Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 526 The Great Trial of the Disciples
While Zhang Dai was still at Princess Yuzhen's Taoist temple, Li Linfu and Wu Wenshen's group escorted Ji Wen to the Wannian County Office and reported the case.

They fabricated quite a few charges against Ji Wen. Just the fact that he was tracking Li Linfu's movements and spying on their money and silk matters should have warranted a thorough interrogation under normal circumstances. No one could say for sure whether this guy was plotting to murder him for money.

"Simply handing this thief over to the authorities is far too lenient! In my opinion, we should arrest him and take him out of the city, punish him thoroughly, and interrogate him to see if he knows any of Zhang Dai's secrets. If he has nothing to say, we should simply drown him in the Wei River!"

After leaving the Wannian County government office, Wu Wenshen said fiercely.

He was a notorious bandit who had roamed the borderlands for centuries, possessing a ruthless nature that treated human life as worthless. He was quite uncomfortable with the various rules and regulations in Chang'an.

"The capital region is not the same as the border areas. There are many people and many eyes, so one must be careful in one's actions and not be too willful so as to overstep the rules and lest one end up in danger."

Li Linfu first spoke with a smile, then turned back and pointed to Xuanyang Ward, which they had just left, and then looked at Wu Wenshen and asked, "Does Lord Wu know that we captured that scoundrel Ji Wen in the western city, but we are to send him to Wannian County instead of sending him to Chang'an County, which is closer to us?"

Wu Wenshen first shook his head, then quickly asked, "I suppose Shilang has relatives or friends in the Wannian County government who can punish this scoundrel severely within the bounds of the law?"

Upon hearing this, Li Linfu waved his hand and said with a smile, "I don't have any relatives or friends in charge of affairs in Wannian County, but Zhang Dai does. Zheng Yan, the magistrate of Wannian County, is Zhang Dai's uncle. Last year, when he made the Eastern Tour to perform the Fengshan ceremony, his grandfather Zhang Shuo took advantage of his position to vigorously support his relatives and cronies. As a result, Zheng Yan was promoted to the fifth rank and is now the magistrate of the county."

"Since Shilang knows this, why did he still send that thief here? Isn't that just making things easy for Zhang Dai? He could easily get the person out!"

Upon hearing this, Wu Wenshen's expression changed again, and he looked at Li Linfu with surprise, pressing him for an answer.

Li Linfu, a cold smile playing on his lips, replied in a deep voice, "That's precisely why we want to give him this favor, hoping he'll take advantage of it! If Zheng Yan really dares to let this scoundrel go, it will give us an opportunity to hold him accountable. At that time, together with all of Yuwen Xianggong's followers, we can report this to the court, and Zheng Yan and his ilk can be severely punished. We can also investigate Zhang Dai's crimes of harboring henchmen and bending the law for personal gain!"

"So Juro had such a plan. Forgive my lack of wisdom, I was unaware of it before. Now that Juro has enlightened me, I am enlightened. It is truly wonderful!"

Wu Wenshen then understood Li Linfu's scheme and immediately clapped his hands in approval.

“What good is killing a mere thief who is keeping watch? The real gain would be if this thief could expose more of Zhang Dai’s and his relatives’ illegal activities.”

Hearing Wu Wenshen's praise, Li Linfu smiled and said, "However, I will soon be leaving the capital for a long journey, so I will have to trouble you, Lord Wu, to keep an eye on this matter. Just keep urging the Wannian County government to investigate the case. If there is no response for a long time, you can report this matter directly to Lord Yuwen's family. Lord Yuwen will help arrange for an imperial censor to impeach this matter!"

"Don't worry, Juro, I will never let that brat off easily, and I will certainly not let Juro's plan go to waste!"

Wu Wenshen nodded repeatedly, saying that he was very enthusiastic about anything that could dampen Zhang Dai's arrogance. Only by bringing Zhang Dai down could he become the new confidant of Consort Hui.

"Alright, let's part ways here. I need to go home to pack my things, and I'm sure Lord Wu also has some instructions to give to his trusted men. Everyone, please go about your business. We'll meet up at Chang Le Post Station in the east of the city later and then head east!"

After they arrived at Zhuque Gate Hengjie together, Li Linfu cupped his hands and said to Wu Wenshen.

He knew that the plan to extort money from Bianzhou needed to be carried out quickly. Now that Zhang Dai had become alert and was trying to find a way out of the predicament, he could not give him any more time. The sooner he went to Bianzhou to carry out the plan, the more severe the blow would be.

He also explained the relevant details to the Hu chieftains involved, instructing them to depart immediately once Wu Wenshen's funds arrived. Meanwhile, many Hu chieftains had already left Chang'an and were waiting to rendezvous at the eastern post station.

Upon hearing this, Wu Wenshen quickly nodded in agreement and then said to Li Linfu, "It's a pity that I have to stay in the capital to handle various affairs and will not be able to go with Shilang to implement the grand plan. My son is mediocre, incompetent, and inexperienced, and has no knowledge of the great figures in China. I hope that Shilang will take good care of him this time. I will repay him handsomely when we return!"

He had only just gained a foothold in Chang'an, so he couldn't stay away for too long lest he become estranged from his people. Moreover, he had been wandering around for many years, doing dangerous jobs, so even if he went with Li Linfu, he wouldn't be able to help with anything important. Therefore, he simply arranged for his son to go with him.

"Please rest assured, Lord Wu. I have received much kindness from you since we met, and I will naturally take good care of your son so that he can travel safely."

Li Linfu chuckled and said that he had indeed gained quite a few benefits from Wu Wenshen during this period, but compared to what he truly wanted, it was merely a drop in the ocean. Wu Wenshen was ruthless and cunning; Li Linfu wished he wouldn't follow them, so he would have more room to maneuver.

After the two parted, Li Linfu went straight home. He had already told his family that he was going on a long journey, and the Honglu Temple had already asked for leave. So there was no need for any special instructions. He only told his wives and concubines to focus on teaching their children at home, and he also gave instructions to his older sons.

"If this trip goes smoothly, I will return to the capital before winter. You all stay at home and do not cause trouble outside, nor do you need to worry too much. After I return, all family matters and troubles will be resolved." Li Linfu sat in the hall and instructed his wives, concubines, and children.

No sooner had he finished speaking than a servant rushed in from outside and reported to Li Linfu, "My lord, a servant of Minister Yuwen has come to visit in the front courtyard. He requests that Minister Yuwen come to his house immediately."

Did they say what it was about?

Upon hearing this, Li Linfu immediately frowned, stood up, and asked urgently, a sense of unease creeping into his heart.

The servant shook his head, then said, "The man spoke very urgently and told Yuwen Dalang to put aside whatever the master had to do and to go to his house before evening."

Upon hearing this, Li Linfu felt an even stronger sense of unease. He didn't bother to tell his family anything further and immediately waved his hand, saying, "Everyone, disperse!"

After dismissing his family, he hurried to the front courtyard. Upon seeing him, the Yuwen family servant quickly stepped forward and repeated what he had just said. Li Linfu said nothing more, and immediately had his family bring his mount. He and the Yuwen family servant then went out to the Yuwen family's home.

When they arrived at the Yuwen family's gate again, there were unusually few visitors gathered there. This was because Yuwen Kuan had just been reprimanded by his father and dared not continue to lavishly entertain guests. This morning, he had even specially ordered his servants to disperse all the visitors who had gathered as usual.

Although there weren't many visitors lingering outside the door, when Li Linfu entered the house, he saw at least a dozen people standing outside the reception hall, all with worried expressions. When they saw Li Linfu arrive, none of them showed any intention of going up to talk to him.

Li Linfu recognized all these people; they were mostly disciples and old friends whom Yuwen Rong had promoted and recruited over the years. Seeing them like this, Li Linfu's heart tightened again.

He hurried to the front of the hall, but was stopped by two servants of the Yuwen family. The two said in a deep voice, "The eldest son is in the hall discussing matters. Please wait outside for a moment, Li Cheng."

Despite his anxiety and nervousness, Li Linfu could only stand outside the hall after hearing these words. He waited for about fifteen minutes before someone finally emerged from the hall – Gao Chen and another disciple recruited by Yuwen Rong in Hebei. The two did not leave the hall but simply stood still in a corner of the corridor.

"Please invite Li Cheng into the hall."

The servant who had blocked the door earlier spoke up again.

Upon hearing this, Li Linfu quickly stepped into the hall. Looking up, he saw Yuwen Kuan sitting in the hall with a gloomy expression. He immediately asked, "What has troubled you so much that you have summoned your disciples to inquire about it?"

"Enough with the idle talk, let me ask you: Did you make any rash remarks about relocating the two immortal maidens, Jin Xian and Yu Zhen, to another state?"

Yuwen Kuan had no interest in exchanging pleasantries with Li Linfu, and immediately asked him questions after he entered.

"Of course not, why would you ask that, Dalang?"

Upon hearing this question, Li Linfu was somewhat puzzled and immediately shook his head.

"Today, Wang Han, the Censor-in-Chief, submitted a memorial stating that someone was gossiping..."

Yuwen Kuan said in a deep voice, his tone already somewhat hoarse. He had received a notice from his father that morning, summoning a group of his former students and officials in the capital for questioning, wanting to find out who was so reckless as to say anything out loud.

After listening, Li Linfu immediately realized the seriousness of the problem, but he quickly frowned and said, "Since it was Wang Han who presented this, there must be something fishy about it. This statement is far-fetched and illogical; it's deceiving others and difficult to defend oneself. Wang Han is a disciple of the Duke of Yan; his words may not be honest. Even if you press him further, I'm afraid you won't get any results..."

"How could I not know this principle! But the memorial has already been approved by the Censorate and will be submitted to the Secretariat and Chancellery tomorrow morning. It may be put to discussion in the court, at which time evil will surely grow."

Yuwen Kuan then said with a gloomy expression, "Today, I am inquiring about the affairs of various sects at home to prevent the possibility that someone is being arrogant and causing trouble. It is best if they haven't said anything, but if they have, they must not admit it. You, Li Cheng, must understand the implications. Remember to keep your mouth shut!"

Upon hearing this, Li Linfu quickly nodded in agreement, and then asked, "Since you already know about this matter, sir, do you have any contingency plans? These two immortal ladies are not ordinary relatives. If the matter is not handled to their satisfaction, I'm afraid it will be difficult to explain to them!"

(End of this chapter)