Chapter 115: Song Jiuming Makes His Move

The monks in the vegetable plots had gathered together, and Yuan Gang gave them a set of instructions.

Once he finished, he had someone call Wei Duo over.

Inside the hall, there were only the two of them, facing each other alone. After looking at one another for a while, Yuan Gang asked, “What is your cultivation realm?”

Wei Duo answered, “Foundation Establishment Realm!”

Those two words came out smoothly enough.

Yuan Gang nodded. He had nothing more to say beyond a single question. “Want to come with me to find Master Dao?”

Wei Duo nodded repeatedly. “Yes!”

That came out without a stutter too.

And so the monks were left behind, while Wei Duo departed with Yuan Gang.

In the main courtyard, one of Shang Chaozong’s personal guards hurried over and reported, “Your Highness, Yuan Gang has left with that stutterer. The two changed into clothing worn by the Princess Consort’s men, borrowed two horses, and rode straight down the mountain.”

The group fell silent. Nearly all of them guessed that Yuan Gang was not merely going down the mountain for a casual outing.

Shang Chaozong waved the guard away, then sighed softly. “Disguising themselves? He must be going to find Master Dao. I wonder whether the Song family still has eyes around here, and whether he’ll run into danger.”

Lan Ruoting pondered for a moment. “The Song family’s target is Master Dao. The news has already been made public, so now that they know Master Dao is no longer here, they should have no reason to keep such a close watch on this place. With Yuan Gang traveling in disguise, there should not be much of a problem.”

Shang Shuqing bit her lip and said nothing. This was exactly why she had worried that Niu Youdao might leave and never return. Niu Youdao understood Yuan Gang. Once he had their side publicly announce that all ties were severed, could he really not have known that Yuan Gang would go looking for him?

In the capital, inside the Song residence study, shattered porcelain lay everywhere. A smashed vase, broken teacups, a cracked and costly inkstone, sheets of paper scattered across the floor—the room was a complete wreck.

Song Jiuming paced back and forth in a fury.

Why was he angry? Naturally because of what had happened in Jinzhou.

The moment something happened to Song Long, someone there had sent word back at once. When Song Jiuming received the news, he had nearly staggered and collapsed into his chair.

For a family that had reached the Song clan’s position, the death of a son was almost secondary. The real problem was the consequences that followed. A dignified envoy of the State of Yan had neglected affairs of state for a private vendetta and caused an incident like this in a foreign country. Song Jiuming could already imagine certain people quietly brewing a violent storm that would soon break over him at court.

Steward Liu Lu and his eldest son, Song Quan, stood in one corner with their heads lowered, not daring to make a sound.

They both knew Song Jiuming was in a towering rage. Neither dared provoke him at a time like this. They had rarely seen him lose his temper so badly.

“He was an envoy representing the State of Yan abroad! Who told him to do something like this? Who told him? If he wanted to court death himself, then fine—but was he trying to drag the entire Song family down with him?”

Song Jiuming suddenly rounded on the two men and berated them savagely. His normally expressionless face had turned blue with rage.

The two were helpless as well. If any other member of the Song family had encountered Niu Youdao in Jinzhou, they would probably have intervened too. If the man was right there within reach, who would simply let him go? No one had expected matters to develop this way, and Song Long certainly could not have foreseen it either.

Song Quan timidly asked, “Can we think of a way to cover it up?”

“Cover it up? How?” Song Jiuming jabbed a finger against his forehead. “What did you grow up eating? Inside the State of Yan, with our family’s influence, we might still find a way to shift responsibility. But how do you cover something up in a foreign country? Who are you going to push the blame onto? Envoys from every state witnessed it with their own eyes. Those men would love nothing more than to see the State of Yan descend into chaos. The harder you try to conceal it, the more eagerly they’ll expose it! An envoy died in the State of Zhao. Do you think the State of Zhao will shoulder the responsibility for you? Cover it up? Who can possibly cover this?”

At that moment, someone announced from outside, “Master, someone has come from the Grand Minister of Works’ residence. The Grand Minister summons you!”

The room instantly went quiet. Everyone suspected that Tong Mo had most likely summoned him over this affair.

At the news, Song Jiuming swiftly regained his composure.

He did not rush to the Grand Minister of Works’ residence. Instead, he had his appearance carefully put in order. His hair was combed until not a strand was out of place, his robes arranged neatly and precisely. Only then did he leave the residence and depart by carriage.

Inside the carriage, he rapidly steadied his emotions and restored his complexion to normal.

After arriving at the Grand Minister of Works’ residence, he entered the main hall and found Tong Mo seated behind a desk, staring at him coldly. Song Jiuming saluted without haste. Then, without another word, he dropped to his knees and lowered his head in silence.

Tong Mo said mildly, “You already know?”

“Yes!” Still kneeling, Song Jiuming cupped his hands. “This subordinate failed to discipline his son and has disappointed the Grand Minister’s expectations. I am willing to accept any punishment!”

Tong Mo studied him. Seeing that his emotions were steady and his complexion unchanged, he gave a faint nod. This was precisely what he admired most about Song Jiuming: when faced with a major crisis, the man did not lose his head. “Good. Since you know, I won’t waste words. Submit your resignation of your own accord.”

“Yes!” Song Jiuming agreed at once, hands still cupped. “This subordinate will immediately submit a memorial resigning from the post of Commandant of Justice.”

Seeing him remain so calm even when losing his office, Tong Mo admired him all the more. He sighed. “You are not normally a man without a sense of proportion. I imagine your son took it upon himself to do this. But there is no helping it. The unauthorized interception and attempted killing at Nanshan Temple last time already angered His Majesty. Fortunately, few people knew of it, and once the incident passed, it passed. This time, however, you know as well as I do that matters have become too serious.”

Thump! Thump! His fingers struck the desk twice, hard.

“His Majesty is certain to be furious, and even I will find it difficult to speak for you. Rather than wait to be impeached and demoted, it is better to confess fault and resign first. Vacate the position and let certain people fight over it. That will also make it easier for me to speak on your behalf. Once the storm has passed, we can see whether those people can do the job better than you. If they make mistakes, there will be no harm in putting you back in office.”

Song Jiuming said, “Yes. I will follow the Grand Minister’s instructions in everything.”

Tong Mo looked pleased. He rose from behind the desk, came around, and personally bent down to help Song Jiuming to his feet. “There are certain things that are inconvenient to handle while occupying an official post. I can understand that as well. Since your private affairs remain unsettled, use this interval to settle your family’s private matters properly and cleanly. Once you can return without distractions, Great Yan will still have need of a capable minister like you.”

Song Jiuming replied, “I understand the Grand Minister’s painstaking intentions.”

Tong Mo patted him on the shoulder. “Write your resignation here. I happen to be going into the palace to report the matter of Song Long to His Majesty. I’ll take it with me.”

“Yes!” Song Jiuming answered.

By the time he returned to the Song residence, the wreckage in the study had been cleaned away until the room was spotless once more.

After sitting behind the long desk, Song Quan personally brought him a cup of tea and tentatively asked, “Father, what did the Grand Minister say?”

Song Jiuming replied calmly, “Nothing much. I have already resigned my post as Commandant of Justice.”

“What?” Liu Lu and Song Quan both cried out in shock.

Song Quan in particular still depended on his father for his own prospects. Without that support, his position would become difficult. Anxious, he said, “Father, was that not too hasty?”

Song Jiuming ignored the question. Instead, his gaze settled on the opposite wall, where a complete map of all beneath Heaven hung in his study. He rose, walked around the desk, and stood before it. After studying the map for a while, he asked, “When will Second Brother’s remains be brought back?”

Liu Lu replied, “There may still be some complications. Jinzhou is holding the body and refuses to release it. They say they have to wait until the investigation is complete.”

Song Jiuming clasped his hands behind his back. “What does Jinzhou intend to do with that Niu Youdao?”

Liu Lu said, “They say that too will wait until the investigation is complete.”

Song Jiuming said, “Don’t expect Jinzhou to do anything to Niu Youdao. Nine times out of ten, Jinzhou itself was involved. They will neither punish Niu Youdao nor hand him over to us. Most likely, they’ll release him in secret. Has word come from Canglu County?”

Liu Lu replied, “It just arrived. Shang Chaozong has publicly posted a declaration saying Niu Youdao has been expelled from his service and no longer has any connection with them.”

“Heh!” Song Jiuming gave a cold laugh, eyes fixed on the map. “Exactly as expected. For quite some time, Niu Youdao probably will not show his face in Canglu County again. We’ll have to find him ourselves. He killed my grandson, and now he has killed one of my sons. If I still fail to deal with this wretch, I will only become a laughingstock. What face would I have left to stand in court? Fine. Since I have time on my hands now, I’ll settle this matter.”

He raised a hand and pointed at the map. “At relay stations on the necessary routes through every region of every state, choose the locations carefully and establish observation posts. Find people who know Niu Youdao and have them draw his likeness. Send copies to every post. I refuse to believe he can hide forever.”

“Once the net is in place, keep sending people to negotiate with Shang Chaozong and demand that he hand Niu Youdao over. Whether Shang Chaozong agrees is irrelevant. Raise the offer as high as necessary. We may never have to pay it. What matters is making enough commotion to alert the snake by striking the grass—make Niu Youdao suspicious of Shang Chaozong, make him afraid to hide anywhere Shang Chaozong knows about, and force him to show himself instead of remaining concealed indefinitely.”

Liu Lu asked in puzzlement, “Master, you mean establish posts inside every state, not only within the State of Yan?” He thought he had misheard.

Song Jiuming said, “Every state!”

Liu Lu was startled. “Master, making portraits and conducting negotiations are easy enough, but isn’t the scale of that network too enormous? The manpower and money required would be...”

“We will not need to provide much of the manpower, material, or money ourselves. You need not worry about that,” Song Jiuming said. “I’ll speak with Old Mo at the Intelligence Directorate and borrow the idle personnel he already has planted throughout the various states.”

Liu Lu and Song Quan exchanged looks. The old master did nothing by halves. The moment he moved, it was extraordinary. He was directly calling upon the strength of the state to deal with Niu Youdao. Even if Niu Youdao died under such treatment, he could hardly say he had been wronged.

They also heard the other implication: even after stepping down, the old man’s influence remained.

“I’ll make the arrangements with Old Mo. Once a target is found, the Intelligence Directorate will directly hire local manpower nearby to deal with him. Otherwise, by the time messages are passed back and forth and we send our own people over, distant water will not put out a nearby fire. In the end, we will still have to pay the hiring fees once the accounts are settled. Apart from that, there should be no major expense.”

Liu Lu immediately grew energized. Niu Youdao had killed his son as well, so the hatred between them was personal. He nodded at once. “Master, rest assured. I will immediately have Niu Youdao’s portrait drawn, carved into printing blocks, and reproduced quickly for distribution to every post.”

[End of Chapter 115]