Chapter 68

Chen Qing led his troops back to Chun'an County three days later. He had not even been back in the camp for half an hour when the imperial censor Wang Huan arrived unexpectedly.

"Heard that Commander Chen eliminated the rebel Zhang Kui, congratulations!"

As soon as he entered the tent, Wang Huan put on a false smile and congratulated Chen Qing. Chen Qing really disliked Wang Huan. Just a moment ago, two county officials had told him that Wang Huan was meticulously verifying the soldiers' salaries and even the fingerprints they had pressed, to the point of being nitpicky.

In the end, it was a matter of suspecting him of embezzling the soldiers' salaries, or even of taking empty salaries.

Regardless of whether it was his duty or not, no one liked such a censor, and Chen Qing was no exception. However, Chen Qing did not want to deliberately offend these censors. First, it was unnecessary, and second, he had a clear conscience.

"Thank you, Censor Wang, please sit down!"

Wang Huan did not hesitate, sitting down boldly and getting straight to the point, "I just saw many prisoners of war. How many are there in total?"

"About 1,800 people. The battle was very fierce. The enemy suffered over 1,000 casualties, and we lost nearly 300 men."

Wang Huan was not concerned about how many soldiers had died. He was only interested in how Chen Qing would handle these prisoners of war.

"What do you plan to do with these prisoners of war, Commander?"

"Is that why you came to see me, Censor Wang?" Chen Qing was slightly displeased.

Wang Huan's gaze also turned cold, and his false smile disappeared. "It is my duty to ask, and I must do so. Please understand, Commander."

Chen Qing stared at him for a long time before saying coolly, "These prisoners will be treated differently. Those who have not killed or committed rape will be released, of course, not directly, but handed over to local officials. For example, the bandits from Muzhou will be handed over to Magistrate He, and the others will be escorted back to their respective states. As for those who have committed serious crimes, they will be publicly executed."

"Why not send them to Lin'an for trial, but decide to execute them on your own?"

Chen Qing heard the hostility in Wang Huan's tone and disliked him even more. He said coldly, "When I set out, the Military Council only required me to bring back the rebel leader Zhang Kui and the 300 rebel soldiers who followed him to Lin'an, or to send their heads back. The other bandits were to be handled at my discretion.

Moreover, I did not kill the innocent. These bandits will be thoroughly interrogated before being dealt with. There will be witnesses and their own confessions, and even victims will identify them."

"What if they were forced to confess under torture?"

Chen Qing laughed coldly, "What do you think these people are, Censor Wang? They are rebels, not ordinary civilians. What does 'forced confession under torture' mean for rebels?"

"Do you mean to say that you will decide who should live and who should die?"

Chen Qing was also getting angry. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, and said slowly, "Everyone's fate is determined by themselves. Some chose to become bandits, while others refused to follow Zhang Kui in rebellion. Since they chose to be bandits, they must take responsibility for their decisions. If you have no other questions, I will take my leave!"

...

Wang Huan left, and in the afternoon, he led his entourage back to Lin'an.

But shortly after Wang Huan left, Chen Qing received another visitor, the Left Censor of the Remonstrance Bureau, Xu Yun, who was accompanied by Huyan Tong.

"Since you have already eliminated Zhang Kui, why haven't you returned yet?"

"Just a few more days to arrange the return of the prisoners and the bodies of the fallen soldiers to Lin'an, and then I will return. It won't be long, just three days."

Xu Yun looked at Chen Qing, pondered for a moment, and said slowly, "Actually, your situation is quite dangerous!"

Chen Qing frowned, "Are you talking about the imperial censor Wang Huan?"

"Do you know what Wang Huan is investigating?"

Chen Qing shook his head, "I'm not sure. I have never had any dealings with him."

Xu Yun said earnestly, "Commander, you are still young and do not understand the dangers of the bureaucracy. Even someone like me, with over ten years of experience, is always on edge, cautious, and afraid of saying the wrong thing or getting too close to someone. A slight misstep can lead to impeachment. In comparison, you are too careless."

Chen Qing laughed, "Right now, I am just a military student. Is it that serious?"

"It's not a big problem now, but what about your future? Do you still want a future?"

Xu Yun looked at Chen Qing solemnly, "If you are charged with a crime, even if they can't do anything to you now, your future will be bleak. Once it comes to promotion, the Ministry of Personnel will definitely reject you. You don't want to be a middle-ranking officer for the rest of your life, do you?"

Chen Qing bowed, "Your advice is very wise. I am willing to listen attentively!"

Xu Yun stroked his beard and nodded, "Let me tell you why Wang Huan came to Muzhou!"

...

Xu Yun left, and Chen Qing paced back and forth in the tent. Although it seemed that the court had sent the imperial censor to Muzhou due to some rumors and misunderstandings, Chen Qing was still acutely aware that someone was plotting against him.

Although he was just a military student, Xu Yun was right. If he was charged with killing the innocent, it would cast a shadow over his career.

After all, the Song Dynasty was still a world dominated by civil officials. They would define right and wrong according to their Confucian principles, even to the point of being pedantic, only concerned with whether his actions were brutal, without considering the deep suffering the rebels had inflicted on ordinary people.

At this moment, Huyan Tong walked in. He was silent for a moment and said, "There is something I need to tell you."

"What is it?" Chen Qing turned to look at him.

"Wang Huan came to see me."

Chen Qing's eyebrows furrowed, "When did this happen?"

"Today at noon, right after we got back, he found me. He invited me to dinner at Tianxiang Tower, and I did not refuse."

Chen Qing nodded, understanding that Huyan Tong, being from an official family, did not want to offend the imperial censor.

"What did he want from you?"

"He asked me how much reward I received."

Chen Qing was taken aback, "What do you mean?"

"He asked how much of the spoils of war, including money, we distributed to the soldiers, and how much I received."

"What did you tell him?"

"I told him that we distributed the rewards according to merit. I was classified as a first-class merit, and I received 240 guan. Ordinary soldiers received at least 20 guan."

"Did he ask about me?" Chen Qing asked with a cold laugh.

"Yes, I told him you did not take a single coin, but he clearly did not believe me, saying I was too naive."

Huyan Tong sighed and continued, "I don't think Wang Huan is a normal imperial censor. He has his own agenda."

"How can you tell?"

"He is always prejudiced, assuming you are guilty and then looking for evidence to prove it. Commander, be careful. It's clear that someone is out to get you."

Chen Qing walked a few steps with his hands behind his back and suddenly asked, "Is Wang Huan related to Wang Bo?"

"I'm not sure, but we can check. Do you think Wang Bo is behind this?"

Chen Qing looked out of the tent, "I can't think of anyone else. I have only offended Wang Bo so far. He wanted to be the top student in the military academy, but I stood in his way."

"It's very likely. The top student in the military academy can be promoted three ranks, while ordinary students can only be promoted one rank. The difference is significant."

Huyan Tong was genuinely worried, "What do you plan to do, Commander?"

Chen Qing said coolly, "What can I do? Meet force with force and water with earth. But I need your help with two things."

"Tell me! I will do my best as long as I can."

"One, I need you to investigate Wang Bo. I want to know his family background and his relationship with Wang Huan. Second, I have 1,500 taels of silver to provide additional compensation to the families of the fallen soldiers. I will give you the silver and the list, and you can handle it for me."

Huyan Tong nodded, "No problem, I will take care of both tasks for you!"