A Pawn's Passage

The Daoist Mansion’s Flying Ship No. 3, renowned as a mansion in the sky, slowly descended onto Guijian Lake outside Thanglong Prefecture.

Zhang Yuelu gazed at the unrelenting rain outside the window and sighed.

During these final days before leaving her post, Zhang Yuelu had still decided to accomplish something tangible for Nanyang. She traveled through all the countries of Nanyang, pushed forward quite a few concrete initiatives, and signed numerous agreements.

Then, Zhang Yuelu was suddenly summoned back to Thanglong Prefecture immediately to attend a Daoist Mansion council meeting, forcing her to cut her journey short.

This would very likely be Zhang Yuelu’s final time attending a council meeting of the Poluo Daoist Mansion.

Her accompanying secretary, Ke Qingqing, had already begun packing Zhang Yuelu’s luggage. Zhang Yuelu remained where she was, gazing out the window.

The sky was gloomy, shrouded in mist and rain, while the surface of Guijian Lake was veiled in a vast expanse of white. With raindrops covering the windowpanes, the scenery outside appeared indistinct and blurred.

It did not seem like a good omen, which dampened Zhang Yuelu’s mood as well.

Zhang Yuelu was no novice to the Daoist Order. Naturally, she knew that the situation within the Poluo Daoist Mansion was far from peaceful. On the surface, after the lingering influence of the Wang and Sun factions had been purged, a new balance of power had emerged. Even if they were not completely united, they at least appeared cohesive both internally and externally, since most of them belonged to the Quanzhen Sect.

But in reality, things were not so simple. A rift had already formed between Sage Donghua’s faction and the Yao family, and they were no longer as close as they had once been. To make matters more delicate, the current Mansion Master, Yao Shu, was a core member of the Yao family, and he was personally presiding over this abruptly convened council meeting.

Zhang Yuelu knew perfectly well that everyone was watching her like a hawk due to the personnel reshuffle. All types of rumors and discussions swirled around her. Many hoped to see her make one wrong step. Though it might not send her plunging into an irredeemable abyss, it would be enough to force her out of the competition prematurely.

Therefore, Zhang Yuelu did not lower her guard simply because she was serving out her final days in office. On the contrary, she became even more vigilant.

That was why she could already sense something unusual about this council meeting.

Qi Xuansu was able to wrap things up so calmly over a cup of tea, settling the course of what would follow over a few words because he had allied himself with the biggest local power—the Western Daoist Order—and united every force that could possibly be united. On the other hand, Zhang Yuelu had offended the local powers of Nanyang. As a result, there were many things she could only face alone.

Zhang Yuelu disembarked from the flying ship, surrounded by her entourage. Waiting to receive her was Grand Sage Lan’s secretary, Sun Yongfeng, who was also Zhang Yuelu’s former subordinate.

After exchanging a few polite pleasantries with Sun Yongfeng, Zhang Yuelu boarded the carriage that had already been prepared.

Sun Yongfeng followed Zhang Yuelu into the carriage, clearly having something to report to her.

Zhang Yuelu did not stop him. Once seated, she went straight to the point. “What is it?”

Sun Yongfeng lowered his voice. “Chief Zhang, people from Beichen Hall and Fengxian Hall have arrived. They say they’re jointly investigating a case.”

“Investigating whose case?” Zhang Yuelu was startled, but her expression remained calm.

The rain grew heavier, accompanied by flashes of lightning and peals of thunder. The lightning illuminated the faces of those inside the carriage, turning them deathly pale for an instant before vanishing just as quickly.

Outside the carriage, it seemed as though the heavens had collapsed. Rain poured down in torrents, merging into a curtain of water until the entire world seemed submerged. Only in Nanyang would it rain this heavily at this time of year. The Central Plains certainly had nothing like it.

Sun Yongfeng continued speaking amid the low rumble of thunder. His voice was not loud, yet every word struck harder than the thunder outside. “It’s Xie Jiaofeng’s case.”

Zhang Yuelu frowned. “Why him? Even if something happened to Xie Jiaofeng, it should be handled by our Daoist Mansion. How did Beichen Hall and Fengxian Hall get involved?”

Sun Yongfeng replied, “Someone took the evidence directly to Jade Capital and filed a report.”

Zhang Yuelu asked directly, “Do we know who it was?”

Sun Yongfeng sighed. “They say it was Old Xie’s lover, Nangong Meng, who is also a Daoist priest. She’s socially adept and very well-connected. I’ve heard she even has connections to several Sages.”

Zhang Yuelu gave a quiet snort but said nothing.

Sun Yongfeng continued, “Nangong Meng had been with Old Xie for many years. She always wanted him to make their relationship official so she could have a proper status, but Old Xie kept putting it off. Somehow, the two eventually fell out. As the woman sharing his bed, Nangong Meng knew a great deal about Old Xie’s affairs. She threatened to expose him, so Old Xie made the first move and had her detained.”

Zhang Yuelu interrupted him. “When did this happen?”

Sun Yongfeng replied, “On the third day after you left Lion City to begin your tour of Nanyang nations.”

Zhang Yuelu’s expression darkened. She had known nothing about any of this. But there was little she could have done. A person had only so much time and energy, and she had been overwhelmed with work. How could she possibly have had time to concern herself with her subordinate’s private life? Besides, it would hardly have been appropriate for a female superior to pry into the private affairs of a male subordinate.

What she had not expected was for someone to pull the rug out from under her.

Zhang Yuelu gestured for Sun Yongfeng to continue.

Sun Yongfeng said, “Nangong Meng is the sort of female Daoist who is very good at cultivating connections and maneuvering her way upward. She has several close friends who, despite not holding particularly high positions, are very well-connected in Jade Capital and have dealings with many high-ranking Daoists.”

Zhang Yuelu remained expressionless.

There was never any shortage of female Daoists like this. No one knew what powerful figure might be connected to a reasonably attractive female Daoist behind the scenes. She might even be a member of some important person’s harem.

“Nangong Meng took precautions and wrote a letter in blood beforehand. The day before she was arrested, she handed the blood letter and some evidence to a friend of hers in Jade Capital. After passing through several hands, her friend managed to get the blood letter and evidence into the hands of a Sage, who ultimately passed them on to Fengxian Hall. That caught Fengxian Hall’s attention and led to the situation we have today.” After Sun Yongfeng finished speaking, he quietly observed Zhang Yuelu’s expression.

Zhang Yuelu fell into deep thought.

If there were problems with Xie Jiaofeng, then he should be thoroughly investigated. Zhang Yuelu had no objection to that, nor would she shield him. But she was not naive enough to think that this had nothing to do with her.

She would not think that distancing herself from Xie Jiaofeng would make them leave her alone, nor did she think they had come solely to investigate Xie Jiaofeng. The timing was certainly too coincidental to think that none of this concerned her.

Zhang Yuelu knew perfectly well that these people had a hidden agenda.

Both successive Chief Deputy Mansion Masters of the Poluo Daoist Mansion had been Xie Jiaofeng’s direct superiors. Now that something like this has happened, they might be investigated for failure in oversight.

If Xie Jiaofeng had financial misconduct, then they would certainly investigate whether his direct superiors shared any financial interests or dealings with him.

Once Xie Jiaofeng fell into enemy hands, even if he turned out clean, they could still manufacture a few problems.

This meant they could strike at Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu, leaving the couple battered and disgraced at this critical juncture.

In the past, it had always been Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu investigating others. Now, the tables have turned. Others had begun investigating Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu instead. The feeling was still somewhat unfamiliar.

After a moment, Zhang Yuelu asked, “What exactly are the allegations in the report?”

Sun Yongfeng replied, “We don’t know yet. It’s classified information belonging to the special investigation team. But Old Xie has been entrenched in Nanyang for many years, serving under two Mansion Masters and three Chief Deputy Mansion Masters. He was stationed in a prosperous place like Lion City, so his finances are most likely not clean. This may end up implicating even more people.”

Another bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating heaven and earth for a split second. A while later, a muffled rumble resounded across the heavens.

Sun Yongfeng continued, “I’ve heard some rumors that several hundred thousand Taiping coins were found in Old Xie’s residence, along with countless property deeds and land titles. Apparently, he also had questionable relationships with several women. If you ask me, this sort of thing has almost become the norm. As long as no one investigates, everyone looks clean. But once an investigation begins, who can truly withstand the scrutiny?”

Zhang Yuelu closed her eyes.

If this information was true and Xie Jiaofeng had not been falsely accused, then the problem was serious.

To think that Xie Jiaofeng was actually such a person. Zhang Yuelu had been so busy contending with the old Daoists and pushing through her new policies that she had forgotten those serving directly under her. Failing to notice this was her responsibility. She would not shirk it and was prepared to acknowledge her shortcomings before the Daoist Mansion at the council meeting.

But she had to be even more vigilant about the series of developments that would follow. The wind came before the rain, and a violent storm would surely follow, aimed directly at her.

Zhang Yuelu also understood that Sun Yongfeng must have come to tell her all this on Great Sage Lan’s instructions, which meant Great Sage Lan was still on her side. The fact that Sun Yongfeng knew so much was most likely thanks to Xu Jiaorong, which meant Xu Jiaorong was also on her side.

The balance of power in the Daoist Mansion had not shifted yet.

However, the fact that the Daoist Mansion had summoned her back for a council meeting still showed how serious the situation had become. Even Great Sage Lan and Xu Jiaorong had no way to resolve it quietly.

What mattered now was not taking any rash action but remaining calm.

Although the problem was serious, the flames had not yet reached Zhang Yuelu, much less Qi Xuansu. Zhang Yuelu did not believe that someone would attack her the moment she stepped through the doors of the council hall. Things had not reached that point yet.

As long as the situation was not yet beyond saving, she was still the Chief Deputy of the Poluo Daoist Mansion, the third-highest-ranking figure in the entire Daoist Mansion after Great Sage Lan and Mansion Master Yao. Perhaps she still had the ability to organize a defensive battle and repel the enemy’s offensive.

Thinking about it carefully, this was only to be expected. What was destined to come would come eventually. Moreover, the timing had been chosen with great precision, striking precisely when she had left Lion City. Had she remained in Lion City, there would have been no way to arrest Xie Jiaofeng without her noticing, and she would have had ample time to respond instead of being caught off guard. Yet after touring through the various kingdoms in Nanyang, she returned to find that Lion City had become a different world.

Even so, she could not do anything about it. The tree might wish for stillness, but the wind would not cease.

Qi Xuansu had said before that if one wished to govern the realm, one first had to learn how to safeguard oneself. If one wished to contend with the heavens, one first had to learn how to contend with people.

Zhang Yuelu composed herself and asked, “What is the Mansion Master’s position right now?”

Sun Yongfeng seemed to have been waiting for Zhang Yuelu to ask this question and immediately replied, “The Mansion Master stated that the investigation of this case must be conducted under the direct leadership of the Daoist Mansion. If other senior members of the Daoist Mansion are implicated, we must exercise due caution. The investigation must be pursued to the very end.”

Zhang Yuelu’s gaze grew inscrutable. She could sense the danger in Yao Shu’s stance of wanting to have it both ways.

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