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“Suixin is a surviving member of the Da Kang imperial family.”
The information extracted from the Saintess by Tianshu Pavilion was truly unexpected.
“I never imagined anyone from Da Kang still existed,” Wei Yunlan sighed, referring to the former dynasty that had been overthrown nearly eighty years ago. “So, the members of the Sacred Moon Sect are all remnants of the former dynasty?”
No wonder they supported the Liu family, actively promoted the private sale of iron ore, and cultivated so many intelligence agents, placing them in various noble residences.
“No, most of them are actually believers they’ve recruited over the years. Only the leader and the Saintess of the Sacred Moon Sect possess the true bloodline of the former imperial family,” Qi Xu, riding alongside the carriage, said to Wei Yunlan through the slightly opened carriage curtain.
His tone was as usual, but his mood was not light. Only after truly leaving the Capital did he realize how many undercurrents were hidden beneath the seemingly peaceful land of Dayong.
Sighing inwardly, Qi Xu continued, “The Sacred Moon Sect has existed for over twenty years. Excluding ordinary believers, the number of sect members alone exceeds a thousand. They have their own intelligence network, and their control over information in Xingzhou and its surrounding areas surpasses that of the government.”
Qi Xu speculated, “You were likely targeted by the Sacred Moon Sect when you delivered the petition in Suining.”
“The Saintess’s actions the other day seemed like an attempt to win over my family,” Wei Yunlan pondered for a moment before asking, “Why?”
“Lord Wei was originally a Censor, known for his integrity, and the Wei family is related to the Tianshi Mansion. In their eyes, you should believe in these mystical things.” This wasn’t Qi Xu’s guesswork, but information extracted from Suixin. “They wanted to recruit Lord Wei as a member, using his demotion and exile to further incite unrest.”
The rest was his own deduction. “Furthermore, Lord Wei comes from the Xu Guogong Mansion and has considerable connections in the Capital. They might want to use this opportunity to place spies in the Capital.”
He had guessed correctly; the Sacred Moon Sect did want to meddle in the Capital’s power.
In his previous life, in the following years, they actually succeeded, though he didn’t know whose path they followed.
Suppressing the emotions in his heart, Wei Yunlan tilted her head slightly to look at Qi Xu with some doubt. “Mr. Xiao, you’re telling me the information extracted by Tianshu Pavilion… is that alright?”
“It’s fine. Miss Wei has greatly assisted Tianshu Pavilion; this information can be considered a return of the favor.” In fact, this alone wasn’t enough to repay the favor. Qi Xu paused before continuing, “Besides, there’s another matter that requires Lord Wei’s assistance.”
As he spoke, Qi Xu, who was on horseback, leaned slightly towards the carriage. Wei Yunlan also leaned towards the carriage window, looking back. The two of them seemed to be one inside and one outside the carriage…
… whispering through the carriage window.
Pei Hu, who was riding behind, noticed this and leaned closer to Feng Ping, whispering, “Don’t you think our master and Miss Wei seem to have a lot to talk about?”
Their master had a cold demeanor, and it was rare for him to engage in such lengthy conversations with anyone.
“Strange things are few,” Feng Ping shot Pei Hu a glare. “Miss Wei is not an ordinary person.”
She was the benefactor who had helped their master avoid several calamities!
…
As the Wei family’s entourage passed through Xingzhou and Qingzhou, approaching the breathtaking Yandu Gorge, the Capital received a memorial from Wei Maolin.
This memorial, routed through the Xu Guogong Mansion, was directly presented in the court.
When the matter of the remnants of the former dynasty establishing a cult in Xingzhou was read aloud, the court was thrown into an uproar.
“Da Kang remnants dare to establish a cult on our Dayong territory! Your Majesty, this matter must not be tolerated!” an elderly minister immediately declared.
“Although Xingzhou is impoverished, it is larger than typical prefectures and is positioned equidistantly from Beiguan and Xiliang, making it extremely important. If we allow the cult to develop unchecked, they could collaborate with the Northern Barbarians or Xiliang, leading to catastrophic consequences,” Lord Luo, the Minister of War, also stepped forward to speak.
“However, the situation in the west is tense, and there are frequent incursions by barbarians in the north. How can the court spare enough manpower to send to Xingzhou?”
“That cannot justify inaction! Did you not see how many lives were lost due to the cult’s recruitment efforts mentioned in Lord Wei’s memorial?”
The court officials argued back and forth, turning the once quiet hall into a noisy marketplace.
Emperor Xiaoming could only hear a buzzing in his ears, fatigue washing over him as he rubbed his brow and asked in a deep voice, “Then, in your opinions, whom should I send to Xingzhou?”
The hall, which had just been lively, fell silent in an instant.
This was not a good assignment; Xingzhou was impoverished, offering little profit, and the cult had long established roots there, likely colluding with local officials. If the manpower sent was insufficient, not only would they fail to eradicate the cult, but they might even lose their lives.
“I am willing to go,” the white-bearded elder who had spoken first stepped forward.
“Lord Luo, you are of advanced age and may not withstand the rigors of travel. Please recommend another person for me,” Emperor Xiaoming dared not send an elder over sixty on such a journey.
The court officials debated among themselves, and in the end, Lord Luo recommended the second son of the Marquis of Wuding, who had previously served in the Imperial Guards and was now idling at home.
This individual held another significant identity; years ago, he was the former Crown Prince and had been a companion to His Highness, the Prince of You, during his time in the Ministry of Personnel.
After assigning this individual to the position of Inspector, the hot potato was finally tossed out. Both the officials who feared being named and Emperor Xiaoming on the dragon throne let out a collective sigh of relief.
At that moment, Lord You, the Left Censor from the Inspectorate, stepped forward. “Your Majesty, it’s quite a coincidence that if it weren’t for the Earth Dragon Turns, Wei Maolin wouldn’t have become separated from his team and had the opportunity to enter Xingzhou, discovering the nefarious acts of the remnants of the former dynasty.”
“It shows that although Wei Maolin bears a guilty label, he remains devoted to the court, constantly thinking of how to contribute to Dayong. His merits and faults balance each other out; I implore you to show leniency and pardon him for the offense of leaving his team.”
Emperor Xiaoming furrowed his brows slightly.
He had already read the petition sent from Suining.
The Earth Dragon Turns causing the team to scatter didn’t seem like a significant issue to him, especially since Wei Maolin had no intention of escaping; he had not only written to explain his whereabouts but also assured in his letter that he would reach Beiguan within the time stipulated by the court.
However, his beloved consort kept reminding him that this was against regulations, so he had contemplated strict punishment.
Just as he was about to issue a decree to punish Wei Maolin, the news from Xingzhou arrived.
In comparison to the significant achievement of discovering the remnants of the former dynasty, the minor infraction of accidentally leaving the team was hardly worth mentioning.
Merits and faults balanced each other, and it was evident that Wei Maolin had suffered enough.
With this in mind, Emperor Xiaoming nodded in agreement. “In that case, I shall not pursue the matter of his leaving the team. His family shall be exempt from hard labor in Beiguan and may move about freely.”