Chapter 510: Endure Any Longer, and the Blood Will Turn Cold

Wang Guan publicly slashed down the black-clothed man’s pants with his sword, a move that truly shocked Zhang Yue. He certainly knew that the presence or absence of a Adam’s apple was not the key to determining whether someone was castrated—after all, if someone had been castrated in their twenties, their Adam’s apple would have already developed. But the physical evidence below could not be faked; it was extremely difficult to retract one’s penis into the abdomen. At this moment, he realized that Wang Guan hadn’t just chosen someone at random for show. This black-clothed man, struggling desperately with a face full of resentment, was likely truly sent by some nobleman in the capital.

Seeing Zhang Yue’s thoughtful expression, Wang Guan thought he had convinced him, so he dropped his sword, lifted his robe bare-chested, and knelt down, striking the ground three times in submission. “Lord Zhang, I was deceived by others and acted foolishly. I’m merely Huang Yan’s adopted son, not his biological one… Even if I were his biological son, I wouldn’t dare defy the laws of the state! It was this guy who coerced and bribed me; I really didn’t dare oppose the imperial prince behind him, which led to this grave mistake!”

Knowing that Zhang Yue would never dare confront an imperial prince head-on, let alone interrogate this man of complicated status in public, Wang Guan grew even more confident. He then half-truthfully said, “Lord Zhang, although I am a eunuch in charge of Xuanfu and reap considerable profits throughout the year, I’ve never kept any for myself. First, it was Huang Yan from the Imperial Secretariat, followed by Eunuchs Liu and Hai, and then that imperial prince in the capital. The gold, silver, and wealth I’ve passed on to them alone is at least equivalent to my entire fortune!”

A fool would try to stop a moving cart—this truth Zhang Yue had never forgotten. But that didn’t mean he never reached his limit, especially now in these turbulent times. Without even glancing at Wang Guan kneeling on the cold ground, he returned to his seat and asked, “When the supplies first arrived in Xinghe, Arutai suddenly launched a massive attack. There were even rumors among the Tartars that Xinghe had tens of thousands of bushels of grain stored there. Please explain clearly, Eunuch Wang—what exactly is going on?”

Wang Guan’s heart skipped a beat as he quickly denied it, “This… this really has nothing to do with me!”
“If you still try to hide it now, do you think I’m a fool?”

He slapped the armrest hard, leaned forward slightly, and asked word by word, “Ever since Arutai started acting rebelliously, the Emperor ordered the closure of trade between the two regions. Yet you sent people to secretly accept tea bricks from merchants and trade with them. Later, fearing that fugitives from the north might leak the news, you even killed them to silence them. Is that true? You took twenty fine horses, twenty sabers, and ten strong bows from Arutai—true as well? With such close dealings, it’s possible that someone under you might have let something slip, don’t you think?”

Wang Guan, who had never dealt with Zhang Yue before, felt utterly flustered under his aggressive tone and sharp words. He had previously thought Zhang Yue’s reputation was merely built on the back of Duke Zhang Fu or fabricated by others. Even though they had successfully rescued Xinghe this time, he attributed it to luck. But now, with his secrets being exposed one by one, his heart sank, and he no longer dared underestimate him.

He urged himself to stay calm. Only when he realized the last sentence used the phrase “let something slip” did he feel a weight lift from his heart. To have risen to his current position among thousands of eunuchs in the palace, he owed it not only to his cunning but also to his thick skin and willingness to bend the rules. So, without caring whether it was shameful to act subservient in front of his subordinates, he quickly crawled a few steps forward.

“Yes, yes! I was confused just now! When you left, I happened to send a batch of tea bricks out, handled by a famous Shanxi merchant from Pingyao. They must have leaked the news! That unscrupulous merchant must have reaped huge profits by daring to leak military secrets. I’ll skin him alive! Lord Zhang, everything I said is true—no lies at all. I know I deserve death, but if you can help me get through this crisis, I’ll be completely loyal to you. Whether it’s passing messages or carrying out tasks, even if it means facing death…”

“Shut up!”

Zhang Yue was too tired to listen to such insincere nonsense and cut him off coldly. He had merely used a trick, and Wang Guan had already confessed most of the truth, saving him the effort of further interrogation. He had previously taken several days to transport supplies from Xuanfu to Xinghe. If it were a secret trade caravan heading beyond the border, its speed wouldn’t be much faster than his own, so it couldn’t have delivered the news to Arutai so promptly. It must have been Wang Guan’s messenger.

That damned wretch! And of course, the madman behind him deserved to be torn apart piece by piece!

“Go back. Keep this man here.”
“Lord… Lord Zhang, do you really… want to keep this… this man?” Wang Guan, who had thought he had escaped disaster just moments ago, once again felt his mind struggling to keep up, even speaking awkwardly. After finally managing to control his tongue, he confirmed again, “Even if he admits he was sent by someone, you’re not necessarily confident enough to deal with King Shouguang…”
“How I plan things is my concern. You don’t need to worry about it.” Zhang Yue sneered before looking at Wang Guan indifferently. “I have some acquaintance with Eunuch Lu. But don’t forget what you just said. If I find out you’ve hidden even a fraction of your wealth, then just as Eunuch Lu can kill you, I can kill you too!”
Realizing this, Wang Guan immediately understood that Zhang Yue was likely holding onto this man in black not for revenge, but to coerce him. Though this was far from what he had expected, it was still within acceptable limits. He hurriedly agreed repeatedly, then glanced at Zhang Yue before getting up. When Zhang Yue nodded, he left the room, supported by two attendants, as if pardoned. Only when he stepped outside into the bitterly cold air did he let out a long sigh, narrowed his eyes, and ordered in a deep voice, “Go! Back to the mansion!”
Getting into the carriage with his nearly numb legs, he clutched tightly at the still-warm hand warmer and smirked viciously. As long as there were still mountains, there would be firewood. Once he got through this ordeal, he might still have a chance to turn things around. Zhang Yue, if only you were a duke… But you’re just a minor fifth-rank official. Today, I kneel before you and offer you countless benefits. One day, you’ll realize that my head isn’t so easy to crush, and my money isn’t so easy to take!
With Wang Guan’s departure, the small courtyard returned to calm—at least on the surface. The lights in the east wing room remained on, and none of the people inside left. From Peng Shisan to Xiang Long and Liu Bao, everyone stared at Zhang Yue as if his face had blossomed with flowers, with not a single person looking at the man tied to the ground with hemp rope, his pants hanging down to his knees.
After a long while, Peng Shisan finally broke the awkward silence with a hoarse voice, “Niu Gan and the others fled from the north with great effort, only to die right at their own doorstep—all because of this eunuch’s selfishness. And how many people died because of this eunuch leaking military secrets? Is the young master really going to let Wang Guan go?”

“Let him go? I can’t do anything about those who are causing trouble in the capital for now, but since I know who trapped me in Xinghe and caused so many good men to die or be injured, if I were to let him go, wouldn’t I be the worst kind of scoundrel? Though I’m not a warrior who charges into battle, my blood isn’t cold yet!” Zhang Yue, who had beenlowered his head in deep thought, finally raised his head and ordered Peng Shisan fiercely, “Old Peng, take the pass token now and go find Lu Feng. Tell him what just happened, say I’ve already secured the crown, and urge him to act quickly and decisively to get rid of this disgusting guy!”
“Sure!” Peng Shisan put away his grim expression and nodded cheerfully. “I’ll go right away. I’ll convey every word of the young master’s instructions to him!”
Only after the door closed again did Zhang Yue look down at the man struggling on the ground, wishing he could kick this hateful eunuch to death. He told Liu Bao to stay and watch over him, then took Xiang Long into the inner room, organized his thoughts, and began to give instructions in a low voice.
“Find a way to take that guy back and hand him over to Lord Yuan. Then ask Lord Yuan to interrogate him thoroughly to find out if the King of Han is aware of this. If the King of Shouguang acted on his own, and the King of Han has always disapproved of his son—especially since he’s been causing trouble in the capital—the King of Han will likely not only ignore him but also hate him even more. With a little provocation, those two father and son will surely clash again. The fiercer their conflict, the angrier the emperor will become. Once they’re at each other’s throats, seize the moment to make the King of Han reveal the truth behind the siege of Xinghe. I don’t believe the emperor will show mercy in his fury!”
“The young master truly has brilliant plans!”
Xiang Long was a man who had risen from the bottom ranks, valuing loyalty above all else. He had been worried that Zhang Yue might be tempted by the money promised for the crown, and even after Peng Shisan left, he wasn’t entirely convinced. But now he was completely at ease. After bowing in sincere respect, he left the inner room. After some rustling sounds, the light outside went out, and silence returned to the room.
Due to this visit in the middle of the night, Zhang Yue’s sleep had long been gone. He went straight to the desk by the window, poured some water into the inkstone, and rolled up his sleeves to grind ink himself. After preparing a full inkstone of ink, he sat down, unfolded a piece of paper, and began writing furiously.

“Dear Uncle, I was shocked to receive a letter from the capital, learning that my father-in-law is imprisoned and even framed by villains. I am extremely worried and earnestly beg you to intercede on his behalf…”
After finishing the letter, Zhang Yue pondered for a moment before setting it aside. He then unfolded another sheet of paper and this time began with, “Your humble servant Zhang Yue addresses Your Majesty.” He wrote for three or four full pages. Once done, he looked at the words, filled with passion, and let out a long sigh.
Although Xiang Long was right about what he said earlier, he had endured too long—if he continued any longer, his blood would turn to ice!