National Division

Chapter 125 is truly a shocking disaster!

Shen Residence, Flower Hall

At this moment, Lin Jing was talking to Jiang Rui, and learned from him how Jiang Rui and Shen Xian met.

"That day, the Empress personally went to the Dali Temple prison to see Scholar Shen. Afterwards, Scholar Shen submitted a memorial to the Empress, and the two returned together in the same carriage." Jiang Rui recalled the scene of that day, as if it were still vivid in his memory.

Upon hearing this, Lin Jing stared blankly, somewhat lost in thought.

It seems to evoke a scene of harmonious relations between ruler and subject, with the ruler bestowing great favor upon the subject.

Jiang Rui praised, "I have read the memorial on maintaining order in the palace. It is well-organized and structured, truly the work of a great scholar. But it is a pity that I have no chance to see the memorial that Scholar Shen submitted to the Empress Dowager that day."

Not only did she not release such insightful and confidential documents as "On the Administration of Officials," but she also did not release innovative policies such as "The Wealth of Nations," fearing that it would cause a great uproar.

Lin Jing nodded and sighed, "It will surely be another magnificent piece of writing."

He wondered why he had risen to the rank of fifth grade at such a young age; indeed, his talent was astonishing and his name was renowned throughout the capital.

Qingchan's fortunes have turned around; her luck is starting to change.

"Scholar Shen possesses the talent to govern the country and save the world; otherwise, the Empress would not have treated him with such courtesy and value." Jiang Rui said, and then added, "Upon entering the capital, he even forced the Cui and Lu families to resign as prime ministers, shocking the court and the public."

Upon hearing this, Lin Jing asked, "What's going on?"

Jiang Rui then recounted the ins and outs of the "traitor Cui Lu" to Lin Jing, leaving the latter mesmerized and lost in thought.

This talent... is simply amazing.

Lin Jing remained silent for a long time before saying, "He is truly an extraordinary person who does extraordinary things."

A thought suddenly occurred to her: Qingchan might not be able to handle someone like this.

It's like someone who takes the civil service exam being immediately transferred to the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China upon landing, which triggers personnel changes at sea.

Lin Jing is also a knowledgeable and worldly person. Someone like Shen Xian has a limitless future.

Just then, steady and powerful footsteps came from outside, and then the tall and slender young man entered the flower hall.

At this moment, Shen Xian had removed his official robes and changed into a moon-white Shu brocade robe. His brows were clear and his eyes sparkled with intelligence.

Shen Xian just took a shower and changed her clothes.

Jiang Rui stood up, looked at Shen Xian, and cupped his hands, saying, "Scholar Shen."

Shen Xian said, "Bingren, let's have a meal together later, and then go to the post station to rest."

Lin Jing stood up, looked at the young man, and smiled, "Muzhi, I'll have the kitchen prepare some wine and dishes."

Shen Xian nodded, then invited Jiang Rui to the study for a private conversation.

The two sat down again, and a servant served them two cups of fragrant tea before retreating outside the study.

Jiang Rui asked, "Scholar Shen, what should be done with Cui Xu, the Prefect of Anzhou?"

“It’s not difficult to remove Cui Xu, the governor of Anzhou.” Shen Xian picked up his teacup, took a sip, and pondered, “However, to use him as a starting point to sweep away the disciples and former officials of the Cui and Lu families throughout Hebei, we still need a catalyst.”

Jiang Rui nodded and said, "Then let's use Anzhou as a starting point to expand our influence."

“That’s exactly what I was thinking too.” Shen Xian nodded and said in a clear voice, “It involves illegal matters, and Bingren should judge it according to the law. I will then report to the Empress Dowager.”

Jiang Rui cupped his hands and said, "This humble official will certainly not fail in his mission."

Around noon, Xue Zhihua returned from the outer room and came to the study. She looked at the young man and said, "I got it."

"Hmm, how did you get it?" Shen Xian asked.

Xue Zhihua said, "Pei, the registrar, left the prison under the pretext of having something to do. Qiu, the chief clerk, thought he had gotten an opportunity, sent Zhang Xun away, and then colluded with Liu Jian to promise to take good care of Liu's wife and children, and to approve the marriage between Liu Jin and his three daughters."

"What does Magistrate Liu need to promise him?" Shen Xian asked with a smile.

"He committed suicide out of fear of punishment."

Upon hearing this, Shen Xian said, "He does have a bit of ruthlessness."

To protect his wife and children, he chose to take his own life.

“County Magistrate Liu will likely commit suicide on his way to the capital,” Xue Zhihua said with certainty.

Upon hearing this, Shen Xian remained silent for a moment, then turned to look at Jiang Rui beside him and asked, "Bingren, what do you think?"

Jiang Rui pondered for a moment and said, "Scholar, I believe that since we have obtained conclusive evidence, we should arrest Chief Clerk Qiu directly, interrogate him quickly, and extract evidence from him of the collusion between Anzhou Prefecture officials and County Magistrate Liu."

Shen Xian nodded slightly and said, "That's what I think too. Let's leave this matter to Bingren."

Jiang Rui was originally a criminal officer in the Dali Temple, so he was very professional in this kind of questioning and criminal investigation.

“Yes, Scholar.” Jiang Rui paused for a moment, then straightened his expression and replied.

He was originally the Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review, so interrogating criminals was a piece of cake for him.

Shen Xian turned to look at Zhang Rong, who was standing to the side, and ordered, "Take the Thousand Bull Guards and arrest Qiu Ying immediately. Bring him to the Guhe County government office for questioning. If Zhang Xun wants to see me, report back with details and bring him here."

He felt that Zhang Xun and Qiu Ying were not in cahoots. Even if they were, he would try to divide them to obtain more clues.

"Your humble servant obeys," Zhang Rong replied, clasping his hands in a gesture of respect.

After Zhang Rong led the Thousand Bull Guards out of the hall, only Shen Xian and Xue Zhihua remained.

Shen Xian asked, "Where is Her Highness the Eldest Princess?"

"His Highness must have gone to look for Tianxia." Xue Zhihua paused for a moment, then asked, "How was the situation at Qingyang Temple? Has Daoist Heshou's attitude changed?"

Shen Xian smiled and said, "The bait has been put down, but it's hard to say whether the fish will bite."

Just as the two were talking, Xue Zhihua suddenly had a thought. A flash of light appeared in her palm, revealing a jade tablet for transmitting sound. The pointer in the middle shook, and the spiritual light shone brightly, undulating like water.

"It is Master." Xue Zhihua said, pouring spiritual power into the communication jade tablet held in her palm. Instantly, a light screen rose up, and a familiar voice rang out: "Zhihua, have you arrived in Guhe County?"

Xue Zhihua nodded and said, "Master, I have arrived."

The Imperial Advisor Murong Yue's usually cool and aloof voice carried a hint of worry: "Your Uncle-Master Lin just transmitted a message via his flying sword. Half a month ago, a blood moon descended upon Ningyang County, shrouding it in a miasma of corpses. Tens of thousands of people in the county have been poisoned by the corpse demon, their eyes turning red and their bodies becoming agile, almost like demonic beasts. They tear people apart without fear of death. The poison has already spread downstream along the Hong River to Linchuan County in Anzhou. Linchuan County has been breached, and many more people have been taken hostage. Now it is about to spread to Guhe County. The situation is urgent, so I am informing you."

Upon hearing this, Shen Xian frowned and looked grave.

According to Murong Yue, tens of thousands of people were poisoned by the corpse demon, wiping out an entire county? And then the poison spread to another county in Anzhou? Is the zombie horde about to surge towards the Valley River?
Cui Xu, the Prefect of Anzhou, failed to investigate such matters in advance; he deserves to die!

Upon hearing this, Xue Zhihua was startled and asked, "Didn't Uncle-Master Lin go to Ningyang County? Why would this happen?"

Lin Xuan, the peak master of Taibai Peak, is a sword immortal at the peak of the seventh realm of immortality. His sword skills are boundless. If he were in Ningyang County, he would be able to kill demonic people such as the Corpse Yin Sect.

"Once obstructed, the Corpse Yin Sect's conspiracy was discovered. Wang Shence was seriously injured and will be escorted to Guhe County by your senior uncle's sword puppet to recuperate." Murong Yue's voice remained cold: "Zhihua, you and your senior uncle Shen should not go to Ningyang County for the time being, as it has become the Corpse Yin Sect's stronghold."

Shen Xian leaned closer and asked, "Senior Sister Murong, is that me?"

Upon hearing Shen Xian's voice, Murong Yue replied, "Junior Brother Shen."

"I have a few questions I'd like to ask you, Senior Sister," Shen Xian said.

"Junior brother, please speak."

Shen Xian asked, "Can the poison of the corpse demon spread through water and air?"

If it spreads along the Gu River, it won't be long before it ravages several prefectures, which would be big news in the second year of the Tiansheng era.

"Not yet." Murong Yue carefully chose her words, her voice ethereal: "It should be a kind of corpse poison developed by the Corpse Yin Sect. Initially, the miasma caused by the Blood Moon Demon Corpse could only affect one county. At present, it can only be spread through biting."

Shen Xian secretly breathed a sigh of relief and said, "That's good. If it spreads like a plague, it will be even more troublesome."

"In the past, there were also demonic cultists causing trouble, but the talisman water from the Yuanfu Peak of the Shangqing Sect could also suppress it," Murong Yue said. "In the past, the Corpse Yin Sect's corpse poison could also be eradicated and suppressed by the three sects, but this time it seems to be very powerful, and ordinary spiritual power cannot completely remove it."

Because the Shangqing Sect has a large number of high-level combatants, the Demonic Sect can only suppress these high-level combatants and disrupt local areas by causing disasters such as plagues and droughts if it wants to take action.

Shen Xian said, "The scourge of the corpse demon has spread to Ningyang County and has already attacked Linchuan County. Does the imperial court intend to send troops to suppress it?"

In his view, the demonic cultivators were clearly taking advantage of the fact that the imperial court was unable to spare troops while suppressing the rebellion of Prince Qing's army, and were deliberately causing trouble.

"Xing Gang, the Vermilion Bird Envoy of Anzhou, has already gone to Linchuan County, but the Vermilion Bird Division of Anzhou has limited manpower, and it's too late to transfer people from various places," Murong Yue sighed.

Shen Xian frowned and said, "Senior Sister, what I mean is, if we allow the scourge of the Corpse Demon to spread and harass other counties, it may devastate the entire prefecture. Should Anzhou order all counties to strictly defend their cities and mobilize troops to suppress the Corpse Demon?"

Anzhou consisted of only six counties, with its capital at Wan'an County.

Ningyang and Linchuan counties are now suffering from the scourge of the demonic poison, with one-third of them rotten, and it seems poised to sweep into Guhe County.

Murong Yue was clearly thinking from the perspective of the immortal path, believing that if some of the mid-to-high-level combat power of the demonic path demons were dealt with, the matter would be settled.

"The Empress is still summoning the prime ministers to discuss important matters, and there may be troop deployments, but the imperial army of more than 100,000 is still in Tanzhou, and it cannot be mobilized in a short time." Murong Yue described the situation and said, "You are in Guhe County. Have the whole county on high alert. Guhe is a key point for the north-south canal transport, and the demonic people may cause trouble."

Shen Xian said, "Then wait a while. After the Empress Dowager has finished discussing with the ministers, I will discuss it with her. As the Hebei Circuit Commissioner, I have the authority to make decisions on the spot." He did not expect to encounter such a disaster as soon as he returned to Guhe County: a strange event that led to the annihilation of an entire county.

Murong Yue said softly, "Junior Brother Shen has always been resourceful. See if you can come up with some strategies to suppress the impact of the Corpse Demon on the surrounding people."

As Murong Yue spoke, the voice on the other end was intermittent, as if something had happened.

Shen Xian's face was ashen as he looked at Xue Zhihua beside him and said, "I thought we could rest for two days back at Guhe, but I didn't expect to encounter something like this."

"The demonic path has been stirring up trouble for the past two years, taking action in many prefectures and counties across the land." A solemn expression appeared on Xue Zhihua's beautiful, snow-white face as she said, "I never expected that this time, the fire would be set in Anzhou."

Shen Xian said, "Since the corpse demon is attacking, Guhe County should take precautions as soon as possible. Let's head to the county government office now."

My father is both the magistrate of Guhe County and the militia commander. Once the corpse demon attacks, he has the responsibility to defend the territory and should prepare in advance.

Xue Zhihua asked, "What about Chief Secretary Qiu's side?"

"After questioning and taking statements, the matter will be handled according to the previously agreed-upon method." Shen Xian's face was ashen as he coldly said, "Now that such a major blunder has occurred, Prefect Cui Xu of Anzhou cannot escape blame! Losing his post would be the least of his worries!"

Of course, Xing Gang, the Vermilion Bird Envoy, also bears some responsibility.

However, such a big matter might be considered a small matter by the experts of the three religions in the imperial court.

After all, there are one or two thousand counties like Ningyang County in the world.

After finishing their conversation, Shen Xian left the Shen residence and went to the county government office to find Shen Bin.

Guhe County, southwest of the government office—

Accompanied by the clerk, Qiu Ying and Zhang Xun left the prison and were just about to get into their carriage.

Suddenly, several guards from the Imperial Guards came from afar, surrounding a young man. As they approached, they blocked his path.

"What are you trying to do?" Qiu Ying frowned, her face full of displeasure.

He recognized some of the faces; they seemed to be the guards beside Scholar Shen, who looked menacing as if they were here to do something.
Jiang Rui approached, his face stern, and said in a cold voice, "I am Jiang Rui, the Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review. Chief Clerk Qiu, your collusion with County Magistrate Liu has been exposed!"

Upon hearing this, Qiu Ying's expression changed drastically, and she said urgently, "What nonsense are you talking about!"

"Someone, take it!"

Zhang Rong and his men responded with a shout and captured Qiu Ying.

"I am an official appointed by the imperial court. How dare you act so presumptuously? Guards, stop them!" Qiu Ying shouted, his face ashen. "I want to see Scholar Shen!"

At this moment, Qiu Ying had a vague idea of ​​what was going on; she was probably being set up.

Zhang Rong drew his Thousand Ox Blade from his waist with a "whoosh," looked at the Anzhou government officials who seemed about to step forward, and said coldly, "We are the Emperor's personal guards, do you still dare to resist arrest?"

"Don't act rashly!" Zhang Xun quickly spread his arms to stop the state government soldiers.

Then he looked at Jiang Rui and asked urgently, "My lord, is there some misunderstanding?"

Jiang Rui said coldly, "Qiu Ying, the Prefect of Anzhou, is trying to cover up his scandalous affairs and force Liu Jian, a wanted criminal, to commit suicide. He is now involved in the case. Come with us."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xun turned around and looked at Qiu Ying with disbelief: "Chief Secretary Qiu, how dare you act so recklessly?"

Qiu Ying was also startled, but he forced himself to remain calm and protested, "I don't know what you're talking about!"

Without waiting for a reply, Jiang Rui said, "Let's go."

With that, he led Qiu Ying to the county government office as an escort.

……

……

County Office
Shen Bin was dealing with county affairs when Pei, the registrar, entered the government office and said, "Your Excellency, Qiu Ying and others have been arrested by the Imperial Guards."

Upon hearing this, Shen Bin put down his brush and said, "So fast?"

Although they knew Shen Xian's intentions, they didn't expect him to act so swiftly and decisively.

Pei, the registrar, chuckled and said, "I deliberately gave the two of them a chance, but Qiu Ying actually fell for it and sent Zhang Xun away, spending some time alone with him."

Shen Bin nodded and said, "Now that we have the evidence, we can proceed with the interrogation."

Before long, Jiang Rui and a group of Imperial Guards escorted Qiu Ying and others into the county government hall.

And at this moment, it was only just noon.

Qiu Ying entered the hall, still speaking with conviction: "I am an official of Anzhou. According to the laws of Dajing, the power of disposal rests with the state government. Although you are Qianniu Guards, you have no right to arrest me."

At this moment, upon seeing Clerk Pei beside Shen Bin, he seemed to have grasped at a straw and said, "Clerk Pei, you must testify for me."

Jiang Rui said coldly, "Your involvement in this case is a fact. The people of the Immortal Path have already recorded your private conversation with Liu Jian."

As he spoke, he cupped his hands and bowed to Shen Bin, saying, "Jiang Rui, the Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review, would like to borrow your yamen's criminal division for use."

Shen Bin nodded and said, "Please make yourself at home, Lord Jiang."

Then, looking at Registrar Pei beside him, he said, "I will also trouble Registrar Pei to contact the legal officer and record the confession."

"Shen Bin, you are lawless! I am the Prefect of Anzhou. You have neither official documents from the Ministry of Personnel nor the orders of the Prefect. What right do you have to question me?" Qiu Ying shouted. "I am not satisfied. I will definitely report to the Prefect and impeach you for overstepping your authority!"

Shen Bin's gaze turned slightly cold as he said, "Take him away."

Just then, a clear and authoritative voice came from outside the yamen, which shocked the people present.

“Even Cui Xu, the Prefect of Anzhou, is struggling to take care of himself, let alone a mere Chief Clerk like you?”

The voice already carried a trace of true energy, and all the officials in the government office heard it clearly.

Everyone followed the sound.

"Bachelor of Arts".

"grown ups."

Shen Xian nodded and said, "Take this person away and interrogate him thoroughly."

The two counties of Anzhou have been plagued by corpse demons, and the situation is extremely precarious. He has no time to waste with these officials and has taken them down in court.

"What right do you, a mere fifth-rank official, have to arrest me?" Qiu Ying struggled violently, speaking angrily.

He merely addressed the scholar with a respectful greeting, yet this person dared to act so recklessly?

Zhang Rong snorted coldly, grabbed Qiu Ying's arm, and said in a deep voice, "We scholars are the Hebei Circuit Inspectors, imperial envoys. Let alone a mere sixth-rank official like you, even a third- or fourth-rank prefect can be arrested if we say so!"

Upon hearing this, Qiu Ying was struck dumb, as if she had just woken up from a dream.

Yes, he asked what happened before.
It was somewhat unusual for a scholar of the Zhaowen Pavilion to be accompanied by the Thousand Bull Guards, but it was also understandable. Attending to a literary official was a prestigious and important position, and it was not uncommon for such an honor to be granted the Thousand Bull Guards by the palace when traveling to prefectures and counties to collect local customs.

No, Shen...

Damn, he should have thought of that sooner!

"You are from the Shen family of Lanxi!" Qiu Ying exclaimed in shock, then said angrily, "You set a trap and framed me. This is revenge, revenge!"

At this moment, Qiu Ying felt a surge of anger and frustration that she had nowhere to vent.

This is a trap that's been dug for him to jump into!
Shen Xian waved his hand, signaling Zhang Rong to take Qiu Ying away and hand her over to Jiang Rui for questioning.

With the threat of the corpse demon in Anzhou looming, there is simply no time to waste on such insignificant characters.

Zhang Xun stood to the side, his face pale and his heart filled with unease.

Shen Bin stood there stunned, looking at Shen Xian with surprise.

Hebei Circuit Intendant? Imperial Envoy?
What else is Xian'er hiding from him?
Registrar Pei also looked at the young man with a shocked expression, his mind reeling.

To be appointed as an official in charge of promotions and demotions from a fifth-rank scholar of the Zhaowen Academy—what a high honor that must have been bestowed by the Emperor!

The Commissioner for Demotion and Promotion was responsible for inspecting local areas, rectifying official corruption, and had the power to dismiss and punish officials. He could also make recommendations for appointments to the central government.

Shen Xian said, "Magistrate Shen, the case of Liu Jian must uncover the entire corruption ring, and we must not let any criminals escape justice!"

Shen Xian nodded and reported the danger: "In addition, there is another urgent matter. According to intelligence, the demonic cultivators are creating a corpse demon disaster in Ningyang County, causing the deaths of the county's residents. The corpse demon has already swept into Linchuan County and I'm afraid it will soon engulf Guhe County."

Upon hearing this, Shen Bin and Pei Zhubu, who were already speechless with shock, were completely dumbfounded.

This... a corpse demon wreaks havoc, and two counties fall?

This is truly a catastrophic disaster!

(End of this chapter)