Zhao Wuji had already learned to conceal his edge. Normally by Han Qian’s side, he was like a servant responsible for carrying the bow. But at this moment, as soon as Han Qian’s words fell, Zhao Wuji’s figure shrank back. Before anyone could blink, he had already entered the courtyard, his body like a wildcat. In the next instant, he was already standing atop the courtyard wall, holding the Black Cloud Bow in his hands, with three iron-tipped arrows already nocked on the string, like a beast hidden in the shadows, simultaneously watching the movements in both the front courtyard and main courtyard.
At the same time, several short whistle blasts sounded from the corners of the courtyard.
Seeing Han Qian tear off all pretense without any consideration for face, Han Daoxun could understand that during his years in Xuanzhou, Han Qian had truly been bullied quite severely by Han Jun, Han Duan, and the others.
However, he didn’t want Han Qian to threaten people using a small child. He beckoned to Han Renhai, saying, “Renhai, come to great-grandfather’s side.” He led Han Renhai over and returned him to his nephew’s wife Yang Shi, but didn’t want to interfere with other matters.
Han Jun had brought seventeen or eighteen household soldiers this time and didn’t believe Han Qian could really do anything to them. But in the blink of an eye, he saw dozens of figures standing on the courtyard walls, holding either blades and swords or crossbows, no fewer than fifty people, completely and tightly surrounding the front courtyard, just waiting for Han Qian to give one command to turn his old estate household soldiers left in the front courtyard into pincushions.
Han Jun’s expression changed somewhat. He truly didn’t know when third uncle’s residence had raised so many household soldiers.
Although some household soldiers remained at the manor to manage affairs there, wherever Han Qian was, the forty household soldier disciples who were to receive Han Qian’s instruction would basically follow. The household soldiers and household soldier disciples from the six nearby courtyards, upon hearing the warning whistle, could climb the courtyard walls using bamboo ladders in just a dozen breaths at most!
Though the household soldier disciples’ physiques couldn’t be called very robust, thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen years old was precisely the age for growing bodies. Over the past half year, Han Qian would rather have pawned his underwear to raise money to supplement their meat diet. The vast majority had grown much taller. In this era of severe nutritional deficiency, they didn’t appear weak.
What shocked Han Jun and Han Duan even more was that these still somewhat tender youths, in groups of four or five, squatting or standing guard on the wall tops, were more silent than the few official household soldiers in this residence, and appeared even more dangerous, displaying a firmer will, completely without the hesitation and uncertainty of Fan Xicheng and others who were still secretly observing Han Daoxun’s expression.
Han Jun also commanded troops and knew that with one command from Han Qian, these reckless youths who didn’t know what consequences meant would absolutely strike without hesitation.
Han Jun’s face darkened. Seeing that third uncle Han Daoxun had no intention of rebuking Han Qian, though he regretted walking into the trap today, he also knew this matter would be difficult to resolve peacefully. He said to the old servant attending him, “Have Niu Erdan and the other three come in!”
The old estate household soldiers in the front courtyard hadn’t figured out what was happening when, under the threat of dozens of bows and crossbows, Fan Xicheng and his men confiscated their weapons. Afterward, the four household soldiers with nicknames Niu Erdan and Gou Lu were dragged in by Fan Xicheng, Fan Dahei, Lin Haizheng, Zhao Kuo, and others, standing before the corridor.
“You offended Qilang in the past. All of you kneel down and apologize to Qilang!” Knowing this matter couldn’t end peacefully today, Han Jun commanded in a low voice for his four most trusted servants to kneel and apologize to Han Qian.
Niu Erdan, Gou Lu, and the other two didn’t understand why, and felt unconvinced in their hearts. But with young master Han Jun’s command, they didn’t dare disobey. They immediately fell to their knees with a thud, saying to Han Qian, “We have greatly offended you in the past. Please, Seventh Young Master, forgive this humble one’s transgressions.”
“Since you can admit your mistakes, it’s not too late,” Han Qian nodded slightly, saying, “Then each of you will have one arm broken!”
Han Jun and Han Duan’s faces darkened. They didn’t respond to Han Qian but stared at Han Daoxun: “Will third uncle really let the whole world laugh at our Han family?”
“Is Qian’er’s request very excessive?” Han Daoxun still remembered how Han Qian looked when he had just brought him back from Xuanzhou. His second brother had trained Han Duan’s several sons to be shrewd and capable, yet indulged Han Qian in becoming addicted to wine and sex at such a young age. There was resentment in his heart, but he could only swallow it down with gritted teeth.
At this moment, with Han Qian settling old accounts, even if Han Daoxun didn’t want the Han family’s internal conflicts completely exposed, there was an irrepressible satisfaction in his heart.
Of course, more importantly, Han Daoxun saw that Han Qian’s demeanor was now calm and composed, without any ferocious or extreme attitude. He thought Han Qian must have his reasons for doing this.
“Kneel!” Seeing Han Daoxun’s attitude, Han Jun naturally had nothing more to say. Seeing the four household soldiers about to stand up, he could only order them to kneel under the corridor and receive family punishment.
Fan Xicheng, Fan Dahei, Lin Haizheng, and Zhao Kuo were all hesitant and uncertain. They thought that after all, everyone belonged to the Han family. Even if these four had offended Han Qian before, was it necessary to use cruel punishment and cripple one of their arms?
“Guo Nu’er, you all come administer the punishment!” Han Qian sat there. Seeing that the household soldiers his father brought ultimately weren’t useful enough, he called out to several household soldier disciples still guarding the courtyard wall.
Immediately, four youths with slightly thin builds jumped down from the courtyard wall. Without any of Fan Xicheng and others’ hesitation, they drew their sabres and, sheath and all, struck and smashed down on the right arms of those four household soldiers.
Guo Nu’er and the other three were ultimately still small in strength, and the sabres with their sheaths were also light. After striking and smashing fiercely twice, they still couldn’t break the right arms of these four household soldiers. This instead aroused the vicious nature of the old estate household soldier nicknamed Niu Erdan, who turned around to grab Guo Nu’er and kicked him into the courtyard with one foot.
“Swoosh!”
An arrow came shooting, like a gust of wind blowing past. Niu Erdan felt his neck stung by a mosquito. Reaching up to touch it, he discovered an arrow had already pierced through his neck, blood spurting out like a fountain.
The household soldier nicknamed Gou Lu instinctively wanted to grab a household soldier disciple as a shield, but an arrow had already pierced through his shoulder socket. Looking up, he saw the youth Zhao Wuji crouching like a hunting leopard on the opposite courtyard wall, the Black Cloud Bow in his hands already drawn to full draw again. At this moment, he had no doubt whatsoever that with the slightest movement, the next arrow would unhesitatingly pierce through his neck!
“Guo Nu’er, continue.”
Han Qian could never forget the humiliation of seeing Jing Niang disheveled coming out of Han Jun’s room while he himself was beaten by these four servants. At this moment, his thoughts were cruel, without half a bit of pity for these evil servants. Completely disregarding Niu Erdan still struggling and convulsing on the ground before the corridor, he told Guo Nu’er and the others to continue the punishment.
Yang Jia was so frightened her hands and feet trembled. Using her sleeves to cover her children’s eyes, she looked at Han Qian as if he were a man-eating demon.
With the youth Zhao Wuji who dared to shoot and kill holding his bow on the courtyard wall, Han Jun’s face also paled and he didn’t dare say anything more. After watching Gou Lu and the other two have their right arms broken by Guo Nu’er and the other youths, he had someone tie Niu Erdan’s corpse to a horse’s back and left with his wife and children to stay at the Han Family Copper Vessel Shop.
……
……
As Fan Xicheng, Han Laoshan, and others silently washed clean the bloodstains from the courtyard, Han Qian had Qing Yun and Zhao Ting’er withdraw from the courtyard.
“Does father blame your son for refusing to show mercy when gaining the advantage?” Han Qian asked.
“You must at least give me an explanation.” Having served in Chuzhou for many years, Han Daoxun was no stranger to bloodshed. He looked at Han Qian calmly and said.
“His Majesty’s health was poor for a period recently, and various parties have become restless again. Even eldest uncle in Chizhou couldn’t sit still.” Han Qian said.
“That’s correct. Han Jun is being transferred to serve as Vice Administrator of the Northern Bureau of the Bureau of Military Affairs!” Han Daoxun said.
The garrison of various borders and the capital region, and the selection and appointment of mid to high-ranking military officers, were mainly under the Bureau of Military Affairs’ jurisdiction. The Bureau of Military Affairs’ power was much greater than the Ministry of War, one of the Six Ministries.
The Northern Bureau of the Bureau of Military Affairs governed military and political affairs along the borders of Shouzhou, Chuzhou, and Xiangzhou, as well as overseeing matters north of the Yangtze River. It could be said that Great Chu’s three most important war zones were all under the Northern Bureau’s jurisdiction.
Although the Northern Bureau had several Vice Administrators besides the Administrator, and above them the Vice Director of Military Affairs Niu Gengru personally supervised the Northern Bureau, and Xu Mingzhen’s Shouzhou and Prince Xin’s Chuzhou weren’t easily controlled by the Northern Bureau, the Northern Bureau was still Great Chu’s most important vital department.
Even serving as Vice Administrator of the Bureau of Military Affairs’ Northern Bureau could be considered a rising star, frequently receiving audiences with Emperor Tianyou, counted among the sovereign’s close ministers.
This didn’t surprise Han Qian. After all, with his eldest uncle having Han Jun and Han Duan enter Jinling at this time, besides aligning with Anning Palace and the Crown Prince’s faction, he truly couldn’t imagine any other choice his eldest uncle would make.
“The Third Prince wants to establish a secret bureau within the Dragon Sparrow General’s Office. Marquis Xinchang Li Pu actually favors having me serve as Left Counselor of the secret bureau, and his attitude is quite firm. Until I saw Han Jun and Han Duan come calling, I still hadn’t figured out what was going on,” Han Qian said. “And since eldest uncle’s side has also made their choice, no matter what, we are destined to part ways with eldest uncle and second uncle this time. In that case, we might as well make it bigger and more decisive!”
“Truly, eight or nine out of ten things in this world don’t go as one wishes!” Han Daoxun couldn’t help but let out a long sigh. He didn’t wish to get involved in succession struggles, and even hoped Han Qian could also stay out of it, but many things were no longer for him to decide.
Honestly speaking, Han Daoxun would never advocate for any faction to privately establish secret organizations to undermine the court’s laws and regulations beyond the Court of Judicial Review, the Censorate, and the Bureau of Military Affairs’ Department of Operations. But in his heart, he also understood clearly that this matter was absolutely not something he could prevent.
Marquis Xinchang Li Pu should have known early on about Han Jun taking up a post in the Bureau of Military Affairs’ Northern Bureau, and should have regarded it as an important signal. That he forcefully recommended Han Qian today to take charge of the Left Bureau of the secret bureau before Third Prince Yang Yuanpu could also be considered a kind of test.
“When Marquis Xinchang raised this proposal today, I realized something had happened. I agreed to take charge of the Left Bureau of the secret bureau for the Third Prince, but I also proposed conditions, hoping Marquis Xinchang could help father take up a provincial post. For this matter to succeed, I cannot show any mercy to the people from the old estate.” Han Qian said.
Over the past half year or more, Han Qian had shown himself to be increasingly composed and decisive in judgment. Particularly after the manuscript of “Annotations on the Chapter on Use of Spies” was completed, Han Daoxun recognized that Han Qian’s learning and mental maturity already far surpassed his peers. This was why when Han Qian’s methods toward the people from the old estate were exceptionally violent just now, Han Daoxun didn’t stop him.
And now hearing Han Qian explain everything clearly, all that remained in Han Daoxun’s heart was a slight sigh, secretly feeling that if it were himself, he truly might not have Han Qian’s ruthless decisiveness.