Meng Jianqing had originally thought that without evidence, and with that suspicious menial worker having reliable guarantors, his guilt probably couldn’t be established. But the Imperial Guard’s case handling was completely different from what he had imagined. Regardless of whether there was evidence, as long as it was related to the case, everyone would first be arrested and questioned later. Thus, all the menial workers from Jiangwu Hall who had been present that day were taken away for interrogation. The Imperial Guard’s imperial prison had long enjoyed great fame. Halfway there, that suspicious menial worker finally couldn’t contain himself and fled—had he not escaped, once he entered the imperial prison, guilty or innocent, he would lose a layer of skin if not his life. His escape played right into Shen Guangli’s hands. That very night, the guarantor’s and the Ministry of War handler’s entire families and relatives were all arrested. Following the trail methodically, preferring wrongful punishment to letting anyone escape, within three days, Shen Guangli had indeed uncovered leads—that suspicious menial worker was connected to Zhang Shicheng’s former subordinates.
Once this case was opened up, how many more than dozens of people were implicated? All males sixteen and older in the guarantor’s and handler’s entire clans were executed, while the remaining population was sold into slavery. Two clerks and five secretaries from the Ministry of War, responsible for assigning menial workers to Jiangwu Hall, were sent to Fengyang for hard labor. All other menial workers at Jiangwu Hall were detained to investigate whether there were any remaining conspirators.
Thus, all manner of menial tasks fell to the first-term new students.
These young men could still manage chopping wood, lighting fires, sweeping courtyards, washing dishes, ringing bells, and even watering plants and trees. But as for cooking, this was truly beyond help.
The one reluctantly taking up the large ladle was Gongsun Yi, who had luckily escaped with his life from the exercise ground. Everyone said Gongsun Yi had great fortune and destiny, with extraordinarily good luck, so surely this head chef position would come naturally to him without learning. Thus, they joined hands to push him onto the cooking platform, and now he couldn’t get down even if he wanted to.
Gongsun Yi threw unevenly chopped old pumpkin into the oil pot and hurriedly jumped back, but the splashing oil still burned his hands, making him blow on them repeatedly while muttering complaints about the Imperial Guard’s vine-pulling investigative methods that caused them to suffer collateral damage as well.
Just as he was complaining, someone suddenly called from the kitchen doorway, “Gongsun Yi, Chief Instructor Cai is calling for you!”
Gongsun Yi was startled and hurriedly removed his greasy outer robe, not forgetting to wash his hands before rushing to the small hall where Chief Instructor Cai received students.
There were already about ten people in the small hall. Gongsun Yi recognized Meng Jianchen and Guanxi among them.
It probably wasn’t anything bad.
Gongsun Yi anxiously stood at the back of the line.
Cai Ben cleared his throat and announced the reason for summoning these students. It turned out Prince Yan had personally selected them to be directly transferred to serve in the Beiping military.
This was naturally a good thing. Even after graduating properly three years later, they might not have such an opportunity.
While excited, Gongsun Yi was also somewhat puzzled. How were the two most outstanding students, Ling Feng and Guo Ying, not selected, while he—a student with mediocre grades in all subjects who had nearly lost his life during the exercises—was chosen?
Quite a few students shared his confusion. Not daring to ask other instructors, they only dared quietly ask Instructor Kong, with whom they were most familiar. Instructor Kong smiled and said, “Ling Feng and Guo Ying were long ago noticed by General Lan Yu and are to be transferred to Yunnan. How could Prince Yan steal another’s good fortune? As for you, Gongsun Yi, His Highness said that having survived great calamity, you must have great fortune ahead. You’ll likely be a fortunate general. Since ancient times, fortunate generals, like famous generals, are a rare encounter!”
The group of new students burst into laughter, and Gongsun Yi also scratched his head and chuckled.
Well, though it was a bit of that, when good luck was going to fall on someone’s head, it was something that couldn’t be stopped.
Another person asked, “Why did Prince Yan select Meng Jianchen but not Meng Jianqing?”
Logically, during that day’s exercise, Meng Jianqing had merit for exposing the assassins and should have been more qualified for selection than Meng Jianchen.
Instructor Kong shrugged, “His Highness is magnanimous—how could he steal another’s good fortune?”
Everyone guessed that someone who had noticed Meng Jianqing was probably also some great general, so Prince Yan didn’t want to cause trouble.
But Meng Jianqing knew the truth in his heart.
Though he had never met him, he had already learned that the Shen Qianhu in charge of the assassin case was the same Shen Guangli who had come to Ninghai Guard last autumn to investigate Mr. Yan Er’s case.
Now he had heard many legends about Shen Guangli and knew of this Lord Shen’s mystery and terrifying nature.
Had Shen Guangli already become suspicious of him, thus preventing Prince Yan from selecting him?
At Jiangwu Hall, he had never let anyone see his true blade techniques—except for that aerial strike on the exercise ground.
He didn’t know whether Shen Guangli had seen it or become suspicious, but he preferred to plan for such a possibility.
Would the Imperial Guard’s vine-pulling investigations one day also fall upon his head?
He now stood on a sheet of thin ice that could crack at any moment. With no other way out, he could only grit his teeth and continue forward until the thin ice finally cracked, or until he finally stepped onto solid ground.