Chapter 55

The mountainous city is dominated by hills, and atop one of them stands an ancient temple. Nowadays, it has been occupied by rebels and transformed into the palace of the “Shancheng King.” Originally, the Shancheng King was just a low-ranking official, and his prime minister was a failed scholar. Both came from impoverished backgrounds, grew up together, and rebelled together. Now, they have gathered over twenty thousand followers, ruling the area from their mountain stronghold, living a life of luxury through killing, looting, and plundering.

When the imperial troops were dispatched, the Shancheng King feared, knowing that once the rebellion started, there was no turning back. They retreated into the mountain with their people, relying on their knowledge of the terrain to resist fiercely. Surprisingly, they withstood wave after wave of attacks, and more people joined their cause.

Last year, the Shancheng suffered from locusts, resulting in a poor harvest. The imperial relief supplies, mostly rice, were mostly sand and husks, leaving many hungry. Since the rebellion offered food, people flocked to join.

Their ranks continued to swell, wreaking havoc on wealthy households nearby and merchants passing through the mountain city. The Shancheng King and his followers seized food, silver, carts, and ships from anyone passing through.

The monks of the ancient temple on the Broken Green Mountain had long been driven away. Now, the temple housed the Shancheng King, his two queens, seven concubines, and several appointed “Tiger King,” “Lion King,” “Eagle King,” and others, along with their families, ministers, and officials. It had become a crowded little court.

Tonight, the Shancheng King led his consorts and officials to worship their ancestors in the open space in front of the temple, intending to posthumously title his father as the “Great King of the Shancheng” and pray for his own fortune, hoping to withstand the imperial army’s attack from the border.

Amidst the swirling mist, as the Shancheng King devoutly kowtowed, a deafening sound of battle echoed. Startled, he dropped the incense in his hand and shouted, “Protect me, quickly!”

Though the terrain in the mountains was rugged, General He and Mo Yin were skilled in dealing with border tribes. The rebels in the mountains, mostly farmers, were no match for these seasoned military professionals. The biggest challenge for General He’s troops was how to subdue the rebels without excessive bloodshed.

The dilemma that had troubled the imperial court for nearly half a year was resolved in one night by General He and Mo Yin. Except for some necessary casualties, almost all of the “Shancheng Army” were captured alive.

As the battle ended, dawn was just breaking. General He ordered his men to escort the captured rebels down the mountain.

Mo Yin said, “General, I’ll lead a team to search for any treasonous items.”

General He nodded slightly and said, “Go ahead.”

The two worked together, and by the time daylight broke, they had completed their tasks and regrouped at the foot of the mountain.

Back at the Prefectural Governor’s mansion, the Governor was overwhelmed with excitement and gratitude, praising General He’s bravery. While helping him up, General He was inwardly speechless. It was like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. These were just untrained peasants, yet the court seemed to struggle with them repeatedly.

The night’s battle was nothing compared to facing the barbarians on the border. General He hadn’t even broken a sweat. “Detain these people for now. We’ll conduct further investigations in a couple of days,” he instructed.

The Prefect hurriedly agreed, “Of course, General. We await your orders.”

Returning to his quarters, General He took a sip of water and asked Li Yuan, “Where’s the strategist?”

Li Yuan had joined the expedition against the rebellion, dressed casually. “The strategist went with the team escorting the prisoners to the dungeon.”

—

Pale fingers lifted the corner of the yellow robe, and as the eyes rose, there was a hint of sarcasm. “Dragon robe?”

Bound tightly to the torture frame, the Shancheng King’s face paled in fear. “No, no, my lord, please look closely, it’s a Python robe. I… I dare not.”

Mo Yin shook his head lightly. “You’ve rebelled, and now you dare only call yourself a king?”

The rebellion had started with barely thirty men. Dissatisfaction with the meager and poor relief food in the village led to an altercation between the two clerks. One wanted to punish, and the Shancheng King, having grown up in the village, intervened. After a scuffle, he was pushed to the ground, hitting his head on a rock. Dazed, he heard a scream and saw a villager stab the clerk with his own knife. And so, the chaos gradually evolved into the current situation.

The days of being a king lasted only a few months. He had always been on edge, fearing the imperial court would catch and punish him. He often woke up in a cold sweat, clutching his beloved consorts, waiting anxiously for this day to finally come.

“Your Excellency, please understand, I, I did not rebel. Everything has its reasons,” the King of Shancheng pleaded anxiously.

“Oh?”

Mo Yin stepped back half a pace, and Zhou Yong promptly brought a chair and served tea. Mo Yin lightly blew on the tea, the steam curling gently in the air, as he calmly said, “So, you’re saying you have grievances. Speak.”

The King of Shancheng couldn’t discern the identity of the person before him, but seeing Mo Yin’s imposing demeanor, he figured he must be an imperial envoy. Thus, he tearfully pleaded his case, explaining that he hadn’t killed anyone that day. After the villagers killed the clerk, they distributed the grain reserved for the other two villages. While he was not directly involved in the killing or grain distribution, he knew that if he returned home like this, the authorities wouldn’t believe him and would likely punish him. So, he took the villagers and fled to the mountains.

When the people from the other villages heard their grain was gone, they came to the mountain seeking justice. The King of Shancheng promised to find grain for them, but grain couldn’t materialize out of thin air. Thus, they resorted to robbing the grain transport route frequented by the government officials. As their group gradually grew, they found themselves increasingly unable to control the situation.

“I never intended to declare myself king. It was Ning Bo Yuan who persuaded me to take on this title. While we did seize silver and food, we dare not admit to rebellion,” the King of Shancheng explained desperately.

Mo Yin sipped his tea slowly while the King of Shancheng’s words poured out in a frenzy, his mouth dry and words spluttering. Mo Yin remained silent throughout, listening attentively until the King of Shancheng finished. Then, he raised his gaze again and said, “Bold rebel, still trying to argue.”

His voice was neither loud nor soft but icy, sending shivers down the King of Shancheng’s spine.

Mo Yin raised his chin slightly. “Cut off one of his ears.”

Zhou Yong acknowledged, “Yes,” and immediately stepped forward with a knife. The King of Shancheng cried out in terror. Since he began his “rebellion,” everything had gone smoothly. In just a few months, he had grown soft and tender. But as soon as his ear was grabbed, he cried, “Your Excellency, I confess!”

In truth, he didn’t know what to confess, but his experience as a clerk made him instinctively cry out.

Mo Yin’s eyes flickered slightly as he waved his hand.

Zhou Yong promptly sheathed his knife and stepped back.

Setting down his teacup, Mo Yin stood up and walked over to the King of Shancheng.

The dungeon was dim, and the King of Shancheng was already in a state of extreme nervousness and panic. He had never paid attention to the appearance of the person before him until Mo Yin approached, revealing a stunningly beautiful and pale face. With deep, mysterious eyes, he inspired terrifying thoughts of whether he was a man or a ghost.

“You claim you didn’t rebel, then how do you explain these?” Mo Yin retrieved an unsealed envelope from his pocket.

The King of Shancheng was bewildered. Mo Yin opened the envelope and unfolded the letter inside, laying it out in front of him.

Though the King of Shancheng could barely read, he murmured the words as he glanced over them. “King of Shancheng, greetings: Today, I’ve appointed Ge Xiong as the General to Suppress Rebels, leading twenty thousand troops. I’ve planted spies within the army. When the time comes, he will assist you with the signal ‘Orchid’ to break free. You can rest assured.”

After reading, the King of Shancheng looked at Mo Yin in confusion. “Your Excellency, this…”

“These were found in the temple: correspondence between you and high-ranking officials in the court, among other things. Shall I show you more?” Mo Yin’s eyes gleamed like candle flames in the darkness, appearing bright yet eerie. He gazed directly at the terrified King of Shancheng, his voice soft, “You conspired with officials in the court. You wanted to seize power. That takes a lot of nerve.”

Mo Yin smiled, “Am I, a man accustomed to battle, afraid of the dank air in a prison?”

“That’s different.”

Mo Yin didn’t argue with him, only said, “This matter is significant, General. The rebellion in Shancheng may not be as simple as you think.”

After listening to Mo Yin’s detailed explanation, He Xuan furrowed his brows tightly. “Collusion between court officials and Shancheng rebels? There are mountains and rivers between them. Is that possible?”

“What’s impossible? Although Shancheng may not be a wealthy place, its location is crucial. It has always been a contested area. If the King of Shancheng can hold onto it, he controls the lifeline of the entire Daseng transportation. With so many interests at stake, wouldn’t it be worth a try?”

He Xuan still looked incredulous.

“The court has sent troops several times to besiege Shancheng. Do you really think there’s nothing fishy about it, General?”

He Xuan’s face was shrouded in a thick cloud of anger. He had no interest in court affairs, but if this matter turned out to be true, it would involve many people and become a major event that shook the court and the country. It would be troublesome then.

“Since the General is tasked with suppressing the rebellion, and the rebellion has been quelled, the General doesn’t want to bother with the rest,” Mo Yin said.

He Xuan said, “Since I’m here to suppress the rebellion, how can I let things remain unclear?”

Mo Yin tapped his finger lightly on the table. “So, does the General mean to investigate?”

He Xuan remained silent for a long time before finally uttering a single word—”Investigate.”

Compared to He Jun, Mo Yin was much more adept at torturing and interrogating prisoners. Mo Yin handled the interrogation himself.

There were over twenty thousand Shancheng rebels, too many to be held in one prison, so they were distributed to various locations. Most of them were ordinary villagers who only followed the King of Shancheng for a meal and had no idea about rebellion. Even the King of Shancheng’s trusted subordinates claimed ignorance. Only the King of Shancheng, Cai Shixin, and the Prime Minister, Ning Boyuan, could be considered core figures.

A large number of letters exchanged between court officials were found in the temple. Ning Boyuan claimed he knew nothing about them, but Cai Shixin confessed to everything.

He Xuan still found it unbelievable. Shancheng was a thousand miles away from the capital, and the King of Shancheng was originally just a minor clerk. How could he be involved with court officials? But the letters were indeed damning evidence. He Xuan had no dealings with court officials and was not familiar with the names mentioned in the letters. However, he recognized two of them—they were former colleagues of his and He Qingsong, who had a good reputation. How could they be involved in this?

He Xuan personally interrogated Cai Shixin.

Cai Shixin had not been tortured, nor had he been mistreated in prison, but he had become noticeably thinner. He emitted a foul stench and trembled, not daring to lift his head.

“Cai Shixin, who sent you these letters?”

“They were sent by various court officials.”

“How did you collude with them?”

“I robbed them, and they sought me out.”

“Nonsense,” He Xuan said coldly, “You, a mere rebel, think court officials would seek you out?”

“Everything I said is true. The officials wanted me to control Shancheng and provide them with benefits in the future.”

“What benefits?”

“Grain, money, and soldiers.”

Cai Shixin seemed on the verge of vomiting as he spoke. He retched twice, then looked up to see He Xuan sitting tall before him, with another figure sitting in the shadows beside him. He couldn’t stop trembling with fear.

“Using Shancheng as a pawn, to seize power and position.”

The suppression of the rebellion unexpectedly led to a major case of treason. He Xuan didn’t dare to delay. He immediately took the main culprits and all the physical evidence to the capital.

When they approached the capital, it was already December, the beginning of winter. He Xuan stationed his troops outside the city and requested entry into the capital.

Inside the inn, He Xuan and Mo Yin warmed themselves with wine. The wind howled outside the window. He Xuan said, “Yan Qi is involved in this. I really can’t understand it.”

“Is the General familiar with Yan Qi?”

He Xuan shook his head and took a sip of wine. “He and my father were colleagues in the court. After my father retired, he visited our hometown in Nanxiang and paid respects to my father. He’s a very cautious and polite person.”

Mo Yin turned the wine cup in his hand and said softly, “Does the General want to let him off? Keep the letters?”

He Xuan glanced at him. “Do you think I’m someone who mixes personal and official matters?”

Mo Yin raised his wine cup towards him, finished the contents in one gulp, and said, “I spoke out of turn. My apologies, General.”

He Xuan’s expression relaxed slightly as he poured wine for Mo Yin, “I just didn’t expect him to be so foolish and make such a big mistake.”

The cup was filled with warm wine. Mo Yin raised it, took a sip, and then lowered his gaze, saying, “In the officialdom, everyone wears a mask. Who can see through it to tell who’s human and who’s a ghost?”