Chapter 23: The Situation at the Anyuan Earl's Estate

The Jin-yiwei official who had been seated suddenly stood up and said, "Alright, since everyone has arrived, let us move quickly. The sooner we complete this mission, the sooner we can return to report our success."

Wei Yun could not help but ask, "Is there such a rush?"

Hearing this, the other Jin-yiwei man smiled faintly. "If it were not for the fact that some matters are inconvenient for us to handle personally, it would not be two Jin-yiwei centurions like us sent here, but the Commander himself."

The Commander?

Upon hearing this term, Wei Yun’s expression shifted. If matters had truly escalated to that extent, it would no longer be a minor affair. The Jin-yiwei Commander was the highest official in the organization, holding a third-rank position, and his cultivation level was at least that of a Grandmaster. If the Commander had been forced to act, the objective would likely not be the Eldest Prince of the Tamu tribe, but the Great Qian Emperor demanding the life of the Tamu tribal king.

Similarly, Wei Yun dared not underestimate even the two Jin-yiwei centurions before him. Everyone knew that due to the unique nature of the Jin-yiwei, they held authority one rank higher than any ordinary official, civil or military. In other words, even as a battalion commander of a thousand, he was only on par with these two men. Even this was considered a significant restraint on the part of the imperial court.

"Very well, I shall see you both off."

"No need. The seven of us will be more efficient. We shall be back quickly."

Under Wei Yun’s arrangements, the seven men soon mounted their horses. Through some brief exchanges, Li Dao and the others learned the names of the two Jin-yiwei. The one who had tested Li Dao was Gao Liang, and the other was Sun Zheng.

"Centurion Sun, Centurion Gao, I wish you a successful mission."

After saying this, Wei Yun looked at Li Dao and his four companions and nodded. This was their final mission; if they succeeded, they would regain their household registration and their freedom. If they failed, it would be difficult to even preserve their lives. After all, this mission had been dispatched from the Imperial Capital, and someone would have to be held accountable regardless of the outcome. Part of the reason they needed assistance was that the Jin-yiwei wanted to find a few scapegoats for any potential contingencies. Of course, this did not mean the two Jin-yiwei were bad people; it was simply the way of the current court and the nature of the social hierarchy.

...

The group of seven rode across the plains and soon arrived at a mountain valley. Standing on the edge of the valley, Sun Zheng checked the map and said, "This is the only path for the Tamu tribe to cross into the Great Qian border. We shall wait here."

After speaking, he glanced at Li Dao and the others. "Is there anyone among you skilled in light-body techniques?"

As soon as he asked, everyone looked at Shen San.

"Him?"

Sun Zheng and Gao Liang looked at the two-hundred-pound Shen San, momentarily at a loss for words. They then looked at the other three besides Li Dao, and the more they looked, the more they felt this group was problematic—such people were rarely found in a standard military camp. However, they said nothing, as it would easily dampen morale.

Sun Zheng said directly, "Since you are skilled in light-body techniques, I will trouble you to scout the target's location."

"As for the rest of you, just rest and wait."

Although Shen San was reluctant to take orders from the Jin-yiwei, the thought of his freedom kept him from arguing. He might have retorted to Wei Yun because he knew his personality and that he wouldn't hold a grudge, but he knew better than to provoke these two Jin-yiwei; there would be dire consequences. He was well aware of the reputation of the Jin-yiwei—they were men who had carved their way through blood.

After the others sat down to idle, Li Dao took the initiative to ask, "I heard you both come from the Imperial Capital and are part of the Jin-yiwei; surely you must know much of what is happening there."

Gao Liang asked bluntly, "Little brother, are you from the Imperial Capital?"

Li Dao hesitated for a moment before nodding. "I suppose you could say that." In truth, with his registration erased, he was technically a black-listed person, but he certainly could not tell these two that.

"Suppose?" Gao Liang looked confused. Was there any ambiguity in such a matter?

"It seems you have something you wish to ask us," Sun Zheng said suddenly from the side.

Li Dao nodded. "I haven't been back to the Imperial Capital in a long time, and I am curious about what has transpired there."

Gao Liang suddenly laughed. "Curious? You aren't trying to pry into the matter of Princess Mingyue, are you?"

"You guessed it?"

"That's only natural. When that incident first broke out, it shook the entire Imperial Capital. You are a participant in this mission and a native of the capital—it would be abnormal if you weren't curious."

"Can you tell me about it?"

Gao Liang and Sun Zheng exchanged glances and chuckled. "If it were classified intelligence, we certainly couldn't tell you. But this matter is now known to almost the entire country; even the Tamu Prince knows about it, so it is hardly a secret. Since we have idle time, we can chat about it."

As the saying goes, everyone loves gossip, and Li Dao’s behavior was quite normal. Similarly, most people enjoy spreading gossip. Although the Jin-yiwei was a serious profession, they were human, after all; they were only strict during missions, and in their spare time, they enjoyed a good rumor.

Hearing the two Jin-yiwei, Li Dao did not hesitate. "I know that Princess Mingyue was defiled by a scoundrel. I am curious about the fate of that scoundrel." When he said the word "scoundrel," a trace of awkwardness flashed across Li Dao's face; he didn't know if this counted as insulting himself.

"The scoundrel's fate?" Gao Liang said directly, "You've asked the right person."

He then lowered his voice. "On the surface, everyone heard that the Count was imprisoned in the deepest part of the Heavenly Prison due to the Princess's intercession. But an acquaintance of mine in the prison told me that on the very night he was locked up, someone took him out and he was secretly executed by the Emperor's order."

Sun Zheng tugged at Gao Liang. "Are you mad? You dare spread such words?"

Gao Liang shrugged. "What of it? Many people know this; it's no longer a secret. Who doesn't know our Emperor is a doting father? In my view, he didn't have the man sliced to pieces on the spot, which is a slow death for someone like him."

Sun Zheng nodded in agreement. "Damn that dog of a Count. Dying was too good for him. He was lucky he didn't fall into the hands of us Jin-yiwei; otherwise, he would have found it difficult even to die."

Li Dao’s mouth twitched, and he couldn't help but ask, "Is that Count really so detestable?"

"That’s putting it mildly," Gao Liang said casually. "After he died, because of the Princess's pleas, his family’s manor was not immediately seized. But the manor has fared no better. With the Princess's reputation for kindness among the common folk, countless people throw rotten eggs and vegetable scraps at the manor every day. It is said that they clear out hundreds of pounds of filth daily, and some even throw buckets of dung."

"Moreover, no official dares to help the people inside the manor. If I were part of that household, I would have no face left to live."

Hearing this, Li Dao felt that it was just as well that he was "dead." If he were "alive," this would be a social death.

"Actually, that is not the most miserable part," Sun Zheng said, looking at Li Dao. "Those methods are merely disgusting. The truly devastating part is how the dignitaries in the Imperial Capital are targeting the Anyuan Count’s lineage."

"I heard that under the pressure of these high-ranking officials, all the assets of the Anyuan Count’s family have suffered a crushing blow. Before we left the capital, I even heard that the people in the manor were beginning to sell off their property. I suspect that before long, even if the Emperor doesn't act, those powerful officials will force the Anyuan Count’s family into ruin."

Hearing this, Li Dao clenched his fists, his expression gradually darkening. Although he was a transmigrator, the nearly twenty years he had spent in the Anyuan Count’s manor were not a lie; those memories were even more vivid than the ones from his previous life. Naturally, he had deep feelings for everything related to the manor. He could laugh off the throwing of eggs and dung, as those were merely petty insults, but he could not accept anyone trying to destroy the family. By comparison, he had less resentment toward the Emperor for wanting him dead; after all, he had ruined the Princess's purity first, and dying alone was already a stroke of luck.

Li Dao couldn't help but ask, "Do you two know who is targeting the Anyuan Count’s manor?"

Sun Zheng said casually, "Too many to count. Aside from the families that were close to them, almost all the nobles in the capital have targeted them. But if you must have a name, the Prime Minister’s household is the most aggressive."

Gao Liang added, "It is only natural that the Prime Minister’s manor is involved. Everyone in the capital knows that the Prime Minister’s eldest son has his heart set on Princess Mingyue."

Sun Zheng chuckled. "That’s normal. Princess Mingyue is the greatest beauty in Great Qian; any man would have such thoughts. Most of these officials target the Anyuan Count out of envy and jealousy." He looked at Li Dao and continued, "Of course, more than anything, they want to curry favor with the Prime Minister. He is the head of all officials; what civil servant wouldn't want to align themselves with him?"

The Prime Minister’s manor?

As a native of the capital, Li Dao naturally knew the Prime Minister’s status in the Great Qian Dynasty. In the depths of his memories, he had once had a conflict with the Prime Minister’s eldest son, even getting into a fight, which he had won. However, he later heard that after losing, the man had left the capital to join a sect. It was said his talent was discovered to be excellent, and the Prime Minister’s manor had even held a grand banquet to celebrate. Li Dao had suspected back then that the man only chose to seek apprenticeship because he had lost to him.

He never expected that the old grudge had not been resolved, and now, another layer of resentment had been added.

...

At night, everyone was resting. Li Dao sat by the campfire, keeping watch. In his mind, he kept replaying the conversation he had with the two Jin-yiwei. It seemed that if he could regain his household registration, the first thing he must do was return to see how the Anyuan Count’s manor was faring. At the same time, if the opportunity arose, he wanted to apologize to Princess Mingyue, whom he had only seen once. After all, from beginning to end, he was the one who had caused all of this.