Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
In the night, Dazhou was surrounded by flaming torches. With the sky and earth filled with twinkling lights, Dazhou was just as bright as daylight. The previous director of the Overwatch Council, the Qing Emperor’s most loyal servant and subject, Chen Pingping, looked at the people kneeling to him in his wheelchair on either side of the road. The expression on his face did not tremble. His fine and deep wrinkles did not fold in like a chrysanthemum. Instead, they stood out coldly like the yellow dirt on the plains that have been shaped by thousands of years of rain.
His withered and aged hands slowly stroked across the woolen blanket. The light grey blanket was always smooth and comfortable. Each time he stroked it, Chen Pingping felt he was stroking something he wasn’t fortunate enough to touch.
Without much time, he learned from the internal court eunuch what had happened in Dazhou and the identity of the court criminal being tended to and protected by that Overwatch Council official.
Gao Da? Chen Pingping was not familiar with the name, but he was also not a stranger to it. He knew he was once Fan Xian’s trusted guard. He glanced at the blood-covered court criminal. His cold pupils gradually shrank.
The Overwatch Council did not know Gao Da was still alive. Chen Pingping sighed in his heart. He thought that even the head of the Tiger Guards had been twisted by Fan Xian into being a person who valued his life. An Zhi, who usually appeared indifferent and boring, would have thought that he had such charm in minutiae.
Just as Chen Pingping had muttered to himself earlier, coincidence’s mother had actually given birth to coincidence. This was not a very coincidental thing. Causes and effects were destined, and past events were destined. Then it landed like so. Just like how the 30 Overwatch Council’s black carriages formed a group as they were only passing commonly through Dazhou. Outside Dazhou, they had, by chance, ran into the court pursuing a criminal, who happened to once be Fan Xian’s man.
This was also not a coincidence or a chance encounter. There was perhaps something hidden behind all of it.
“It is truly incredible that Scholar He was able to find an escaped criminal,” Chen Pingping said with a slight smile and cough. Behind him, his ever-present old servant pushed his wheelchair toward the crowd of people. The wheelchair rolled across the road and made a squeaking noise that made one’s heart ring with fear.
In the palace, internal court eunuch He Qigan’s seniority was very high, but his nature was dark. He was never liked by the nobles in the court, so his status was not very important. Having served in the Royal Palace for decades, he knew what sort of attitude he should now display.
Leading the other two eunuchs and aces of the 13 Ministry of Justice Yamens in dispersing the siege, he was terrified Director Chen would think that they had some feelings of enmity.
He Qigan knew how terrifying Director Chen was. He did not dare to have any extravagant hopes. Since they had run into Director Chen, if he gave the order, they could still take this court criminal away. Of course, from a different perspective, he did not think the retired old Director would go against the Emperor’s edict for such an unassuming court criminal. After all, Director Chen was the Emperor’s most loyal subordinate.
However, he had forgotten two things. Chen Pingping knew Gao Da belonged to Fan Xian, and Fan Xian never liked others to deal with his people, even if the so-called others were people sent by the Palace. Second, Chen Pingping was caught in the midst of complicated emotions. He looked at the fainted court criminal, Gao Da, on the ground and considered things that others could not understand.
The tending of the Overwatch Council was effective. Gao Da finally slowly woke up in a puddle of his own blood. He should not have taken such heavy injuries, but he had been protecting his wife and child. There were some deep wounds that cut to his bones from using his body and arms to catch the knife strikes.
The moment he awoke, he was blinded by the torches all around him. Gao Da’s dry lips trembled. He then he looked at the black carriage in front of him and the figure on the wheelchair. He had not seen Director Chen many times, but he knew what kind of person Director Chen was, particularly after he saw the Director’s worried and complicated gaze.
The mute woman saw her husband had woken and was overjoyed. Holding the child, she half-knelt by his side and nodded her thanks repeatedly to the Overwatch Council members around her. This woman of the common folk did not know how delicate the present situation was or that regardless of whether he was saved, it was all a lure for the major things that followed.
It would all depend on what Chen Pingping did.
Gao Da’s expression dimmed. He knew if Chen Pingping saved his life for Sir Fan junior’s sake, then He Zongwei would be able to use it to drag Fan Xian and Chen Pingping under.
His finger moved slightly. A ruthless expression flashed through his eyes. His finger came down on his temple. He wanted to escape earlier because he was alone. With his wife and child, even faced with the powerful machinery of the Qing Kingdom, he would still stubbornly live on until the day he could not live on anymore.
However, he wanted to commit suicide now because he knew that if he lived, he would bring trouble to Chen Pingping and create a difficult problem for the Sir Fan junior.
Thus, he chose to commit suicide. Chen Pingping saw him move but did not make any reaction. A glimmer of approval flashed through his eyes and a tiny understanding smile flashed across his lips.
With a slap, the Overwatch Council officials who had been standing guard by Gao Da’s side easily put a stop to Gao Da’s thoughts of suicide. He gazed at Gao Da and said coldly, “You’ve managed, against all odds, to live an extra three years. You even have a wife and child. Why are you in such a hurry to die?”
This voice was familiar. Gao Da’s heart trembled slightly. With great difficulty, he twisted his head but saw a completely unfamiliar face. The Overwatch Council official returned to his original tone. Combined with the familiar teasing light in the eyes, Gao Da immediately knew his identity.
Gao Da’s dry lips trembled slightly, but he could not speak. Looking at the Overwatch Council official like he had seen a ghost, he finally said in a very low voice, with a smile and a sob, “So… You’re still alive.”
The Overwatch Council official smiled slightly and tightened the strips of cloth on his body. Patting his hand, he said, “Who doesn’t want to live? With the Director here, your life and death is not up to you.”
Chen Pingping leaned against the black wheelchair with apparent tiredness. The Chen Garden women on either side of the carriages had gone to relieve themselves in the woods. Fortunately, those embarrassing sounds did not reach them. Only the sound of the teasing smiles grew gradually higher.
The old man narrowed his eyes. He looked at Gao Da and said, “You are not Gao Da.”
Gao Da’s heart jumped. He looked at the Director with confusion.
Chen Pingping slowly said, “You are only a minor figure. Your life and death is not a major matter, so it is best if you live.”
With these words, not just Gao Da and the Overwatch Council official beside him, but also the Ministry of Justice aces scattered around, He Qigan and the other internal court eunuchs sensed something strange happening. Tiger Guard Gao Da, who had escaped before the battle and the court criminal Scholar He had investigated in secret for a long time, was only an unremarkable and minor figure in the eyes of the Overwatch Council. Or, more accurately, in the eyes of Chen Pingping.
He Qigan silently retreated a few steps The Dazhou Zhizhou quickly moved over and bowed solemnly to Chen Pingping. He invited the old Director into the city to rest.
The Overwatch Council was a Special Forces organization. It was the organization the officials were the most scared of and hated the most. Yet, it was also the organization they most desired to make a connection with. Chen Pingping and Fan Xian were powerful people who did not need to form alliances in court, so the civil officials of the Qing Kingdom could never find such an opportunity.
This was a great opportunity for the Dazhou Zhizhou to curry favor with Director Chen, thus currying favor from Sir Fan junior. As an official, he would not want to miss such an opportunity. As for the court criminal, that was the business of the internal court and Ministry of Justice. It had nothing to do with him.
Chen Pingping did not pay any attention to the official. He only looked coldly at Gao Da and thought about his own matters,
Just as it was said previously, Chen Pingping did not believe Gao Da’s abrupt appearance was a coincidence. He Zongwei’s secret investigations into Gao Da and Wang Qinian could be kept from the Overwatch Council, but it could not be kept from the Emperor. Why had the Emperor chosen for this matter to come out during his return route? The only reason and excuse were to interrogate him.
Far away in Jingdou and separated by a thousand li, the Emperor interrogated Chen Pingping. Are you the Emperor’s loyal dog or are you a powerful official with his own will?
Powerful officials never had good ends, even one such as Lin Ruofu who saw the opportunity and retreated cleanly and absolutely. He hid away in Wuzhou to be a landlord. Yet, he was still terrified at all times that the Emperor might become unhappy one day.
Chen Pingping was not an ordinary official. He didn’t have to worry about these things. He knew the Emperor only wanted to ask him one question and then see his stance toward the Emperor.
Chen Pingping suddenly smiled. His smile was strange. Blown by the night wind and illuminated by the torches, it was like the gold chrysanthemum in the Hanging Temple that shone endlessly. It was unafraid of the cold wind, ignoring the dust of the world, just shining on.
“Let Gao Da recover from his injuries,” he said with a smile as he gently stroked the arm of his wheelchair.
The dozens of people the Jingdou court had sent to capture the criminal and hundreds of bailiffs and Dazhou soldiers all felt their hearts chill upon hearing these quiet words. They knew Director Chen had decided to interfere. Although they did resist, nor could they resist against the Overwatch Council swordsmen and secret agents in the 30 carriages and forces hidden in the darkness, they still felt a shock.
If Chen Pingping wanted to save this man, the Emperor would probably have to allow it for his sake. He Qigan and the aces of the 13 yamens all thought this in their hearts. Their expressions were very ugly and uncomfortable. However, no one dared express any opposition to Chen Pingping’s words.
Opposition would be ineffective. They didn’t have the power to oppose. He Qigan’s throat was dry. He felt could not resign himself to the situation. He had been sent by the internal court to Scholar He’s side and drifted through the Qing Kingdom for a year. He had been moments away from capturing Gao Da. In an instant, he had messed up the entire mission. Once he returned to the capital and reported to his supervisor and the head eunuch that it was old Director Chen who had interfered, what did it have to do with him?
The delicate sounding and beautiful women of the Chen Garden finally returned. They opened their eyes wide and looked curiously at the people surrounded by the torches. They didn’t know what had happened or what their master had said or was thinking. They were not worried. Regardless of whether it was in Chen Garden, in the guerilla warfare during the Jingdou rebellion, or now on their way home, they always had people of the Overwatch Council at their side to protect them. Officials from everywhere always treated them with great etiquette.
They were orphan girls Chen Pingping had bought back from poverty-stricken places. Other than being beautiful and having a good singing voice, they had no other talents. Chen Pingping was willing to raise them and protect them. If Chen Pingping collapsed, who knew what tragedy would befall these hothouse flowers.
Chen Pingping lowered his head. He listened to the familiar sounds of the women not far behind him and smiled slightly. He did not have the carriages follow Dazhou Zhizhou’s invitation into the city to spend the night. Instead, he sat calmly in his wheelchair. Looking at the complicated expressions of the internal court eunuch and Ministry of Justice officials, he seemed to be thinking about something or waiting for something. Then, he closed his eyes.
There were not many people left who understood the Qing Emperor like Chen Pingping. Gao Da was indeed a minor figure, even a touchstone did not have such hardness. However, a person’s heart was always subjective. It was as if the Emperor was saying to Chen Pingping in the dark mountains, “This criminal is the rock that I have left you.”
There were many choices in front of Chen Pingping. He could rescue Gao Da and continue returning home, even though he knew someone would immediately come before him. But, just as Ye Zhong and Eunuch Yao thought, who could hold Chen Pingping in the mountain wilds of the Qing Kingdom?
He could ignore Gao Da’s life and death and take the women in the carriage back home, retire, and pass the rest of his life.
The Emperor was giving Chen Pingping one last chance to choose. Perhaps both of the choices outlined above were ones that the Emperor wanted to see. The Emperor knew if Chen Pingping didn’t want to return to Jingdou to face him again, then no one could force him to do so.
Chen Pingping didn’t move. The atmosphere by the road was becoming stranger and stranger. Many people noticed that Chen Pingping seemed to be waiting for something. Was someone else coming?
The Overwatch Council official who had been standing by Gao Da’s side the whole time approached the wheelchair. Lowering his body, he quietly said some things by Chen Pingping’s ear. Chen Pinging slowly shook his head. He shook it very but firmly.
Before long, noises gradually rose from behind them on the road. The noises were not loud. On the contrary, they seemed very careful.
The officials of the Overwatch Council did not block the group. Instead, they used their gazes to cautiously escort them into the center of the circle of torches.
The Dazhou Zhizhou, He Qigan, the other internal court eunuchs, and officials of the Ministry of Justice finally saw this group clearly and knew who the old Director was waiting for. Amidst their shock, they couldn’t help but feel a chill. The old Director had long known what would happen after.
If this was a massive game of chess, then He Qigan, the internal court eunuchs, the long-suffering officials of the Ministry of Justice, and even He Zongwei, who had laid out this plan, were actually all unremarkable little pawns on the chessboard.
The people He Zongwei had sent did not have an imperial edict in hand. The Overwatch Council interfering did not constitute an opposition of edict. Given Chen Pingping’s position, it would not be a problem. However, the imperial edict finally arrived.
Among the dozen people military group, there was not an imperial edict announcing eunuch. These Qing army soldiers wore grey armor and were unusually heroical. However, they wore a complicated expression on their faces.
The leading soldier held a bright yellow edict high in the air.
The sound of hooves shattered the quiet outside Dazhou. All of the soldiers dismounted their horses in unison and bowed formally toward Chen Pingping in the wheelchair. Then, the leader carrying the imperial edict began to read it in a trembling voice.
The edict had nothing to do with Chen Pingping, who was retiring home. It was only focused on the court criminal Gao Da, who was on an Overwatch Council carriage at the moment. It ordered the officials of the Ministry of Justice to quickly bring this criminal back to the capital. No one was to obstruct them. Otherwise, they would be convicted of treason.
After the edict was announced, it was so quiet one could hear the water dripping off the grass not far away. Everyone’s gaze was turned fearfully toward the old man in the wheelchair. Even the stupidest person had seen the problem. How could there be such a coincidence in the world? The Overwatch Council had said the internal court did not have an imperial edict and suddenly an imperial edict appeared in Dazhou.
The Dazhou Zhizhou unconsciously took a step back, as did everyone else. They finally understood that the situation was actually a game between the Emperor and Director Chen. They had no right to participate in this matter or even look at it.
The leader finished reading the imperial edict in a trembling voice. He then put the bright yellow cloth back into his clothing and approached the wheelchair to kneel down on one knee. In a low voice, he said, “I am the deputy commander of the Jingdou Garrison, Guan Xiong. I am here by order of the commander to help the internal court and Ministry of Justice to capture the court criminal. Please, grant us this favor.”
Chen Pingping’s face paled slightly. He knew that this would eventually happen. In the end, the Emperor still did not block off the final path. Perhaps it was because the Emperor knew that he would certainly block it off himself.
The matter began with Gao Da, but it had nothing to do with Gao Da. It was just a mutual questioning between him and the Emperor.
…
…
In the distant mountains, amidst a patch of silence, all of the horses chewed on their reigns. Three Qing war horses were well trained, so there wasn’t even the sound of scuffing hooves. Thousands of elite riders of the Jingdou Garrison were waiting in this mountain valley for the last order to begin their attack. With thousands of armored riders charging against the 30 black carriages on the road, it would not be a difficult battle. Regardless of whether it was Commander Shi Fei at the front of the Jingdou officials and soldiers behind him who knew what was happening, they all felt that this would perhaps be the most difficult battle in their entire lives.
Shi Fei sat silently on his horse. He put down the simple telescope in his hands. He had not forgotten that only a few of these telescopes had been produced in the entire Qing Kingdom. The one in his hand had been a gift from Sir Fan junior.
Throughout his life, Shi Fei had experienced countless battles and was truly a disciple of hundreds of battles. Three years ago, during the Dong Mountain incident, the Commander of the Northern Expedition camp, Yan Xiaoyi, had turned traitor and led thousands of personal soldiers in surrounding the Dong Mountain. The entire Northern Expedition camp sank into chaos. Although the rebellion failed later, the Northern Expedition Camp was left without a leader. It was likely to revolt or collapse. At that time, Shi Fei had been burdened with an important order and rode along into the Northern Expedition Camp. With a simple imperial edict, he had subdued tens of thousands of soldiers. It was because of this achievement that he became the present Commander of the Jingdou Garrison.
One person was able to subdue tens of thousands of people. Now, thousands of people were going to go against an old man sitting in a wheelchair. Shi Fei was still very nervous.
The edict announcing group had already left, Shi Fei prayed that Director Chen would retreat when faced with the imperial edict. For some reason, he knew Chen Pingping would not retreat, not even by a step.
It was a very strange feeling. Perhaps the Emperor knew Chen Pingping did not want to back down so left him a way out.
He didn’t know what had happened between the Emperor and Director Chen, but he knew this matter must have wedged in deeply between the two of them. Even though the Director had clearly retired, it still forced the two of them to choose to fight face to face.
The road illuminated by the torches seemed to sink into a silence. Chen Pingping seemed to shake his head again slowly.
Shi Fei took a deep breath. The cold mountain air entered his lungs. It was so cold it hurt. He slowly pulled down his visor and said in a low voice, “Get ready.”
Thousands of armored riders prepared to surround the previous Director of the Overwatch Council, Chen Pingping.
…
…
“The Emperor wants me to back to ask me some things,” Chen Pingping said with a slight smile as he sat in his wheelchair. “This is something I had long expected. I had not thought that he would resist until now to ask. And, I had not thought that other than asking, he would also make so much trouble.”
He shook his head and sighed. “The Emperor still does not know me well enough.”
The Overwatch Council officials suddenly knelt by his side and said through gritted teeth, “You must follow the edict!”
“No, I’ve followed edicts my entire life. I’m about to die, what’s the point of following them?” Chen Pingping said with a smile. “The Emperor wants to ask me some things and I… also want to ask him some things to his face.”
His face became cold, and his gaze became icy. Looking at the hundreds of people illuminated by the torchlight, he said coldly, “After a lifetime, there are always many questions that have been in one’s heart for a long time that needed to be asked.”
After these words fell, a thunder of hooves rang out outside Dazhou. The moonlight reflecting off armor immediately suppressed the light of the torches. A great plume of dust rose in the dark on the road. In a few breaths, they had come close to the group of carriages. Thousands of soldiers flowed in silently and severely.
Everyone’s face grew deathly pale as they watched this scene in a daze. The delicate women in the carriages saw this scene and couldn’t help but scream.
Chen Pingping sat in his wheelchair. His expression did not change. Only a self-mocking smile rose to the corners of his lips. He didn’t speak. None of the Overwatch Council subordinates attacked. They only gripped the handle of their metal rods tightly and kept their fingers hooked through their bows as they nervously watched the riders come charging through the fields on either side.
Unlike a usual battle, which confused everyone, the thousands of riders did not press their advantage and charge straight into the group of carriages to begin killing. Instead, they willingly gave up the advantage of their charging horses and slowed down at the last moment. They only formed into three vanguards and surrounded the 30 carriages.
On the dark road, under the red firelight, and among the silvery moonlight, the thousands of armored riders formed a startling sight. There was an aura of death.
The old servant slowly turned around as he pushed the wheelchair. Chen Pingping supported his chin on his hand as he looked at the commander, hidden completely behind grey armor, who had come from the fields beside the road. With a slight smile, he said, “You want to take me back with just 3,600 people? Are you not far underestimating me?”
On the horse, Shi Fei struggled with himself. He had not given his subordinates orders for the charge because he was hoping the situation could still turn around. He was not willing to easily turn hostile against the Overwatch Council. He didn’t know what Chen Pingping had planned and did not care what he had planned. He had to consider that if he acted loyal to the Emperor, what kind of misfortune would befall his life after he became an enemy of the Overwatch Council?
He was afraid of Chen Pingping. He was afraid of Fan Xian. But, he was most afraid of the Emperor, so he had come today but still had not taken action.
Hearing the old Director’s words, he trembled slightly on his horse. In a raspy voice and pained voice, he said, “Director, if you… resist the edict and take in the criminal, I have no choice…”
Before he had finished speaking, Chen Pingping had already furrowed his brows and smiled. “Indeed, it is always the matter of an official resisting an edict rather than the matter of a ruler sending soldiers to kill a retiring official…” He sighed and then said, “At such a time, our Emperor still has not forgotten to maintain his grand and righteous image. For a sinister character like me, I must play my role well.”
In the 30 or so carriages, excluding those holding luggage and the women, there were less than a hundred people escorting Chen Pingping. However, it was these one officials of the Overwatch Council who faced the Jingdou Garrison’s 3,000 riders. Yet, they showed no sign of retreat. Their expressions were as cold as always.
She Fei watched this scene calmly and sighed in his heart. In the eyes of the Overwatch Council, there was only Director Chen with no sign of the Emperor at all. Faced with the Emperor’s edict, these Overwatch Council officials only knew to protect the old Director’s safety. They didn’t even have to think about it. No wonder the Emperor had such fears about this matter.
Shadows moved in the woods on either side of the road. No one knew how many assassins of the Sixth Bureau were in there.
Shei Fei suddenly felt a chill.
Chen Pingping closed his eyes and leaned against the wheelchair like he was going to sleep in the night breeze.
