Chapter 57 The Bandit Should Hate Himself
In the study, Cheng Xianzhi was discussing government affairs with Gongsun Yin.
"Now that you have taken the position of Shangshu, you can show your abilities without being constrained by Lu Mingqian."
"I would also like to thank you for your guidance, sir. My journey has been closely linked to the guidance of my mentor." Cheng Xianzhi was humble and polite.
Gongsun Yin silently shook his head. "While it's true that I taught you a few years ago, you've achieved so much on your own these past two years. That's all due to your own abilities. There's nothing more I can teach you. My only wish is that you and Xue'er can live in harmony and respect each other."
Cheng Xianzhi's eyes turned deep, and he replied, "I will remember your teachings, sir."
"However, you have just become a minister, and your position is unstable. There are wolves lurking in the dark, waiting to find fault with you. If they then label you as unfit for the responsibility, all your efforts will be in vain."
Cheng Xianzhi also had the same idea: "What you said, sir, is what I'm worried about. However, no matter how cautious you are, you can't beat the unpredictable human heart. Instead of guarding against it, it's better to take the initiative."
Gongsun Yin looked at his youthful and upright character, and thought it would be okay for him to be a little tough. And since he said this, he must have a plan in mind.
"How do you want to take the initiative?"
"Shanhaiguan has won many victories, and the news of my ascension to the position of Shangshu must have reached Shanhaiguan. Jiang Haiyi will certainly do everything he can to win and return to the court before the end of the year. By then, the military generals and the Jiang Party in the court will flock to him, expanding their factions and dramatically increasing the power of the foreign relatives, which will not be beneficial to the stability of the imperial power." Cheng Xian said.
"Jiang Haiyi has guarded Shanhaiguan for many years, and has made great contributions. It is only natural that he should be granted a title of nobility and a higher rank after returning to the court."
"Xianzhi knows, but the majority of Dalan's military strength is now controlled by the Jiang family, so Your Majesty must show some respect. This year, banditry has been rampant in several areas, and the local governments have continuously submitted memorials to the emperor. However, the court has only ordered the local governments to send troops to garrison, but this is of no avail."
"You want to suppress the bandits and gain merit to consolidate your official position." Gongsun Yin said lightly.
Cheng Xianzhi nodded and said, "Yes, but this is only one of them."
"Secondly, the rampant banditry is simply a result of the world's circumstances, and I want to recruit them."
As Cheng Xianzhi finished speaking, Gongsun Yin clenched his teacup, his brow furrowed. Then he smiled sternly, sighing, "Young people are truly formidable."
"Privately recruiting soldiers will be suspected of treason. Even if you recruit troops in the name of the Dalan court, they will not be used by you. If you want an army that belongs to you alone, recruiting bandits is a bit unconventional, but it is also a method."
"Sir," Cheng Xianzhi said, "We need to eliminate the bandit problem. It would be better to wait until they are strong enough before sending troops. Otherwise, there might be chaos. Dalan is plagued by internal and external troubles, and the interference of foreign relatives in politics is not conducive to the stability of the country. Xianzhi can take advantage of this opportunity when he first becomes the Minister of State to send troops to suppress the bandits in the name of benefiting the people. This will not only restore peace to the people, but also eliminate hidden dangers and subjugate the army. Killing multiple birds with one stone."
He wanted to form an army of his own, an army that was not under the control of the Jiang family. Now, apart from the imperial guards, he could only mobilize troops after the decision of the empress dowager, the emperor, and the three ministers.
The purpose of discussing with Gongsun Yin was to get him to vote in the court to send troops to suppress the bandits.
Cheng Xianzhi has three votes here, and he is determined to win the battle.
Two days later, Cheng Xianzhi returned home. He originally thought that Lu Tingwan would come to him immediately to ask him to sign the divorce papers. He stayed in the study for a long time but there was no movement.
Cang Shu heard a muffled sound from the person inside, poked his head in, and asked, "Does the master have any instructions?"
Cheng Xianzhi asked, "Have the people from Yanshengtang been at your house these days?"
Cang Shu stammered and replied, "I didn't see the Second Madam, but Feng Xin did leave the house."
Cheng Xianzhi didn't think too much about it. Since she wasn't coming, he was happy to have some peace and quiet.
A few days later, Cheng Xianzhi received the imperial decree to send troops to Tanzhou to suppress the banditry, and he sent troops to Tanzhou seven days later.
There was no movement in Yansheng Hall. Only Feng Xin was seen coming in and out frequently, looking a little panicked. Han Zhou ran into her several times when he came to Cheng Mansion.
The night before the troops were dispatched, Cheng Xianzhi learned that Lu Tingwan had long been gone from the mansion. Cang Shu took Feng Xin to question him. Feng Xin confessed that on the first night they went to Gongsun Mansion, Lu Tingwan left the mansion and never came back.
After that, she went in and out several times, secretly looking for Lu Ting's destination for the party, but she couldn't find him. Han Zhou didn't fully believe Feng Xin's words.
"The Second Madam is your master. Didn't she tell you anything about where she was going?"
Feng Xin said truthfully, "After the Second Madam came back from the night of the promotion banquet held at the mansion, she gave Feng Xin a lot of instructions."
"What did they say?" Cheng Xianzhi sat upright without saying a word. Han Zhou was asking for him.
Feng Xin felt heartbroken when he thought of her that night: "Zhichunli was sealed off, and the Second Madam was completely conscious. She returned injured, yet she made all the arrangements for her funeral. Before nightfall the next day, she said she wanted to go out for some fresh air, and told me to stay at the mansion as usual if she wasn't there."
"At first, I didn't think much of it, until a few days passed and Madam didn't come back. This time, I went out to look for Madam where she often went, but I didn't see her either."
Only then did Cheng Xianzhi say in a deep voice, "Did she ever tell you that she wanted a divorce?"
"Yes, there are."
"Did she ever mention where she was going after leaving the Cheng Mansion?"
Feng Xin lowered her head, pursed her lips and said nothing. She guessed that Lu Tingwan might have left Kyoto.
"Is Luo Yunchu still in Kyoto?"
Feng Xin fell to his knees.
She went to Changqing Street to look for Luo Yunchu, but Luo Yunchu didn't know that Lu Tingwan had come to look for her. Since they met once before the banquet, there has been no news of her since then. He also asked Tianshu to inquire about her several times, but apart from knowing that she appeared on Weiyang Street on the night Zhou Hua died in Chunfeng Tower, there was no other information.
Han Zhou replied for her: "Luo Yunchu has been in the Chamber of Commerce these days."
Cheng Xianzhi finished asking his questions, and Cangshu sent Feng Xin away.
Han Zhou felt the coldness in the room. Even though the heater was burning brightly, he could still sense the coldness emanating from Cheng Xianzhi.
"What are you thinking, my Lord?"
"Where does Han Zhou think Lu Tingwan went?"
Han Zhou walked closer to the fireplace, spread out his palms, and shone them on it: "The closure of Zhichunli was the Queen Mother's decree. Logically speaking, this is the time when the Queen Mother wants to maintain an alliance with the Lu family. It is impossible for her to secretly assassinate Lu Tingwan."
Cheng Xianzhi propped up his head, looking unusually lazy: "That means leaving Kyoto."
"But she left before she even got the divorce papers from the adults?" Han Zhou felt something was amiss. "If Lu Tingwan didn't care about the papers, there would have been no need to agree on terms with the adults in the first place."
That’s right, this is what Cheng Xianzhi doesn’t understand.
His eyes were calm and steady as he said, "The person disappeared in the Cheng Mansion. Whether dead or alive, he must be found, otherwise I won't be able to explain to the Lu family."
"Perhaps there is no greater sorrow than a dead heart, so I left Kyoto." Han Zhou's seemingly unintentional words pierced Cheng Xianzhi's unmoved expression.
After all, the Lu Tingwan that Han Zhou saw that night was just a floating corpse.
Cheng Xianzhi only remembered that when he last saw her, she was filled with disappointment and hatred, and she wanted to break up with him immediately. He still couldn't forget that look.
She must hate herself.
Lu Tingwan once said that she was from Jiangling, and if she wanted to leave Kyoto, the only place to go would probably be Jiangling.
Going south, at this time of year, the official roads are full of merchants going to Beijing to do business, and there are many people coming and going. If you want to investigate, you can find their whereabouts quickly.
In addition, the official road was not easy to walk on, so she could not walk fast and could only reach Tanzhou at most.
Cheng Xianzhi asked Han Zhou to secretly send scouts to search for the person, and report immediately if he found him. On the eve of the expedition, Han Zhou received information from the spy.
"As Your Excellency expected, the Second Madam has indeed just passed through Tanzhou. Some merchants said they had seen the Second Madam in Binzhou."
Cheng Xianzhi focused on the marching route in his hand: "Tanzhou."
Clearly visible bones fell on the topographic map of Tanzhou. This time they were going to send troops to encircle and suppress the place where bandits were rampant. The most energy-consuming place was Tanzhou. Bandits were rampant in Tanzhou, especially the mountain bandits from Baitazhai, who had openly threatened the local government office many times.
Baita Village is located in Qingyao Mountain, Fufeng Town, Qingfeng County, Tanzhou.
The terrain was steep and easy to defend but difficult to attack. Due to the terrain advantage, the government officials could not attack, and the bandits had the people as hostages.
These bandits often appeared at night, and most of the merchants passing by at night were not spared, and their money and people were taken up the mountain together. This was the main situation described in the memorial submitted by the prefect of Tanzhou.
Han Zhou said, "That's right. Our destination this time is Tanzhou. Han Zhou has already sent people to look for the Second Madam. If she goes south to Jiangling, she will have to pass through Qingfeng County. We can then have our secret sentries bring her back to the barracks and she can return to Kyoto with us."
After some thought, Cheng Xianzhi said, "She reached Tanzhou in less than ten days. She's quite fast."
She was so eager to leave Kyoto.
Jiangling?
What was so good about Jiangling that made her go south in the snow?
Or does it mean that as long as she leaves Kyoto, she can go anywhere?
Han Zhou felt that it was not surprising given her abilities.
However, whether Lu Tingwan is willing to take her back when the time comes is still another matter.
Cheng Xianzhi has his own way to make her come back willingly.
Thinking of this, he put his mind at ease and focused again on the marching map, discussing strategy with Han Zhou.
In Tanzhou, Lu Tingwan was dressed in men's clothes, with her black hair tied up with a blue headband, rolling in the mountain breeze.
When she was hiding from the snow in the inn, she was worried that she would not be able to reach Fufeng Town before nightfall. After passing Fufeng Town, she would be in Yanzhou, and after passing Yanzhou, she would reach Jiangling. She missed her hometown very much. Fortunately, the escort who was traveling with her to the inn had a batch of cloth to be transported to Qingfeng County. The official road was covered with thick snow, and the road would be easier to walk through Fufeng Town.
Lu Tingwan listened to the conversation of the escort men and knew that they were going to pass through Fufeng Town, so he stepped forward to negotiate and asked them to give him a ride. The escort men traveled around the world all year round and talked about chivalry.
At first, Lu Tingwan was afraid that they would not agree and was willing to pay the compensation.
Unexpectedly, the escort readily agreed and didn't take any money from her.
"Brother Biao, how long will it take us to reach Fufeng Town? The snow is falling heavier and it will be even harder to travel after dark." Lu Tingwan noticed that the carriage was slowing down. It was getting late and the wind and snow were getting stronger. He had an ominous premonition.
"Don't worry, sir. This is Qingyao Mountain. After passing Qingyao Mountain, we will reach Fufeng Town. However, there are often bandits in Qingyao Mountain, so we have to be careful, so we have to move slowly." The bodyguard brother said patiently.
Lu Tingwan saw and heard a lot along the way, including a lot about the bandits in Baita Village, Qingyao Mountain.
These bandits like to rob people after dark, but since these escorts dare to leave, there must be a way to deal with them.
"Brother Biao, aren't you afraid of these bandits?" The mountain wind brushed against her cheeks, stinging her a little. She had been exposed to wind and snow for several days in a row, and she had nothing to keep warm. Her originally plump cheeks were cracked and red from the wind, but when she thought of being able to return to her hometown, she felt a little more hopeful.
The gloom of Kyoto gradually dissipated during the days of traveling, but the cracks in my heart only stopped bleeding but never healed.
The escort replied, "We have to go even if we are afraid. The owner of this shipment is in a hurry. We have no other choice but to give it a try."
The only sound in the forest was the whistling of the wind sweeping across the mountains, and the other sound was the sound of wheels rolling over the thick snow.
She imitated the bodyguards in observing their surroundings, staring intently at the rocks on both sides of the mountain path, always on guard against sudden attacks by bandits.
Lu Tingwan sighed. With such terrain, it was no wonder that the government office could not be attacked for a long time, which allowed the bandits to run rampant for a long time. I believe that many of the merchants passing by have suffered from this.
Tanzhou is not very far from Kyoto. If the prefect reports to the court, the court will not remain silent. However, all I have heard along the way is from the merchants, so I don’t know what the people’s livelihood is like here.
Entering Qingyao Mountain, the path is a narrow path lined with huge rocks. The huge rocks press down on the towering peaks, and crows are crying in the dark.
The sound of a startled crow's wings was heard from between the rocks, followed by a sound of an arrow that broke through the snow curtain and came through the wind. The eldest bodyguard pushed Lu Tingwan away, and the sharp arrow was nailed to the wooden box next to her eye.
The jackdaw flapped its wings and flew away, and Lu Tingwan was still in shock.
The carriage stopped and the bodyguards reacted quickly to form a defensive formation.
There was not a single person in the snow.
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