Prime Minister

Chapter 239, Section 238: [Following the Map]

The prefectural government office, the office of the assistant prefect.

Ye Qing had been waiting there for a while, and went forward to greet Xue Huai as soon as he entered.

Through the cooperation over the past six months, especially the successful setup to capture key figures of the rebel party and uncover clues about the demonic cult, this is another extremely important achievement for Ye Qing.

The Jing'an Division was established a century ago. Initially, it was just a personal guard of Emperor Taizong of the Great Yan during his time as a prince. Later, it gradually became the eyes and ears of Emperor Taizong to monitor the court and the country. As a result, it became a system where successive emperors would appoint their most loyal and capable ministers to control the Jing'an Division, just like the current emperor and Han Qian, the commander of the Jing'an Division.

Besides Han Qian, the Jing'an Division also had three deputy commanders, followed by the four chiefs of the capital's investigation, punishment, ceremonial, and administrative departments, as well as nine local officials.

As the governor of Jiangsu and overseeing various prefectures in Anhui, Ye Qing already held a high position among his colleagues. Now, having achieved merit in Yangzhou, he is highly likely to be transferred back to the central government in the future.

"Brother Jingche, it seems you've had quite a haul today."

Ye Qing greeted him with a smile and a cupped-hand salute, his tone filled with sincere admiration.

Xue Huai also laughed and said, "So obvious?"

As time went by and their cooperation deepened, the two became closer. Ye Qing no longer maintained a stern face like he did with other officials, and Xue Huai would occasionally make a few self-deprecating jokes.

Ye Qing naturally wouldn't mention that he noticed Xue Huai's demeanor was different from usual, a mixture of exhaustion and excitement. He simply said expectantly, "With Brother Jing Che personally taking action, shouldn't the bandit leader confess the truth?"

Brother Ye, you flatter me.

The two sat facing each other, and Xue Huai said again, "I have not failed in my mission; Liu Ying has spoken."

Ye Qing's spirits lifted, and he leaned forward slightly, asking, "How much did she reveal?"

"A lot, far exceeding our previous estimates."

Xue Huai picked up his teacup to moisten his throat, then said, "According to Liu Ying's confession, the force behind Jimintang is called Xuanyuan Sect, which has a history of at least fifty years. Initially, they only preached on a small scale among the common people, and their targets were all poor people. About thirty years ago, a powerful saint appeared in Xuanyuan Sect. He amassed wealth through various means and then infiltrated and extended his reach in the north. In just ten years, many officials and gentry became their followers. However, in the second year of Taihe, they suffered a sudden and severe blow and had to move their influence to Jiangnan."

"The second year of the Taihe era?"

Ye Qing's heart skipped a beat, and he tentatively asked, "Could it be that major case involving the Ministry of War's military equipment?"

"Exactly."

Xue Huai nodded and said, "Based on the known information, the Ling family and the Xuan Yuan Sect have a very close relationship. It's possible that the discovery of evidence of Ling Qing's embezzlement and bribery led to the arrest of a series of officials, posing a great threat to the core leadership of the Xuan Yuan Sect. That's why they rushed south. Liu Ying was just an ordinary sect member at the time, ordered to kill Ling Qing's daughter, Ling Ying, who had already married into the Liu family, so she didn't know much about the inside story—"

At this point, he suddenly stopped, two thoughts surfacing in his mind.

The first is about the major case involving the Ministry of War eighteen years ago. Ye Qing had told him before that Xue Mingzhang had strongly advocated for investigating the whereabouts of the missing military equipment, but the matter was ultimately left unresolved.

Now that we know the Xuan Yuan Sect has grand ambitions, is there any connection between them and those missing weapons?

The second thought was related to Xu Zhiwei.

Based on the information provided by Liu Ying and Xu Zhiwei, Xue Huai discovered a very coincidental thing.

Eighteen years ago, a major case broke out in the Ministry of War, and the Ling family was wiped out. Not long after, Liu Ying found Xu Zhiwei in swaddling clothes in the wild.

"Brother Jingche?"

Ye Qing's voice pulled Xue Huai out of his reverie. He looked at the other apologetically and said, "I was lost in thought for a moment, please forgive me, Brother Ye."

Ye Qing quickly waved his hand and said, "It's alright, have you found anything?"

Xue Huai pondered for a moment and asked, "Brother Ye, did any of Ling Qing's two sons and one daughter survive?"

Ye Qing said, "This... I really don't remember. Should I ask the people in the capital to check the files from that year?"

"Thank you for your trouble, Brother Ye."

Xue Huai nodded slightly, then continued the previous topic, saying, "The Holy Son who suddenly appeared in the Xuan Yuan Sect is now the Ancestor. Under his tutelage, the sect's internal structure is extremely tight. Below the Ancestor are the Holy Son and Holy Daughter, in addition to elders, protectors, incense masters, and deacons, all vertically linked and subordinate to each other. Among the rebels we captured this time were incense masters and deacons under Liu Ying's command. However, Liu Ying doesn't know the true identities of the Ancestor and the Holy Son, only that the former is about fifty years old and the latter is relatively young." Ye Qing frowned and said, "She's the Holy Daughter, yet she only knows this much? Could it be that she's intentionally concealing something?"

"That possibility cannot be ruled out, however—"

Xue Huai paused, then slowly said, "Liu Ying's rise to power should be an accident, not a scheme orchestrated by the Demon Cult's patriarch. He didn't expect the Jimin Hall to grow to this extent, so he's been looking for an opportunity to legitimately eliminate Liu Ying, the Holy Maiden. According to Liu Ying, the patriarch has a confidante named Hu Jiaoniang, who is currently an inner protector of the Demon Cult and has always coveted the position of Holy Maiden and the wealth of Jimin Hall. Liu Ying's involvement this time was most likely a scheme devised by the patriarch, with Hu Jiaoniang responsible for execution, all to eliminate Liu Ying, who has become too powerful, and at the same time plunder Jimin Hall's core assets and secret networks, forcing it to go completely underground."

"What a brilliant scheme to kill two birds with one stone!"

Ye Qing was naturally familiar with these methods, and said in a deep voice, "This ancestor used you, Brother Jing Che, to eliminate Liu Ying and her followers, and then used Liu Ying as a tool to test or even wear you down. No matter which side wins, he will reap the benefits. His intentions are despicable. Now that Liu Ying's trusted subordinates have been wiped out, and she doesn't know the identities of the ancestor and the Holy Son, how should we investigate next?"

Xue Huai calmly said, "Liu Ying is, after all, the Holy Maiden of the Demon Sect. Although she has always been on guard against by the Ancestor, she naturally knows a lot of inside information. She has already confessed that the Xuan Yuan Sect has been colluding with many officials in various parts of Jiangnan over the years. In addition, the Jimin Hall and the Canal Gang have been having secret financial dealings, and officials from the Canal Transport Office have been helping them."

Upon hearing this, Ye Qing's expression turned serious.

Last year, he witnessed Xue Huai's ruthless methods in dealing with the Lianghuai Salt Transport Office and greatly admired this young official. It wasn't just because of Han Qian's secret order that he cooperated so well, but the Grand Canal Transport Office was undoubtedly an extremely terrifying behemoth compared to the Lianghuai Salt Transport Office.

The Salt Commissioner of Lianghuai was a third-rank official, while the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner was a second-rank official. The difference between the two can be seen from their official ranks, not to mention that the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner also had the power to supervise the Yangzhou government.

Thinking of this, Ye Qing said with a solemn expression, "This case is getting more and more difficult."

Xue Huai said softly, "It is indeed a bit tricky. The other side is in the dark while we are in the light. Although we have gained a lot this time, they are all Liu Ying's trusted subordinates. Those people know far less than Liu Ying. Moreover, the Demon Sect's patriarch has made preparations to cut ties in advance, and much of the information that Liu Ying has has lost its value."

Ye Qing thought for a moment and asked, "Could Hu Jiaoniang be used as a breakthrough point?"

"As for Hu Jiaoniang, Liu Ying described her as having a beautiful face and being particularly skilled in seduction. She was also cunning and ruthless, often using a weak appearance to conceal her viciousness. That night at Daming Temple outside the city, it was Hu Jiaoniang who led a group to attract my attention. In fact, she didn't need to go to such lengths, but she still sent many experts to try to take my life. This shows that this vixen is not someone who is content with her lot."

Recalling Liu Ying's confession, Xue Huai added, "We cannot ignore the Hu Jiaoniang lead. We should immediately find a skilled painter to create her portrait and conduct searches at various land and water checkpoints, docks, and inns. In addition, the expert you captured that night must be Hu Jiaoniang's capable subordinate. Regardless of whether he confesses or not, we must pin the information on him."

"it is good."

Ye Qing understood Xue Huai's intention: to continue to cover up Liu Ying's change of stance. Moreover, the demon sect expert captured by Ye Qing was not determined enough and tried to escape when he saw the situation was not good that night. He thought Hu Jiaoniang would not be surprised that he betrayed her.

"As for the Grand Canal Transport Office..."

Xue Huai hesitated, his finger lightly tapping the table.

For the Great Yan, the Grand Canal was the lifeblood of the nation. The Grand Canal, which ran through the north and south, played a crucial role in connecting the two regions, and its importance far surpassed that of the Lianghuai Salt Transport Office.

Upon seeing this, Ye Qing asked, "Brother Jingche, is Governor-General Jiang also involved in this case?"

Xue Huai said, "Regarding whether Governor Jiang himself was aware of or even involved in this case, Liu Ying did not give a definite answer, because the canal transport office line was handed over to the Holy Son by the Demon Sect Ancestor. However, she confirmed that the canal gang leader Sang Shichang, the canal transport prefect Zhao Cong of Yangzhou, and others had interests connected with Jimintang."

Ye Qing's brows furrowed into a deep frown.

Today, the Grand Canal Gang has become too powerful to control, and Sang Shichang, a commoner, is even the object of flattery and sycophancy by many officials in Jiangnan.

"correct."

Xue Huai said solemnly, "Liu Ying also mentioned someone else. This is information she obtained by chance. The Xuan Yuan Sect's infiltration in Jiangnan, especially its arrangements on the vital waterway, is closely related to a middle-aged scholar surnamed Meng! This man is about forty years old, fair-skinned and beardless, and skilled in planning. Although Liu Ying does not know his full name, in recent years, the financial transactions between Jimintang and the waterway administration and the waterway gangs, as well as the secret channels used to smuggle people and goods on waterway boats, have all been coordinated and arranged by this scholar Meng."

Ye Qing said, "So, this scholar Meng isn't a member of the Xuan Yuan Sect?"

"Yes."

Xue Huai nodded and said, "People like Sang Shichang and Zhao Cong are just one point in the vast network of the Xuan Yuan Sect. There's no need to alert them for now. We should focus on collecting evidence of their crimes. Once His Majesty issues the decree, the Jing'an Division can close in. On the other hand, I think this mysterious scholar Meng is very likely a representative sent by the Grand Canal Administration to contact and negotiate with the Xuan Yuan Sect."

Ye Qing thought Xue Huai's judgment was accurate and insightful, and said in a deep voice, "As long as we can capture this scholar Meng..."

Xue Huai said decisively, "We will be able to uncover the true backer of the Xuan Yuan Sect within the government!"

(End of this chapter)