Chapter 496: A Cornered Gambler

Chapter496: The Gambler at the End of the Road

Chongqing Prefecture.

After hanging up the call with Yang Bai Ze’s projection, Rui Hangjian sat at a desk, his gaze once more catching the lingering image of the Yellow Springs Dream invitation. He furrowed his brow, murmuring softly, “Still so relentless, isn’t it?”

Rui Hangjian pondered for a moment, picked up a pen lying on the inkstone, dipped it in ink, and began writing on white paper. The brush strokes danced like dragons and serpents.

The ink marks intertwined, a carefree ‘Zhu’ character leaping onto the page.

“Then let’s see what you truly intend to do.”

Rui Hangjian smirked coldly, tossing the pen aside and closing his eyes slowly.

“Connection.”

A faint sensation of weightlessness flickered, then cold, damp warmth spread across his face.

Rui Hangjian opened his eyes again, and before him lay a blizzard of snow.

In the distance, a towering four-directional palace stood defiantly against the storm, its nine beams, eighteen pillars, and seventy-two ridges a testament to precision. Within, steel and iron formed its bones; outside, luxurious wood clad its frame. Each level stretched eighty-one zhang, layered in nine-nine multiples.

The world was round, the emperor’s domain.

“You finally agreed to see me?”

A bold, carefree laugh echoed from behind. Rui Hangjian did not turn, slowly shifting his gaze from the palace to his hands, his thin frame now even more hunched.

“Since you have the means to leave the palace and enter the barbarian lands, why not come to Chongqing Prefecture to see me? Why arrange this meeting in the Yellow Springs Dream?”

“Circumstances change. Now, Zhang Fengyu is staring at a pair of eyes, tallying the gains of the new policy’s first phase—his heart is full of ambition. I don’t want to interfere with his success at this moment.”

“You also know the royal family still holds some Yellow Springs authority. Meeting here avoids the risk of eavesdropping. I did this for your safety.”

Rui Hangjian’s weathered face twisted into disdain, “Then I truly owe you a debt of gratitude, Lord Zhu.”

“Everyone are old acquaintances. Why not call me ‘Learning Brother’ instead of ‘Lord Zhu’? After all, I’ve often recalled our days as fellow students in the New Donglin Academy, studying together in hardship.”

Zhu Pingyan strode past Rui Hangjian, emerging from the night, standing beside him.

“Since you cherish the memory, why not build the dream as a school instead of a palace?”

Zhu Pingyan asked with a smile, “What’s the difference?”

Rui Hangjian replied bluntly, “If this were in the New Donglin Academy, I’d call you ‘Learning Brother’—it would be natural. Here, I can only address you as ‘Lord Zhu.’”

“Strange that after so many years, you still hold such rigid principles.”

Zhu Pingyan chuckled, “Whether ‘Learning Brother’ or ‘Lord Zhu,’ it’s just a title. Call me whatever you prefer.”

“This snow… isn’t too bad.”

“Do you not find this siege-like snowstorm fitting for our current predicament?”

“I only feel cold. My Chongqing Prefecture has been warm all this time.”

Rui Hangjian let the words hang in the air, then stepped forward.

The snow obscured the path, endless and bleak.

The two walked side by side yet remained silent, each lost in thought.

In the distance, the palace’s silhouette loomed, its outline visible through the fractured snow. A massive sedan chair, its top inscribed with ‘Wu Men,’ stood at the palace’s base.

Zhu Pingyan sensed something clearly: if he did not speak now, by the time they reached the Wu Men gate, Rui Hangjian would have already left this dream.

Realizing this, he could no longer hold back. “The Spring Autumn Society has invited you many times, but you’ve always refused. Rui Hangjian, do you still wish to join us? If you nod, I can offer you a vice-chairman position now.”

Rui Hangjian replied coldly, “Different paths do not meet. No matter how many times you ask, my answer remains unchanged.”

“All of us seek to overthrow the New Donglin Party, though our methods differ. The outcome is the same. Why not unite?”

Zhu Pingyan persisted, “Different paths, same goal. Why not collaborate?”

Rui Hangjian shot back with irony, “The Spring Autumn Society aims to replace us. I, Rui Hangjian, wish to restore Confucian order without factional divisions. Is this not a different path?”

“Yet you alone cannot achieve your ambitions. When will you finally realize your dreams?”

“Water does not rot, and a pivot does not rust. If I cannot, I leave it to future generations. Nothing can endure like the sun for a thousand years.”

Zhu Pingyan tilted his head, studying Rui Hangjian’s composed face, then spoke solemnly, “The current Guishou Emperor has not yet reached the age of investiture. Yet he walks not in the Zhu family’s grandeur, but in Confucianism. The teacher who guides him is Zhang Fengyu.”

“I’ve heard. But what of it? The imperial throne has passed from father to son, brother to brother, but never from teacher to student. If Zhang Fengyu were to do so, the New Donglin Party would fracture. For then, he would no longer be a gatekeeper, but an enemy.”

Rui Hangjian turned to face Zhu Pingyan, smiling, “Compared to joining the Spring Autumn Society, I’m more curious: when did you truly regain your freedom?”

“Just enough to stretch my legs. Far from true freedom.”

Seeing Zhu Pingyan dismiss the question lightly, Rui Hangjian showed no concern. Even if unspoken, he could infer the answer.

The Spring Autumn Society’s rapid growth, its ability to attract so many young gatekeepers, could not have happened overnight.

The royal family’s depth must be far greater than I imagined.

“Perhaps when Zhang Fengyu began planning the new policy, you, Rui Hangjian, found your escape through this opportunity. After all, the more chaotic the world, the broader the stage for your schemes.”

Rui Hangjian stated his guess plainly, “But you chose to reveal yourself so early. Are you truly certain this ritual will succeed? Will Zhang Fengyu lose?”

“Until the final moment, no one can declare victory or defeat. I only know that many wish for his failure.”

Zhu Pingyan sighed, “The two schools, nine factions, even within Confucianism itself—no one wants Zhang Fengyu to become the first in the sequence, the living sage, their living ancestor. No one does.”

“Opposition is widespread, but few have the power to stop him. Moreover, people’s hearts are fickle. Without the two schools’ interference, how could they accept Zhang Fengyu’s deal of a Su strategy for the new policy’s smooth conclusion? There are many short-sighted fools, but also some sharp minds.”

“But these are not my concerns. As Rui Hangjian said, the more chaotic the situation, the more favorable for an old schemer like me.”

Zhu Pingyan shifted tone, teasingly asking, “Do you think I’m a fool when you learned of the Spring Autumn Society?”

Rui Hangjian did not answer, only smiling.

“I understand your thoughts. To you, the Spring Autumn Society and the New Donglin Party are indistinguishable. Yet one day, the Spring Autumn Society might replace the New Donglin Party, then turn its guns on the royal family. The first to die would likely be me, the Indey King of the Great Ming. By then, I’d have crafted my own enemy, unchanged the royal family’s fate.”

“These risks and benefits, I considered thoroughly when founding the Spring Autumn Society. Why did I still choose this path?”

Rui Hangjian asked directly, “Why?”

“Because the royal family’s situation has no room for further decline. One step further, and it’s national ruin. The rest… it’s inevitable.”

Zhu Pingyan’s expression was resolute, his voice ringing, “As long as I can topple this peak, I’ll face any outcome. If not, I’ll support a new Spring Autumn Society, continue collecting bets to gamble. Can everyone be as extraordinary as Zhang Fengyu?”

Rui Hangjian nodded solemnly, “Your perspective is admirable!”

“A gambler at the end of the road.”

Zhu Pingyan waved his hand, continuing, “The Sin Min area’s matter is settled. What remains is some polishing. Zhang Fengyu will soon begin the next phase of the new policy. Where do you think he’ll go next? Or, kill the Buddha, cleanse the Tao, or purge the gatekeepers? Which will he act on first?”

“Buddhism or Taoism, either way.”

Rui Hangjian’s tone was firm: “Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism all rely on faith. To gain the ‘renown’ needed to become a Confucian sage, Zhang Fengyu must reclaim the population base from the two schools.”

“Then, what pretext will he use to provoke conflict?”

“Gatekeepers.”

“Heroes see alike.”

Zhu Pingyan laughed heartily, openly appreciative, “Though you won’t join the Spring Autumn Society, we’re not enemies for now.”

“Though you say that, I’ve no goodwill toward the Spring Autumn Society. Those little brats in the barbarian lands bullied my students so harshly. If I don’t act soon, I might lose my temper, confront them myself, and then we’d be enemies.”

Rui Hangjian muttered, his words laced with dissatisfaction, clearly a protective father’s concern.

How could Zhu Pingyan fail to grasp what was in his mind? He replied in annoyance, "I came here today to recruit you into the society, yet somehow I end up making an apology. Forget it, I can't be bothered to argue with you. Tell me, what do you want to ask for on behalf of your student?"

"I would like Your Highness to arrange a good position for Yang Baize within the imperial mainland."

Pei Xingjian smiled faintly. "After all, since their teacher is engaged in such a neck-losing business, I can't have my student face adversity before being dragged down by me, without having tasted even a single good day, can I?"

"An arrangement from me?"

Zhu Pingyan let out a mocking laugh. "I see you have already chosen the place long ago. Where do you want to go?"

"Huating," Pei Xingjian spoke softly.

"Huating... the territory of the Xu Clan?"

Zhu Pingyan's brow furrowed slightly as he cast a deeply meaningful glance at Pei Xingjian. "This is not an easy position to occupy."

"Consider it a favor owed to you by me, how about that? If Your Highness feels it is not enough, then treat it as though I never mentioned it."

"Fine, no problem."

Upon hearing these words, Zhu Pingyan immediately beamed with smiles and readily agreed.

Before they realized it, the two walking along the path had already arrived before that very 'Meridian Gate'.

Zhu Pingyan seemed not to notice that Pei Xingjian beside him had already stopped, walking out a distance of ten feet on his own before turning around to look back at his companion.

"Not going up? Perhaps there is someone waiting for you up there."

A hesitant expression crossed Pei Xingjian's face; after struggling for a long time, he let out a heavy breath.

"Forget it, I do not possess the right to meet him just yet."

As his words fell, Pei Xingjian's figure faded away from within this dreamscape of yellow millet.

"Not possessed of the right, or afraid that after meeting you will no longer be able to refuse?"

Zhu Pingyan raised his eyes to gaze at the wind and snow filling the sky, murmuring softly to himself, "Junior, you are still as cautious as ever..."

"My lord, it is not that this humble servant wishes to shirk the duty and refuse, it is truly that I lack the ability to handle this matter."

Square-jawed and wide-eyed, with a rugged appearance, Zheng Xing, the Jinyiwei Bureau Chief of Fenghua Prefecture, was at this moment looking with a face full of forced smiles at Chen Shuo, the Fenghua Judicial Commissioner, who sat at the head of the dining table.

By right, the Jinyiwei belonged to the vertical management of the Northern Subjugation Bureau and had no need to bow and scrape so low before these local officials.

Yet today's Jinyiwei had long since lost the transcendent status of yesteryear; furthermore, Fenghua Prefecture was the basic stronghold of the Confucian Order, and being a Jinyiwei here meant that tucking one's tail between one's legs was merely a basic survival skill.

Not to mention that the person hosting him for dinner today was the Judicial Commissioner who held the criminal jurisdiction over an entire prefecture.

Consequently, Zheng Xing ate this meal with his heart in his throat, his buttocks never firmly settling into the chair the entire evening.

"It is merely asking you to act as a spy inside the camp to coordinate with us from within, it is not asking you to take up a blade to suppress bandits, what are you afraid of?"

Chen Shuo rubbed his square face, which was still somewhat stiff from a recent visit to the Agricultural Order's clinic for maintenance, and said in a disdainful tone, "Besides, whether those people even have the courage to enter Fenghua remains an unknown factor. In this official's view, Lord Lu making such arrangements is nothing more than a precaution against misfortune."

A precaution against misfortune? I see it clearly as a done deal!

You, Lu Yuzhang, committed those filthy deeds and now that the creditors have come knocking at your door, you remember to take a small character like me to serve as cannon fodder. In the past when there were other good things, why didn't I see you think of taking care of me?

Zheng Xing slandered endlessly in his heart, while the expression on his face grew increasingly bitter.

"Chief Zheng, you need not worry, do not forget whose territory this is."

Chen Shuo took a leisurely sip of his wine, saying with a languid expression, "How can a barren, savage land of poor mountains and evil waters like the Japanese District compare to our Fenghua Prefecture? Their ability to act willfully and run amok in the Japanese District was only because Su Ce was covering for them from above. Now that Su Ce is dead, what kind of waves can a pack of fleeing bandits stir up?"

Zheng Xing carefully accompanied the conversation, "What my lord says is true, but this humble servant heard that even people from the Wang Clan of Langya died at their hands."

"Nothing but a rumor. If it were truly they who killed them, could the Wang Clan still be this quiet now? There is another mystery behind this matter."

Chen Shuo waved his hand, "However, these secrets are not things that you military fellows are capable of coming into contact with."

"Then it seems it was indeed this humble servant passing on erroneous rumors."

Zheng Xing let out a hollow laugh, remaining silent for a moment, yet still feeling somewhat uneasy, he continued to press on stubbornly, "But my lord, I also heard that on that day in Edo Castle, a Soldier Three of the Six Strategies Group died; could that also be false?"

Chen Shuo rolled his eyes and replied in annoyance, "The Martial Order fighting the Soldier Order is like a father beating his son. Although Su Ce was old, he was at least a Martial Three; what difficulty would there be in risking his life to kill a Soldier Three?"

"Then according to what you say, my lord, that these people were able to leave the Japanese District alive was entirely due to good luck?"

The bitterness on Zheng Xing's face dissipated slightly.

"Otherwise?"

Chen Shuo glared at him, his tone suddenly rising, "These people are nothing more than fish that escaped the net. Lord Lu said that this time he has already cast a dragnet across heaven and earth; so long as they dare to come, he will ensure they have a coming but no returning!"

"As long as we can capture all of these people, perhaps Lord Lu can help you break away from the Jinyiwei and transfer into a post within Fenghua Prefecture. You must seize this opportunity well!"

"Rest assured, my lord, the moment they contact this humble servant, I shall report it to you immediately."

The dull thud of a hand striking a chest and the high-spirited words surged together within this sealed room.

Bang!

The door to the private room was kicked open by someone.

Zheng Xing, who faced the direction of the doorway, suddenly turned as pale as paper, his entire body collapsing into the chair instantly as if his spine had been extracted.

Chen Shuo completely failed to notice Zheng Xing's abnormality and turned his head in anger, only to see a filthy shoe sole crashing toward him.

Thud!

Chen Shuo's standard square face was stepped upon against the table by the tall and large Brothel Ghost's foot.

The tableware overturned across the table, soup and water flowing everywhere, defiling the snow-white Confucian robe upon his body.

Fan Wujiu, clad entirely in black, walked in with swinging shoulders, and upon his shoulder sat a palm-sized, bald-headed novice monk.

This was a miniature Buddhist Kingdom mainframe capable of blocking all signals within a radius of ten yards.

"Eating pretty damn well, aren't we?"

Fan Wujiu glanced at Chen Shuo, who could only whimper and cry out with his mouth stepped upon, and turned his gaze toward Zheng Xing, who was paralyzed in the chair.

"And you are supposed to be a Jinyiwei Bureau Chief?"

Zheng Xing's eyes went blank, his Adam's apple sliding down involuntarily as his terrified gaze bypassed Fan Wujiu's side to look out into the wide-open doorway.

Scarlet blood water gathered into a stream, creeping inward along the floor.

The guards he and Chen Shuo had brought had already been slaughtered by someone in absolute silence.