Chapter 84 Brain Damage
The Imperial Guards were driven back by Zhongli He, but the scholar, who was still being supported, raised his head, glared angrily, and said word by word, "Whether you dare or not, I will say everything I need to say today! You are worthy of all the policy papers I have written and the poetry and books I have read over the years!"
What a man who is ready to die and is so righteous.
"Our dynasty treats scholars well, yet there have been scholars who have died on the guillotine." Zhongli He frowned, especially confused. "When a person dies, all is lost. You've studied hard for years, yet you haven't even entered the officialdom to realize your ideals. Are you going to be so foolish and stubborn as to ruin your career in vain right here at Fengming Gate?"
"Why not? With the two parties fighting, the country is on the verge of collapse! Dying here with my head on the ground is a testament to my resolve!" The scholar refused to back down and looked at Zhongli He. "General Zhongli, your family is full of loyal and brave men. You should be a capable minister who can pacify the world. But now that a powerful enemy is at hand, why are you cowering under the wing of your own party, ignoring the impending storm and impending collapse of Tianshui? Do you also think that Tianshui can negotiate peace with Northern Liao? Don't you understand that those who are not of our race must have different hearts?"
Zhongli He pursed his lips into a thin line and did not speak for a long time.
Wen Yao squatted on the eaves and stared at him, and could see a heaviness and depression between his brows.
She suddenly remembered that General Zhongli's Mansion was a member of the Yong prince's party. Yong prince advocated peace rather than war, and in terms of its attitude towards Liao, General Zhongli's Mansion must have been in an awkward position in front of Yong prince.
Wen Yao did not have much contact with Zhongli He, but from the few times they met, he could see that Zhongli He loved martial arts and valued talents, was broad-minded, and did not covet power. In addition, he possessed rare bravery and strategy, making him a truly valuable military talent.
Prince Yong must have known this, which is why he kept addressing Ling Han so affectionately. But Zhongli He was torn between the two, as Prince Yong's faction was strongly supporting peace talks with Northern Liao.
The scholar took a deep breath, turned around and shouted to the people behind him, "Northern Liao is sharpening its sword, but we in Tianshui are trying to wag our tails and beg for mercy. This is simply ridiculous!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd erupted in laughter. They weren't moved by his words, but retreated in fear.
Wen Yao raised his eyes and saw Fengming Gate buzz open. Dozens of blue-clothed foreigners rushed out, machetes in hand, and rushed forward, hacking at these scholars without hesitation.
Zhong Li He's eyebrows suddenly tightened, and he stopped one person and asked, "What is the factory supervisor going to do?"
A foreigner named Wen Yao, who looked somewhat familiar, walked forward slowly.
Facing Zhongli He, the guard smiled with disrespect in his eyes, his hands tucked into his sleeves, and said arrogantly, "Send the order from the factory supervisor. We have now found out that the rioters are colluding with Northern Liao spies, attempting to slander the government and unsettle the people. Order that the ringleaders be immediately imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice and executed on a later date!"
"You eunuchs! You sycophants who have deceived His Majesty! How dare you arrest me!" The juren's followers were separated. He struggled violently in the iron-clawed hands of a barbarian, shouting, "Have you disregarded Taizu's last will?"
"Those who collude with the Northern Liao people to sow discord among the people need not obey Taizu's will." The foreigner clasped his hands together calmly, his voice no less loud than the Juren's, his words clearly heard by the common people. "The secret letter was just delivered to Your Majesty, and the officials at court only learned of what had happened after entering the palace. You were merely a Juren who came to the capital to take the imperial examination, living in the streets and temples, and all you've heard and seen is poetry, books, rituals, and music. If you hadn't been colluding with the Northern Liao spies, how could you have known about the Northern Liao's movements, or even that secret letter?"
The scholar was so stunned by the sudden shock that he swallowed his words. He remained silent for a while, sweat breaking out on his forehead. After a while, he gritted his teeth and looked up, saying, "Knowing is knowing. How can we hide these things from the whole world?"
The guard waved his hand impatiently, "Take him away. The rest of you, please do not linger. Leave immediately, or you will be guilty of the same crime as this man!"
Wen Yao stared at the man and recognized him—he was the man Ning'er had argued with the day Lou Chengyi left Bianliang. His clothes and appearance were different now, and it seemed that Song Mingde was very important to him.
What Fanzi said made sense, and the people watching the excitement around him took it to heart and began to suspect them, pointing fingers at these candidates. The classmates who had come with him had not expected things to turn out this way, and they could not help but step forward to intervene: "There must be a misunderstanding. Brother Li would never collude with the Northern Liao—"
"Get out of here!" Fanzi raised his head and shouted sinisterly, "You all want to go to the Ministry of Justice prison?"
The momentum that was about to hit the ground with one's head suddenly disappeared. Everyone was scolded and stood there in a daze, stammering and not saying a word.
A chaotic last-minute request was thus simply and brutally resolved.
The guard turned around and bowed to Zhongli He, "General Zhongli, please take it easy. I still have to report to the governor."
The Fengming Gate closed again, and the imperial guards went about their duties, leaving Zhongli He standing there.
Wen Yao stood up, stepped on the eaves and flew to Zhongli He.
Zhong Li He subconsciously tensed his body and put his hand on the sword at his waist. When he saw it was Wen Yao, he was quite surprised and unconsciously let go of his hand.
"What he said makes a lot of sense." Wen Yao raised his chin and said to the inside of the palace gate, "The Northern Liao has a lot of spies in Tianshui. That scholar might have been instigated by someone because of his hot-bloodedness."
Zhongli He was silent for a moment, then said, "Looking at his expression, I believe he was indeed concerned for Tianshui. It's a pity that he suffered such a disaster."
"He was taken to the Ministry of Justice, where the King of Qin resides. A scholar who advocates war, perhaps after finding out where he got the news, the King of Qin will plead with Your Majesty to release him, thus gaining a good reputation." Wen Yao studied Zhongli He's expression and asked, "The King of Yong doesn't want to fight, but does General Zhongli's mansion want to fight?"
Zhongli He looked up at her.
Wen Yao's eyes were clear and he was quite calm. "I never thought you and General Zhongli would be the kind of people who would get involved in factional disputes, but General Zhongli's Mansion is the backbone of Prince Yong's faction. I just want to ask, if the Northern Liao army really were to invade, would General Zhongli's Mansion volunteer to fight, or would they follow Prince Yong and advocate for peace through offering gifts?"
Zhongli He turned his head and looked at the towering crimson palace gate before him. He said slowly, "The Zhongli family has been a family of generals for generations, and there has never been a deserter or a coward."
"oh."
Wen Yao nodded and understood.
Then she turned around, jumped onto the roof and left.
The guards who were escorting the people had not gone far when they turned a corner and a gust of wind blew in front of them. When they opened their eyes, they saw Wen Yao standing in front of them.
"Commander Wen." These soldiers all knew Wen Yao. They bowed, their attitude unusually polite, and asked, "What can I do for you?"
Wen Yao pointed at the scholar who was being forced to walk with his wrists tied and said, "Let me ask him a few questions."
The guards looked at each other and then let go of each other's hands. "Commander Wen, please do as you wish."
Wen Yao felt a little strange about their easy talk.
But she didn't think much about it. She walked over and pulled the scholar to the corner of the alley and said straight to the point: "Do you have a wife, children, and elderly family at home? Do you want to live?"
The scholar, who had been distraught and with his head hanging in despair, raised his eyes upon hearing this and looked at Wen Yao warily: "Who are you?"
"I was moved by your sincerity and rushed to save you." Wen Yao smiled and said, "Brother, what's your name?"
The scholar was silent for a moment: "My last name is Li."
"Okay, Brother Li. Please tell me who told you about the secret letter." Wen Yao said, "I believe you are loyal to the emperor and patriotic, but you should also realize that you are being used as a knife. The person who told you the news and instigated you to come here is the one who truly harbors evil intentions and wants to harm Tianshui. Tell me who that person is, and I will arrest him and bring him before Governor Song. Naturally, you won't have to suffer in the Ministry of Justice jail again."
But Mr. Li's eloquent mouth was stuck together and couldn't be separated at this moment.
"Brother Li doesn't want to betray his friends, I understand." Wen Yao approached and put his hand on his shoulder: "But Brother Li, you have to think clearly about which is more important, small loyalty and trust, or the greater good of your country."
There was another silence.
"There's a calligraphy and painting shop at the corner of Shilifang." Li Juren's facial muscles twitched, and he gritted his teeth and said, "The shop owner told me about it."
"Who is he? Would you believe this kind of news just because he told you?"
"My family was poor, and I had nowhere to go in Bianliang. He took me in for two years." Li Juren's voice trembled slightly, and he couldn't help but raise his hands to cover his face. "We hit it off immediately and became friends. We've known each other for two years and have known each other for a long time. When I heard the news, I was furious. I actually, didn't think anything of it."
The man who could roar at the barbarian's sword just now, now realized that he was probably deceived and used by his best friend, and his eyes were quietly moistened.
He is a man of temperament.
Wen Yao nodded, reached out and took him out of the alley, then turned and headed towards Shilifang.
She had a vague premonition in her heart, which was completely realized when she followed Mr. Li's instructions and walked to the Shilifang calligraphy and painting shop, saw the open door and the young man sitting upright at the door.
Wen Yao gripped the Xingyi Sword and gently turned his wrist outward: "Waiting for you on purpose?"
"Yes, I was waiting for Miss Wen." The young man had an ordinary appearance and was afraid that he would be lost in the crowd immediately. However, he was not panicked at all. When he saw Wen Yao, he stood up and saluted politely.
"Knew I was coming?" Wen Yao said, "Logically, the factory supervisor should be the one to arrest the spy."
"It doesn't matter who arrives first. I've received orders and must see the girl." The young man sighed, "There are ten jars of Fengyue wine at the bridge outside the building. You didn't go to get them. If the news gets to Shangjing, the Xianyinsi will know that you are angry with him."
"Wait a moment." Wen Yao raised an eyebrow and called him: "What hidden department?"
"I hold an official position in Northern Liao, serving as the Director of the Tulu Tribe's Secret Service." The young man continued, "My master returned to the capital, and the hardships and dangers he endured along the way are beyond words. Fortunately, I have now established myself in the capital, serving as the Director of the Tulu Tribe's Secret Service, and concurrently holding an official position in the Southern Prefecture."
"Oh." Wen Yao's eyelashes fluttered, and he parted his lips. "I was wondering who it was, after all this time of confusion, it turns out you were talking about Lou Chengyi—no, Yelu Duhan."
Her heart sank slightly as she considered over and over what the man had said.
Tulu tribe, Tulu tribe... Wen Yao recalled that Lou Chengyi said that the Wanyan tribe was annexed by Tulu after its defeat.
Then the Tulu tribe should be the power of the Queen of Northern Liao. Why would Lou Chengyi go to the Tulu tribe?
"Xiangyinsi said you might be angry with him over Miss Ning'er's death," the young man advised. "There's no need to be. There's an old saying in Tianshui: 'One general's success is built on the sacrifices of thousands of men.' Xiangyinsi has endured for years in Bianliang, keeping their weapons hidden. Bloodshed is inevitable when they return to the capital. Besides, Xiangyinsi's debt to Miss Ning'er is as great as a mountain. If she could die for Xiangyinsi, Miss Ning'er would surely rest in peace in her grave."
"Zheng!"
The Xingyi Sword was suddenly unsheathed.
Wen Yao's fingers were steady as he gripped the hilt of the sword. "Are you going to die today just to deliver this nonsense for him?"
"That's not all." The young man said seriously, "The rumors about you and Prince Yan have been making a lot of noise lately, and the Xianyin Division is very angry after hearing about it."
He spoke tactfully.
According to the people in Shangjing, the Xianyinsi was more than just angry. Especially after the spy from Pingjiang Prefecture sent a message back to Shangjing, the Xianyinsi's cat-hating and dog-hating temper was completely furious.
The more I listened to the spy's words, the more I felt something was wrong.
Wen Yao found this a bit ridiculous. He frowned, lowered the Xingyi Sword, and said in a strange tone, "He's angry? What do you think he's angry about?"
Unexpectedly, the young man was also puzzled, even more so than Wen Yao. He looked at Wen Yao and said, "What? Xianyinsi likes you, don't you know?"
"Xiangyinsi said he also made you angry. So, everything before today is even, and we won't pursue each other. But from today on, don't get entangled with outsiders."
The young man said seriously, "You have the token of the Wanyan tribe in your hand. When the two countries go to war and the Xianyinsi leads his troops to invade the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, you go find him. Either you go there, or he leads his troops here."
Wen Yao was so shocked that he felt that words were too shallow to express the confusion in his heart.
"Shangjing Fengshui doesn't suit him. He might be crazy." She was surprised. "Why is he going crazy for no reason?"
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