Having extraordinary connections

On the same day.

Chengtian Prefecture.

Before dawn, a series of rapid hoofbeats rang out outside the North Gate.

The guards on the city wall peered out and saw six fine black horses charging down the road, their mouths covered in white foam.

The man at the front was dressed in the uniform of a Ministry of War official, his outer robe covered in dust, and a third-rank fish-shaped tally hung at his waist: "Urgent report from the border!"

The gatekeeper dared not delay and immediately ordered the side gate to be opened.

Vice Minister Zhang reined in the horses.

Before the horse had even come to a complete stop, he had already rolled onto the ground. As his feet touched the bluestone, the wound on his side was suddenly torn, and blood seeped out from the strip of cloth, which was quickly covered by his outer robe.

The accompanying soldiers and officers quickly stepped forward.

"My lord, your injury..."

"He won't die."

Vice Minister Zhang handed over the two sealed wooden boxes.

"This letter is to be sent to the Ministry of War's duty office so that the Minister can review it immediately. The other letter is to be sent to the Palace Gate's urgent reporting office so that it can be presented directly once the palace gates open."

The officer accepted it with both hands.

"Remember, you are not allowed to dismantle or resell it along the way."

"Yes."

The two officers each changed to a horse that still had some strength and entered the city through the side gate first.

The remaining few people also dismounted one after another.

When Wu Huaiyi stepped onto the ground, his legs went weak and he almost knelt down, but luckily he grabbed the horse's belly in time to stand up.

Seven days.

We changed horses frequently, and apart from eating and treating our wounds, we hardly stopped.

Vice Minister Zhang is in charge of the city's defenses; he can hold out.

Wu Huaiyi, a minor official in the Xun Jin Division, only knew some rudimentary methods of cultivating qi. By the third day of riding, his inner thighs were chafed and bleeding. In the following days, every time he mounted the horse, it felt like stuffing salt into his wounds.

At least he's back.

Wu Huaiyi looked at the familiar bluestone road inside the city gate and breathed a sigh of relief when he heard Vice Minister Zhang calling him.

"Wu Huaiyi".

He quickly loosened the saddle and hurried over.

"Your humble servant is here."

Vice Minister Zhang waved to the others, telling them to go first, and soon only two people remained on the side of the city gate.

"How do you plan to report the matter of the Third Northern Battalion?"

Wu Huaiyi quickly bowed.

"I was merely accompanying you to record events. I was so frightened when we entered the fog that I lost my mind. I will write down whatever you instruct me to write."

"I didn't tell you to write it the way I said."

"Yes, I misspoke."

Wu Huaiyi immediately echoed his sentiments.

Vice Minister Zhang saw everything.

"How many people died in the Northern Third Battalion, what happened in the fog, these all need to be investigated. The Ministry of War, the Imperial Observatory, and the Bureau of Investigation and Verification all have statements, which will be cross-checked later."

"Until the official statement is finalized, you are not allowed to utter a single word about anything you hear or see in the fog, understand?"

Wu Huaiyi nodded repeatedly.

"I understand, I understand."

"Good that you understand."

Vice Minister Zhang glanced into the city.

The street sweepers have already come out and are sweeping the fallen leaves and horse manure on the roadside into one place with long brooms. In another half hour, the entire Chengtian Prefecture will wake up.

He suddenly asked, "Would you like to come to the Ministry of War?"

Wu Huaiyi was stunned.

"Your humble servant?"

"You were the one who brought up the 'Demon Realm' first."

"It was a guess, purely a guess."

"Of the more than seventy people, not a single one dared to mention this word. If you dare to say it, then you are not entirely lying."

Wu Huaiyi was momentarily speechless.

Vice Minister Zhang added, "The Xun Jin Division can't offer you much. If you follow me on my orders, whether you get promoted or not is another matter, but at least you won't be spending your days copying those old papers that nobody reads anymore."

If you want someone to obey, you have to give them a stick and then a treat.

Wu Huaiyi's smile returned, and he bent down even lower than before.

"I would beg for your kindness, sir. From now on, if you ask me to go east, I will never go west."

"Stop talking nonsense."

Vice Minister Zhang interrupted him, "Go back and recover from your injuries. We'll have to wait for the Ministry of War to summon you for further questioning."

Wu Huaiyi responded and took two steps, but was called back again.

"There's one more thing."

Minister Zhang asked, "When it was foggy, you specifically asked if it was someone in gray. Did you see clearly at the time?"

Wu Huaiyi's smile returned: "How could this humble official have such insight? I was just dumbfounded..."

Vice Minister Zhang remained silent.

Wu Huaiyi smiled ingratiatingly and stood still.

A moment later, Vice Minister Zhang waved his hand.

"Let's go."

"This humble official takes his leave."

Wu Huaiyi then turned and went into the city.

Vice Minister Zhang watched his retreating figure.

This minor official from the Xun Jin Division is very smooth-talking; if three out of ten sentences he says are genuine, that's considered good.

But even in the fog, Wu Huaiyi's eyes couldn't lie.

He must have thought of something.

Vice Minister Zhang did not call him back and boarded the carriage sent by the Prime Minister's residence to pick him up.

The wheels rolled over the bluestone road.

On the street, people were already setting up pots to boil water, and the fire under the steamer had just been lit. The smoke made the stall owner cough repeatedly. Several farmers carrying vegetables into the city blocked the intersection, arguing heatedly over the price of half a basket of vegetables for market entry.

No one knows how many people died in the North Third Battalion.

No one knew that seven days ago, someone had called out "Your Majesty" in the fog at the border.

The carriage traveled all the way to the inner city.

The Prime Minister's residence is close to the palace, separated by only two long streets.

When Vice Minister Zhang arrived, the sky was just beginning to lighten.

The doorman seemed to have known he would come, and without checking his name card, he bowed and led him through the side door.

"The Grand Secretary is waiting for you in his study."

Vice Minister Zhang paused for a moment. He had made this decision on a whim after entering the city, without having anyone come to the Prime Minister's residence to deliver the message beforehand.

However, he quickly continued forward.

The Prime Minister's residence was very quiet.

The lanterns under the eaves were still lit, and several servants were sweeping the floor with their heads down. The courtyard was not luxurious; the blue bricks had been used for many years, and moss had grown in some places at the base of the walls.

The study door was open.

Yang Qinghe sat behind the desk, already dressed in court attire, only his belt was missing. A cup of hot tea sat on the table, and several commemorative documents delivered the previous night were spread out beside him.

Vice Minister Zhang entered and bowed.

"This humble official greets the Grand Secretary."

"sit."

Yang Qinghe didn't ask about his injuries, nor did she mention how arduous the journey had been.

Vice Minister Zhang sat down at the lower end.

The waiter brought hot tea, closed the door, and left.

Yang Qinghe picked up a memorial: "Speak."

Zhang Shilang dared not drink the tea any longer and immediately recounted everything that had happened in Jiangtun County.

Yang Qinghe kept staring at the folding book in her hand, her wrinkled face revealing no expression.

He only raised his eyes slightly when Vice Minister Zhang mentioned that the active-duty soldiers of the Third Battalion were still alive.

"How many were rescued?"

"The inventory has not been completed yet. When I left, the main structure of the three battalions was still intact, but the soldiers' souls and bodies had been corrupted by the yin energy, and they could not go into battle for a short time."

"Where is the deceased?"

"The investigation team suffered the heaviest losses; of the Imperial Observatory and the Bureau of Astronomy and the Bureau of Searching for Extinction, only four people remained in the end."

Yang Qinghe picked up the teacup, the lid scraping against the rim.

"continue."

Vice Minister Zhang then began to talk about the man in gray.

"The magistrate and the people of Juntun County witnessed this person stepping into the fog, but I did not witness this myself. I have ordered the county government to take separate statements and seal them for future investigation."

Yang Qinghe glanced at him.

Vice Minister Zhang hurriedly added, "I also saw a person's back in the evil realm. It should be this person. The soldiers of the old camp made way for him and then knelt down to pay their respects."

"What are you worshipping?"

"His Majesty."

There was silence in the study.

Someone swept a fallen leaf outside the courtyard, the broom rubbing against the blue bricks, one stroke after another, very clearly.

Yang Qinghe put down her teacup.

"How many people heard it?"

"Four people."

"Are they all alive?"

"They're all alive."

"Who are the other three?"

"Seeking Wu Huaiyi of the Ashes Division, a lieutenant general of the Northern Third Battalion, and an old soldier with a missing arm."

Yang Qinghe nodded.

"Did that man in gray see you?"

"I cannot be certain."

Explain yourself.

"He had his back to us and was dozens of feet away. We tried to go forward, but we were forced back by the old camp's troops. He never turned around or spoke to us."

Yang Qinghe then asked, "What does it look like?"

"The fog was so thick that we couldn't see anything. The magistrate and the people couldn't see anything either. The person was too tall at the time; looking up from below, they could only see a gray dot."

Who do you think it is?

"I have no evidence and dare not admit it."

Zhang Shilang lowered his head, his expression very similar to that of Wu Huaiyi before.

Yang Qinghe picked up her teacup and took a sip: "You've returned from the Northern Border, why aren't you waiting for your summons at the palace gates? What are you doing here first?"

The question was asked in a very casual way.

Zhang Shilang immediately straightened up and delivered the lines he had prepared long ago.

"Over the years, I have been promoted by the Grand Secretary, rising from a minor local official to the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War. Every step of the way has been thanks to your kindness."

Yang Qinghe did not respond to that sentence.

Zhang, the Vice Minister, then stopped talking nonsense.

"I dare to speculate that the situation of the Northern Three Camps may shake the political landscape."

Why?

"..."

Zhang Shilang felt somewhat uncomfortable. He understood that the old man opposite him must have guessed it, but he still had to say it himself.

Taking a deep breath, Vice Minister Zhang continued:

"The name Yan Zu has suppressed the Yan Kingdom for six hundred years. Even if it is just a shadow, people are willing to use it to do things. Before meeting the Emperor, I would like to hear your guidance."

"You want me to teach you how to deceive the emperor?"

"This humble official dares not."

"So what do you want to hear?"

Vice Minister Zhang remained silent for a moment.

"If that person is an imposter, the person behind him has grand ambitions; if he is real..."

He lowered his voice at this point, "His Majesty has been trying to consolidate power in the court for years. If he acts in the name of Emperor Yan, the court will likely descend into chaos. So, should I report some things and omit others?"

Yang Qinghe answered decisively: "Answer whatever His Majesty asks, and say as much as you have seen."

Vice Minister Zhang raised his head: "What if His Majesty uses this as an excuse to make a scene?"

Yang Qinghe reached out and picked up the tea lid, then gently tapped it on the rim of the cup.

"bite."

Just one sound.

The meaning of seeing the guest off couldn't be clearer.

Vice Minister Zhang rose and bowed.

"This humble official takes his leave."

He turned and walked out. As he reached the door, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a letter pressed against the far right side of the desk.

The envelope bore the large characters: "[Urgent report from Juntun County.]"

Zhang Shilang's pupils contracted slightly.

From the border to the Ministry of War's office, and then from the Ministry of War to the Prime Minister's residence, he only spent less than a quarter of an hour on Wu Huaiyi.

The urgent report arrived before he did.

Zhang Shilang pretended not to see it and stepped out of the study.

A palace carriage was parked outside the Prime Minister's residence. A eunuch stood beside the carriage and immediately went to greet him when he came out.

"Minister Zhang, His Majesty has already read the urgent report from the Northern Three Camps."

"You are hereby summoned to the palace immediately."