Chapter 29: New Chess Game

The flickering candlelight illuminated Cui Junji's handsome yet overly cold profile, like a carefully carved jade statue. Only deep in his eyes lurked a barely perceptible trace of anxiety and unwillingness.

The crown prince fell, the cult was destroyed, and his official position was promoted. The court seemed to have settled, but this crucial northern territory, the key to the nation's destiny, was still firmly in the hands of the deeply entrenched and powerful Wang family! They had occupied it for years, forming a self-contained entity, akin to a kingdom within a kingdom.

Wang Rong and the Wang family must have been guided by an expert.

His Cui family had made a bad bet. They had finally been able to compete with the military power through Empress Hehe, but it was suddenly taken away, leaving them with a lot of losses. How could they tolerate power falling into the hands of others?

His slender fingers unconsciously tapped on the rough wooden table, making a light thumping sound, and his eyes fell on the words in the military newspaper about the "excessive" loss of food and fodder this winter.

A thought, like an undercurrent beneath the ice, quietly grew and gathered. A gap... He needed a legitimate reason, a wedge to pry open this iron plate. More importantly, he needed a pair of eyes, a pair of sharp eyes that could penetrate the fog of accounts, a pair that could not be easily bribed or obliterated, to clearly reflect the "dirty affairs" here to the eyes of the many elders of the aristocratic families in the capital.

Shen Zijie was considered a recently promoted figure in the Imperial Court. He was from an aristocratic family, but his roots were shallow and his character was upright, so he hadn't yet fully committed to a side. The two of them also got along well. If he could use him to uncover the problem, he could not only prove the border generals were corrupt, justifying a purge, but also completely pull Shen Zijie into his own camp.

"Someone come here." Cui Junji's voice was not loud, but it had unquestionable penetrating power, instantly drowning out the sound of the wind outside the window.

Zhang Qi, the staff member, silently pushed the door open and stood by with his hands hanging down. These staff members had been with him since he had beheaded the Empress Hehe, so he could be considered to have recruited some talented people for the position of Jijiu.

"The garrison at Xunyang has lost more food and fodder than allowed this winter. I suspect there's been some misconduct related to false reporting and corruption. I request a thorough investigation of the border troops' grain reserves to reassure the troops and strengthen the nation." He paused, then added, "Go inform Lord Shen."

Zhang Qi understood and quickly recorded it. After finishing, he said, "Madam will not be able to leave Xunyang for three days. Should this matter wait a while?"

"...Alright," Cui Junji didn't want to pay any attention to the people who couldn't stay for a month, but when he thought of Cui Zhang still in the car, he said, "Let's wait until they get back safely before taking action."

There are not many people who know math, and Wen Youqing was also caught to calculate the account books. He counted so many times every day that his head became bald. It was really exhausting.

Half a month later, a procession of carriages and horses rolled over the last relatively flat stretch of official road outside the city, entering a desolate and rugged mountainous area, heading towards Yanhui Pass. The wheels pressed against the gravel, making a teeth-grinding creaking sound.

The chill of the north was thick and impenetrable. The wind whipped gravel against the carriage walls, whimpering like ghosts. Cui Junji sat upright in the spacious, comfortable carriage, eyes closed, resting. He wore a thick, dark mink coat, his fingertips stroking a warm, mutton-fat jade ring.

On the other side of the carriage sat the accountant, the chief accountant, and a woman in a dark green riding coat. It had to be Wen Youqing. A copied account book lay spread out on her lap, and her slender fingers moved rapidly across the cold abacus, making a delicate, crackling sound.

"Master Cui," Wen Youqing raised his head and spoke clearly, "The accounts we've checked over the past few days have serious discrepancies. The amount of old grain recorded in the warehouse records is over 30% short of the actual inventory! The soldiers' rations are distributed according to the quota, but the records used by the warehouse clerks to issue the rations are often altered and unclear, raising numerous doubts. Even more suspicious is that some of the records of new grain entering the warehouse seem to have unusual weighing instruments..."

Wen Youqing's voice rose. "This accumulated problem has not happened overnight. Your Excellency, are you really here just to check the accounts?" She could naturally see the huge vortex behind these accounts. His Cui family had lost people, and he also wanted the Wang family to be in trouble.

Cui Junji slowly opened his eyes, his gaze calm and unwavering. "Madam, you have a keen eye. Unclear accounts and unstable military morale are a serious problem. Your Majesty is concerned about border affairs and has sent me to clarify. I must get to the bottom of this matter, no matter who is involved. Madam, you are a master of mathematics, so I will be in great trouble this time."

Wen Youqing simply couldn't believe Cui Junji was so devoted to the public good. One from the Wang family, the other from the Cui family, both still serving in the military. But she stopped talking and focused again on the account books. The only sounds in the carriage were the soft clatter of counting rods and the monotonous clatter of wheels on gravel.

Sudden!

"Whoa!" The driver's terrified cry rang out like thunder, followed by the shrill neighing of the horses pulling the carriage! The entire carriage suddenly rushed forward and tilted violently to the side! The huge inertia threw Wen Youqing fiercely against the wall of the carriage!

Cui Junji reacted extremely quickly. He held on to the copper ring on the car wall with one hand and stretched out his other hand like lightning, barely catching Wen Youqing's arm before she hit the car wall.

"What's going on?" Cui Junji asked sternly.

What answered him was a dense and sharp sound like a sudden rain!

Duh! Duh, duh, duh!

Several thick crossbow arrows, with a shrill sound of breaking through the air, fiercely pierced through the thick carriage wall! The arrowheads flashed with a cold light and embedded themselves deeply in the inner wall where Cui Junji had just leaned, and the arrow tails still vibrated hummingly!

One of them almost brushed past Wen Youqing's temple, and the strong wind it brought made her cheek hurt.

The chief clerk, who had no time to dodge, was nailed to the carriage.

"Enemy attack! Protect my lord!" Outside the carriage, the captain of Cui Junji's elite personal guard roared like thunder. The sounds of weapons clashing, crossbows being cocked, arrows whistling, horses neighing, and the muffled groans and screams of guards struck by arrows...instantly intertwined into a frenzy of death!

Cui Junji's face changed drastically. He suddenly pushed the frightened Wen Youqing down and said in a cold and hard voice: "Get down! Stay close to the bottom of the car! Don't move!" It would be enough for one person who knew the truth to die. He had to make sure that this witness was alive.

Wen Youqing was horrified by this sudden change, her face pale with fear. She could only instinctively curl up, clinging to the cold floor of the car. She had experienced such thrilling situations before, but in this space, she was completely unable to move. Like a pet trapped in a cage, destined only for slaughter.

The vibrations of the crossbow bolts piercing the car wall felt like hammering at her heart, bringing a suffocating fear with each strike. The sounds of fighting, screams, and the strong smell of blood outside made her hair stand on end.

"Sir! We can't hold on any longer! They're powerful crossbows! At least three! And dozens of skilled fighters! Coming right for you!" The captain of the guards roared hoarsely and desperately, accompanied by a dying scream.

Cui Junji's eyes instantly became fierce. Without hesitation, he kicked open the damaged carriage door and drew his steel dagger from his waist. The sword flashed like a streak of silk, deflecting a crossbow arrow from the side!

His hands were numb from the shock. "Come with me!" he growled, grabbed Wen Youqing's arm, and with irresistible force, dragged her out of the overturned carriage.

The scene before me was a scene of hell. Guards lay scattered in pools of blood, with only five or six remaining, leaning against the carriages and desperately holding out. The attackers, clad in tattered fur coats and masked faces, moved with agility and ferocity, their crossbows and scimitars flashing with deadly force. The official road, front and back, was blocked by boulders and burning deadly logs.

"This way!" Cui Junji glanced over and dragged the stumbling, pale-faced Wen Youqing along with him, diving headfirst into the rocky, withered forest on the steep slope to the right of the official road. Behind him, the guards roared their final words, "Stop them! Protect the Lord—!"

Cold gravel and sharp, dead branches scraped against their clothing. Wen Youqing was dragged along by him, running furiously up the steep, rugged slope, one foot deep, one foot shallow. Her lungs burned, her knees ached from the bumps of rocks, her hair long disheveled. Behind her, the cries of killing and the whistling of arrows pierced the air, like maggots on her tarsal bones, never ceased.

"Ugh!" Wen Youqing slipped and stepped on a loose stone, falling forward. Her knees and palms scraped heavily against the rough rock surface, and blood oozed out instantly. The piercing pain made her gasp.

Cui Junji spun around and lifted her up, his movements swift and direct, without a trace of mercy. He glanced at her bleeding knees and palms, his brow furrowed, his eyes filled with cold scrutiny and urgency. "Don't stop if you want to live!" His voice was broken by the mountain wind.

At this moment, an extremely shrill whistle broke through the air and came from behind!

Cui Junji's pupils suddenly shrank, and he pushed Wen Youqing to the side, while he ducked and dodged in the opposite direction!

“Puff!”

A crossbow arrow with incredible force flew past Cui Junji's shoulder, leaving a trail of blood, but failed to completely avoid the trajectory that was chasing Wen Youqing!

No matter how agile she was, the arrow still grazed the outside of her forearm, leaving a bloody wound. Although it didn't go deep, it instantly dyed her sleeve red!

Wen Youqing cried out in pain and was pushed to the ground. He just happened to see the crossbow arrow embedded in the tree trunk, and fear and pain intertwined.

Cui Junji didn't even bother looking at his own wound. He grabbed Wen Youqing's uninjured arm and hauled her up again, his gaze sweeping forward like a hawk. "This way!" He tugged her in a different direction, heading towards the valley deeper into the woods and where the terrain became more complex.

The sky darkened rapidly as they fled for their lives. When the last ray of light disappeared, Cui Junji finally discovered an extremely hidden depression beneath a steep rock face.

He pulled Wen Youqing, nearly exhausted and bleeding from her arm, inside. The space was small and cramped, their bodies inevitably close together, each feeling the other's pounding heartbeat and heavy breathing. Outside, the sounds of the pursuers faded, until only the whimpering mountain wind remained.

Darkness enveloped everything. Wen Youqing collapsed against the cold stone wall, trembling uncontrollably. The exhaustion of surviving a catastrophe and the stinging pain of the wound on her arm intertwined. She strained her eyes, trying to catch Cui Junji's outline in the darkness.

"Who... who are they?" Wen Youqing's voice was hoarse, dry, and trembling. "Those bandits... their crossbows are standard military equipment..."

In the darkness, Cui Junji let out a soft, icy laugh. "Bandits?" His voice was low, each word clear. "They are equipped with such sophisticated crossbows, they can ambush the imperial officials' carriages with pinpoint accuracy, and they know the terrain outside Dingyuan City so well... Madam, you are an expert in mathematics. Don't you understand this?"