Chapter 354: King of the Mountains! (Requesting Monthly Tickets)

Chapter 354: The King of the Mountains! (Please vote for the monthly ticket)

Under the gloomy clouds of Shuzhou Prefecture, the wind began to howl.

Thunder rumbled ominously, a bolt of lightning cleaved the sky, casting its light upon the gathered crowd on Nan Street.

The atmosphere thickened with an unspoken gravity.

The man who had slain Ma Shuhuan did not flee but stood motionless beside Magistrate Tang Zixin.

Upon closer inspection, he was clad in a crimson robe with azure trim, his mid-aged face unremarkable, a pair of stubbled eyebrows framing his visage.

In his hand gripped a dagger, its blade no longer than his forearm, blood dripping steadily from its notch.

A sharp *clink*—he cast the blade aside, his expression blank as he fixed his gaze upon Tang Zixin.

His voice, rough and gravelly, broke the silence: “Your lordship, I beg your forgiveness.”

Tang Zixin’s eyes narrowed, his words deliberate and slow: “Xu Jitong!”

“It is an affront to the world that a man of your repute, who rarely reveals his prowess, should still be a martial master!”

The incident had erupted suddenly, and Tang Zixin had not yet discerned his assailant’s face—until now, he recognized him as the five-rank deputy guard official of his own office, Xu Jitong.

“Speak! Why did you murder Ma Shuhuan?”

“Who ordered this act?”

Xu Jitong, a middle-aged man, silently shook his head.

“My actions were born of unavoidable necessity.”

Tang Zixin’s fury surged, advancing to kick him to the ground.

“Necessity?”

“Xu Jitong, do you comprehend what you have done?”

“By killing Ma Shuhuan, you have doomed yourself to a life of infamy. Have you not considered your wife, your children, your parents?”

“What mortal could compel such a sacrifice?”

Xu Jitong stood unyielding, his frame rigid as Tang Zixin continued to hurl blows upon him.

Around them, the magistrate’s attendants, the prefect’s clerks, and the execution commissioners stood poised, their eyes sharp to prevent any sudden movement.

The common folk who had come to observe the imperial examination stood frozen in bewilderment.

The scholar-officials too were at a loss, unable to fathom why the very man who had once instructed them in debate should now lie dead in the street.

They could not fathom why the deputy guard official would dare to execute Ma Shuhuan.

Chen Yi, observing the scene, murmured to himself: “That Xu Jitong must be the hidden hand behind this.”

“The imperial examination, the questioning, the magistrate’s intervention—the threads are tightly wound… the next step must be—”

A sudden *thud*.

As if to confirm Chen Yi’s suspicions, Xu Jitong’s body was riddled with wounds, his eyes, mouth, and every orifice seeping crimson.

Tang Zixin, his demeanor shifting, abandoned his assault to demand:

“Xu Jitong! Tell me—who orchestrated this?”

But Xu Jitong’s pupils darkened, his lips parting in a single word: “No…”

Then his breath ceased, and he fell limp to the earth.

Tang Zixin clenched his fists, his rage uncontained, and struck Xu Jitong once more.

“You wretch!”

At that moment, Yang Zhe stepped forward, gripping Tang Zixin’s arm.

“Liang, swiftly disperse the crowd. Secure the examination papers. Await further instructions from the throne.”

“Liu Si, summon the execution commissioners to investigate this matter at once!”

“Yunfan, take a few clerks and search Xu Jitong and Ma Shuhuan’s residences for clues.”

“Understood.”

Liu Si’s face paled as he wiped sweat from his brow, immediately seeking out several execution commissioners.

Liang regained his composure, gazing upon the two lifeless forms, and led attendants to drive away the onlookers.

Chen Yunfan paid no heed to the corpses, approaching Chen Yi instead.

“Yi, this affair reeks of something amiss.”

Yi glanced at him, nodding slowly.

“Indeed. I fear a thorough inquiry will yield no leads.”

Yunfan raised an eyebrow.

“Do you doubt my resolve, brother? I shall uncover the truth, no matter the cost.”

Yi chuckled softly, patting his shoulder before turning toward Xiao Wan’er.

Yunfan dismissed him with a slight sneer, though he knew Yi understood the truth—for now, the matter remained veiled.

He too sensed the case was far from straightforward.

Ma Shuhuan, the education minister of Shuzhou, had been a guiding figure to countless scholars.

His murder on the street would send shockwaves through the scholar-gentry.

And the killer—a deputy guard official—was no common assassin.

“This cannot possibly be the work of the Prince’s design, can it?”

Yunfan shook his head.

Ma Shuhuan, at least, was no ordinary man.

Nor could Xu Jitong, a man of Tang Zixin’s favor, be a villain.

Even the White Tiger Guard would not barter away such a life.

Soon, the crowd began to disperse.

Then, a torrential downpour began.

The masses scattered, their footsteps echoing chaotically.

Carriages and horses faded into the distance.

Only a handful of officials and clerks remained at the gates of the administrative offices.

Yang Zhe watched as execution commissioners examined the corpses, then whispered to Tang Zixin:

“Xu Jitong served under your office. You must unravel this mystery.”

Tang Zixin pretended not to hear, his gaze fixed upon the two bodies.

An old man’s face creased with complexity as he sighed:

“I know your nature, young one. You would not stoop to deceit.”

“Yet Ma Shuhuan, the education minister, had just provoked scholars in the imperial examination, only to die in the magistrate’s grasp…”

“We must be certain.”

Yang Ye had after all been in officialdom for many years; beyond his clear grasp of the administrative affairs of the Provincial Administration Commission, he was also well-aware of the court’s treacherous machinations.

Thus he conjectured that perhaps someone was using the deaths of Ma Shuhan and Xu Jitong to target Tang Zixin.

Since ancient times, factional struggles had always been the most brutal of campaigns.

No less fierce than the slaughter on a battlefield.

Tang Zixin naturally understood Yang Ye’s anxieties and said softly, “This matter does not lie with me.”

Yang Ye was slightly startled, and upon brief reflection, his brow furrowed deeply, “Ma Shuhan?”

Tang Zixin nodded gently, his voice barely audible, yet laced with a touch of coldness.

“Someone is using his mouth to criticize the war; I fear… there is an even larger, more far-reaching plot.”

Yang Ye’s thoughts aligned with his, “The war…”

He sighed and said, “The Great Wei has enjoyed peace for many years; to lightly initiate war… I fear it will plunge the common people into misery.”

Tang Zixin withdrew his gaze, straightened the bamboo hat upon his head, surveyed their surroundings, and said:

“Whether war will break out remains unknown, but someone already wishes to make an issue of this matter.”

His gaze fell within the examination grounds, his eyes flickering a few times before he suddenly spoke:

“Earlier, Ma Shuhan reacted so vehemently because of Chen Yi, Chen Qingzhou?”

Hearing this, Yang Ye looked toward him, and after a moment’s thought, replied, “Precisely.”

“Just now, this old man already inquired about the situation inside the examination grounds.”

“The moment Ma Shuhan laid hands on Chen Qingzhou’s essay, he flew into a thunderous rage, proclaiming his writing to be absolute dog-shit, and graded it as fifth-tier.”

“Before you and I led the men inside, Ma Shuhan had only just torn Chen Qingzhou’s examination paper to shreds.”

Having listened to this, Tang Zixin walked straight toward the examination grounds, asking as he strode, “I wonder what Chen Qingzhou wrote to provoke such fury from him?”

Yang Ye followed at a leisurely pace, “The exact original text can no longer be verified; this old man only knows that Chen Qingzhou did not discourse upon the merits and drawbacks of campaigns north and south, but instead held the common people of the world in his heart.”

“Reverence for heaven and love for the people?” “He is indeed a scholar who has grasped the core essence of the classics and histories of the ancient sages.”

Tang Zixin offered a few words of praise, and looking at the scraps of paper scattered inside and outside the high platform, he waved his large hand and commanded:

“Come, find every single shred of paper here and piece them together; I wish to inspect the essay written by Chen Qingzhou!”

“Understood!”

Yang Ye allowed him to command the surrounding yamen runners, the expression on his face shifting as if he had thought of something.

A moment of silence ensued.

Yang Ye’s gaze steadied, and only then did he look at Tang Zixin, saying, “Word has come from the Capital Prefecture that the Provincial Administration Commissioner and the Vice Commissioner of the Provincial Surveillance Commission are about to rush to Shu Province.”

Tang Zixin was slightly startled; though he was still furious over Xu Jitong’s matter, first hearing this news brought a touch of surprise.

“Does Master Yang know the identities of those coming?”

Because of Liu Hong’s death, Yang Ye was temporarily acting as the Left Provincial Administration Commissioner, and at present, one Administration Commissioner was still missing.

Ye Jingxiao, the Vice Commissioner of the Provincial Surveillance Commission, had been implicated by Liu Hong and apprehended by the Judicial Detention Bureau, to be escorted to the Capital Prefecture in a few days.

Likewise, the position of Vice Commissioner lay vacant.

Coupled with the death of Zhu Hao, the Vice Commander of the Regional Military Commission, the vacant positions of the vice heads of Shu Province’s Three Commissions all required people to fill them.

Only, Tang Zixin had not expected this matter to come so swiftly.

In the past, chaos would inevitably erupt within the Capital Prefecture, with the Nine Ministers each harboring their own designs, their nominated candidates sabotaging one another, none yielding to the next.

After several rounds, a period of half a month to several months would often lapse.

Not until the Emperor spoke would a final conclusion be reached.

Yang Ye made no reply, but merely pulled Tang Zixin's hand toward him and wrote two names in his palm.

Tang Zixin’s brow instantly knitted tightly, “It is actually them?”

Yang Ye nodded slightly, and while watching the movements of the yamen runners, he lowered his voice and spoke:

“In one more year, this old man shall retire to live out my remaining years; you, it is my profound hope that you be careful, and under no circumstances act on impulse.”

Although he believed in Tang Zixin’s judgment—that today’s events were not targeted at the Provincial Surveillance Commission—he could not afford to dismiss the possibility.

Tang Zixin nodded silently, his gaze falling toward the north where the Dingyuan Marquis’s Xiao family resided, as he spoke slowly:

“Today is different from the past.”

“Several years ago, heh, who could have imagined that several years ago, the Three Commissions of Shu Province would take the lineage of the Dingyuan Marquis as their leader.”

Hearing this, Yang Ye remained silent.

If, five years ago, Xiao Fengchun had not died on the battlefield, Shu Province would absolutely not be in such a state of chaos as it was today.

Even if the likes of Liu Hong, Zhu Hao, and Ye Jingxiao were ever so audacious, they would not dare to touch the Xiao family's scales of wrath.

At that time, the Three Commissions appeared separate, yet in truth, because of the Xiao family’s existence, matters great and small would not bypass the Xiao family, nor did they dare to bypass the Xiao family.

It was unlike now, where the Provincial Administration Commission harbored filth and accepted corruption, the Provincial Surveillance Commission framed others, and within the Regional Military Commission, someone had even colluded with the enemy and betrayed the country.

Not a single commission was clean.

Conversely, the Xiao family remained the same Xiao family.

Despite the Xiao family keeping a low profile for a long time over these years, Old Master Xiao, Xiao Jinghong, and the others had never broken faith or abandoned righteousness to plague the region.

“If that stubborn old donkey Xiao Yuan knew of these matters, he would likely mock us for having no brains.”

A bitter look surfaced on Tang Zixin's face, “I… would instead prefer to be scolded by the Old Marquis…”

No matter who it was, to have such wicked scoundrels emerge under one's governance made it difficult to avoid feeling crestfallen and sorrowful.

After all, he had indeed failed to recognize the true character of men.

Yang Ye patted his shoulder and sighed, saying, “Think carefully, how long has it been since we last paid a visit to Marquis Xiao?”

“Since the last time his honor celebrated his birthday, I have never gone back.”

“Yes, several months have passed, and so much has happened in Shu Province; we, too, ought to make a choice.”

Tang Zixin paused, and after a brief moment, he finally uttered a soft murmur of assent.

“For certain matters, it is indeed time to make a choice…”

As the saying goes, "When the tiger is away from the mountain, the monkey claims king."

The current situation in Shu Province was precisely thus.

Aside from the Xiao family, who else could shoulder the heavy burden?

Inside and outside the examination grounds, the yamen runners of the Provincial Administration Commission, the Provincial Surveillance Commission, and the Prefectural Magistrate’s office busied themselves without pause, refusing to overlook any trace of evidence.

Li Huaigu, on the other hand, after dispersing the common people, first led his men to gather and secure the examination papers of the annual civil exam, and subsequently stood by the coroner's side.

“How is it?”

“There is no need to say much regarding Master Ma; his head was severed by a single stroke of a blade, a clean death.”

“What of Master... Master Xu?”

Xu Da Ren hummed... rather strange.

A few impostors hesitated in their reply: "The poison on him—it’s very similar, very similar to the work of the Mountain Tribe."

Li Huagu’s brow furrowed instantly: "Wait, confirm it first."

"Sir Li, the case is still ongoing; we dare not speak rashly."

"Follow me. Report to Yang Da Ren promptly..."

Outside the Colonial Affairs Bureau, actions were afoot, and so were those of Chen Yunfan.

He led several clerks from the Colonial Affairs Bureau, following the Execution Bureau’s Fang Hongxie and Han Ruizhuan, toward Ma Shuhuan’s residence for investigation.

To their surprise, Chen Yunfan’s relaxed demeanor had already begun to shift.

The stench of blood?

It seemed the Ma family had hardly any servants left.

As they pondered this, Fang Hongxie too had sensed something amiss; his pace quickened.

Han Ruizhuan, gripping his dagger’s hilt, cautioned Chen Yunfan: "Master Chen, there’s trouble at the Grand Minister’s mansion."

Chen Yunfan glanced up slightly under his cloak, lazily replying: "Then let’s hurry and see for ourselves."

"Master Ma was just slain by bandits. If something happened to his household, we’ll face repercussions too."

Han Ruizhuan, not daring to delay, quickly pursued Fang Hongxie.

After a short while,

Chen Yunfan arrived to find Han Ruizhuan and Fang Hongxie standing at the doorway. He squeezed in between them: "What...?"

His words hung mid-air as he took in the scene within Ma Shuhuan’s mansion, his eyes flickering with a chill.

—A tragedy.

The entire Ma family compound, the inner courtyard’s two inlets, was a ceaseless flow of rainwater mingling with blood.

Corpse upon corpse lay sprawled across the ground.

Men and women, the old and the young—Ma Shuhuan’s parents, his kin, even his servants and retainers.

All had perished on the spot.

Yet upon closer inspection, their bodies bore not wounds from blades or fists, but the telltale marks of snakes and insects rending flesh.

Fang Hongxie surveyed the scene, then exhaled two words:

"Mountain Tribe!"

Han Ruizhuan’s face bore a complex expression, yet he shook his head: "Drawing conclusions now is premature. We must investigate further."

Fang Hongxie nodded, then shook his head again: "Under heaven, who but the Mountain Tribe could command these vermin, wield such powders?"

"Especially... their faces all bear smiles..."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yunfan’s mind conjured the Mountain Tribe’s notorious poison—the Smiling Death.

Yet upon deeper thought, he doubted the Mountain Tribe was behind today’s slaughter.

After all, he knew Chen Yi and the Xiao family had long-standing ties with the Mountain Tribe—for Xiao Shijiu, the granddaughter of the Mountain Matron, was currently residing with the Xiao clan.

"Truly... how utterly bizarre..."

(Chapter Complete)