Longzang

Chapter 245 Clique
It's quiet at night.

The city of Bianning was quiet, with only the watchman's voice echoing through the city. Occasionally, the sound of scattered footsteps could be heard on the empty streets, as a group of soldiers on night patrol walked by. Even in military uniform, they still looked like a bunch of hooligans.

It was still wartime, and a curfew was in effect in the county town at night. However, the city was full of people moving about on high places at night, and the soldiers patrolling the streets pretended not to see them.

The official residences were brightly lit, filled with singing and dancing, a scene of peace and prosperity.

In the back garden of the prefectural governor, Sun Chaoen had set up a table of wine, where Wei Yuan and Yue Qilin were seated. At this moment, Yue Qilin looked depressed and had already drunk several cups of wine in silence.

Wei Yuan had just arrived and didn't know what had happened, so he asked casually.

Sun Chaoen sighed, "The captain Song Chao who died not long ago had a cousin named Song Zhongliang, who was a censor in the court. When Song Zhongliang learned that his brother had died, he wanted to take his sister-in-law and children back. The children are fine, but my sister-in-law is currently living at General Yue's residence. How can we let him take her away?"

"Then?"

"Song Zhongliang then submitted several memorials to the court, making baseless accusations and fabricating numerous charges against General Yue. In addition, our grain sales deficit had become quite large recently, and we even burned down several granaries, which gave Yuan Qingyan leverage to also impeach us. Oh, and also, Admiral Yue offended the eunuch faction. Now, with the combined efforts of all parties, the court dismissed General Yue from his post and reassigned him to a sinecure. The replacement general is already on his way and will arrive in a couple of days."

Yue Qilin said, "I don't care about this general, but Feng Lin, who is going to take my position, is Yuan Qingyan's dog. If he investigates thoroughly, some things will be exposed."

Wei Yuan couldn't help with this.

If there's anything that can't be covered up, it's the whereabouts of a million kilograms of military rations. The quantity is simply too large, and there are loopholes everywhere; it simply can't withstand scrutiny.

But Sun Chaoen wasn't worried at all, and laughed, "General Yue, there's no need to fret. It's a good thing to stay in a sinecure for a few days. Your uncle is a big catch, and his position isn't secure right now. If you still have military power, you'll attract some attention."

Yue Qilin was taken aback, a glint of light flashing in his eyes, and asked, "Lord Sun, have you heard any rumors?"

Sun Chaoen raised his cup to the west and said, "Speaking of which, this has something to do with that person in the west. The latest news from the court is that he just defeated the witch army, killed two great witches, and seriously injured an important figure of the witch tribe, who then fled. The witch tribe's strength in the Western Regions has been greatly weakened, and they no longer have the ability to invade for the time being."

Yue Qilin glanced at Wei Yuan, his eyes filled with surprise and doubt. He knew from their last meeting that Wei Yuan was capable of great things, but he hadn't expected Wei Yuan's undertakings to grow so large and unabated.

Wei Yuan frowned as well. The battle had only ended a few days ago, yet the Western Jin court not only knew about it but had also sent the news to the Western Regions. The efficiency of the news transmission was a bit too much.

There are countless spies from the Western Jin Dynasty within the realm; such things are unavoidable, and Wei Yuan won't deliberately try to screen or stop them. However, recently the realm's population has been only entering and not leaving. How are these spies' messages being transmitted out?

Wei Yuan secretly resolved to thoroughly clean up the realm once he returned.

Sun Chaoen continued, "The Wu tribe won't invade anytime soon, so Admiral Yue is somewhat superfluous. Some people in the court want to transfer him back to the north. If Governor Chen hadn't blocked all the voices, the imperial envoy might already be on his way."

Yue Qilin was taken aback: "Isn't it a bit too early to discard someone after they've served their purpose?"

Sun Chaoen glanced at Wei Yuan again and said, "This isn't about discarding someone after they've served their purpose; it's about making room for someone else. Your uncle doesn't want to wage war in the west, but others do, so his position is unstable. The day before yesterday, Censor Zuo submitted a memorial accusing Commander Yue of colluding with bandits and supporting them to increase his power, which has led to the bandits growing stronger day by day. He wants to dismiss him from his post and have him imprisoned for a thorough investigation."

Yue Qilin slammed his fist on the table and roared, "These bastards!!"

After drinking several cups of wine in silence, Yue Qilin looked at Sun Chaoen with some suspicion and asked, "You already know about this script that was just submitted the day before yesterday? How do you have such good information?"

Sun Chaoen smiled and said, "Now that I'm working under the Right Chancellor, the entire court is full of my old classmates and acquaintances. I write letters frequently, so I'm naturally well-informed."

Yue Qilin's face turned cold. He said, "So you're saying I've already lost my position, and my uncle is about to lose his too? Why are you still inviting me to this meal?"

However, he added, "I would still be very willing to have dinner with Mr. Zhang."

Wei Yuan remained silent, waiting for Sun Chaoen to continue. He had come to this meal to take care of something, and Wei Yuan trusted that Sun Chaoen wouldn't waste a meal.

As expected, Sun Chaoen said, "General Yue, you're being too polite. We've shared tens of thousands of taels of silver together. With such a life-or-death bond, how could you not trust me? In factions, 'friend' comes before 'party.' You have to be friends first before you can form a party. It's not like you can form a party just by sitting on the same side."

Yue Qilin's expression softened somewhat, and he said with a wry smile, "I've even lost my position, so how can I still have the right to form cliques?"

"Isn't it common for officials to rise and fall? Which of the officials in the court hasn't experienced several rises and falls? If you take a step back now, you'll be back soon." Sun Chaoen spoke in a somewhat enigmatic way. Yue Qilin said, "I hope Lord Sun can enlighten me!"

“Your matter happens to be related to Mr. Zhang’s matter. I’ve been thinking about it for a long time these past two days, and just then, an opportunity arose.”

Sun Chaoen took out a map and spread it out. It was a hand-drawn map that depicted the entire Western Regions, as well as thousands of miles inside and outside Hanyang Pass. Wei Yuan immediately recognized the map's extreme precision and detail, and a desire to seize it arose within him.

Sun Chaoen chuckled and said, "I'll send you this map later."

Yue Qilin looked slightly uneasy, but said nothing. Having led troops for many years, this map in Wei Yuan's hands was like adding wings to a tiger. The problem was that the map only covered the Western Regions; what did Wei Yuan intend to do with it? Did he intend to move eastward, or further east?
Sun Chaoen coughed and began to get down to business: "Princess Ningguo of Zhao is on a mission to the Western Jin Dynasty to congratulate Consort Yuan on her birthday. The delegation originally planned to travel through the interior, but after the Wu tribe suffered a setback, they changed their route to the Western Regions, entering the capital through Hanyang Pass. This route saves them a thousand miles. When the delegation arrives at Bianning County, General Feng Lin, who will be replacing General Yue, will also be taking office. It is his duty to protect the delegation."

So what I mean is, General Yue had better hand over the reins quickly and let Feng Lin take over the job as soon as possible.”

"Is something going to happen to the delegation?"

Sun Chaoen said, "Such a large delegation will surely not escape the clutches of the Zhan Tian Gang!"

Wei Yuan nearly spat out his drink, then asked thoughtfully, "So, how badly do you think the Zhan Tian Gang will fight?"

"Several guards will definitely die, and some valuables may be lost, only then can the strength of the Zhan Tian Gang be demonstrated. But it is said that Princess Ningguo is as beautiful as a fairy and is also favored by the heavens, so she should be fine. She is also the younger sister of Consort Yuan, so no one would dare to really make a move on her."

Wei Yuan's face darkened, and he said, "Do you think the Zhan Tian Gang can withstand a military attack from both countries?"

Sun Chaoen said, "The robbery was just a show for others to see. The main reason is that some people want to see the strength of the Zhantian Gang and also want to meet the leader of the Zhantian Gang."

Wei Yuan asked, "Who wants to see me?"

“Lord Xiang, Wang Qian.” Sun Chaoen handed over a piece of jade paper.

Wei Yuan took the document and examined it carefully. Wang Qian was the maternal uncle of Consort Yuan of the Western Jin Dynasty. He held a high position in the Ministry of Rites, but had little real power. He was granted the title of Marquis of Xiang based on his relationship with Consort Yuan. Why would someone so unrelated suddenly want to see him?

Sun Chaoen then explained in detail.

Consort Yuan was originally a princess of the Zhao Kingdom. Three years ago, when she became the Noble Consort of the Prince of Jin, the Prince of Jin didn't attend court for a whole month. Consort Yuan was no pushover either; after gaining exclusive favor, she massively placed her relatives in various places. Because she was originally a princess of the Zhao Kingdom, she placed relatives from her mother's side. This Marquis Xiang was a key figure in Consort Yuan's faction.

Wei Yuan, well-versed in history, quickly grasped the key points and asked, "Does Consort Yuan want to seek outside help?"

“That’s right. This matter was leaked by the Marquis of Xiang and eventually came to me. I felt that you also needed someone in the court to speak on your behalf, so I made this connection.”

Yue Qilin grew increasingly uneasy as he listened, and said, "Hey! You two don't need to say this in front of me, I didn't hear anything!"

Sun Chaoen laughed and said, "The mission was attacked, and Feng Lin cannot escape the blame for dereliction of duty. General Yue will soon be reinstated."

“But I don’t want to get involved in Consort Yuan’s affairs!” Yue Qilin said.

Sun Chaoen smiled like a fox and said, "That's probably not up to you. The Imperial Concubine has taken a liking to Commander Yue, and you're just an extra."

Wei Yuan frowned and said, "Am I going to become part of the maternal relatives' faction?"

"Didn't you say long ago that you wanted to find a powerful figure in the court? Consort Yuan is not a small figure; she is at least part of a faction."

Wei Yuan had a headache and said, "I did intend to get involved so I could fish in troubled waters, but I didn't want to join the maternal relatives faction. If I hadn't seen your information, I wouldn't have known that there was such a thing as a faction among maternal relatives."

Sun Chaoen said, "If it weren't for the weakness of the maternal relatives, how would you have had the opportunity to participate? The Qingliu faction and the noble families would love to eliminate you. If you're not going to choose the maternal relatives, then tell me, which faction would you have a chance with?"

Wei Yuan said, "The eunuch faction."

(End of this chapter)