In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 920 It's hard to be a good person, kill them all.

"problem occurs?"

Inside an ordinary inn in Zhenjiang Fort, Shi Baifeng looked at Lord Xu in front of him, suddenly stood up, his brows furrowed and his eyes solemn.

"May I ask, sir? Where was the information leaked?"

Xu Cheng sat opposite him, a gloomy expression on his brow. After a long silence, he said softly:

"It must be because the commotion we caused a few days ago was too big that someone discovered our secret and reported it to the commander."

Shi Baifeng recalled the ease with which he entered the pass, and then thought of the layers of checks at Zhenjiangbao border town, his expression becoming increasingly strange.

He suddenly had a feeling,
If they had entered the country normally as usual, perhaps this kind of mishap wouldn't have happened.

But since things have come to this, there's no point in saying anything more.

After a pause, Shi Baifeng took half a step forward and lowered his voice:
"My lord, what should we do now? Even if I lose my life, the money must not be lost!"

A shadow crossed Xu Cheng's eyes, and he nodded slightly.
"Of course I know the money can't be lost. Don't set off yet, wait until tomorrow."

At this point, a ruthless glint flashed in his eyes, and he spoke with a resounding tone:

"My people are investigating where things went wrong, and we'll have the results soon."

"Tonight, we'll apprehend those unruly individuals. Tomorrow, you can quietly leave, and I'll stay here to stall for time."

"Leave quietly?"

Shi Baifeng frowned, but he couldn't think of a better way, so he could only nod slightly:

"Do as the adults say."

"Yes, after you leave, send someone to change to a different carriage, and make sure to keep it hidden."

It's not that I don't want to replace you, it's that I'm afraid the people around me might also have problems.

Shi Baifeng's expression became extremely solemn:
"Lord Xu, has the situation become that serious?"

Xu Cheng nodded:

"I never mentioned the matter of transporting the silver to Commander Pan, but he knows about it now."
That leaves only one possibility: someone in the military headquarters made a move, which alerted Lord Pan.

We've already fallen behind, so we have to be extra careful with every step from now on.

If the money is lost, neither of us can afford the consequences.

A chill suddenly filled the inn room. Shi Baifeng recalled the grassland people he had met when he received the goods that day.
Their eyes burned with fervor as they looked at the silver, and their entire being exuded a chilling aura.

If the silver were truly lost, those people would have taken his life without the adults even having to punish him.

Taking a deep breath, Shi Baifeng slowly said:
"Don't worry, Lord Xu, we have a backup plan and will definitely send the silver back safely."

"Okay, I'll be going now."

Once everyone has cleaned up, I will send someone to let you know, and then you can set off.

As he spoke, Xu Cheng stood up, tightened his fox fur coat, and a hint of murderous intent flashed in his eyes.

After Xu Cheng left, Shi Baifeng stared blankly at his retreating figure, finally letting out a long sigh:
"What a troubled time."

Xu Cheng returned to the Zhenjiang Fort government office by carriage. As soon as he entered, he saw Li Da, the commander of the personal guards, waiting in the room, holding a document in his hand and pacing back and forth anxiously.

Upon seeing him enter, Li Da rushed forward and said urgently in a low voice:
"My lord, we have made progress!"

Xu Cheng narrowed his eyes and closed the door.

Where did things go wrong?

Li Da handed over the document and said:
"Sir, Zhang Laosan, who was supposed to deliver the message to us, has disappeared."

"Zhang Laosan?"

Xu Cheng's pupils contracted slightly. It was this man who brought back detailed information about the Jurchens' rampage in Goryeo.

He's gone now.
Xu Cheng instantly understood what this meant.
He could guess that the Jurchens within Goryeo were Lord Lu, so others naturally could too!
He just hadn't expected that the mistake would happen here.

Doesn't that mean the enemy has more information than he thought?

After a long while, Xu Cheng suppressed his thoughts and opened the document.

It records Zhang Laosan's last whereabouts.

Because Zhenjiang Fort is not large, the records are exceptionally detailed.

When Xu Cheng saw Zhang Laosan disappear into the military camp, he frowned.

"Is the information accurate? Why would he go to a military camp?"

Li Da lowered his voice:

“Zhang Laosan went to the military camp to deliver goods, and the people who went with him can testify to that.”

According to them, Zhang Laosan would return after delivering goods for about an hour each time.

But after that trip, he never showed up again.

The subordinates also sent people to inquire in the military camp, and there were indeed traces of Zhang Laosan, but no one saw him leave the camp.

Therefore, my subordinates deduce that Zhang Laosan was kidnapped by his own people and is currently hidden somewhere.

"One of our own?"

Xu Cheng's face turned cold, and he gave a soft snort:
"Sun Dechang is known as the Iron-Faced Man, showing no respect to anyone. It seems that he is just a name without substance."

Li Da seemed to be deep in thought:
"My lord, Sun Dechang has never been promoted because he never gets involved in the power struggles among the military commanders, and he doesn't have a powerful backer. Could it really be him?"

Xu Cheng sneered, a complex look in his eyes:
“You’ve been around for 30,000 years, how come you can’t understand this?”
Once you enter officialdom, who wasn't initially full of enthusiasm and incorruptible?
If you can't get promoted for more than ten years, your thoughts will slowly change until you can't even recognize yourself anymore.

When we were in the capital, someone from the Censorate said that most corruption occurred among people who hadn't been promoted for a long time.

Those truly promising adults disdain such a small amount of money.

It's not worth jeopardizing your future for such a small amount of money.

Sun Dechang was capable but couldn't get promoted because he had no one backing him up.

After all these years, he probably can't hold on any longer.

Li Da sensed a hint of melancholy in the adult's tone.

Back then at Sanwanwei, everyone thought they would stay there for life with no chance of promotion.

Unexpectedly, things took a dramatic turn for the better, and the man quickly found a powerful backer, thus overcoming the most difficult hurdle of rising from commander to assistant commander.

If they hadn't made it across, they might still be feeling dejected and heartbroken at this moment.

Coming to his senses, Li Da bowed and asked:
"Sir, what about us...?"

Xu Cheng took a deep breath, a ruthless glint in his eyes:
"He does the first day of the month, I do the fifteenth."

Since the deed has already been done, we must bear the consequences.

"Send the order down to summon Sun Dechang and all officers of the rank of colonel and above from Zhenjiang Fort to the yamen for a meeting."

"Yes!"

Li Da responded, then tentatively asked:
"You want to?"

Xu Cheng paced back and forth in the room, hands on his hips:

"Since we are not sure who the enemy is, let's treat everyone as the enemy."

When they arrive, arrest them all and detain them separately!

Furthermore, the men we brought must immediately take over the defense of Zhenjiang Fort; there must be absolutely no mishaps.

Li Da's eyes widened suddenly, his pupils contracted sharply, and he exclaimed in surprise:
"My lord... this... isn't this too much?"

"Too what?"

"This is too dangerous. If this gets back to the Commander, the Lord will probably be punished."

"What's there to be afraid of! It's hard to be a good person because you always have to be cautious like a bad person when you do things."

Having seen so many bad people, including those who colluded with foreign enemies and betrayed their generals, what's this little thing? Arrest them!

Li Da's expression turned solemn. Recalling Lord Xu's experience of being sold to the Jurchens, he instantly understood his resolute decision:

"Yes, my lord!"

As evening approached, the snow in Zhenjiang Fort was particularly cold, and the northwest wind whistled through the gaps in the military camp, carrying snowflakes.

Xu Cheng sat in the main hall of the yamen, clutching the urgent letter delivered by Pan Jing in his hand.

The sound of orderly footsteps came from outside the hall; it was Li Da leading his personal guards to set up defenses.

As planned, the three hundred guards had been divided into ten teams and quietly surrounded the generals' residences, waiting for an order.

"Sir, Commander Sun and his men have arrived."

The guard reported softly, his voice tinged with nervousness.

Xu Cheng raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping across the outside of the hall.
Sun Dechang walked at the front, wearing armor, followed by Zhao Wu and seven other centurions, as well as a group of flag officers.

They all looked puzzled, clearly not knowing why a meeting had been suddenly convened.

"Lord Xu summoned us here, is there some unusual activity at the border?"

As soon as Sun Dechang stepped into the hall, he spoke first, his tone tinged with a hint of probing.

He glanced at the guards standing on either side of him out of the corner of his eye.
Seeing their hands on the hilts of their knives and their serious expressions, my heart skipped a beat, but I still tried to remain calm.

Xu Cheng didn't answer, but slowly stood up, walked to Sun Dechang, and his gaze swept across Sun's face like a knife:

"Commander Sun, do you know your crime?"

"Confess your guilt?"

Sun Dechang paused for a moment, then raised his voice:
"What do you mean by that, Lord Xu? I have guarded Zhenjiang Fort for ten years without ever making a single mistake. How can you say I am guilty?"

"Nothing went wrong?"

Xu Cheng sneered, turned around, picked up the document recording Zhang Laosan's whereabouts from the table, and threw it in front of Sun Dechang:
Where did Zhang Laosan go?

Sun Dechang's expression changed slightly, and he bent down to pick up the document:

"My lord, who is Zhang Laosan? How would I know where he is?"
Lord Xu, please don't listen to the rumors spread by others and wrong an innocent person!

"Wronging an innocent person?"

Xu Cheng slammed his hand on the table, making the teacup rattle loudly.
"I have summoned you here not to argue with you, Li Da!"

"Yes, sir!" Li Da strode forward and bowed to receive the order.

"Take them all! Separate them and detain them!"

Xu Cheng's voice was as cold as ice, leaving no room for negotiation.

The guards rushed forward immediately, the crisp sound of long swords being drawn echoing in the hall.

Everyone froze in place, their bodies tense!

Zhao Wu was so frightened that his legs went weak and he almost collapsed to the ground, but was lifted up by two guards who held him by the arms.

The other centurions were still in a daze when the guards held them down by the shoulders, making them unable to move.

Only Sun Dechang was still struggling, shouting:

"Lord Xu! I am a commander appointed by the imperial court. This is an abuse of power!"

Xu Cheng walked up to him, looking down at him with a mocking gaze:
“Abuse of power? I am the Vice Commander of Liaodong, patrolling the border. Do I need to abuse my power to arrest you?”
Once we find evidence of your treason, you'll know what the real crime is! Drag her away!

Sun Dechang was dragged outside by his guards, his curses gradually fading into the wind and snow.

Only Xu Cheng, Li Da, and scattered documents remained in the hall; the air was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

"Sir, shall we search their house now?"

Li Da asked.

"Go now!"

Xu Cheng nodded, his eyes resolute:
"Focus your search on Sun Dechang and Zhao Wu's residences. Examine them thoroughly; don't overlook any scraps of paper or letters!"

Li Da accepted the order and left, while his personal guards went off separately to the homes of the generals.

Sun Dechang's home was located at the east end of the fort. It was a courtyard of considerable size with high walls and two red lanterns hanging at the entrance, which were particularly eye-catching at night.

When the guards scaled the courtyard wall, Sun Dechang's family was still fast asleep.
Once awakened, the courtyard was instantly filled with the cries of the women and the wailing of the children.

"Don't move! Search as ordered!"

The guards shouted to stop them, and the soldiers immediately rushed into each room, searching through everything.

Books were pulled out of the bookshelf one by one, clothes were thrown all over the floor from the closet, and even the space under the bed was pried open.

"Sir! There's a hidden compartment here!"

One of the guards suddenly shouted, his voice filled with surprise.

He was rummaging through the bookshelf when he accidentally touched a copy of "The Art of War" on the top shelf. The side panel of the bookshelf popped open with a "click," revealing a small hidden compartment about the size of a palm.

Inside the hidden compartment was an oilcloth bag; when opened, it was full of letters.

Upon seeing this, the captain of the personal guard's eyes flashed with joy, and he hurriedly took the letter back to the yamen.

Xu Cheng was sitting at the table waiting. When he saw him return, he immediately took the letter.

The top letter was unsigned, but it was stamped with a small sealing wax seal.
Xu Cheng recognized it at a glance—it was the seal of the Military Commander's Office!

He opened the letter; the handwriting inside was messy yet sharp. Although he couldn't tell who wrote it, the content was enough to threaten him:

"Xu Cheng's unauthorized release of the caravan may constitute smuggling. Keep a close watch on him, and report back to me immediately if you find any evidence!"

Just then, another group of guards brought Zhao Wu back.

Seeing his distraught appearance, Xu Cheng knew it was time to interrogate him, so he ordered his guards to bring him into the hall.

"Commander Zhao, where is Zhang Laosan?"

Xu Cheng sat at the head of the table, his tone calm yet imposing:
"Tell the truth, and I might spare your life."
You should know the consequences if you lie.

Zhao Wu fell to his knees with a thud, his voice trembling:

"My lord, I'll tell you! I'll tell you everything!"

"Okay, very good. Where is he?"

"My lord, Zhang Laosan is dead!"

"died?"

Xu Cheng's pupils suddenly contracted:

"Who killed him? Where is he buried?"

"It was Commander Sun who ordered the killings!"

Zhao Wu said, crying:

"Commander Sun said that Zhang Laosan knew too much and was a potential threat if kept alive, so he had him lured to the wilderness outside the fortress and strangled with a rope. The body was then dumped in the woods."

Xu Cheng's eyes grew even colder upon hearing this:

"Li Da, take a few men to investigate, find Zhang Laosan's body, and verify his identity!"

Li Da accepted the order and left.

Time passed slowly, and it wasn't until late at night that he returned, covered in snow and wind.
"Sir, we found half a corpse in the forest outside the fortress. There were ligature marks on the neck. It should be Zhang Laosan."

"Promote Sun Dechang!"

Xu Cheng said in a deep voice.

Even as Sun Dechang was being led into the courtroom, he remained defiant:

"Xu Cheng, you arrested me without cause! I'm going to appeal to the military commander and accuse you of abusing your power and perverting the law!"

Xu Cheng's expression remained unchanged as he calmly said:
"Do you think that by siding with Lord Zhou, he can protect you?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Dechang's expression changed slightly!
Xu Cheng caught his expression and chuckled:
"As expected of Lord Zhou."

Sun Dechang: You're really stupid; you can't even choose sides properly.

"I don't understand what Lord Xu is saying."

Seeing that he was still denying it, Xu Cheng shook his head and threw the letter from the military commander in front of him:

"The letters have been found, and you're still being stubborn?"
You colluded with the officers of the military command to spy on me, and even killed Zhang Laosan to silence him.

"Are you trying to obstruct my inspection of the border towns, or are you trying to use this opportunity to curry favor with your superiors?"

When Sun Dechang saw the letter, his face turned deathly pale, as if all his strength had been drained away.

He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but not a single word came out.
At this point, there's no use denying it anymore.

"Lock them all up, assign special personnel to guard them, and forbid anyone from contacting them!"

Xu Cheng then said:

"From now on, the defense of Zhenjiang Fort will be entirely taken over by Dingliao Right Guard. There must be no mishaps in any of the passes, barracks, or granaries!"

Li Da bowed and replied:

"Yes, sir! Don't worry, I'll arrange it right away!"

After a night of turmoil, things finally calmed down just before dawn.

The snow in Zhenjiangbao has stopped, and a sliver of white light appears in the east. The faint morning light shines on the snow, reflecting a cool glow.

Xu Cheng stood at the entrance of the government office, gazing at the distant pass, and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

With the potential danger eliminated, the next step is to ensure the caravan's safe departure.

He sent someone to inform Shi Baifeng that they could depart as planned.

Before long, Shi Baifeng arrived with his caravan.

The carriages had been replaced with ordinary freight wagons, and the tarpaulins had been changed to gray, making them look no different from ordinary caravans transporting furs.

"Lord Xu, thank you for handling this matter overnight, otherwise we would have had a real hard time getting away."

Shi Baifeng bowed deeply, his voice filled with gratitude.

Xu Cheng waved his hand:

"We're all just here on official business, no need for formalities. You'll enter through the north gate."

My men are now guarding the area, so no one will stop us.

After leaving the fortress, follow the main road first, then change routes after passing the fork in the road, making sure everything goes smoothly.

"Don't worry, sir, I've remembered everything."

Xu Cheng then instructed:
"Be careful on the road. If you are questioned, just say you are going to Daning to sell furs. You have all the travel documents with you."

"It's all ready! It's stamped with the seal of Yizhou Prefecture, and we also have the seals of Beiping and Daning, so you can rest assured!"

Xu Cheng then nodded:

"Okay, let's go."

"Yes!"

Shi Baifeng turned and shouted to the caravan guards:

"Is everything ready? Let's go!"

The guards responded in unison and drove the carriage slowly toward the north gate.

Xu Cheng stood at the pass, watching the caravan gradually disappear into the morning light until it was no longer visible, before turning and walking towards the government office.

Li Da followed behind him and asked in a low voice:
"Sir, what should we do with Sun Dechang and the others? We can't keep them locked up forever, can we?"

Xu Cheng stopped and gazed at the distant snow-capped mountains, a cold glint flashing in his eyes:
"Kill him."

Li Da abruptly stopped, his face filled with disbelief, and said urgently:
"grown ups!"

Xu Chengzhang breathed a sigh of relief:

"We cannot put Lord Lu and Lord Pan in a difficult position."

If you want to gain the favor of your superiors, you have to be a bad guy first.

Now that the conflict within the military has escalated to this point, keeping this man alive is nothing but a threat; kill him!

Li Da took a deep breath, a ruthless glint in his eyes:

"Yes!"

(End of this chapter)