Demoness, where are you Fleeing to?
Chapter 542 - 435: Moves like a Thunderbolt_1

Chapter 542: Chapter 435: Moves like a Thunderbolt_1

It wasn’t until he entered Chengtian Gate that Huangfu Xuanji learned that his trusted advisor Sun Ran had been murdered. His face turned ashen, the fury in his gaze almost tangible.

"Investigate thoroughly! Take my nameplate, go to the Shuntian Government Yamen and the inner chang, urge them to thoroughly investigate this case! In the capital, in broad daylight, they have such audacity!

Ensure they find the murderers quickly - I want them cut into a thousand pieces!"

At Huangfu Xuanji’s furious roar, several attendants immediately took his nameplate and ran off.

Huangfu Xuanji then began to gaze around coldly.

Sun Ran’s death had filled him with rage, but even more so, it filled him with dread.

Huangfu Xuanji had already realized the danger of his opponent. The counterattack from Earl Chengyi’s mansion was fierce and brutal, far beyond his expectations. What shocked him most was their unscrupulous means - they actually assassinated his advisor in Shiyong Lane, a place so close to the palace and frequented by nobles. Was there anything they wouldn’t do?

Hence, the most important thing now was not Sun Ran’s death, but counterattacking.

He realized that no matter what, he had to remove Li Chengji from his position as the Caojiang Tidu today. Only by doing so could he suppress the backlash.

But now, with the death of both the Minister of War Li Wenyu and Sun Ran, his only option was to take matters into his own hands and get in touch with the old colleagues of his elder brother and father.

Huangfu Xuanji then located a few familiar faces among the officials streaming into Chengtian Gate.

Huangfu Xuanji’s eyes gleamed slightly and he promptly strode over. To his surprise, upon noticing him, several military officials and nobles showed a change in their countenances and hurriedly stepped aside to evade him.

Their actions seemed as if they were avoiding a disaster, hinting at a sense of helplessness and fear.

Seeing this, Huangfu Xuanji felt slightly taken aback and looked at them in confusion. He frowned, then turned to approach another group of officials filing into Chengtian Gate.

This was a group of military officials and nobles, headed by the Co-Dudu of the Central Army and Marquis of Wuding, Cao Yi. As one of the few ranking officials remaining after the debacle at Tumu Fort, the Marquis had a high standing and clout at court.

However, as Huangfu Xuanji took great strides to approach, everyone around the Marquis turned solemn.

Next, many of them quickened their pace to avoid Huangfu Xuanji purposely, as if he were non-existent.

The Marquis of Wuding, Cao Yi, didn’t even give Huangfu Xuanji a chance to speak. He offered a salute to Huangfu Xuanji and proceeded into the depths of the palace with the steps of a dragon or tiger.

"Uncle Cao!" Overwhelmed with shock and anger, Huangfu Xuanji called out, "During the war in the past, it was my father who stood up for you, preserving you from being held accountable by Emperor Taizong."

The Marquis of Wuding, Cao Yi, finally stopped, looked at Huangfu Xuanji with a complicated gaze, and said, "Huangfu nephew, why put yourself through this?"

Huangfu Xuanji glanced at the officials passing by, then full of confusion, he saluted the Marquis of Wuding, Cao Yi: "Uncle Cao, our two families have been close friends for more than a century. Why do you avoid me today?"

"Don’t you know what you’ve done yourself?" After staring at Huangfu Xuanji for a long moment, Cao Yi sighed softly: "Well, considering our two families’ friendships, I will tell you the truth. Yesterday, Earl Chengyi, Li Chengji, sent a message to all the nobles and military families. He said that whoever dares help you, the Li family will fight bitterly to the end with them, till one of them is completely destroyed."

Upon hearing this, Huangfu Xuanji nearly burst out in laughter. He wondered if Li Chengji had lost his mind. Doing something so mindless?

When had any of the noble families of the northern military been threatened so openly after the Jingnan conflict?

If Li Chengji brought such messages, it would only incite public anger, attracting more enemies for Earl Chengyi’s mansion.

However, Huangfu Xuanji’s heart sank immediately after. The reality was not that Li Chengji was being isolated and targeted, but rather it was Huangfu Xuanji himself that everyone wanted to avoid as swiftly as possible.

—There must be something he didn’t know about happening.

Huangfu Xuanji wore a grim expression: "So, Uncle Cao, you’re just going to follow his orders?"

The Marquis of Wuding, Cao Yi, hesitated slightly, then smiled bitterly: "A day ago, the grain merchant from Datong, Liang Tong, was arrested by the Shanxi brocade clothed Qianhu, Liu Dan, for the crime of colluding with the Waci people of Meng Wu, providing them with grain and weapons. For twenty-two years, Liang Tong has smuggled one and a half million Shi (measurement unit) of grain and two hundred and twenty thousand items of weaponry into the grasslands. Secret accounts and hidden arsenals have been found as evidence. Additionally, there are many loose ends remaining from the recent Shenqi Union case."

Huangfu Xuanji was slightly stunned. He wondered what this corruption case in Shanxi had to do with his feud with Earl Chengyi.

He was aware of the man, Datong grain merchant Liang Tong. This man had brought gifts to Fuguogong’s mansion in the past, approximately thirty thousand taels of patterned silver every year. However, the man didn’t have any significant relationship with him, Huangfu Xuanji.

Even if Liang Tong got himself into trouble, it had nothing to do with him.

As for the Shenqi Union, it had even less to do with them.

However, Huangfu Xuanji had soon figured out the truth, causing his breath to hitch slightly.

Liang Tong’s alliance with the Shenqi Union, able to transport food and weapons to the grasslands, inevitably involves the military generals in Datong, Xuanfu, and other places.

Since Emperor Taizong ascended to the throne, Datong and Xuanfu have been under the control of Jingnan nobles. The complex relationships involved more than half of the northern military.

"Qianhu Liu Dan from the Shanxi’s Xiuyiwei division is a brother-in-law of Li Chengji. It is said that he has obtained a detailed list from Liang Tong, involving over twenty military officers of Qianhu or higher rank. The Shenqi Union is now in the hands of Earl Chengyi’s mansion."

Cao Yi clenched his fists and grunted angrily with flushing cheeks, "If this incident hadn’t happened, I would not have known that these reckless fools have the audacity to commit such outrageous acts!

"How many years has it been since the entire army of Duke Qiguo was wiped out in the grasslands? Are they no longer able to remember their pain? They even dared to condone the merchants to sell food and weapons to the grasslands. They are still unrepentant even after the devastating defeat at Tumu Fort."

His voice was complex, seemingly filled with indignation, frustration, and anger over the decay and corruption of the northern military families.

In Huangfu Xuanji’s heart it was as cold as ice. He knew of Cao Yi’s mention of Duke Qi Guo, who had led an army of tens of thousands against the grasslands during the Taizong era, only for all to be lost.

Since then, Emperor Tai of the Jin Dynasty had banned the trade of weapons at the border with the grasslands, even going so far as to capture several major merchants and skin them alive.

As for Qianhu Liu Dan of the Shanxi’s Xiuyiwei division, Huangfu Xuanji had heard of him. He was the cousin of Li Chengji’s wife, Mrs. Liu.

Although the role of Qianhu in the Shanxi’s Xiuyiwei division was only a fifth-rank official, it had significant influence. This was because there were only fifteen Qianhu in the entire Jin Dynasty.

Each Qianhu was in charge of the patrol and capture operations in one province.

However, Huangfu Xuanji had never expected that the devastating blow would come from Shanxi.

"So, is Li Chengji threatening us with this matter?"

"Although he didn’t say so in the letter he wrote to me, the implied threat is clear."

Cao Yi took a sigh, "Our necks are in their grasp, what else is there to say? In his letter, he mentioned that this is just a personal grudge between him and you, Huangfu Xuanji. But if we interfere, it’ll become a conflict between Earl Chengyi’s mansion and the northern military families."

Cao Yi laughed bitterly, "At other times, I wouldn’t mind the leverage he has in his hands. It’s best if all the implicated military officers died. But now, Yu Jie holds the title of Minister of War, with unmatched power, and he can’t tolerate the slightest flaw. Especially since the Crown Prince fell ill, the Emperor might want to establish his authority. Once that list falls into Yu Jie’s hands, it will set off a storm of bloodshed. Xuanji, you must understand my and the other authorities’ dilemma."

Huangfu Xuanji was filled with inexplicable resentment. He understood what Cao Yi meant – that he was worried this case would eventually implicate each family, so they wanted to sacrifice him, Huangfu Xuanji?

"Uncle Cao!" Huangfu Xuanji tried to control the suppressed anger in his chest, "We Jingnan military families have been united for over a hundred years. Will you just stand by and watch as Li Chengji strikes your nephew down?"

Yet, Cao Yi’s expression gradually turned colder. After a long while, he finally spoke, "Nephew, I naturally want to help you, but I am powerless. You must understand that these are different times from before Tumu Fort. Eight out of the ten Jingnan military families have fallen, and we can barely maintain our status in the court."

"And you’ve offended the Earl Chengyi’s mansion, which is now at its peak. I have heard about what happened in the south. Earl Jingan, Li Xuan, along with six great heavenly-level individuals, could even kill great demons like Wu Zhiqi, Chang Ze, and Xiangyue. Their momentum is so formidable, it’s no less than the old Fuguogong’s mansion. Let me say something that might not be appropriate here-"

Looking at Huangfu Xuanji, his voice was calm and indifferent, "Even if a new emperor ascends to the throne after the current emperor abdicates, he would inevitably have to pay respects to the Li family and trying to win them over. The foundation for their place in the world is now in military power, not the emperor’s favor."

"As for you, nephew, why did you have to offend them? Moreover, I don’t know what your purpose was in releasing Wu Zhiqi, but no matter what your plot is, you chose the wrong opponent and your methods were excessively vicious."

"Uncle, how could you say such a thing? How dare I release Wu Zhiqi? This claim is absolutely absurd!"

Huangfu Xuanji was about to say that he was being framed by Earl Chengyi, but under Cao Yi’s icy gaze, he found himself unable to speak.

He had noticed the anger in Cao Yi’s eyes.

"If you say it wasn’t you, then it wasn’t." the Marquis of Wuding, Cao Yi’s expression grew colder, "In any case, I can’t help you with your dispute with Earl Chengyi. I can’t help you, so you’ll have to figure it out yourself."

Upon finishing, he couldn’t help but sigh, remembering the old first Duke of Fuguogong Huangfu Shenji and the Prince of Hejian, Huangfu Yu, "Be careful during the court meeting later. If possible, it’s best that you take some precautions in advance. Earl Chengyi, Li Chengji, is intelligent and ruthless. He is sure to have more schemes up his sleeve."

"From what I know of him, once he makes a move against you, he will certainly strive to pull out the roots and leave no lingering troubles. Moreover, yesterday, the Huaiyang merchant Peng Babai visited seventeen civil and military court officials on behalf of Li Chengji in the capital. I don’t know what secret discussion they had."

At this moment, Huangfu Xuanji felt chilled to his core. He looked in the direction of the Taihe Gate at a distance, dread seeping into his heart.

He began to dread the upcoming court meeting ——