Tianhui Bridge was a multi-span wooden bridge that crossed Zhongjing's inner river, a celebrated scenic sight of the city. Built during the Chang Dynasty, it was divided into nine sections that rose and dipped in winding, zigzagging progression.
Every segment was carved with dragons and phoenixes, bordered by outward-flaring vermilion wooden balustrades. At their terminal ends, beast heads gripped jade bells in their jaws; whenever a gentle breeze brushed past, the bells tinkled with crisp, cool notes.
By day, because the waterfall rushing down from Modu Cliff surged right beside its middle spans, the churning waters made the bridge appear like a rainbow vaulting across a ravine, piercing through clouds and mists in magnificent, breathtaking splendor.
Come nightfall, stone lotus-shaped lamps along the railings were lit, their glowing light mirrored upon the river's glassy surface in dazzling, flowing hues that were even more enchanting to behold.
Moreover, standing upon different sections of the bridge and gazing out from various angles offered vistas of nearly all the medieval scenic sights within Zhongjing.
The meeting place Fan Zhentong had arranged with Chen Chuan was the fourth section of Tianhui Bridge. Beside the bridge here stood Ziyang Tower, formerly the old altar of the Xuan Sect.
When Chen Chuan arrived, Fan Zhentong had already gotten there, currently standing by the balustrade and gazing into the distance.
Chen Chuan walked over, came to a halt beside Fan Zhentong, and greeted him.
Fan Zhentong acknowledged his greeting and said, "Over the past two days, quite a few people learned that you and I were on the delegation together, Commissioner Chen, and that I've backed you in the past. So they sought me out, hoping I'd intercede on their behalf and get you to let those people go."
Chen Chuan offered a slight smile. "I imagine that was an exercise in futility."
"They don't understand me, nor do they understand you," Fan Zhentong said. "They thought I would agree to such a thing, and that I had enough leverage to persuade you."
His tone carried a tinge of contempt. "Those squirming, self-seeking vermin know only how to scramble within the web we spun together with them, never realizing that the only reason this fragile web hasn't torn is because we hold back our strength, reluctant to break it of our own accord.
"That gave them the illusion that we fear this web as well, that we are naturally bound by it.
"They fail to understand that what you, Commissioner Chen, and many of us have been doing is actually maintaining this web. But if they themselves refuse to play by the rules, there is no longer any reason for us to abide by them either."
Chen Chuan looked down at the pleasure boats cruising beneath the bridge in orderly lines. "Those unwilling to abide by the rules need only be weeded out," he said. "Only by sweeping away the grime and dust can we better face the Great Impact."
Fan Zhentong nodded. "Purge the internal rot before confronting external foes.
"Commissioner Chen, I know your Purist Faction has been trying to secure a recommendation from the Nature Faction. Now that you've arrested their people, it severely hinders your chances of getting recommended for the Supreme Advisory Council.
"Still, if you ask me, you handled it splendidly. Some among us find you very much to their taste, though there are also those who are quite displeased with you, thinking you lack 'prudence.' But pay them no mind. Whether they are there or not, they aren't on our side anyway."
Hearing this, Chen Chuan asked, "Mr. Fan, have you formally entered the Supreme Advisory Council?"
"Yes," Fan Zhentong replied. "I've passed the hearing procedures and am now a full member of the council."
Chen Chuan said, "Congratulations, Mr. Fan."
Fan Zhentong seemed relatively indifferent. "It just means heavier responsibilities and more matters to worry about. The adversaries are different; every stage has its own enemies."
He turned to Chen Chuan. "Regardless, I stand on your side, Commissioner Chen. If they ask for my opinion, I will cast my vote for you. I very much look forward to having you as my colleague."
Chen Chuan smiled. "Then allow me to thank you in advance for your support, Mr. Fan."
Fan Zhentong waved it off. "A minor matter. I saw your article. It was very well written. Such pieces are difficult for people like us to publish—not because we don't share the sentiment, but because we are bound by the accords, making it improper for us to write such things in public periodicals. You, however, are not yet bound by such restrictions. It worked out perfectly."
Chen Chuan understood. In a nation with such tight control as Great Shun, martial artists were typically forbidden from intervening in public discourse and controversies, as that could easily lead to artificial deification.
The government barely had enough time to conceal the traces of martial artists, let alone grant them opportunities for public self-promotion.
In the agreement he had signed previously, this had been of paramount importance. But that was then; now, it was virtually defunct.
It seemed the higher-ups' continued delay in having him sign the new accords was likely a deliberate loophole left open by the Progressive Faction.
If so, everything he had done aligned perfectly with their intentions.
Fan Zhentong said, "Commissioner Chen, your writing focused primarily on Skyline. That and the former imperial household appear to be two separate matters, but in truth, they are one and the same. Supporting Skyline means agreeing to maintain a hard line against the former imperial household. Opposing it means the reverse. It is that simple. Therefore, what we must do is bring those people down, even if it requires force."
He had always been straightforward, speaking plainly without beating around the bush.
"Without carving out the rotting flesh from our own body, we cannot go into battle against external foes unencumbered. In the process, we can also filter out who stands with us and who the weaklings are. Even once the Great Impact arrives, those people will still be our enemies. In my view, it's far better to wipe them out ahead of time."
Chen Chuan asked, "Do you know what stage the negotiations with the former imperial household have reached?"
Fan Zhentong said, "We presented many harsh conditions to the former imperial household, and to our surprise, they actually showed signs of agreeing.
"Certain people at the top used that as an excuse, arguing that if we can obtain all this without shedding blood, why waste manpower and resources to take it by force?"
He sneered derisively. "That is nothing more than the former imperial household shedding its tail to survive, trading concessions for a momentary lease on life. If we truly follow their proposal, it may look like an immediate gain on the surface, but we will forfeit what we truly ought to claim and lose our final opportunity to integrate the Melded Lands."
Chen Chuan knew he was right. Even if the former imperial household made substantial concessions, handing over those territories would take time. A few delays here, some bureaucratic procedural stalling there, and before anyone noticed, more than half a year would slip away.
Shortly after that, the Great Impact might already be upon them, at which point the Great Shun government would likely have no energy left to deal with the former imperial household. Those people would be able to weather the crisis—and perhaps even reclaim their lost territory with the aid of outside forces, potentially threatening Great Shun from the rear.
Yet politics was the art of compromise. After the maneuvering between the two sides, the most likely outcome was not necessarily the optimal solution, but a compromise acceptable to both parties—which was likely what the Conservative Faction aimed to achieve.
Chen Chuan could see that Fan Zhentong was clearly dissatisfied with such a potential outcome.
Fan Zhentong said, "Seizing the time right now to thoroughly eradicate the former imperial household is what's truly essential, and what benefits us the most."
Chen Chuan nodded. "At a time like this, taking a more aggressive approach is indeed called for."
Fan Zhentong said, "Commissioner Chen, having those words from you is enough."
Hearing this, Chen Chuan could roughly anticipate that Fan Zhentong's faction was undoubtedly preparing to make a move.
Even if they didn't act personally, they would most likely mobilize the forces at their disposal.
Evidently, as the Great Impact approached, the confrontation between the Conservative Faction and the Progressive Faction was beginning to bring their respective cards onto the table.
Fan Zhentong asked, "Commissioner Chen, have you figured out how you want to walk the path ahead?"
Chen Chuan replied, "I have some initial ideas."
Fan Zhentong said, "If you encounter anything, feel free to come to me. I walked this path as well; we can compare notes."
"I will certainly seek your guidance when the opportunity arises, Senior Fan," Chen Chuan said. He reached into his pocket, took out the relic Fan Zhentong had previously entrusted to him, and offered it back. "Mr. Fan, thank you. If not for this item of yours, I might not have passed that trial so easily back then."
Fan Zhentong did not take it. "Keep it," he said. "In your hands, this item serves a far greater purpose than it ever could in mine."
Seeing his stance, Chen Chuan did not insist on ceremony. He voiced his thanks and put the item away.
Fan Zhentong turned around and looked toward Ziyang Tower with its eighteen-tiered eaves.
"I've had the full fish banquet at Ziyang Tower once before; it was excellent. Beneath Red Mound lies an immortality fissure, from which countless fish species from the Melded Lands surge into the inner river channels each year. Among them, a dish called 'Golden Pearl and Jade Dew Soup,' made with eight kinds of fish roe, is the most delicious.
"Eating good food and conducting business don't have to get in each other's way. Commissioner Chen, since I asked you out today, let me treat you to a meal here. Let's go."
With that, he took the lead toward Ziyang Tower.
Chen Chuan glanced up at the magnificent, towering structure, then quickened his pace to walk alongside him.
After enjoying a fine meal at Ziyang Tower, Chen Chuan bid farewell to Fan Zhentong and returned to the Ministry of National Security.
He first fed Chaoming, then sat before his desk, lost in thought.
The faction represented by Fan Zhentong was undoubtedly the Progressive Faction. Since they intended to make a move, there was no harm in him adding some fuel to the fire.
Having weighed his thoughts, he drew pen and paper toward him and began drafting another article.
In his previous piece, he had taken a clear and firm stance supporting the expansion of Skyline; in this one, he aimed his spearhead straight at the former imperial household.
In this essay, he pulled no punches whatsoever, openly castigating the Conservative Faction and laying bare the intricate web of vested interests between them and the former imperial household.
Through their cooperation with the former imperial household, these people siphoned immense profits year after year, parasites clinging to the body of the state beyond any shadow of a doubt.
It was precisely they who went to such lengths to obstruct Skyline, because they refused to see the collapse of the former imperial household, scheming by every conceivable means to derail the initiative.
At present, only he could say such things, and only he dared to say them.
Without the binding restrictions of the accords, so long as he did not openly pit himself against the government or engage in reckless wanton destruction, he could not be held liable at all. Those people were currently powerless against him; whatever obstacles and restrictions they could muster could not shake him in the slightest.
He was using precisely this to violently stir the pot and keep the flames burning bright.
Once he finished writing, he had Hongfu polish the text a bit, then directly transmitted the article under his title as Administrative Commissioner of the Ministry of National Security.
At this very moment, numerous media outlets and periodicals were still bickering over his previous article, but several days had passed after all; both sides had already laid out their arguments, and the furor had cooled slightly.
Yet the moment this new piece appeared, it immediately struck like a boulder tossed into still waters, stirring up thousands of surging waves.
Chapter 1373