Deduction

"Commander Lu, Commander Lu, please wait... Please wait a moment! No one is permitted to barge into the Military Affairs Hall!" "Where is Zhan Xian'an?! I want to see that bastard right now!" "Good heavens, please don't make things difficult for this humble one. Commander-in-Chief Zhan suddenly activated the array, so there must be a reason for it. Please wait a moment—" "You sound like a damned eunuch! Out of my way! Zhan Xian'an, more than a dozen of my brothers died without explanation! Drag your ass out here and give an explanation!" "......" When Si Zijing followed Huang Shiwei to the Military Affairs Hall, a clamor of voices was drifting out from behind the half-ajar courtyard gate. Through the gap, one could see more than a dozen figures clad in military garb already gathered in the courtyard. He could recognize almost everyone inside. Aside from a few civil officials barring the entrance to the hall, the rest in military attire were all high-ranking generals of Zhenxi Manor. The Commander Lu who dared to openly curse Zhan Xian'an was none other than Lu Baizou, commander of the Xuanting Army within the Second Division of Zhenxi. Five detachments made a battalion, two battalions made an army, and a division—depending on the forces in question—was comprised of two to five armies. The Second Division of Zhenxi had a moderate establishment of three armies, of which the Xuanting Army was the elite, nearly at full strength. With these thoughts flashing through his mind, Si Zijing furrowed his brows and looked toward Huang Shiwei, silently asking about the situation in the courtyard. "This is the Young Master's idea. The Commandery Princess doesn't know who in Zhenxi Manor is loyal to her and who has defected to the sects. She can only take this opportunity to observe the reactions of the generals below to form a rough judgment." Huang Shiwei explained in a low voice via sound transmission, then sighed softly. "The situation here is even worse than you imagined. Not only has Zhenxi Manor been riddled with sect infiltration like a sieve, but even the Black Scale Guards' director in Xize Province has been turned." Hearing this, the corner of Si Zijing's eye twitched involuntarily. "Mu Qing?" "Yes. Confirmed by the Young Master personally." "Hah... and here I was thinking about catching up with him after meeting the Young Master." "It doesn't matter. The Young Master has no intention of eliminating him for now." "..." Si Zijing rolled his eyes. Getting entangled in the karma of a dead man walking was truly unnecessary. However, based on all the intelligence Huang Shiwei had shared, he felt it was high time for them to prepare an escape route. Since the sects had placed such heavy stakes here, they should simply withdraw immediately. The Chancellor's Manor had already passed the difficult era when it had to risk little to gain much just to survive; there was no need to keep taking risks here. Unfortunately, since the Third Young Master was present, the decision was not his to make. Sighing softly in his heart, Si Zijing whispered: "Going straight in right now might disrupt the Young Master's plans. Should we wait outside for a bit?" Huang Shiwei glanced at Si Zijing. "Who told you the Military Affairs Hall only has a front gate?" "......" "......" The Military Affairs Hall was a three-entry courtyard compound. Its interior decor bore little resemblance to a military garrison, instead looking like the study pavilion of an elegant scholar. Waterside pavilions and graceful terraces were arranged with refined elegance. Entering through the rear gate, Si Zijing soon followed Huang Shiwei to the foot of a three-story building with flying eaves. The door was ajar, unlatched, as if the person inside was already aware of their arrival. Seeing the half-open wooden door, Si Zijing frowned slightly. The incense within was heavy. Before even stepping inside, a fragrance akin to jasmine drifted into his nostrils, yet beneath the sweet scent, he caught a faint, lingering trace of blood. Someone had likely died inside. And as the Young Master's voice granted them entry, Si Zijing confirmed his suspicion the moment he stepped across the threshold. A folding screen embroidered with a painting of magnificent mountains and rivers divided the room in two. Resting quietly by the foot of this screen was a pool of mangled remains. It looked as though it had been crushed from top to bottom by some immense force; flesh, blood, and bone shards were mashed together into an unrecognizable mess. Yet, taking into account what Huang Shiwei had recounted on their way here, the identity of this pile of meat paste was already glaringly obvious. The Third Young Master had quietly done away with Zhan Xian'an—the top authority over military and administrative affairs in Zhenxi Prefectural City. A tumult of emotions surged in his chest; for a moment, he didn't know how to react. Before arriving, Si Zijing had entertained thoughts of advising the Third Young Master to leave. But the appearance of this corpse showed that the Third Young Master was determined to see this course through to the bitter end. Si Zijing suppressed his thoughts and, together with Huang Shiwei beside him, bowed his head toward the figure behind the screen. "Third Young Master." Behind the screen, a voice tinged with a smile quietly drifted out: "No need for formalities. Speaking through a screen was just Zhan Xian'an's pretentious habit. Now that he's dead, come on in." Hearing this, Huang Shiwei and Si Zijing skirted around the screen and saw the scene within. There were two people in the room. Both were positioned behind a desk—a man and a woman, one standing and one sitting, the distinction between primary and subordinate clearly marked. With a brief glance, Si Zijing recognized their identities. The woman was likely the Commandery Princess of Zhenxi Manor, while the unfamiliar-faced man was presumably the Third Young Master in disguise. After a brief pause, before Si Zijing could speak, the man standing behind the heroic-looking woman spoke in a calm voice: "Mr. Huang, please accompany Junwu to the front courtyard. Dismiss those generals to prepare for battle. Junwu will handle the details as she sees fit; you only need to reveal your cultivation when appropriate." Without asking for details, Huang Shiwei cupped his hands in a salute. "Understood." Xu Yuan patted Li Junwu's shoulder lightly and whispered via sound transmission: "I've analyzed everything I can for you. Rely on your own judgment to discern which of those generals are loyal to your family. There's no time to lose—go now." Li Junwu gave an imperceptible pout and said nothing in reply, simply standing up and leading Huang Shiwei out of the building. Watching the two depart, Si Zijing's voice abruptly broke the silence in the quiet room: "Third Young Master, are you intending to secretly support the Commandery Princess in taking control of the Marquis of Zhenxi's Manor?" Looking back at the question, Xu Yuan appraised Si Zijing for a moment before chuckling. "When it comes to putting her in power, I've never hidden a single thing. Why speak of 'secretly supporting' her, Mr. Si?" Si Zijing bowed his head, knowing the Young Master's mind was made up. He sighed inwardly. "...This Si was thoughtless." Xu Yuan dropped into Li Junwu's former seat and asked with a smile: "Mr. Si, I told you there's no need for formalities. You must have seen the situation in the front courtyard on your way in. Do you think that Lu Baizou is trustworthy?" Si Zijing's eyes flickered, avoiding a direct answer: "Though Marquis Zhenxi rose from the military ranks, to have reached his current position, his methods of governing subordinates can hardly be weak." Xu Yuan shook his head with a chuckle, narrowing his eyes. "Saying that is no different from saying nothing at all." A hint of embarrassment surfaced on Si Zijing's face. Yet these few exchanges had allowed him to sketch a rough outline of the Third Young Master's temperament. He pivoted to analyze: "Although Lu Baizou appears to have a rift with Zhan Xian'an, if he truly were a trusted confidant planted by Marquis Zhenxi, he would not display it so openly—or at least, he wouldn't sing such an obvious tune of opposition." Hearing this, a spark of interest entered Xu Yuan's eyes. "A reasonable point. Such an overt display of suspicion would inevitably chill the hearts of subordinates. Are you saying those generals defending Zhan Xian'an are the ones truly loyal to Marquis Zhenxi?" Si Zijing lowered his gaze, cupping his hands. "The information is insufficient; this humble official dares not draw a rash conclusion. I beg the Young Master's pardon." Xu Yuan tapped on the desk. Seeing the other man's attitude of refusing to entangle himself in trouble, he didn't press the matter, instead saying: "Forget it. I won't make things difficult for you. I called you here merely to ask a few things." Si Zijing raised his eyes to observe Xu Yuan's expression and spoke in a low voice: "Please ask, Young Master. This humble official will hold nothing back." Xu Yuan fell silent for a long while before slowly asking: "I heard that you split into two groups to pursue Qin Weishu, and the other group seemed to run into the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion Master. That fellow Xu Changge... is he still alive?"