Chapter 1456: Each Harboring Doubts

With Xue Zongwu protected by the King, it would be difficult for the Grand Regent to remove him through conventional means. Did she perhaps resort to a swift, convenient, and permanent solution?

The thought was terrifying upon closer inspection; everyone felt vulnerable. Under these circumstances, security in Tianshui City had to be tightened. All major families were also on edge, deploying extra guards to protect their mansions.

Qingyang asked again, "When you enter and leave Tranquil Lake Pavilion now, are you still often being followed?"

"Yes."

Since Xue Zongwu's death, Qingyang's subordinates found it very inconvenient to carry out tasks, as they were frequently tailed. And it wasn't only King Yao's people. Such an environment was extremely unfavorable to Qingyang.

If He Xiao, explicitly protected by King Yao, were to suddenly die, suspicion would naturally fall on Qingyang. After all, an increasing number of officials were aware of the long-standing animosity between her and He Xiao.

"He Xiao himself stated he was invited by King Yao to attend the ceremony," Qingyang said, a cold sneer playing on her lips. "King Yao inviting him might be aimed at me. First, find out for me exactly what the two of them intend to do."

"Yes!" Heyang replied, about to withdraw, when the sound of flapping wings came from outside. A brown-backed shrike landed at the window. Heyang walked over, paid the postage, and then took a small bamboo tube from its mouth.

A note was tucked inside the bamboo tube. Heyang unrolled it, glanced at it, and then presented it to Qingyang with both hands: "A message from the Master of Red Hut."

The note contained only a brief sentence: "A month ago, the Tailed Tiger and Pill Bug Porcupine were captured and taken away by the Black Armored Army at Greenery Villa, their whereabouts unknown." There was no signature, only a red mark.

While it took only two breaths to read the sentence, Qingyang pondered for a long moment. This implied several things:

First, the Master of Red Hut was indicating that he had not killed Xue Zongwu and Qi Yunsheng; he had merely lost two demonic puppets some time ago. Second, Qi Yunsheng and his son-in-law had indeed died at the hands of the Black Armored Army's leader. Third, the two demonic puppets taken from the Master of Red Hut had reappeared over a month later at Peach Blossom Villa, hundreds of miles away, to attack Qi Yunsheng.

The Master of Red Hut denied being the killer. Knowing his background, Qingyang didn't believe he had any reason to lie.

So, there was only one question: "What did the Black Armored Army do to those two demonic puppets?"

Qingyang had some prior knowledge of what were called fiend beasts and demonic puppets. She knew that a major characteristic of these creatures was their unstable physical and mental state; they could be violent or insane at times, making them difficult to control. Even a powerful figure like Commander Duyun suffered severe soul backlash and grievous injuries when controlling the fiend beast "Abyss" to intercept the Great Fire Spirit, Ju. Despite various elixirs and miraculous medicines, it took him a year and a half to barely recover.

She knew something of what the Master of Red Hut was doing. His demonic puppets were also unstable, requiring a puppet master to remain nearby to control them.

"After the Black Armored Army took the two demonic puppets, how did they transport them hundreds of miles to Peach Blossom Villa by both land and water?" she mused. "Mangzhou is the heartland of Yaoguo, not some desolate wilderness. Those two demonic puppets looked strange; how could they not have alerted others?" Especially since Yaoguo had a dense network of waterways, with no shortage of rivers and lakes. For the demonic puppets to travel to Mangzhou, they would have to take a huge detour if they didn't go by boat.

"If they used drugs or special abilities to put the demonic puppets to sleep, perhaps the Black Armored Army disguised them as tribute items and hid them in boxes," Heyang mused. "During that period, many entourages were traveling to the capital for the birthday celebration; disguised as congratulatory delegations, they wouldn't attract much attention."

"Did the Black Armored Army merely release these two demonic puppets into Peach Blossom Villa, letting them awaken and kill on their own, or could they directly control the puppets?"

Heyang replied, "According to eyewitnesses, when Qi Yunsheng led his men north and passed the litchi orchards of Peach Blossom Villa, the demonic puppets sprang from the roadside bushes to attack the group."

Was this a coincidence, or a deliberate plan? If it was the latter, it meant the Black Armored Army could control the demonic puppets' actions. They could control demonic puppets? Hmm...

But as the old saying goes, the first possibility—an accident—could not be ruled out. After all, Qi Yunsheng later pursued the Black Armored Army's leader and his entire force was wiped out.

"Let's assume for now that the Black Armored Army can control demonic puppets. The letter from Red Hut didn't mention it, so he probably has no clue either," Qingyang murmured. "Demonic puppet masters are very rare; even if there are slightly more in Splendor Gold Plains than elsewhere, Red Hut should know this."

"Red Hut also didn't say what he plans to do. Heh, cunning." Was the Master of Red Hut trying to get her to do the work?

Just then, a servant announced the arrival of General Chongwu.

General Chongwu's transfer order had arrived; he would be taking up his new post in the northern region in a few days. A sudden great responsibility had fallen upon him. General Chongwu had not expected to become the biggest beneficiary of Xue Zongwu's death, and his joy was immense. He was also well aware of who had secured this position for him. On the third day after receiving the transfer order, he arrived with generous gifts to express his gratitude.

Many officials and merchants frequented Qingyang's Tranquil Lake Pavilion. Qingyang glanced at it casually and set the gift list aside. "That position is what you deserve," she said. "The Yao people are exclusive, otherwise your qualifications would have been sufficient already."

The two of them were already quite familiar from their time in Lingxu City, so there was no need for formalities.

General Chongwu bowed deeply. "Without the Regent's assistance," he said, "no matter how good my qualifications, this position wouldn't have been mine even in twenty years." Leading troops to guard Yaoguo's northern border was, given his background, an unimaginable dream until now. His gratitude towards Qingyang was evident.

"Doing your job well is the best way to thank me."

General Chongwu immediately agreed.

Qingyang casually asked, "Where did you come from this time, Mangzhou?"

"No, Mangzhou was too crowded, so I went to Zhuo'an," he replied. "The journey was shorter there, and lodging and food weren't an issue."

"Zhuo'an?" Qingyang's hand, holding a teacup, paused. Had this place just been mentioned? Yes, He Xiao seemed to have said he passed through Zhuo'an as well.

"That certainly was peaceful. Good thing you weren't in Mangzhou."

Qingyang merely mentioned it casually. General Chongwu noticed her lack of interest in the topic and quickly chuckled, "Yes, yes, it would have been troublesome in Mangzhou; I probably wouldn't have been able to leave for a while."

This was idle talk, and Qingyang was initially inattentive. "Zhuo'an is a small place..." In a small place, there wouldn't be many good inns or post houses, so nobles and wealthy people would flock to just one or two places. This thought sparked something in her, and she asked an additional question: "Nothing happened there, did it?"

"Compared to Mangzhou, Zhuo'an was truly peaceful," General Chongwu replied, speaking with a touch of tact, as the theft of his tribute items was a personal and embarrassing matter. "That night, there was a thunderstorm, and I stayed at Zhuo'an's largest inn. It was crowded with officials and nobles; I even had to vie for a dining table with Fan Shuang, Commander Zhao Song, and the president of the Yangshan Chamber of Commerce, and then—"

Qingyang's gaze sharpened, and she interrupted him, "Who from the Yangshan Chamber of Commerce?"

"President He of the Yangshan Chamber of Commerce," he replied. "The King invited him to attend the ceremony in Tianshui City."

"He Xiao," Qingyang murmured, her eyes flickering slightly. "You met him in Zhuo'an."

"That's right. The four of us sat in a private room, listening to the rain, drinking, and discussing the battles in Splendor Gold Plains. Fan Shuang paid the bill."

It seemed He Xiao had indeed stayed in Zhuo'an that night, with an eyewitness like General Chongwu to confirm it. Qingyang nodded.

Just then, another official arrived. General Chongwu, sensing the moment, stood up and bowed to Qingyang, bidding farewell. His visit to Tranquil Lake Pavilion would surely be noticed, so he ought not to stay long.

***

King Yao's Palace.

All palace servants were dismissed, and the doors were closed. King Yao, his face stern, addressed Liu Wu, the guard kneeling before him: "Are you saying that before Minister Xue departed for the capital, someone under him indeed died in Shuangxi?"

"Your subordinate followed your orders and investigated Shuangxi County Office," Liu Wu replied. "Seven days before General Xue departed for the capital, his accountant, Qian Yu, was robbed and murdered in Shuangxi, a tribute collection area. Afterward, someone infiltrated and set fire to Shuangxi County Office's archives, burning many important documents."

"The accountant was killed?"

"Qian Yu was born into General Xue's mother's household and had managed General Xue's finances for over ten years," Liu Wu explained. "Shuangxi County Office stated that for many years, General Xue had always sent Qian Yu to the county office to audit accounts."

King Yao knew instantly that something was amiss. "It seems Qian Yu was most familiar with the accounts of Shuangxi and Xue Zongwu from past years," he mused. "Which documents in Shuangxi County Office were burned?"

Guard Liu bowed his head. "They were the income and expenditure ledgers from past years: income, surplus, expenses, and so on," he reported. "When the fire started, the county office saw someone jump over the wall from the archives, carrying several ledgers."

"Killing Qian Yu, stealing ledgers, burning the archives," King Yao said, his eyes gleaming. "Surely Xue Zongwu knew about this? What was his reaction?"

"General Xue's aide, Tong Huan, told me that half of the ledgers in Shuangxi County Office's archives were burned," Liu Wu reported. "So, for the next few days, General Xue was very anxious, ordering Shuangxi County Office to reconstruct the lost accounts. He even lost his temper several times over it and disciplined several officials."

King Yao seized on the key phrase: "What was he anxious about?"

"Tong Huan said General Xue was afraid the royal court would order him to rebuild the accounts!"

"If the accounts were to be rebuilt..." King Yao stroked his grizzled beard, a realization dawning on him. "Some accounts probably couldn't be reconciled. With the old ones burned, the envoy going to Shuangxi could demand new accounts be created. Hm, a good method, a good method."

Liu Wu didn't know who King Yao was praising for a "good method," but he continued, "Those few days, General Xue was also very anxious, because the special envoy to audit the accounts was about to arrive in Shuangxi."

"Right, the special envoy for this time was suggested by Grand Regent Qingyang," King Yao said with a low chuckle. "The county office's archives, not burning earlier or later, but coincidentally catching fire just before the special envoy arrived in Shuangxi. How coincidental."

"General Xue was still a little unsettled until the time of his departure."

This statement from Tong Huan was very artful. Why was Xue Zongwu unsettled? Was it not because he feared that problems in the accounts would be discovered during the audit? A clear conscience fears no accusation. So... King Yao sighed. His beloved Minister Xue possessed courage, strategy, and loyalty, but he was just a bit too greedy.

"So, were these accounts from Shuangxi finally reconstructed?"

"They were mostly reconstructed," Guard Liu replied. "Before General Xue departed for the capital, he sent Tong Huan and two of his deputy generals to Shuangxi to supervise the work."