Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 661 Forced
Prefect Qiu did not find out who Lady Xie was, but he felt that she was no ordinary woman.

Judging from Master Jingyuan's attitude towards her, it was clear that she was at least working for the Cining Palace. Therefore, she dared not neglect her and could only whisper to persuade her: "The Xiang Army dares not send troops easily, but I have already written an official document. It will take about three or four days to gather the patrol troops from the surrounding county governments."

Xie Yuyan nodded.

Prefect Qiu breathed a sigh of relief, thinking he had resolved the matter, but then the clear voice rang out again: "Could we escort the prisoner away first?"

Prefect Qiu was taken aback. He had previously thought that Lady Xie was very clever, but he never expected her to say such foolish things now.

“That won’t do,” Prefect Qiu said. “The journey from here to the capital is long and arduous, passing through many valleys and forests. It’s easy to be ambushed. If something goes wrong, that would be…”

If Lady Xie simply stays out of it and leaves these matters to the court, any mistakes will not be her concern. Why should she take such a risk?

Prefect Qiu subconsciously looked at Jingyuan beside him, hoping she could help persuade the monk. However, the nun seemed detached from the matter, fiddling with her prayer beads, appearing as if she were a monk detached from worldly affairs. But upon closer inspection, one could see a glint in her eyes.

This is……

Prefect Qiu felt a chill run down his spine.

Xie Yuyan looked at Prefect Qiu: "Prefect, do you find it particularly difficult to mobilize troops? You said three or four days... will there definitely be enough manpower by then?"

Prefect Qiu hesitated for a moment before saying, "I just received the official report. The west is not peaceful this year and there may be war. Therefore, we cannot easily mobilize the local troops. It is also the time for autumn defense, and we need troops to strengthen the city's defenses. In recent days, I have already used a lot of manpower to capture the heretical cultists. The heretical cultists have not been captured yet, and the soldiers cannot be withdrawn. It is indeed difficult for me to send more manpower."

At this point, Prefect Qiu sighed again: "Even as a prefect, one cannot mobilize more than a hundred soldiers. One must report to the Pacification Commissioner and the Privy Council. Without an urgent military situation, one who sends troops without authorization will be severely punished."

Prefect Qiu could have left those last words unsaid, but since he was facing the Cining Palace, he had to voice his difficulties to avoid future trouble.

Xie Yuyan said, "If the prefect is imprisoned for colluding with the demonic sect, he will likely also be punished."

This subtle reminder immediately sent chills down Magistrate Qiu's spine.

"Furthermore, there should be more than a hundred soldiers being escorted away."

Prefect Qiu's forehead was covered in cold sweat: "That's because there are heretics mixed in."

Xie Yuyan continued, "If these heretical cultists can be successfully delivered to Bianjing, perhaps the officials of Longde can atone for their crimes."

Conversely, even if someone pleads on his behalf, it will be useless.

Prefect Qiu swallowed hard. Was this what Cining Palace meant? The Empress Dowager once said: If you want credit, you have to rely on yourselves.

Merit doesn't fall from the sky, and even rewards are given to those who are prepared.

Similarly, if you want to survive after being convicted, you have to want to live. What Madam Xie means is that if Prefect Qiu wants to atone for his crimes, the current efforts are not enough.

Despite being a young woman, Prefect Qiu dared not show her the slightest disrespect. He suspected that when he had secretly criticized Lady Xie earlier, she had noticed and was now returning the favor.

Prefect Qiu said, "That's precisely why we have to wait for the local militia and nearby government offices to send troops."

Xie Yuyan said calmly, "How long will that take? The prefect will surely send troops from the local militia."

Prefect Qiu was about to respond instinctively, but he quickly shut his mouth. There was no need to use official jargon at this time; only by telling the truth could the predicament be resolved.

In fact, he had already sensed something was amiss. The commander of the Xiang Army was perfunctory, and the envoy from the Privy Council came, but only stayed at the government office for a short while, exchanged documents, and then left.

Xie Yuyan said, "Capturing the heretical sect members is a great achievement, and escorting prisoners to Bianjing is also a meritorious deed, but this task seems like a hot potato."

Prefect Qiu's gaze deepened. What Lady Xie said... was true. In other words, someone was interfering.

“The current situation cannot be reversed. Delaying time will only allow others to prepare more thoroughly,” Xie Yuyan said. “Moreover, the sooner this evidence enters the capital, the more advantageous it will be for us.”

"Prefect Qiu probably doesn't know who we're dealing with, does he?"

Prefect Qiu's hand trembled slightly. He heard the names shouted by several members of the sorcerer cult, especially after they captured the sorcerer cult's missionary. At the time, he thought that the sorcerer cult was deliberately slandering Privy Councilor Xie. Could it be true?
Jingyuan didn't mention any of this when he came. It wasn't until he stepped inside that Madam Xie revealed the truth.

Prefect Qiu could only manage a bitter smile.

Sure enough, sometimes it's not that he wants to do something, but rather... that others have already planned out what he should do.

That feeling of being firmly controlled by the Cining Palace is back.

"Then what should we do?" Prefect Qiu asked. "The capital must be in chaos."

Facing a Privy Councilor, one can imagine the upheaval that would occur in the court. Therefore, Lady Xie said that the evidence should be sent back to the capital as soon as possible.

Xie Yuyan said, "The prefect can only mobilize a limited number of people, but he can select elite soldiers and generals from among them, and find some trustworthy laborers. The demonic sect has a lot of items that need to be sent to the capital for verification, as they may become evidence."

As for what items are included, that's up to them to decide.

Personal weapons, clothing, horses, and even used utensils can be included.

These things always need to be transported.

"The laborers performing corvée labor shouldn't be considered troop deployment, right?"

The laborers Xie Yuyan mentioned here could not be ordinary people; she wanted people who had served as "righteous soldiers" and were "brave".

These people ostensibly serve as laborers, but if something happens, they can become soldiers. This arrangement allows them to circumvent the laws of the Great Liang Dynasty.

Even though we can't bring too many of these "laborers," more people mean more help.

After a moment's thought, Prefect Qiu nodded and said, "I will make the arrangements."

Xie Yuyan said, "We will set off first thing tomorrow morning."

"So fast?" Prefect Qiu was full of surprise.

Now that the pros and cons are laid out, why delay any longer? If it weren't for the large number of people setting off, we could have departed today.

Prefect Qiu quickly made up his mind: "We'll do as you wish, Madam. But shouldn't we be careful to prevent others from finding out?"

Xie Yuyan said, "With so many people, no matter what we do, word will leak out. Prefect, just do your best."

Prefect Qiu stood up but did not leave immediately. He looked at Abbess Jingyuan and asked, "Abbess, would you like to come along as well?"

Jingyuan performed a Buddhist salute: "Of course." There was no worry on her face; on the contrary, her features were relaxed, as if she were extremely content.

Prefect Qiu sighed again, thinking how these people were all so unpredictable... how did they all end up in front of him?

(End of this chapter)