Damn it, I'm in the garbage book I wrote

Chapter 899 Small Scene

On the fifth day after the fall of Luzhou, as dawn broke, the smell of cooking fires in the city had overshadowed the stench of blood. Instead of the usual three or five days without sheathing their swords, the soldiers were actively helping the people repair their houses and distribute basic necessities.

This was a world of difference from when Liu Ren's rebel army was stationed there, and it was one of the factors that allowed the city to quickly return to normal life.

Every day, Li Zhi would get up early, eat something in the army canteen, and then review documents in the second hall of the governor's mansion, which was temporarily serving as his headquarters. Zhang Jianzhi sat at the lower end, sorting through the reports sent from various places, while Xiao Wu quietly checked the ledgers of the captured rebel army's money and grain on the side.

After several days of reorganization, order was basically restored in the city, shops gradually reopened, and merchants came and went in the streets. However, one could still occasionally see houses damaged by the war, reminding people of the turmoil that had occurred not long ago.

“Your Highness.” Zhang Jianzhi put down an official document from Taiyuan Prefecture, his brows furrowing slightly. “This was just delivered this morning. The Wang family of Taiyuan, the Liu family of Hedong, and several other families jointly sent a greeting card, along with a gift of 5,000 shi of grain and 3,000 bolts of silk to support the army. Their words were sincere, congratulating Your Highness on swiftly suppressing the rebellion, but they didn’t mention Liu Ren at all.”

Li Zhi's pen didn't stop; he only wrote "Understood" at the end of the report, and then said indifferently, "They are behaving well now because my father really will kill them. Heh, there was no movement a few days ago, and just after we took Luzhou, supplies for the army were sent. I think they're afraid that when I search Liu Ren's residence, they'll find something they shouldn't have."

Xiao Wu raised his head and said softly, "Liu Ren has been operating in Hedong for many years and has deep roots in these local powerful families. There must have been a lot of exchanges of benefits. Their gesture of goodwill now is partly to distance themselves from us and partly to test us. Your Highness might as well accept it for now, offer gentle words of comfort, and see what they do next."

“What you said, Senior Sister, is exactly what I was thinking.” Li Zhi put down his pen and rubbed his temples. “It’s just that Liu Ren seems to have vanished into thin air. He’s nowhere to be seen, neither alive nor dead, which makes me uneasy. If he doesn’t show up, many clues will be lost.”

As they were talking, Xia Lin yawned and came out from the back room, still looking sleepy and lazy, with a half-eaten sesame seed cake in his hand. He strolled over to Li Zhi's desk, casually picked up the greeting card jointly signed by the Taiyuan aristocratic families, glanced at it, chuckled, and tossed it back onto the table.

"Several thousand bushels of grain and several thousand bolts of silk, you think you can just brush this off? You're trying to fob me off like a beggar." He took a bite of his flatbread and mumbled, "Son, don't look so gloomy, we've got the thread in our hands."

Li Zhi's spirits lifted: "Father, is there news of Liu Ren?"

Xia Lin didn't answer directly, but instead looked at Xiao Wu: "Girl, how's the accounting going?"

Xiao Wu immediately replied, "Master, the gold, silver, and valuables in Liu Ren's treasury roughly match the accounts, but several letters that had not been destroyed were found in a secret compartment in his study. These letters involve private transactions with tribes in the northern grasslands, and there are also several large sums of money of unknown origin flowing towards Taiyuan. In addition, several grain and salt merchants in the city who have close ties with Liu Ren attempted to leave the city last night with their families and valuables, but were stopped by Master Jiuzhen's men and are being questioned separately."

"Look, isn't this a clue?" Xia Lin finished the flatbread in a few bites, patted the crumbs off his hands, and said, "Where did Liu Ren, a mere Sima of the Hedong Governor's Office, get such a big appetite and audacity? Without anyone backing him up, would he dare to collude with tribes? Would he dare to embezzle military pay and incite a mutiny? He's just a frightened bird now. Wherever he runs, that will be his lair and his burial ground."

A flash of understanding crossed Li Zhi's eyes: "Father means that we don't need to go to great lengths to search for him; he will lead us to the person behind it all?"

“Yes.” Xia Lin picked up the teapot on the table and took a few sips. “Have your men spread the word that although Liu Ren is on the run, his trusted steward and personal guard have been captured and are being interrogated. They will be escorted to the capital soon. Also, hint that the contents of the secret letters found in Liu Ren’s mansion are quite interesting.”

Zhang Jianzhi clapped his hands and laughed, "Brilliant! This is both a ploy to startle the snake and a way to lure it out of its hole! If the person behind this has something to hide, they will be uneasy upon hearing this news. They will either rush to silence him or live in constant fear, eventually revealing their true colors. As for Liu Renruo, if he learns that his trusted aide has been captured, he will fear that he will confess. He will either be desperate and act rashly or become even more reliant on the person behind him. Either way, it will be to my advantage!"

Xiao Wu added, "They could also spread rumors in the streets, saying that His Highness the Crown Prince is kind and considerate, and that many people have been deceived and coerced by Liu Ren. If they can see the error of their ways and report the crime, they can be given lenient treatment. In this way, it might shake his supporters."

“We’ll do as you say.” Li Zhi nodded, then looked at Xia Lin: “Father, what are Liu Ren’s exact whereabouts…”

Xia Lin chuckled: "That guy rode a donkey, took a long detour, and last night in the middle of the night, he sneaked into a manor outside Lishi County. The manor's apparent owner is a foreign merchant, but he's actually related to the Wang family of Taiyuan."

Lishi County! The Wang Clan of Taiyuan!

Li Zhi exchanged a glance with Zhang Jianzhi and Xiao Wu, and they all felt a chill run down their spines.

The head of a prominent family in Hedong, a key town, was indeed involved. This family, which had once fully supported their mother's ascension to the throne, had now come to this.

“No need to rush to arrest them.” Xia Lin found a comfortable chair and slumped down. “Have someone surround the manor, allowing entry but not exit. Keep a close eye on them, and then see how Taiyuan reacts when they get the news.”

His tone was relaxed, yet it carried a playful and controlling quality, like a cat playing with a mouse.

Li Zhi understood immediately. This was a plan to use Liu Ren as bait to lure out the bigger fish behind him, and also to use this opportunity to intimidate the deeply entrenched forces in Hedong. He immediately summoned his trusted generals and whispered his instructions, ordering them to carry out the plan.

The military order was issued silently, and several elite scout squads broke up and scattered like ghosts toward Lishi County.

The afternoon sun shone through the window lattice, casting dappled shadows on the floor of the second hall.

Xia Lin had already dozed off in her chair, her soft snores rising and falling. Li Zhi continued to handle government affairs, reviewing the regulations sent from various places on resuming production and appeasing displaced people, only occasionally glancing out the door with a hint of expectation in his eyes.

Zhang Jianzhi ground ink and lowered his voice to Li Zhi, saying, "Your Highness, if this plan succeeds, the situation in Hedong can be largely stabilized. However... the Wang family of Taiyuan is deeply rooted, with their protégés and former officials all over the court. If the evidence is conclusive and we really want to take action against them, I'm afraid the court will be shaken."

Li Zhi continued writing, his voice calm yet firm: "Brother Jianzhi, military reform is a national policy that cannot be obstructed. If they rely on their power base to disregard the law, incite rebellion, and poison the people, then such a power base is not worth having. I have come here not only to quell the rebellion, but also to establish my authority—the authority of the court's laws and the authority of reform and strengthening. Whoever blocks my way will be removed. It's just a pity that Father didn't kill them quickly enough last time."

There was a hint of reproach in his tone, because it was his father who hadn't killed them all, which was why these people had to tormented him time and time again.

Xiao Wu listened quietly to Li Zhi, his gaze sweeping over Li Zhi's resolute profile before settling on Xia Lin, who was fast asleep beside him. He thought to himself, "His Highness is gradually becoming more and more stable with Master's method of building this bridge."

Two days later.

Thirty miles outside Shi County, there is a manor nestled against the mountains and beside the water, named "Yixin Manor". With white walls and blue tiles, it looks no different from the villa of an ordinary wealthy family. However, although the guards seem to be lax, there are many shrewd figures hidden behind the shadows of trees and walls, their eyes scanning the surroundings warily.

In the quiet room at the deepest part of the manor, Liu Ren was emaciated, his eyes sunken. The official air of the former Commander of the Governor's Office had long since vanished, leaving only a disheveled and shaken appearance. His hand holding the teacup was still trembling slightly, and tea spilled out, wetting his front.

Sitting opposite him was a middle-aged man in a brocade robe, with a fair complexion and no beard. He was Wang Tong, a steward of the Taiyuan Wang family in Hedong. Although Wang Tong was smiling, a trace of sinister intent could not be hidden in his eyes.

"Liu Sima, please calm down." Wang Tong tried to keep his tone calm: "This place is secluded and belongs to my Wang family. It is safe and sound. Please settle down here. Once things have calmed down, we will make arrangements."

"Arrangements? What arrangements are there?!" Liu Ren slammed down his teacup, his voice hoarse. "Luzhou is gone! My trusted men are either dead or captured! Wang Tong, you have to save me! Your Wang family must save me! I'm doing this on your behalf..."

"Liu Sima!" Wang Tong interrupted sharply, glancing warily out the window before lowering his voice: "Watch your words! What do you mean by 'substitute'? It's just business dealings, mutually beneficial. Now that you've gotten into trouble, our Wang family, out of old friendship, has risked everything to take you in—that's more than enough!"

Liu Ren slumped in his chair, as if his spine had been ripped out, muttering, "Xia Lin... Xia Lin is under the walls of Luzhou... He said no one, not even a chicken or a dog, would be spared..." A hint of disdain flashed in Wang Tong's eyes, but he sighed, "General Xia's reputation is known throughout the land. However, Commander Liu need not be too alarmed. His attention is currently focused on stabilizing Luzhou, and he won't be able to find this place for the time being. As long as you don't show yourself, wait..."

Before he could finish speaking, there was a gentle knock on the door of the quiet room.

Wang Tong frowned: "What is it?"

A trusted aide's hushed voice came from outside the door: "Manager, there seem to be some unfamiliar faces outside the manor... they've been wandering around for two days now. There seem to be even more today."

Wang Tong's expression changed slightly. He abruptly stood up, walked to the window, and peered out through the crack. The mountains and forests outside the manor were quiet, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but the unease in his heart suddenly intensified.

Liu Ren also heard the conversation outside the door, and his face turned ashen. He grabbed Wang Tong's arm and cried, "They're here! Aren't they? They're here! Wang Tong, you have to think of something! Hurry!"

Wang Tong was annoyed by his shaking, so he shook him off and forced himself to calm down, saying, "What's the panic! Maybe they're just passing merchants, or maybe they're just local officials on a routine patrol! I'll send someone to find out right away!"

He said this aloud, but his heart was in turmoil. Yixin Manor was located in a secluded spot; ordinary people would never linger there for more than two days. Had the news really leaked? Had Xia Lin's men gotten here so quickly?

He immediately summoned two capable subordinates and whispered to them to go out through the back path of the manor to report to the county town and Taiyuan respectively, and to find out the background of those unfamiliar faces outside the manor.

However, half an hour later, the two men returned one after the other looking disheveled.

"Sir, the path behind the mountain... is blocked! Brightly dressed soldiers, wearing imperial guard uniforms, claiming to be acting on the Crown Prince's orders to seal off the mountain and investigate remnants of the rebel party. Entry is permitted, but exit is not!"

"The official road leading to the county seat was heavily guarded with checkpoints. Our men were stopped and questioned before they even got close!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Tong felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head, and his hands and feet instantly turned icy cold.

You may enter, but you may not leave! A decree from the Crown Prince!
This isn't a mountain closure and inspection; it's clearly aimed at Yixin Manor! They're already surrounded, trapped like turtles in a jar!

Liu Ren heard it clearly, and his last shred of hope was completely shattered. He collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down his face: "It's over...it's all over...Xia Lin...it was Xia Lin...he never lies..."

Wang Tong's face was ashen as he paced rapidly inside the room. The manor was surrounded, preventing messages from being sent out. Without news from the main family in Taiyuan, how could they possibly respond? Although the manor's provisions could last for several months, the pressure of being besieged by the imperial army was enough to cause collapse. Moreover, now that the Crown Prince and Xia Lin had already pinpointed the location, a full-scale attack was likely imminent!
"No, we can't just sit here and wait to die!" Wang Tong suddenly stopped, a ruthless glint in his eyes. "Liu Sima, for now, the only option is to wrong you."

Liu Ren looked up in alarm: "You... what do you want to do?"

Wang Tong crouched down, staring into his eyes, his voice icy: "You have to leave! Before they completely surround you, I'll send someone to escort you out through the secret passage inside the manor! The exit of the secret passage is in a mountain ravine ten miles away. Once you're out there, the world is your oyster!"

Liu Ren nodded repeatedly, as if grasping at a straw: "Okay! Okay! I'll go! I'll go right now!"

Wang Tong sneered inwardly. The secret passage did indeed exist, but he couldn't guarantee the safety of the exit. Letting Liu Ren go was a gamble, and also, if Liu Ren were captured or killed outside, many things would become unsolved mysteries, attracting the court's attention and buying time for the Wang family to negotiate.

A moment later, Liu Ren changed into servant's clothes and, accompanied by Wang Tong's two loyal guards, cautiously entered the entrance to the secret passage under the artificial hill in the manor.

As the entrance slowly closed, a look of exhaustion and ferocity appeared on Wang Tong's face. He returned to his study, hastily wrote a secret letter, sealed it with sealing wax, and summoned a bodyguard he had raised for many years.

"Find a way, no matter what, to send this letter back to the host family in Taiyuan! Tell them to tighten the fence and be careful of stray dogs sneaking in!"

At this moment, he could only hope that his master's family could respond in time, even if it meant cutting off the tail to survive, to preserve the foundation of the Wang family.

However, what Wang Tong didn't know was that the assassins he sent out had barely sneaked out of the manor two miles away when they were caught in a large net that fell from the sky. Before they could even struggle, their jaws were dislocated and their secret letters were taken away.

Meanwhile, on a high ground outside Yixin Manor, Xia Lin, holding a monocular telescope, was intently watching the vaguely panicked figures inside the manor. Li Zhi stood beside him; though he couldn't see the details, he could feel the tense atmosphere of an impending storm.

A scout captain stepped forward quickly and presented the secret letter: "Your Highness, Commander Xia, a person has sneaked out of the manor and has been captured. This letter was found during the search."

Li Zhi took it, peeled off the sealing wax, quickly glanced through it, and a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth: "Father, they really panicked. Wang Tong told our family to be careful of wild dogs; he certainly knows how to use metaphors."

Xia Lin put down the binoculars and chuckled, "Oh, it doesn't matter."

He turned to the captain and said, "Go, take those grain and salt merchants we invited, as well as Liu Ren's terrified steward, and bring them to the manor gate to make a show of themselves. Also, find a few loud-voiced brothers to shout into the manor."

"What are you shouting about?" the captain asked.

Xia Lin stroked his chin, his tone somewhat mocking: "Shout out: His Highness the Crown Prince has ordered that only the ringleaders be executed, and the accomplices will be spared. Everyone in the manor has one hour to lay down their weapons and surrender, and their lives and property will be spared. Begging for mercy after that time will be useless."

The captain accepted the order and left.

Li Zhi looked at Xia Lin: "Father, are we really going to launch a full-scale attack?"

"Just scare them a little." Xia Lin didn't care. "Winning hearts and minds is the best strategy, attacking cities is the worst. These guys are very afraid of death. No matter how much food they have, being surrounded by a large army and living in fear for a few days will cause them to fall into internal strife. We can just wait and watch the show."

Before long, a loud shout rang out outside Yixin Manor, accompanied by the terrified cries and pleas for mercy from the captured grain merchants, stewards, and others, clearly reaching the ears of everyone inside the manor.

A deathly silence fell over the manor, followed by a commotion as suppressed panic spread like a plague. Wang Tong, who was in his study, heard everything clearly. His face turned ashen, and he slammed his fist on the table.

He knew the worst was yet to come.

Meanwhile, the main family in Taiyuan is probably still in the dark. Their long-established spy network, along with the many secrets it may involve, has been exposed to the Crown Prince and Xia Lin's blades, making them like frightened birds or turtles in a jar.

(End of this chapter)