuan's gaze fell on Kang Hai's name, and he then focused on the strategy Kang Hai had presented for pacifying the Xuanhu Sect.

Though brief, the text vividly describes the landscape and terrain of Guanzhong.

The main altar of the Xuanhu Sect is currently located in Tielubao, Meixian County, um, Tielu Temple, and the other branch altars are also clearly marked.

If they could arrive suddenly, first attacking the Iron Furnace Temple, then ambushing the other altars and the returning followers, they might not need many troops to capture the bandit leader and quell the cholera outbreak.

Pei Yuan thought about it carefully.

The Xuanhu Cult shouldn't have caused any major trouble in history, otherwise he would have remembered it.

Therefore, even if the Xuanhu Sect rebels, its scale will at most be similar to that of the White Lotus Sect when Zhao Jinglong rebelled in Henan.

The tricky part is...

Although these cults are a motley crew with weak fighting power, their actions are a catastrophic disaster for the even weaker civilians.

This is especially true for the vulnerable Guanzhong region.

The Guanzhong region had been cultivated by successive dynasties, and the land had become increasingly barren, producing less and less grain. Now, it also frequently faced invasions from the Dalu, requiring the utmost manpower to supply the military needs on the border.

It can be said that most of Northwest China has a fragile economic ecosystem.

These cult rebels are weak in combat but strong in destructive power. Apart from harming the people and robbing a wave of the poorer and weaker, they are of no use at all.

However, once chaos erupted, the harm caused by these rioters was far more severe than the Dalai Lama's invasion of the country more than ten times.

When the Dalu invaded the country, they would only plunder a batch of supplies before running away. If they plundered too much, they would be afraid that if their marching speed slowed down, the border general would become greedy and double-cross them.

However, these cult members and troublemakers in the Northwest are different. They are numerous, ubiquitous, have a wide reach, and use extremely cruel methods.

Pei Yuan was in distress.

Deng Liang boldly asked, "Commander, are you trying to recruit that Kang Hai?"

"Huh?" Pei Yuan was taken aback. How did the conversation turn to Kang Hai?

He immediately realized that it was probably his previous words and his absent-minded behavior while staring at the letter that had caused Deng Liang to misunderstand.

Remembering that they were from the same hometown, Pei Yuan casually asked, "Do you have a solution?"

Deng Liang shrank back and said with a forced smile, "Kang Hai is both a scholar and a warrior, and he has a profound understanding of the world. How could I, a humble servant, dare to comment on such a person? It's just that I heard he was filled with sorrow and resentment and found solace in opera, which makes me feel sorry for him."

Pei Yuan gave an "oh," showing little interest.

He has no shortage of top scholars; what he needs are talented people who can be of use to him.

Kang Hai is naturally aloof and has a particular talent for being two-faced; he's quite a troublemaker.

It's true that having him one more or one less makes no difference.

Pei Yuan was more concerned about things in Shaanxi.

However, Pei Yuan's understanding of the situation in Shaanxi is limited, and he doesn't have any good solutions for the time being.

The words "prioritization" flashed through Pei Yuan's mind. He made up his mind that he should first settle things in Shandong before he could start working on the Northwest.

However, in front of Deng Liang, a man from the Northwest, Pei Yuan could not make a biased statement. He only said, "This matter is of great importance and cannot be decided arbitrarily. I, the commander, will investigate the matter and report it to the court."

"If there really is a cult causing trouble, I will go to Shaanxi to see for myself, even if no one else asks."

Deng Liang was grateful upon hearing this and quickly thanked Pei Yuan on behalf of the people of Shaanxi.

Seeing that the discussion in the room had stopped, Xiao Tong had someone bring in wine and dishes.

Pei Yuan wasn't in much interest, and the others also drank rather listlessly.

After the meal, everyone went to their rooms to sleep early.

Pei Yuan's trip south this time wasn't too urgent, so he didn't need to exhaust himself.

The journey was half about traveling and half about killing time, but it was still quite leisurely.

Jingzhou was within the patrol area of ​​the Three Guards of Tianjin. Cheng Leixiang and the other two commanders, along with their personal guards, escorted Pei Yuan all the way to Dongguang Post Station outside Jingzhou City before bidding him farewell.

Pei Yuan was very satisfied with the three men, especially Deng Liang and Cao Xing, who were very attentive throughout the journey and showed a strong desire to join the organization.

Seeing the four say goodbye, Xiao Tong specially rode forward and said to Pei Yuan, "Commander, the food and drink along the way were all provided by Commander Deng and Commander Cao."

Pei Yuan, Deng, and Cao had always wanted to strengthen their relationship. With Xiao Tong relaying the message, Pei Yuan immediately smiled and said, "You two are so kind. I'll take the liberty of calling you my virtuous brothers. I wonder if that's appropriate?"

Deng and Cao were both nearly forty years old. Upon hearing Pei Yuan's words, they were overjoyed and immediately bowed, saying, "From now on, Commander Qianhu will be our elder brother. We will do anything you say, even if it means going through fire and water."

Pei Yuan quickly replied, "No, no, I can't accept that."

Seeing that Pei Yuan was young and in good spirits, Deng and Cao assumed that he had some reservations, and quickly said, "Yes, yes! We are both sincere and convinced."

Pei Yuan patiently explained, "As a commander, I have a wide circle of friends and many brothers. In the past, we all acted independently, but we are all warriors, and there is already a proper order among us."

Deng and Cao were somewhat bewildered, wondering what Pei Yuan meant.

Then Pei Yuan continued, "A few days ago, I had a fight with Jiang Bin, who was rated as the bravest warrior during the suppression of the rebellion in Bazhou, at the Great Ci'en Temple."

"Although I easily beat Jiang Bin to a pulp at the time, I had to pretend to be defeated and let Jiang Bin win in order to save face for the hundreds of thousands of troops suppressing the rebellion."

Deng and Cao were stunned.

The news of the great discussion on the merits of suppressing the rebellion a few months ago had spread far and wide. They were nearby in Tianjin, so they had naturally heard about Jiang Bin, the fierce man who had fought on despite being hit by three arrows.

They also heard that the emperor once challenged a tiger in the Leopard Chamber, but Qian Ning, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, hesitated to step forward. It was Jiang Bin who jumped into the tiger pool and drove the tiger away with the emperor.

It's terrifying that Commander Pei could beat a formidable man like Jiang Bin into a pulp.

But Pei Yuan continued, "Later, Jiang Bin, remembering my favor, insisted on becoming sworn brothers with me in front of everyone. Coincidentally, the Emperor was also watching the battle, and he got so excited that he rushed into the arena to become sworn brothers with us. You can ask around in Beijing about this; quite a few people saw it back then."

"According to the order at the time, the emperor was first, Jiang Bin was second, and I, the commander, came in third."

Pei Yuan looked at Deng and Cao and said, "You can call me Third Brother."

Upon hearing this, Deng Liang and Cao Xing felt as if they had been electrocuted, and they shuddered.

After a long while, the two stammered, "Our eldest brother... is actually the current emperor?"

Pei Yuan calmly replied, "Yes. You can call me Third Brother for now. I'll bring it up with my eldest brother later. But if you run into my second brother, feel free to try and befriend him."

The two remained silent for a long time before finally saying weakly, "Let's... let's not bother our elder brother for now."

Deng Liang and Cao Xing were both a little flustered.

What kind of status do they have that they dare to acknowledge Commander Pei as their elder brother?
Then, the two suddenly realized that it might be a bit presumptuous of them not to have invited Commander Cheng to this matter.
Deng Liang, relying on his greater familiarity with Pei Yuan, quickly gestured, "Commander, look at Commander Cheng's side..." Before Pei Yuan could answer, Cheng Leixiang said amiably, "It's alright, you can talk your way out of this. I, Cheng Leixiang, am just a lackey under Commander."

Cheng Leixiang still vividly remembered the ferocious face of Commander Pei when they first became sworn brothers, and Ouyang Bijin with his head held down by a gleaming blade.

He wasn't envious of this at all.

Pei Yuan ignored Cheng Leixiang's words and said to the two of them, "You don't need to be so polite with me. In a few days, I will have to think about it carefully and see what position I should put your Commander Cheng in. At that time, the Three Guards of Tianjin may be handed over to you."

"He has his path to follow, and you have yours to follow."

Deng Liang and Cao Xing were confused but impressed, but considering what Pei Yuan had said to Cheng Leixiang a couple of days ago, they understood that Commander Cheng was probably going to be promoted again.

The two were filled with envy, and their resolve to climb onto this powerful patron was even stronger.

Pei Yuanxuan then said to the three of them, "Alright, it's getting late, you should head back soon."

He then said to Deng Liang and Cao Xing, "My office is located at Zhihua Temple in the capital. If there is anything, big or small, that you are unsure about, you can send someone to deliver a message there."

Deng Liang and Cao Xing both said, "We will definitely accompany Commander Cheng to pay him a visit during the New Year."

There's only a little over a month until the Lunar New Year, and Pei Yuan isn't sure if things in Shandong will be resolved.

But they both smiled and accepted the gestures of goodwill from the two men.

Watching the three men ride away with their personal guards.

Just as Pei Yuan was about to lead the group back to the post station for a meal and rest, Cen Meng suddenly pointed into the distance and said, "Commander, the person at the front of that group looks like the monk Tihu."

Pei Yuan was taken aback upon hearing this, and quickly looked closely at the group of people approaching from a distance.

The group of people in the distance were all dressed as imperial guards, and the one in the lead had a shiny bald head, making him look like the monk Dahu.

Pei Yuan was somewhat surprised and asked in bewilderment, "What's going on? Why are the people from the Western Depot being mobilized now?"

Cen Meng said nonchalantly, "This subordinate will go and stop them to ask."

With that, he spurred his horse forward and went to meet the monk Tihu.

Pei Yuan saw Cen Meng and the monk Ti Hu start talking, and then he saw the group of people separate, revealing another person.

Pei Yuancai was somewhat taken aback. "Why is she here too?"

The one who could get the Hundred-Household Commander, the monk Tihu, to lead the way was naturally Song Chunniang, the Thousand-Household Commander.

Pei Yuan was momentarily confused.

As the chief executioner of the Western Depot, Song Chunniang was a powerful figure within the Western Depot system, especially after the depot's chief, Gu Dayong, left the capital to avoid trouble.

Unless it's a major case, why would they possibly send her out?

Thinking of this, Pei Yuan felt a little panicked. Could it be that his younger brothers had acted too rashly and ignited the case of Zheng Wang's seditious words right away?
If that's the case, then it's too deliberate.

Feeling uneasy, Pei Yuan quickly spurred his horse to meet them.

Song Chunniang, who had also learned from Cen Meng that Pei Yuan was also staying at this post station, immediately rode over.

The two men's horses huddled together, their eyes meeting in a passionate gaze. They had a lot of important business to discuss, but for a moment they were too lazy to say anything more.

Pei Yuan shouted as if to cover up his embarrassment, "Let's go, let's go drink."

Song Chunniang's eyebrows twitched, and her eyes seemed to be about to overflow with tears.

The two turned their horses around and headed to the post station together.

Before Pei Yuan could even use official documents to complete the formalities, Song Chunniang directly slapped her waist token as the head of the Western Depot's Thousand-Household Executioners in front of the postmaster.

The postmaster glanced at them, but didn't dare ask anything. He quickly had the postman lead the two to the best courtyard.

When the two entered the courtyard, they were only exchanging flirtatious glances, but once they were inside the room and had blocked the door, they immediately became passionate.

Pei Yuan and Song Chunniang were so engrossed in their pleasure that they became entangled in each other without even removing their clothes.

After a while, having had his fill of fun, Pei Yuan, while still moving around, inquired about Song Chunniang's purpose.

Song Chunniang said breathlessly, "It's all because of that case in Shandong."

Pei Yuan was somewhat surprised, "They really did cause trouble?"

Song Chunniang asked, puzzled, "What do you mean?"

Pei Yuan explained bit by bit, “It is the case that was rumored about by Prince De.”

It took Song Chunniang a while to catch her breath. She glared at Pei Yuan and said angrily, "Are you trying to die?!"

Pei Yuan pressed, "Is it... or is it?"

Enraged, Song Chunniang flipped over and pinned her down, shouting, "I called you... no... no! I called you... no... no!"

Pei Yuan was unconvinced and was about to reopen the case when Song Chunniang lost first.

Pei Yuan almost couldn't help but laugh.

Song Chunniang had anticipated Pei Yuan's reaction and glared at him fiercely beforehand.

However, the CG of such a defeated opponent is really not scary.

Pei Yuan's suppressed teasing turned into a hearty laugh.

But as soon as Pei Yuan smiled, the tension in his body instantly relaxed, and he was utterly defeated.

The two lay there like dead fish.

Pei Yuan felt a little embarrassed.

He then changed the subject and asked, "What's going on? Wasn't the Shandong case being handled by the imperial court? Why did your Western Depot get involved?"

Song Chunniang said somewhat listlessly, "What else could it be? The moment the imperial court made its move, Zhang Feng was terrified. Before Bian Xian and the others even arrived in Dezhou, Zhang Feng took all the money he had embezzled over the years, along with detailed accounts, and went to Dezhou in person to confess his crimes."

"Zhang Feng admitted to every single penny of the embezzlement, but insisted that he had never killed the censor."

Pei Yuan thought to himself, "Then he must be telling the truth."

Then he asked, "And then what happened?"

“Zhang Feng’s corruption case during his tenure as the Director-General of the Waterways has indeed implicated a large number of officials. With detailed ledgers showing Zhang Feng’s embezzlement and distribution of money, as long as we continue the investigation and dig deeper, we can uncover a large-scale case involving multiple officials.”

"The emperor was furious about this, so he ordered Shandong to investigate Zhang Feng's corruption case on the river and the case of the censor's murder at the same time."

"My trip south this time has two purposes: first, to escort Zhang Feng's valuables to the capital; and second, to cooperate with the Eastern Depot and the Northern Garrison to investigate the truth behind the assassination of the Imperial Censorate."

(End of this chapter)