When the troops went back to the dock, it was already afternoon. They were about three hours late. Hence, Shen Leng, who was carrying a few heads on his waist, was punished and made to stand on the platform of the dock. Without Cen Zheng’s order, he was not allowed to leave.

His silhouette looked somewhat lonely.

Shen Leng lifted his head and looked at the sun that was about to set. He thought about Meng Changan’s lone journey to the north. He must be lonelier than me, right? He was only momentarily lonely – when he returned to his ten-man squad, he would be filled with warmth once again. And when he finally returned to Mr. Shen and Master Cha, the warmth he would experience would make him feel good all over.

When the sky was almost dark, Class B Guoyi General Bai Xiu walked slowly over to Shen Leng. When he looked at the heads that had bled dry, a ray of light flashed across his eyes.

“Actually, General Cen did not mean to put you on the spot.”

Bai Xiu pointed to the heads. “Look for a place and casually bury them. I will take note of your credit. I will send someone to investigate the identities of these people. But you also know that some things are well-hidden even in broad daylight. Sometimes it’s impossible to attain the truth.”

Shen Leng looked at Bai Xiu. “Thank you, general. I will continue to investigate the matter pertaining to Li Tuming.”

Bai Xiu frowned slightly. “Why do you have to be this stubborn?”

Shen Leng asked, “General, what do you think is the most important thing in this world?”

Bai Xiu replied, “Great Ning.”

Shen Leng looked at Bai Xiu and nodded. “General, your reply is indeed spot on…however, I feel that people are the most important. When you say Great Ning, I’m sure you’re not only referring to the rivers and mountains. What’s more important are the common people within those rivers and mountains. Why are human beings important? It’s because we have feelings. Li Tuming is my brother.”

“You have already taken revenge. You have already killed so many people.”

“Li Tuming is my brother.”

“You are a soldier. You should know that the military rules are of utmost importance.”

“Li Tuming is my brother.”

Shen Leng took a deep breath. “General, why do you think the combat soldiers of Great Ning are unequalled? That’s because we treat our comrades as brothers.”

Bai Xiu scoffed. His face started to look pale.

“Shen Leng, I have already given you all the advice I wanted to give you. You should know that if I did not think highly of you, I wouldn’t have said these things. People should always be self-aware.”

After he said that, Bai Xiu turned around and walked off. Shen Leng tossed the heads onto the ground, creating loud thud sounds. “General, you mentioned earlier that I should casually bury these heads? But I don’t want to. Great Ning’s soldiers should never let our enemies go this easily, and allow them to be buried and at rest.”

Bai Xiu stopped in his tracks. He turned around and looked at Shen Leng. “Burn them then.”

After he said those three words, he took big steps and left. Evidently, he was furious at Shen Leng’s behavior.

Within the Xiong Niu battleship, Cen Zheng stood there as he looked at Shen Leng, who was standing at the platform. He looked like a cold, hard rock. He shifted his gaze to Bai Xiu and frowned slightly. After that, he sighed. He had a pained look in his eyes, as though he was blaming himself.

“Where are my soldiers at?”

“Here!”

Two soldiers quickly made their way over. They cupped their fist with the other hand and bowed.

“Tell Shen Leng to go back. And tell him that Li Tuming’s incident ends here. If he dares to do anything rash again, I will behead him according to the military rules. Make sure he remembers that he should never, ever give me the chance to do so.”

The two soldiers looked at each other in dismay, thinking to themselves: What is going on with the general?

However, the general’s words were an order. They did not dare to disobey. The quickly left to look for Shen Leng and repeated Cen Zheng’s words to Shen Leng. Shen Leng turned around to look at that Xiong Niu battleship with a vexed look in his eyes.

Li Tuming was buried near the official dock. Shen Leng chose that place; he did not know anything about feng shui. He picked that place because it was a wide open space and one was able to look far away, in the direction of the north. Perhaps he could see his hometown.

On the second day, the fleet continued to head down to the south. The strong stench of blood on the dock had dissipated. However, everyone knew for a fact that Ningwu county was definitely not going to be peaceful for quite a while.

The memorial reporting about the water bandits killing more than a hundred local soldiers had gotten to the capital after eight days. It was personally written by the Navy commander, Zhuang Yong. The military relay stations were a lot more efficient that the civil relay stations. Hence, Ningwu county’s memorial, as well as Anyang’s, was still on the way.

It was expedited – men and horses worked throughout the night. Under normal circumstances, it would take at least around twenty days for the memorial to be delivered to Changan city from Anyang. However, Zhuang Yong’s memorial had reached His Majesty’s table within eight days.

Unexpectedly, the emperor did not react furiously. The joints of his fingers of both hands that were holding the memorial turned slightly pale.

The emperor passed the memorial to Great Scholar Mu Zhaotong. “How do you think I should handle it?”

Mu Zhaotong keenly detected danger in the emperor’s minute reaction. He took the memorial from him with both hands and read it carefully, not daring to miss out a single word. After he finished reading it, he fell to his knees and started sweating profusely.

“I am guilty.”

“What are you guilty of?”

“I am the one who recommended the county magistrate of Ningwu.”

“I know that, hence I’m asking you, how should I handle it?”

“Behead.”

Mu Zhaotong lifted his head. That one word he said was extremely clear-cut and ruthless.

“Alright, let’s do as you say…Ningwu county’s magistrate and county deputy will be beheaded. The other yamen officials will be carefully investigated. Send people from the Ministry of Appointments and Ministry of Justice over. Kill the ones who have to be killed and arrest the ones who have to be arrested. Exile the ones who have to be exiled as well. Lastly, do the same for the ones whose houses have to be searched and have their possessions confiscated. The rest of the officials below that of the senior provincial official in Anyang have to get two years worth of salary forfeited. They are allowed to keep their positions, but investigate. If they did anything to circumvent the law, they will not be spared… All the officials under Chen Lian of Jiangnan division will get their salaries forfeited for a year. Get Chen Lian to investigate his own subordinates properly!”

Mu Zhaotong knelt and lowered his head. “Understood.”

“Navy commander Zhuang Yong’s training is brutal and his men were unable to handle the situation in time. Forfeit his salary for a year and demote him.”

After the emperor finished his sentence, he rubbed his temples with his fingers. “I don’t want to see something like this happening again.”

Mu Zhaotong crouched on the ground. “Your Majesty, please punish me too. My mistake cannot be forgiven.”

“Forget it. I will forfeit your salary for a year.”

His emperor was silent for a moment. “Send some people from the Ministry of Revenue and Ministry of War to Ningwu county. Divide the forfeited salaries and give them to the families of the local soldiers that died. I have said it many times before – I can suffer losses, but I cannot do that to my people…select the officials who will go to Ningwu country. I want to personally see for myself.”

“Yes!”

Mu Zhaotong kowtowed continuously. “If you only forfeit my salary for a year, I’m afraid the punishment is too light.”

“Quick, get up. This has nothing to do with you.”

The emperor got up and helped Mu Zhaotong up. “There are several other things that I need you to manage. I can’t handle it without you by my side…it seems like the Navy should not be confined within the Nanping River. For such a great Navy force to only be guarding Anyang and Jiangnan, we are not making full use of its potential…I’m thinking of allowing the Navy to temporarily travel around all waterways within Jiangnan, and not be limited by the various local authorities by informing and negotiating with them. For the same of protecting the people, they shouldn’t stop or wait.”

Mu Zhaotong’s heart trembled. However, he could only keep his head lowered. “Your Majesty is thoughtful and considerate. I will draft the imperial decree.”

The emperor grunted. “The Navy can use the money and grain, as well as the supplies from all local government treasuries in Jiangnan. The local government treasuries should take note of the amount of everything taken by the Navy and report it to the Ministry of Revenue. The Navy does not have to ask for permission from the local authorities…at least in the first class. Within the first category, they do not have to be controlled.”

“Yes.”

Mu Zhaotong lamented to himself…Zhuang Yong, are you able to handle such a great power and authority bestowed upon you by His Majesty?

Apart from Jingji division, whose officials were Class B First pin, the other officials in the other divisions were Class B Second pin. Zhuang Yong was Class A Fourth pin…no, he was now Class B Fourth pin. He was already greatly elevated by the emperor compared to his counterparts of the same status.

Even though on the surface he was being demoted…

The emperor sat down again. “Was I a bit too harsh in how I handled Ningwu county’s matter?”

Mu Zhaotong thought to himself: Why did His Majesty change the topic back to that matter? He did not dare to respond immediately. He pondered for a few moments before he suddenly thought of one person…His Majesty had punished every single person in Jiangnan, except that one person. It was Jiangnan’s Garrison B’s General Bai Shangnian.

The entire imperial court knew that Bai Shangnian and Mu Zhaotong were well acquainted with one another. They were known to be friends despite their difference in age.

“Your Majesty, I don’t think it’s enough. Garrison B’s General Bai Shangnian is also guilty of not investigating the matter. He should be punished.”

“How should I punish him?”

“I…Your Majesty, please make a decision.”

The emperor looked at Mu Zhaotong. “Bai Shangnian has been in the garrison in Jiangnan for so many years. It’s reasonable to say that he is more at fault compared to Zhuang Yong. Demote him and forfeit three years of his salary.”

Demoted and three years worth of salary forfeited!

Mu Zhaotong kept pondering hard. What does His Majesty mean? Don’t tell me he’s saying that Bai Shangnian did something bad? The water bandits were under the Navy’s jurisdiction. Previously, the reason why the Navy forces did not leave Nanping River was because they were limited by the waterways. Hence, the emperor only punished Zhuang Yong by demoting him. It would probably not take him long before he got promoted again. What about Bai Shangnian?

Mu Zhaotong lowered his head. “Your Majesty is a brilliant ruler.”

The emperor gestured. “You must be tired. Go home and take a rest first. I’m kind of tired.”

Mu Zhaotong had no choice but to bend his body as he left the study. However, all he could think about was Bai Shangnian’s matter.

The emperor sat on the chair and seemed to have something on his mind. He was in a daze for quite a while and saw a red wooden box on his table. He picked it up and took out the confidential letter within it before reading it.

The entire imperial court knew that His Majesty’s significant control over the military soldiers was unprecedented in history. Not only because His Majesty took the power of the allocation of the troops back from the Ministry of War, His Majesty had also implemented an inside intelligence box. His Majesty had trusted aides planted amongst the soldiers in all four borders and depositories. Apart from His Majesty, nobody knew who they were.

And these people specialized in reporting the matters of the military rapidly. It was known as the inside intelligence box.

That inside intelligence box was sent from the Navy. It arrived a day before Zhuang Yong’s memorial.

“Daoist Qing Song of Baita temple in Yunxiao city…it’s already been sixteen years…could it be that coincidental?” The emperor muttered to himself.

He leaned back. He had an extraordinarily exhausted look on his face.

Sixteen years ago, on one night, he was busy making the final preparations for entering the capital. Something big happened in the prince’s mansion that implicated several people. Because of that matter, he was extremely furious. Before he set off, he had sentenced several people to death. The number was so significant that it sent chills down one’s spine. The courtyard of the prince’s mansion was stained with blood that could not be cleaned despite pouring more than ten buckets worth of water.

However the daoist of Baita temple had escaped. There was no news about him for several years.

Presently, if the daoist was in Anyang, Zhuang Yong must have known about it. But why did he not report it?

The emperor burned the confidential letter. He was in a daze for quite a while before he said in a deep voice. “Get Gou Zi to enter the palace. I have something for him to do.”

In the shadows, a man in black stepped forward and knelt down. “I will go now.”

An hour later, the emperor had already left the study and went to Si Mao Zhai. The imperial bodyguards and palace maids had been asked to leave. Si Mao Zhai was somewhat frighteningly quiet. There was a middle-aged man kneeling on the ground. His shoulders were slightly trembling. This was because he had not seen His Majesty for at least three years.

“Gou Zi.”

“Here.”

“Go to Anyang. Help me investigate someone, and investigate something.”

The person who was referred to as ‘Gou Zi’ by the emperor lifted his head. He looked the emperor’s sorrowful eyes.

“Is it…about what happened sixteen years ago?”

“Yeah, the reason why I haven’t seen you for three years is because apart from that matter, there is no need for you to show your face.”

The emperor gestured with his hand. “Also, find out if Zhuang Yong is associated to what happened sixteen years ago. I remember that he went to Baita temple that day.”

The middle-aged man got up. “Understood. Tomorrow, early in the morning…no, I will leave tonight.”

After he left Si Mao Zhai, he finally straightened his body. The night breeze blew, causing his white clothes to flutter in the wind, making the three fire red floating clouds on his sleeves seem as though they came to life.