Hearing Su Luoyun’s words, Han Linfeng said: “What if you were to add the rebel forces who surrender and pledge allegiance, together with the streams of righteous fighters gathering from all directions?”

Su Luoyun drew in a sharp breath: “You intend to… rebel?”

Han Linfeng laughed and flicked her nose, then said mildly: “This realm has always belonged to the Han family — against whom would I be rebelling? The northern territories are about to face a great battle, and I fear that when the time comes, Zhao Dong alone may find it difficult to hold the line unaided. Let me see whether I can persuade General Zhao to expand the military designation of my supply camp, thereby providing indirect accommodation for the rebel forces who come over to us. That way, when the Tiefu people strike, we will have a stronger chance of prevailing. If he is unwilling… I will find another way. And if we cannot get through this difficulty, I will also find a means of ensuring your safety and those we care for.”

Just the previous evening, the covert agents Han Linfeng had positioned inside Tiefu territory had sent word: the three divisions of the Tiefu great army had already assembled in the vicinity of Tiekan Mountain.

The various Tiefu tribes had previously been prone to internal strife, but with the Tiefu King Gushan unifying all the tribes under his rule, the Tiefu’s collective strength had grown considerably.

At the Great Wei frontier, the rebel army — originally engaged solely in fighting the Tiefu — had under Qiu Zhen’s direction suddenly turned to attack Great Wei, storming city after city. This had come as a welcome surprise to the Tiefu people, who had suffered no small amount at the rebel army’s hands.

Now that the military situation between Great Wei and the rebel army was settling into resolution, the Tiefu naturally wanted to reap the benefits of the fisherman looking on — and had begun steadily dispatching troops to attack the prefectures and counties under rebel occupation.

The rebel army, having lost Qiu Zhen, now found itself beset from within and without, tossed in a precarious wind and rain, and desperately in need of a way forward. That was why Han Linfeng had proposed to Zhao Dong the amnesty and surrender of the rebel forces.

But with the Sixth Prince now intending to make a major case out of the alleged rebel collusion, even Zhao Dong would likely protect himself by keeping his own counsel and refrain from raising the matter before the Emperor. Han Linfeng felt he needed to find another course of action.

Yet Han Linfeng had evidently underestimated the depth of Grand General Zhao Dong’s fondness and regard for him.

Right after the inspectors had finished their audit of the Qianxi supply camp, Zhao Dong also made inquiries into the true origins of the implicated silver.

Once it was confirmed that the silver was not a donation from Cao Sheng, Zhao Dong immediately submitted a memorial to the Emperor, taking the full responsibility upon himself and volunteering openly that he had ordered Han Linfeng to assist him in luring the enemy.

If the Shizi were to suffer slander from scheming villains on account of him, would that not chill the hearts of the soldiers shedding blood at the front lines?

It was plain that Zhao Dong, moved by his admiration for talent and unwilling to see Han Linfeng swept up in this undeserved calamity, had spoken up on his behalf.

His Majesty had never believed it in the first place. His thinking was to investigate the matter: if Han Linfeng truly had ties to Cao Sheng’s faction, then a single person would be dealt with, but the military situation in the north must not be affected.

After all, the court had few capable fighting generals to begin with, and the handful that existed were for the most part decorative material of Wang Yun’s sort — fine on the outside and hollow within.

The two memorials submitted by the two inspectors also differed considerably in their contents.

Wang Mao’s memorial only noted that the Qianxi supply camp did indeed hold a substantial amount of private silver, but was vague and unspecific, omitting any account of the silver’s origins. His key accusation focused on the Shizi’s camp forces being clearly in excess of prescribed numbers, and on the fact that many previously captured rebel soldiers had been absorbed into the supply camp. With Zhao Dong showing such laxity in governing his subordinates, Wang Mao warned, it would likely end in feeding a tiger that would one day turn on them.

Inspector Meng Xingxue’s memorial, by contrast, was measured and thorough, laying out in careful detail the full accounting and provenance of the supply camp’s silver, with each item of the ledger traceable and verifiable.

The substance of this memorial aligned with General Zhao Dong’s own account, and simply stated that there was no evidence of Han Linfeng’s collusion with the rebel faction.

His Majesty read through all three memorials and allowed himself a cold smile or two.

It seemed the Wang family still had its eye on military authority and wished to use this affair to tip the balance in their favor.

When His Majesty showed Wang Mao’s memorial to the Sixth Prince, the Sixth Prince also seethed inwardly with suppressed fury.

He had clearly given instructions that Zhao Dong need not be implicated in this matter — only Han Linfeng’s guilt need be established.

Yet Wang Mao’s memorial was plainly smuggling in private cargo: it was still trying to drag Zhao Dong into things and seize military power, pulling him down from his position.

Now the frontier situation was growing ever more tense, with the Tiefu great army pressing at the borders and military expenditures amounting to a considerable sum. And in the wake of the earlier floods, the number of displaced people within Great Wei’s territory was growing daily.

His Majesty was eager to see the border conflict resolved as early as possible. Zhao Dong had just recently recovered Jiayong Prefecture and was in the midst of pursuing the remnants of the rebel forces — victory appeared to be within reach.

To try to bring him down at this moment — how could that possibly be achieved with ease?

The Wang family of Changxi had long held power, and now that they had been forced to relinquish military authority, they were like a miser robbed of a treasure — virtually transforming themselves into rabid dogs, biting at everything in sight without discrimination.

The Sixth Prince, unable to control these Wang family members, was so furious he was ready to burst — yet could not show it before his father.

“…In this son’s view, there is truly no fault to be found with the Grand General here. However, Han Linfeng is a man of habitually corrupt and embezzling nature, not worth employing for important matters. It would be best to first strip him of his supply transport duties, and then conduct a thorough investigation of his wrongdoing…”

Emperor Wei Hui glanced at him: “When one considers it, although this Han Linfeng holds only the position of a supply officer, under General Zhao Dong’s skilled command, he has also distinguished himself with considerable military merit. Zhao Dong’s submitted list of recommended commendations includes Han Linfeng’s name along with those of many soldiers from the supply camp. Are you asking Us to punish a meritorious subject without cause? We are curious how an idle man like Han Linfeng has managed to offend you — you seem to have quite strong feelings against him.”

In Emperor Wei Hui’s view, if the Beizhen Prince’s residence were indeed guilty of consorting with the enemy, that could absolutely not be tolerated.

Yet Han Linfeng was the sort of useless wine-bag and rice-barrel who had, under the direction of his son-in-law Zhao Dong, finally managed to accumulate some modest merit — which was about as much as pushing wet mud up a wall for the sake of giving the Han ancestors some face.

To harshly punish a meritorious subject when the evidence was clearly insufficient and the case without solid ground — did they take him for a muddled, undiscerning ruler who could not tell reward from punishment?

Hearing his father’s question, the Sixth Prince hastened to explain: “What grievance could this son possibly have with someone like him… it is only that this son feels…”

But before he could finish, Emperor Wei Hui waved a hand and cut him off: “We have always hoped your character would resemble Ours more, and that you would stop calculating every small advantage like this — such pettiness is unbecoming.”

The rebuke struck deep. The Sixth Prince felt a jolt of alarm within him, for he understood that the word “pettiness” was in all likelihood aimed at his imperial mother.

The Ninth Prince’s line was having great difficulty producing heirs. Previously, the Rui Wang’s consort, while in his mother’s chambers, had nearly miscarried after inhaling incense that had been laced with a drug.

Most likely his father had also heard Consort Qiong weeping about this behind closed doors.

His mother’s methods had always been ruthless, and had long drawn his father’s reproach.

Now his own obstinate pursuit of Han Linfeng had apparently led his father to conclude that he was acting out of private resentment, following in the vicious and calculating footsteps of his imperial mother.

The Sixth Prince also knew that this time he had no solid evidence of Han Linfeng’s collusion with the enemy in his hands.

With the Wang family’s memorial having already shown such a failure to see the larger picture, and himself pressing on relentlessly in addition, he would likely incur his father’s displeasure once more.

And so the Sixth Prince said no more, and withdrew from the study.

Only once he had exited the study did he bite down in silent fury: this time, let Han Linfeng off for now — there would be time later to deal with that man at leisure!

And so this overwhelming catastrophe that had very nearly swallowed the Beizhen Prince’s residence passed by, having caused alarm but no real harm.

Han Linfeng only learned afterward of Inspector Meng Xingxue’s history.

Su Luoyun’s maternal uncle, Hu Xuesong, had years ago chanced upon saving a man of high standing, and it was through this that he had come to enter the naval forces.

The man he had saved was none other than Inspector Meng Xingxue.

Though Inspector Meng had no personal acquaintance with the Beizhen Shizi, he knew that his own savior’s niece by marriage had married into the Beizhen Prince’s residence.

The day Inspector Meng had seen Su Luoyun at the prince’s residence, he had been quietly astonished that such a rough and unrefined man as Hu Xuesong could have such a bright and accomplished young relative.

If the prince’s residence were to be destroyed, his benefactor and benefactor’s niece would surely be unable to protect themselves either. Fortunately this had all turned out to be a misunderstanding, and the silver in the supply camp storehouses had been the Shizi’s consort’s private assets all along.

The matter would ordinarily have rested there, but Inspector Meng had noticed that Wang Mao appeared to be attempting to muddy the waters and fabricate charges to frame the Shizi.

By protocol, the two inspectors should each have submitted their memorials separately. But Wang Mao had tried to act unilaterally and draft a single combined memorial in his own name alone.

Meng Xingxue, however, deliberately created a timing gap and submitted his own memorial ahead of Wang Mao’s, getting his account in first.

When Han Linfeng finally understood the crucial details of the situation, he said to Su Luoyun, who had come to visit the camp, with considerable feeling: “I thought you alone were my good luck charm — but who would have imagined that your uncle would prove to be the guardian protector who saved my life!”

Su Luoyun laughed at that, but then with a trace of lingering worry said: “Still, will the Sixth Prince truly let this matter rest? If he suspects you, sooner or later it will become a problem again…”

Han Linfeng, however, remained composed: “Rather than living in constant anxiety, better to act with a free hand. Since the accusation letter has already appeared, I am no longer afraid of anyone pressing on this matter further. Elder Brother Cao Sheng has already made secret contact with his former subordinates, and the commanders who had departed from under Qiu Zhen’s leadership are coming over to me in succession, bringing their people with them. General Zhao’s commendation request this time has secured me the title of Loose Cavalry General — it carries no actual command or troops, but it provides a military designation number, and while it cannot accommodate too many men, it offers some degree of cover… I can begin expanding them into that designation. As for those who exceed even that allocation, I will need to find some additional means…”

Zhao Dong’s intention in doing this was also to give Han Linfeng the greatest possible capacity to accept the rebel forces’ surrender.

Now that the Tiefu great army was pressing at the borders, the frontier’s military strength was seriously insufficient.

Given that the court had no means to deploy additional forces, any avenue for raising troops and acquiring horses was naturally to be fully made use of — yet with the court’s military budget limited, forces that greatly exceeded prescribed numbers could not be sustained.

Su Luoyun, having listened, still harbored doubts: “You have the military designation in name only, yet suddenly have so many troops far exceeding your quota — how would you report this for military pay?”

Han Linfeng smiled slightly and said mildly: “Has the Wandering Wealth God not already placed his wager? Why would I need to report for military pay?”

Su Luoyun understood at once. With You Shanyue’s financial backing, added to the banknotes Cao Sheng had previously given Han Linfeng, even if the entire rebel army came over to him, Han Linfeng could afford to sustain them.

Since there was no need for the court to provide military funds, the forces beyond his official quota would exist as a shadow army — invisible on paper — to be quietly nurtured and grown in strength.

And with this body of troops under his command, Han Linfeng would have the means to advance when needed and hold firm when required. Only then would he have truly grown sharp fangs, becoming a beast that could no longer be slaughtered at will — and better still, could realize the ambition he had long carried: the recovery of the twenty prefectures that his saintly ancestor had grievously lost.

Su Luoyun had always placed her trust in Han Linfeng. Seeing that he had prepared contingencies, her own heart found steadier footing.

She handed Han Linfeng the military garments she had sewn with her own hands, and touched his face gently: “The household matters — you need not concern yourself with any of them. I will handle everything. Only, in all things, know your limits and do not push recklessly beyond them… You do not yet have an heir!”

It was truly a source of quiet frustration — she had already stopped using the medicinal sachet, yet her womb remained without any sign of movement.

Su Luoyun had been secretly worrying to herself whether the medicinal sachet she had used before had been too potent in its effects, leaving her womb too cold to receive life.

In Han Linfeng’s ears, however, these words landed as a complete rebuke from a woman directed at a man who had failed to provide for her — the implication being that precisely because he could not establish himself and secure his footing, his woman could not bring herself to put her mind at ease and bear him a child.

And so Han Linfeng’s expression froze over, and he stared at Su Luoyun for a long moment, then suddenly wrapped his arms around her and said in a low voice, with a grip that seemed nearly enough to break her slender waist: “That matter… I will discuss it with you later…”

Su Luoyun was somewhat at a loss — the matter of bearing a child… surely one simply did it? What was there to discuss?

At that thought, she found her cheeks blooming red, her mind having wandered off in the wrong direction entirely.

While Han Linfeng quietly reined in his own feelings, he caught sight of the flushed face of the beauty in his arms, and felt a wave of something close to satisfaction: so she knew she had done me a disservice, and was blushing with shame…

These two, each secretly harboring their own private thoughts, shared only a brief reunion before it was time to part reluctantly once more.

Ahead, another great battle was fast approaching. Back in the rear, in every household and residence, people too were beginning to feel the war pressing nearer.

The earlier incident at Tianbao Tower in Huicheng had made such an enormous commotion — even the family members of officials had died in it.

And so when the war at the frontier was mentioned again, for the families of these officials it was no longer idle after-meal conversation, a dull topic unrelated to themselves.

In these recent days, Princess Yuyang no longer complained of boredom. Besides occasionally visiting the temple to pray for blessings, she had begun organizing the many military families who had retreated from Jingzhou to the rear, gathering them together to sew quilts for warmth against the cold nights.

Although spring had arrived, these lands lay far north, and the nights still carried a biting chill — quilts for warmth were genuinely needed.

The Princely Consort had been ill and bedridden ever since that fright she had suffered, and everything that would normally have been her responsibility to organize was pushed entirely onto Su Luoyun.

Su Luoyun’s eyes had only recently recovered. In addition to sewing close-fitting garments for her husband, she had taken on some handwork for herself as well — in her spare moments she would sit in her rooms and ply needle and thread.

Her needlework had once been exceptional, but the years of blindness had allowed it to fall badly out of practice.

Yet she was afraid of straining her eyes, and after sewing a few stitches she would come to the window to gaze into the distance — which meant she made slow progress.

She had barely sewn a few more stitches when the maidservant Huai Xia came in to report: “Shizi’s consort, I heard from the people in the front courtyard that someone has come from the Princess Consort’s maternal family.”

Su Luoyun was momentarily startled, then understood: it was someone from the Zong family.

Yet Liangzhou was presently in turmoil with the war — it was hardly a suitable time for visiting relatives. Why had the Zong family chosen this of all moments to call?

By protocol, when guests arrived at the household, the Princely Consort should summon the young daughter-in-law to meet and greet the visitors.

Su Luoyun, thinking she ought not to be late, changed her clothes in advance and re-dressed her hair, then continued sewing while waiting for the summons.

But half the day passed without any word being sent from the Princess Consort.

Su Luoyun was quite accustomed to the Princely Consort’s habit of overlooking her in the presence of outsiders. Since no summons came, she had no intention of pushing herself forward uninvited.

Yet hardly had she removed her outer robe, preparing to change back into everyday clothes, when the Princely Consort sent someone to request her presence after all.

When she arrived, she found that the Zong family’s visitor was the Princely Consort’s younger brother, Zong Jinnian.

Whatever had passed between the sister and brother before her arrival, both were wearing expressions of deep anxiety.

The Princely Consort in particular — her cold ailment had never properly healed, and she now looked as though each cough might be her last.

Before Su Luoyun had even finished exchanging proper greetings with Uncle Zong, the Princely Consort was already pressing a hand to her mouth and waving Su Luoyun over with the other: “I have heard Yao’er say that you are acquainted with many of the noble households in the capital. There is a thorny matter before us now, and the question is whether you have anyone useful who might help smooth the path. Even if it costs a thousand or ten thousand taels of silver, I am willing.”

Su Luoyun asked carefully what the matter was.

The Princely Consort found it mortifying to speak of her family’s embarrassments to her daughter-in-law, and felt the loss of face keenly.

Driven to desperation, this woman who had always been too proud to show weakness could not hold back a touch of moisture at the corner of her eye: “Three months ago, when your Zong maternal grandfather was helping to transport grain to the front lines, some carelessness in the lower officials’ bookkeeping resulted in a few entries being muddled. Someone seized on this as a handle against him, threatening to report the matter to the Emperor. Fortunately the Second Master of the Junguohou residence happened to be overseeing that particular matter and managed to hold things back for the time being. He only told your uncle that if the matter were ever reported, your maternal grandfather would certainly be thrown into prison. For a younger man it would be endurable — one could survive the year and come out again. But your maternal grandfather is advanced in years — how could he withstand such an ordeal?”

Hearing this, Su Luoyun’s mind moved swiftly and she immediately guessed the thread that would follow, but she said nothing and simply let the Princess Consort continue: “The Second Master said that since the Zong family had caused this sort of trouble, it would likely draw in many others if it spread. So the Duke of Jun, upon hearing of the matter, conveyed to the Second Master, in a roundabout way, that if the engagement between Yao’er and the Third Young Master could be dissolved, he might be willing to consider suppressing this affair on the Zong family’s behalf.”

Su Luoyun had indeed anticipated this turn of events, and said gently: “Since the Duke of Jun’s residence is so mindful of personal courtesy and willing to offer assistance, is that not a favorable thing?”

The Princely Consort’s face had turned an apoplectic shade: “They are going back on their word! How could I give them what they want? I will not rely on their family for anything — you think of any path we might take instead, and even if it costs thousands upon thousands of taels, I am willing!”

Su Luoyun thought for a moment, and then asked softly: “I am bold enough to ask one question — what hold does Mother have over the Duke of Jun’s residence, that you were able to secure this engagement for your younger sister-in-law in the first place?”

The Princely Consort’s expression stiffened, and she said: “Why do you ask that?”

Su Luoyun considered for a moment and said: “Right now the only fighting is in the north. The shipment of military supplies you mentioned would ultimately have been headed for the Qianxi supply camp. Yet it happened — quite coincidentally — to take a roundabout route through Taizhou, and happened to run into trouble in Taizhou of all places, and happened to be intercepted by the Second Master of the Duke of Jun’s residence. Does it not seem to Mother that there are rather too many of these coincidences?”

The Princely Consort had already sprung to her feet, staring at Su Luoyun with wide eyes: “You… are saying that the Duke of Jun’s residence deliberately set a trap for my father and framed him?”

Su Luoyun did not actually believe the Duke of Jun’s people would invent charges against someone from thin air. Han Linfeng’s grandfather in name only — going by Han Linfeng’s own account — was a man of large eyes and even larger appetite, the sort who would pluck a feather from every passing goose. It was precisely his poor reputation as an official that had cut off his own path to advancement.

Ordinarily, petty pilfering in a remote backwater like Taizhou went unnoticed by anyone. But when a shipment of richly loaded military supplies passed before his eyes, how could he resist finding a way to take a share?

And so while the Duke of Jun’s residence certainly bore some suspicion of having laid a snare, the snare only worked because there was a dog greedy enough to take the bait.

Now that the Duke of Jun’s residence had this handle firmly in their grip, if the Princely Consort still insisted on causing trouble and refusing to comply, Su Luoyun was genuinely worried that the affair would reach out and implicate the Beizhen Prince’s residence.

The accusation letter case had only just been resolved — the prince’s residence could not withstand yet another bout of upheaval.

The Princely Consort, hearing all this, grew only more indignant, and slapped the table: “The Duke of Jun’s residence actually dares to calculate against people in this manner? All for the sake of dissolving the engagement with Yao’er? What a house of wolves and dogs! I truly misjudged them!”

Su Luoyun thought to herself: you were willing to act on the first day of the month, so why should others be forbidden from acting on the fifteenth?

The Princely Consort had originally leveraged the handle of the Duke of Jun’s residence’s error in transporting military supplies to push through this ill-matched engagement in the first place. Now they were merely paying her back in her own coin.

But she could not add fuel to the fire at this moment — she could only attempt to mediate: “Mother, you have never had any deep acquaintance with the Duchess of Jun. She is a woman of exacting nature and considerable severity — one look at her and people feel a kind of instinctive wariness. If she were fond of Han Yao, that would be one thing. But if she is not — even if you refuse to dissolve the engagement this time and send younger sister-in-law across to marry in, she would be alone in the capital with no one to turn to for comfort. This girl who has been pampered and sheltered at your side for so long — if she truly entered a household of such ruthless calculation and unfathomable scheming, would she not simply be ground down and worn away until she withered?”

This time, when trouble came from the Princely Consort’s maternal family, she had told Su Luoyun before saying a word to the prince. There was naturally a calculation in this on the Princely Consort’s part: firstly, Su Luoyun had connections in the capital, and if she could use those to call in favors and spend silver to suppress the matter, so much the better. Secondly, the Princely Consort genuinely had no patience for listening to the prince make cold, sardonic remarks about her family.

Han Yao’s engagement in particular — the prince had never agreed with it in the first place. Now that this trouble had erupted, he would only use it as occasion to berate both her and the Zong family together.

The Princely Consort’s long-standing coldness toward Su Luoyun had, in truth, been seven parts the work of Nanny Xi.

Ever since that kick to the chest Han Linfeng had delivered, Nanny Xi had never properly recovered, and had been obliged to retire and return home. With her departure, the Princely Consort found herself rid of what had been an aged and perennial troublemaker at her side.

Added to that, the experiences at Tianbao Tower and the silver investigation at the Qianxi supply camp had shown the Princely Consort that this daughter-in-law of hers was someone who did not lose her head in a crisis — and so she had come to trust her a measure.

The same grievances against the Duke of Jun’s residence, spoken by Han Yao, would have sounded childish and picky. Spoken calmly by Su Luoyun, they landed with considerably more weight in the Princely Consort’s heart.

Seen in this light, the Duke of Jun’s residence was truly cold-blooded and heartless! The Beizhen Prince’s residence had once kindly concealed their errors for them — and yet the household had repaid that kindness with treachery, scheming against them in such a manner!

The Princely Consort had entirely forgotten her own earlier use of coercion and persuasion to extract the engagement from the Duke of Jun’s residence in the first place, and had convinced herself entirely that the Duke and Duchess of Jun had wronged her.

She fumed and paced in circles for some time, then turned to Su Luoyun: “Then according to you — what should be done?”

Su Luoyun thought for a moment and said: “I believe this matter ought to be reported to the Prince and the Shizi.”

The Princely Consort shot her a sharp look: “If I could tell them, would I need to come to you? Since you are unwilling to help, I shall not trouble you further — and you are not to breathe a word of this to anyone!”

Yet Su Luoyun could not bring herself to promise something she was incapable of doing. She gave her mother-in-law a curtsy and said: “This matter cannot be concealed. The Duke of Jun’s residence has endured and waited until now before suddenly springing the trap — they have most certainly made thorough preparations. If you conceal it and say nothing, I fear it will grow into a great disaster later on…”

Before she had even finished, Zong Jinnian spoke up impatiently from the side: “I knew this matter should never have been told to a young woman — instead of helping, she makes things worse! You, girl — how dare you argue back against your mother-in-law! Sister, are you not going to reprimand this daughter-in-law of yours?”

Su Luoyun raised her eyes and looked at this maternal uncle. Even from his features alone, she could see he was the type given over to drink and indulgence. She said mildly: “Uncle has come from a great distance — is it to resolve the matter at hand, or to stir up trouble and unsettle the prince’s household?”

The Princely Consort knew very well that her younger brother was someone who ruined more than he achieved, and shot him a fierce look. Then, her tone cooling noticeably, she said: “Your maternal uncle from the Zong family is meeting you for the first time. He does not know your caliber, nor does he know that there are people who would dare bully you — and that your husband would lift his foot and kick them clean through the chest.”

Yun Bin Tian Shang – Chapter 94 Belongs to the book: Cloud Tresses Add Fragrance

Hearing Su Luoyun’s words, Han Linfeng said: “What if you were to add the rebel forces who surrender and pledge allegiance, together with the streams of righteous fighters gathering from all directions?”

Su Luoyun drew in a sharp breath: “You intend to… rebel?”

Han Linfeng laughed and flicked her nose, then said mildly: “This realm has always belonged to the Han family — against whom would I be rebelling? The northern territories are about to face a great battle, and I fear that when the time comes, Zhao Dong alone may find it difficult to hold the line unaided. Let me see whether I can persuade General Zhao to expand the military designation of my supply camp, thereby providing indirect accommodation for the rebel forces who come over to us. That way, when the Tiefu people strike, we will have a stronger chance of prevailing. If he is unwilling… I will find another way. And if we cannot get through this difficulty, I will also find a means of ensuring your safety and those we care for.”

Just the previous evening, the covert agents Han Linfeng had positioned inside Tiefu territory had sent word: the three divisions of the Tiefu great army had already assembled in the vicinity of Tiekan Mountain.

The various Tiefu tribes had previously been prone to internal strife, but with the Tiefu King Gushan unifying all the tribes under his rule, the Tiefu’s collective strength had grown considerably.

At the Great Wei frontier, the rebel army — originally engaged solely in fighting the Tiefu — had under Qiu Zhen’s direction suddenly turned to attack Great Wei, storming city after city. This had come as a welcome surprise to the Tiefu people, who had suffered no small amount at the rebel army’s hands.

Now that the military situation between Great Wei and the rebel army was settling into resolution, the Tiefu naturally wanted to reap the benefits of the fisherman looking on — and had begun steadily dispatching troops to attack the prefectures and counties under rebel occupation.

The rebel army, having lost Qiu Zhen, now found itself beset from within and without, tossed in a precarious wind and rain, and desperately in need of a way forward. That was why Han Linfeng had proposed to Zhao Dong the amnesty and surrender of the rebel forces.

But with the Sixth Prince now intending to make a major case out of the alleged rebel collusion, even Zhao Dong would likely protect himself by keeping his own counsel and refrain from raising the matter before the Emperor. Han Linfeng felt he needed to find another course of action.

Yet Han Linfeng had evidently underestimated the depth of Grand General Zhao Dong’s fondness and regard for him.

Right after the inspectors had finished their audit of the Qianxi supply camp, Zhao Dong also made inquiries into the true origins of the implicated silver.

Once it was confirmed that the silver was not a donation from Cao Sheng, Zhao Dong immediately submitted a memorial to the Emperor, taking the full responsibility upon himself and volunteering openly that he had ordered Han Linfeng to assist him in luring the enemy.

If the Shizi were to suffer slander from scheming villains on account of him, would that not chill the hearts of the soldiers shedding blood at the front lines?

It was plain that Zhao Dong, moved by his admiration for talent and unwilling to see Han Linfeng swept up in this undeserved calamity, had spoken up on his behalf.

His Majesty had never believed it in the first place. His thinking was to investigate the matter: if Han Linfeng truly had ties to Cao Sheng’s faction, then a single person would be dealt with, but the military situation in the north must not be affected.

After all, the court had few capable fighting generals to begin with, and the handful that existed were for the most part decorative material of Wang Yun’s sort — fine on the outside and hollow within.

The two memorials submitted by the two inspectors also differed considerably in their contents.

Wang Mao’s memorial only noted that the Qianxi supply camp did indeed hold a substantial amount of private silver, but was vague and unspecific, omitting any account of the silver’s origins. His key accusation focused on the Shizi’s camp forces being clearly in excess of prescribed numbers, and on the fact that many previously captured rebel soldiers had been absorbed into the supply camp. With Zhao Dong showing such laxity in governing his subordinates, Wang Mao warned, it would likely end in feeding a tiger that would one day turn on them.

Inspector Meng Xingxue’s memorial, by contrast, was measured and thorough, laying out in careful detail the full accounting and provenance of the supply camp’s silver, with each item of the ledger traceable and verifiable.

The substance of this memorial aligned with General Zhao Dong’s own account, and simply stated that there was no evidence of Han Linfeng’s collusion with the rebel faction.

His Majesty read through all three memorials and allowed himself a cold smile or two.

It seemed the Wang family still had its eye on military authority and wished to use this affair to tip the balance in their favor.

When His Majesty showed Wang Mao’s memorial to the Sixth Prince, the Sixth Prince also seethed inwardly with suppressed fury.

He had clearly given instructions that Zhao Dong need not be implicated in this matter — only Han Linfeng’s guilt need be established.

Yet Wang Mao’s memorial was plainly smuggling in private cargo: it was still trying to drag Zhao Dong into things and seize military power, pulling him down from his position.

Now the frontier situation was growing ever more tense, with the Tiefu great army pressing at the borders and military expenditures amounting to a considerable sum. And in the wake of the earlier floods, the number of displaced people within Great Wei’s territory was growing daily.

His Majesty was eager to see the border conflict resolved as early as possible. Zhao Dong had just recently recovered Jiayong Prefecture and was in the midst of pursuing the remnants of the rebel forces — victory appeared to be within reach.

To try to bring him down at this moment — how could that possibly be achieved with ease?

The Wang family of Changxi had long held power, and now that they had been forced to relinquish military authority, they were like a miser robbed of a treasure — virtually transforming themselves into rabid dogs, biting at everything in sight without discrimination.

The Sixth Prince, unable to control these Wang family members, was so furious he was ready to burst — yet could not show it before his father.

“…In this son’s view, there is truly no fault to be found with the Grand General here. However, Han Linfeng is a man of habitually corrupt and embezzling nature, not worth employing for important matters. It would be best to first strip him of his supply transport duties, and then conduct a thorough investigation of his wrongdoing…”

Emperor Wei Hui glanced at him: “When one considers it, although this Han Linfeng holds only the position of a supply officer, under General Zhao Dong’s skilled command, he has also distinguished himself with considerable military merit. Zhao Dong’s submitted list of recommended commendations includes Han Linfeng’s name along with those of many soldiers from the supply camp. Are you asking Us to punish a meritorious subject without cause? We are curious how an idle man like Han Linfeng has managed to offend you — you seem to have quite strong feelings against him.”

In Emperor Wei Hui’s view, if the Beizhen Prince’s residence were indeed guilty of consorting with the enemy, that could absolutely not be tolerated.

Yet Han Linfeng was the sort of useless wine-bag and rice-barrel who had, under the direction of his son-in-law Zhao Dong, finally managed to accumulate some modest merit — which was about as much as pushing wet mud up a wall for the sake of giving the Han ancestors some face.

To harshly punish a meritorious subject when the evidence was clearly insufficient and the case without solid ground — did they take him for a muddled, undiscerning ruler who could not tell reward from punishment?

Hearing his father’s question, the Sixth Prince hastened to explain: “What grievance could this son possibly have with someone like him… it is only that this son feels…”

But before he could finish, Emperor Wei Hui waved a hand and cut him off: “We have always hoped your character would resemble Ours more, and that you would stop calculating every small advantage like this — such pettiness is unbecoming.”

The rebuke struck deep. The Sixth Prince felt a jolt of alarm within him, for he understood that the word “pettiness” was in all likelihood aimed at his imperial mother.

The Ninth Prince’s line was having great difficulty producing heirs. Previously, the Rui Wang’s consort, while in his mother’s chambers, had nearly miscarried after inhaling incense that had been laced with a drug.

Most likely his father had also heard Consort Qiong weeping about this behind closed doors.

His mother’s methods had always been ruthless, and had long drawn his father’s reproach.

Now his own obstinate pursuit of Han Linfeng had apparently led his father to conclude that he was acting out of private resentment, following in the vicious and calculating footsteps of his imperial mother.

The Sixth Prince also knew that this time he had no solid evidence of Han Linfeng’s collusion with the enemy in his hands.

With the Wang family’s memorial having already shown such a failure to see the larger picture, and himself pressing on relentlessly in addition, he would likely incur his father’s displeasure once more.

And so the Sixth Prince said no more, and withdrew from the study.

Only once he had exited the study did he bite down in silent fury: this time, let Han Linfeng off for now — there would be time later to deal with that man at leisure!

And so this overwhelming catastrophe that had very nearly swallowed the Beizhen Prince’s residence passed by, having caused alarm but no real harm.

Han Linfeng only learned afterward of Inspector Meng Xingxue’s history.

Su Luoyun’s maternal uncle, Hu Xuesong, had years ago chanced upon saving a man of high standing, and it was through this that he had come to enter the naval forces.

The man he had saved was none other than Inspector Meng Xingxue.

Though Inspector Meng had no personal acquaintance with the Beizhen Shizi, he knew that his own savior’s niece by marriage had married into the Beizhen Prince’s residence.

The day Inspector Meng had seen Su Luoyun at the prince’s residence, he had been quietly astonished that such a rough and unrefined man as Hu Xuesong could have such a bright and accomplished young relative.

If the prince’s residence were to be destroyed, his benefactor and benefactor’s niece would surely be unable to protect themselves either. Fortunately this had all turned out to be a misunderstanding, and the silver in the supply camp storehouses had been the Shizi’s consort’s private assets all along.

The matter would ordinarily have rested there, but Inspector Meng had noticed that Wang Mao appeared to be attempting to muddy the waters and fabricate charges to frame the Shizi.

By protocol, the two inspectors should each have submitted their memorials separately. But Wang Mao had tried to act unilaterally and draft a single combined memorial in his own name alone.

Meng Xingxue, however, deliberately created a timing gap and submitted his own memorial ahead of Wang Mao’s, getting his account in first.

When Han Linfeng finally understood the crucial details of the situation, he said to Su Luoyun, who had come to visit the camp, with considerable feeling: “I thought you alone were my good luck charm — but who would have imagined that your uncle would prove to be the guardian protector who saved my life!”

Su Luoyun laughed at that, but then with a trace of lingering worry said: “Still, will the Sixth Prince truly let this matter rest? If he suspects you, sooner or later it will become a problem again…”

Han Linfeng, however, remained composed: “Rather than living in constant anxiety, better to act with a free hand. Since the accusation letter has already appeared, I am no longer afraid of anyone pressing on this matter further. Elder Brother Cao Sheng has already made secret contact with his former subordinates, and the commanders who had departed from under Qiu Zhen’s leadership are coming over to me in succession, bringing their people with them. General Zhao’s commendation request this time has secured me the title of Loose Cavalry General — it carries no actual command or troops, but it provides a military designation number, and while it cannot accommodate too many men, it offers some degree of cover… I can begin expanding them into that designation. As for those who exceed even that allocation, I will need to find some additional means…”

Zhao Dong’s intention in doing this was also to give Han Linfeng the greatest possible capacity to accept the rebel forces’ surrender.

Now that the Tiefu great army was pressing at the borders, the frontier’s military strength was seriously insufficient.

Given that the court had no means to deploy additional forces, any avenue for raising troops and acquiring horses was naturally to be fully made use of — yet with the court’s military budget limited, forces that greatly exceeded prescribed numbers could not be sustained.

Su Luoyun, having listened, still harbored doubts: “You have the military designation in name only, yet suddenly have so many troops far exceeding your quota — how would you report this for military pay?”

Han Linfeng smiled slightly and said mildly: “Has the Wandering Wealth God not already placed his wager? Why would I need to report for military pay?”

Su Luoyun understood at once. With You Shanyue’s financial backing, added to the banknotes Cao Sheng had previously given Han Linfeng, even if the entire rebel army came over to him, Han Linfeng could afford to sustain them.

Since there was no need for the court to provide military funds, the forces beyond his official quota would exist as a shadow army — invisible on paper — to be quietly nurtured and grown in strength.

And with this body of troops under his command, Han Linfeng would have the means to advance when needed and hold firm when required. Only then would he have truly grown sharp fangs, becoming a beast that could no longer be slaughtered at will — and better still, could realize the ambition he had long carried: the recovery of the twenty prefectures that his saintly ancestor had grievously lost.

Su Luoyun had always placed her trust in Han Linfeng. Seeing that he had prepared contingencies, her own heart found steadier footing.

She handed Han Linfeng the military garments she had sewn with her own hands, and touched his face gently: “The household matters — you need not concern yourself with any of them. I will handle everything. Only, in all things, know your limits and do not push recklessly beyond them… You do not yet have an heir!”

It was truly a source of quiet frustration — she had already stopped using the medicinal sachet, yet her womb remained without any sign of movement.

Su Luoyun had been secretly worrying to herself whether the medicinal sachet she had used before had been too potent in its effects, leaving her womb too cold to receive life.

In Han Linfeng’s ears, however, these words landed as a complete rebuke from a woman directed at a man who had failed to provide for her — the implication being that precisely because he could not establish himself and secure his footing, his woman could not bring herself to put her mind at ease and bear him a child.

And so Han Linfeng’s expression froze over, and he stared at Su Luoyun for a long moment, then suddenly wrapped his arms around her and said in a low voice, with a grip that seemed nearly enough to break her slender waist: “That matter… I will discuss it with you later…”

Su Luoyun was somewhat at a loss — the matter of bearing a child… surely one simply did it? What was there to discuss?

At that thought, she found her cheeks blooming red, her mind having wandered off in the wrong direction entirely.

While Han Linfeng quietly reined in his own feelings, he caught sight of the flushed face of the beauty in his arms, and felt a wave of something close to satisfaction: so she knew she had done me a disservice, and was blushing with shame…

These two, each secretly harboring their own private thoughts, shared only a brief reunion before it was time to part reluctantly once more.

Ahead, another great battle was fast approaching. Back in the rear, in every household and residence, people too were beginning to feel the war pressing nearer.

The earlier incident at Tianbao Tower in Huicheng had made such an enormous commotion — even the family members of officials had died in it.

And so when the war at the frontier was mentioned again, for the families of these officials it was no longer idle after-meal conversation, a dull topic unrelated to themselves.

In these recent days, Princess Yuyang no longer complained of boredom. Besides occasionally visiting the temple to pray for blessings, she had begun organizing the many military families who had retreated from Jingzhou to the rear, gathering them together to sew quilts for warmth against the cold nights.

Although spring had arrived, these lands lay far north, and the nights still carried a biting chill — quilts for warmth were genuinely needed.

The Princely Consort had been ill and bedridden ever since that fright she had suffered, and everything that would normally have been her responsibility to organize was pushed entirely onto Su Luoyun.

Su Luoyun’s eyes had only recently recovered. In addition to sewing close-fitting garments for her husband, she had taken on some handwork for herself as well — in her spare moments she would sit in her rooms and ply needle and thread.

Her needlework had once been exceptional, but the years of blindness had allowed it to fall badly out of practice.

Yet she was afraid of straining her eyes, and after sewing a few stitches she would come to the window to gaze into the distance — which meant she made slow progress.

She had barely sewn a few more stitches when the maidservant Huai Xia came in to report: “Shizi’s consort, I heard from the people in the front courtyard that someone has come from the Princess Consort’s maternal family.”

Su Luoyun was momentarily startled, then understood: it was someone from the Zong family.

Yet Liangzhou was presently in turmoil with the war — it was hardly a suitable time for visiting relatives. Why had the Zong family chosen this of all moments to call?

By protocol, when guests arrived at the household, the Princely Consort should summon the young daughter-in-law to meet and greet the visitors.

Su Luoyun, thinking she ought not to be late, changed her clothes in advance and re-dressed her hair, then continued sewing while waiting for the summons.

But half the day passed without any word being sent from the Princess Consort.

Su Luoyun was quite accustomed to the Princely Consort’s habit of overlooking her in the presence of outsiders. Since no summons came, she had no intention of pushing herself forward uninvited.

Yet hardly had she removed her outer robe, preparing to change back into everyday clothes, when the Princely Consort sent someone to request her presence after all.

When she arrived, she found that the Zong family’s visitor was the Princely Consort’s younger brother, Zong Jinnian.

Whatever had passed between the sister and brother before her arrival, both were wearing expressions of deep anxiety.

The Princely Consort in particular — her cold ailment had never properly healed, and she now looked as though each cough might be her last.

Before Su Luoyun had even finished exchanging proper greetings with Uncle Zong, the Princely Consort was already pressing a hand to her mouth and waving Su Luoyun over with the other: “I have heard Yao’er say that you are acquainted with many of the noble households in the capital. There is a thorny matter before us now, and the question is whether you have anyone useful who might help smooth the path. Even if it costs a thousand or ten thousand taels of silver, I am willing.”

Su Luoyun asked carefully what the matter was.

The Princely Consort found it mortifying to speak of her family’s embarrassments to her daughter-in-law, and felt the loss of face keenly.

Driven to desperation, this woman who had always been too proud to show weakness could not hold back a touch of moisture at the corner of her eye: “Three months ago, when your Zong maternal grandfather was helping to transport grain to the front lines, some carelessness in the lower officials’ bookkeeping resulted in a few entries being muddled. Someone seized on this as a handle against him, threatening to report the matter to the Emperor. Fortunately the Second Master of the Junguohou residence happened to be overseeing that particular matter and managed to hold things back for the time being. He only told your uncle that if the matter were ever reported, your maternal grandfather would certainly be thrown into prison. For a younger man it would be endurable — one could survive the year and come out again. But your maternal grandfather is advanced in years — how could he withstand such an ordeal?”

Hearing this, Su Luoyun’s mind moved swiftly and she immediately guessed the thread that would follow, but she said nothing and simply let the Princess Consort continue: “The Second Master said that since the Zong family had caused this sort of trouble, it would likely draw in many others if it spread. So the Duke of Jun, upon hearing of the matter, conveyed to the Second Master, in a roundabout way, that if the engagement between Yao’er and the Third Young Master could be dissolved, he might be willing to consider suppressing this affair on the Zong family’s behalf.”

Su Luoyun had indeed anticipated this turn of events, and said gently: “Since the Duke of Jun’s residence is so mindful of personal courtesy and willing to offer assistance, is that not a favorable thing?”

The Princely Consort’s face had turned an apoplectic shade: “They are going back on their word! How could I give them what they want? I will not rely on their family for anything — you think of any path we might take instead, and even if it costs thousands upon thousands of taels, I am willing!”

Su Luoyun thought for a moment, and then asked softly: “I am bold enough to ask one question — what hold does Mother have over the Duke of Jun’s residence, that you were able to secure this engagement for your younger sister-in-law in the first place?”

The Princely Consort’s expression stiffened, and she said: “Why do you ask that?”

Su Luoyun considered for a moment and said: “Right now the only fighting is in the north. The shipment of military supplies you mentioned would ultimately have been headed for the Qianxi supply camp. Yet it happened — quite coincidentally — to take a roundabout route through Taizhou, and happened to run into trouble in Taizhou of all places, and happened to be intercepted by the Second Master of the Duke of Jun’s residence. Does it not seem to Mother that there are rather too many of these coincidences?”

The Princely Consort had already sprung to her feet, staring at Su Luoyun with wide eyes: “You… are saying that the Duke of Jun’s residence deliberately set a trap for my father and framed him?”

Su Luoyun did not actually believe the Duke of Jun’s people would invent charges against someone from thin air. Han Linfeng’s grandfather in name only — going by Han Linfeng’s own account — was a man of large eyes and even larger appetite, the sort who would pluck a feather from every passing goose. It was precisely his poor reputation as an official that had cut off his own path to advancement.

Ordinarily, petty pilfering in a remote backwater like Taizhou went unnoticed by anyone. But when a shipment of richly loaded military supplies passed before his eyes, how could he resist finding a way to take a share?

And so while the Duke of Jun’s residence certainly bore some suspicion of having laid a snare, the snare only worked because there was a dog greedy enough to take the bait.

Now that the Duke of Jun’s residence had this handle firmly in their grip, if the Princely Consort still insisted on causing trouble and refusing to comply, Su Luoyun was genuinely worried that the affair would reach out and implicate the Beizhen Prince’s residence.

The accusation letter case had only just been resolved — the prince’s residence could not withstand yet another bout of upheaval.

The Princely Consort, hearing all this, grew only more indignant, and slapped the table: “The Duke of Jun’s residence actually dares to calculate against people in this manner? All for the sake of dissolving the engagement with Yao’er? What a house of wolves and dogs! I truly misjudged them!”

Su Luoyun thought to herself: you were willing to act on the first day of the month, so why should others be forbidden from acting on the fifteenth?

The Princely Consort had originally leveraged the handle of the Duke of Jun’s residence’s error in transporting military supplies to push through this ill-matched engagement in the first place. Now they were merely paying her back in her own coin.

But she could not add fuel to the fire at this moment — she could only attempt to mediate: “Mother, you have never had any deep acquaintance with the Duchess of Jun. She is a woman of exacting nature and considerable severity — one look at her and people feel a kind of instinctive wariness. If she were fond of Han Yao, that would be one thing. But if she is not — even if you refuse to dissolve the engagement this time and send younger sister-in-law across to marry in, she would be alone in the capital with no one to turn to for comfort. This girl who has been pampered and sheltered at your side for so long — if she truly entered a household of such ruthless calculation and unfathomable scheming, would she not simply be ground down and worn away until she withered?”

This time, when trouble came from the Princely Consort’s maternal family, she had told Su Luoyun before saying a word to the prince. There was naturally a calculation in this on the Princely Consort’s part: firstly, Su Luoyun had connections in the capital, and if she could use those to call in favors and spend silver to suppress the matter, so much the better. Secondly, the Princely Consort genuinely had no patience for listening to the prince make cold, sardonic remarks about her family.

Han Yao’s engagement in particular — the prince had never agreed with it in the first place. Now that this trouble had erupted, he would only use it as occasion to berate both her and the Zong family together.

The Princely Consort’s long-standing coldness toward Su Luoyun had, in truth, been seven parts the work of Nanny Xi.

Ever since that kick to the chest Han Linfeng had delivered, Nanny Xi had never properly recovered, and had been obliged to retire and return home. With her departure, the Princely Consort found herself rid of what had been an aged and perennial troublemaker at her side.

Added to that, the experiences at Tianbao Tower and the silver investigation at the Qianxi supply camp had shown the Princely Consort that this daughter-in-law of hers was someone who did not lose her head in a crisis — and so she had come to trust her a measure.

The same grievances against the Duke of Jun’s residence, spoken by Han Yao, would have sounded childish and picky. Spoken calmly by Su Luoyun, they landed with considerably more weight in the Princely Consort’s heart.

Seen in this light, the Duke of Jun’s residence was truly cold-blooded and heartless! The Beizhen Prince’s residence had once kindly concealed their errors for them — and yet the household had repaid that kindness with treachery, scheming against them in such a manner!

The Princely Consort had entirely forgotten her own earlier use of coercion and persuasion to extract the engagement from the Duke of Jun’s residence in the first place, and had convinced herself entirely that the Duke and Duchess of Jun had wronged her.

She fumed and paced in circles for some time, then turned to Su Luoyun: “Then according to you — what should be done?”

Su Luoyun thought for a moment and said: “I believe this matter ought to be reported to the Prince and the Shizi.”

The Princely Consort shot her a sharp look: “If I could tell them, would I need to come to you? Since you are unwilling to help, I shall not trouble you further — and you are not to breathe a word of this to anyone!”

Yet Su Luoyun could not bring herself to promise something she was incapable of doing. She gave her mother-in-law a curtsy and said: “This matter cannot be concealed. The Duke of Jun’s residence has endured and waited until now before suddenly springing the trap — they have most certainly made thorough preparations. If you conceal it and say nothing, I fear it will grow into a great disaster later on…”

Before she had even finished, Zong Jinnian spoke up impatiently from the side: “I knew this matter should never have been told to a young woman — instead of helping, she makes things worse! You, girl — how dare you argue back against your mother-in-law! Sister, are you not going to reprimand this daughter-in-law of yours?”

Su Luoyun raised her eyes and looked at this maternal uncle. Even from his features alone, she could see he was the type given over to drink and indulgence. She said mildly: “Uncle has come from a great distance — is it to resolve the matter at hand, or to stir up trouble and unsettle the prince’s household?”

The Princely Consort knew very well that her younger brother was someone who ruined more than he achieved, and shot him a fierce look. Then, her tone cooling noticeably, she said: “Your maternal uncle from the Zong family is meeting you for the first time. He does not know your caliber, nor does he know that there are people who would dare bully you — and that your husband would lift his foot and kick them clean through the chest.”