During the morning roll call at the Dingyuan City Six Doors yamen, the assembled Silver Robes, Bronze Badges, and Iron Rulers split into three distinct factions.
First was the most powerful faction, centered on Silver Robe Xia, which consisted solely of Xia Miaozheng and Shen Qianjun.
Next came the largest group, the "local snakes." They were barely neutral, lingering on the sidelines and biding their time.
Finally, there was the faction of "river-crossing dragons"—the contingent of Bronze Badge constables Tian Muchuan had brought along. Though few in number, they were the most tightly knit of the three. Barring any surprises, they would blend into the local faction before long. After all, they had come here to serve as officials, and their objective matched that of the locals: nothing more than securing promotions and amassing wealth. As such, there was little genuine conflict of interest between them.
For the moment, however, the atmosphere was fraught with tension, as the newcomer faction harbored open hostility toward Shen Qianjun of the Silver Robe Xia camp. Had they not fought for their due, the credit they had painstakingly earned previously would have been credited to Shen Qianjun. Were it not for Xia Miaozheng and Tian Muchuan sharing the rank of Silver Robe head constable, someone of Shen Qianjun's standing would have been dealt with by them long ago.
"It seems you are all getting along quite well," Dingyuan Prefect Shangguan Shutong said, stepping into the hall accompanied by his retinue, a faint smile on his lips.
Seeing him enter, everyone rose and bowed in greeting.
"All right, there is no need for ceremony. Be seated," Shangguan Shutong said after returning their bow. "I have come here on urgent business."
He could tell Tian Muchuan had mistakenly assumed he was here to support Xia Miaozheng, so he offered a brief explanation. In truth, he had no time or inclination right now to fuss over this supposed "daughter" of his.
"Have you seen the intelligence from the Windwhisper Bureau?" Shangguan Shutong asked.
"Lord Shangguan, I only took up my official duties this morning, so I have not read it yet," Tian Muchuan replied directly.
"Is it about the Lotus Fragrance Cult?" Xia Miaozheng spoke up at once.
"Precisely," Shangguan Shutong said with a nod. "According to reports from our informants, members of the Lotus Fragrance Cult have already infiltrated our Dingyuan City. They appear to be plotting something major."
"However..." Shangguan Shutong sighed, adding helplessly, "The informant we planted inside them was turned."
Hearing this, Wei Yuefu found it rather odd. Just what kind of compensation were they offering that even their own informant could be turned?
He understood what Shangguan Shutong meant: the only certainty at present was that the Lotus Fragrance Cult intended to cause trouble, while everything else remained a complete unknown. As for what the Lotus Fragrance Cult even was, Wei Yuefu had no idea either; Ding Shoucheng's memories contained no mention of such an organization. After all, the Sifang Martial Arts Hall was merely a small martial arts hall, and Songyang County was an insignificant place, far from well-informed. In fact, the other Bronze Badge constables from Songyang County looked just as bewildered as he was.
Only Tian Muchuan wore a thoughtful expression, having evidently heard of the Lotus Fragrance Cult before.
"How is that possible?" Disbelief colored Xia Miaozheng's voice.
"Nothing is impossible," Shangguan Shutong replied. "Within three days, your Six Doors must uproot every single Lotus Fragrance Cult member in Dingyuan City."
"My lord, three days may not be enough!" Tian Muchuan blurted out, growing anxious. How could anyone manage that in three days?
"That is precisely why I promoted you," Shangguan Shutong said immediately. "Do you not have a man under your command who excels at man-hunting, one who captured Yuanxiang in just a few short days? With him here, it should pose no problem."
Wei Yuefu was utterly speechless. So this whole scheme was aimed straight at him.
"Do not blame me for giving you so little time," Shangguan Shutong said, a look of helplessness surfacing on his face. "I have already done everything within my power. Last night, Liulin County rebelled. The county magistrate was murdered, and the Six Doors yamen there was slaughtered to the last man. As for how things stand this morning, no word has reached us yet."
When those words landed, everyone froze.
"Is it connected to the Lotus Fragrance Cult?" Wei Yuefu asked without delay. He had already anticipated something of the sort, so he was not particularly shocked.
"I do not know," Shangguan Shutong replied, shaking his head. "That is for you to investigate." Had he known, he would not be in such a passive position. It was precisely this total lack of information that made the situation so thorny.
"Have troops been dispatched to suppress the rebellion?" Tian Muchuan asked in turn.
"They have set out, but... I fear the outlook is grim." Shangguan Shutong was well aware of how rotten Dingyuan City—no, the entire Great Jing Dynasty—had become. The military was no exception; padding muster rolls with phantom soldiers and bleeding the ranks dry were ubiquitous practices. Shangguan Shutong was powerless to change it; that was simply the state of the realm. Even if he wished to push through reforms, he lacked the means, and had he dared to try, he would have been the first to die. Consequently, no one could place much hope in the soldiers sent to quell the revolt.
Wei Yuefu's brow twitched faintly at Shangguan Shutong's words.
"You need not concern yourselves with those matters. Find the Lotus Fragrance Cult as quickly as possible, lest complications arise," Shangguan Shutong said. His greatest fear was that the cult would seize this opportunity to coordinate from within and without. If the rebels were allowed inside, Dingyuan City would fall beyond all doubt.
"My lord, I cannot make any guarantees," Tian Muchuan said in a heavy voice. "At most, we will do our utmost." There was no such thing as absolute certainty in matters like this. Though Shangguan Shutong held a higher rank, Tian Muchuan was not genuinely intimidated if it came down to a confrontation.
Shangguan Shutong naturally understood that such things could not be resolved purely by mortal effort; luck played a role as well. In the end, he could only compromise without pressing the issue further. After all, he already had more than enough vexing problems on his plate.
"I know there is bad blood between you and Bronze Badge Shen," Shangguan Shutong added. "However, this time I must ask you to work together in full harmony. After all, the fate of the entire Dingyuan Prefecture is at stake. If disaster truly strikes, none of us will fare well."
His meaning was unmistakable: if they wanted to fight, they could do so after this crisis passed. Right now, they were all grasshoppers tied to the same string, and none of them had better cause any trouble.
"My lord must be joking," Tian Muchuan replied without missing a beat. "Bronze Badge Shen and I hail from the same hometown. How could there possibly be bad blood between us?" Such friction could never be admitted in public, only denied. An old hand in officialdom like Tian Muchuan understood the taboos of the bureaucracy all too well.
"As long as you understand what is at stake," Shangguan Shutong said, turning to leave. He knew full well that a few words from him could not dissolve their grudges, but saying what needed to be said would at least force them to show some restraint.
Once the prefect was gone, Tian Muchuan said in a cold tone, "Silver Robe Xia, the two of us ought to be the ones laying out the plan, shouldn't we?"
The highest rank within the Dingyuan City Six Doors was Silver Robe, and since they were the only two present, they were naturally the ones to determine the course of action. As for the other Bronze Badges and Iron Rulers, they had only the right to offer suggestions, not the power to make decisions.
Sensing the hostility in Tian Muchuan's voice, Xia Miaozheng responded at once, "There is no need. Bronze Badge Shen and I will simply fill in any gaps. Silver Robe Tian, you may arrange the rest as you see fit."
Her words sounded accommodating, but in truth, she was removing herself and Shen Qianjun from his direct control, securing complete operational autonomy. Tian Muchuan was free to issue whatever orders he pleased, but none of them would fall upon her or Shen Qianjun.
Chapter 27