Minglong

Chapter 249 The voice precedes the person (revised)

The incident at Lishan Sword Lodge, deliberately amplified by certain individuals, spread throughout several surrounding prefectures by the next morning.

A military officer from the Southern Dynasty secretly entered the country and, together with a sorcerer from the Southern Frontier, brutally murdered Li Huaichuan, the old sect leader who was on a routine patrol in Lishan, and severely injured Lü Yan, a senior member of the righteous path who went to investigate.

This heinous act caused a huge uproar in the court and among the people. Countless righteous people spontaneously rushed to Lizhou to hunt down this arrogant southern scoundrel who had no respect for the Northern Zhou.

Liu Dangui, the leader of the Northern Martial Arts School and the head of the Xuanhuang Sword Tomb, although he had no connection with Li Huaichuan, his master and the founder of the Lishan Sword Pavilion were comrades-in-arms. Upon hearing the news, he immediately issued a warrant for Li Huaichuan's arrest.

As the representative of the Northern Zhou Taoist sect, the Divination School could not remain indifferent to this matter. Huanglin Temple, as the ancestral temple, also ordered all sects to search for this child.

The reason why the "Order to Kill All Religions" was not issued was simply because Xie Jinhuan's identity was special and his reputation as a chivalrous man was too great. Without understanding the whole story, it was not appropriate to kill him.

In the Northern Zhou Dynasty, there were four branches of cultivation: Taoism, Buddhism, Martial Arts, and Witchcraft. However, Buddhism was a school of asceticism. Due to the characteristics of the school, they stayed away from trouble and practiced asceticism in harsh and cold places, without interfering in worldly affairs. In the Northern Zhou Dynasty, only the three schools of Taoism, Martial Arts, and Witchcraft were involved in the orthodox path.

Now that the leaders of the Dao and Wu families have issued arrest warrants, everyone's attention is definitely focused on the Wu sect in charge of the Taichang Temple.

The Zhuji Sect was revered as the state religion of the Northern Zhou Dynasty. Chen Chi, the leader of the sect, held a position equivalent to Lu Wuzhen before his demotion. He was all-powerful and his word was law. Even the emperor treated him with the respect due to the 'Imperial High Priest'.

With the high-ranking official in charge of Lizhou killed and the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices beaten, and the perpetrators being cultivators from the Southern Dynasty, Chen Chi must provide an explanation, whether out of respect for the order of cultivation or for the law of the land, or otherwise he will not be able to convince the public.

To the bewilderment of countless cultivators, the Taichang Temple, contrary to its usual practice, remained silent and delayed in responding to such a humiliating disgrace.

So the news had barely spread in the morning when by noon public resentment was rising. Taoist practitioners cursed the ritualists for being spineless, while censors and officials in the court were told to get out of there if they couldn't do the job.

Faced with overwhelming public opinion, Chen Chi was truly helpless. After all, this was not simply a case of bandits causing trouble; there were clearly forces behind the scenes fanning the flames and trying to escalate the situation.

Xie Jinhuan was highly regarded by the Southern Dynasty emperor, and his reputation as a chivalrous hero in the south was deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. The Northern Zhou court launched a manhunt, and even if the Southern Dynasty emperor did not want to fight, he had to send troops to exert pressure on the border. If Xie Jinhuan really died in the manhunt, the two sides would have to fight even if they did not want to.

Despite the chaos within the Southern Dynasty's royal family, the country's strength was still evident and not on the verge of collapse. With such a powerful pretext for launching a military campaign, the army and civilians responded with resentment, and their fighting capacity would not be lacking.

The situation in Northern Zhou was not as strong as it appeared. The fact that the young emperor had taken over the reins of government had torn the court into two factions. Empress Dowager Guo was also powerful, and the local gentry and even the northern deserts and western regions dared not speak out against her, but were secretly making small moves.

Therefore, if a real war breaks out, the Northern Zhou is not confident of victory. If it is weak in its external affairs or loses cities and territories and becomes disadvantaged, Empress Dowager Guo may be overthrown by a coalition of various forces.

Empress Dowager Guo's intention was for Chen Chi to handle the matter discreetly, suppress it as soon as possible, and ensure that Xie Jinhuan was not harmed in the slightest.

As a member of the Empress Dowager's faction, Chen Chi knew this matter would be difficult, but for the sake of the bigger picture, he had no choice but to comply. He secretly sent people to search for Xie Jinhuan, while publicly spouting a string of empty words, appearing tough on the surface, but with a clear underlying message:

"The Great Zhou Dynasty governs by law. Everything must be based on evidence. Only after thorough investigation can a fair and just decision be made. I know you are all anxious, but please don't rush..."

……

Among all the people, the most excited were the Southern Dynasty envoy and Xie Jinhuan!

Princess Changning has now been renamed Princess Daqian, and the Northern Zhou court attaches great importance to her, arranging for her to stay in a large mansion on Duanli Street.

Around noon, a large crowd gathered outside the main hall of the mansion. Li Jing, the head of the academy who was leading the group, along with the accompanying immortal official Jing Wu Niang, the monk Jing Kong, and others, were all gathered together discussing the matter. Yang Dabiao and Fiji, on the other hand, were running around inside and outside, reporting the news they had just gathered from the outside.

The Southern Dynasty students who accompanied the group were supposed to stay at the Sifang Pavilion and travel to various places with their teachers for exchanges and learning. However, at this moment, many angry young people ran to the courtyard and petitioned with great enthusiasm.

Wang He, the top mistress of Chongwen Academy, stood with her hands on her hips and angrily rebuked:

"The Northern Zhou is truly going too far! Young Master Xie is such an upright person, and his past deeds are obvious to all. If Li Huaichuan had no wrongdoing, why would Young Master Xie have made a move against him?"

Zhang Huaiyu, from the Imperial Academy, who was also one of the students here for exchange studies, chimed in:

“That’s right. Brother Xie was under the spell of Bliss in the Golden Pavilion, and all he saw was demon slaying and monster extermination. He had no selfish desires at all. Why would he kill Li Huaichuan for no reason? What does Li Huaichuan have that would make Brother Xie want to kill him?”

"That's right! This is the Northern Zhou setting a trap to provoke us and harm the talented people of our Great Qian Dynasty..."

"Young Master Xie has suffered such an injustice. How can our Great Qian stand idly by? If Northern Zhou wants to fight, then let them fight. What are we to lose, even if it costs us our lives..."

……

Princess Zhao Ling, dressed in a gorgeous gown, stood on the steps. Facing the scene of the crowd's agitation, she was actually angrier than anyone else, wishing she could take a knife and rush to the palace to demand an explanation from Empress Dowager Guo.

However, as the highest-ranking official on this mission, Zhao Ling, despite feeling extremely resentful, had to focus on the situation between the North and South, and for now, she could only offer peaceful reassurance.

"Please don't worry, everyone. I've already sent an urgent message to Luoyang. Lord Chen is negotiating with the Ministry of Rites of Northern Zhou, and this matter will be resolved soon..."

Duoduo was very worried about her future husband, but she still said in a gentle tone:
"Yes, everyone go back and wait for news. Young Master Xie is a pillar of our Great Qian Dynasty, and the Northern Zhou will definitely give us a satisfactory answer to this matter..."

……

In the next room, Linghu Qingmo was extremely anxious, worried about her boyfriend's safety, and wished she could go to Lizhou to find him herself.

But it was obviously useless for her to go. This was Northern Zhou territory, and her best friend couldn't mobilize any manpower. At present, she could only rely on the Great Qian as a backer and put tremendous pressure on the Northern Zhou court to ensure Xie Jinhuan's safety.

Lin Wanyi paced back and forth in the room, her heart filled with worry not only for Xie Jinhuan, but also for her master!
After all, she knew without even thinking who the poison witch was by Xie Jinhuan's side. If something happened to them together outside, she wouldn't know what to do.

Lin Zisu came here hoping that "Empress Guo and Xie Lang" would rekindle their romance, but she really didn't expect that public opinion would explode before Xie Lang even arrived. At this moment, she gently comforted him:

"Auntie, don't worry. Young Master Xie is very capable; there's no way he could have been captured by those northern barbarians. He's probably already back in Daqian by now."

"Ugh……"

……

On the other side, the Ministry of Justice is handling all the cases!
Xie Wen, dressed in the official robes of a junior official, paced back and forth in the government office, his brows furrowed with anxiety. He would occasionally pull aside a junior clerk to inquire about the situation outside.

Having been so excited about Xie Jinhuan's upcoming visit and the impending reunion of father and son, Xie Wen had been unable to sleep. But now, he was even more unable to sleep.

After all, Xie Jinhuan had returned after being missing for three years, only to go back to Daqian and frantically build up his career, seemingly forgetting the Empress Dowager's kindness, which had already startled Xie Wen. Now, back in Daqian, he was frantically slaying demons and monsters, his actions so righteous they were bordering on evil.

When he arrived in Northern Zhou, he first killed a leader of a righteous sect, and then beat up the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. This shows that he doesn't treat the people of Northern Zhou as human beings. Even if you want to be an undercover agent in Southern Dynasty, you don't need to act so convincingly!

With such a commotion, the Empress Dowager can't just let everything go with a single word. She has to explain to the court officials, the common people, and even those practicing Taoism. But how can she explain this?

As Xie Wen was frowning in deep thought, a minor official suddenly ran in from outside and whispered:
"Lord Guo, there's news."

"oh?!"

Xie Wen immediately became excited and quickly stepped forward:

"What news? Xie... Xie Jinhuan, that madman, has he been caught?!"

"Caught!"

"Huh?" Xie Wen's expression froze. "Who caught him?"

"Jiang Xian, who just arrived from the yamen!"

"What?!"

Xie Wen straightened up a bit, his face full of displeasure, as if to say, "Are you kidding me?"

"Do you even believe that yourself? Xiao Biao is just a teenage girl. No matter how capable she is, there's a limit. What makes her think she can catch someone? Don't you know who Xie Jinhuan is..."

The clerk was also a little bewildered, but since Xiao Biao arrived at the Criminal Investigation Department, he had become accustomed to similar incidents and quickly replied:
"It's absolutely true. The person is currently being held in the Xingbu Division's dungeon. Because the matter is so serious, even Lord Shen dares not reveal it to the outside world..."

Xie Wen was shocked to see that these words were not a joke:
Why did you lock him up in the Criminal Investigation Department's dungeon?!

"Then where should we lock her up? Or should we send this hot potato to the Jingzhao Prefecture?"

"You... Shen Cang, you've got your brain kicked by a donkey..."

Xie Wen, who was in charge of the prison, was stunned to hear that his son was imprisoned in his cell. He grabbed his robe and ran out, but immediately turned back and gave orders:

"Hurry! Go to the palace and inform the Empress Dowager. Remember to keep it a secret. If even half a word leaks out, you'll be skinned alive."

Upon receiving the order, the minor official hurriedly ran outside...
-
Xingbu Division, the dungeon.

The original jailers have all been sent away.

Outside the solitary confinement cell where serious offenders were held, Shen Cang and his deputy, Lao Wang, stood guard attentively.

At daybreak, Shen Cang noticed that the public sentiment was not right. Although he was not familiar with Xie Jinhuan and even quite wary of him, he would not be surprised if Xie Jinhuan died in front of him.

In order to get rid of this living ancestor as soon as possible, Shen Cang risked his life to rush to the capital, constantly requisitioning horses and carriages along the way, and managed to arrive in the capital in half a day.

Then a new problem arose—how should Xie Jinhuan be dealt with?

As the chief constable of the Criminal Investigation Department, if the official procedure was followed and Xie Jinhuan's murder case was questionable, he had to bring him back to the yamen for investigation. If he dared to release Xie Jinhuan privately, it would be a loss of sovereignty and a disgrace to the country, and the censors would definitely send him to the northern desert to herd sheep. But he couldn't stop Xie Jinhuan.

Fortunately, Xie Jinhuan lived up to his reputation as a chivalrous man, being understanding and reasonable. He took the initiative to ask to go back to the Xingbu Division with them to cooperate with the Northern Zhou's investigation.

Once the person was delivered here, Shen Cang's duty was complete. The rest was up to the men to worry about. At this moment, he felt like kowtowing to Xie Jinhuan.

Inside the prison cell.

Because it was a key cell for holding political prisoners, the interior was very clean. Coal Ball, who had been imprisoned again, obediently squatted in the corner facing the wall, waiting for the adults to come and interrogate him, based on what he had heard and seen since childhood.

Wearing a floral dress, Bu Yuehua sat on the edge of the plain bed. She still didn't quite understand Xie Jinhuan's 'walking into the trap'. After all, in this situation, Xie Jinhuan should have contacted the envoys of the Southern Dynasty immediately. Running to this place, the subsequent developments were obviously uncontrollable.

Xie Jinhuan sat in the secluded cell, quite relaxed. After all, his father was an assistant director in the Ministry of Justice, responsible for supervising the execution of punishments and the daily affairs of prisoners. His father was the official in charge of this place.

The last time they parted was three years ago when they were attacked in Sanchalin, Weizhou. Now that they are about to meet again in the same place, Xie Jinhuan can't help but feel a little anxious.

However, if their relationship were exposed, he would be in serious trouble in the Southern Dynasty, so this matter could only remain a secret between them. Noticing that Consort Bu beside him seemed a little worried, Xie Jinhuan gently comforted her:
"It's alright. Negotiations between two countries are not like fighting in the martial arts world. There are many intricacies involved. You should rest well, and we'll be able to leave by tonight at the latest."

Bu Yuehua was not restricted and could easily escape from prison, so she was not worried about her safety. At this moment, she was bored and looked around by the candlelight. She noticed that Xie Jinhuan had been running around since last night and had not eaten or washed. There were still grass leaves stuck in her hair, so she raised her hand and helped clean it up like a junior master's wife.

"..."

Looking at the serene face so close to his own, Xie Jinhuan wondered if it was because he had discovered a memorable little episode during their shared hardships, and though his mind was a bit cluttered, he didn't stop her from showing concern.

After waiting for only a short while, hurried footsteps sounded from outside, accompanied by conversation:
"Old Deng! Aren't I awesome?"

"You're amazing! You managed to bring this person back?"

"Hehe? It was mainly thanks to Young Master Xie's cooperation, but I did put in quite a bit of effort to find the person. Lord Guo, you must put in a good word for me afterwards..."

"Don't worry, with such a great achievement, I'll submit a memorial to the Empress Dowager later. She'll definitely entrust you with important responsibilities..."

"Wow! Thank you, Lord Guo..."

"Guji?!"

Upon hearing the familiar address and voice, Coal Ball immediately ran towards the iron gate.

Xie Jinhuan also felt as if he had been transported to another world. He quickly brought the coal briquettes back, asked Bu Xianzi to help hold them down, and got up to go to the door...

(End of this chapter)