Chapter 348: Volunteering

The Imperial Guards' training ground was a scene of stark division, with black-clad secret agents confronting the silver-armored Imperial Guards in a tense standoff.

Wu Xuange stood leaning on his spear, facing Xuan She directly in front of all the Imperial Guards. He demanded loudly, "Are you here for the Goryeo envoy case, or are you harboring ulterior motives? If this is merely about your internal power struggles within the Directorate of Ceremonials, then I believe you've gone insane with ambition for the 'top three' ranks. You know perfectly well that this matter has nothing to do with my Left Valiant Guard."

Xuan She replied meaningfully, "Commander Wu, you seem so certain this has nothing to do with your Left Valiant Guard. Could it be that you know who the real culprit is? Quickly tell me who it is, and I will apprehend them at once."

Wu Xuange's expression gradually darkened.

Everyone speculated that it was the work of the Chen or Xu families, but that particular secret could not be revealed.

Seeing that Wu Xuange dared not speak, Xuan She smiled contemptuously. "When I ascended to my Zodiac rank, you were merely a small centurion in the Myriad Age Army. It's not your place to instruct me. Don't imagine I'm acting for personal gain; today's incident has enraged both His Majesty and the Grand Secretariat. Not only will you be investigated, but all officials, scribes, and commoners present at the time will also be thoroughly scrutinized! Men, take him to the Imperial Prison. Anyone who dares to obstruct will be killed without question!"

Secret agents rushed forward and seized Wu Xuange's arms, but he stood rooted to the spot, utterly unmoving.

Seated on his horse, Xuan She spoke slowly and deliberately, "You don't seriously think that, by relying on Wu Xiu as your patron, you can openly defy my Secret Service, do you? If you persist in your stubbornness, I will have no choice but to execute you first and report to the emperor later. Wu Xiu invested immense resources just to help you reach the peak of the Xiantian level. You can't possibly believe you're my opponent, can you?"

Wu Xuange was silent for a moment, then slowly released the internal energy in his body, dropping his spear onto the training ground with a clang.

As the secret agents began to escort Wu Xuange and the Left Valiant Imperial Guards away, Li Xuan stepped forward, calling out, "Wait..."

However, he was forcibly pulled back by Chen Ji after taking only half a step.

Li Xuan turned around in astonishment, while Chen Ji silently shook his head.

Xuan She laughed heartily. "Excellent," he said, "at least someone here is sensible."

Li Xuan looked at Chen Ji. "I am the Commander of the Imperial Guards. Even if Wu Xuange and I are at odds, I shouldn't just stand by."

Chen Ji pondered for a moment before speaking in a low voice. "Lord Li, Xuan She isn't here to investigate a case; he's here for an internal power struggle. Wu Xuange received Wu Xiu's patronage, and he must naturally bear the consequences. This is the path he chose for himself."

Li Xuan frowned. "While I despise the eunuch faction, Wu Xuange is indeed an elite of our dynasty. With his talent for leading troops, he could certainly become a vital figure in the future. If he were to die in the eunuchs' internal power struggle, it would be a great loss to our dynasty. I don't care about political factions; I only do what is right."

Chen Ji gripped Li Xuan's arm tightly. "Lord Li, don't you see it yet? Those Grand Secretaries and ministers have never cared what difference one more or one less Wu Xuange makes, and neither do you. Lord Li, if you only ever wish to do what is 'right' in this life, you'll accomplish nothing at all."

Li Xuan opened his mouth to speak.

Chen Ji turned to face Xuan She. "Lord Xuan She, you know what you're here to do, and we know what you're here to do. On that day, Wu Xuange alone decided to go to Qipan Street and Dongjiang Mi Lane to quell the unrest. Could you please not make things difficult for the rest of the Imperial Guards? Simply taking Wu Xuange would be sufficient."

Xuan She narrowed his eyes. "And what if I insist on making things difficult for them?"

Chen Ji said calmly, "The soldiers of the Left Valiant Guard have known Wu Xuange for only two days. Lord Xuan She, you know very well that you won't get what you want from them. If you fail to extract anything and make a mistake on this case, Precious Monkey, Luminous Rabbit, Cloud Ram, and Golden Boar will likely be too delighted to sleep for days. If Your Excellency doubts this, we can send someone to the Secret Service headquarters right now to invite them to enjoy the show."

Xuan She was silent for a moment, then broke into a broad smile. "I was merely having a joke with you."

With that, he waved his hand, signaling the secret agents to release the Imperial Guards and take only Wu Xuange.

As Xuan She rode past Chen Ji, cloaked and mounted on his horse, he looked down, scrutinizing him. "I will remember you," he stated.

Chen Ji looked up without flinching. "Safe travels, Lord Xuan She," he said.

Xuan She let out two sinister laughs, then exited the camp gate without looking back.

Li Xuan looked out into the darkness beyond the camp gate, his expression complex. "As Commander of the Imperial Guards, I can't even protect a subordinate," he murmured.

Chen Ji had no time to dwell on Li Xuan's mood. He turned and walked to the camp gate, gazing anxiously towards the Meridian Gate in the distance.

He wondered if any of the Grand Secretaries or ministers at court had realized that the Jing Dynasty's Military Intelligence Bureau was the true mastermind behind this affair. Judging by Xuan She's ongoing internal power struggle, it seemed no one was focusing on the "external enemy."

Chen Ji didn't care who won or lost between the Jing and Ning Dynasties, nor who set a trap for whom today, or who would lay an ambush tomorrow. None of it mattered to him in the slightest.

However, the one leading the army on this expedition was Wang Daosheng.

This was Wang Daosheng: the man who, at Luhun Villa, despite the difficulties presented by the Buddhist sect, voluntarily acknowledged Chen Ji as his direct disciple; the man who, when Chen Ji traveled to Guyuan, specifically wrote a letter requesting Hu Junxian's protection for him.

At that moment, Chen Ji saw the Jie Fan Guards in front of the Meridian Gate suddenly begin to move, forming a line before the entrance.

A group of Grand Secretaries emerged from the Meridian Gate, assisted into their carriages, and departed.

From within the Meridian Gate emerged another group of officials. Wang Daosheng, dressed in plain cloth, looked out of place among the grand red robes of the other officials. The red-robed officials bowed and offered their congratulations, but he simply returned their courtesy, showing no trace of joy on his face.

Once all the officials had entered their palanquins, only Wang Daosheng remained, walking alone towards the Gate of Heavenly Succession, with no palanquin, no carriage, and no retinue.

This second-place scholar, who in the fifteenth year of Jianing had gained renown across the land for his "Twelve Strategies for Pacifying the Wo," was now weathered, with a full head of gray hair.

He had come to the capital alone to take the imperial examination all those years ago, and now he was still alone.

He had even left the books he always carried in his hand at the Zhixing Academy in Luocheng, because those classic texts of the sages could no longer help him.

Wang Daosheng stepped out of the Gate of Heavenly Succession alone, gazing at Chang'an Grand Street, which felt both familiar and strangely alien.

In the fifteenth year of Jianing, after the public announcement outside Donghua Gate, he had ridden a tall horse, red silk draped across his chest, and walked proudly down this long bluestone street.

On that day, he had harbored a fervent heart, believing he could use his lifelong learning to benefit the people. Instead, he was met with six years of copying documents in the Hanlin Academy and compiling three hundred and sixty volumes of Ning history.

Six years was all it took to grind him down from a Bachelor of the Hanlin Academy to a mere Compiler. As he watched all his classmates build successful careers, he became the "Second Place Compiler," a laughingstock in the yamen.

Ironically, while researching historical records, he suddenly discovered that history was not at all lacking in people like him.

Wang Daosheng gazed absently at the long street before him. In the past fifteen years, how many top scholars, second-place scholars, and third-place scholars had walked down this very street?

He wondered if any of them had fared slightly better than he had.

"Mr. Wang, it's been a while. I trust you've been well."

Wang Daosheng snapped out of his reverie and turned his head.

He saw Chen Ji, clad in silver armor, standing across Chang'an Grand Street, greeting him with a distant bow across the bluestone paving.

Wang Daosheng's eyes slowly brightened. "Chen Ji?"

He lifted his robes with one hand and stepped across Chang'an Grand Street. When he reached the middle, a troop of Jie Fan Guards galloped past. Wang Daosheng waited for them to pass before continuing his walk.

He reached Chen Ji. "I only just found out you joined the Imperial Guards... What a pity. After earning such great merit at Guyuan, how could they leave you idle here?"

Chen Ji smiled. "Didn't they also leave you idle in Luocheng, sir?" he countered.

Teacher and disciple exchanged silent glances for a moment, then burst into hearty laughter.

Wang Daosheng looked Chen Ji up and down. "I received a letter from Hu Junxian. He recounted everything you did in Guyuan in detail, and even asked me to write a letter to Grand Secretary Hu recommending you for a position in the Ministry of War. Ha, he said you were more suited than I am to navigate the complexities of court, adding that the court needs people like you, or else there won't even be anyone left to speak up for people like us."

Chen Ji was taken aback. "I didn't realize General Hu had ever spoken well of me. He always kept a cold expression when he was in front of me."

Wang Daosheng smiled. "That man, though he doesn't speak his mind, understands things very well. Are you still blaming him for not mentioning you in the border army's victory report? Don't mistake his intentions. The court is wary of generals forming factions with court officials; he had to distance himself from you for the court to even consider employing you."

Chen Ji shook his head. "I don't blame General Hu," he replied.

Wang Daosheng patted the armor on Chen Ji's shoulder. "That's good. Lying low for a few years might not be a disadvantage for you. Achieving fame at a young age comes with a price; those who gain renown early are destined to face controversy with every step thereafter, as if treading on a mountain of knives and a sea of fire."

Chen Ji said softly, "Are you, sir, speaking of yourself?"

Wang Daosheng chuckled, playfully pointing a finger at him without annoyance. "Ah, you, your tongue is becoming as sharp as your master's!"

Chen Ji ceased the pleasantries and asked directly, "Are you to lead an expedition to Goryeo, sir?"

Wang Daosheng assented. "This time, the court has appointed me Commander-in-Chief Pacifying the East, granting me the Seal of the General Pacifying the East to command the Ning Dynasty Navy, and allowing me to further mobilize forty thousand transport troops. I've also been given the added title of Left Vice Minister of War of the Third Rank. Moreover, I was exceptionally granted the title of Grand Master of the Imperial Palace and a Loyal and Valiant Golden Tablet, allowing me to execute first and report later in urgent matters."

Chen Ji had initially assumed Wang Daosheng was not highly regarded at court. Yet, as soon as he was reinstated, the court bestowed so many titles upon him?

Wait.

He wasn't given command of the Shenji Battalion, the Myriad Age Army, or the Five Army Camps. They were only letting Wang Daosheng lead forty thousand transport troops to fight in Goryeo?

The Ning Dynasty Navy had fallen into disrepair since the maritime ban, performing worse than even the Xu family's smuggling pirates at sea. And the transport troops were a complete mess, long ago infiltrated and corrupted by shipping gangs and powerful officials, serving as a shield for major salt and grain merchants.

Leading such a contingent into battle, its symbolic meaning far outweighed any practical impact.

It was all for show.

Chen Ji hesitated. "Sir," he asked, "must you go on this expedition?"

Wang Daosheng smiled. "What can I do about matters decided by the court? Furthermore, the Goryeo envoy forced the issue by committing suicide, and now rumors are rampant among the public claiming the Jing Dynasty poisoned the Goryeo envoy. The people are growing increasingly agitated, and if the court does nothing, it will be difficult to soothe public sentiment."

Chen Ji's brow furrowed tightly. "But..."

But it's a trap.

The Jing Dynasty has likely already deployed troops and laid out formations in Goryeo, quietly awaiting the arrival of Ning Dynasty reinforcements.

Should he warn him?

And setting aside whether Mr. Wang would even believe him, how would he explain how he knew?

Even if Wang Daosheng believed him, and didn't ask for the reason, it wasn't something Wang Daosheng could control anyway: whether to send troops or not, the court made the final decision.

Even if the court agreed not to send troops, if the Jing Dynasty's Military Intelligence Bureau found out he had influenced the matter, Commander Cao Gui would certainly not spare him.

At that point, let alone what he still needed to do, it would be questionable whether he could even keep his life.

Wang Daosheng observed his expression, then frowned. "What is it?" he asked. "Is there something you're reluctant to say?"

Chen Ji was silent for a long moment, then broke into a smile. "It's nothing," he said. "I'm just worried that you might face danger by leading troops to Goryeo."

Wang Daosheng patted his shoulder. "It's nothing to worry about," he said. "My primary duty on this expedition to Goryeo, as assigned by the court, is to civilize and pacify the vassal state. Fighting the Jing Dynasty is secondary, so there won't be much danger."

Chen Ji simply hummed in acknowledgement.

He stood in the dark night outside the camp gate, ultimately saying nothing further. "Mr. Wang," he asked, "where will you be staying after arriving in the capital? Do you have a place?"

Wang Daosheng replied casually, "The Ministry of War has lodgings prepared for scribes. I can stay there with them."

Chen Ji said, surprised, "Sir, why not stay at the Chen family residence? My small courtyard still has two empty wing rooms."

Wang Daosheng smiled and said gently, "It's fine. There are still hundreds of thousands of disaster victims in Yuzhou sleeping out in the open. It's already quite fortunate that I can sleep in the Ministry of War's quarters."

Just then, footsteps sounded behind Chen Ji, accompanied by the clanking of rubbing armor.

Li Xuan approached Wang Daosheng and stood before him, bowing with clasped hands. "Your humble subordinate, Li Xuan, greets Mr. Wang," he said.

Wang Daosheng said with a smile, "In earlier years, I often saw General Li on duty in front of the Meridian Gate. Three years later, your bearing remains as distinguished as ever."

Li Xuan got straight to the point. "Mr. Wang, are you indeed leading troops to Goryeo?"

Wang Daosheng nodded. "Indeed," he confirmed.

Li Xuan bowed again with clasped hands. "I, Li, learned martial arts from my father, but it is difficult to put them to use here in the capital region. Hearing that you, Mr. Wang, are leading troops to Goryeo this time, I have specifically come to volunteer, hoping you will permit me to accompany you on the campaign to Goryeo."

Wang Daosheng scrutinized Li Xuan, then, after a moment of thought, asked, "General Li, Hu Junxian mentioned you in his letter. He said you possess the courage to face ten thousand enemies and can slay generals and capture flags even in the thick of battle. But... are you unhappy serving in the Imperial Guards?"

Li Xuan said seriously, "The Imperial Guards are fine, but they are not where my ambitions lie. Our five hundred Imperial Guards were reduced to only thirty-eight after the Battle of Guyuan. Although the court promised to recruit new soldiers for us, there has been no sign of them. This Imperial Guard now exists in name only."

Wang Daosheng remained silent.

Seeing that Wang Daosheng did not agree, Li Xuan grew anxious. "Mr. Wang," he pleaded, "we good men should achieve extraordinary feats with our three-foot swords! How can we simply settle down here? I hope you will grant my request!"

Wang Daosheng shook his head. "No. Although General Li performed meritorious service at Guyuan, he has never participated in or trained for naval battles or sea warfare. I fear you might find it unsuitable."

Li Xuan looked at Chen Ji for help, but Chen Ji simply stood silently.

Helpless, he had no choice but to turn to Wang Daosheng again. "Sir, are you perhaps concerned about my high official rank? I can resign my post and serve as a foot soldier under your command, starting over as a common soldier."

Wang Daosheng helped Li Xuan to his feet and sighed lightly. "Why go to such lengths? Lord Li, don't follow me into this troubled situation. This expedition to Goryeo is more symbolic than practical; it's merely for show, and no great merits are to be gained. All right, it's getting late. I'll go find a bed at the Ministry of War's quarters. Lord Li, you should also head back."

As he spoke, Wang Daosheng's words carried a compelling force that made refusal difficult, gradually extinguishing Li Xuan's desire to accompany the army on the campaign.

Wang Daosheng turned and walked towards the Ministry of War's yamen, his posture tall and solitary.

Yet, just then, Chen Ji's voice broke the silence behind him: "We wish to accompany you, sir, on the expedition to Goryeo. We hope you will grant our request."

Wang Daosheng turned back in astonishment, to see Chen Ji bowing with clasped hands, speaking with earnest sincerity.

Wang Daosheng stood in the middle of Chang'an Grand Street, pondering for a long time. "Tomorrow," he finally said, "I will write a memorial, petitioning the court to transfer you all under my command."

Li Xuan was overjoyed. "Thank you, sir!"