Xuanqing Guard

Half an hour later, it was precisely nine o’clock in the evening.

Shen Hao and Chen Tianwen had been quietly discussing the case in the courtyard, mainly the follow-up matters in Hai Xia and Tanshi. Regardless of whether Zhou Qing ultimately chose to continue to resist or to confess, many tasks would require Chen Tianwen to stay behind and clean up.

"My lord, the time has come."

"Let’s go."

Seeing Zhou Qing again, Shen Hao’s eyes narrowed slightly. It had only been half an hour, yet the man before him—who previously resembled a caged and furious beast—now slumped in despair, looking almost on the verge of death.

Spirit, ah. When a man’s spirit is gone, isn’t this exactly what he looks like? Not to mention the struggles and choices in his heart, even self-reproach—such torments from multiple fronts are unimaginable to ordinary people.

Witnessing Zhou Qing change so much, Shen Hao secretly gained even more confidence in his grasp over the situation.

"Have you made up your mind?" Shen Hao didn’t sit, but instead walked forward with his hands behind his back, directly approaching Zhou Qing. This burly man was tall—even bound to a pillar and unable to stand up straight, he was still much taller than Shen Hao, who had to lift his gaze to meet the other’s eyes.

"How can you guarantee it?"

When these few words left Zhou Qing’s mouth, the deep shame and anger were obvious. The mark of conflict between his brows almost made Shen Hao want to laugh, for he knew his methods had succeeded. Except, at this moment, Zhou Qing looked exactly like one of those young ladies just out of the Flower House: wanting to act tough, yet wavering and hesitant.

"The Xuanqing Guard’s reputation is widely recognized. We may be unpopular, but we always keep our promises. Besides—and forgive the bluntness—you don’t really have any other options at this point."

"No, I do."

"Oh?"

"Lord Shen, I can guess what you’re after. It’s nothing more than your own merits. If I refuse to talk, your case will stall. In the end, even if you apprehend Xu Hong, it’ll be under the pretext of another case, so it won’t count as your complete achievement. To most people, that’s just ’good luck,’ not ’real skill’—you wouldn’t want that outcome, would you?"

Even though Zhou Qing looked defeated at this moment, his mind seemed clear and working—displaying the cunning expected of someone who could rise to become Assistant General.

Or perhaps, it was only after he began considering his own situation that his mind was willing to spin?

Shen Hao wasn’t surprised by Zhou Qing’s reaction—he actually preferred this kind of negotiation. Zhou Qing’s willingness to bargain meant he was ready to confess. That was a good sign. He smiled, saying, "You’re right. I’m the lead on this case, and I like to see things through from start to finish. So does my superior. I don’t want some undignified reason to prevent me from claiming full credit. And your confession is very important to me.

Go on, what else do you want to say?"

"I can confess, and I’m willing to believe you, but the condition can’t just be sparing my youngest son. You must also guarantee he’ll want for nothing all his life." Zhou Qing’s voice grew lower as he spoke. He cared only about his youngest son—a clever boy who resembled Zhou Qing in his younger days. As for the rest, Zhou Qing had no intention of saving them. If not for their own foolishness and greed, getting involved in shady dealings, he himself wouldn’t be facing this plight now.

Shen Hao nodded, replying seriously, "That’s not a problem. We’ll set aside some of the Zhou family’s assets for him. With reasonable management, he’ll never want for food or clothing. Well then, are you willing to confess?"

"..."

Shen Hao didn’t push him for an answer, but instead gave a signal to Chen Tianwen at his side. Chen Tianwen quickly prepared pen and paper, sitting upright, ready to record Zhou Qing’s statement.

After a long silence, Zhou Qing suddenly said, "The fate of the world has always been determined by blades and spears, but those in the military are used like tools—discarded and abandoned when no longer needed. Yet those literati, who do nothing but play with words, drink wine, recite poetry, and fool around with women, can live lavishly behind the lines—even lording it over those of us who shed our blood for the Dynasty. Lord Shen, do you think that’s fair?"

Shen Hao did not reply—he simply shook his head along with Zhou Quan’s words.

"We don’t think it’s fair either. Especially those damned Military Supervisors—some don’t even know the difference between the ranks but involve themselves in everything, pointing fingers and meddling. And when problems arise, they dump all responsibility back on us. There’s no one more shameless. Military drills, logistics, troop deployments—all of it’s been ruined by these bastards.

Look at Hai Xia’s garrison now, or the Tanshi Garrison—what are they now? Are those men fit to call themselves soldiers? They’re rotten to the core.

But should you try to set things right, the Military Supervisors leap out to make a public fuss, pinning all the blame on the Commander-in-Chief. In the end, everyone chooses to turn a blind eye: better to avoid trouble and just get by until the next rotation. Why make problems for yourself?

The only ones who can still fight are the Chief Officers’ direct subordinates. If this continues, what fighting force is left in the military?

Eventually, some of us decided we couldn’t just sit and wait to die. For ourselves, and for the Dynasty, someone had to take a gamble and make bold moves..."

By turns stirring and resentful—it was like telling a story. Zhou Qing slowly recalled his past, repeatedly emphasizing the words "not fair." No matter what pleasant excuses he made for "colluding with outsiders," at its root, his motivation was simply those three words: "not fair."

The true key figure who turned the anger in Zhou Qing and the others into action, as Shen Hao had previously deduced, was indeed Xu Hong, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War.

In fact, even before Zhou Qing joined, Xu Hong had already made some arrangements. As for the earlier period, Zhou Qing knew only bits and pieces; for instance, he’d heard that during the last war with the Barbarian Race, Xu Hong, while ostensibly clearing out their remnant forces, deliberately let some of their main warrior tribes off the hook—instead of following orders to "eliminate them completely," he left large areas untouched.

In Zhou Qing’s words, Xu Hong was being "far-sighted," laying the groundwork for all the moves that followed.

The rest of the narrative basically matched Shen Hao’s previous deductions and analyses—with several points remaining dubious, however.

For instance, the matter spanning decades—in all these decades, Zhou Qing claimed that everything was devised and directed by Xu Hong alone, never mentioning his superior, Yang Yansi, the current Minister of War.

Also, based on Zhou Qing’s account, Ma San Kui and the other Pseudo-Evil Cultivators approached them on their own, looking for medicines from the Barbarian Race. Zhou Qing and his associates merely helped with some connections and facilitated the initial trade. That didn’t match Ma San Kui’s statement.

Indeed, Zhou Qing knew nothing of Ma San Kui’s real background at all.