Chapter 62

Outside the Great Qing Fort, at the ten-mile pavilion, the wind and snow were fierce, and the cold wind was biting.

Five carriages and twenty cavalrymen stood proudly, though young, exuding a killing aura.

Zhang Ke stood in front of the pavilion, Shen Shi tightly holding his hand, her eyes red and swollen, thinking that traveling far should bring good luck, yet tears kept welling up.

"Ke'er, you've been through life and death these past days, and just when there was a glimmer of hope, Feng'er had an incident. Why is my life so bitter!"

Zhang Ke, seeing his mother's sorrow, felt a lump in his throat.

"Mother, rest assured, I will definitely save my brother."

"Um! Mother is fine, but you must be more careful. Saving someone is not easy. Think more and consult Lord Hong more. You must not have any more incidents, or Mother won't be able to live, wailing..."

Zhang Ke nodded solemnly: "Nothing will happen. I promise our whole family will gather happily for the New Year's Eve dinner and stay up together!"

"That would be great, Mother will wait at home."

Zhang Ke bid farewell to his mother and set off with Hong Fugao. Although he was anxious, Zhang Ke remained very calm. He had a premonition that this matter would not be easily resolved. They first rushed to Guangning, where Wang Huazhen had just returned not long ago. Upon hearing that his classmate Hong Fugao and Zhang Ke had arrived, he hurriedly welcomed them warmly and invited the master and disciple into his residence.

"Hahaha, I knew that Peide would have a great future. Indeed, the court knows how to appoint capable people. With Brother Hong as the supervisor, the scoundrels will surely be intimidated, and the morale of the army will be greatly boosted!"

Hong Fugao smiled: "Xiaoqian, the situation in Liaodong is already in a mess. What virtue or ability does Hong Fugao have to turn the tide?"

"Ah, how can you not? Don't you have a precious disciple, Zhang Yongzhen?"

Wang Huazhen pointed at Zhang Ke and laughed: "After all, the bond between master and disciple is deep. I asked Yongzhen twice to help me, but he refused both times. Now that Peide is going to Shenyang, Yongzhen obediently follows. I am truly envious!"

Hearing this, Wang Huazhen genuinely appreciated Zhang Ke, and Hong Fugao felt a sense of pride.

"Xiaoqian, to be honest, Yongzhen is not helping me but saving someone!"

"Saving someone? Who?"

Zhang Ke quickly walked to Wang Huazhen, lifted his robe, and knelt down.

"Yongzhen, get up quickly, we are all family, no need for such formalities!"

Zhang Ke did not move but instead bowed respectfully and then said: "Sir, my elder brother, Zhang Feng, is serving in the army and has been falsely accused. He is now on the brink of death. I humbly request your assistance, and I will be forever grateful!"

Wang Huazhen frowned: "Yongzhen, what exactly happened? Tell me clearly."

Zhang Ke hurriedly recounted everything he knew and his deductions to Wang Huazhen without any concealment. Zhang Ke knew that Wang Huazhen, like Hong Fugao, had not been in Liaodong for long and had no deep ties with the existing power groups, so he dared to seek their help.

After listening, Wang Huazhen fell silent for a full fifteen minutes before finally giving a bitter laugh.

"Yongzhen, do you remember what you said to me a few days ago?"

"I remember. I said that the officials in Liaodong are all in cahoots, and any action would affect the whole. Therefore, we must proceed cautiously." Zhang Ke smiled bitterly: "But fate is cruel, and I never thought my brother would be involved. Even if I were a stone, I could not bear it. I will fight them to the end, even if it means fighting a losing battle!"

Wang Huazhen sighed: "Yongzhen, your intelligence is first-rate. If your brother is indeed wronged, I believe you can find evidence. Although I am in Guangning and cannot directly help, if you need anything, just let me know, and I will do my best."

With these words, Zhang Ke felt relieved. Wang Huazhen, a second-class Jinshi, had much more influence than Hong Fugao. Just a word from him could make some people uneasy.

"Sir, your great kindness will never be forgotten. I will repay you in the future!"

"No need for formalities. I am also an official in Liaodong and cannot stand by while the wicked run rampant and the good suffer." Wang Huazhen said indignantly.

Hong Fugao bowed and smiled: "Xiaoqian, your high moral standards are admirable. The matter is urgent, so Yongzhen and I will not stay longer and will set off for Shenyang immediately!"

"Good, I will see you off!"

Wang Huazhen personally escorted Zhang Ke and Hong Fugao out of the city. When they reached the ten-mile pavilion, Wang Huazhen deliberately slowed down, letting Hong Fugao go first.

Zhang Ke, being quick-witted, immediately knew that Wang Huazhen had something to say and hurriedly approached.

"Yongzhen, to be honest, I don't think you can save your brother."

"Sir, please enlighten me!"

"Ah, three months ago, I also caught a group of merchants selling grain to the Jurchens. I reported their crimes, but the reports were ignored and suppressed."

Zhang Ke asked in surprise: "Sir, why is that?"

Wang Huazhen shook his head and smiled bitterly: "Liaodong is a border region, and for centuries, it has been under the control of military officials. Military power has always been decided by the emperor. To investigate Liaodong, the emperor must give the nod, and only then can the cabinet take action. Now, the emperor... well, let's not talk about it!"

Zhang Ke, of course, understood that whether the emperor was active or not, he was not diligent. The next year would be the 48th year of the Wanli reign, and the old emperor had less than a year to live. He probably had no energy to deal with the matter. Zhang Ke's face turned pale at this thought.

Wang Huazhen patted his shoulder and said: "Yongzhen, you are a smart person, I don't need to say more. There are two ways to save someone: one is to have solid evidence, and the other is to get the emperor's attention!"

At this point, Wang Huazhen lowered his voice and said: "If it were anyone else, I would not help, but you are different, Yongzhen. I don't care what the eunuchs or the Thirteen Protectors have told you. I will only tell you one thing: you must go through the inner court and find a way to get the emperor involved. Then your brother will have a chance!"

In other words, it means relying on the eunuchs!

No wonder Wang Huazhen wanted to talk to Zhang Ke alone. Hong Fugao despised eunuchs, and if he knew that Zhang Ke was dealing with eunuchs, he would likely explode. To him, it was a matter of life and death, but to Zhang Ke, saving his brother was the priority, and he would not hesitate to make a deal with the devil.

In this sense, both Wang Huazhen and Zhang Ke were pragmatists.

"Thank you for your guidance, sir. I will take my leave!"

Leaving Guangning, Zhang Ke and his group hurried on, braving the wind and snow for three days. Yang Long had been leading the way on horseback, and his legs were chafed raw, but he gritted his teeth and kept going.

"Second Master, we will reach Shenyang in a little over a day!"

Zhang Ke looked at everyone, who were all exhausted, especially Hong Fugao, who was old and felt his bones aching from the ride.

"Let's find a place to rest, let everyone catch their breath, and have something to eat."

Zhang Ke dismounted and personally helped Hong Fugao down. There was an abandoned land temple by the roadside, and Zhang Ke helped his teacher to the main hall and had him sit down.

"Master, it's too cold. The water we brought yesterday is frozen. Today, we have to bring some liquor. Have a few sips first!"

Hong Fugao took the leather flask and drank deeply. Zhang Ke, standing beside him, was amazed at his teacher's drinking capacity.

The liquor warmed his insides, and Hong Fugao's face turned red.

"Refreshing, refreshing! Yongzhen, did you think I couldn't drink? Let me tell you, when I was young, my family ran a distillery. I used to drink two jin of liquor every day, or I would feel uncomfortable. Later, when I first took the examination for a scholar, I missed it because I was drunk. Since then, I have abstained from alcohol for over ten years."

Zhang Ke, hearing this, laughed: "Master, you have great willpower, I admire you!"

As they were talking, they heard shouts and the sound of horses outside. A large caravan, with about one or two hundred people, was approaching the small temple.

Hong Fugao and Zhang Ke both stood up and looked outside.

"It's them!"

Zhang Ke quickly turned around and saw Yang Long gritting his teeth and staring at the caravan with fiery eyes.

"Second Master, it's them, it's them! That golden flag, I will never mistake it!"

Zhang Ke asked: "You mean the caravan that your brother detained had a golden flag?"

"That's right, Second Master. They are definitely the ones who framed your brother. We must capture them and interrogate them!"

Qiao Fu, who was nearby, heard Yang Long's words and immediately drew his bow.

"Damn, they dared to frame Feng! I'll kill them!"

"Wait!" Zhang Ke quickly stopped them. "Listen, to save your brother, we need solid evidence. Don't alert them."

At this moment, the caravan stopped, and a young man in his early thirties, wearing a dark blue coarse robe and a melon-shaped hat, stepped down. The people following him all stood respectfully.

"Which noble is resting here? This humble person, Jin Wanguan, greets you!"

Jin Wanguan?

Isn't he Shen Qingyan's cousin!

Thinking of the herbs Shen Qingyan mentioned, Zhang Ke immediately became highly alert. Perhaps his brother's wrongful accusation was related to him!

Hong Fugao laughed loudly: "I have no official attire and no soldiers with me. How did you know I was an official?"

Jin Wanguan bowed and smiled: "In such cold weather, ordinary people would be resting at home. Those still on the road are either merchants seeking profit or officials serving the people."

"I would like to hear your insights!"

"Not really insights. One category is merchants like us, and the other is officials serving the people!"

"Ha ha ha, the reputation of the young master of Liaodong is well-deserved!" Hong Fugao laughed. "I am the newly appointed supervisor, Hong Fugao. If I am not mistaken, you are the top merchant of Liaodong, Jin Wanguan, right?"

"Sir Hong has a keen eye, it is indeed this humble person!"

Hong Fugao nodded: "Mr. Jin, meeting is a matter of fate. Please come in."

Jin Wanguan bowed repeatedly, showing great respect, and stepped into the hall. His subordinates brought bedding and dry rations. Zhang Ke noticed that they only had two coarse cakes, which were even worse than what they had.

Jin Wanguan smiled at Hong Fugao.

"Sir, I only have coarse rations and cannot offer you a proper meal. Please forgive me!"

Hong Fugao looked surprised, seeing Jin Wanguan eating the cold, hard cakes, and asked: "Mr. Jin, with your family background, you can have anything you want. Why are you eating such coarse food?"