Chapter 89

Ye Qing hired a cart from the town and set off along the official road. As they approached, a roadblock appeared ahead, making the driver somewhat nervous. However, Ye Qing urged him to continue forward.

"What are you doing? Stop for inspection!"

"Clank, clank" — it seemed the checkpoint was not manned by ordinary officials but by soldiers, who exuded a subtle aura of killing intent.

At this moment, Ye Qing smiled and held out a small copper seal, which glinted in the sunlight, causing the onlookers to exchange glances. A young squad leader's face changed, and he approached with a forced smile, glanced at the seal, and had the roadblock removed, apologizing and saying, "Scholar, this is an order from the higher-ups. Please proceed."

Ye Qing nodded, put away the copper seal, and thought to himself that the Yu family had indeed not made the case public. He casually asked, "Higher-ups... the Prefect? Or the Vice-Prefect?"

The squad leader replied with a hint of pride, "Of course the Prefect. We are the Patrol Cavalry, under the command of the Military Commission. The Prefect can dispatch us, but the Vice-Prefect has no authority to do so!"

"The Prefect said there are bandits around, so checkpoints have been set up in the county."

Ye Qing had already carefully examined their attire. As long as the imperial authority still existed, assassinating a scholar or taking risks was possible, but openly mobilizing troops was impossible, as it would be a tenfold more serious crime of treason.

However, he habitually asked for further verification, "Patrol Cavalry, but why aren't you riding horses?"

The young squad leader's face darkened, clearly stung by the question, but he dared not react, and could only respond, "In recent years, the Northern Wei has cut off the horse trade. This area was supposed to be allocated to us, but now not only has our income been greatly reduced, but we have also lost our main source of warhorses."

"For inspections, we can still muster a team, but we treat them like treasures. The short horses from the southwest are fine for personal use, but if we were to ride them in a real operation, it would be a laughingstock. We can't afford to lose face!"

Ye Qing nodded, reassured. This response was indeed characteristic of the Patrol Cavalry. In his previous life, he had taken over a small unit and knew the ins and outs of the Northern Army of Da Cai. "Don't worry, the horse trade won't always be cut off. It will resume sooner or later!"

"Thank you, Scholar!" The young squad leader laughed heartily, his expression improving as he respectfully saw Ye Qing off. Ye Qing sat in the cart, deep in thought. The prefecture of Nan Cang had reacted immediately, with a very experienced and ruthless approach. They did not ask about the right or wrong of the matter, nor did they intercept him. Instead, they sent out the Patrol Cavalry to "patrol for bandits," which was a political statement.

In this situation, whether it was the Yu family or Ye Qing, anyone who dared to challenge them would be mercilessly crushed. As long as no one dared to make a move, there would be time to deal with Wang Dan—most likely by immediately reporting to the provincial government for the governor to decide.

Thinking of this, Ye Qing exhaled. Actually, not killing Yu Fan was also acceptable. At least in terms of reason, he had the upper hand. If he had killed Yu Fan, even if it was in self-defense, he would still be punished. This was not about reason but about power. The governor of Yingzhou, the head of the provincial administration, nodded, and as he entered, the small hall, which had been buzzing with discussion, fell silent. The officials all bowed.

The prefect of Nan Cang, Zhang Shiyu, suddenly felt tense, sensing the overwhelming pressure from the governor. They were both appointed as officials after passing the imperial examinations, but this man was already a high-ranking official.

"Why did you all fall silent when I came in?" the governor of Yingzhou sat down and smiled, "I'm not a tiger, am I?"

Everyone laughed, and the atmosphere relaxed. Zhang Shiyu gave the governor a serious look.

The 55-year-old governor wore a golden crown and a well-tailored dark blue official robe. His fine wrinkles did not make him look old but rather gave him a sharp, authoritative appearance.

This man had started his education at eight, passed the scholar examination at fifteen, the provincial examination at nineteen, and the palace examination at twenty. He had served as a county magistrate four times and a prefect three times, and at forty, he was promoted to the third rank. He had worked in the Ministry of Personnel and was then transferred to be the governor of Yingzhou, where he had reformed the administration and improved the river transport. He was truly one of the top ministers in the court.

The governor of Yingzhou laughed heartily and said, "Back then, I knew your father. He said that among his five sons, only two had potential. I didn't expect you to become a prefect. Indeed, a father knows his son best."

Zhang Shiyu smiled and said, "This is my father's kindness and encouragement. If I hadn't passed the imperial examination, I would have been beaten."

Everyone laughed again. After a while, the governor of Yingzhou said, "Let's get to the point. You said that Yu Cheng'en sent his private troops to ambush a scholar?"

"Governor, it can't be said like that. The private troops were disguised and all died, leaving no evidence. It can only be suspected... As for the scholar, it's Ye Qing from Ping Shou County," Zhang Shiyu said, sitting up straight and speaking seriously.

He paused and continued, "By the time I discovered it, there were no traces left. Only the local land god witnessed it, but according to the heavenly law, evidence from ghosts and spirits is not admissible."

"Even if it's not admissible, at least there's a story, right?" the governor smiled.

"Yes, according to the land god, this scholar single-handedly killed all thirty soldiers and pursued Yu Fan, almost killing him before being saved by a Yu family sorcerer," Zhang Shiyu said.

Everyone's faces changed, and the governor was silent, his gaze fixed on the door. After a moment, he asked, "The Yu family is descended from a noble family, though they are no longer so. These private troops were trained according to military manuals, right?"

"Yes, they are not inferior to my Patrol Cavalry."

"Now, the noble families are becoming more and more out of line and need to be disciplined. However, the Yu family is not a nouveau riche family. They wouldn't overreact like this. What is special about Ye Qing, or has he made any enemies?"

At this moment, another official stood up, "I've heard some things. Ye Qing, like you, passed the scholar examination at fifteen. He is now sixteen and has come to the province to take the provincial examination."

The governor's expression changed slightly as the official continued, "As for how they became enemies, it's said that during the Dragon Lord Banquet, Yu Fan was demoted from the top position, which might be the reason."

The governor frowned, "Ridiculous!"

"I also think it's ridiculous. For such a trivial matter, the Yu family would not send private troops. Yu Fan is only seventeen, and he might have acted rashly due to his youth and hot blood," Zhang Shiyu coughed and said, "The matter might be like this, but the Yu family lost thirty men, and Yu Fan was also injured. What was a small matter has now become a big one."

The governor snorted, his expression gradually softening. As long as it wasn't a political conflict, such a youthful indiscretion was not a big deal. He turned to Zhang Shiyu, "I heard you sent the Patrol Cavalry?"

"Yes, under the pretext of fighting bandits, setting up checkpoints along the way. One, to deter potential troublemakers, and two, to ensure the safety of scholars traveling to the province from various counties."

Zhang Shiyu bowed and continued, "Three years ago, a scholar was beaten by a black inn. Although over a hundred people were executed, it couldn't make up for the damage done."

"Now that you've sent the Patrol Cavalry, I think it's a good move. Don't hesitate."

The governor pondered for a moment and then laughed, "I had heard that the Yu family had a prodigy, and I was quite looking forward to it. I didn't expect this. For a bit of pride, they sent private troops, disregarding the political situation."

"Even worse, they attacked with superior numbers and were utterly defeated, with no survivors. Yu Fan was injured and fled."

"Jingwen Marquis Yu Wenxian followed the First Emperor in founding the empire and once held my position. What a great hero he was, but his descendants have become so mediocre and incompetent!"

At this, the governor's tone was filled with disdain and sarcasm, "It seems the Yu family's luck is running out!" Everyone was silent, the room deathly quiet. The governor of Yingzhou calmed himself, paced a few steps, and his face gradually returned to normal. He turned to Zhang Shiyu, who looked anxious, and said, "Zhang Shiyu."

"Your subordinate is here..."

"Originally, this matter should be investigated, but now is the provincial examination. We can't let this affect the major event!" The governor paced and deliberated, "Don't have any ideas. Put this matter on hold until the provincial examination is over. But don't let them cause more trouble, especially the Yu family—understand?"

"Yes, your subordinate understands." Zhang Shiyu, a clever man, immediately grasped the governor's meaning. Since only some servants had died and the two parties themselves were unharmed, they would wait until the provincial examination was over.

Of course, the process would be strictly supervised, and any provocations would be severely punished.

As for the final outcome of the case?

It would depend on who won. If Yu Fan passed the examination and Ye Qing failed, Ye Qing would not be handed over to the authorities, but he would face other forms of punishment. If he did not pass the examination by the age of 36, he would lose protection and no one would care about his fate.

If Ye Qing passed the examination and became a provincial scholar, the situation would be entirely different. The Yu family, no matter how powerful, would be committing a grave offense by assassinating a national scholar, which would anger the court.

This was the political reality, and Zhang Shiyu understood the governor's meaning, bowing respectfully and exiting.

Seeing Zhang Shiyu leave, the other officials also departed. From behind a screen, Yuan Shiwen emerged and bowed to the governor, "Thank you, Your Excellency, for your protection."

"It's not really protection. I would have handled it the same way even if you weren't here," the governor smiled faintly, "Why do you have such high hopes for Ye Qing? Did you specially use the university scholar's letter to recommend him?"

Yuan Shiwen smiled humbly, "Ye Qing comes from a small family, and it's not easy for him to reach this point. My lord loves talent and sent me to investigate. I felt sorry for him."

"I know, no need to explain!" The governor knew that the university scholar was backed by the Sixth Prince, who was vying for the throne and was known as the Virtuous Prince. He had bestowed countless favors on scholars.

However, the emperor was still alive, and the supreme power belonged to him alone. The Sixth Prince's actions were not viewed favorably by the governor, who saw it as forming cliques and plotting against the state.

If the emperor were to crack down, the first to be punished would be the Sixth Prince. Ye Qing, having received such favors, would face the same fate if he joined the Sixth Prince's faction. It would be a pity for such a young talent.

However, this could not be said. The governor's expression darkened, and he waved his hand, "I'm tired. I know about your matter. You may leave."

Yuan Shiwen had no choice but to bow and exit.