Xuanqing Guard

For three days in a row, Shen Hao did not return home, eating and sleeping in the Public Office, and the list, which consisted of more than thirty names, was finally finalized.

Besides Shen Hao, the only people who saw the list were Wang Jian and Wang Yiming; it was top secret.

There was still some emotional impact; even Wang Jian and Shen Hao had not expected so many people to be involved, nor that certain individuals held such high positions. Yet it was only a fleeting feeling—after all, the two had been pursuing this case for quite some time, having started the investigation last year, so they were already mentally prepared.

But for Wang Yiming, who had previously known little or nothing about the "Ma San Case," the only way to describe his current feeling was "horrified."

The Ministry of War, the Border Army, the Jingxi Army—among these three, there were actually more than thirty people colluding with the enemy?! In fact, from Zhang De’s confession, Wang Yiming could vaguely sense something strange—a tall figure, revered by tens of thousands in daily life, seemed to stand behind these people.

This was a severe blow to Wang Yiming’s worldview.

It was not until now that Wang Yiming realized his superior had been running such a secret operation behind the scenes, and it also refreshed his impression of Wang Jian, who, as a Small Banner Officer, had always appeared slick and unserious. So this man truly had real ability; he had built up such a vast Black Banner Battalion of secret agents step by step, and the results were already impressive.

At the same time, Wang Yiming was filled with excitement, because he understood he had entered Shen Hao’s inner circle; otherwise, Shen Hao would never have allowed him to know such confidential matters so easily.

"Sir, that’s all for now," Wang Jian verified again and confirmed there were no errors.

Shen Hao nodded, then looked at Wang Yiming on the other side and said, "When the net is drawn in, I’ll have you coordinate. Do you dare to take it on?"

Wang Jian’s rank was too low; he was not qualified to coordinate such a large-scale operation, nor was his identity suitable for being at the forefront. Wang Yiming was the most suitable candidate; the only thing Shen Hao still was not sure of was Wang Yiming’s loyalty.

But as long as Wang Yiming dared to take charge this time, Shen Hao would have no further reservations—because once Wang Yiming coordinated this action, he would have chosen his side; from then on, there would be no path but to follow Shen Hao to the end.

Wang Yiming did not disappoint Shen Hao. Straightening his back, he accepted the order with a raised voice; Shen Hao even saw a trace of "excitement" in Wang Yiming’s eyes. This man’s drive was no less than Wang Jian’s?

The following preparations could not be sloppy, and they needed to be fast. Wang Yiming had to arrange personnel in advance, even repeatedly screening people—loyalty came first, then experience, and none with a military background could be chosen. Finally, strategic positions must be assigned in advance; for those involving military camps, they also needed to be ready to swiftly obtain entry orders for sudden action.

Wang Jian was just as busy. At the very least, the Four Divisions under him needed to keep a close watch on the periphery of the Border Army and the Ministry of War, didn’t they? Then, the Flying Dragon side needed to put on a show to clear themselves of suspicion. Those previously placed in officials’ residences must also heighten their focus, correct?

Shen Hao waved for the two to leave and get on with their tasks. He, meanwhile, packed up several documents and the list, and left the Thousand Households Station. His assignment was to reach a consensus with the Governor’s Office as quickly as possible, have them report to Commander Pang Ban, then receive special authorization from Pang Ban. This matter would even require the Emperor’s approval before action could be taken.

Arriving at the Imperial City, it was unfortunate that Jiang Cheng was not at the Governor’s Office early that morning. Shen Hao could only inform the gatekeeper that he had urgent business and wished to report to Jiang Cheng as soon as possible. The gatekeeper then contacted Jiang Cheng’s Personal Guard and said the matter would be relayed quickly.

After about half an hour, the returning Personal Guard told Shen Hao that Jiang Cheng was now at the Commander’s Office and could not return, but that Shen Hao should go there instead.

"He wants me to go?"

"Yes, Lord Shen, Lord Jiang’s meaning is for you to report at the Commander’s Office. It seems Lord Pang is also present."

Shen Hao nodded without objecting, and followed the Personal Guard out of the Governor’s Office, got into the carriage, and before long arrived at the Commander’s Office beside the Imperial Palace.

This was Shen Hao’s first time here. His first impression was that compared to the Governor’s Office, this place had far fewer people; it seemed much quieter.

"Waist token."

The entrance was strict; even with an Order coming down from above, there was no relaxation in verifying Shen Hao’s identity. From the entrance onward, there were three checkpoints; Jiang Cheng’s Personal Guard, who accompanied Shen Hao, was stopped outside, and a Deputy of the Commander escorted Shen Hao further into the office, stopping at a Public Office door.

"Sir, Hundred Households of Shen has arrived."

"Hmm, let him in."

After the brief conversation inside, Shen Hao was allowed to enter.

As soon as he entered, Shen Hao bowed with cupped hands according to etiquette, first paying respects to Pang Ban in the main seat, then to Jiang Cheng, sitting to the side.

"Good, no need for excessive ceremony. Jiang and I were just discussing your progress; you happened to rush to the Governor’s Office. I assume it’s about the case. Otherwise, by your temperament, Shen Hao, you wouldn’t have someone push Lord Jiang for you. So I had Jiang call you here, to hear your report directly and avoid wasting time later."

Pang Ban still had his usual smiling expression, sitting in his chair as he spoke, while motioning for his Deputy to bring a chair for Shen Hao, signaling him to sit before continuing.

Jiang Cheng also smiled at the side, "You heard Lord Pang. Hurry up and state your business."

Shen Hao chuckled, waited for the Deputy in the Public Office to leave and close the door, then began to speak: "In response to both lords, Zhang De and Ma San Kui have both confessed. The main thread of the ’Ma San Case’ is now roughly clear. It mainly involves the Border Army, the Jingxi Army, and the Ministry of War, with a total of thirty-seven involved personnel confirmed..."

Shen Hao didn’t speak without evidence, but drew out documents and files from his Storage Bag, handing them directly to Jiang Cheng, who then passed them to Pang Ban. Shen Hao’s narration continued without pause.

He started from Xiaochuan’s ambush, then detailed the interrogation results, finally covering the integration of fragmented intelligence, as well as deductions based on these reconstructed threads.

The entire lengthy session lasted two incense sticks; Pang Ban and Jiang Cheng did not interrupt him once.

"My lords, that is the current progress of the ’Ma San Case.’ Please feel free to correct me."

"As you described, the basic outline is clear. This is a case of collusion from top to bottom with Evil Cultivators and the Barbarian Race. However, there are still quite a few missing details. How do you plan to resolve this?" Pang Ban finished reading the documents, passed them back to Jiang Cheng, then with interest posed the first question.

Shen Hao had already prepared, and replied with a firm tone, "Time is tight. Only by striking with thunderous force can we continue to extract information. Therefore, I believe we must arrest the suspects first."