“False surrender?” Zhao Hanzhang’s eyes brightened as she looked from Shi Lei to Zhang Bin, praising highly, “This method is excellent. Let’s discuss it in detail.”

False surrender and using spies naturally couldn’t be implemented immediately—it required laying considerable groundwork.

The purpose of this groundwork was to gain Wang Jun’s trust. Only when he sufficiently believed in Shi Lei, believed in his genuine surrender, could Shi Lei accomplish anything.

But currently, Shi Lei was doing well under her command, and their situation looked very promising. In contrast, You Province, being plundered by the Xiongnu, faced crisis after crisis. Why would Shi Lei surrender to him?

Unless things weren’t going well for him with Zhao Hanzhang.

Zhao Hanzhang’s gaze shifted. “Perfect—this human trafficking case means General Shi must suffer some grievances.”

Her eyes gleamed as she looked at him. “Please return all the confiscated property. I’ll have Fan Ying demand it back—how about that?”

Shi Lei, who had already decided where that property would go: …

He didn’t really want to hand it over, but if he didn’t, how could he appear aggrieved?

Shi Lei could only agree.

Zhao Hanzhang then summoned Ming Yu as well. For espionage schemes, this person had considerable experience.

The four discussed the upcoming operations, finally deciding to wrong both Shi Lei and Liu Kun.

Shi Lei was manageable—he was in on it. As for Liu Kun, Zhao Hanzhang could only apologize mentally to this kindred spirit, then everyone began taking action.

Zhao Hanzhang insisted on thoroughly investigating the human trafficking case. Liu Kun originally agreed because it would be difficult for Shi Lei to find solid evidence, and Zhao Hanzhang handled cases by evidence, so ultimately she’d have to release the people.

Of course, this didn’t mean Liu Kun participated in or knew about the human trafficking. As an inspector, especially one with ambitions and aspirations, he wouldn’t do such things that destroyed his own foundation.

However, when Shi Lei submitted some confessions and various fragmentary evidence, although lacking solid proof, one could reasonably infer those people were connected to these unsavory matters—just with varying degrees of involvement.

Liu Kun was very displeased, but some of these people were implicated in other matters. Comparatively, the human trafficking case seemed minor to him. To avoid pulling up the radish and bringing out mud, he could only swallow his disgust and protect those few.

Originally, if everything proceeded according to Zhao Hanzhang’s requirements, Shi Lei couldn’t find solid evidence and would ultimately have to release them.

But unexpectedly, Shi Lei was brutal—he directly dragged people to the marketplace for public flogging, questioning them sentence by sentence repeatedly.

Being stripped naked and beaten in front of everyone—such humiliation no scholar could endure. Thus many confessed publicly, and even without solid evidence, they manufactured it.

Liu Kun watched as they said more and more, almost reciting the inventory of goods he sent annually to the Xianbei. He finally couldn’t bear it. He brought soldiers to surround the marketplace, drove away the watching civilians, and confronted Shi Lei directly.

He regretted it—he shouldn’t have thought about recruiting Shi Lei. Such barbarians suited barbarians like the Xiongnu. How could they live among civilized people who understood reason?

This matter ultimately alarmed Zhao Hanzhang.

Zhao Hanzhang and Ming Yu rushed over. Liu Kun immediately complained to her, “These are coerced confessions. How have scholar-officials ever suffered such humiliation?”

He shouted loudly, “Public torture—the maliciousness of this heart, the wickedness of this action, is comparable to King Zhou of Shang cutting out hearts and examining entrails. Inspector Zhao, will you not intervene?”

Zhao Hanzhang’s expression darkened, her eyes full of fury as she glared at Shi Lei. This wasn’t what they’d discussed earlier—they’d clearly agreed to escalate tensions through the confiscated property, not public torture!

Shi Lei raised his chin slightly, looking defiant.

Zhao Hanzhang’s expression grew even darker. She immediately ordered, “Men, escort General Shi back to cool down. Cool down.”

Looking at those bound to stakes and stripped for punishment, fire practically blazed in her eyes. She immediately had her guards release them, help them dress, and take them back to the military camp.

Liu Kun stopped her, his expression somewhat softened. “Hanzhang, I must take these people.”

Zhao Hanzhang’s face was cold. “This matter is no longer just Jinyang’s local affair. I will definitely investigate it thoroughly. Yueshi is involved, inevitably biased. Let’s have both regions jointly supervise this case.”

Liu Kun was annoyed. “They just suffered cruel torture—these are coerced confessions that can’t be counted.”

Zhao Hanzhang turned sharply toward him. “Even without using these confessions, I can still investigate this case thoroughly!”

Liu Kun started, “They suffered such humiliation and should receive some compensation…”

“Yueshi!” Zhao Hanzhang looked at him sternly. “Shi Lei’s wrongdoing is one matter; privately kidnapping and trafficking people is another.”

Liu Kun was awed by her presence, pausing for quite a while before breaking free from that trembling sensation of being pressured by a superior. His expression ugly, he couldn’t help questioning, “In these chaotic times, human life is like grass. Human trafficking occurs everywhere—even aristocratic families participate. Why does Hanzhang single out Jinyang for prosecution?”

“They treat people like wild grass—what about you, Yueshi?” Zhao Hanzhang countered. “Do you also treat human lives like grass?”

Liu Kun opened his mouth but couldn’t speak, because he couldn’t treat human lives like grass, but…

Liu Kun said dejectedly, “I know they all participated, just to varying degrees. But I believe they can accomplish more while alive, can save more lives.”

Unable to abandon the people yet lacking the ability to turn the tide alone, he laid out the situation and passed the burden to Zhao Hanzhang’s shoulders, saying, “You don’t know—some of these people have deep dealings with the Xianbei. Why can the Xianbei be used by me to help defend the city? They all contributed. The silks, fabrics, and precious porcelain sent annually to the Tuoba Xianbei—they provide thirty percent.”

This was why Liu Kun wanted to protect them—they had rendered service to this city.

He said, “Hanzhang, I cannot let those with merit feel discouraged.”

Zhao Hanzhang’s heart was hard as iron. She sneered coldly, “That thirty percent is merely the meager profit they extracted from this city’s people. They use the blood and flesh squeezed from the people to claim credit with you, making it seem this city can’t function without them. Yueshi must not forget—those kidnapped and sold were also Jinyang’s people. They also rendered service to this city!”

She continued, “For a city, people are most important! They’re undermining Jinyang’s foundation, undermining Dajin’s foundation, even undermining humanity’s foundation!”

She gripped his shoulder tightly. “Moral convictions come from ethics. They destroy virtue so thoroughly—if we don’t correct this chaos, the consequences will be endless!”

“After the Ganlu Incident, propriety and music collapsed throughout the realm, morality degraded. The order the Han Dynasty spent four hundred years rebuilding—the Sima family destroyed it in one day. Today, Yueshi, do you want to repeat the same mistake?”

Liu Yueshi’s expression changed dramatically. For a long while he said nothing.

As a descendant of the Han imperial house, he took great pride in his ancestors’ achievements, but as a Jin subject, he suffered greatly.

—