I slaughtered my way through the border at the start, I am the Great Ming's Night Raider!

The study was quiet for a moment.

Xu Huizu slowly put down his teacup: "Commander Chen, what exactly are you trying to say?"

"What I'd like to say," Chen Yuan looked directly at him, "is that the Duke of Cheng might have something on these people. Perhaps... that information is more terrifying than the charge of treason."

Xu Huizu's eyes sharpened: "What do you know?"

"I know nothing," Chen Yuan said. "It's just a guess. But if this guess is true, then the plan for the day after tomorrow... might not go so smoothly. Those commanders might take risks to protect themselves."

Xu Huizu stared at Chen Yuan for a long time before finally laughing: "Commander Chen, you are smarter than I thought. Indeed, the Duke of Cheng does have dirt on those people—it was given to him by Cao Jixiang."

Chen Yuan was startled.

"Over the years, Cao Jixiang has collected dirt on officials through the Eastern Depot," Xu Huizu said slowly. "Before his downfall, he handed some of it over to the Duke of Cheng. That's why those commanders had no choice but to obey the Duke of Cheng—otherwise, their dirt would be exposed, and their whole families would die."

It turned out to be the case.

"That Duke of Wei..."

"I know that too," Xu Huizu said, "but I don't care. It's better if those parasites are dead. What I want is to take this opportunity to thoroughly cleanse the Nanjing garrison. The Duke of Cheng is the catalyst, and those parasites are the lesions. Only when the catalyst triggers the lesions can I make the incision."

This is the real plan.

To kill someone with a borrowed knife is to kill two birds with one stone.

Chen Yuan suddenly felt a chill down his back.

This old man is really too ruthless.

"Then this humble official..."

"You are the most important ingredient," Xu Huizu said, looking at him. "Without you, this play cannot be performed. Commander Chen, I know what you are worried about. Rest assured, I will ensure your safety. After the matter is accomplished and the Nanjing garrison is reorganized, I will petition the court for commendation on your behalf."

The words sounded nice, but Chen Yuan understood the underlying meaning—if they didn't cooperate, they might not be able to leave Nanjing.

He picked up his teacup and took another sip.

The tea has gone cold and is a bit bitter.

"I understand," he said. "I will proceed according to plan from now on."

"Good." Xu Huizu nodded in satisfaction. "Commander Chen is a smart man. Only smart men live long."

After leaving the Duke of Wei's mansion, Chen Yuan did not go straight back to the inn.

He walked slowly down the street, seemingly strolling around, but actually observing.

Nanjing's streets are indeed bustling, but a closer look reveals some clues—the patrolling soldiers are lazy, the vendors have worried expressions, and occasionally you can see beggars huddled at the alley entrance.

Some shops on the street were closed, with red "For Rent" signs pasted on their doors.

"Young master, the Duke of Cheng's villa is just ahead," Uncle Zhao said in a low voice.

Chen Yuan looked up. It was a very large mansion, occupying half a street.

The courtyard walls were high and the gatehouse was imposing, but the gate was tightly closed, and four guards stood at the entrance, their eyes wary.

They didn't stop and continued walking. Turning the corner, Chen Yuan suddenly stopped—someone was watching him from the second floor of the teahouse across the street.

The man was in his forties, dressed like a scholar, holding a teacup in his hand, seemingly drinking tea, but his eyes were always following Chen Yuan.

"Uncle Zhao, go into the teahouse first and order some tea," Chen Yuan instructed in a low voice. "I'll go and meet that person."

He entered the teahouse alone and went up to the second floor. The scholar was not surprised to see him come up and pointed to the seat opposite him: "Young Master Chen, please have a seat."

Chen Yuan sat down: "And you are, sir?"

"A staff member of the Duke of Cheng's mansion, surnamed Li," the scholar said with a smile. "The Duke would like to invite Young Master Chen to his residence for a chat."

"Oh?" Chen Yuan said calmly. "Does the Duke of Cheng know that I am in Nanjing?"

"Nanjing is not a large city, and the Duke knows about any disturbances," said Li's advisor. "Young Master Chen is an imperial envoy, and the Duke should pay him a visit. However... it is inconvenient for him to appear in public, so he asked me to wait here."

"What would the Duke like to discuss?"

"Let's talk about cooperation." Li's advisor lowered his voice. "The Duke knows that the Duke of Wei intends to harm you. The Confucius ceremony the day after tomorrow is a trap. If Young Master Chen can be trusted, the Duke can help you break the trap."

Chen Yuan laughed: "Help your subordinate? Or help yourself?"

"Let's help each other." Li, the advisor, didn't hide anything. "The Duke has some things that Young Master Chen will definitely be interested in. For example... evidence of the Duke of Wei's dealings with the Japanese pirates."

Chen Yuan was startled, but remained calm: "Words are no proof."

"Of course I won't just make empty promises." Li's advisor took out a letter from his sleeve. "This is a letter that the Duke of Wei wrote last year to Wang Zhi, the leader of the Japanese pirates, to discuss smuggling pig iron and gunpowder. Young Master Chen can take a look."

Chen Yuan accepted the letter.

The letter was written on fine Xuan paper, and the characters were vigorous and powerful, indeed the handwriting of Xu Huizu.

As Li's advisor had said, the content was about discussing the smuggling of military supplies.

"Where did this letter come from?"

"It was given to him by Eunuch Cao," said Li's advisor. "Before Eunuch Cao fell from power, he entrusted some important things to the Duke. He said these things could save his life in a critical moment."

Chen Yuan pushed the letter back: "Advisor Li, I am an imperial envoy investigating military affairs. Whether the Duke of Wei colluded with the Japanese pirates is not within my jurisdiction."

"What if he were there?" Li, the advisor, stared at him. "If Young Master Chen could obtain conclusive evidence of the Duke of Wei's collusion with the Japanese pirates, that would be a great achievement. At that time, the Duke's case... might have room for maneuver."

transaction.

Another transaction.

Chen Yuan suddenly felt a little tired.

In this city of Nanjing, everyone is calculating, everyone is trading.

The Duke of Wei plotted against the Duke of Cheng, and the Duke of Cheng plotted against the Duke of Wei, and he became a pawn that both sides wanted to use.

"Advisor Li, please allow me to consider this."

"Of course." Li, the advisor, stood up. "Young Master Chen can come to the villa at any time before the Confucius memorial ceremony the day after tomorrow. The Duke said that the door will always be open for Young Master Chen."

He left those words, paid the bill, and departed.

Chen Yuan sat in the teahouse for a while longer.

The street downstairs was still noisy, but he couldn't hear anything. His mind was filled with the letter he had just read and Xu Huizu's sharp eyes.

The Duke of Wei colluded with the Japanese pirates? Is that even possible? Would a descendant of a founding hero, a veteran general who had guarded Nanjing for thirty years, do such a thing?

But if it weren't real, how would the Duke of Cheng have that letter? And why would Cao Jixiang give it to him?

Just then, Uncle Zhao came up: "Young master, that person just now..."

"A man of the Duke of Cheng," Chen Yuan said briefly. "Uncle Zhao, do you believe the Duke of Wei is colluding with the Japanese pirates?"

Uncle Zhao was taken aback: "This...it's hard to say. But the Duke of Wei has had connections everywhere in Nanjing all these years. If he really wants to do something, no one can stop him."

Yes, nobody can stop them.

Chen Yuan suddenly remembered the Grand Princess's words: "Nanjing is not like the capital. The emperor is far away there, and anything can happen."

Anything can happen.

This includes a duke who colluded with Japanese pirates.

This also includes... an imperial envoy being silenced.

"Uncle Zhao, let's go back." Chen Yuan stood up. "We're not going anywhere today."

Back at the inn, Chen Yuan closed the door and went over all the clues in his mind again.

The Duke of Wei wanted to use him to get rid of the Duke of Cheng and the corrupt generals.

The Duke of Cheng wanted to use him to bring down the Duke of Wei.

Both sides have evidence and both have their own calculations.

He stood in the middle, caught in a dilemma.

Helping the Duke of Wei? If the Duke of Wei really colluded with the Japanese pirates, then he would be helping a traitor to his country.

Helping the Duke of Cheng? The Duke of Cheng's collusion with the remnants of the Prince of Han's faction is also a capital offense.

Neither side should help the other? Then both sides might eliminate him, this variable, first.