Chapter 637: The Knife

Chapter 637: Chapter 637: The Knife

Due to the Black Water Plan, Fengri City now holds a unique significance within the entire "territory" of the Xuanqing Guard. As a result, Jingxi too has become somewhat special. As the Jingxi Governor, Jiang Cheng naturally received special attention from Pang Ban.

Previously, Jiang Cheng had been instructed to secretly keep an eye on the seven Princes as well as all the Civil Servants from every faction. Although the infiltration of the Black Water Plan had not yet reached "pervasive" levels, Jiang Cheng was still able to grasp rough information and situations at the first moment.

For example, the South has been embroiled in fierce battles recently, and the situation within the Imperial City has begun shifting from covert to overt, with every power rising up and shouting to hoist their banners.

Jiang Cheng was well aware of this, understanding it was an imperial-sanctioned round of competition; the outcome would change many destinies—some would soar, others would plummet.

Jiang Cheng knew exactly what most of these people were plotting. Essentially, they were gamblers placing bets, and this opportunity was genuinely rare. Both inside and outside, great upheavals coincided; perhaps the very structure of the Jingjiu Dynasty for the next century would be determined during this period.

It’s much like gambling—if you have one tael of silver and want to risk it for a windfall, you must choose a side to bet on. Now there are seven points on the table; which do you choose?

But the banners hoisted by these factions did not bear their own symbols or marks, but were emblazoned with the name of a Prince.

For the past year or two, the seven Princes had been quietly cultivating their own forces; now that the Emperor was gradually letting slip the word of "examination" soon, it pushed the Princes to snatch power on an even larger scale.

Of course, this "snatching power" did not mean the seven Princes wielded actual power directly. Rather, through others taking sides, their names served as banners to influence those with true authority who had chosen to align themselves. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ

This method of power-seizing was precisely what the Emperor tacitly permitted.

Everyone was making their choice, but due to its institutional nature, the Xuanqing Guard under Pang Ban remained unmoved, keeping tightly beside the Emperor, maintaining distance and even a cold face toward any Prince.

Yet with the Xuanqing Guard’s immense scale and special authority, scarcely constrained by law, floating between the Military and Civil Servants, over time all sorts could mingle in, some even climbing to high positions. In ordinary times, those with ulterior motives remained quiet in the Guard, but in special times it became unpredictable.

The rumor of the Emperor’s "examination" had already spread, and the Ministry of Revenue’s policy of tightening funds—cast onto the Temple Hall by Bai Changqing and then held back by the Emperor—had now drawn a clear starting line. All that remained was to see when the Emperor would call, "Begin."

A jar of wine on the table was quickly emptied; Jiang Cheng broke open the seal of another jar and eagerly refilled Pang Ban’s cup. At this point in the conversation, Jiang Cheng was beginning to realize Pang Ban’s purpose in calling him today. Most likely, it was tied to Liao Chengfeng.

"Every man has his temper; If your reputation is sullied, you ought to respond, or else you’ll be looked down upon." After clinking cups with Jiang Cheng again, Pang Ban suddenly seemed to be voicing sympathy for him.

This... What does he mean? Is he hinting I should roll up my sleeves and go head-to-head with Liao Chengfeng? Jiang Cheng’s mind spun rapidly.

"Your Excellency, you mean...?"

"Take a look at these first." Pang Ban set down his wine cup, flipped his palm, and produced a thick dossier, pushing it across the table toward Jiang Cheng.

Jiang Cheng took the dossier and flipped through it carefully; the very first page made it clear he was about to be used as a knife.

The documents inside were plentiful—all about Liao Chengfeng, and all his dirty deeds: embezzlement, favoritism, some perverse abuse of the law, and framing others.

Jiang Cheng wasn’t surprised that Liao Chengfeng had such dirt on him, nor did he find it strange that Pang Ban could hold such detailed leverage over Liao Chengfeng. If Pang Ban lacked even that, he wouldn’t have remained securely in the Commander’s chair. In fact, Jiang Cheng suspected that Pang Ban probably kept a similar dossier tracking every detail about himself.

Still, Jiang Cheng didn’t claim to be "a righteous and clean man," but he was by no means as filthy as Liao Chengfeng. Perhaps this dossier was Pang Ban’s way of warning him as well?

"Didn’t expect Liao Chengfeng would be doing so many sordid things behind the scenes!" Jiang Cheng feigned righteous fury, knowing that Pang Ban was about to hand him a task.

"The Xuanqing Guard is vast—where there’s good, there’s bad. But pests like Liao Chengfeng are rare. However, his background is complicated. You served under him for a long time; you must know this well?"

"Yes, Your Excellency. I hear that behind Liao Chengfeng are several intermarried Cultivation Races, some high Nobles, and even ties with the Military."

"That’s right. Liao Chengfeng’s background is both tangled and strong, and he hides deep, hard to grasp. But since he’s chosen to betray the bottom line of the Xuanqing Guard, he can no longer be tolerated.

Only, the situation in the Imperial City is now sensitive—moving against Liao Chengfeng could trigger much unfavorable interpretation for the Xuanqing Guard, so we need a suitable pretext."

Pang Ban looked at Jiang Cheng as he spoke, smiling with a "you ought to understand" expression.

Jiang Cheng gave a bitter smile; of course, he understood such a simple matter.

"Your Excellency, you mean to use my personal grievance with Liao Chengfeng as the pretext to file a case against him?"

Pang Ban nodded with satisfaction, pleased that Jiang Cheng didn’t keep playing dumb, and continued: "Correct. In this situation, Liao Chengfeng is not easy to deal with directly—at least we need cover, so we don’t make the Xuanqing Guard a scapegoat. I’ll leave this to you—can you handle it?"

What could Jiang Cheng say? He could only bow with acquiescence, then carefully put away the dossier Pang Ban had given him.

"Remember, everything in that folder is ready-made. You don’t need to investigate from scratch. For concrete evidence, when you compile your files you can come to the Commander’s Office; I’ll instruct someone to supply you with what you need. But hurry—it must be finished by the end of November. At the very least, you must get Liao Chengfeng under control. Understood?"

"Understood, Your Excellency!"

The moon hung above the branches as Jiang Cheng finally left Pang Ban’s courtyard, walking home in the night breeze without taking a carriage, his expression solemn. He knew Pang Ban was pushing him forward as a shield; when Liao Chengfeng was dealt with, it could look like "Xuanqing Guard purging internal pro-Prince factions" now became "personal vendetta, retaliation."

Though shrewd eyes could discern the truth, at least a mask was placed over it. The Third Prince behind Liao Chengfeng would have no direct excuse to lash out, at most expressing dissatisfaction at the Jingxi Town Governor’s Office.

As Pang Ban said, such concerns only arose during this special period in the Imperial City. If not for this, with Pang Ban’s character, clearing out Liao Chengfeng would not require such roundabout maneuvering.