A Pawn's Passage

The atmosphere at the banquet table was far from harmonious, but Little Yin paid no mind to any of that. She focused solely on eating, devouring everything before her. More than half the dishes ended up in her stomach.

Xie Jiaofeng could see that both Chief Deputy Qi and Second Deputy Zhang truly adored this little girl. Thus, he seized the opportunity to cater to her tastes, constantly ordering more dishes for her.

More than an hour slipped by just like that.

At one point, Qi Xuansu set down his wine cup and sighed. “To stand firm in the Daoist Order, being good or bad doesn’t actually matter. If you want to be proud, aloof, and eccentric, then stay that way to the very end. If you keep the same attitude even on the execution platform, then no one will dare look down on you. But if you want to enter the bureaucracy, then you must lower yourself and set aside your pride. Don’t set yourself on a moral pedestal. What’s truly sickening is being neither here nor there, and ending up a joke in the end.”

Wang Danqing’s face darkened instantly.

Even a fool knew who Qi Xuansu was talking about, yet Wang Danqing had no way to refute it.

His very act of coming to beg forgiveness was equivalent to throwing away his former aloof pride. Yet even after discarding that pride, he could not truly transform himself in such a short time. He was neither here nor there, pleasing neither side. He had lost his lofty dignity, yet he could not adopt a genuine apologetic attitude. He was still trying to maintain his pride. This was exactly what Qi Xuansu described.

Qi Xuansu glanced at Wang Danqing, feeling somewhat disappointed.

He had changed his mind earlier because he wanted to hear what Wang Danqing had to say. Rather, Qi Xuansu wanted to hear what Wang Jiaohe intended to say through his son.

Qi Xuansu had even imagined the possibility that Wang Jiaohe might order his son to counterattack with a self-sacrificial ruse to preserve himself.

However, Wang Danqing had merely circled back again and again to apologize, so it seemed nothing more than a stalling tactic.

Did Wang Jiaohe truly think that Qi Xuansu was a child who couldn’t see through it?

Wang Danqing himself was hesitating and struggling because his father had instructed him on how to handle the different situations. If Qi Xuansu accepted gifts, then he could proceed with an apology. If Qi Xuansu refused the gifts and acted coldly, then he should switch to another strategy.

Wang Jiaohe had provided the plans, but the execution ultimately depended on Wang Danqing himself.

Unfortunately, Wang Danqing was stubborn and twisted, ill-suited for heavy responsibility.

At that moment, Chen Jianchou quietly stepped outside. Moments later, he returned and whispered into Qi Xuansu’s ear. “Chief Deputy, Superintendent Han has closed the net.

Not a single one escaped.”

Qi Xuansu deliberately did not lower his voice when he replied, “Has Sun Yaozhen been caught as well?”

Chen Jianchou understood Qi Xuansu’s intention and likewise raised his voice. “She has been caught. She was in the middle of a tryst with her lover at the time of arrest.”

Qi Xuansu let out a cold sneer. “How shameless. What about her husband?”

Chen Jianchou replied, “According to our investigation, Du Fuzhou was not involved.”

Qi Xuansu said nothing further.

These words were, of course, meant for Wang Danqing. He and Sun Yaozhen had grown up together. Upon hearing of her capture, a cold sorrow surged within Wang Danqing.

When Qi Xuansu first arrived in Poluo, Sun Yaozhen had urged Wang Danqing not to oppose him. Wang Danqing had dismissed the advice, believing he could easily drive Qi Xuansu out.

Looking back now, Sun Yaozhen had been right. But it was far too late. Instead, she was the one captured first.

Wang Danqing opened his mouth, wanting to defend her, but he knew it would be pointless.

Seeing that Wang Danqing still did not understand the situation, Qi Xuansu asked, “How are things on Second Deputy Xu’s side?”

Chen Jianchou replied, “Second Deputy Xu said this is an internal matter of the Daoist Mansion, so there’s no need to trouble the Fengxian Hall. She intends to handle it personally.”

Qi Xuansu continued, “Since it involves a Deputy Mansion Master, isn’t it inappropriate to act rashly without a Daoist Mansion Council meeting?”

Chen Jianchou said, “Someone delivered the accusation letter to Great Sage Jiang because it involves Chen Shuhua. Second Deputy Xu has already consulted the Great Sage and received his approval.”

Qi Xuansu feigned sudden understanding. “No wonder. Great Sage Jiang is the Golden Tower Council’s special envoy and the leader of the pursuit task force. He can indeed bypass the Daoist Mansion Council. By the way, was the complaint signed or anonymous?”

Within the Daoist Order, denunciations were common. But there was a basic rule. Signed accusations carried far more weight than anonymous ones. A signed report must receive a formal response, while an anonymous one was only reviewed for substance. If it was too vague or general, it could be ignored. Only those with credible evidence would warrant an investigation.

Chen Jianchou replied, “It was a signed accusation. The whistleblower is another Deputy Mansion Master, and the report centers on two issues. The first one highlighted the close relationship between Deputy Mansion Master Zheng Jiaohe and Chen Shuhua. Deputy Mansion Master Zheng once collected various materials on Chen Shuhua’s behalf for refining the Longevity Stone. According to the whistleblower, he had not known what the materials were for at the time. Only after Chen Shuhua’s crimes surfaced did he realize they were used for refining Longevity Stones. As payment, Chen Shuhua rewarded Zheng Jiaohe 300,000 Taiping coins and two beautiful women.

“The second issue was how Zheng Jiaohe aggressively extorted various rare treasures from the Funan royal court during his time there. It amounted to roughly 1 million Taiping coins. He is also suspected of manipulating trade channels between Funan, Lingnan, Jiangnan, and Jawa for personal profit. Furthermore, Zheng Jiaohe has been involved in many illicit activities, including harboring and indulging cult demons and colluding with them, plunging the Funan Kingdom into turmoil and disorder.”

Qi Xuansu nodded lightly, offering no comment.

Wang Danqing, however, was terrified. His psychological defenses were being eroded slowly.

The whistleblower was a Deputy Mansion Master. Why had he not reported these matters earlier, and why choose this moment? It was unlikely that he only found out recently. He had merely recognized the changing winds and decided it was time to pick a side, using this report as a gesture to ingratiate himself with Qi Xuansu and Xu Jiaorong. One could even call it a covert signal of allegiance to Qi Xuansu.

There was no doubt that the internal power structure of the Daoist Mansion was shifting beneath the surface. Qi Xuansu’s authority was rising swiftly, while Wang Jiaohe’s foundation was collapsing.

Once someone loses power, everyone would rush to strike them down.

Those familiar with Eastern power dynamics knew that one should always start small to defeat an enemy.

Start with their subordinates, relatives, and friends to attack their reputation, shake their authority, and tarnish their image. Once all the pieces were in place, bringing the person down would be effortless.

Targeting Zheng Jiaohe was not the true goal. The real objective was the Mansion Master Wang Jiaohe behind him.

Of course, what frightened Wang Danqing the most was not this political maneuvering. It was that Zheng Jiaohe also knew about the matter of dragon qi. If Zheng Jiaohe were arrested and revealed it, the consequences would be disastrous.

Qi Xuansu finally said, “Brother Wang, it’s rare for you to visit Lion City, so why don’t you stay for a few days? Some matters don’t need to be rushed. We can take our time.”

With that, Qi Xuansu rose and left the table.

Such were the privileges of rank. One could arrive late and leave early, speak what needed to be spoken, and end the conversation at will.

......

On the other side, Xu Jiaorong personally led a team to arrest Zheng Jiaohe.

As Qi Xuansu had noted, a Deputy Mansion Master normally lacked the authority to arrest another Deputy Mansion Master. Such action required a full Daoist Mansion Council. Even then, they would only suspend Zheng Jiaohe while his case was pending investigation. The final judgment was to be decided by the Golden Tower Council.

But since Zheng Jiaohe was implicated in Chen Shuhua’s crimes, the situation changed entirely. As the special envoy overseeing Chen Shuhua’s case, Great Sage Jiang could bypass the Daoist Mansion Council and authorize urgent action.

Thus, Xu Jiaorong was only acting on Great Sage Jiang’s authority.

Zheng Jiaohe had been in Thanglong Prefecture recently and had not returned to Funan Kingdom. Even before the accusation letter surfaced, he had sensed something was wrong. His secretary had been arrested alongside Lin Qingcheng. Moreover, Superintendent Tian Yongfen, who was personally seized by Qi Xuansu, was rumored to have confessed to everything.

Each incident and piece of evidence pointed unmistakably to Zheng Jiaohe.

Anyone with eyes could see that Zheng Jiaohe would not survive this ordeal.

Zheng Jiaohe wanted to flee, but he could not.

Qian Xiangyun escaped because she had many people in the Imperial Capital who could shield her. After all, that was the dominion of the Great Xuan royal family, whom she served diligently. Naturally, they protected their own. That was why she could walk out of the Imperial Capital openly and unhindered before departing by sea from Bohai Prefecture.

In the past, Thanglong Prefecture had indeed been Wang Jiaohe’s territory.

But things were no longer the same. Wang Jiaohe could barely protect himself now.

When Great Sage Jiang took charge of Thanglong Prefecture, he brought with him an entire contingent from Jade Capital assigned to hunt down Chen Shuhua. So, including Spirit Guard Jia Yin and Spirit Guard Ding Chou, there were now 3 first-rank Spirit Guards and over 7 second-rank Spirit Guards stationed in Thanglong.

Where could Zheng Jiaohe possibly run?

There was nothing left but to sit and wait for the inevitable.

Since yesterday, many had noticed something wrong in Deputy Mansion Master Zheng’s demeanor. He was listless, as though all his vitality had been drained away. The usual arrogance in his eyes had completely vanished.

In the past, greeting him would earn no response at all. But today, he returned greetings politely.

When Xu Jiaorong arrived with her entourage, everyone finally understood the reason.

Xu Jiaorong entered Zheng Jiaohe’s office and found him seated calmly at his desk, reviewing an official document.

Zheng Jiaohe did not even raise his head. “Second Deputy Xu, you’re here. Please, have a seat.”

Xu Jiaorong did not sit. She simply looked at him. A group of Spirit Guards stood behind her.

Clearly, any attempt to resist would have been suicide.

Xu Jiaorong said, “Deputy Mansion Master Zheng, your secretary and subordinates have confessed everything. We have also verified the accusation letter.”

Zheng Jiaohe’s brush paused mid-stroke, but he forced himself to finish signing the document. Only then did he toss the brush aside, lean back in his chair, and exhale deeply. “Congratulations, then. What can I do for you?”