Watching Mao Linye’s expression, Feng Jiu’er guessed he must have realized something.

This man really was capable — his martial skill wasn’t lacking, and his talent for making money and managing people was formidable too. She hadn’t expected him to know medicine as well.

It made sense, really — for Fenggang Town to have transformed from a barren, forsaken place into the prosperous town it was now, its master had to be no ordinary man.

Feng Jiu’er had assumed that once Mao Linye realized he’d wrongly accused someone, he’d rescind the order he’d just given.

Instead, he simply set the letter down on the table and looked around at everyone in the hall before speaking.

“The letter is gone. I have no way to prove to you now that the Third Prince truly wrote to General Cai.”

“But the truth is the truth — it needs no proof.”

“Within that mysterious organization, the Third Prince is present. It was he who had General Cai burn down my medicine factory.”

“Last night, while my factory burned, my men caught General Cai near the site.”

Mao Linye waved a hand, and two maidservants went around, refilling tea and wine for the four commanders.

“As you all know, I hold a rather unique medicine — good medicine, in high demand, and quite profitable.”

“General Cai destroyed so much of my medicine — his intentions couldn’t be clearer.”

“I even suspect that mysterious force everyone’s been whispering about is actually His Majesty’s own people.”

“Think about it — our Heitan territory has always minded its own business. Why would the current situation have suddenly erupted?”

“His Majesty doesn’t want us to dominate unchecked. He sent the Third Prince to join forces with Yue Jianfei of Yue City, wanting to wipe all of us out and reclaim control over Heitan territory.”

“You have no proof — this is all your own conjecture,” Cheng Wenzhi said flatly.

“And with no proof, how are we supposed to believe you?”

Mao Linye looked at him, not angry, the corner of his mouth curving up slightly instead.

“Then tell me, what are your thoughts? Do you think I’m the only one who’s uncovered word of the Third Prince?”

“My people found the same thing. The one who fought the First Prince at Yongshan City — that was the Third Prince,” Cheng Wenzhi said calmly.

“And this isn’t exactly a secret either — I’d guess everyone here has already heard of it, haven’t you?”

Cheng Wenzhi looked at Jia Jinhe, who nodded. He looked at Yuan Xiao, who nodded as well.

Liang Datong gripped his teacup and asked flatly, “So — are we openly defying His Majesty, then?”

For a moment, the hall fell silent.

It was a question none of them had considered before.

Heitan territory was separated from the capital by a thousand mountains and rivers — as the saying goes, the mountains are high and the emperor is far away. His Majesty rarely concerned himself with matters here.

Because of this, over the years, every city in Heitan territory had come to govern itself.

In many places, the wealthy grew ever wealthier, and the poor grew ever poorer.

For the wealthy, they had no wish to change the status quo, while the poor had no means to change it even if they wanted to.

The wealthy were, of course, the ones with power — and with enough to eat and wear, who would want to defy the imperial court and court their own destruction?

“Brother Liang, that’s a serious thing to say.” Jia Jinhe’s burly frame couldn’t help trembling slightly just now.

“We’re all law-abiding people — we’ve never once thought of rebellion.”

“And yet, that’s exactly what we’ve done,” Liang Datong said, looking at Jia Jinhe, raising an eyebrow.

“If what Brother Mao says is true, then His Majesty wants to suppress our Heitan territory and sent the Third Prince specifically to put us down.”

“And here we are, refusing to submit quietly, still obstructing His Majesty’s business — there’s no difference between that and rebellion.”

“But if that person isn’t really the Third Prince — if someone else has been impersonating him — or perhaps…”

Liang Datong looked toward Mao Linye and closed his eyes for a moment.

“Or perhaps it really is as simple as we think — that Yue Jianfei of Yue City, together with the mysterious force, wants to swallow up every city in Heitan territory.”

“And to stop that from happening, we’ve all sent troops here to Pingyuan City in support.”

“And the elder brother of Pingyuan City’s own City Lord — not only did he kill his own younger brother to seize the position of City Lord, but for his own private gain, he’s now trying to make us defy the imperial court.”

“Leading us all straight to our deaths, and caring nothing for it!”

As Liang Datong’s words fell, Cheng Wenzhi, Jia Jinhe, and Yuan Xiao all turned to look at Mao Linye.

Mao Linye was, after all, only the Town Head, while the four men present were, each in their own city, the most important figures beneath the City Lords themselves —

what one might call men who answered to no one but their lord, and commanded all beneath them.

They hadn’t shied from the hardship of the journey to bring troops in support, and yet now they found themselves seated in the lower positions, with the seat of honor occupied not by a City Lord, but by a mere Town Head.

All these things — no one said them aloud, but there was no shortage of quiet resentment in their hearts.

And Liang Datong’s few words forced them to confront the issue head-on.

“Mao Linye.” It was Cheng Wenzhi who spoke.

“We all know how you’ve made your living all these years. If General Cai stood in the way of that, it was surely by His Majesty’s own intent.”

“Your medicine has harmed no small number of people — even in the cities nearby, there are plenty who’ve suffered for it. This is already an open secret.”

“So personally, I think His Majesty burning your medicine is doing the people a service.”

“You’d best release General Cai.”

“Yes, release General Cai,” Jia Jinhe said.

“Release him,” Yuan Xiao added. “Otherwise, I see no reason to stay any longer.”

Mao Linye’s expression darkened at once, a chill radiating from his entire body.

“Are you threatening me?” he asked coldly.

“Not a threat — a suggestion,” Yuan Xiao said again. “We are subjects of the Feng clan, and it’s our duty to protect the Feng clan’s officials.”

“Brother Mao, we all know you’re more capable than City Lord Mao ever was. But if you insist on staying stubborn about this, we truly see no reason to remain.”

“Bad news, boss, bad news!” Outside, a man dressed as a guard came rushing in.

“Boss, somehow the people outside found out that we killed General Cai — now General Cai’s three thousand troops are storming in.”

The guard who’d rushed in was wearing the uniform of Mao Linye’s own Fenggang forces, but Mao Linye didn’t recognize his face at all.

“Boss, quick! Let’s go take cover first.” Without waiting for Mao Linye to respond, the guard waved a hand and turned to walk out.

“Mao Linye, you really did kill the general!” Cheng Wenzhi stood, glaring at Mao Linye.

“You’re insane!” Jia Jinhe rose as well.

“Let’s go, leave for now.” Yuan Xiao glanced at Jia Jinhe and turned to walk away.

Once he left, the others followed.

Outside, the sounds of fighting broke out. Mao Linye rubbed at his furrowed brow and strode out.

Once everyone had left the hall, Feng Jiu’er also vanished from the rafters.

Cai Junyao really was dead — dead with no one left to bear witness, and his troops were bound to fight to the death for him.

Mao Linye had no choice but to mobilize his own forces to suppress the imperial troops.

In the end, the word that spread was that of the three thousand imperial troops, some had died, some were wounded, and those who survived had all been imprisoned by Mao Linye.