Chapter 329: Chapter 319: The Game
Xue Yu saw that the people of Jiaozhou, incited, were losing control. Hastily, he ordered the State Mansion troops to maintain order to prevent a stampede. However, Li Pengfei continued to agitate public emotion. Xue Yu rode his horse to Xie Xun’s side and said, "Your Highness, please forgive them. The people of Jiaozhou have been living in fear recently, and long-held grievances have accumulated in their hearts. Let them vent, and it will pass."
Xie Xun swept his gaze over the furious masses of Jiaozhou and said in a deep voice, "If I wanted to slaughter all of Jiaozhou, the sixty thousand soldiers outside the city could attack at any moment. Why would I come to Jiaozhou alone? Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to stop believing baseless rumors. Do not follow the herd blindly. As long as I remain in the city, the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry will not attack Jiaozhou."
A raggedly dressed young man sharply asked, "But what if Your Highness meets your demise while in Jiaozhou? Will the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry still hold off their assault?"
The deafening commotion quieted down. The people, too, wanted to know—if he had entered the city alone and lost his life here, then what would happen?
Xie Xun raised an eyebrow, a faint smirk on his face. The boy’s question truly struck him to the core. Xie Xun almost believed that the boy had been planted there intentionally—so clever!
"I’ve come to pay my respects at Lord Lin Zhi’s funeral and negotiate with the State Mansion of Jiaozhou. Why would I lose my life here?" Xie Xun asked Xue Yu, "Isn’t that right, Mr. Xue?"
"Yes, yes... The State Mansion will surely protect Your Highness!" Xue Yu cupped his hands and said, "Citizens, I promise on behalf of Jiaozhou: as long as His Highness is in Jiaozhou, he will remain safe. With His Highness here, the Iron Cavalry will not invade Jiaozhou."
Li Pengfei, displeased, wanted to continue stirring the crowd, but the troops had already stepped in to enforce martial law. Xue Yu escorted Xie Xun away, knowing full well that Xie Xun’s remark was aimed squarely at him.
Indeed, the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry would refrain from attacking Jiaozhou on one single condition—Xie Xun must remain unharmed within the city. If Xie Xun were to fall victim to any harm, he, as the commander of the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry, would ensure that Jiaozhou would be razed to avenge his death.
Originally, Lady Lin Zhi had planned to bring her husband’s remains back to the Capital City. However, before leaving the city, Lin Zhi had written a will, expressing his wish to be buried in Jiaozhou. Respecting his wishes, Lady Lin Zhi decided to lay him to rest in the soil of Jiaozhou.
Xie Xun knelt and offered incense at the mourning hall. Mrs. Lin, seven months pregnant, looked utterly drained. Accompanied by a young daughter, she returned the formality. Though her eyes were swollen and red, her emotions were calm. Ten days had passed, and all those who should have paid their respects had already done so. The mourning hall was devoid of unnecessary visitors.
Placing his sword aside, Xie Xun clasped his hands and bowed deeply to Mrs. Lin. "Madam, my condolences. The blame for Lord Lin’s death lies with Zhixu. If you wish to scold or punish me, I will bear it without complaint."
Mrs. Lin never expected Prince Qin, renowned throughout the land, to apologize to her. She was not of noble birth and had always been disliked by Madam Lin, the family matriarch. On her first pregnancy, she was forced to adhere to traditions, leading to a miscarriage. Although Lin Zhi was an official and a man of great integrity, even the most upright official could not resolve familial disputes.
Later, when Lin Zhi was assigned to an external position, Madam Lin had pretended to be ill to keep Mrs. Lin at the family estate to care for her. It was only through the resourcefulness of Lin Zhi and his wife that she was able to move to Jiaozhou with him. Finally, they enjoyed two short years of peace before tragedy struck with Lin Zhi’s untimely death. Newly widowed, Mrs. Lin was more desolate than anyone.
"The dead are gone. Resentment and blame are meaningless—he will never return," Mrs. Lin said, her eyes brimming with tears. "For Your Highness to come alone to send him off, we are eternally grateful."
"That is what I should do as his lord," Xie Xun replied. "If Madam ever has a request in the future, I will do my utmost to assist, no matter the cost."
"Thank you, Your Highness!"
Lin Zhi’s eldest daughter, only three years old, was as adorable as jade. Unaware of the grief of separation and death, she peered curiously at Xie Xun. As Xie Xun glanced at the heavily pregnant, haggard Mrs. Lin and then at the innocent, puzzled eyes of the little girl, a dull ache stirred in his heart.
If only he hadn’t brought troops to Jiaozhou, Lin Zhi wouldn’t have died!
He believed Lin Zhi’s letter of reply was sincere. The subsequent misfortune was beyond anyone’s control. If he had been more cautious, Lin Zhi might not have been used as a pawn and died on the battlefield between two armies.
In the grand game of power and imperial schemes, the life and death of individuals were as insignificant as dust, easily crushed underfoot.
After paying his respects, Xie Xun watched as Mrs. Lin, accompanied by her young daughter, escorted Lin Zhi’s coffin to its final resting place. Xie Xun, Xue Yu, and a group of staff from the State Mansion followed. The staff cast hostile glances at Xie Xun, though he seemed indifferent to it.
Once Lin Zhi was buried, Xue Yu accompanied Xie Xun down the hill. Xie Xun’s visit to Jiaozhou wasn’t merely to see Lin Zhi off—Xue Yu knew that discussions about military garrisoning were inevitable.
Back at the State Mansion’s council hall, servants presented hot tea, but Xie Xun made no move to drink. He meticulously observed the hall’s surroundings. The interiors of the State Mansions in Jiaozhou and Jinzhou were quite similar, as were most council halls. Through the window, he could see the vigilant palace guards stationed in the courtyard outside.
Xie Xun, however, showed no urgency to discuss the garrisoning. "Why was Li Pengfei exiled to Jiaozhou?" he asked.
Xue Yu replied, "On the night Your Highness defected from the Capital City, the Deputy Commander Li was killed. The entire Kyoto Capital Guard was implicated. Although their lives were spared, many were dismissed from office. Under normal circumstances, this wouldn’t warrant exile. Zhang Boxi was even promoted to Kyoto Capital Guard Commander. But Li Pengfei offended Lin Cheng, leading to his expulsion from the Capital City to Jiaozhou as an assistant general. It has been over a month now."
After arriving in Jiaozhou, Xue Yu had conducted a thorough investigation into the backgrounds of the officials appointed to the State Mansion. What he didn’t know was whether Xie Xun held any prior grievances with Li Pengfei.
Li Pengfei had been one of Xie Xun’s subordinates back when he commanded the Kyoto Capital Guard. Though they were both from aristocratic families, Xie Xun had always favored Lin Xiao, Zhang Boxin, Zhang Boxi, Zhou Liyu, and Cai Wensen over him. Xie Xun wasn’t particularly fond of Li Pengfei. It wasn’t because Lin Xiao had severed ties with Li Pengfei—Xie Xun was never one to let personal grudges or subjective opinions cloud his judgment. When Zhang Boxi had initially challenged Xie Xun’s authority upon his arrival at the Kyoto Capital Guard, Xie Xun, setting aside any resentment, had still chosen to heavily rely on him.
The real issue was that Li Pengfei had failed several critical missions assigned to him by Xie Xun. His personal abilities were lacking, and his emotional instability often led to outbursts—he was even more hot-tempered than Lin Xiao. Without Zhang Boxin by his side to restrain him, he was utterly unreliable.
As to how Li Pengfei felt, Xie Xun did not know. His presence in Jiaozhou now, however, was undeniably troublesome.
"Although Li Pengfei has been in Jiaozhou for over a month, being an aristocrat from the Capital City, he is highly respected among the palace guards," Xue Yu reminded him quietly. "As for me, I’ve only just arrived to temporarily oversee Jiaozhou’s affairs. My words might not carry as much weight as his."
"Mr. Xue, you are quite amusing. Are you more afraid of my dying in Jiaozhou, or are you secretly hoping for it?" Xie Xun quipped with playful sarcasm. "Your stance seems ambiguous, making it hard for me to understand."
"Your Highness’s life is valuable. Naturally, I hope for Your Highness’s good health and long life," Xue Yu answered. "As a temporary overseer, I only wish to see no bloodshed in Jiaozhou."
"With Lin Zhi’s death, Jiaozhou’s State Mansion still has its staff—judges and County Magistrates. Why was a governor from Jinzhou invited to take charge?" Xie Xun asked with a sly smile. "This doesn’t seem proper, does it? According to the laws of Yanyang, Mr. Xue, you have no authority over Jiaozhou affairs."
Xue Yu chuckled lightly. "Your Highness, do the Twelve States now follow the court’s rule or Ningzhou’s? Chaos reigns. Each State Mansion governs according to its circumstances. If we were to follow Yanyang law, Your Highness would have been executed the moment you entered the city."
"And yet, I don’t see any indication that Mr. Xue plans to follow Ningzhou law either," Xie Xun shot back, undeterred.