Chapter 208: A Single Thread Affects the Whole Situation

The Qingzhou prefecture government building was more than twice the size of the Anqiu county office. The front and back sections were separated by a ceremonial gate. In the center resided Prefect Ling and his family, while the two three-story courtyards on the left were occupied by Zhang Yue. Yet, even though the space was originally ample, it became insufficient after two deputy prefects and two judicial officers took up their posts. Eventually, two prominent local families, following old customs, “lent” two sets of their unused houses, which temporarily resolved the crisis.

Du Wan didn’t need to worry about what was going on outside. After the holiday from the 30th day of the 12th lunar month to the 3rd day of the first lunar month, the ten-day Lantern Festival would soon arrive. It was the first time in her life that she would spend Spring Festival and the Lantern Festival away from her parents. Now, in her courtyard, aside from Chunying, Lingxi had also moved in. The two outermost rooms were occupied by the Cui and Li families. Usually, no men came or went, except for Zhang Yue who would visit from time to time, making it almost like being at home.

On this day, the weather was pleasant, so she asked Chunying to set up the wooden carved windows with the “Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea” pattern in the inner room and arrange a chessboard at the desk below the window. She picked out a few black and white chess pieces and placed them on the board, recalling what Zhang Yue had said to her after receiving guests the first day. Picking up a black piece, she placed it in the central Tianyuan position, then placed one black and one white piece in two adjacent squares, before falling into deep thought.

Unlike Chunying and Xiao Wu, who were lively and talkative, she was very quiet but had a great interest in Go. Seeing Du Wan set up the board, she curiously approached and watched for a long time before asking, “Miss, what kind of opening is this?”

“This isn’t a chess game; it’s a bet,” Du Wan replied thoughtfully. Turning to see Chunying’s brows furrowed deeply, she smiled and said, “It’s okay, it’s not urgent to learn Go right away. I’ll teach you when the time comes. Go check if there’s anything to do for Sister Lingxi and help her out. Otherwise, we’ll really end up idling around.”

With a few words, she sent Chunying away and continued to focus on the board, placing pieces one by one. Soon, while the center of the board remained calm, the struggle in one corner became intense. With each move, she would ponder for a long time. Eventually, the battle in that corner affected the entire board, turning it into a battlefield of strategy.

“Is Sister Wan here?”

Hearing Zhang Yue calling from outside, Du Wan finally put down the chess pieces and stood up, lifting the curtain to go outside. The moment they met, she saw Zhang Yue wearing a black gauze hat and a blue silk robe with a round collar and right-side opening, tied at the waist with a plain silver belt. Used to seeing him in his usual clothes, she took a closer look at his official attire and found it to be neat and spirited as well. After greeting each other, she asked, “Senior brother, you came over without even having time to change into this official outfit. Is there something urgent?”
“It’s about that matter we discussed earlier. Although we thought we had covered everything thoroughly, I still worry about missing something, so I came to consult you again. Sister Wan, let me repeat what we discussed last time; see if anything is overlooked.”
Du Wan smiled slightly, thinking she had indeed guessed his temperament, and nodded. Then Zhang Yue stood up, took a few steps, and cleared his throat.
“Firstly, in Qingzhou Prefecture, the most influential figures are the Han King and his sons, the princes. The Han King holds himself in very high esteem and trusts military generals the most, but treats his sons rather indifferently. Due to his first wife, he has some estrangement with his eldest son, the Prince of Shouguang. Although the prince is sickly, he is cunning, while the Prince of Shouguang is a fool. Secondly, there’s the military command office, where various military figures hold significant power. Although General Liu is the commander-in-chief, he may not be able to control everything. Lord Meng, who is the deputy commander, used to be the commander of the guards in Changshan. Though based in Shandong, he must still have connections with the Prince of Zhao and will surely keep an eye on any moves by the Han King. He directly commands two guard units, Andong Guard and Lingshan Guard, which cannot be underestimated. Thirdly, there’s the White Lotus Sect, which is actively recruiting followers; the situation there is unclear at present. Fourthly, there are those new nobles who, though wealthy but lacking power, still have influence in the local areas.”
“That’s roughly it. I think nothing has been missed. But as the saying goes, even the most careful plans can have gaps. If someone not accounted for suddenly emerges, it could be quite serious. We need to be prepared for everything.”
Zhang Yue thought it over again and confirmed that nothing had been overlooked, so he relaxed. Of course, compared to these factions he had mentioned, he had considered many others as well—such as himself, the unassuming Magistrate Ling, the Jinyiwei, and those truly powerful nobles in the capital. With his mind somewhat at ease, he was about to say something else when Du Wan spoke before him.

“Since you’ve made up your mind, brother, I won’t say anything else. The King of Shouguang doesn’t have great ambitions, but if news of this salt seizure reaches the emperor’s ears, he will surely punish him severely. Yet if possible, I beg you to reconsider and avoid gaining a reputation for reporting vassal kings. One small action can have far-reaching consequences; if you truly intend to stir up chaos, be even more careful.”
“I understand. Don’t worry.”
The Jinyiwei’s Shandong branch is located in Jinan Prefecture, while this Qingzhou Prefecture branch only has a three-section residence for offices, with a total of fifteen or sixteen people. In the past, though it did seem somewhat gloomy and intimidating to outsiders, these days, from lower-ranking officers to the chief officer, anyone who steps into this place feels a chilling aura, as if their legs start to cramp. Ultimately, it’s because such an extraordinary person is stationed in their small territory.
He is the head of the Northern Pacification Commission, the top official in charge of the imperial prison!
Mu Ning rose step by step from the lowest ranks of the Jinyiwei. Before joining them, he hung around the streets, throwing bricks and clubs countless times, often getting injured and bleeding. Thus, he was utterly loyal to Yuan Fang, who pulled him out of hardship and offered him endless prospects. As a result, he adopted Yuan Fang’s mannerisms in speech and behavior, aiming to make subordinates respect and fear him so they wouldn’t dare defy him. Now, this situation was exactly what he wanted!
The main hall of the three-section residence was fairly spacious. There was a landscape painting hanging in the center—unknown how the chief officer had acquired it from some obscure place. With just a few strokes, it had a certain charm. Below the painting stood a black wood desk, with two rosewood armchairs beside it. At that moment, Mu Ning was sitting in the armchair on the left, staring blankly at the letter in his hand.
“The King of Han dares to report gifts directly to the emperor… If the emperor suddenly becomes furious, he’ll be in serious trouble… The crown prince presented a set of imperial yellow tea sets to the emperor, who was very pleased. It seems he’s trying to take credit for it? He’s really good at deceiving people. I’ve sent people to keep a close eye on Qingzhou Prefecture—when did he give gifts to the crown prince?”
After muttering to himself for a while, he suddenly noticed the last line. At first, he thought he misread it. After checking several times, he jumped up from his chair, rubbed his eyes hard, and exclaimed inwardly.

Yuan Tou actually gave him four people at once— isn’t that a waste of resources? Zhang Yue was clueless about many things and might end up leaving those four people idle. Even if he dared to use them, he wouldn’t be able to make full use of them, which would still be a huge waste. Wouldn’t it be better to assign them to him? Surely he wouldn’t treat Yuan Tou’s favorite people badly!

“Governor Mu, someone is here to see you, saying they were sent by Commander Yuan.”

Upon hearing this report from his trusted subordinate, Mu Ning was instantly stunned. He couldn’t help but glance again at the handwritten letter from Yuan Fang in his hand. The letter had been delivered by fast horse this morning. If there was something to discuss, it could have been instructed in the letter—why go to the extra trouble? Moments later, he saw a soldier leading a man in a gray cloak walk in boldly. Just as he was about to ask, he saw the man raise his thumb, clench his fist, and tap his shoulder before kneeling on one knee in salute.

At that moment, Mu Ning immediately had an idea. He quickly waved his hand to signal the soldier to leave and ordered the man to stand up. Staring intently at the face beneath the hooded cloak for a long time, he finally asked in a peculiar tone, “What does your new master want you to do?”

“The young master sent me because there is an important matter he wants to discuss with Governor Mu,” the man said, pulling the hood of his cloak slightly back to reveal his face covered in thick, rugged beard. “Recently, the young master learned something… It concerns not only the country’s affairs but also the local situation, and it can achieve two goals at once. He hopes Governor Mu can offer some assistance.”

Mu Ning had always thought Zhang Yue was too cautious and rarely involved the Imperial Guards in matters. The last time he went to Zhang Yue’s place, he only dealt with two minor figures and seized a lot of stolen goods, leaving little behind. Yet, he never expected that this cautious man also had a gambler’s temperament and wanted to take on a major troublemaker in Shandong Province! After going over the man’s account and plans in his mind several times, he was astonished to find that although there were many steps involved, if everything was arranged carefully, it would be difficult for others to detect any clues.

“Governor Mu, what do you think of this matter?”

“Have you told your master some of Yuan Tou’s affairs? Otherwise, how could he be so reckless?”

Faced with this question, the bearded man couldn’t help but show a bitter smile. “Last night, the young master called us four over and asked a bunch of detailed questions. Although we didn’t reveal those crucial details, as Lord Yuan instructed us, we admitted our connection to him right away and even demonstrated some of our skills. After seeing that, it seemed like the young master already knew everything. He left me to take care of this conversation and sent me to find Governor Mu.”

“What a clever way to use others to achieve one’s own goals. Why doesn’t his father have such decisive and ruthless tactics?”

Mu Ning couldn’t help but think of Zhang Zhuo, who was still firmly in charge as the magistrate of Jiangning, unsure when he would be promoted two ranks. She shook her head. Right now, Yuan Fang was placing his own allies in various positions within the Jinyiwei while also playing the role of a loyal dog to the emperor. If this plan was executed well, it would yield far more than just two benefits—it would bring multiple advantages. Since Zhang Yue had already been pushed to the forefront by the Han King, he might as well give it a push. Even if he couldn’t remove the bigger threat, at least he could take out the smaller one!

The previous commander of the Jinyiwei, Ji Gang, was entangled with the Han King, so this time they had to completely distance themselves from any involvement.

“Alright, go back and tell your young master that from now on, if there’s anything, have him contact me. I’ll arrange all the necessary people he can use to handle whatever he wants to do. Just one thing—merchants value profit above all. Make sure he keeps that family under tight control and squeezes them hard! If he runs short of people, I’ll have Yuan Tou in Beijing find a few more!”

After meeting Du Wan, Zhang Yue was convinced he had considered all the major aspects, feeling greatly relieved. He returned to his study in peace. Hearing from Liansheng that the bearded man, Hu Qi, was waiting inside, he felt even more at ease, as if he had shed one of his biggest worries.

“Young master, everything is going smoothly.”

Although he had long suspected that Mu Ning wouldn’t miss such a mutually beneficial opportunity, hearing such a clear confirmation still made Zhang Yue breathe a sigh of relief. After all, the title of Duke of Yingguo, held by Zhang Fu, could help him gain a firm foothold in Shandong, but sometimes that title wasn’t useful, and he also didn’t want to drag in Zhang Fu, who was known for being cautious and impartial.

“Three days from now, take those three of them to the Shouguang Salt Field…”

After giving these instructions, Hu Qi wrote them all down and repeated them. Towards the end, noticing Zhang Yue staring at his beard, he was momentarily stunned before forcing a wry smile. “Though our bodies and hair are given to us by our parents, my parents have long been gone, so I really don’t care about such trivial things. Don’t worry, young master—I and the other three will disguise ourselves. Once this is done, I’ll shave off this beard; no one will be able to recognize me.”

Talking to a smart person is naturally pleasant. After sending this man away from the study, Zhang Yue initially wanted to send someone to call Peng Shisan, but after thinking it over, he decided to go to the stables in the southern courtyard himself. Although it was nominally spring, the weather was still bitterly cold. Yet Peng Shisan was there, washing his horse completely bare-chested. Zhang Yue’s large black horse, already clean, snorted happily upon seeing him. Seeing this, Zhang Yue quickly stepped forward and stroked the horse’s neck a few times.

“It’s so cold, and since I had time, I decided to wash your horse too. I figured you wouldn’t have the time!” Peng Shisan casually threw the bristle brush into the bucket, ignoring the water splashing on his pants, then clapped his hands and laughed. “Though there are stablehands to take care of them, most of them are careless and not thorough enough—of course, they can’t compare to me doing it personally. From the way you look, do you have something to tell me?”

“Lao Peng, those people you borrowed from Marshal Liu earlier—have you heard any news from them?”

“There’s a lot of information, but little that’s reliable,” Peng Shisan replied promptly. Seeing Zhang Yue frown, he added, “Those who worship the Buddha Mother are mostly locals from Shandong. Among Marshal Liu’s men, few are locals. Even if they are, everyone knows they work in the military office. So I just had them send some idle villagers to gather information. So far, it seems that in Shouguang, Zhucheng, and Anqiu—those places hit by the snow disaster earlier—there are the most believers, over ten thousand in total. The leader in Anqiu is named Zhao Wan. He claims to be able to travel a thousand miles a day on his ‘miraculous legs,’ and there are rumors that he has a special skill in making paper figures that are as strong as real people. The Buddha Mother who first appeared in Wangjiazhuang, Anqiu, was accompanied by him.”

“Over ten thousand…”

Zhang Yue took a deep breath, filled with alarm. Most of the troops in Shandong were stationed around Dengzhou to defend against Japanese pirates. Although Qingzhou was the seat of the Shandong military command, there were only a few garrison units in the vicinity. Nominalmente, each unit had over a thousand soldiers, but these were all regular troops, and they would be hardly useful in the event of an uprising. Thinking of the man who had given the warning last time, as well as that strange piece of white silk and the bearded man at the lantern festival, he immediately ordered Peng Shisan, “No matter what it takes, someone must be sent in to infiltrate their ranks. If it’s just a society, it’s one thing, but if someone among them incites rebellion, it could easily lead to chaos.” The words “incite rebellion” immediately gave Peng Shisan a very bad premonition. He frowned, then suddenly laughed and said, “If that’s the case, then I’ll go in person. I heard that those believers select brave men every month to serve the Buddha Mother. Maybe I can even find myself a warrior who protects the faith. Why are you staring at me, young master? Even if I shave off my beard, I’m still a formidable hero!”