Chapter 42: The Art of Weighing Options

Although the storm surrounding the Qin family had passed and things seemed to have come to an end, they were far from over.

After Lin You committed suicide by poison, the Shadow Guards in Yuezhou reported the matter immediately and worked through the night to send his body, along with all evidence, to the capital. Simultaneously, a report of victory from the Yuezhou Navy was dispatched to the capital. However, before these items could arrive, a shipment sent out from Yuezhou a day earlier had already reached its destination.

In a small residence tucked away in a corner of the capital, an elderly man with graying hair and a slight build, dressed in simple cloth robes, sat in his study reviewing the reports that had arrived from Yuezhou.

"Could my nephew have been possessed by a spirit?"

This man was none other than the former Left Chancellor of the Great Xia, the elder brother of the Qin family head, Qin Yuanhuai, and the uncle of Qin Song. Since being dismissed from his post by Emperor Liu Heng and released from prison, Qin Zhong had remained in his residence, awaiting further judgment from the Emperor.

But before the Emperor’s decision could arrive, the constant stream of news from Yuezhou had caused Qin Zhong to question his entire perspective on life, even disrupting all of his carefully laid plans.

Great Xia had suffered a military defeat, losing one hundred thousand elite troops. As a leader of the pro-war faction in court, Qin Zhong had been stripped of his position. This simple event held deeper implications. First, the Emperor needed a scapegoat for the defeat. One of the main reasons Qin Zhong was chosen was his rising influence in both the imperial court and among the common people over the past two years. Given Liu Heng’s character, if he didn't strike at someone like Qin Zhong, who would he strike at?

In Qin Zhong’s eyes, while his dismissal meant his opponents would try to weaken his power, it was not necessarily a bad thing. Over the past two years, as his status grew, the number of people seeking to join his faction—or the followers of his followers—had swelled, and they were a mixed bag, many being more of a burden than an asset. He could use this opportunity to let his opponents help him prune the dead weight. As for the Yuezhou Qin family, they had prospered alongside his rising status, yet they had also become a target for criticism. He had intended to use this situation to teach his younger brother a lesson. The cunning and calculating Qin Zhong had no intention of watching his brother’s family fall; he had already planned to intervene and save them once they had learned their lesson.

However, Qin Zhong never expected the situation to spiral beyond his control. Upon hearing of his dismissal and imprisonment, his brother had rushed north by boat, only to be intercepted and killed by river bandits. When news of his brother’s tragic death reached Qin Zhong in prison, he was devastated. Yet, following his brother’s death, his nephew—previously a good-for-nothing—seemed to have transformed into an entirely different person. He had navigated the malicious obstacles set by the Yuezhou Prefect Lin You, the Cao family’s eldest grandson Cao Ruixuan, and even Jiangnan Prefecture Governor Li Wei, dismantling them one by one.

Throughout this process, the only role Qin Zhong had played was having his own planted agents in Yuezhou join the crowd at the Jade Pavilion to echo Qin Song and build momentum for him.

"Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it."

Qin Song had spoken these words in front of the commoners of Yuezhou, and they had naturally reached Qin Zhong’s ears. Stunned, he could hardly believe his nephew had uttered such wisdom. Now, he had those eight words written in calligraphy and hung in the most prominent spot in his study. Furthermore, the Emperor’s recent punishment of Lin You and Cao Ruixuan meant that the Yuezhou Qin family had won this battle on their own.

This outcome far exceeded Qin Zhong’s expectations and completely upended his plans for Yuezhou. The most surprising element of all was his formerly dissolute nephew. Shortly after the Emperor’s decree was issued, the newly appointed Commissioner of the Privy Council, Di Chao, had visited him to discuss the blueprints for the bows and ballistae that Qin Song had sent to him. Even now, Qin Zhong was still processing this. Though he hadn't returned to Yuezhou in over a decade, he had kept an eye on things, and in his eyes, his nephew had been nothing but a complete failure.

"Master!" a servant interrupted, rushing in. "A letter from the Yuezhou Navy!"

"The Yuezhou Navy?" Qin Zhong frowned.

"The messenger says it is a letter from the family," the servant replied.

Realizing the significance, Qin Zhong took the letter and read it, stunned into silence. Beyond evidence of Lin You’s years of corruption and bribery, the letter contained proof of his collusion with the river bandits. There was also a letter from Qin Song, explaining the recent events and revealing that they had long known Lin You was a pawn of Cao Renjie. The purpose of sending this evidence was to ensure Lin You was brought down.

"This..."

Seeing the evidence, Qin Zhong realized that his "useless" nephew had, through his own efforts, resolved almost all of the family’s troubles and dealt a fatal blow to their opponents. What remained for Qin Zhong was simply the ironclad proof needed to finish Lin You off.

How could this be? Before he had even made a move, the troubles of the Yuezhou Qin family had been solved? Was this truly the same nephew he knew? It took a long time for Qin Zhong to fully digest the news. His expression eventually settled into one of immense gratification, yet his eyes flashed with deep hatred as he recalled something.

"Cao Renjie, my brother’s tragic death at the hands of those bandits must have had your hand in it!"

Qin Zhong had long known Lin You was Cao Renjie’s man. After his brother’s death, he had suspected that the one truly colluding with the bandits was not Lin You, but Cao Renjie. Looking toward the room opposite his study, where his brother’s spirit tablet stood, Qin Zhong whispered, "Yuanhuai, you may rest in peace. One day, I will personally destroy the entire Cao family to avenge you." A murderous aura flickered in his deep, piercing eyes.

Qin Zhong would not let his nephew down; he quickly dispatched the evidence he had received.

The other half of the evidence regarding Lin You’s collusion with the bandits was delivered to the Admiral of the Navy and subsequently passed on to Di Chao. However, when Di Chao arrived at the palace to present this evidence to Liu Heng, he found the current Right Chancellor, Cao Renjie, already kneeling before the Emperor, pleading for mercy.

The news of Lin You’s suicide, though arriving a day late, had reached the capital on the same day due to its urgency. Upon hearing the news, Cao Renjie had come to beg for forgiveness.

"Minister Cao, I recall that this Lin You was your man," Liu Heng said. "It was you who recommended him for the position of Yuezhou Prefect three years ago."

"Your Majesty, your servant deserves death!" Cao Renjie knelt on the floor, trembling before the Emperor’s cold, piercing gaze.

"A fifth-rank Prefect of this dynasty has been colluding with river bandits in secret! Who knows how many innocent people have suffered because of it over these three years?" Liu Heng roared. "Minister Cao, tell me, how am I to answer to the thousands of people in Yuezhou? And your fine eldest grandson—he tortured two courtesans to death, inciting the wrath of the entire city!"

Liu Heng was trembling with rage; Cao Renjie could only remain on his knees, not daring to utter a word.

"Minister Di, what brings you here?" Liu Heng asked, turning his attention to Di Chao while calculating how to handle the situation.

"Your Majesty, your servant is also here regarding the Yuezhou Prefect."

"Oh?"

"A report just arrived from the Yuezhou Navy Admiral. Under the command of Admiral Chu Haiyuan and with the cooperation of the Yuezhou Qin family, they disguised themselves as merchant vessels and successfully annihilated several groups of river bandits led by Wang Long. While searching the bandits' lair, they discovered numerous letters written by the Yuezhou Prefect to the bandit leader Wang Long. Here are the military reports and the letters."

"Present them!"

Su Peigui quickly retrieved the items from Di Chao and delivered them to Liu Heng. Skipping the report, Liu Heng opened the letters written by Lin You to Wang Long. The Shadow Guards had only provided the letters Wang Long wrote to Lin You, but now, with Di Chao’s arrival, the final nail had been driven into Lin You’s coffin.