Prime Minister

Chapter 215, Section 214: [Eliminate the Weeds at the Root]

In Zhenjiang, a city separated by a river, there is a secluded house nestled by the water.

It is now mid-February, and the spring breeze is gradually bringing warmth, but Liu Ying's demeanor still appears cold.

Sitting opposite her, Hu Jiaoniang smiled gently, her fingertips tracing the pre-rain Longjing tea cup on the rosewood table. Her voice carried a natural charm: "Sister, you haven't had a moment's rest these past few days, which I find quite distressing. Now that spring is in full bloom and boats are coming and going on the canal, who wouldn't want to secure a good future? Why do you insist on playing a dead end and wasting your energy?"

Liu Ying knew that this woman in her thirties, though seemingly timid, was actually a vicious person. However, due to the favoritism shown to her by the sect's patriarch, almost no one dared to provoke her in recent years.

But she was not afraid.

Having been a member of the church for nearly twenty years, Liu Ying has risen from an ordinary believer to a deacon, a protector, and now a revered saintess, all thanks to her solid achievements. The Jimintang is her proud masterpiece.

From a small, neglected pharmacy in northern Hangzhou a little over a decade ago, Jimintang has grown into a charitable institution that is now found in major towns throughout Jiangnan and is publicly praised by the government. This process has been a testament to Liu Ying's lifelong dedication, which has also elevated her status within the church.

The Holy Church gathered people's hearts through the Jimintang and transformed a large amount of ill-gotten money into charitable donations, laying a solid foundation for the development of the Holy Church.

Moreover, under Liu Ying's planning, Jimintang and the core of the Holy Sect did not have a deep connection. Over the years, even the Jing'an Division could not find out the relationship between the two, because only a very few people knew the inside story. Most of the doctors and managers of Jimintang believed that they were really doing good deeds.

Of course, these people's ideas were not wrong. Jimintang did indeed do a lot of good deeds. However, as Jimintang's reputation grew, core members of the Holy Church, such as Liu Ying, would use this reputation to select some officials and gentry from various places, first developing them into peripheral followers, and then carrying out missionary work when the time was right.

In short, Liu Ying had never taken Hu Jiaoniang seriously before, even though the other party had the favor of the ancestor, and she certainly had the confidence to do so.

But now Hu Jiaoniang dares to mock her to her face, simply because she made a wrong decision.

The thought of Xu Zhiwei's hopeless situation filled Liu Ying with conflicting emotions, but she was unwilling to show it in front of Hu Jiaoniang. So she stared directly into the other woman's alluring eyes and said in a voice as cold as a blade: "Jiaoniang, the rules of the Holy Sect distinguish between the noble and the lowly. Before me, when has it become your place as an inner hall protector to give orders?"

Seeing her adopt the airs of a saint, Hu Jiaoniang's smile froze for a moment, then turned into an even deeper fake smile as she covered her mouth and said, "Saintess, please calm down. How could I dare to advise you? It's just... Saintess must know very well that Xue Huai of Yangzhou may seem calm on the surface, but the emperor's henchmen in the Jing'an Division are already investigating the source of funds for the Jimin Hall. In order to help Saintess resolve future troubles, I was ordered by the Ancestor to burn hundreds of account books and sever seven secret lines. These are all real losses."

Liu Ying remained silent upon hearing this.

Although she firmly believed that Xu Zhiwei would not reveal any secrets, the higher-ups of the Holy Church would not think that way. They would never sit idly by and allow the danger to exist. Eliminating the hidden danger in advance was a necessary move, and the resulting losses would naturally be attributed to Liu Ying.

Hu Jiaoniang's smile grew even more smug.

She had no desire to be this worthless inner hall protector and was solely focused on Liu Ying's position as Holy Maiden. However, Liu Ying had made great contributions, had deep experience, and extensive connections. Even though Hu Jiaoniang was favored by the ancestor, it was impossible for her to forcibly transfer the position of Holy Maiden to her.

Over the past few years, Hu Jiaoniang had tried various methods, but she was never able to shake Liu Ying's position. Now that she finally had her chance, how could she let it slip away so easily?

She raised her hand to touch the gold hairpin at her temple and said slowly, "Sister said earlier that she would personally deal with the troubles, so naturally I didn't dare to interfere. However, after waiting for more than a month, I only want to... cough cough, sister, please don't blame me for speaking bluntly. Let alone whether that old fox Jiang Jizhou will take action against Xue Huai, even if he really wants to serve the Ning Party, how can those censors in the court do anything to Xue Huai?"

Liu Ying said coldly, "Who gave you the audacity to spy on me?"

She instructed Zhao Cong, the transport commissioner, to leak the news that "Xue Huai imprisoned the goddess physician" to Jiang Jizhou, because she felt that Jiang Jizhou, as a high-ranking official of the Ning Party, would not miss this opportunity to attack Xue Huai.

This matter was handled very discreetly, but at this moment Hu Jiaoniang suddenly revealed that she had planted a spy among Liu Ying's people.

Hu Jiaoniang calmly said, "Sister, please don't put it so harshly. What do you mean by surveillance? Do you still remember that I am here on the orders of the Ancestor to help you resolve future troubles?"

Liu Ying forcibly suppressed her anger and said in a deep voice, "How do you know this will be useless?"

Hu Jiaoniang sighed softly and said, "Sister, you're just worried and confused. You've lost all your usual attention to detail. Now Xue Huai is using the Jing'an Division to investigate Jimin Hall. What kind of government is the Jing'an Division? Does the Emperor not know why Xue Huai imprisoned Xu Zhiwei? You're inducing Jiang Jizhou to attack Xue Huai on this matter. I'm afraid you're just adding fuel to the fire for Xue Huai's career."

Liu Ying's face turned even uglier.

Although she didn't want to admit it, she had indeed made many wrong decisions since Xu Zhiwei fell into Xue Huai's hands.

Why is this...?

Liu Ying's fingertips unconsciously curled up slightly.

The shimmering pool outside the window reflected in her unfathomable eyes, yet it did not stir a ripple.

Hu Jiaoniang accurately caught the fleeting wavering in Liu Ying's eyes, and the fake smile on her lips deepened, carrying a hint of barely perceptible mockery.

"elder sister."

Hu Jiaoniang's voice sounded even softer, yet it was like a poisoned spider web slowly coiling around her: "The ancestor asked me to tell you that cutting off one's tail to survive is the only way to achieve great things, just like what happened back then."

Upon hearing those last three words, Liu Ying's emotions surged. She stared at the other person in disbelief, unable to determine just how many past secrets the other person knew.

Hu Jiaoniang seemed oblivious to Liu Ying's emotional shift, continuing on her own, "Jimintang is the facade my sister crafted for the Holy Sect, a priceless treasure. Rooted in Jiangnan for over a decade, it has saved countless lives and its reputation has grown daily. It's the perfect cover for us to recruit talent, launder money, and infiltrate officials and gentry. But now, this treasure is stained with Xu Zhiwei's stain; her being trapped in Xue Huai's hands is like a thorn in our side." Liu Ying still refused to budge, but a look of pain gradually appeared on her face.

Seeing this, Hu Jiaoniang leaned forward slightly and said softly, "Sister, you must know the methods of the Jing'an Division better than I do. Their noses are sharper than dogs. Although we have tried our best to cut off the hidden lines, as long as Xu Zhiwei is alive, Xue Huai will eventually pry open her mouth! Sister, you have always been grooming Xu Zhiwei as the next Holy Maiden. She knows a lot of secrets about the Holy Sect. If Xue Huai learns of these secrets and follows the clues, can you bear the consequences?"

Liu Ying's breath hitched; this was the question she was most worried about but dared not think about.

She said with great difficulty, "Zhiwei's medical skills are superb and she is deeply loved by the people. She will be of great use to the Holy Church in the future—"

"enough!"

Hu Jiaoniang finally lost her patience, her face as cold as ice, and said in a deep voice: "Liu Ying, do you really consider Xu Zhiwei your daughter? Have you forgotten that back then, because of the Ling family's recklessness, the Holy Sect's foundation in the north, which had taken more than ten years to build, collapsed in one fell swoop, and they had no choice but to move south!"

"you……"

Liu Ying stared at the other woman in shock, not because Hu Jiaoniang called her by her name, but because she brought up events from nearly twenty years ago!
At that time, Hu Jiaoniang was only about ten years old and had no connection with the Holy Sect. How could she know the inside story?

There is only one answer: the ancestor told her these secrets himself.

Hu Jiaoniang said with disgust, "The Ling family has caused heavy losses to the sect. They all deserve to die, including Ling Ying and her foolish husband, as well as their daughter. The bloodline of the Ling family must not remain in this world! But you... you actually dared to secretly save that baby and even want to raise her to be the next Holy Maiden. You are simply beyond redemption!"

Liu Ying suddenly stood up, her thin body trembling involuntarily.

Memories surged back.

That year, she was just an ordinary member of the church, ordered to approach Ling Ying and kill her, just like the other members who were ordered to kill Ling Qing's two sons. This was a test for them.

Liu Ying eventually completed the task, but before she could leave, the cry of a baby made her stop in her tracks.

The baby had long eyelashes, stared at her with wide, innocent eyes, and clenched her clothes tightly with its little hands.

Time flies, and eighteen years have passed in the blink of an eye.

In the countless days and nights they spent together, Liu Ying seemed to have forgotten the bloodshed of the past, her eyes only on the increasingly outstanding Xu Zhiwei. But now, Hu Jiaoniang's words were like a sharp blade, mercilessly cutting open the scars in her heart.

"Liu Ying, the Ancestor asked me to ask you: Do you still remember the vow you made when you joined the sect? Or have you truly regarded yourself as a bodhisattva who saves people from suffering all these years of running the Jimintang?"

Hu Jiaoniang stared coldly at Liu Ying.

After a moment, Liu Ying said dejectedly, "How could I forget my oath?"

"That's good."

Hu Jiaoniang took a deep breath and said firmly, "The Ancestor gave you a chance, but you haven't made any progress during this time, so you can't continue to gamble with the safety of the Holy Sect. Now you have two choices. The first is to inform Xu Zhiwei in your own way so that she can end her own life. At least that will allow her to die with dignity. As for the second—"

Liu Ying closed her eyes slightly.

But Xu Zhiwei's face appeared in his mind.

That was the person she had raised for eighteen years.

Hu Jiaoniang's cold voice rang in her ears: "If you can't bring yourself to do this, the Ancestor will strip you of your status as a Holy Maiden, and from now on, all the affairs of Jimin Hall will be taken over by someone else. In addition, the Ancestor will personally send someone to Yangzhou to execute Xu Zhiwei. The choice is yours."

Time slips away quietly.

After a long while, Liu Ying slowly opened her eyes, her gaze devoid of any emotion. She said woodenly, "Please tell the Ancestor that Liu Ying does not need his help."

"very good."

Hu Jiaoniang snorted coldly, then said, "Ten days. If Xu Zhiwei is still alive by then, this matter will have nothing to do with you. The sect will have experts to step in."

After that, he turned and left.

There was dead silence in the room.

Liu Ying slumped into the chair, her face as pale as paper.

(End of this chapter)