Chapter 85

The mass diarrhea incident involving Cao De's troops was highly suspicious. Any discerning person could tell that they had been sabotaged, and it wasn't hard to guess who was behind it—the direct beneficiary was Wang Bo's army, making Wang Bo the prime suspect.

However, suspicion is one thing, but without any evidence, they couldn't pin the blame on Wang Bo's army. Wang Bo even issued a statement, claiming he had no knowledge of the incident.

Inside the Qin residence, Chancellor Qin Hui received the visiting Commander-in-Chief Liu Guangshi.

Liu Guangshi was in his early forties, tall and robust, with a solemn appearance. He came from a family of generals and had achieved success at a young age, making him a seasoned military figure. Currently, he and Zhang Jun were the two most trusted generals of Emperor Gaozong.

Liu Guangshi had come to demand an explanation. His new recruits had been sabotaged, preventing them from participating in the competition, which was a humiliation he had never experienced before. He knew exactly who was behind it—no one else but Wang Bo.

Wang Bo was just a martial student, insignificant on his own, but the key was the Chancellor Qin Hui who stood behind him.

Liu Guangshi wanted Qin Hui to give him an explanation. If Qin Hui would save face by making Wang Bo apologize to him, he would withdraw his investigation and let the matter drop.

Chancellor Qin Hui, holding a teacup, said calmly, "Commander, you are exaggerating. Although Wang Bo is my nephew, if he has done something wrong, I will not shield him. This mass poisoning incident is indeed suspicious, and I have specifically questioned Wang Bo. He clearly stated that he had no knowledge of it. After all, he is just a martial student, lacking experience and insight. To say he orchestrated this incident is to overestimate him. How could he have the capability?"

Liu Guangshi, seeing that Qin Hui was unwilling to punish his nephew even at the cost of offending him, suppressed his anger and said, "Although I have petitioned the Emperor to investigate this case, my intention was not to escalate the matter. If the Chancellor determines that Wang Bo is innocent, I have nothing more to say."

"Why do you insist that Wang Bo is responsible? There are other possibilities, such as an accidental food poisoning or the work of your enemies or competitors. I will say this again: if there is evidence that Wang Bo is responsible, I will be the first to punish him. But without any evidence, I hope you will be more considerate in your words."

Qin Hui's tone was calm, but his words were firm. He used the phrase "be more considerate in your words," which was a strong warning. As the Chancellor, his status in the court was far above that of a military commander. Liu Guangshi coming to his residence to demand an explanation naturally made him furious.

Qin Hui, of course, knew that Wang Bo was behind the mass diarrhea incident. Wang Bo had sought his approval beforehand, and he had tacitly agreed.

Wang Bo's poisoning might have been just to advance, but it wasn't the same for Qin Hui.

Qin Hui was actively courting Zhang Jun. The army Wang Bo used in the competition was borrowed from Zhang Jun. By allowing Wang Bo to poison Liu Guangshi's troops, Qin Hui was demonstrating his sincerity to Zhang Jun.

Zhang Jun and Liu Guangshi had been in constant competition, and it was said that "two tigers cannot coexist on the same mountain." To gain Zhang Jun's loyalty, Qin Hui had to distance himself from Liu Guangshi. This new recruit competition was the perfect opportunity.

Others might not understand Wang Bo's true intentions, but Qin Hui believed Zhang Jun would.

Liu Guangshi nodded. "I understand. I won't disturb Chancellor Qin any further. I will take my leave."

Qin Hui smiled and said, "Commander Liu, do come for tea when you have time!"

Liu Guangshi replied angrily, "I'm afraid even Chancellor Qin's tea might cause diarrhea!"

With that, he turned and left in a huff.

Qin Hui watched him go, his eyes cold and his lips curled in a sneer.

...

As Liu Guangshi walked out of the Qin residence, he saw Cao De waiting outside.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was looking for you, Commander. The guards said you were at Chancellor Qin's residence, so I rushed over."

Liu Guangshi frowned. "Is there something important?"

Cao De leaned in and whispered a few words. Liu Guangshi was surprised. "Is this a rumor or the truth?"

"It's the truth. I investigated last night. Those soldiers are from the Imperial Guard, only nominally transferred to the local militia, and it was all arranged by Zhang Jun."

Liu Guangshi was shocked. When did Qin Hui and Zhang Jun start colluding? And when did Zhang Zongyan become Zhang Jun's man?

At that moment, Liu Guangshi suddenly understood. No wonder Wang Bo dared to sabotage his troops. This was clearly Qin Hui's way of courting Zhang Jun!

"Commander, what should we do next?" Cao De asked.

Liu Guangshi's eyes turned cold. If it hadn't involved Zhang Jun, he might have swallowed his anger, but Zhang Jun's involvement had crossed his line.

"Since they are making the first move, I won't hesitate to retaliate!"

He got into his carriage and ordered, "To Chancellor Fan's residence!"

...

After comforting Liu Guangshi, Fan Zongyin personally saw him off at the gate. He immediately summoned his advisor, Han Qi.

Han Qi smiled slightly. "If you want to interfere in this matter, I won't object, but you must consider carefully why you want to interfere."

Fan Zongyin snorted. "Qin Hui, that poisonous snake, hurt me last time. How can I let him off?"

Han Qi sighed inwardly. Fan Zongyin was narrow-minded and vengeful, often blinded by his hatred and missing the bigger picture.

"There are actually two issues here: the poisoning case and the substitution case. If you only want revenge, focus on the poisoning case and avoid the substitution case."

Fan Zongyin was taken aback. "Why?"

"The poisoning case is just a matter of poor character, and the most severe punishment would be for Wang Bo. But the substitution case is different. It might involve collusion between a general and a chancellor, which is a much bigger issue. I advise you to be cautious."

Fan Zongyin calmed down. He paced back and forth, deep in thought. After a while, he said slowly, "Do you mean the substitution case is just a cover-up?"

Han Qi nodded. "It's obvious. How could a spoiled brat like Wang Bo train such a formidable army? Any careful investigation would reveal the truth. I believe Qin Hui wouldn't do something so foolish, but he did. And he could have used Zhang Jun's new recruits, so why didn't he?"

Fan Zongyin was reminded. Yes, Zhang Jun could have provided two thousand new recruits to Wang Bo, so why use the Imperial Guard and give others a handle?

"What do you think is the reason?"

Han Qi smiled. "I believe Qin Hui did it intentionally, creating a visible handle. On the surface, it looks like Zhang Jun is betraying him, but in reality, it's to cover up his true relationship with Zhang Jun. He will explain to the Emperor that he was unaware and that his nephew might have been overbearing, angering Zhang Jun. The Emperor might not even pursue the matter."

"That makes sense!"

Fan Zongyin sighed. "But I have already promised Liu Guangshi an explanation, so I can't stand by and do nothing."

Han Qi smiled. "I just pointed out the key points. You know what to do. My suggestion is to feign ignorance and accuse Qin Hui of favoritism. Don't mention anything else unless you don't intend to court Liu Guangshi."

Fan Zongyin understood Han Qi's meaning. Qin Hui was secretly courting Zhang Jun, and he himself was also trying to win over Liu Guangshi.

...

In the afternoon, a large number of officials arrived at the military camp. They were divided into two groups: one to investigate the poisoning incident of Liu Guangshi's troops, and the other to investigate the eligibility of Wang Bo's troops.

The poisoning incident yielded no evidence, but the eligibility issue was clear. A simple inquiry revealed that the soldiers were not from the local militia but from the Imperial Guard.

Wang Bo had used the Imperial Guard to impersonate the local militia in the new recruit competition. This news quickly spread throughout the camp, causing a stir. Rumors also spread that Wang Bo was the Chancellor's nephew. Dozens of angry generals wrote a joint letter demanding severe punishment for such serious misconduct.

The news eventually reached the palace, and Emperor Gaozong immediately summoned Qin Hui, scolding him harshly.

"You knew how important this new recruit competition was to Me, yet you still engaged in favoritism. You have disappointed Me greatly. How do you explain yourself?"

Qin Hui looked bitter. "Your Majesty, I did not intend to engage in favoritism. I only wanted to take a shortcut within the rules. I didn't expect... Regardless, I was wrong and am willing to accept Your Majesty's punishment!"

"You had better explain yourself clearly. What exactly happened?"

"Your Majesty, I did ask Commander Zhang for a favor, requesting two thousand new recruits for my nephew to lead. This was a loophole in the rules, as it didn't specify that the troops had to be trained by the participant. However, for some reason, Commander Zhang sent a unit of the Imperial Guard instead of new recruits. My nephew didn't tell me the truth, and if I had known, I would never have taken such a risk. Your Majesty, I was also betrayed in this matter."

Emperor Gaozong nodded, understanding. It seemed that Qin Hui had been tricked by Zhang Jun, and the rumors of their close relationship were likely false.

Even if Zhang Jun didn't want to send his best new recruits, he could have sent a less capable unit. Instead, he sent a unit that violated the rules, indicating a deep grudge against Qin Hui.

"Very well, I know how to handle this."

In the evening, Emperor Gaozong issued an edict: "Wang Bo's troops are disqualified from the competition. Martial student Wang Bo has behaved improperly and is of low character. He is expelled from the martial academy and will never be re-admitted. The Deputy Minister of War, Gao Yong, failed to conduct a thorough review and is suspected of dereliction of duty. He is dismissed and will be investigated."