“Zhou Fengxiang has submitted a memorial of self-reproach!”
“What crime? Negligence over the Maoyuan Mountain affair?”
“No – it’s for falsifying military merit in the battle against the Western bandits.”
“My heavens! How could that be falsified?”
After the Emperor’s furious shout, the sealed palace doors could no longer contain the news. In the blink of an eye, the entire court – from the Imperial Archives to the Council of State – had heard of it.
This was a major event. Compared with it, even the Maoyuan Mountain affair and the divine doctor summoning heavenly lightning seemed like mere trifles.
To falsify military merit was a crime of deceiving the sovereign – one of the gravest offenses. The Great Zhou dynasty was lenient toward its scholars and rarely executed civil officials, but when it came to military officers, the court did not hesitate. Even without solid grounds, a general could be put to death – and for falsifying battle achievements, the punishment was beyond question.
How could it be falsifying military merit? Yes – yes, it was falsifying military merit, but wasn’t that about Fang Zhong and the Battle of Linguan Fort? How did it become about the campaign against the Western King’s army?
Standing in the audience hall, Attendant Scholar Gao’s mind was still in a daze.
“…At the time, a scout from the western front first brought word: it was estimated that the Western bandits numbered five thousand. Our Longgu forces had ten thousand men – by comparison, victory seemed assured. Eager for triumph, before other scouts could report, we ordered the army to march out…”
“…Then came the signal fires from Linguan Fort and the urgent dispatch from the courier – we realized we had not encircled the Western bandits at all, but had instead been surrounded by their army…”
“…Two thousand of the enemy ahead, and the Western King’s main force of eight thousand to our rear – we were forced into a desperate battle…”
“…The Western bandits slaughtered two of our forts; our forces suffered over a thousand casualties…”
“…Longgu City held firm, and in the end the Western King’s army withdrew. To call it a retreat is misleading – it was really a stalemate, neither side victorious nor defeated…”
“…Had we investigated thoroughly beforehand, we would not have fallen into the enemy’s stratagem; and with proper deployment, the troops would not have suffered such heavy losses…”
“…I, as Inspector-General, was greedy for merit and heedless of consequence. Though deeply favored by Your Majesty, I failed to repay such grace…”
The eunuch’s sharp, piercing voice echoed through the grand hall.
Nonsense! Slander! No – no, this is deliberate confusion!
Even if that were true, it was still a victory – they held Longgu City! That was a victory! How could that be falsifying military merit?
“Since it wasn’t falsified,” the Emperor said slowly, his gaze falling upon Attendant Scholar Gao, “then why was the matter of Linguan Fort concealed from top to bottom – why did no one investigate or report it? Why did you drive those Maoyuan Mountain brothers to bring their grievance all the way to the capital?”
Attendant Scholar Gao’s heart gave a heavy thud, and amidst the chaos in his mind, a few thoughts suddenly came clear.
“…I did wonder,” the Emperor’s voice continued from above, each word striking like a blow to Attendant Scholar Gao’s skull, “why that urgent courier came rushing back so quickly. Now I see – you were in a hurry indeed. In a hurry to stop the investigation.”
The words crashed down like thunder, and with that final sentence, Attendant Scholar Gao understood everything completely.
So that’s how it is!
Attendant Scholar Gao snapped his head toward Chen Shao.
Chen Shao!
He’d been played!
All along, he’d been steering the Emperor’s suspicions toward Chen Shao’s relationship with that Lady Cheng – yet hadn’t Chen Shao also been subtly guiding him to think exactly that way?
He’d fallen right into the trap!
He had thought Chen Shao was only trying to protect Lady Cheng, while he himself used the Maoyuan Mountain and Linguan Fort affair to drag Chen Shao down with him. But wasn’t Chen Shao thinking the very same thing?
To hell with “doing it for Lady Cheng,” or “for Maoyuan Mountain” – Chen Shao’s real aim was to make the Northwestern Command officially acknowledge and confirm the truth of the Linguan Fort incident!
Once that was confirmed, the Emperor’s suspicions were also confirmed.
If the Linguan Fort affair was true, what else might be true?
If the Linguan Fort affair had been hidden, what else might have been concealed?
A falsified military report itself was no great matter – it wasn’t fatal. Even if Zhou Fengxiang alone confessed, or if the entire Northwestern Command confessed, it still wouldn’t be terrifying.
What was truly terrifying – was the Emperor’s suspicion.
Now that the Emperor had begun to doubt the Northwestern Command, from this moment on, every action and every word of theirs would be viewed with distrust.
Damn it – this had dug out the very foundation of the Northwestern Command!
For a split second, Attendant Scholar Gao felt a murderous urge – he wanted nothing more than to tear Chen Shao apart right there and then.
How – how had it come to this?!
How had Chen Shao pulled it off, right under his very nose?!
He’d thought every step was under his own control, that every move was calculated – so he had relaxed his guard, and Chen Shao had slipped straight through the cracks.
His gaze fell upon Chen Shao and that miraculous physician woman. No matter how the Maoyuan Mountain affair turned out, the emperor already harbored disgust toward both of them. Attendant Scholar Gao had thought that meant certain victory – never realizing that while the mantis stalked the cicada, the oriole watched from behind.
Chen Shao! Attendant Scholar Gao gnashed his teeth so hard he nearly crushed them to dust.
The tightly sealed palace gates and audience hall doors could not keep the news from leaking out. Zhou Fengxiang’s memorial of self-reproach – accusing the Northwestern Command of falsifying military merit – spread like the wind, stirring up an even greater storm in a court that was already turbulent.
“Impressive – Zhou Fengxiang really went all in this time. He’s practically thrown away his career.”
“Minister Chen’s move is vicious and precise – he struck the Northwestern Command right where it hurts, left them no chance to fight back.”
“Sacrifice one Zhou Fengxiang to take down one Jiang Wenyuan – no, not just Jiang Wenyuan, his entire faction will be thrown into chaos. That’s a trade well worth it.”
“And this isn’t just about this time – if this military merit was falsified, then how many of the past ones were genuine?”
“Exactly – and of all times, this happens right after His Majesty was humiliated over those Maoyuan Mountain brothers. The whole world saw the emperor lose face, and he’s been stewing in anger with nowhere to vent it… And now the Northwestern Command has brought him a perfect target, gift-wrapped and delivered to his door. How could the Emperor not strike?”
“That’s it then. There’s definitely going to be a major investigation.”
“Wouldn’t be surprised if people start getting thrown into the Imperial Prison…”
“How many do you think it’ll be this time?”
“Ha! And here we thought the matter was settled – turns out this was only the beginning!”
All kinds of talk spread among the officials, and within a single day the rumors had even reached the taverns and teahouses.
“…Say what you will, at least that unlucky Lu Zheng is in the clear now. He’ll probably even be seen as loyal and perceptive…”
At the Zhang household, Old Master Zhang was speaking with one of his scholar-retainers.
The retainer nodded.
“Lu Zheng not only saved his own neck this time – he’ll likely be reinstated to his former post,” he said.
Old Master Zhang shook his head.
“He might even have the qualifications to vie for the next position of Imperial Censorate Deputy,” he said.
At that, the two men exchanged glances and shared a knowing smile.
The maid standing to the side could no longer hold back.
“Master, Master – what about my lady?” she asked anxiously. She didn’t care about any Lu Zheng or Northwestern Command – she only wanted to know how the Emperor had judged her lady’s case.
Old Master Zhang glanced at her, then at the scholar-retainer beside him.
“You see that? Three or four years have passed, and we’re still not considered part of her household,” he said with a faint smile.
After three or four years, the maid was long used to the old master’s temperament. Hearing this, she didn’t panic or take offense, but instead edged forward two steps.
“Master, I’m slow-witted – please don’t tease me,” she said, her eyes reddening.
“Ban Qin, it’s all right,” the retainer said with a smile. “Lu Zheng was one of the accusers, and so was your lady. Since Lu Zheng’s been cleared, your lady will naturally be fine too.”
The maid turned to Old Master Zhang. When he nodded in confirmation, she burst into tears of relief, clasped her hands, and whispered a prayer of thanks.
“Though she’s safe,” the retainer said, watching the maid run off happily, “it’s not as if she’s come out of this unscathed.”
Old Master Zhang stroked his beard in silence, his expression layered with meaning.
“No matter how this Northwestern affair ends – who prospers and who falls – she won’t find herself in a good position,” the retainer went on. “His Majesty will remember, and so will the courtiers – everyone knows how this whole matter began.”
“The moment she used her own reputation to stir this up, her fate was sealed.”
To use one’s fame as leverage to provoke unrest – such a thing was taboo in the eyes of the court, despised and never to be tolerated.
“So you’re saying she’s been used as a blade,” Old Master Zhang said with a faint smile. “But at least the matter of the Maoyuan Mountain brothers was finally given an explanation.”
“And what meaning does that explanation hold?” the retainer asked.
“The meaning lies in the very fact it was obtained,” Old Master Zhang replied, gently patting the scrolls on the desk. “What she wanted was simply for the Maoyuan Mountain brothers to receive an answer.”
The scholar glanced down and saw that the scroll was a copy of the Tai Ping Jing (Scripture of Great Peace).
“Besides,” Old Master Zhang added with a quiet chuckle, “big or small, living or dead -all those who ought to give an account have now done so. This blade – truly sharp, isn’t it?”
“Do you know about all the things they’ve done?”
Meanwhile, in Cheng Jiao-niang’s residence by the Yudai Bridge, Zhou Liu-lang spoke gravely.
“What things?” Cheng Jiao-niang asked.
“Who exaggerated and spread your reputation; who ordered Xu Sigen’s arrest; who arranged for the officers and soldiers to fan the flames; who rallied the common folk to build a living shrine for you at the Taiyi Palace…” Zhou Liu-lang’s jaw tightened, his hands clenching on his knees.
Who? Everyone. Those who opposed her, those who should have been friendly, those who bore grudges, those who owed favors – all of them.
Cheng Jiao-niang smiled.
“I don’t need to know,” she said calmly.
“But they profited by stepping on your name!” Zhou Liu-lang said through gritted teeth. “They’ve ruined you – you won’t be able to stay in the capital anymore!”
Fan Jianglin, who had been standing by the doorway, stopped when he heard those words.
“Sister,” he called softly, his hand tightening around the doorframe.
Was she really going to be cast out because of this?
“I can live wherever I choose,” Cheng Jiao-niang said, rising to her feet. “No person and no circumstance can make that inconvenient for me. And as for what others may have gained through me – I don’t care. I care only whether I have gained what I wanted.”
She didn’t care what others obtained – only whether she had achieved her own goal.
“You’re certainly taking it lightly,” Zhou Liu-lang said with a derisive snort. “Didn’t know you could be this magnanimous.”
“The petty one is you – and the one who keeps brooding over every little thing is also you,” Qin Shi’san-lang said with a laugh, finally breaking his silence. He reached out to pat Zhou Liu-lang on the shoulder as he stood up.
Indeed, everything that troubled him was of his own making. All those grievances, all that resentment – none of it had ever mattered to this girl in the slightest.
Zhou Liu-lang flung his hand aside, got to his feet, and strode out.
“What you want will probably take a little longer yet,” Qin Shi’san-lang said with a smile, bowing to Cheng Jiao-niang in farewell.
Because of the uproar surrounding Zhou Fengxiang, the Imperial Archives had no time for anything else. The commendations for the five heroes of Maoyuan Mountain, which were supposed to be finalized immediately, were naturally postponed.
“That matter isn’t urgent,” Cheng Jiao-niang said with a gentle smile, returning the bow.
That matter isn’t urgent? Then which one is?
Qin Shi’san-lang glanced at her and smiled knowingly. So – what she desired was far more than that. The things Chen Shao and the others sought were the very same things she pursued.
He had said it before: she wasn’t the knife. She was the one who forged the knife.
Poor Northwestern Command – they had no idea just how petty this girl could be.
