Yan Jun, standing to the side, sighed, "Sect Leader, it seems the Peacock King does not understand Liang Xiao and the Great Qian Kingdom..."
The Sect Leader rubbed his forehead, his tone filled with sorrow, "After Liang Xiao captured the Qian Tang sect members, he sent people to search my stronghold, indicating he has means to make them yield. Thus, Liang Xiao might follow the trail and discover this place! There is no time to investigate who betrayed us. Organize an immediate evacuation!"
After giving the order, the Sect Leader did not hesitate and, with Yan Jun and others, mounted their fine steeds and fled the deep mountains.
The believers of the Returning Spring Sect, hidden in the mountain stronghold, busily packed their belongings and successively fled the mountains, retreating towards the southwest.
"Faster!"
The leader on horseback whipped his mount, roaring in anger.
Just then, the sound of horses' hooves echoed from the southwest.
Over a thousand Returning Spring Sect believers turned their heads, their hearts leaping into their throats.
Shi Liuyun personally led five thousand Jiangnan Iron Cavalry, charging towards them!
The Jiangnan Iron Cavalry dispatched scouts to observe the enemy and report to Shi Liuyun.
Shi Liuyun immediately led the Jiangnan Iron Cavalry to detour and encircle them, lying in wait!
Wherever their iron hooves passed, Returning Spring Sect believers fell one by one!
These believers were not regular soldiers, and in an instant, they were scattered by the charge of the Jiangnan Iron Cavalry, nearly annihilated!
Seventeen leaders, big and small, were captured on the spot and escorted back to Jinling!
Gongyang He was in a banquet, socializing with Liang Xiao and discussing the围剿 (wéi jiǎo - encirclement and suppression) of the Returning Spring Sect, speaking vaguely and repeatedly refuting Liang Xiao's strategies.
Liang Xiao merely smiled, offering no rebuttal. In truth, he was just speaking casually, waiting for the outcome, and perhaps to give Gongyang He a surprise.
Besides Liang Xiao, Gongyang He, and He Jingyun, the attendees included the Prefect's secretary and other minor officials, serving as mere accompaniments.
As both sides were conversing, a commotion arose from outside.
Gongyang He looked towards the entrance with a puzzled expression, his face suddenly changing!
Gu Hai entered, leading men who were escorting his second son, Gongyang Long.
A Ministry of Justice guard kicked the leg of the ashen-faced Gongyang Long, forcing him to kneel.
Gu Hai, his face grim, said, "Grand Tutor, it has been discovered that Returning Spring Sect believers colluded with individuals in your residence. I feared you and your sons might be harmed, so I urgently dispatched men to search. Unexpectedly, in your son Gongyang Long's home, a copy of 'Returning Spring Sect' was found, along with a stack of correspondence related to the sect's content, and several ritualistic tools of the Returning Spring Sect!"
Gongyang He was struck as if by lightning!
He had originally worried that Liang Xiao would trouble his people at the banquet, which was why he was forced to accept Liang Xiao's invitation to attend.
He had forgotten that Gu Hai, an official of the Ministry of Justice, was still investigating the case of framing Nie Yuan in Jinling. According to the Great Qian laws, he was qualified to conduct an emergency search of a residence, provided he brought enough Ministry of Justice personnel. At most, he would bear responsibility afterward!
Especially since Gu Hai's reason was quite plausible: fearing he and his family would be harmed by Returning Spring Sect followers!
Even Liang Xiao was deeply surprised, having to admire Gongyang Long's sheer audacity.
His original intention was merely for Gu Hai to conduct a perfunctory search to detain Gongyang He, facilitate the actions of the Jiangnan Iron Cavalry, and incidentally, to give the Gongyang clan a scare, keeping them quiet for a while.
To his surprise, Gu Hai actually found such dangerous items??
That copy of 'Returning Spring Sect' was a forbidden scripture used by the sect, which Liang Xiao later refuted with his own work, 'Refutation of Returning Spring Sect'.
"Father, I must have been framed!" Gongyang Long, terrified and with his trousers wet, knelt and begged for help.
Gongyang He said in a deep voice, "My Gongyang clan has received imperial favor for generations. My son would never collude with the Returning Spring Sect! I implore Master Gu to investigate thoroughly!"
Gu Hai then said with some helplessness, "I will personally handle this matter. If your son is indeed being framed, he will be released without charge. If he truly colluded..."
"This old man will uphold justice and disown my own kin!" Gongyang He declared angrily.
He could not fathom why his son still kept that forbidden scripture.
And the tools and correspondence as well – how utterly foolish!
Liang Xiao merely looked regretful, patting Gongyang He's shoulder and offering perfunctory words of comfort.
It was predictable that once this news spread, it would be a fatal blow to the reputation of Gongyang He and the entire Gongyang clan!
Before Gongyang He could respond, another urgent report came from outside: "Marquis An, Prefect, the General of Rebellion has led the Jiangnan Iron Cavalry to annihilate the Returning Spring Sect's base in the mountain stronghold south of Jinling!"
"How did they discover the base there?!" Gongyang He's heart leaped in shock!
There were also members of his Gongyang clan in that base, one of the leaders...
Gongyang He could no longer linger and immediately returned to the Grand Tutor's mansion to inquire about the situation.
"After you left, that Ministry of Justice official suddenly arrived with his men. We couldn't refuse them entry, especially since Liang Xiao's troops were forcing their way in..." Dugu Xiao said with a bitter expression.
Gongyang He's face turned ashen, his body trembling. "If I had stayed at the mansion, with Liang Xiao and that old scoundrel Gu Hai present, they would have searched the residence anyway. Then I would have been even more unable to escape responsibility..."
At this moment, Gongyang He finally understood that his presence or absence was irrelevant to Liang Xiao.
After all, since the Battle of Luzhou, the Returning Spring Sect had become a public enemy, with the common people eager to eradicate them. Gu Hai's pretext, coupled with Liang Xiao's authority, was sufficient to force entry into the residence. At most, they would be impeached later for finding nothing!
A dead end!
Not only did his son betray him, but the Returning Spring Sect base in the southern mountains was also purged...
"Could it be Zuo Wushang?" Gongyang He suddenly recalled something, breaking out in a cold sweat. "No, impossible! They still aim to restore their dynasty; betraying that base would yield no benefit for him! It can only be blamed on my son's foolishness..."
Now, Gongyang He deeply resented his second son, Gongyang Long.
If not for these incriminating items, he would still have had the nerve to impeach Liang Xiao and Gu Hai, and then spread the news throughout Jiangnan, letting the people understand Liang Xiao's recklessness and high-handedness!
Even if that base was cleared and members of the Gongyang clan arrested, he could have distanced himself from them, at worst paying a sum to resolve the disaster, like the Ouyang and Dugu families.
Gongyang Long's imprisonment due to the Returning Spring Sect contraband shocked the entire city!
Throughout the Grand Tutor's mansion, a sense of unease pervaded.
At night, a masked figure slipped into the Grand Tutor's mansion through a secret tunnel and found Gongyang He, informing him of the situation.
Gongyang He slumped onto his chair, almost fainting.
Had the core disciples of the Returning Spring Sect been captured by Liang Xiao and confessed?
Had the Sect Leader abandoned his plans and fled southwest?
"Grand Tutor, the situation is critical. It's possible Liang Xiao might discover something from Gongyang Long! You had best make plans soon!" the masked man said coldly.
Gongyang He's forehead beaded with sweat, and he nodded with difficulty.
In the prison cell, Gongyang He, visiting his son, looked at the son kneeling before him, wailing for help, with a face full of helplessness. He too knelt, took a packet of powder from his sleeve, and secretly handed it to Gongyang Long.
"You still have two sons. One can inherit the family business in the future, and the other can serve in the Peacock Dynasty and avenge you! But if you live, the entire Gongyang clan will eventually be implicated and annihilated, and there will be no opportunity for revenge! You know how much your father loves you. I won't force you; you choose yourself!"
After speaking, Gongyang He left, leaving Gongyang Long in despair, accompanied by bodyguards disguised as servants.
"Gongyang Long, fearing punishment, took poison and committed suicide!"
Liang Xiao received the news and exclaimed, "Did anyone contact him?"
Gu Hai said with shame, "Under the guise of visiting his son, the Grand Tutor went to the prison to admonish Gongyang Long, claiming that if he broke the law, he would uphold imperial justice and disown him, severing their father-son relationship. The jailers, intimidated by his authority, dared not refuse, nor did they dare to approach and eavesdrop..."
Liang Xiao slammed the table and asked, "What is the situation with those Returning Spring Sect believers from the base?"