Cursed Mountains and Seas

Chapter 121 The Debt Collector: Then I'll have to go after each of them!

As soon as he finished speaking, the training ground fell into a deathly silence.

Anyone with a sound mind could easily sense that something was amiss at this point, their eyes constantly shifting between the imperial inspector and Wang Cheng.

No one dared to underestimate a single word spoken by Wang Bengu.

As imperial inspectors dispatched by the Censorate to various regions, their authority was to travel on behalf of the emperor, possessing the privilege of "reporting major matters for decision and making immediate decisions on minor matters."

They can impeach officials, supervise the judiciary, report on rumors, and even bypass regular administrative procedures to directly intervene in local affairs.

Let's test it using the famous weighted formula:
The sum of "actual power" and "financial power" divided by the "rank" of the Imperial Inspector makes the amount of power held by the Censor-in-Chief shockingly high!
This official position is virtually unchecked at the local level, and it puts personal integrity to the ultimate test.

Of course, just by looking at how the Governor-General of Minzhou, Hu Ruzhen, had his years-long anti-Japanese war plan ruined by a single memorial from this Imperial Censor Wang, and was even falsely accused of colluding with the Japanese without any evidence, one can understand just how "firm" his personal integrity really was.

At this moment, many officers naturally felt a pang of worry for Wang Cheng.

It's not that they had a particularly good relationship, but as fellow officers of the garrison, his present situation could become my future situation.

Unfortunately, even though they felt that this censor had ill intentions, most of the people dared not speak out because they were intimidated by his power.

"cough cough"

Only the most envious ghosts and gods could understand Lu Yunchen's actions. He coughed twice, spitting out a mouthful of blood with heroic spirit, casually wiping it away, and stepped forward with a hint of questioning:
"Your Excellency the Censor! Your Excellency the Commander!"
I find this arrangement very inappropriate.

Although Commander Wang is talented and capable, he is not even twenty years old and has little experience. Infiltrating the enemy's stronghold to gather intelligence is both extremely important and extremely dangerous.

Losing one's life is a small matter, but what if it delays matters of state? Your Excellency, you recommended Commander Wang for this post; if anything goes wrong, are you willing to take full responsibility?

Wang Cheng felt a warmth in his heart upon hearing this.

This guy is really reliable; he'll definitely step up when something's wrong!
Even with a powerful background, how many second-generation rich kids would dare to stand up to an imperial inspector who is not known for his magnanimity, just for the sake of a subordinate they've only known for a month?
Silently, she made up her mind that if she had the chance, she would definitely help him cure his hidden ailment. Even the Lord of the State could not do it, but Sihai Tongbao might be able to.

Unexpectedly, the Imperial Censor Wang was not angered by these words; instead, he stroked his long, white beard and laughed heartily.

"Haha, Commander Lu has misunderstood me."

I am devoted to the public good, so how could I openly recommend my own son to do something that is sure to lead to death?

"You, Commander Lu, have underestimated me, Wang Bengu, and you have also underestimated the laws and regulations of our dynasty!"

He glanced around the training ground, pausing for a moment on Wang Cheng, before continuing his explanation:

"Commander Lu and the other officers may not have received the news yet."

After returning to the capital, Commander Lu advised the court to release some official positions that did not require them to go ashore to report on their duties and were not subject to the court's constraints, and to grant them to the heroes of the East Sea.

There are a total of eight Generals Who Dive into the Sea and four Generals Who Guard the Sea.

It was used to divide the most powerful Five Peaks Banner and the Maritime Merchant Alliance, so that some of them would serve the imperial court.

His Majesty has approved this plan and urged the Minzhou officials on the front lines of the anti-Japanese war to assist the Imperial Envoy in handling the matter swiftly.

After discussing with Governor Hu, the Commander-in-Chief of the Japanese Pirates, General Yu, decided to send a delegation to Yingzhou to meet with the Five Peaks Banner and various maritime merchants who had previously been under the control of the Prince of Jinghai.

He also invited the pirates who were currently wreaking havoc in the East China Sea and plundering five Frankish treasure ships to gather in Yingzhou and determine their seating order.

The imperial edict granted each Zhenhai General ten ship permits, allowing them free access to designated ports of the Great Zhao Dynasty for trade.

Each of the Sea-Walking Generals was granted three ship permits, granting them free access to designated ports of the Great Zhao Dynasty.

As soon as these words came out, everyone was in an uproar.

The chaos at sea was partly due to the loss of the restraint of Prince Jinghai, and the fact that no one in the maritime merchant alliance could be trusted, with everyone having their own thoughts and naturally causing chaos.
On the other hand, the five ocean-going treasure ships and their contents completely ignited the situation.

While Wang Cheng and his group didn't reveal the secret of the "elixir of immortality," it got out in other places, and the captains of the big ships at sea went crazy, all wanting to seize the ships.

Most of those who were not qualified to participate went ashore to loot, and beacon fires were lit along the coast of Dazhao every day to warn of danger.

The imperial court's move was clearly a desperate measure, an attempt to divert trouble eastward by using the enormous profits from maritime trade to bring disaster to Yingzhou and Wufengqi.

In particular, the new terms included the option to remain on land and submit to foreign powers, allowing them to continue their carefree lives abroad, which immediately dispelled many of the merchants' concerns.

At least we don't have to worry about following in the footsteps of Prince Jinghai. As for whether the ship's permit will be useful, we'll find out when we try.

Wang Bengu continued slowly and deliberately:
"I happen to be inspecting Zhenhaiwei, and I thought I'd take this opportunity to give you all a share of the credit."

Even spies don't need to sneak into the Five Peaks Banner; they can simply accompany the delegation and infiltrate as attendants of the imperial envoy to obtain firsthand intelligence.

In times of war, envoys are not to be killed. This mission can't be considered a death sentence, can it?
What? Commander Lu doesn't appreciate it?

Lu Yunchen was speechless, and the arguing among the surrounding officers immediately subsided.

In that sense, discussing the selection of undercover agents in public seems to make sense again.

Since ancient times, missions have been responsible for intelligence work. Since they are open secrets, they will not be ignored even if the opponent is a pig. Whether the intelligence personnel are selected openly or not seems to make little difference.

Moreover, the Great Zhao was not the Great Han. Although Han envoys died frequently and in large numbers, they were also quite adventurous! They plotted coups, assassinated the king, and openly slept with the empress dowager.
We, as envoys, certainly cannot do such a thing.

Wang Cheng, who was at the center of the vortex, was also a little unsure how deep the scheming of this imperial inspector was.

Is this person a genuine intellectual being manipulated by [Dragon's Blood], or a key member of the gentry faction with superb disguise skills?

This old fellow is quite skilled, completely different from that hereditary commander Xing Baichuan; there's absolutely no flaw in him.

They carefully observed the imperial inspector, recognizing his rare and valuable possession.

However, this person's official position carried too much power, effectively blocking any potential profit, making him extremely difficult to deal with. Wang Cheng knew many upright officials who firmly believed that only he was right, only he was a good official who cared for the country and its people, and that anyone with differing political views was a corrupt official.

However, he never actually does anything; he only finds fault with others. He doesn't make mistakes because he doesn't do anything himself. He continues to cultivate his reputation among scholars who hold the power of discourse, and his influence grows stronger day by day.

If upright individuals and virtuous people form a faction, then things will become even more serious.

At this moment, he couldn't help but suspect that the "Dragon's Blood" might not need to personally win them over; with just a little guidance, he could use those stubborn and self-righteous intellectuals as pawns.

They possess a facade of integrity and honesty to deceive others, yet their destructive power far exceeds that of many truly wicked and evil individuals.

Only Xing Baichuan, seeing this scene, was overjoyed:

"Everyone in Minzhou knows about the governance of officials; Lord Wang Bengu is a model of integrity."

The pursuit of "constant reason" by scholars is a method of cultivating "righteous spirit".

As long as he is always right, his righteous spirit will naturally be exceptionally pure, so even if he is beaten to death, he will never admit that he is wrong.

If one were beaten to death by the ruler of the state, there's a chance they'd be remembered in history and deified by Confucianism and Taoism.

Wasn't Governor-General Hu, a second-rank official, impressive? Anyone who has read history books knows that his strategy of recruiting the Prince of Anjing and using the sea to control the sea was correct.

Just like what the imperial court is doing now.

Why was what he did wrong back then, but now it's considered right for others to do it? It's because he was a political enemy of Lord Wang.
Wang Fugui and Lu Yunchen are the same. Lord Wang has spoken and persuaded the Ministry of War to increase the number of personnel, but you haven't let any of you in. It's a slap in the face to Lord Wang.

Do you really want to complete tasks and earn merits?
Even if it's just another small act of abuse of power, you simply cannot afford the consequences!

Xing Baichuan sneered inwardly, but his face remained righteous and awe-inspiring.

He actually condescended to bow to Wang Cheng:
"Xing also knew that those Japanese pirates were vicious and unreasonable, and that there would still be danger even if he traveled with the mission."

All my brothers have parents, wives, and children. If anything were to happen to any of them, I, as their commander, would feel my heart breaking.

If it weren't for the important mission I had to fulfill, I would have loved to go to Yingzhou in person to serve my country.

If Brother Fugui is willing to go, then I, Xing Baichuan, owe you my life.

Once the Five Peaks Banner is eradicated and peace is restored to the coast, the Fu Gui brothers will return in glory, and this commander will have no objection to their return.

Of course, if Brother Fugui doesn't want to go, we won't force him; he can go if someone suitable recommends him.

As expected of someone who's been through the motions of officialdom, he managed to put Wang Cheng in a difficult position with just a few words. Everyone else in the delegation could go, but you were the only one who couldn't.
I've conveniently set a trap for him; if you don't want to go, I'll recommend someone else to go.

The atmosphere of shared hatred and sorrow instantly dissipated.

Wang Bengu also casually added fuel to the fire:

"Whoever goes, I owe him my life. I only regret that my old and ailing body cannot serve the country. I can only entrust the heavy responsibility of defeating the enemy to future generations."

At this point, Wang Cheng no longer needed to guess the true thoughts behind the two's coordinated attack.

"Whenever someone in a superior tells you to consider the big picture, then they are probably the ones who are in the big picture, while you are not even in that picture."
Whenever you're asked to pay any price, you often become that price.

They never publicize their projects, and they secretly work on them rapidly without making a fuss. It's possible that they have benefits to share with you but are unwilling to do so.
Finally, anything that's vigorously promoted and touted as having numerous benefits to entice others to do it is likely to lead to a bottomless pit that you'll spend the rest of your life filling.

If you consider things from the perspective of self-interest, things become much simpler.

If it were truly a matter of easily reaping credit, those with connections would first have to compete to see who has the strongest connections, so how could it be a young man who doesn't get along with his superiors?
Therefore, there must be something fishy about this!

but
When the two men provoked him by saying they owed him a life, the official aura protecting them slightly weakened, and the Crown Prince, the imperial inspector in the shadows beneath Wang Cheng's feet, began to stir restlessly.

"Debt collector: Give back what you ate of mine, and return what you took from me."

If anyone owes him a debt, their birth date and time will be forcibly locked down even without his information being revealed.

When they are caught off guard or in a weakened state, he will quietly come knocking, and without their knowledge, he will take away their intelligence, wealth, treasures, cultivation, flesh and blood, and even their soul as payment.

In fact, ever since he acquired this ability, Wang Cheng had been able to vaguely sense the attraction emanating from the four islands of Yingzhou.

This indicates that his biggest "debtor" is there, but the distance is too far, and he has never been able to clearly identify the other party.

This might be a good opportunity to launch a counterattack.

The traitor within Wufeng Banner, along with Wang Bengu and Xing Baichuan, who were clearly plotting against him, had both harmed the Caishui Wang family in the past. If they weren't careful, they might be forced to pay the price.

Once Wang Cheng understood this key point, his mindset changed rapidly.

'This undercover agent isn't even a dog! He's a full-fledged undercover agent!'

Going undercover in Wufengqi felt like coming home; my true and dearest family and friends were everywhere there.

"If you don't come after me when we get there, I'll come after you."

Therefore, Wang Bengu and Xing Baichuan, with righteous indignation, and Wang Cheng, even more so, patted his chest and said:
"My lords, there is no need to change the person."

Serving one's sovereign and father is our bounden duty, and I, Wang Fugui, accept this task. However…

He gave Wang Bengu and Xing Baichuan, who thought they had outsmarted him, a naive smile:

"I have only one small request."

(End of this chapter)