Taiheiki

Chapter 58 Infighting
"That's true!" Diwu Deng nodded, and his gaze towards Huang Ping was filled with admiration. "But then again, most people wouldn't think so much at this critical moment!"

"Haha!" Huang Ping laughed. "There's nothing we can do. We're outsiders, so we have to be careful. Regarding Nie Sheng's identity, you should send someone out to find two servants and maids to confirm it!"

"That's easy!" Diwu Deng called a guard and whispered a few words to him. The guard went out and came back about half an hour later, whispering a few words in Diwu Deng's ear.

"That's right, that woman is indeed Nie Zheng's second wife. Three years ago, Nie Zheng's first wife fell seriously ill and died, so he married this woman. She is young and beautiful, and gave birth to a son and a daughter. Nie Zheng dotes on her, so naturally, Nie Sheng, the motherless child, was neglected!"

"But something's still not right!" Huang Ping said, "Nie Zheng's first wife must have her family, right? Even if her mother is gone, she still has her uncle! If Nie Sheng wants to avenge his father and seize the family fortune, he should turn to his uncle for help. Why is he looking for us?"

"I don't know about that!" Diwu Deng shook his head. "So what should we do about this? Should we go back and report it to my husband?"

Huang Ping didn't answer the question immediately, but closed his eyes slightly, deep in thought. Diwu Deng didn't urge him. After a while, Huang Ping opened his eyes and asked, "From the beginning to the end, do you find this matter strange?"

"What do you mean?" Diwu Deng asked. "Isn't it just that the head of the family suddenly passed away, and the eldest son and stepmother are fighting over the family business? This kind of thing happens everywhere, so what's so strange about it?"

"No, no!" Huang Ping waved his hands. "I'm talking about Nie Zheng's murder! Don't you find it strange? According to Nie Sheng, the thieves simply chopped off Nie Zheng's head, took his bow, and left. So what was their purpose in going to all this trouble? Just for a bow?"

"Perhaps it was Nie Zheng's enemy?" Diwu Deng said, "He's a local tycoon, and he must have offended many people! As for the bow, the thief might have thought it was a good thing and just took it away!"

"That's true! But do you think there's another possibility?" Huang Ping asked, "According to what Nie said, if we find the bow, we'll find the murderer who assassinated his father. In other words, if the thieves just leave the bow in someone's house, they can frame him for the assassination, right?"

"Are you saying this was all a trap from the beginning?" Diwu Deng's face changed drastically.

"That's right!" Huang Ping laughed. "Of course, I'm not saying there's no possibility like you mentioned. But have you ever considered that Nie Zheng and Zhang Bolu were both powerful local tyrants? Our young master killed Zhang Bolu, annihilated his clan, and seized his entire estate, even thinking of replacing him. He's gained a lot, right? And what good did the thief who killed Nie Zheng gain if he didn't have a follow-up plan? Nothing but a bow. Isn't that too foolish?"

"That's true!" Diwu Deng gradually followed Huang Ping's train of thought. "Then what do you think you would do if you were the thief?"

Huang Ping smiled and said, "If it were me, it would be too simple. Nie Zheng's eldest son lost his mother, and his new wife has a young son. As long as he dies, his family will definitely fight to the death for the inheritance. And for both Nie Sheng and the young widow, finding the murderer and avenging Nie Zheng is the most direct way to win the internal struggle. If I were the murderer, the best way would be to hide behind the scenes, contact both sides separately, and then wait for the price to rise!"

Diwu Deng gasped, his eyes widening. "Are you saying that the thief's intention from the beginning wasn't to kill Nie Zheng, but to seize the Nie family's fortune?"

"I didn't say that!" Huang Ping said, "I just said that if we sort out the whole thing from beginning to end, it would be in the best interest of the thief. Or, if the thief is smart enough, he would do that!"

The Fifth Deng fell silent for a moment. After a moment, he asked, "So what should we do now?"

"At dawn tomorrow, I'll take a boat back to Jiangling and report everything here to my husband. He'll make the decision!" Huang Ping said, "As for you, stay at the Nie family and wait and see what happens. How about that?"

"Okay, that's it!" Diwu Deng nodded without hesitation. He sighed and looked Huang Ping up and down again. "Ping, I used to look down on you, thinking you were just a lazy, idler who was forced by your father to work for Lang Jun to get a living. Now it seems that I really didn't recognize the real talent!"

"This..." Huang Ping laughed. "Actually, you were right back then. In my father's eyes, I was indeed a lazy and dissolute person. After all, no matter how good my vision was, it was useless in farming!"

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Outside Jiangling City, the official road.

Luo Hong spent his entire life serving the Feng family. When Feng Kun was still a toddler, he was just a new soldier with his head wrapped in white cloth. When Feng Kun was learning archery, riding horses and studying, he had already killed the chieftain of the Wuheng people and became the personal guard of Feng Kun's father, Feng Huan. When Feng Kun was selected as a filial and honest official and went to Luoyang to serve as a palace guard, he became the captain of Feng Huan's guard. He watched Feng Kun rise from the rank of Colonel of a vassal state to Imperial Censor, from Imperial Censor to Chief Censor, then to Prefect of Longxi, Prefect of Liaodong, Prefect of Jingzhao, Colonel of the Imperial Guard, then to the Imperial Court, and finally to the Minister of Rites. From the central government to the local governments, he held nearly every position in the Han Dynasty. Although he didn't reach the rank of Three Dukes, as a Qiang, he should have been content.

Just when Luo Hong thought he was going to retire to his young master and return home, a turning point came. The Wuling barbarians in Jingzhou rebelled again. The barbarians in Yiyang, Lingling, and Wuling all rose up in arms and marched straight to Jiangling. Even the county seat of Wuling County fell, and the road from Luoyang to Jiaozhou in the south was cut off. The court appointed the young master as the General of Chariots and Cavalry, and led the army to the south to fight. This is the General of Chariots and Cavalry! Not one of those messy generals with miscellaneous titles. In the military system of the Han Dynasty, he is second only to the General and the General of Cavalry, and his rank is comparable to the Three Dukes. Thinking of this, Luo Hong subconsciously turned his head and wiped his eyes. If the old master were still alive, he would be so happy to see the young master with the gold seal and purple ribbon! "Luo Hong, what's wrong with you? Is there sand in your eyes?" Feng Gun's voice came.

"Nothing!" Luo Hongqiang said with a smile: "It's just that seeing you so majestic now, I can't help but think of the old master. If he could see you like this today, how great it would be! I can't help but feel tears in my eyes!"

Hearing the old captain of the guards mention his father, Feng Gun's expression darkened. He sighed, "I was taught by my father since childhood to kill bandits and serve my country, and I built a great career. But now, it seems that my father and I will probably end up in the same boat!"

"Why do you say that, sir?" Luo Hong was shocked. He knew very well that Feng Gun's father, Feng Huan, died of illness in prison.

"What's wrong? Do you think I look impressive now?" Feng Gun showed a wry smile.

"Of course! My dear, you are the General of Chariots and Cavalry, your rank is equal to that of the Three Dukes!"

"The General of Chariots and Cavalry, a rank comparable to that of the Three Dukes?" Feng Gun sighed. "How many of our great Han generals commanding troops outside the borders, while eunuchs in power at home, can have such a good end? Ah Hong! If I could die on the way back this time, it might even be a blessing!"

Luo Hong stared at his master in horror. Feng Gun knew that this veteran guard captain, who had served his father and son his entire lives, probably couldn't comprehend such a complex political situation. He was about to end this unpleasant conversation when a black-robed scholar beside him chuckled, "Although eunuchs are a serious threat to the court, as long as the general makes preparations, he should be able to protect himself!"

"Oh, uncle, you have another brilliant plan?" Feng Kun said with a wry smile, "Back then, when you asked me to bribe Hou Lan, it helped me become the General of Chariots and Cavalry, but it also ruined my reputation among the scholars. What's your plan now?"

"General, you're simply too concerned about your reputation!" the black-clad scholar laughed. "As the ancients said, 'Great deeds disregard minor precautions, and great ceremonies do not refuse minor concessions.' Ever since Liang was executed, the Empress Dowager's control has become a foregone conclusion. How many ministers at court haven't clung to the eunuchs? Didn't Xun Kun (father of Xun Yu, Cao Cao's chief advisor during the Three Kingdoms period) marry his son to Tang Heng's? Even Dou Youping (Dou Wu), if he had truly been irreconcilable with the eunuchs, could his daughter have become empress? Of the officials at court who genuinely didn't secretly cling to the eunuchs, perhaps only Chen Zhongju (Chen Fan) was the only one. Everyone else talks one thing and acts another, and only you, General, take it seriously."

"Ah!" Feng Gun sighed and said, "Uncle, of course I know what you said, but there are some things that others can do but I can't. Xun Gun was born in the Xun family of Yingchuan. He himself was one of the Three Dukes. His grandfather Xun Shu was even more famous in the world and was loved by the whole country. His eight sons were all talented, and countless people in the literati had benefited from their favors; not to mention Dou Youping. Even if they had one or two connections with the eunuchs, there were people who would speak up for them because of the influence of their ancestors. Although I, Feng Gun, have some achievements, my ancestors were Qiang people from Qu County. Who in the literati would speak up for me? I'm afraid that once the Wuling barbarians are pacified, someone will impeach me for having connections with the eunuchs and punish me!" As Feng Gun said, he was born in the area of Dazhou, Sichuan today, which was an important place for the Qiang people at that time, and his ancestors were not even Han people. He also relied on military merit to make his fortune. How could his influence in the literati be compared with that of the Xun family from Yingchuan and the Dou family, who had been relatives of noble families for generations? Colluding with eunuchs might be something that others could do, but if he did it himself, he would definitely be impeached and killed.

"Then let the Wuling Barbarian Rebellion continue and it won't be quelled for a while, right?" The black-clothed scholar laughed.

"Ah!" Feng Kun's face changed drastically. He quickly made a gesture, signaling Luo Hong to take the guards away. He lowered his voice and said, "Uncle, you can't say such things casually. The emperor handed over a hundred thousand troops to me so that I could pacify the barbarians and pacify the southern kingdom as soon as possible. But you asked me to nurture the enemy and protect myself. Isn't this—"

"General!" the black-robed scholar said, "Although the world is unified today, the emperor trusts eunuchs and is at odds with the Three Dukes. He uses eunuchs to punish scholars. This is upside down, putting the crown and the shoes upside down. This is a sign of chaos and cannot be cured by peaceful methods. In this way, you can not only protect yourself, but also establish the merits of the Marquis of Jiang and bring blessings to future generations!"

"So what does Uncle Shi mean?"

"The Emperor is ill now, and the general is leading the army outside, waiting for the right moment to act. When there is a change in the world, contact the important officials in the court, cooperate internally and externally, kill the eunuchs, and restore order in the court!"

"Ah! Uncle Shi, you are going to bring disaster upon my entire family!" Even though Feng Gun was a famous general of his time, he could no longer hold back. The words of the black-clad scholar translated into: The emperor is dying, you can take the army and wait outside. When the emperor is seriously ill or dead, you can take the army back to Luoyang, contact the literati in the court, kill the eunuchs in one fell swoop, and purge the government! The Marquis of Jiang here refers to Zhou Bo, a famous general in the early Han Dynasty. He killed the Lü clan and restored the Han Dynasty, making great contributions. The black-clad scholar's surname is Ying, his given name is Feng, and his courtesy name is Shishu. He was from Runan. As a teenager, he was smart and had a good memory. He was a famous writer and scholar at the time. Later, he served as the prefect of Wuling. He was familiar with the local situation and had considerable prestige among the local natives. Feng Gun had a good relationship with him, so he wrote a letter requesting that he bring him along with him on this expedition. He did not expect Ying Feng to have such an idea waiting for him.

"Hahaha!" Ying Feng laughed, "General, you hold this position, commanding an army of 100,000. Advancing brings safety, but retreating brings danger. If you follow my advice, your name will go down in history, and your descendants will be nobles for generations to come. Why hesitate?"

Feng Gun had known Ying Feng for many years and was well aware of his talents, especially his extensive connections within the scholar-officials of the time. A man like him certainly wouldn't just come to him and tell him, "The Emperor is dying! General, you have so many troops at your disposal! Let's find a chance to march back to Luoyang, eliminate the eunuchs, and restore order!" It was likely that Ying Feng had the influence of many important officials and scholars. They were extremely disappointed with the Emperor's use of eunuchs to suppress scholars, and they planned to emulate the vassal kings and meritorious officials of Fengpei centuries ago and carry out a major purge of the empire's top echelons, with him being their chosen tool.

Faced with this test, Feng Gun's options were limited. The simplest course was to flatly refuse and report Ying Feng's recent remarks to the Emperor. However, no one knew whether this was Ying Feng's sole initiative or whether there were more accomplices. Furthermore, no one knew whether the Emperor would execute Ying Feng and end the matter, or thoroughly investigate and eradicate the entire conspiracy. Judging from the Emperor's past behavior, the latter was likely the case. But was the Emperor's current health sufficient to sustain such a massive investigation? Regardless, Feng Gun's reputation within the literati would undoubtedly plummet. He would undoubtedly be branded a traitor, not to mention the deep resentment that would be swirling among those behind the scenes. The thought of this filled Feng Gun with dread. After a moment's deliberation, he decided to adopt a stalling tactic, holding his position for now.

"Uncle, what you said is truly terrifying!" Feng Gun sighed. "My talent and knowledge are mediocre. Such a major undertaking is beyond my ability. Let me think it over again!"

(End of this chapter)