Late at night, all was quiet.
The commandery seat of Bianning Commandery had already settled into stillness, with only the night watchman's cries echoing over the city. On the empty streets, sparse footsteps occasionally scuffed the paving stones as a patrol of night watch soldiers marched past. Even in military uniform, they still looked like a band of scoundrels.
It was wartime, and the city was under a nightly curfew. Yet nightfarers flitted about across the rooftops, leaping high and low; the patrolling soldiers simply pretended not to see them.
Meanwhile, several officials' mansions were brightly illuminated, alive with singing, dancing, and music—a picture of peaceful prosperity.
In the rear garden of the vice prefect's residence, Sun Chao'en had laid out a table with wine, where Wei Yuan and Yue Qilin were seated. Yue Qilin wore a thoroughly glum expression, keeping his head down and downing cup after cup in brooding silence.
Wei Yuan had only just arrived and did not yet know what had happened, so he asked casually.
Sun Chao'en sighed. "Song Chao, the colonel who died not long ago, has a cousin named Song Zhongliang serving as a court remonstrator. When this Song Zhongliang learned of his elder brother's death, he wanted to come and fetch his sister-in-law and the children back. The children wouldn't have been an issue, but the lovely sister-in-law is currently living at General Yue's manor. How could he possibly let him take her away?"
"And then?"
"So Song Zhongliang submitted several memorials in court, snapping at everyone indiscriminately and trumping up numerous charges against General Yue. On top of that, the deficit from our recent grain sales was a bit too large, and several granaries had to be burned down one after another. Yuan Qingyan seized upon that leverage and joined in with an impeachment memorial of his own. Oh, and Provincial Commander Yue has offended the eunuch faction. And so, with all sides joining forces, the court stripped General Yue of his post and reassigned him to an idle position. The general taking over his post is already on the road and will arrive in a couple of days."
Yue Qilin said, "I don't really care about the generalship, but Feng Lin, who's taking my place, is Yuan Qingyan's hound. If he digs relentlessly, certain things won't be able to stay buried."
Wei Yuan could be of no help in this matter.
If there was anything that could not be covered up, it was the whereabouts of a million jin of military grain. The sheer volume was simply too colossal, riddling the affair with holes that could never withstand a serious investigation.
Yet Sun Chao'en was not worried in the slightest. He chuckled and said, "General Yue, there is no need to fret. Laying low in an idle post for a few days might actually be for the best. A tall tree catches the wind; your uncle's position is precarious as well right now. If you still wielded military authority, it would only draw undue attention."
Yue Qilin froze, a sharp glint flickering in his eyes. "Has Lord Sun heard some rumors?"
Sun Chao'en raised his cup toward the west. "Speaking of which, it has something to do with that figure out west. The latest word from court is that he just shattered the Shaman army, slew two Great Shamans on the battlefield, and severely wounded a prominent Shaman figure, sending him fleeing for his life. The Shamans' power in the Western Regions has been drastically diminished; for the time being, they have completely lost the capacity to invade."
Yue Qilin glanced at Wei Yuan, his eyes brimming with shock and suspicion. At their last meeting, he had known Wei Yuan was capable of great things, but he had never imagined Wei Yuan's exploits would grow on such an escalating scale, showing no signs of stopping.
Wei Yuan frowned inwardly as well. That battle had ended only a few days ago, yet not only did the Western Jin court already know about it, they had even dispatched word back down to the Western Regions. Such information transfer was uncomfortably efficient.
He had no idea how many Western Jin spies lurked within his domain. Preventing such infiltration was impossible, nor would Wei Yuan deliberately waste effort scouring them out. However, people had only entered the domain lately without being permitted to leave; how had those spies managed to transmit their intelligence outward?
Wei Yuan resolved in secret that once he returned, he would thoroughly purge the domain.
Sun Chao'en continued, "With the Shamans incapable of invading anytime soon, Provincial Commander Yue has become somewhat redundant. Certain figures in court wish to transfer him back north. If Governor Chen hadn't pushed back against all those voices, an imperial envoy might already be on the way."
Yue Qilin was stunned. "Isn't it a bit early to kill the donkey once the grinding is done?"
Sun Chao'en shot another glance at Wei Yuan. "This isn't slaughtering the donkey after the grind—it's clearing room for someone else. Your uncle does not wish to deploy troops against the west, but others do, which is why his position has become unstable. Just the day before yesterday, Censor Zuo submitted a memorial accusing Provincial Commander Yue of colluding with outlaws, fostering bandits to enhance his own importance, and allowing the brigands to grow stronger by the day. He demanded your uncle be stripped of his post and thrown into prison for rigorous interrogation."
Yue Qilin slammed the table hard, roaring in fury, "Those bastards!!"
After gulping down several cups of sullen wine, Yue Qilin looked at Sun Chao'en with a touch of suspicion. "A memorial submitted just the day before yesterday, and you already know about it today? How are your sources so well-informed?"
Sun Chao'en smiled faintly. "I have now entered the Right Prime Minister's camp, and the entire court is filled with my examination classmates and old acquaintances. Besides, I am diligent when it comes to writing letters, so naturally my news travels fast."
Yue Qilin's face cooled. "In other words, I've already lost my post, and my uncle is about to lose his as well. Why did you even invite me to this meal?"
Then he added, "Though dining with Mister Zhang is something I'm always glad to do."
Wei Yuan said nothing, waiting for Sun Chao'en's follow-up. He had business to attend to at this dinner, and he was confident Sun Chao'en would not squander a meal's worth of time either.
Sure enough, Sun Chao'en said, "General Yue, you wound me with such detachment. We are men who have split tens of thousands of taels of immortal silver together! With a life-and-death friendship like ours, do you still mistrust me? Cliques and factions—friends come before the faction! One must first be friends before forming a clique. Simply sitting on the same side does not make a faction."
Yue Qilin's expression softened slightly, though he smiled bitterly. "I don't even have an office anymore. What right do I have to join a faction?"
"Aren't ups and downs the norm in officialdom? Which of the venerable lords at court hasn't risen and fallen multiple times? Taking half a step back for now will see you returning before long."
Sun Chao'en spoke with an enigmatic air. Yue Qilin leaned forward. "Then I beg Lord Sun to enlighten me!"
"Your predicament happens to tie in with Mister Zhang's affairs. I've pondered this for the past two days, and an opportunity happened to present itself."
Sun Chao'en brought out a map and unfolded it. It was hand-drawn, depicting the entire Western Regions as well as several thousand li inside and outside Hanyang Pass. Wei Yuan could tell at a glance that the map was exceptionally accurate and detailed; a sudden urge to seize it crossed his mind.
Sun Chao'en chuckled. "I will give this map to you afterward."
Yue Qilin looked slightly uneasy, but held his tongue. Having commanded troops for many years, he knew that placing such a map in Wei Yuan's hands was like giving wings to a tiger. The question was, the scope of this map covered only the Western Regions—what did Wei Yuan intend to do with it? Did he want to push east... or push east?
Clearing his throat, Sun Chao'en turned to the main business: "Princess Ningguo of Zhao is traveling as an envoy to Western Jin to celebrate Consort Yuan's birthday. The diplomatic mission originally intended to travel through the interior, but with the Shamans repelled, they have changed their route to pass through the Western Regions, entering the passes via Hanyang Pass before heading to the royal capital. This route saves a thousand li of travel. When this delegation reaches Bianning Commandery, General Feng Lin—the man replacing General Yue—should just be taking up his post. Escorting the delegation will fall squarely under his duties.
"Therefore, my recommendation is that General Yue should hand over his duties briskly, leaving Feng Lin to take on this assignment without delay."
"Something is going to happen to the delegation?"
Sun Chao'en said, "Such a massive delegation will surely fail to escape the clutches of the Heaven-Battling Gang!"
Wei Yuan nearly spat out his mouthful of wine. Then, growing thoughtful, he asked, "And to what extent do you envision the Heaven-Battling Gang striking?"
"A few escorts must certainly die, and a few valuables might be lost as well—only then can the prowess of the Heaven-Battling Gang be demonstrated. That said, Princess Ningguo is said to be as lovely as a celestial maiden and favored by karmic luck, so she will surely come to no harm. She is also Consort Yuan's younger sister, so nobody would truly dare lay a hand on her without serious thought."
Wei Yuan's expression darkened. "Do you think the Heaven-Battling Gang could withstand a punitive campaign launched by two nations?"
Sun Chao'en replied, "The robbery is merely putting on a show for onlookers. The main point is that someone wishes to witness the Heaven-Battling Gang's capability, and conveniently arrange a meeting with the gang's chieftain."
Wei Yuan asked, "Who wants to meet?"
"Wang Qian, Marquis of Xiang." Sun Chao'en handed over a sheet of jade paper.
Wei Yuan took it and examined it closely. Wang Qian was the maternal uncle of Western Jin's Consort Yuan, holding an office in the Ministry of Rites. Though of high rank, he possessed little real authority, having been enfeoffed as Marquis of Xiang solely on account of his kinship with Consort Yuan. Why would such an utterly disconnected figure suddenly seek an audience with him?
Sun Chao'en explained in detail.
Consort Yuan was originally a princess of Zhao. When she became the King of Jin's honored consort three years ago, the king did not hold court for an entire month. Nor was Consort Yuan an easy woman to deal with; ever since securing his exclusive favor, she had placed her relatives in posts far and wide on a massive scale. Since she was a Zhao princess herself, the kin she promoted were all from her maternal side. This Marquis of Xiang was a core figure in Consort Yuan's faction.
Wei Yuan was well-versed in history, and in the blink of an eye he grasped the underlying connections. "Consort Yuan is looking for outside backing?"
"Indeed. Word leaked out from the marquis's side and reached me through back channels. I felt you also needed someone to speak for you in court, so I pulled the strings to connect you."
The more Yue Qilin listened, the more alarmed he became. "Hey! You two don't need to discuss this sort of thing right in front of me! I heard nothing, understand? Absolutely nothing!"
Sun Chao'en chuckled. "Once the delegation is ambushed, Feng Lin cannot escape the charge of dereliction of duty. General Yue will be restored to his post in no time."
"But I don't want to get dragged into Consort Yuan's mess!" Yue Qilin exclaimed.
Sun Chao'en smiled like a sly fox. "I fear that is not up to you. Consort Yuan has her eye on Provincial Commander Yue; you're merely thrown in for good measure."
Wei Yuan frowned. "So I'm supposed to become part of the consort kin faction?"
"Didn't you say long ago that you wanted to find a towering tree to lean on at court? Consort Yuan's tree isn't small; she commands a whole faction, at the very least."
Wei Yuan felt a headache coming on. "I did intend to get involved so I could fish in troubled waters, but I never planned on joining the consort kin. If I hadn't read your intelligence brief, I wouldn't even have known the consort kin counted as their own faction."
Sun Chao'en countered, "If the consort kin weren't weak, how would you even have a chance to take part? The pure stream and the nobility wish nothing more than to eradicate you. If not the consort kin, then tell me, which other faction would ever offer you an opening?"
Wei Yuan replied, "The eunuch faction."
Chapter 244