```
It was precisely because he knew everything that he refused to get involved in this muddy mess.
The dirty tricks aimed at the Upper Right Bureau by the Northern Town Prefectural Commissioner had nothing to do with his instigation. The newly appointed Town Governor, Song Jing, was not on the same page with him as the Commandant!
In short, Song Jing was using Shen Fa as a scapegoat, secretly weakening that man’s influence in official circles...
And this new Town Governor, Song Jing, was handpicked by the Emperor himself.
In other words, even if Song Jing’s series of actions against the Upper Right Bureau were not directly ordered by the Emperor, they definitely had the Emperor’s tacit approval!
Do they all think it’s no big deal for that guy to come back to the capital and beat me, Shen Fa, up again?
They’re really not taking me seriously!
After listening to Wei Heng, Emperor Xiping himself didn’t notice he had let out a sigh of relief.
Not only did the two people below him notice his sudden sigh of relief, but they also detected a hint of pleasure amidst his ease...
The two of them pondered in secret and immediately realized, ’Oh, are you pleased that Yang Erlang is giving you face?’
"Then investigate."
Emperor Xiping gave a gentle tap on the armrest of the dragon throne and concluded, "See if anyone at court is tempted by wealth and attempts to compromise my righteousness!"
Shen Fa, head bowed, slandered quietly to himself after hearing this, ’You’re also afraid of being made the scapegoat, aren’t you?’
Emperor Xiping’s gaze wandered between the two people below him for a long time before finally settling on Wei Heng, "This matter shall be overseen by the Western Factory. Zhong He, your Embroidered Uniform Guards will assist from the sidelines. Report back to me immediately upon any findings!"
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The two below bowed in unison, "Your servant follows the decree."
...
Jinling, Zijing Mountain, the Pavilion Beyond the Pavilion.
A Daoist master in a purple robe with gold patterns, his hair and beard flecked with white, sat centered, with the Yin-Yang Protector and the Five Elements Envoys on either side.
The lingering scent of ambergris, like misty clouds, enveloped eight figures wearing black iron masks, creating an atmosphere so heavy it seemed water might wring out of it...
After who knows how long in silence, finally, someone spoke in a heavy, deliberate tone, "This precedent must not be set, this trend must not continue!"
"The Fire Envoy is mighty!"
A voice, neither soft nor sharp, chimed in, "Then how about we leave Yang Erlang to the Fire Envoy to handle?"
The Fire Envoy slapped the armrest of his chair and shouted angrily, "I act out of selfless duty. If you have an objection, speak plainly. Why take potshots at me?"
The person laughed lightly, "Whether you are acting out of selfless duty, heaven knows, earth knows, you know, I don’t!"
The Fire Envoy’s grip tightened on the armrest, veins bulging on the back of his hand, "What do you mean by that, Left Protector?"
That person replied leisurely, "No particular meaning, just that certain individuals are in cahoots with the noble Zhao Wei, neither openly nor secretly, and now they incite us to clash with Yang Erlang. It is only right for me to remind everyone not to be used as a pawn by others."
The Fire Envoy fell silent for a moment, then laughed lightly, "That’s not what you said when you pushed for the list change previously, Left Protector."
That person replied indifferently, "That was then, this is now."
The Fire Envoy sneered, "A fine ’That was then, this is now.’ Left Protector, you truly know how to change your spots like a leopard!"
The two closed their mouths and said no more.
Again, a long silence filled the hall.
It took a while before someone spoke up again, "If Yang Erlang is truly set on a life-and-death struggle with us, a few petty tricks may not stop him."
```
"I agree, the incident in Dongying alone is enough to demonstrate this man’s strategies and temperament against enemies. We may not fear Zhao Wei, but that does not necessarily mean we will not fear Yang Erlang."
"However, what the Fire Envoy said indeed makes sense. Once this precedent is set, won’t it mean that anyone could frame and threaten us in the future?"
"Yang Erlang is an exception. Even Wei, faced with him, is equally helpless and can only comply."
"I also support the Fire Envoy’s view. This precedent must not be set, this trend must not be allowed to continue," as the ’Six-nation Treatise’ says, ’Give away five cities today, ten tomorrow, and then sleep peacefully for a night. But when you rise, the Qin troops are at the borders again.’ Today, Yang Erlang threatens us, and we break precedent for him. Tomorrow, if the Shaolin or the Quanzhen Sect threatens us, we break precedent for them... If this goes on, how are we different from the harlots who are at the beck and call of anyone?"
"Judge each case on its own merits. An instance like Yang Erlang’s is rare in a century. What continuity are we talking about? Over the past two hundred years, have the Quanzhen Sect, Shaolin, Red Flower, or White Lotus ever threatened us? Did they not wish to?"
"How does the Metal Envoy know that Quanzhen Sect, Shaolin, and the White Lotus do not wish to threaten us? It’s simply that no one wishes to be the first to act and make wedding dresses for others. Once this precedent is set, who can guarantee they won’t follow in Yang Erlang’s footsteps? When that time comes, how shall we handle it? If a fight is inevitable sooner or later, why not now?"
"You make it sound easy. Given Yang Erlang’s past strategies and temperament against enemies, once war begins, he will use all his might to eradicate us completely. And since he has deep ties with Wei, the Ming Sect, and the White Lotus Sect, who can ensure he won’t incite them to challenge us together... Don’t say it’s impossible; Dongying has already shown us what can happen!"
"Is only Yang Erlang friendly with the Ming Sect and the White Lotus Sect? You speak of defeat before the battle has begun; what are your intentions..."
As the dark and light protectors and the Five Elements Envoys’ argument grew heated, bordering on personal attacks, a series of deep and slow knocking sounds on the table interrupted their quarrel.
Seven people looked at the venerable one sitting in the center and fell silent in unison.
"Whether this precedent can be set aside for the moment,"
As the Daoist Sovereign’s gaze drifted with the smoke of the ambergris, he spoke slowly and in a low voice, "What I want to know is, who exactly took that sum of money."
A moment of silence filled the hall, and no one spoke.
The Daoist Sovereign’s eyelids drooped, his eyes piercing like swords through the haze of ambergris as they swept over the faces of the seven people: "Does no one know?"
After another moment of silence, the person seated at the prime spot to his right said, "A check can be made. Such a large operation would involve at least a hundred people. We can get to the bottom of this within half a month at the latest."
The Daoist Sovereign concluded lightly, "Then check it out, get the results first, and then we’ll discuss whether to hand over the person."
The seven people below understood his insinuation, and three of them subtly shifted their sitting positions.
It was not long before someone spoke, "Exalted one, about twenty days ago, someone from Yangzhou came to our secret Zhuang to purchase information on the movements of the Five Peaks Fleet’s silver... The identity of the buyer... is unknown."
The Daoist Sovereign looked at that person: "Did I not say to stop all actions against Yang Erlang?"
The person replied in a constricted voice, "You did."
The Daoist Sovereign: "Do you know that the money belonged to Yang Erlang?"
The speaker bowed their head and tremulously replied, "I do."
The Daoist Sovereign: "Do you also know that behind that sum of money stands the Ming Sect and the White Lotus Sect?"
The response from the speaker became even more difficult, "I do."
The Daoist Sovereign’s hand slowly pressed onto the table, and without any visible motion, a profound force as deep as the night itself burst forth from his palm. As if with its own consciousness, it split into four streams along the large round table, heavily striking the three people who had just shifted uneasily.
Struck heavily, the three men’s chairs shattered, and their bodies were flung backward, blood spilling freely behind their masks before they even hit the ground.
Crashing to the floor with significant impact, they struggled to their feet without daring to wipe the blood away, hurried back to the round table, stood erect, and assumed stable stances as if they were still seated in their chairs.
The Daoist Sovereign slowly retracted his hand and said softly, "If you eat from the platter, you cannot smash the pot. You three will make amends for this matter. If you can patch it up, we’ll overlook this incident. There will be no next time. If not, your lives will pay for it, as a warning to others."
The three let out a collective sigh of relief, bowed, and said in unison, "Thank you for your mercy, exalted one."
The Daoist Sovereign stood up: "I shall soon set off for Lu Ting to meet this Yang Erlang in person. In the meantime, the Left Envoy will take charge of the affairs of the sect!"
"Also, update the Roster of Heroes. The Four Elders become Five Supremes: Western Path Fei Yun, Northern Hermit, Southern Saint Peacock, Eastern Revered Great Sun, and Lord Zhongshen in the center!"
The seven people standing below rose, bowed, and said in unison, "We will heed the Daoist Sovereign’s decree."