National Division

Chapter 126 Yu Qingchan: I'm the one who dragged him down...

Guhe County Government Office, Official Hall

As Shen Xian reported the danger, Shen Bin and Pei, the registrar in the government office, looked at each other, their eyes showing a hint of surprise.

Meanwhile, Zhang Xun, the judicial officer who had been feeling uneasy because Qiu Ying had been taken away by the Imperial Guards, also looked extremely grim.

Shen Bin frowned and asked, "How do you plan to deal with this?"

Upon hearing this, both Registrar Pei and Zhang Xun looked at the young man.

"One for offense, one for defense." Shen Xian, facing everyone's gaze, instructed the Thousand Bull Guards, "Prepare the map."

Upon hearing this, Registrar Pei quickly said, "Scholar Shen, please wait a moment."

As he spoke, he instructed the clerks nearby to prepare a map, which was then hung on a wooden and glass screen.

The map clearly marks mountains, cities, passes, and major rivers such as the Hong River and the Gu River.

"There are two main routes to Guhe County, north of Linchuan County. One is Guhe, and the other is the official road. The official road passes through Heshan, where we can take advantage of the terrain to set up defenses." Shen Xian came closer and pointed to the mountains and rivers on the map, saying, "In addition, conscript laborers from Guhe County and the surrounding counties, and at the same time send people to block the canal boats on Guhe River, not allowing a single plank to go into the water."

“The Guhe River is a vital hub for north-south water transport, with people coming and going. If this water transport hub is closed, I fear the whole country will be shaken,” Shen Bin said with deep concern.

He had just taken office as the magistrate of Guhe when he encountered such a momentous event that shook the world. It was hard to say whether this was a stroke of luck or misfortune.

Shen Xian said, "That's why we must keep the tide of corpse demons in Ningyang and Linchuan counties, and prevent it from flooding south and ravaging other prefectures. If the court comes to punish us then, Father will not be spared."

As the Hebei Circuit Inspector, he was not particularly affected by the demonic calamity, but his father was the Magistrate of Guhe, and had the responsibility of guarding the territory.

"The scourge of the corpse demons is spreading westward. How should we deal with it?" Shen Bin asked.

Shen Xian said, "West of Ningyang and Linchuan lies the Hedong region, a land of great mountains and rivers. It is sparsely populated and has a large number of troops, which is enough to resist the zombie horde. Our Guhe River is a vital passage between the north and south. If it falls, the zombie horde will enter the densely populated Henan Road, which will be a great disaster."

This is likely why the demonic cultivators spread corpse poison in Anzhou.

Anzhou is the border prefecture between Hebei and Henan provinces, and both provinces are mostly plains with dense populations. Whether the virus spreads north or south, it is enough to infect more people.

"Scholar Shen is quite right. The river channels and even the Guanzhong region are geographically treacherous, easy to defend and difficult to attack, and heavily fortified. Although the corpse demon is agile, it is not easy for it to cross the mountains and ridges." Registrar Pei, who came from the Pei clan of Hedong, knew the geography of Hedong like the back of his hand. Looking at the map covered with mountains and ridges, he agreed.

Shen Xian said, "Therefore, we don't have many terrain advantages that we can take advantage of. We can only weaken the threat of the zombie horde by shrinking our defenses and blocking them layer by layer, so as to buy time for us to mobilize a large army to encircle and suppress them. This is the meaning of defense first and then defense."

At the same time, we must wait for the high-end combat forces of the Three Pure Ones sect to be free up to strike against the demonic sects such as the Corpse Yin Sect.

Among the three religions, Yuqing mostly stands by and does nothing, while Taiqing doesn't contribute much; it's mainly the Vermilion Bird Division and Shangqing Sect that take action.

Registrar Pei's expression was calm, but a thoughtful look appeared in his eyes.

Shen Bin thought for a moment and then said, "We also need to prevent the corpse demons from emerging from the countryside. After all, they are not ordinary soldiers; they are fearless and ruthless."

“As long as the scattered corpse demons don’t breach the city walls, the damage they can cause is relatively small,” Shen Xian said. “However, if the imperial court doesn’t send troops, the combined forces and militia of Guhe County alone can only play a limited role.”

Shen Bin nodded and said, "The imperial army will annihilate most of the corpse demons, and the rest will be no threat. The united troops in the nearby counties will be sufficient to handle them."

Shen Xian asked, "Zhihua, are there any idle troops near Anzhou that can be mobilized?"

Xue Zhihua pointed northeast of Anzhou and said in a clear voice, "The military governor of Weibo, who is stationed in Weizhou, still has 30,000 elite troops under his command that can be mobilized."

Because the dynasty had been established for over a century, with the collapse of the equal-field system, the military system built upon it also began to crumble.

In order to defend against the invasion of the Northern Rui, the Great Jing Dynasty began to implement a conscription system as a supplement. In the central government, there was the Northern Imperial Guard, and in the border areas and local areas, military governors were set up to command the conscripted soldiers.

Meanwhile, several military governors were appointed in various prefectures of Hebei due to popular unrest.

Weibo, Zhaoyi, and Chengde are the three towns.

Of course, the three towns were more like a firewall set up by the imperial court for the various military governors in the north, selecting brave soldiers to protect the eastern capital and contain the three powerful vassal states of Pinglu, Fanyang, and Hedong.

Compared to the military governors of the mid-to-late Tang Dynasty who controlled personnel and finances in local prefectures and counties, the Great Jing Dynasty at this time did not delegate full personnel and financial authority to the military governors.

This undoubtedly put a dog leash on the military governor.

Shen Xian frowned and asked, "What is the character of Commander Wei Bo like?"

Although I know that this Weibo is not the Weibo of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, where "the emperor of Chang'an had his personal guards in Weibo", I still feel that it is not easy to get along with it.

"He is at the peak of the sixth realm of martial arts, and was personally selected by the Empress from humble beginnings as her beloved general. However, he is unruly and only submits to the Empress," Xue Zhihua said in a clear voice.

As the empress consort of the late Emperor Hongxi, the Empress Dowager, having served under the same emperor for decades, also promoted many trusted generals and officers, who were spread throughout the Sixteen Guards and the army.

This is also the reason why he was able to maintain his position and stand on equal footing with the Li Jingzong clan.

Otherwise, even if a woman has the support of the national guardian beast Vermilion Bird in a family of immortals, it would be difficult for her to win the respect of the people.

Shen Bin frowned and said, "I'm afraid those troops will be difficult to command."

Pei, the registrar, asked, "Does Scholar Shen have the authority to mobilize troops?"

The Hebei Circuit Intendant should not have the authority to mobilize troops.

Shen Xian did not answer directly, but said, "If something happens in Anzhou and spreads eastward, Weizhou will also be affected. If we explain the advantages and disadvantages, the military governor of Weibo will agree."

Xue Zhihua nodded and said, "Marshal Weibo is not someone who disregards the overall situation."

Shen Xian asked, "Besides that, where else can troops be mobilized?"

"Some of the troops from the Imperial Guard in the capital can also be transferred," Xue Zhihua said after thinking for a moment.

The central government of the Great Jing Dynasty also had the Twelve Guards of the Southern Imperial Guards to intimidate the various vassal states, but the military system was corrupt and the fighting strength was uneven.

The four divisions of the Northern Imperial Guards guarding the Eastern Capital could not be mobilized, and the Left and Right Martial Guards were sent to Tanzhou. The only ones that could be mobilized were the Left and Right Imperial Gate Guards.

Shen Xian said, "Let's set up defenses first. I'll take some time to go to Weizhou. As for the troops in the capital, we'll select some elite soldiers after discussing it with the Empress Dowager later."

Isn't my uncle Shen Qian the left and right gatekeepers?
Xue Zhihua nodded and agreed to the matter.

"In addition, we also need to gather the troops from Anzhou." Shen Xian looked at Xue Zhihua and said, "Zhihua, go and see if that Chief Clerk Qiu has confessed yet."

Xue Zhihua hummed in agreement and then headed to the place where Jiang Rui was questioning Qiu Ying.

Shen Xian looked at Zhang Xun beside him and asked, "How many troops are left in Anzhou?"

Zhang Xun cupped his hands and said, "Reporting to Scholar Shen, Anzhou only has three thousand soldiers from the prefectural government."

Anzhou was only a central prefecture, mainly a civil administration prefecture, supplying taxes to the imperial court.

Shen Xian frowned and said, "Then we can only defend the city and it will be difficult to send troops."

Zhang Xun mustered his courage and suggested, "We can mobilize able-bodied men from various counties, and even send prisoners, to wipe out the corpse demons."

If one can make contributions at this moment, one may also benefit from the upcoming personnel changes.

Shen Xian nodded and asked, "Is Cui Xu, the Prefect of Anzhou, in the city right now?"

“When I left Anzhou, the Prefect had already gone out on official business and his whereabouts were unknown,” Zhang Xun said.

"Such a major event has occurred, yet the governor of a prefecture is not even in the prefecture capital!" Shen Xian's face was gloomy as he said, "Military Advisor Zhang, I hereby order you to take two Thousand Ox Guards and take over the defense of Anzhou, post notices, and recruit able-bodied men."

It's not accurate to say that the defenses of Guhe County were blocked, but Anzhou City was breached first. If the corpse demon wreaks havoc and sweeps across Anzhou, then the chaos will be immense.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xun's expression changed, and he said, "There are still the Prefect and the Military Commander in the prefecture. My position is low and my post is small. I am afraid I am not up to the task."

“Once Qiu Ying confesses, it’s uncertain who will be implicated, and whether these two colonels can still be used is still uncertain,” Shen Xian said.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xun cupped his hands in agreement. Shen Xian then turned to Shen Bin and Registrar Pei, and said in a deep voice, "Guhe County needs to get moving and begin recruiting able-bodied men."

Shen Bin nodded.

Just then, Xue Zhihua returned and said in a clear voice, "Qiu Ying has confessed."

Shen Xian asked, "What do you mean?"

Shen Bin and Pei, the registrar, also cast curious glances at Xue Zhihua.

Xue Zhihua paused slightly and said, "Qiu Ying received many gifts from Magistrate Liu during festivals, but Qiu Ying argued that these were routine gifts, and other officials in the prefecture also received them. He was only afraid of the cruel officials of the Court of Judicial Review, so he persuaded Magistrate Liu to commit suicide."

"This story is evasive and downplays the real issues." Shen Xian said indifferently, "Continue the interrogation."

He wanted to hear Qiu Ying confess all the crimes he knew about Cui Xu, the governor of Anzhou, and the officials in charge of the prefecture.

Of course, given the huge disaster that occurred in Anzhou, these officials should be severely punished once he takes over Anzhou.

Xue Zhihua nodded slightly and said, "Jiang Rui is still interrogating people."

Upon hearing this, Shen Xian nodded, looking thoughtful.

Shen Bin said, "It's getting late, let's go back to the manor and rest. You just got back today, we'll have a welcome dinner for you when we get back."

He still had some things he wanted to ask privately.

Shen Residence, Backyard

As dusk settles and candlelight flickers, lanterns sway in the breeze, and circles of light cast a graceful figure on the windowpane.

Yu Qingchan sat on a bed by the window, her eyes lowered, holding an embroidery piece in her hand.

"What time is it?" Yu Qingchan's bright and beautiful face was veiled with a hint of melancholy, and she asked as her pink lips parted.

Green Pearl said, "Miss, it's already past 5 PM."

"Has my husband not returned yet?" Yu Qingchan raised her eyebrows, pursed her slightly pink lips, and asked.

Previously, the young master said he would come to our residence for a chat, but quite some time has passed and he still hasn't arrived.

Just then, a maid entered the courtyard: "Miss, Uncle Lin has arrived."

As they spoke, Lin Jing strode into the house, his face beaming with joy.

"Uncle," Yu Qingchan called softly, then asked, "How is it outside? Have you seen your husband?"

Lin Jing said gently, "Qingchan, Young Master Shen went to the county government office; it seems he has some urgent business."

Yu Qingchan nodded and said, "That's fine too."

Lin Jing couldn't hide his joy and said, "Qingchan, I inquired with someone beforehand, and Mu Zhi has stirred up quite a storm in the capital. Now he is a close minister of the Empress, and I'm afraid he will be entering the Hall of State Affairs in the future."

“My lord didn’t tell me before,” Yu Qingchan said softly.

The young man's vision and breadth of mind far surpassed those of his peers, and he did not flaunt these qualities to her.

As Lin Jing spoke, he told Yu Qingchan the news he had learned from Jiang Rui, saying, "Because of our Yu family's affairs, Mu Zhi was arrested by the cruel officials of the Dali Temple and imprisoned in the Dali Temple prison."

Upon hearing this, Yu Qingchan bit her pink lips and said, "It's my fault for dragging him down."

The mysterious figure within the girl's spiritual core also let out a soft sigh.

Lin Jing smiled and said, "However, because of Mu Zhi, the Empress has pardoned your crime, so you should be able to return to the capital without any problems."

Upon hearing this, Yu Qingchan's heart trembled violently for no apparent reason.

Lin Jing's face was full of sighs and emotions as he praised, "Mu Zhi has done very well."

Yu Qingchan nodded her head, her long, black hair flowing like a waterfall, her expression momentarily dazed and lost in thought.

It was not just good, it almost exceeded her expectations.

A vague sense of inferiority even arose in the girl's heart.

She was a partially blind woman, unworthy of her husband.

Perhaps only a noblewoman from a high-ranking family like the daughter of the Duke of Xue is worthy of her husband?
"Mu Zhi is now at odds with the Cui and Lu clans." Lin Jing said with concern, and then recounted the feud between Shen Xian and the Cui and Lu clans in the capital.

Yu Qingchan's fair face, with its fragrant skin and jade-like complexion, was as if covered with frost. Her clear voice carried a hint of sharpness: "The Cui and Lu clans are mediocre and incompetent. They are nominally aristocratic families, but in reality, they are traitors to the country. My lord is indeed right."

As a scholar of the Zhaowen Pavilion, the director of the Qilin Pavilion, and a favorite minister of the Empress, it's not surprising that he would clash with the Cui and Lu clans.

Lin Jing smiled and said, "When he comes back, you two can have a good talk."

Yu Qingchan nodded her head, her long, black hair flowing like a waterfall, a shy feeling rising in her heart.

She also wanted to have a good talk with her husband, but he was obviously very busy and didn't spend much time with her.

Meanwhile, in the back hall, Shen Xian, Shen Bin, Xue Zhihua, and several others returned to the Shen residence.

Shen Xian ran into Zhiyun and Xiuyue and called out, "Zhiyun, tell the kitchen to cook a few dishes."

"Yes, young master." Zhiyun quickly and happily replied, and then headed towards the kitchen.

Shen Bin took off his official hat and placed it on a small table beside him, then asked, "You went to the capital, did you see your uncle?"

"I've met you," Shen Xian nodded slightly and said softly.

Shen Bin remained silent for a moment, then said, "What do you mean?"

Shen Xian said calmly, "The Shen family of Lanxi has been in the capital for several years, and their reputation has only grown stronger."

Upon hearing this, Shen Bin frowned and asked, "Why do you say that?"

Shen Xian then recounted his experiences after arriving in the capital to Shen Bin.

Shen Bin frowned as he listened and said with a sigh, "Your fourth uncle is young and impetuous. I suppose he feels that we, the collateral branches, are not doing well, so he wants to draw a line between us."

Shen Xian shook his head, his tone filled with disappointment: "With such a limited perspective, it's difficult for him to achieve great things."

Shen Bin asked, "Your uncle didn't say anything, did he?"

"Uncle is alright," Shen Xian said softly, then added in a clear voice, "I have already resolved the matter concerning the Yu family."

Xian'er's trip to the capital city unexpectedly led her to confront the Cui and Lu clans, and she even called them traitors. This was truly unbelievable!
Shen Bin said worriedly, "Muzhi, the Cui and Lu families are powerful and influential clans. If you confront them like this, won't you... get into big trouble?"

"The Empress Dowager has long been dissatisfied with them. The powerful and wealthy families hold their positions without doing anything, and are hated by the poor and needy. This is the inevitable trend now," Shen Xian said.

Shen Bin looked at his son, a complex light already welling up in his eyes.

To be honest, he was starting to not understand his son anymore.

Or rather, Shen Xian's current achievements have exceeded Shen Bin's expectations.

Shen Xian pondered for a moment and said, "Father, recently the corpse demon has been causing havoc and is about to sweep across the entire Anzhou. After this case, Cui Xu and the others will definitely be arrested and punished."

Shen Bin's eyes flickered slightly, and he sighed, "With the corpse demon causing havoc, I'm afraid there will be widespread suffering."

"Only by containing them within the counties of Guhe and Linchuan can we reduce casualties," Shen Xian said.

(End of this chapter)