Chapter 645: Calling the Xu Clan to Account

Chapter 645: Calling the Xu Clan to Account

In the main hall of Huating County’s yamen in Songjiang Prefecture, Wu Cheng knelt on the cold stone tiles, clad only in a thin undergarment. His expression was a mix of fury and shock, tinged with a hint of savage ferocity—like a skinned cur still baring its fangs, desperate to bite.

“The Wu family of Songjiang, a second-rank clan of the New Eastern Forest Party. Its patriarch, Wu Cheng, serves as a Director in the Ministry of Works in the auxiliary capital, Jinling. For years, he has exploited his position to traffic in ministry-allocated quotas and new-style weaponry, lining his own pockets through graft and corruption.”

“Among those you’ve traded with are not only former gang leaders from the criminal zones but also barbarians from overseas and rebellious Honghu partisans. Hence, another charge: colluding with bandits and aiding the enemy.”

Before a mural depicting a white sea beneath a red sun, the seat of the county magistrate stood empty. A young official in his prime sat on the steps of the dais, chin resting on his hand, smiling as he regarded Wu Cheng kneeling nearby.

“Lord Wu, your crimes are many. I’ve only touched on the main ones. Shall I list them all for you, one by one?”

“Yang Baize, you wear blue robes while I wear crimson. By rank, I outrank you. What right does a mere county magistrate have to interrogate me here?” Wu Cheng bared his teeth, glaring venomously at his adversary.

“You had thugs abduct me from Jinling without cause, strip me of my robes, and subject me to wanton humiliation—this is a grave affront to the court! Even if your mentor is Pei Xingjian, I’ll fight this case to the bitter end! I’ll demand justice even before the Grand Secretary himself!”

“Ah, I thought your kneeling here in submission meant you understood the situation and your place. But it seems you’re still playing dumb while knowing full well.” Yang Baize sighed in exasperation. “Fine, if you want a trial, I’ll give you that chance. Link to the Yellow Millet Dream right now—appeal to the Cabinet or contact your backer, the Xu clan, as you please. If anyone dares speak a single word in your defense, I’ll send you back to Jinling with all due respect. How does that sound?”

“You… I…” Wu Cheng’s face flushed crimson, his words stumbling. After a long pause, he snarled, “Yang Baize, I know who you’re working for now, and your eagerness to earn merit. But this Great Ming Empire is teeming with clans—why must you fixate on my Wu family? I advise you: let mercy prevail where mercy is due. Don’t bask in fleeting triumph, lest you find your cup cold and your guests gone!”

“It seems you know quite a bit. True, no wall is airtight, especially within our Confucian Order—any rustle of leaves catches the keen ear.” Yang Baize looked at Wu Cheng with a contemptuous grin. “But Lord Wu, you have some cunning, yet not enough. Some brains, yet equally lacking. Since you know I’m riding high, you’d best worry about how to handle your own cold tea, not fret over me.”

“The Grand Secretary granted you power to strike the mountain and scare the tiger, not to run amok! Yang Baize, if you revel in favor and grow arrogant, blind to all, the only ones to suffer will be yourself and your teacher, Pei Xingjian!” Wu Cheng kept ranting. “When the cunning hare dies, the hound is boiled. When the birds are gone, the bow is stored. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!”

“Well said! Truly well said! A true stalwart of the Xu clan’s fold—sharp-tongued and iron-boned. These days, men like you, Lord Wu, who fear not death, are far too rare in the Confucian Order.” Yang Baize clapped his hands, laughing. “This main hall of mine may be small and shabby, but more officials have knelt here than before the Xu family gates.”

“Among them, many trembled from the moment they arrived, unable to stammer a single word. Not a few wept and wailed, begging for mercy on their knees. But you, Lord Wu, are the only one to stand so bold and unafraid. I salute you!”

Wu Cheng snorted coldly, his pride undiminished despite his disheveled state. Yet oddly, though he maintained his bravado before Yang Baize, he remained rooted to the spot, making no move to rise.

“Bring a chair for Lord Wu.”

“Yes, sir.”

A black-robed Law-Order agent emerged from a corner, placing a round-backed armchair beside Wu Cheng. As the man drew near, Wu Cheng recoiled like a cat or dog cornered by a tiger or leopard, his face turning ashen, his raised head instinctively lowering.

“What’s the matter, Lord Wu?” Yang Baize feigned confusion, blinking, then suddenly exclaimed, “Ah, my memory fails me! I forgot that men like you, with guilty consciences, can’t even stand in the presence of a Law-Order agent. How else could they have so easily snatched you, a Fourth-Rank Confucian Order official, from Jinling and brought you here?”

“First arrogant, then servile—bullying the weak, cowering before the strong.” Yang Baize rose unhurriedly, hands clasped in his sleeves, looking down at Wu Cheng. “Timid as a mouse before them, yet you bluster before me. What, do you truly take me, Yang Baize, for a soft persimmon to squeeze?”

“Yang Baize, don’t push me too—”

*Thump!*

Before Wu Cheng could finish, a foot slammed heavily onto his face, crushing the rest of his words into a muffled grunt.

“They said you were iron-hearted and strong-boned, yet you’re helpless before the laws of Great Ming. They said your conscience wasn’t dead, yet you’ve committed so many heinous, vile deeds. Wu Cheng, what kind of books do you people read? I simply cannot fathom it.” Yang Baize crouched down, studying Wu Cheng, whose hair was disheveled and eyes bloodshot.

“You’re in a hurry to meet your end, and I’m in a hurry to move on. None of us have much time, so let’s stop beating around the bush. I’ll be blunt: I’ve dispatched five or six clan heads, great and small, and went to some trouble to dig you out.”

“As for why I stripped you of that beastly robe of office—I’m giving you one more chance to be a man, clean and upright. Tell me everything you’ve done for the Xu clan, and I’ll see you keep a good name. How about it?”

“A good name?” A silent, vicious grin twisted Wu Cheng’s face. “Yang Baize, you don’t seem in a hurry either, or you wouldn’t have time to crack jokes here.”

“Jokes? I think not. You’re certainly going to die this time. Aside from a reputation your descendants might vaguely recall, I can’t think of anything else to leave you.” Yang Baize smiled. “Or do you plan to take the entire Wu household—over a hundred souls—with you to the grave?”

Wu Cheng sneered, “Yang Baize, you’re a blade in someone’s hand now. Every blade gets dulled. Have you thought about what happens when you’re cast aside, and our positions reverse? What will you do then?”

“I’ll give you three sentences. That was the first.” Yang Baize narrowed his eyes, slowly raising one finger before Wu Cheng.

“You can’t chop off all the clan heads. Even the man behind you hasn’t the time. Why do you think he’s targeting the Xu clan? Let me tell you: the current Xu patriarch is Xu Haichao, and his connections run deeper than you imagine. This isn’t a human struggle—it’s factional strife! You’ve stepped into a mire deep enough to drown you. Do you realize that?”

“The second.” Yang Baize gently wagged two fingers, speaking calmly.

“The Spring and Autumn Society! Xu Haichao is one of theirs. Their power rivals the New Eastern Forest Party. The Grand Secretary uses you as his blade to test their limits. Once they shake hands and unite against a common foe, you’ll be a discarded pawn! Then every clan you’ve wronged will swarm in, tear you apart, and devour you—leaving not even a bone!”

“The third…” Yang Baize pushed himself up on his knees and stood. “Lord Wu, safe travels.”

Shang Lu’s figure materialized silently behind Wu Cheng. A wave of overwhelming, irresistible terror exploded in his heart—a feeling like being shackled and exiled to a vast desert, or netted and awaiting a thousand cuts of the blade.

In a daze, Wu Cheng seemed to see countless faceless black-robed figures crowding around him, closing in step by step, roaring in unison four words that could seize the soul:

“What crime have you committed?!”

“What crime have you committed?!”

Wu Cheng collapsed like a heap of mud, his panicked, helpless gaze sweeping blindly. Just before the blackness swallowed his vision entirely, he caught sight of Yang Baize’s retreating back.

Like a drowning man grasping at a drifting straw, Wu Cheng lunged forward without hesitation.

“I can give you evidence of the Xu clan’s crimes!”

His voice cut like a blade, slashing through the mask of unyielding defiance on his face. Wet strands of hair clung to his forehead, and his bloodless lips trembled incessantly.

“I’ll betray the Xu clan, but I can’t die—I absolutely cannot die!”

“Truly a man of our Confucian Order—always able to pull back from the brink and see the light. Loyalty and righteousness are nothing but dogshit. What matters most is one’s own interest.” Yang Baize glanced at Shang Lu as he spoke; the man’s face was impassive, as if he had long expected Wu Cheng’s capitulation.

“What do you want me to do?” Wu Cheng surrendered so smoothly this time that he even spoke first.

“Two things.” Yang Baize said softly. “First, write down everything you know and send it through the Yellow Millet Dream to every imperial office across the empire, for all to see. Second, come with me to Songjiang and confront Xu Haichao face to face.”

Wu Cheng’s face showed a flicker of astonishment, and the words tumbled out: “Is that all?”

Yang Baze regarded him with a smile that wasn't quite a smile: "Wu Daifu, do you think your evidence is important, or your life? You just said this is a life-or-death party struggle that involves drawing swords and shedding blood!"

Wu Cheng slowly drew a bitter smile at the corner of his mouth and closed his eyes.

Indeed, whether he spoke or not was utterly insignificant.

Yang Baze didn't need ironclad evidence; he just needed a legitimate excuse.

If he didn't cooperate, there would be plenty of others who would.

The Ru Xu clan has never lacked talented individuals who know how to read the situation.

"Brother Shang, it seems you still see things more clearly. I have completely lost this bet."

Yang Baze bowed to Shang Lu with his fists clasped, his voice filled with self-mockery.

During this search for evidence of the Xu family's crimes, Yang Baze and Shang Lu made a small wager.

The bet was naturally about life and death and morality.

Yang Baze believed someone would rather die than surrender for the Xu family, but Shang Lu was certain no one would remain unwavering.

"It was just a joke, and Yang Daifu needn't take it seriously."

Shang Lu did not look down on Yang Baze because he was an Xu, but instead spoke solemnly: "The fact that the news leaked so easily means there must be an insider in the Three Law Courts. I ask Yang Daifu to give me some time, and I will catch the person as soon as possible."

"It's a small matter, Brother Shang, you don't need to worry about it. The problems within the Ru Xu clan are originally intertwined between you and me. Compared to catching traitors, I am now more curious about the Xu family's reaction."

Yang Baze pulled his hands out of his sleeves, and his plain clothes instantly transformed into a deep blue official robe.

"Come on, it's time for us to go to Songjiang and play the final notes of the new policy for the Chief Minister."

"Hai Chao, Yang Baze is already on his way to Songjiang."

On the roof of the Xu family's valve building, Yan Dongqing and Xu Hai Chao, who appeared as projections, stood side by side.

"But you don't need to worry, although the Senior Official has forbidden the Chunqiu Society from interfering, I, Yan Dongqing, will definitely not stand by and do nothing. I have already arranged the people, and whether to kill or release Yang Baze is up to you. But afterwards, I will have to make you suffer a little and temporarily leave the mainland of the empire."

Xu Hai Chao looked out at the countless lights under the night sky and laughed lightly: "I understand, all this is for our grand plan, and the death of a few Xu family members doesn't matter."

"As long as you understand my difficulties, that's enough. But I won't let the Xu family members die in vain."

Yan Dongqing placed his hands on the railing, his slightly hunched back resembling a fierce tiger about to leap into a gorge.

"Once we overthrow the new Donglin Party and kill that old, immortal monster, I will give you the opportunity to go to Beijing and talk to the Senior Official face to face."

Xu Hai Chao laughed: "That's not necessary, I have nothing to say to him. And you know my temperament, Brother, I fear I won't be able to resist killing him."

"You sing, and then I'll take the stage, the flag changes on the city wall."

Yan Dongqing's voice was deep and low, "The country has no master, it's just about who can sit at the highest place. When that day comes, he will no longer be the lord, and you will no longer be the subject, so kill him if you want to."

"Hai Chao, brother, today's humiliation will be repaid many times over in the future. The southern direct territory under your feet will be a thousand-mile Confucian state for your Xu family in the future."

The words in his ears gradually became empty and distant, fading into the increasingly noisy wind.

"Yang Baze, I want to see how sharp your knife is, whether you can force me to flee to another land!"

Xu Hai Chao stood alone on the high building, his expression indifferent, quietly waiting for the storm to arrive.

Boom!

A thunderclap illuminated the heavy clouds piled up in the sky, the night was deep like an abyss, and in an instant, the rain had already merged into a continuous sound, deafening and thunderous.

A large number of figures stood in front of the Xu family's gate, letting the pouring rain wash over them.

The direct male descendants of the major families in Songjiang Prefecture obeyed the Xu family's orders and all arrived, like silent soldiers guarding the high-ranking Xu family members.

A chilling coldness grew heavier in the rain, making people feel suffocated, their eyes fixed on the end of the long street.

I don't know how long it took, but a carriage broke through the rain and arrived slowly.

The passenger door slowly opened, and a middle-aged man in black stepped out of the car.

Shang Lu stood beside the car, and upon seeing the scene before him, his eyebrows couldn't help but knit together.

"It's fine, the more people who come, the better. Let them all take a good look and think about it, from now on, when they walk, which foot should they step out first!"

Yang Baze stepped out of the rear carriage, and Shang Lu held up a black umbrella, following behind him. His clear black and white eyes swept across the area, and no one dared to meet his gaze.

Under his intense gaze, the members of the Ru Xu clan, who had been waiting in the rain for a long time, unconsciously split into left and right, revealing the huge red lacquered gate that was nearly two zhang high.

"Rich families' wine and meat rot, but there are frozen corpses on the roads. But now it's not the common people who are freezing to death, it's the turn of these old gentlemen."

Yang Baze smiled and walked towards the valve building, his steps steady, neither too fast nor too slow.

"Xue Hai Chao, Magistrate of Songjiang Prefecture, welcomes the Imperial Censor Yang Daifu."

A wild and uninhibited laugh fell from the high sky, like a pot of hot oil poured over a wax-like, numb crowd.

In an instant, the members of the Ru Xu clan, who had been intimidated by Shang Lu, regained their composure and found their leader again. Countless vicious eyes surged from all directions, wanting to overwhelm the young official standing under the umbrella.

"Songjiang Prefecture Ru Xu clan welcomes the Imperial Censor Yang Daifu!"

The words were to welcome, but the intention was to draw swords.

Yang Baze stood in the midst of invisible knives and axes, yet his expression remained calm, and he reached out to stop Shang Lu from stepping around to his side.

"Let them shout, and it's best if the whole of Songjiang Prefecture can hear it and come to join the fun!"

Yang Baze took a big step out from under the umbrella, and placed his hands on the tightly closed red lacquered gate.

"Yang Baze, County Magistrate of Huating County, Songjiang Prefecture, Ming Dynasty, is here today on the orders of the Chief Minister."

With a force, the Xu valve gate suddenly opened wide.

"Impeach the Xu valve!"