Chapter 66

On this morning, a group of people came from the eastern official road, led by two horsemen, followed by several attendants.

The horsemen were two men. The older one was a middle-aged man in his forties, of medium build, with a thin and refined appearance, looking like a well-read scholar.

The younger man was about thirty years old, also of medium build, but with fair skin and a handsome face. However, there was a hint of sinister aura in his eyes, which somewhat marred his bright and sunny image.

These two men had come from Lin'an City. The middle-aged man was named Xu Yun, who held the position of Left Censor in the Censorate, responsible for understanding the local customs and public sentiment. This time, he was officially dispatched to investigate the customs in Muzhou.

The younger man was named Wang Huan, who served as an Inspector in the Censorate. He was sent by the Censorate to investigate the Jinguang incident in Muzhou.

A month ago, Chen Qing had annihilated over a thousand bandits, beheading them and hanging their heads on the city walls as a warning. This incident did not cause much impact in Muzhou, but when the news reached the imperial court, it caused a great uproar.

However, the news had been distorted, and by the time it reached the court, it had become a story of Chen Qing brutally killing thousands of surrendered soldiers and building a Jinguang (a pyramid of severed heads). This enraged Chancellor Fan Zongjin, who demanded that the Censorate send someone to investigate the matter.

Vice Chancellor Qin Hui secretly informed the Chief Censor Shen Wanqiu, and the investigation was reassigned to Inspector Wang Huan, who was sent to Muzhou.

Xu Yun was only traveling to Muzhou with Wang Huan as a coincidence. He was there to investigate the local customs and public sentiment, and he would later travel to Yanzhou to prepare for the merger of Muzhou and Yanzhou.

As they approached Chun'an County, Xu Yun advised, "Inspector Wang, my point is that we shouldn't jump to conclusions based on rumors. Even if the Jinguang is real, we should evaluate it in the context of the situation, whether its existence is justified, rather than condemning it outright without considering its right or wrong."

Wang Huan coldly replied, "The Jinguang is a bloody act of the Jurchens against the Han people. It should not appear in Lin'an. If such brutality is tolerated, where does it leave the foundation of our Song Dynasty, which is based on propriety, righteousness, benevolence, and virtue?"

"But these are just rumors!"

"That's why the Censorate sent me to investigate. Left Censor, there's no need to persuade me. I, Wang Huan, am fair and just, and will not wrong an innocent person or let a criminal go unpunished!"

Xu Yun sighed inwardly. Wang Huan's sense of right and wrong was itself problematic, so how could his investigation be fair?

At that moment, a troop of soldiers suddenly appeared behind them, startling the two men. They moved to the side, and the soldiers quickly passed by, not targeting them but just passing through.

The troop consisted of about two thousand soldiers, all in high spirits and with high morale. Each soldier wore armor, carried a long spear and a shield, and had a bow, arrows, a water gourd, and a food bag, as well as a military blanket roll. The total weight of their equipment was at least thirty to forty pounds.

The soldiers ran quickly, though sweating profusely, with steady and agile steps, maintaining a neat formation. Xu Yun praised inwardly, "This is a fine army! Truly an elite force. Where are they from?"

"Senior Xu!"

Suddenly, someone called out to Xu Yun. Xu Yun turned around and saw a mounted officer calling him. He looked familiar, but Xu Yun couldn't recall who he was.

"It's me, Huyan Tong!" the young officer smiled.

"Ah! You're the troublemaker Huyan Wulang?"

Huyan Tong dismounted and scratched his head, embarrassed, "I don't cause trouble anymore."

"Good! Now you won't get beaten by your father. I heard you joined Commander Han?"

Huyan Tong nodded, "Yes, I did."

Xu Yun pointed at the army and asked with a smile, "Is this Commander Han's army?"

"No, these are the troops we brought to suppress the bandits. They used to be the Ximen Garrison."

Xu Yun's eyes widened, "The Ximen Garrison?"

"Yes, they used to be, but now they've been completely transformed."

Seeing the soldiers run far away, Huyan Tong hurriedly said, "I'll go ahead. I'll visit you later, Senior!"

Huyan Tong saluted and mounted his horse, galloping after the troops.

Wang Huan watched Huyan Tong leave and asked curiously, "Are you familiar with this person, Left Censor Xu?"

Xu Yun chuckled and explained, "Not very familiar. I've had a few dealings with his father, so we know each other. Huyan Tong was once known as the Devil Blade in Tokyo Bianliang, always causing trouble. I was in charge of the Jingzhao Prefecture at the time and often went to his house to file complaints. His uncle, Huyan De, was once the Chief Censor. You should know him, right?"

"I've heard of him! But what did you mean by the Ximen Garrison?"

"Ha! The Ximen Garrison was a notorious poor-performing army in Lin'an, always ranking last in annual military evaluations. I didn't expect to see the Ximen Garrison just now. Interesting, I really want to meet this Chen Qing."

Wang Huan had another idea, whether to use Xu Yun to buy Huyan Tong's loyalty.

......

Xu Yun and Wang Huan first met with the Prefect of Muzhou, He Jian. Since they were officials sent by the imperial court, He Jian did not dare to be negligent. He arranged for them to stay at the VIP lodge and then received them at the prefectural office.

Xu Yun stated that he was only there to investigate the local customs and public sentiment, and the Censorate's investigation was not related to him. He sat aside, drinking tea and not participating in the conversation between He Jian and Wang Huan.

"Investigating the Muzhou massacre of prisoners?"

He Jian frowned, "I'm a bit confused. When did this happen? Are you sure it was in Muzhou and not somewhere else?"

"Yes, it was in Muzhou, a month ago. Chen Qing, who came to suppress the bandits, killed over a thousand surrendered soldiers and beheaded them, building a Jinguang..."

"Wait a moment!"

He Jian interrupted Wang Huan, "I understand what Inspector Wang means. The court heard a distorted version of the truth. The truth is different."

Xu Yun laughed and asked, "What is the truth then?"

"A month ago, Zhang Kui led his troops to attack Chun'an County at night, but Commander Chen anticipated it and turned the tables, killing over a thousand bandits and beheading them. He hung their heads on the city walls to reassure the people. There was no Jinguang. After hanging for three days, I had the heads and bodies burned and buried. Someone must have seen the heads piled up and assumed it was a Jinguang."

Wang Huan felt frustrated, his punch having missed its mark. He asked, unwilling to give up, "Why did you burn them instead of burying them properly?"

"Inspector Wang, you may not know, but Muzhou has a humid climate, with high mountains and dense forests, and many wild animals. If the bodies were not burned, they would be dragged out by animals, causing disease. They had to be burned to ashes and then buried deeply."

Xu Yun chuckled, "So that's the truth. Rumors can be deadly."

Wang Huan grunted, "The truth will only be known after a thorough investigation."

He Jian felt somewhat uncomfortable, as the Inspector clearly did not believe him.

......

Huyan Tong had just returned from a 150-li training run with his troops, and the soldiers were resting and having lunch.

Huyan Tong was not exaggerating when he said the army had been transformed. A month of intense training had not only improved the soldiers' physical fitness but also greatly enhanced their martial skills. They were proficient in both spear and archery, especially in night combat.

Huyan Tong was very impressed by this army and did not want to return it to the Lin'an Garrison. He hoped Commander Han would take it and entrust it to him.

Chen Qing asked Huyan Tong to sit down and smiled, "Just now, Prefect He said the court sent an Inspector named Wang Huan, the one you met on the road?"

Huyan Tong shook his head, "The one I called Senior is surnamed Xu, a Left Censor in the Censorate. The Inspector must be the younger one. What is he investigating?"

Chen Qing shook his head, "I don't know, but it might be related to me."

Huyan Tong was even more confused, "Commander, you haven't been causing trouble or violating military discipline. Could it be that they think you're taking too long to suppress the bandits and are here to urge you?"

"No, the Military Council gave me two months, and only half of that time has passed."

"Did they say they want to see you?"

"Not yet. They said they won't see me for now, but I might not have time to see them either."

Huyan Tong perked up, "Do you have news about Zhang Kui?"

Chen Qing nodded, "We just received intelligence that Zhang Kui plans to raid Suian County and then move south to Quzhou. The decisive battle is approaching."

A month ago, Chen Qing had annihilated over a thousand bandits, beheading them and hanging their heads on the city walls as a warning. This caused a shock in Muzhou, and no one dared to secretly communicate with the bandits. Many families even persuaded their relatives to come down from the mountains, and two leaders secretly sent surrender letters, becoming Chen Qing's informants, allowing him to track Zhang Kui's every move.

Zhang Kui's biggest problem was a lack of food, and he was struggling to hold on. Unable to win the hearts of the people in Muzhou, he had no choice but to move south.

Huyan Tong was excited, eagerly awaiting the long-awaited moment.

"When are we leaving?"

Chen Qing thought for a moment and said, "I plan to leave tonight, to get to Suian County first and set a trap for Zhang Kui!"

Chen Qing did not take Xu Yun and Wang Huan seriously. Since they did not plan to see him for now, he had no time to deal with them. He then found He Jian.

"Are you leaving tonight?" He Jian asked.

Chen Qing nodded, "They can't hold on much longer. If we let them get there first, Suian County will suffer. But we'll leave a backup plan in case Zhang Kui uses a diversionary tactic. Starting today, the city gates will remain closed, and the thousand local soldiers will strengthen the defenses. If Zhang Kui attacks, Prefect He can immediately send someone to inform me."

"How will I find you?"

"I'll leave a map of our route. In an emergency, you can use the map to find me."

He Jian nodded silently. He had wanted to discuss the Inspector with Chen Qing but decided not to distract him. He would write a detailed report to the court to clarify the situation.

"Try not to kill the bandits if they surrender."

Chen Qing smiled, "I'm not a bloodthirsty person. Hanging the heads was to intimidate the bandits. If they surrender, I will judge their cases. Those who committed serious crimes will be executed, but those who haven't killed or committed other heinous acts will be spared."

He Jian smiled, "That's the best approach! I wish you success and hope you capture Zhang Kui!"

That night, Chen Qing led two thousand soldiers out of Chun'an County, heading southwest along the official road toward Suian County.