Chapter 244: A Decision

“If I had become an official just for wealth and status back then, I should have gone to see the emperor after he ascended the throne following the Jingnan Campaign to ask for a position. Why wait for Scholar Shen to recommend me? Being an official in Shandong is never easy—there are vassal princes ahead and cults behind. If something goes wrong, one must be willing to go all out; otherwise, what’s the use of implementing good governance to pacify the people? Civil officials shouldn’t fear death—that’s the way to govern.”

“Dad!”

Du Wan jolted awake from her drowsiness, calling out in shock. Rubbing her eyes and looking around, she realized she was in the west wing room of the main house. She took a deep breath. They say what you think during the day appears in your dreams at night. Ever since meeting Tang Sair, she had been restless, with her eyelids fluttering constantly. It was bad enough that she couldn’t sleep at night, but during the day she often felt sleepy, and whenever she closed her eyes, she would have all sorts of chaotic dreams—most often featuring Du Zhen.

She had thought that after ten years apart, her bond with her father had faded, but now she realized that the relationship between father and daughter is innate. Moreover, every time she thought carefully about her father’s instructions before he left, she felt something special. Just now, as she woke up, she faintly sensed a sense of determination, even feeling that if she couldn’t figure things out, something serious would happen.

“Is Sister Wan here?”

Du Wan, who was deep in thought, instinctively responded to the call from outside. Moments later, she saw Zhang Yue pull back the curtain and enter. Realizing it should be time to handle official matters at the yamen, she was surprised but still got up to make room for him on the kang and ordered Chun Ying to bring tea. After taking the tea, Zhang Yue told Chun Ying to leave first, then sat down at the east end of the kang, staring at Du Wan’s face for a long time.

“Senior brother?” Though they saw each other often, Du Wan rarely saw Zhang Yue look at her like this, which made her even more puzzled. “Shouldn’t you be handling official work at the yamen at this time?”

“Sister Wan, the master sent you to Qingzhou, but instead of taking you around to see things, I’ve only kept you busy with one issue after another. Although the master gave instructions first, I really feel guilty.”

Before Du Wan could speak, he waved his hand and said, “I still remember I owe you a favor back then. I’m afraid I’ll never be able to repay it in this lifetime. Although Magistrate Ling and the other colleagues at the yamen get along well with me, they’re after all officials. There are some things I can’t bring up without careful consideration, so I can only consult you first. To be honest, you really remind me of the master.”

“Is my senior mocking me for being as rigid and dull as our father, or mocking me for being as old-fashioned as him, or is it that I’m old in heart though not in years?” Du Wan, hearing that Zhang Yue had come today with important matters to discuss, joked with a smile. “Just speak plainly. Our father sent me here not to live in comfort. Let’s work together to figure out any difficulties. If I’m wrong, don’t blame me.”

Du Wan’s few words dispelled Zhang Yue’s hesitations. He immediately felt as if he had found a confidant and recounted everything he had learned that day. After finishing, he said in a serious tone, “Logically, now that the information is confirmed, I should report to the military headquarters and have them surround that stronghold right away to capture all those White Lotus Sect rebels. But I have some concerns.”

Leaning her chin on her right hand and looking at Zhang Yue, Du Wan saw that he was still wearing a black gauze hat and a silk robe, clearly still a young man in his early twenties. His frowning expression looked quite amusing, and she couldn’t help but smile. “You’ve always been resolute. You surely won’t waver because of what Master Tang said, nor will you be troubled by any ties between the White Lotus Sect and the King of Han. I’m afraid you’re worried that people from the military headquarters might leak information and cause things to get out of control, right?”

Zhang Yue had just taken a sip of tea when Du Wan spoke, nearly choking on it. He put down his teacup and glanced at the beautiful woman before him. She was wearing a lilac-colored silk dress and purple agate earrings, showing no signs of extravagance, exuding instead a sense of elegance.

They say talking to smart people is the most straightforward, but Du Wan seemed too much like Du Zhen. Couldn’t she think a bit slower?

“You’re right,” he said, gently rubbing his chin, and decided to be direct. “Although the King of Han has only been in Le’an for over a year, given his status and tactics, not to mention winning over people, there are likely many who will volunteer to join him across Shandong. Even if Commander Liu is reliable, who can guarantee that his subordinates won’t leak information? If he really is behind the White Lotus Sect’s actions, I need to be cautious. But there are at least hundreds in that stronghold, and relying solely on the people around me isn’t enough.”

“Every time the White Lotus Sect rises up, it causes chaos. If we take advantage of the fact that they haven’t leaked any information yet and eliminate this cancerous growth, Shandong will be secure! It’s a pity we can’t find evidence of their collusion. Even you can’t do much about it. Otherwise, if we could root out all their strongholds, both cancers could be removed.”

Seeing Zhang Yue looking pensive, Du Wan propped her hands on the kang table and said slowly, word by word, “This matter must be discussed with Commander Liu. He is a sensible man. You just need to give him a slight hint, and he will surely understand. He has been in Shandong for many years and surely has several trusted subordinates. After all, this is a joint effort from within and without, not a direct battle! Use the secrecy of the mission as an excuse to ask him not to reveal anything, then find two reliable guides. Do not disclose the purpose of this mission before sending troops—this way, there will be no problems.”

“Good!”
Zhang Yue leaped down from the kang, paced back and forth on the ground a few times, then turned around with a determined gaze and said, “If that’s the case, I’ll go see Commander Liu right away to borrow troops. I also need to inform Magistrate Ling, so as not to be accused of disrespecting my superiors. If everything goes well, I’ll lead my men ahead; we should act tonight. You can go to the military headquarters to see Commander Liu early tomorrow. Whether successful or not, ask him to send troops to clean up afterward. That way, the others at the military headquarters won’t have anything to say, and everything will be foolproof!”

Du Wan nodded along as he spoke, but when Zhang Yue mentioned her in the plan, she was momentarily stunned before smiling and nodding. “As long as you’re not afraid that I might mess up your plans, I’ll go deliver the message for you. My only worry is that Commander Liu might not believe me, and then I’d be at a loss… If the military headquarters can take the opportunity to send troops to eliminate the other White Lotus rebels, both sides will be in action. It’s a shame no one knows where the remaining rebels are hiding.”

Zhang Yue also sighed at this possibility mentioned by Du Wan. It was unfortunate that he could only rely on such a small number of people. The Jinyiwei seemed omnipotent, yet they arrived even later than him. Moreover, he definitely couldn’t use their forces this time, or it would be difficult to justify later. After discussing it further with Du Wan, he got up and left. Just as he lifted the door curtain, he suddenly heard a voice behind him.

“You’re a civil official—never rush to the front and show off!”
Zhang Yue turned around quickly and saw that Du Wan had already gotten off the kang, her face showing unmistakable concern. He smiled and nodded. “Don’t worry. If I rushed to the front, wouldn’t that just cause trouble for others? Be careful yourself. I’ll leave everything here to you!”

When the bamboo curtain was gently lowered in front of her, Du Wan finally sat back down on the kang and reached for the teacup on the side table. Distracted and not paying attention, she accidentally knocked the cup to the ground with her wrist, spilling tea all over the kang and her clothes. In a panic, she took out a handkerchief to wipe it up, only for the cup to be knocked to the ground again by her sleeve, shattering into pieces with a loud crash. Soon after, Chun Ying rushed in and hurriedly helped clean up the mess.

After finally clearing all thedebris, Chun Ying saw that Du Wan’s white silk dress was heavily soaked. She quickly went to the chest to find a plain lotus-colored dress for Du Wan to change into, and carried the soaked brocade mattress and other items outside to replace them. When she came back in, she asked hesitantly, “Miss, you look pale. Did Young Master Zhang say something that upset you?”

Du Wan was still pondering whether her words to Zhang Yue had been too rash and didn’t hear what Chun Ying said at first. By the time she raised her head to ask again, Chun Ying had already changed the subject in a flustered manner.

At that moment, Xiao Wu rushed in like a gust of wind, ignoring the expressions on the two women’s faces and talking nonstop. When she mentioned Xi Er, who had almost been abducted by human traffickers, she cursed fiercely for a while. With her lively and noisy interruption, the awkward atmosphere in the room disappeared instantly.

Zhang Yue, upon returning to the government office, didn’t dare idle away his time. Although he couldn’t tell anyone else, such a serious matter required him to discuss it with Magistrate Ling Hua at the very least. When he said he had found the thieves, the magistrate was overjoyed. But when he revealed that the group were rebels from the White Lotus Sect, plotting evil in the mountains, Ling Hua’s face turned deathly pale. And when he suggested borrowing soldiers directly from the military headquarters, Ling Hua was completely stunned.

“Brother Zhang, aren’t you being too hasty? Why such urgency? The military headquarters is in charge of the province’s military affairs. Although those military officers usually look down on us, this matter should be left entirely to them—then we can consider our duty fulfilled.”

“Caution ensures a long-lasting journey. If it were only based on my friendship with Commander Liu, I should have directly requested troops from the military office. I had no choice but to resort to this last resort.” Zhang Yue leaned forward slightly before whispering, “Don’t you think some of these coincidences are a bit too much? My uncle went to Le’an to oversee the guards, and soon after, this happened. If we manage to get some information only to find nothing, we’ll regret it deeply. Let’s do this: if anything goes wrong, I’ll take the blame alone. You can just claim you knew nothing.”

Ling Hua’s face turned as red as pig liver. Of course, he wasn’t someone who would act recklessly—after all, one must live to enjoy the rewards for their efforts. Yet, after reflecting on his experiences working with Zhang Yue, he finally gritted his teeth and said, “Young Zhang, you’re misunderstanding. If you go secretly to see Commander Liu from the military office, if there are any consequences, I’ll take them on with you tomorrow!”

With a powerful ally behind him, he didn’t believe Zhang Yue had not the slightest chance this time!