Chapter 128: He Must Die

Jing Tianlie returned home to find Sun Hongyan sitting blankly in the courtyard, looking utterly dazed. There were no mourning decorations hung in the house, as Jing Heng was of the younger generation and the second son.

Watching Sun Hongyan, Jing Tianlie sighed inwardly and spoke to a maid nearby: "Put a cloak on your mistress; do not let her catch a chill."

The maid immediately retrieved a cloak and draped it over Sun Hongyan.

Jing Tianlie entered his room, where Wuming appeared before him.

"Long Chengen is going to Qianjiang County to suppress the sea pirates. Take your men and ensure he dies there." Jing Tianlie’s voice was low, heavy with hatred.

Wuming replied, "As you command!"

"I am heading to Yufu Pass; you cannot follow me there." Wuming was worried for Jing Tianlie’s safety, fearing the Empress might make a move against him.

Jing Tianlie shook his head. "The imperial court has no other generals to rely on; Yufu Pass requires my Red Flame Army. The Emperor will not do anything to me, at least not for now."

"I originally thought Long Chengen was merely a paramour of the Fourth Princess, but I was careless. The Emperor is intentionally grooming Long Chengen; she wants him to replace the Great General’s Mansion."

While suppressing sea pirates was indeed troublesome and the imperial military forces were stretched thin, they were not yet at the point of having no soldiers to deploy. The Empress could easily have assigned twenty thousand troops to Long Chen for the campaign. Instead, she had allowed him to recruit locally, which was tantamount to tacitly permitting him to build his own army.

Jing Tianlie finally realized that Long Chen’s threat was not just about seizing control of the Ministry of Revenue; he intended to replace him entirely. Therefore, Long Chen had to die.

"The Emperor actually intends to move against the Great General’s Mansion? How many great contributions have we made for the Great Zhou? The old General..." Wuming felt a sense of injustice for his master, sensing the cruelty of discarding a hunting dog once the game was caught.

Jing Tianlie sneered, "I will not let her have her way. Once I kill Long Chengen, the Great Zhou will still have only me to rely on!"

Wuming bowed. "I understand. I will ensure Long Chengen never returns!" With the survival of the Great General’s Mansion at stake, Wuming was determined to kill Long Chen this time.

"Go and prepare. I estimate Long Chengen will depart tomorrow. I shall leave for Yufu Pass shortly; you need not see me off." Only by returning to the Red Flame Army would Jing Tianlie feel at ease. The capital was filled with the Empress’s troops and Shadow Guards, leaving him feeling vulnerable.

"You are leaving so soon, General?" Wuming asked, surprised.

"This place is no longer safe. I do not know what I will find when I return..." Jing Tianlie felt a sudden wave of melancholy. "Tell Feng not to act rashly. He must command the cavalry well, and do not tell him of Jing Heng’s death. Also, prepare an escape route. Should things change, take my mother and wife and retreat."

Wuming was shocked; this was essentially giving final instructions. Had it truly come to the point of rebellion? "General, if the capital is unsafe, why not take the Old Madam to Yufu Pass?"

As soon as he said it, Wuming realized the foolishness of his question. Everyone knew Jing Tianlie was a devoted son; leaving the Old Madam in the capital was effectively placing her as a hostage for the Empress. To take her away would be an open declaration of treason. "I was foolish," Wuming muttered.

Jing Tianlie shook his head. "Go."

...

In the Li residence, located in Li Family Lane in the capital.

A man in white pushed open the gate. A dozen servants were busy inside; seeing him, they quickly bowed. "Young Master is back."

The person was Bai Tingting, and this was the home of Li Junjun. A clerk in the Censorate could never afford such a luxurious estate; the money had all come from Bai Qiulian. Although the Empress had investigated Bai Qiulian, she had not confiscated the property, knowing that Li Junjun was an honest man.

Bai Tingting ignored the servants and headed straight for her room with her sword in hand. As she reached the door, she saw Li Junjun coming out. "Have you eaten?" he asked.

Bai Tingting stopped and looked back. "I need money!"

Li Junjun froze for a moment, then asked happily, "How much?" Bai Tingting rarely spoke to Bai Qiulian or him, spending her days leaping over roofs and walls, appearing and vanishing like a shadow. Only when she caused trouble would Bai Qiulian step in to clean up the mess. The fact that she was speaking to him now made him happy.

"The more, the better." Bai Tingting looked at Li Junjun with undisguised contempt.

Li Junjun immediately went back into the room, retrieved a bag of gold coins, and said, "Here is..."

Bai Tingting snatched the bag from his hand, entered her room, and slammed the door shut. Li Junjun stared at the closed door, his joy gradually fading. He stood at the doorway for a while, sighed, and returned to his own room.

...

At the Ministry of War.

Vice Minister Wang Wei hurried out of the office, his face etched with fatigue. Since Bai Qiulian was under investigation, he, as a Vice Minister, had fared no better, having been interrogated by the Censorate all day.

Leaving the office, Wang Wei walked to a street stall that sold roast duck; he liked to buy half a duck to treat himself after work every day.

Reaching the stall, the owner said with a smile, "Vice Minister Wang, please pick one."

Wang Wei pointed to one, and the owner efficiently cut it in half, chopped it into small pieces, dipped it in sauce, wrapped it carefully, and handed it to him. Wang Wei took the duck, reached into his sleeve, pulled out a large coin, and tossed it to the owner.

"Thank you, Vice Minister Wang." The owner smiled and placed the coin into the cash box.

...

The next day, at the Qiu Xing Palace.

Long Chen was fully dressed, wearing fine armor beneath his down jacket and a cloak. Zhang Qian was re-checking their supplies to ensure nothing was missing. Xiang Ning was packing food, her eyes red.

"My Lord, when will you return?"

Long Chen smiled. "Why cry? When I return, I will bring you something delicious."

Outside, Di Luoxi entered, clad in armor; she, too, was preparing to depart. "Be safe in Qianjiang County. It is easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against a hidden arrow. Your mission is more dangerous than mine."

"Zhang Qian, you must stay by his side at all times. Even when he goes to pee, you follow him." Di Luoxi gave explicit instructions, fearing any mishap for Long Chen.

Zhang Qian replied, "We already pee together all the time."

Di Luoxi: "???"

Di Luoxi had only meant it as a simple metaphor; she hadn't expected Zhang Qian to take it literally.

"Princess, you worry too much. I am a grown man; I can take care of myself." Long Chen was speechless; Di Luoxi treated him like some inexperienced novice. In reality, Long Chen had fought more battles with the Long Family Army than she had; he had even fought her mother, the Empress.

"You must return safely!" After her instructions, Di Luoxi left with Xuan Yi and Qing Yue toward Linjiang City.

Long Chen met with Wu Jian at the palace gate with Zhang Qian, then headed to the barracks to inspect the troops.

At the entrance of the camp, Long Chen said, "By order of the Empress, I am here to mobilize one thousand soldiers to suppress the pirates in Qianjiang County."

A female general, even more robust than Li Xiannan, walked out and bowed. "Tang Na of the Capital Camp greets Lord Long."

As a general of the Capital Camp, she held a high rank. She was courteous to Long Chen because he had forced Jing Heng to his death and dealt a heavy blow to Jing Tianlie; she admired his capability.

"General Tang is too kind." Long Chen dismounted to return the salute.

"The one thousand elite soldiers ordered by the Empress have been selected. Please inspect them, Lord Long."

As Tang Na spoke, a tall female general in silver armor walked out of the camp. She had a slender waist, long legs, a sharp face, a high nose, deep-set eyes, and brown hair. Her eyes were not black, but an amber hue. At a glance, she was clearly not from the Central Plains, possessing the exotic features of the Western Regions.