Remove the firewood from under the cauldron to prevent future troubles
Chapter Quote: To cut the grass, you must remove the roots; to eradicate evil, you must do it thoroughly. Some hidden dangers must be eradicated completely.
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The window of the house Yan Qing rented faced a secluded corner door on the back street of the Lu Mansion. For two consecutive days, he hid in the shadows behind the window like the most patient hunter, his eyes never leaving the door.
Li Gu behaved as usual, bustling about the mansion and treating Lu Junyi with the utmost respect, showing no signs of betrayal. But Yan Qing knew the secret conversation behind the rockery that night was no illusion. He waited, waiting for Li Gu to contact the outside world again, or perhaps for a signal for them to act.
At dusk on the third day, just before dark, a peddler carrying a load, shaking a rattle, lurched to a stop on the back street of the Lu residence. He wore a tattered felt hat, the brim pulled low, and his hawking voice was muffled.
A moment later, the corner door creaked open a crack, and Li Gu emerged. He quickly walked over to the peddler's pole and pretended to select some merchandise. The two exchanged a few words in low voices, and the peddler pulled a small bamboo tube from under his pole and quickly pressed it into Li Gu's hand. Li Gu, in turn, handed him a heavy purse.
The transaction complete, the peddler picked up his load and leisurely left. Li Gu also quickly retreated into the mansion and closed the corner gate.
Yan Qing's eyes narrowed. Now!
He didn't chase Li Gu, as that would only alert the enemy. His target was the peddler. This man, who had direct access to Li Gu, must be an important informant for Liangshan in Daming Prefecture, perhaps even a key figure responsible for relaying orders.
Yan Qing slipped out of the house as silently as a falling leaf, trailing the peddler from a distance. His tracking skills were unparalleled, and as the sky grew dark, the peddler was completely unaware.
The peddler did not stay in the city. He carried his load and walked around in circles, then went straight out of the south gate and headed towards the chaotic shantytown outside the city. This place was a mixed crowd, mostly poor people and refugees from outside, making it a perfect place to hide.
The peddler walked into a low, dilapidated adobe house and closed the wooden door.
Yan Qing didn't approach immediately. He circled around the back of the house, making sure there were no other exits. Then, like a clever cat, he climbed onto the roof of a slightly higher thatched hut next to him, crouched low, and listened intently to the sounds below.
From inside the house came the sound of a peddler unloading his load, followed by a slightly hoarse male voice: "Have the goods been delivered?"
It was the voice of the person who had a secret conversation with Li Gu behind the rockery that night!
"It's delivered." The peddler's voice was flattering. "That Li Gu guy still looks a little scared, trembling."
"It's not up to him!" a hoarse voice snorted coldly, "He's on our ship, and you still want to get off? The military advisor has ordered that Lu Junyi's reputation is too great now, and we can't force him. We must destroy his reputation and bring him down from within! That package is enough to make him pay for it!"
"Hehe, the military advisor is still wise. When Lu Junyi falls, the property of Daming Prefecture..."
"You will definitely benefit from it! Keep an eye on Li Gu and wait for my news!"
Hearing this, Yan Qing's mind was fully grasped. Wu Yong, indeed, had not given up his evil intentions. Seeing that a violent attack was unsuccessful, he resorted to framing him! The package given to Li Gu must have been fabricated evidence, perhaps a letter of communication with the bandits, or perhaps something else that would bring Lu Junyi to ruin.
We can’t wait any longer!
He took a deep breath, slid down from the roof silently, came to the door of the adobe house, and kicked it out suddenly!
"Bang!"
The already worn wooden door shattered with a bang! The two people in the room jumped up in shock. The peddler turned pale with fear, while the man with the hoarse voice reacted very quickly. He pulled out a sharp knife from his waist and shouted, "Who are you?"
Yan Qing's face after the disguise was ordinary, except for his eyes, which were surprisingly bright. He didn't answer at all, but rushed towards the man with the knife as fast as lightning.
The man was also fierce, swinging his knife and stabbing. But how could he be a match for Yan Qing? Yan Qing dodged the blade and grabbed his knife-holding wrist with his left hand like an iron clamp, twisting it hard!
"Crack!" The crisp sound of broken wrist bones was accompanied by the man's screams, and the sharp knife fell to the ground with a clang.
Yan Qing's right hand swung like the wind, instantly hitting several large blood vessels on his chest. The man's screams stopped abruptly, his whole body stiffened, and he fell straight down, only his eyes could still move in fear.
The peddler next to him had already collapsed on the ground with fear, his mouth soaked, and he kowtowed profusely: "Please spare my life, sir! Please spare my life, sir! I'm just a messenger, I know nothing!"
Without even glancing at him, Yan Qing searched the sprawling man's body, finding several secret letters and a waist badge denoting the Liangshan leader's status (it lacked a name, but the pattern Yan Qing recognized). He then rummaged through the house, uncovering more letters and several ingots of government silver used as funds for his activities in the compartment of a broken wooden box.
He quickly scanned the letters, and the contents were shocking! Not only were there specific instructions for Li Gu on how to frame Lu Junyi, but there was also evidence of exchanges between Liangshan and several other unsuccessful officials in Daming Prefecture. It even mentioned how the Lu Mansion's assets would be divided up if the plan succeeded!
The evidence is conclusive!
Yan Qing carefully put away all the evidence he had found, and then cast his cold gaze on the limp peddler.
"Good...good man...please spare my life..." The peddler burst into tears.
"Want to live?" Yan Qing's voice was low and hoarse, completely different from his usual clear voice. "Answer me a few questions."
"Ask me! I'll tell you everything I know!"
"Where is Wu Yong now?"
"I... I don't know! It was him... 'Flea on the Drum' leader Shi Qian who contacted me through a direct line!" The peddler pointed at the man lying stiffly on the ground and shouted.
Shi Qian? Yan Qing raised his eyebrows slightly. It was actually Shi Qian! It seemed that his previous "playing chess" with him hadn't completely changed his trajectory. He had still joined Liangshan, and because of his agility, Wu Yong had assigned him to be in charge of this confidential transmission.
"What's that package in Li Gu's hand?"
"Yes... there are several forged letters colluded between Mr. Lu and Tian Hu of Hebei, and... there is also a privately engraved seal of a general under Tian Hu's command... hidden in the secret compartment under Li Gu's bed..."
A cold light flashed in Yan Qing's eyes. Collaborating with rebels! This is a grave crime punishable by confiscation of property and extermination of the entire clan! Wu Yong is truly vicious!
"Besides you, how many other Liangshan spies are there in Daming Prefecture?"
"I... I only know two. One is the ace soldier guarding the South Gate, and the other is a clerk in the government office... The list... The list should be on Chief Shi Qian..."
Yan Qing didn't ask any more questions. With lightning speed, he knocked the peddler unconscious. He found some ropes and tied the two men tightly, stuffing their mouths with rags to ensure that they couldn't escape and report the incident anytime soon.
After completing all this, he did not leave immediately. Instead, by the dim light of the oil lamp in the room, he picked up his pen, dipped it in ink, and on a blank sheet of paper, in Wu Yong's voice and handwriting (which he had seen many times in his previous life and had already memorized), he rewrote a letter of instructions to Li Gu. The letter severely reprimanded Li Gu for his incompetence and indecision, and ordered him to immediately place the forged evidence in a secret place in Lu Junyi's study upon receiving it, and to report it anonymously to the authorities without fail, lest Li Gu be killed.
After writing, he blew the ink dry, sealed it, and put it in his arms. Then he picked up Shi Qian, who was still stiff and unable to move, and disappeared into the dark night like carrying a bundle of straw.
Instead of returning to the Lu residence, he went straight to the residence of the military commander of Daming Prefecture. He went around the back wall, found a secluded spot, and threw Shi Qian, along with the Liangshan secret letter, waist badge, official silver, and other evidence he had found in the house, into the backyard of the military commander's residence. At the same time, he stuffed the forged Wu Yong order letter into Shi Qian's arms.
After doing all this, he disappeared into the darkness like a ghost and quickly left the scene.
The next morning, the Liangshan bandit leader, Shi Qian, known as "The Flea on the Drum," was found unconscious in the backyard of the Military Commander's mansion, along with a wealth of irrefutable evidence framing Lu Yuanwai and colluding with officials within the mansion! The news sent shockwaves through the Daming Prefecture officialdom!
The prefect immediately issued orders to search the city for the remnants of Liangshan. The elite troops at the South Gate and the clerks at the government office were quickly apprehended. Immediately afterwards, a large group of officers and soldiers descended upon the Lu Mansion!
When the officers and soldiers found the package of forged "collusion" letters and seals from the secret compartment under Li Gu's bed in front of his terrified eyes, which had not yet been moved, Li Gu collapsed to the ground on the spot with a deathly pale face.
Caught red-handed! The evidence is overwhelming!
Lu Junyi watched as Li Gu, trembling like a sieve, was escorted out by the officers and soldiers. Then he looked at the "evidence" that had nearly killed him. He was filled with shock and anger, and his back was instantly drenched in cold sweat! He truly understood the meaning of Yan Qing's words, "It's hard to guard against hidden arrows" and "The fortress is breached from within"! If it weren't for Yan Qing's alertness, who first uncovered the traitor and thwarted the conspiracy, he, Lu Junyi, would probably be a prisoner by now, or even a ghost under the knife!
"Li Gu! I have treated you well! Why do you want to harm me like this!" Lu Junyi was furious and shouted sternly.
Li Gu was already terrified and in tears. In order to save his life, without waiting for torture, he confessed all the crimes he had committed, including how he had been threatened and bribed by Liangshan, how he had had an affair with Jia (this matter was exposed during the search by officers and soldiers), and how he had planned to frame his master.
The truth of the case is revealed!
Lu Junyi divorced the immoral Jia and sent her back to her parents' home. Li Gu was convicted of colluding with Liangshan, framing his master, and committing adultery, and was sentenced to immediate execution, with his head hung on the city gate for public display.
After this incident, the Lu Mansion was completely purged, and Lu Junyi's trust in Yan Qing reached an unprecedented level. Liangshan's influence in Daming Mansion was also completely uprooted, and Wu Yong would no longer be able to stir up trouble there in the short term.
Yan Qing stood on the high wall of Lu Mansion, looking at Li Gu who was being taken to the execution ground with a calm gaze.
He knew that this only cut off one of the evil hands reaching out to Lu Junyi. Wu Yong, far away in Liangshan, must be furious at this moment, and a new storm may be brewing in an even more distant place.
But he was fearless.
Since he has chosen this path, he must protect his master and see how much change he can bring to this predetermined fate with his foresighted hands.
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End of Chapter 6
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