"Zhou Jinghuan, that bastard!"

"He was the one who came to Dajing to form a peace alliance through marriage, and he was also the one who went back on his word and stabbed us in the back!!"

"How long has it been since the fighting started, and Yun Jing County has already fallen? Are the Zhennan Border Army just sitting around doing nothing without the Imperial Uncle?!"

When news of Cai Qiong's retreat to Tangping Pass and the brief peace won in the south reached the palace, Yuan Xiu flew into a rage in the central government.

Wen Hu and the ministers of the Central Secretariat stood aside, along with the Minister of War Tie Ge, Dong Xiao, and some generals, all with their eyes downcast and expressions solemn.

Yuan Xiu, with his long hair disheveled and wearing a loose long robe, slammed his fist on the table and shouted angrily, "Especially that Feng Jing!"

"Cai Qiong only had 20,000 men, enough to hold Yunmeng City for ten days. But he, with 200,000 troops in his hands, just ran away! Where did he go?"

Dong Xiao, facing Yuan Xiu's anger, said, "The information I received is that Feng Jing led the remnants of the Zhennan Border Army towards Xuzhong County, but we don't know their exact whereabouts now."

Yuan Xiu questioned, "What is he planning to do? Instead of leading his troops back to Yun Jing, is he planning to raise an army and rebel?"

Tie Ge cautiously said, "Feng Jing is at most cowardly in battle; he probably wouldn't dare to rebel, would he? The generals of the Zhennan Border Army are all people trained by the Champion King, and their loyalty to Da Jing should be trustworthy."

"But we must be wary." Wen Hu, holding a golden knife, continued, "With the war raging between Yun Jing County and Qin Huang County, and the Zhennan Border Army no longer restrained by the Champion King, it's not surprising that Feng Jing might have some thoughts of taking advantage of the chaos."

In the hall, everyone else was empty-handed, except for Wen Hu, who held a golden knife at his waist, making him stand out conspicuously.

This was a privilege Yuan Xiu had once granted him: to carry a sword while working in the central government.

Yuan Xiu asked, "Lord of Sha County, what do you think?"

Wen Hu said, "Among the generals of Zhennan Border Army, many of their families are not in Yunjing County. We have arranged for people to secretly monitor their families. If Feng Jing makes any unusual moves, we will take control of their families."

Yuan Li frowned slightly but did not speak.

“That’s not enough,” Wen Hu continued. “Now that war has broken out, in addition to guarding against Feng Jing, we also need to guard against those who might have ulterior motives, especially military officers. Although Zhao Huan is gone, some of his old subordinates are still around. I’ve heard that they are very dissatisfied with Zhao Huan’s affairs. If they jump out and cause trouble at this time, it will be very troublesome for the court.”

He Yin asked with a serious expression, "What does the Marquis of Sha County intend to do?"

Wen Hu said, "Arrest those who should be arrested, and kill those who should be killed."

"You're insane!" He Yin shouted angrily, "They did nothing, so why are you convicting them?"

“In times of chaos, harsh measures are necessary. Once they start, we’ll be on the defensive.” Wen Hu walked to the table, looked at He Yin, and said, “Minister He, even a high-ranking official like Xu Shouli has betrayed us so easily. What’s so strange about others jumping up as well?”

Dong Xiao said, "Zhao Huan's old subordinates are all meritorious generals. I don't object to arresting them, but we can't take their lives. Don't forget, His Majesty's name is important."

Yuan Xiu sat down in the chair and said, "Dong Xiao is right. It's enough to keep them under control. If we kill them all, how will the world view me? Will they see me as tyrannical? Or as cowardly?"

Wen Hu lowered his hand from the hilt of his sword, took a step back, and said, "Then let's do as the Court of Justice says and arrest them all."

Yuan Li, who had been silent all along, finally couldn't hold back any longer and said in a questioning tone, "Lord Shaxian, now that the Empire is at war, Yun Jing County has been lost, and Qin Huang County has also suffered heavy losses. Shouldn't we be doing something to retake Yun Jing County now?"

Wen Hu responded bluntly, "Of course I know Yun Jing County is important, but the current situation there is already set. Taking it back is not something that can be done overnight; we need to plan for the long term. As for Qin Huang County, with Wang Ren there, there is no need to worry. But to plan for the long term, we must first consolidate the stability of the court itself. Therefore, I believe that preventing further unrest is more important than rushing to take back Yun Jing County!"

Yuan Li said, "Surrounded by foreign enemies and losing territory, you advocate ignoring the foreign enemies and turning the butcher's knife on your own people first. Marquis of Sha County, aren't you afraid of bearing the infamy?"

"To repel external threats, we must first secure internal stability!"

Wen Hu retorted sharply, "So what if I bear a bad reputation? I already bore a bad reputation when I helped the Central Secretariat produce evidence against leftist officials, but what I did was right! As long as I do the right thing, I don't care about bearing a bad reputation!"

"Enough!" Seeing that Yuan Li was about to continue arguing, Yuan Xiu raised his hand and shouted, "I'm tired of all this noise! ​​It's settled then. Marquis of Sha County and Director of the Court of Justice, you can handle it. If there are too many people to arrest, Minister He, you can assist."

He Yin did not respond.

Yuan Xiu said angrily, "He Yin, I'm talking to you!"

He Yin didn't move her head, but turned to Yuan Xiu and clasped her hands in a fist salute, saying, "Understood."

“You!” Qianqian Xiaoshou

"If there is nothing else, I shall take my leave."

He Yin interrupted Yuan Xiu, flicked her sleeve fiercely, and strode away.

Yuan Xiu trembled with rage, grabbed the items on the table and smashed them to pieces, roaring, "Do you still respect me?!"

"Your Majesty, anger is harmful to your health. Please calm down. The Chief Justice and I will make arrangements."

Wen Hu said something and then turned and left.

Yuan Li secretly glanced at Yuan Xiu and sighed inwardly when he saw Yuan Xiu's helpless expression.

Having eliminated the Zhao family, Yuan Zhang, and suppressed Yuan Li, the most important task for Wen Hu now is to purge Zhao Huan's cronies within the military system. Once this step is completed, his and Wen Tai's influence within the military system will be equivalent to controlling the Da Jing military.

Therefore, he acted swiftly and decisively, launching a frenzied arrest operation against Zhao Huan's old subordinates, based on intelligence gathered from the imperial prison.

Those who remained in Changsui were all arrested and imprisoned. Those who were not in Changsui and reacted slowly also failed to escape. Of the three—Park Gyeong, Song Sung, and Bi Fansheng—only Song Sung escaped capture; Park Gyeong and Bi Fansheng were arrested. Wen Hu also arrested Park In-di, Song Ho-nam, and Bi Hui, leaving only Bai Ning for Lü Bin to continue operating Changsui's business in Mujong Bay.

The imperial prison suddenly became overcrowded, a place where it was difficult for anyone to leave unscathed once they entered. However, Dong Xiao did not torture these people severely; he simply kept them locked up and ignored them. He even transferred some people to the Ministry of Justice on the grounds that the imperial prison was too full.

Wen Hu turned a blind eye, thinking it didn't matter, as long as he could control them.

One night, Dongfang Jun and Liao Yiwen were leaving the Prince Xin's mansion when they were stopped by a man and a woman.

By the moonlight, Dongfang Jun examined him closely and exclaimed in surprise, "The Marquis of Sha County?"

With his hands behind his back and a slight smile on his lips, Wen Hu said, "My lords, you came out of Prince Xin's residence so late. Do you have so much to talk about with Prince Xin?"

Dongfang Jun's face darkened.

Wen Hu then asked, "In other words, what are you plotting?"