Chapter 135
Shang Junlin realized that to obtain the truth, they would have to interrogate Minister Feng. He had originally intended to expose the people behind Minister Feng, but now there was no time for that. They needed to control Minister Feng first.
At the same time, urgent messages were sent to Subei. Fortunately, with Fang Jun stationed there and the Hidden Dragon Guards brought by Gu Huai, investigating this matter wouldn't be difficult.
Along with the information from Fang Jun, there was also all the correspondence between Minister Hou and the people from Beimo. Shang Junlin had already gone through them once and had shown them to the Prime Minister and others. Now, he and Shen Yu were reading through them again.
The earliest dates on the letters were five years ago. At first, both sides were in a testing phase. Gradually, Beimo offered more benefits, and the attitude on this side became more relaxed. After a year, they conspired together for the first time.
The first event was insignificant, and hardly anyone noticed. After completing it, Minister Hou and the others gained significant benefits. There were a few more such instances later, all minor matters. Even if they were discovered, they could easily be covered up. They were just helping out and using their influence to gain substantial benefits. Who wouldn't be tempted?
Slowly, the trade between the two sides evolved from minor incidents to more significant ventures. The early successes gave Minister Hou and the others greater audacity, and their actions became more extreme.
But due to the caution exercised by both sides and the fact that most of the Subei high-ranking officials were under Minister Hou's influence, coupled with the inherent antagonism between Da Huan and Beimo, their secret collaboration went undetected for many years.
"At first, Beimo asked Minister Hou and the others to perform small tasks that didn't raise suspicions. Later, as their audacity grew, their ambitious nature was revealed," Shen Yu clenched one of the secret letters, his eyes filled with chilling coldness.
For example, the contents of this particular letter stated that Beimo wanted them to stage an attack on Subei, making it appear as if Subei's army was mobilizing. Then, they would pretend to be overpowered, allowing the Subei troops to claim a great victory. The general leading the Subei army, who seemed to have pledged allegiance to Minister Hou, was actually in league with Beimo from beginning to end.
Of course, this plan failed. Coincidentally, during that period, Subei's army was undergoing reforms, and the designated troops were not the ones originally planned. The person who received the military achievement was also different.
After this incident, Beimo remained quiet for some time and dared not plot against Subei's army. The Subei troops had brought them nightmares, and even after many years, the deep-rooted fear remained.
"Are there still people from Beimo within Subei's army?" Shen Yu asked.
"By the time Fang Jun transmitted the message back, the Subei army had already been notified, and they will conduct a thorough investigation. No matter how deeply they are hidden, they can be uncovered," Shen Yu replied.
This was the most infuriating aspect for Shang Junlin. To meddle with the Subei army was equivalent to provoking Da Huan, and Shang Junlin would never allow such a situation to occur.
"When I reclaimed Subei back then, it wasn't for them to be treated like this," Shang Junlin's voice was soft, but the implications in his tone were impossible to ignore.
The next morning during the court assembly, Shang Junlin announced the news received from Subei. It was like pouring boiling oil into a drop of water, causing an explosion among the ministers.
"They are actually colluding with Beimo?"
"Do they not remember the state Subei was in under Beimo's control?"
"What do they intend to do? Do they want to send Subei back to Beimo?"
"How dare they?!"
The ministers argued loudly, while Shang Junlin sat on the throne appearing indifferent, but he was discreetly observing the expressions of each person, especially Minister Feng.
He had dispatched Hidden Dragon Guards to closely monitor Minister Feng's movements. For now, they hadn't apprehended him yet. Instead of focusing solely on Minister Feng, Shang Junlin was more concerned about the forces behind him.
Yesterday, an enraged Shang Junlin had initially planned to capture Minister Feng and hand him over to the Ministry of Justice for interrogation without considering the potential involvement of others in the court. If Minister Feng was implicated, were there other individuals involved as well? Could he ensure that not a single one would be overlooked after capturing Minister Feng?
Acting recklessly would only leave behind more severe hidden dangers.
Observing Minister Feng's behavior today, it seemed he was unaware of the true situation.
After the commotion subsided, Shang Junlin raised his hand, and the great court instantly fell silent.
"Your Majesty, do you have conclusive evidence for this matter?" Collaborating with an enemy nation was no trivial matter. Once the ministers calmed down, they began to contemplate the credibility of the situation.
"If there were no conclusive evidence, I would not have brought it up during the court assembly. Since you have doubts, Meng Chang, bring the evidence forward."
Meng Gonggong hurriedly left and soon returned with palace maids carrying the evidence in their hands.
All of this evidence was compiled and sent back by Fang Jun. Given the gravity of the matter, he would not convict anyone based solely on a few letters. After discovering the existence of the letters, he immediately ordered a thorough investigation. Using the information from the letters and other clues found in the residence, he had obtained substantial evidence.
Official Fang is not a reckless person. Before reaching a conclusive verdict, he would never hastily report the matter. Having worked under Shang Junlin for many years, Shang Junlin knew his character well.
That's why he became so furious upon receiving the news.
The facts were laid before them, and the courtiers fell silent.
Even if they couldn't comprehend it or were unwilling to believe it, facts were facts, and their attitudes would not change the truth.
What followed was a sense of remorse and anger. If not for this natural disaster, if the hidden dangers had remained undiscovered, what would become of Subei in the years to come?
"I implore Your Majesty to conduct a thorough investigation. This matter cannot be tolerated!"
"I beseech Your Majesty..."
The ministers knelt down one after another, loudly expressing their support.
"I will have Fang Jun continue the investigation, and in addition, I will send others to assist in the inquiry. Do you have any candidates to recommend?"
Given the significance of the matter, the ministers did not take too long to decide on the candidates. One was from a humble background, and the other was from a prestigious family. Both were skilled investigators serving in the Ministry of Justice.
The atmosphere in Subei was tense, but only those privy to the information were aware of it.
After the rain, the disaster alleviated, and the lives of the common people returned to normal. Official Fang revoked some policies that were detrimental to the development of livelihoods, and for the people, everything was improving.
Fang Jun had been busy during this period, thinking that the matter had come to an end and he was only waiting for the arrival of the officials sent by the court. But unexpectedly, another major issue arose.
He probably wouldn't be able to return to the capital for the time being.
That's what Official Fang thought.
And as expected, shortly after he reported the information, the emperor's decree arrived, appointing him as the special envoy with full authority to handle the collusion between internal officials in Subei and external enemies.
Xun Chao was also asked to stay behind and assist. Compared to returning to the court, it was evident that the matters here were more important.
For convenience, Shang Junlin granted Fang Jun partial authority over the Subei army. The general had been sent to assist Fang Jun before officially becoming his subordinate.
That general happened to be the one who inadvertently replaced Beimo's planted chess piece and unexpectedly rose through the ranks.
Holding the imperial edict, Fang Jun said, "It seems that the general and I will continue to work together for some time."
"My Lord, there is a woman outside who says she wants to see you." A constable entered and bowed.
"A woman? Are you sure she wants to see me?" Official Fang recalled that he hadn't had any interaction with any women during this period.
"Yes, the woman seems a bit anxious. She is holding a large package and claims to know something of your interest, wishing to inform you."
"Bring the woman in."
Before long, the constable brought in a woman dressed in coarse linen clothing.
"Official Fang," the woman knelt as soon as she entered, "I have an important matter to disclose."
"I am Yao Ji, formerly a dancer in Minister Hou's residence..."
Based on the woman's description, Fang Jun gained insight into the other side of the high-ranking officials in Subei.
Apart from his love for various treasures, Minister Hou also had an affinity for beautiful women. Every once in a while, his subordinates would present him with a group of women as a tribute. Most of these women could only stay in his residence for six months before disappearing without a trace.
Yao Ji had learned to dance from a young age, hoping to one day catch the attention of influential individuals. She had exceptional looks and talent, surpassing her peers, which led to her selection and placement in Minister Hou's residence. Ever since childhood, she had learned about such things, and after entering the residence, she quickly gained favor from Minister Hou. Thanks to her outstanding dancing skills, Minister Hou often paraded her around, showing her off. It was through this that she unintentionally stumbled upon a shocking secret.
"On that day, as usual, Minister Hou went to attend a banquet, and he instructed me to perform well at the event. The banquet was peculiar, with everyone wearing masks. One of the attendees took an interest in me, and Minister Hou wanted me to serve that person. Perhaps due to excessive drinking, that person said many incomprehensible things, intermingled with words in the language of Beimo."
As she spoke, Yao Ji imitated the person's speech, "Later on, I found out that it was the language spoken in Beimo. That person spoke about matters related to cooperation with Minister Hou, and I managed to jot down a few keywords: 'Beimo,' 'Subei Army,' 'failed plan,' and 'abduction.' Afterward, I realized I had learned information I shouldn't have known, so I seized an opportunity to pretend to be ill and was sent out of the main city."
"Why did you come back then?" Fang Jun asked calmly.
"Because I heard many stories about you, Official Fang, and I thought you must be different from those people. So I wanted to hand over these things to you." Yao Ji presented the large package she was holding in her arms.
"These are what the people who attended the banquet left behind."
The constable took the package, opened it, and found mostly jewelry and accessories for women, but the style was not in line with the current fashion in Da Huan.
Yao Ji took out a jade box, opened the compartment, and retrieved a small piece of folded paper from inside.
"What I want to give you, Lord, is this. It was left behind by that person."
Fang Jun had someone bring the item up to him, looking puzzled. "Why did you leave these things behind?"
"Because I hate Beimo. After I learned that person was from Beimo, I wanted to seize the opportunity to expose this matter," Yao Ji smiled bitterly. "I knew my power was limited, so after leaving the main city, I initially planned to leave Subei and head south to the capital. But then I heard about your achievements from many people, My Lord, so I decided to hand over these items to you."
"Based on the information Yao Ji has gathered, the people from Beimo have been rooted in Subei for quite some time. They periodically disguise themselves as Da Huan citizens and become entangled with the original Subei officials. However, Yao Ji's abilities are limited, and she couldn't uncover any further useful information..." As she continued speaking, the woman's breathing became increasingly unstable.
"I will handle this matter with the utmost seriousness," Fang Jun assured her. He would investigate the woman's background, and as for the information she mentioned, it required a thorough investigation.
"Thank you, Lord," the woman said, and then she seemed unable to hold on any longer and slowly collapsed.
"Quick, help her up and fetch a physician," Fang Jun instructed, calling for Xun Chao, who was busy with other matters. He explained what had just transpired, saying, "This woman's words are about 80% credible."
Fang Jun looked at the paper the woman had presented. It was a letter, different from the ones they had found at Minister Hou's residence. This letter was written by Minister Hou to the people from Beimo, and it matched the clues they had uncovered.
"So, it seems that the people from Beimo have been infiltrating Subei, and they are right here in the main city. After all these years, I hadn't noticed a thing," Xun Chao furrowed his brows.
"It seems our decision not to publicly announce the collusion between Minister Hou and the people from Beimo was correct. Now, we are in the dark, and it will be easier to flush them out."
When the woman woke up, Fang Jun asked her a few more questions, but unfortunately, she had no knowledge of the location of the banquets held by both parties.
"When we were taken there, our eyes were blindfolded, and we were transported in a tightly sealed carriage. All we knew was that it was a large mansion with splendid decorations. Once we arrived, our movements were restricted. Apart from performing at the banquet, we could only stay in a small courtyard and had to leave the same way we came."
The woman shared all the information she knew, and since Fang Jun couldn't extract any more useful details, he left.
With such a significant matter, Fang Jun naturally had to report to the Emperor at the earliest opportunity. Regardless of whether the people from Beimo had a foothold in Subei or not, they needed to take this matter seriously.
When Shang Junlin received the news, the officials he had dispatched to Subei were already halfway there. Without Jiang Huaiqing and the other three assisting him, the Prime Minister returned to his usual busyness, even busier than before since Fang Jun was absent.
Having vented his anger, Shang Junlin spoke about this matter with a smile on his face when discussing it with Shen Yu. However, the smile did not reach his eyes.
"So, the people from Beimo have already infiltrated deep within Subei?" Shen Yu picked up a pastry and fed it to Shang Junlin, saying, "It's not surprising when you think about it. If they hadn't entered Subei, how could they establish relationships with the former Subei officials?" Shang Junlin took the pastry, holding onto Shen Yu's hand as he took a bite. Afterward, he released it and said, "You're right, Ah Yu. Since they've come to Subei, they shouldn't even think about going back."
Those who offend Da Huan will always pay a price.
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