111: A storm is brewing

In the study of Marquis Yongchangs Estate, the charcoal fire was burning brightly, yet it brought not a hint of warmth.

Wen Ce stood beside the Marquis, took a step forward, and presented the strategy he had long devised.

"Now that war is imminent on the Northern Frontier, the supply of military provisions is most critical. Although that memorandum from Xu Qing of the Ministry of Revenue was suppressed, it has successfully diverted Xu Qing's attention toward the flaws in military provisions."

"We shall take advantage of this tense situation in the Northern Frontier to make a move regarding military provisions. The Marquis's Estate has people within the Ministry of War and the Armory Division."

Wen Ce's voice dropped lower, carrying a hint of sinister intent: "We will forge evidence of Su Ming 'seeking political achievements and bewitching court officials,' and then link a batch of 'problematic leather armor' that has been tampered with in advance to him. As long as there is one casualty on the front lines, it will be ironclad proof."

"The armor splitting, causing dozens of soldiers to be wounded or killed—the charge will be 'colluding with treacherous merchants and delaying military operations.' This crime is enough to have his entire clan executed. By then, even if the old subordinates of Zhou Wenhai want to save him, they will have no way to intervene."

After hearing this, Marquis Yongchang did not comment, merely nodding slightly to indicate his tacit approval.

"This matter must be swift and covert, a single strike to ensure he never has a chance to turn the tables." Wen Ce emphasized. "At the same time, it must be done in a way that appears to be internal strife among the pure-minded officials or his own corruption, minimizing any traces of the Marquis's Estate directly stepping forward. I will arrange for people in the Censorate to be ready; as soon as news arrives from the front lines, they can launch the attack."

"Go and do it." Marquis Yongchang waved his hand, picked up the scimitar again, and continued to polish it.

Wen Ce bowed and retreated, his mind already beginning to mobilize the power of the Marquis's Estate within the military supply System and the Censorate.

A web targeting Su Ming was being meticulously woven on the massive chessboard of the capital, waiting only for the right moment to completely devour him.

...

A week later, Xu Qing arrived.

He looked even more haggard than last time, the bloodshot veins in his eyes almost ready to bleed.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, he looked around nervously. Only after confirming that there was no one in the alley did he hurriedly close the door.

"Brother Su, have you heard?" Xu Qing lowered his voice, his tone filled with deep guilt. "In the Ministry of Revenue, some are spreading rumors... they are saying that my memorial was... was instigated by someone, with the intent to shake military morale."

He walked up to Su Ming, his lips trembling.

"Brother Su, I... I am truly sorry to you. I never expected that I only wanted to increase revenue and reduce expenditure for the national treasury, but I might have brought a catastrophe upon you!"

Xu Qing finally realized that in the capital, any idealistic attempt could become a fatal fuse.

Su Ming patted his shoulder back, his eyes firm and calm, without a trace of blame or panic.

"Brother Xu, this matter has nothing to do with you." Su Ming's voice was very soft, yet it carried a power that calmed the heart.

"For me to reach tenth place in the second tier, I was already standing on the edge of the storm. What Marquis Yongchangs Estate wants to move against is not your memorial, but the student of Zhou Wenhai, the 'disobedient' chess piece that is me."

"Your memorandum is merely the fuse they are using to light the fire; even without it, there would be other excuses."

Su Ming pulled Xu Qing to sit at the stone table and poured him a cup of hot tea. The tea smoke curled, slightly dispelling the chill in the courtyard.

"Brother Xu, listen to me." Su Ming's tone became serious. "You must protect yourself now. Your memorial has already been suppressed by the Minister, and no one will use it to make an issue in the short term."

"But from today on, do not meet with me in private anymore."

Xu Qing looked up abruptly: "Brother Su, what do you mean by this?"

"You and I only need to greet each other in public occasions at the Hanlin Academy and the Ministry of Revenue like ordinary colleagues." Su Ming looked straight into his eyes, his tone unquestionable. "No matter what happens, you must insist that you and I are only colleagues of the same examination year, connected by literature, with no deep friendship in private."

"If anyone asks about your memorial, you must say it was obtained through your own contemplation, and it has nothing to do with anyone else."

Xu Qing looked at Su Ming's calm face, a massive surge of sorrow and emotion welling up in his heart. He knew that Su Ming was using his own safety to cut out a path of survival for him, taking all the danger upon himself.

"Brother Su..." Xu Qing's voice choked. "If I truly want to protect myself, wouldn't that confirm that you..."

"If it confirms it, then so be it." Su Ming interrupted him, his voice carrying a touch of carefree spirit. "I was originally a child of a humble family, without roots or foundation. If they want to find a scapegoat, I am more suitable than you. You have entered the Ministry of Revenue and hold real power; your future is promising."

Xu Qing stood up abruptly and bowed deeply to Su Ming.

"Brother Su's great kindness, Xu Qing will keep it in his heart. If there is any mishap, I will definitely..."

"No need to say these things." Su Ming stopped him.

Xu Qing knew that Su Ming's mind was made up and further persuasion would be useless. He looked at Su Ming deeply, turning that guilt and emotion into a heavy force that he pressed deep into his heart.

"Brother Su, take care."

Xu Qing turned and left the small courtyard with heavy steps.

...

A month later.

Su Ming received a secret letter from Liu Wenyuan, which read: Marquis Yongchang wants to eliminate you! It also detailed the opponent's framing method.

Lin Yu's voice exploded in his mind, carrying unprecedented gravity.

"Disciple, the net has tightened! It has tightened too quickly!"

"Master, I feel that the two auras at the mouth of the alley have disappeared."

"Those were the spies on the surface." Lin Yu's voice carried a hint of trembling; his soul body's fluctuations were more violent than ever. "Master feels a more sinister and deeper malice, like a giant fishing net covering from all directions. This is not ordinary surveillance; this is... this is out to take your life!"

Lin Yu was pacing anxiously in the ring space, his soul shadow somewhat blurry.

"They are crazy! How dare they directly use such a lethal move? This is no longer political maneuvering; this is breaking the rules, directly mobilizing the state apparatus to commit murder!" Lin Yu's analysis carried the keen judgment of a transmigrator regarding the operation of power.

"They no longer intend to play by the rules with me." Su Ming's voice was calm, but his hand had already reached the bundle at the head of the bed. In the bundle was the turtle-knob seal he had been nourishing with spiritual power for a long time.

"Disciple, listen to Master, now is not the time to be a hero. We must make the worst preparations." Lin Yu planned rapidly. "You must immediately pack all important things, especially that remnant copy of the Green Wood Longevity Art, and my ring; they must absolutely not fall into the hands of others!"

"Contact points! When you went to the Liu residence last time, did you find any backdoors or secret passages worth noting? We need to plan three escape routes: one by water, one out of the North Gate, and one through the Western Mountains!"

Su Ming did not say much and stood up immediately. He placed the heavy Daxing Compendium on the table and neatly folded his official uniform, placing it to the side.

"Master, I will not leave."

Lin Yu was stunned: "What? Are you crazy? If you don't leave now, when they come to your door, you won't have wings to fly!"

"If I flee at this moment, I will confirm the charge of 'fleeing in fear of crime.' The goal of Marquis Yongchangs Estate is to kill the chicken to scare the monkey, and to clean house." Su Ming's tone carried a calmness and resolution that transcended his age.

"If I run, they will immediately shift their anger to Brother Xu, and perhaps even implicate the old subordinates of Teacher Zhou."

"Most importantly," Su Ming walked to the window and looked at the deep night sky outside the courtyard, "If I run, I will completely lose this clue in the capital. The Lantai Secret Garden, the Head of the Academy, the Imperial Physician Li... I cannot lose these clues."

Lin Yu was silent; he knew Su Ming's character. Once decided, he would not change.

"Alright, my Disciple of The Way of Cautious Survival, you are truly a madman." Lin Yu sighed, his tone carrying a hint of helpless pride. "You don't have to run, but we must take the 'Hiding' character principle to the extreme. From now on, your every move must conform to the persona of a 'terrified scholar from a humble family'."

"I want you to appear as innocent and panicked as possible. They want to kill you, right? Let's let them kill you in a 'justifiable' and 'clear-conscienced' way!"

"I understand." Su Ming nodded and tucked the turtle-knob seal into his inner clothing.

...

Late at night, Qianqing Palace, West Warm Pavilion.

The warm pavilion was brightly lit, and the air was filled with a faint scent of dragon incense.

The Emperor of Daxing was wearing a casual robe embroidered with circular dragon patterns, bowing his head to review the mountainous pile of memorials. His face was illuminated by the candlelight, flickering, and his true emotions could not be seen.

The Head Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, Eunuch Wang, knelt respectfully in the corner, quietly presenting a secret report that had just been organized to the imperial desk.

The content of the secret report was precisely about the actions of Marquis Yongchangs Estate against Su Ming, and the ins and outs of the memorial from Xu Qing of the Ministry of Revenue.

The Emperor took the secret report but did not open it immediately; instead, he slowly set down the memorial in his hand.

"It seems Marquis Yongchang is determined to eliminate that little Disciple of Zhou Wenhai." The Emperor's voice was flat, like a calm lake, without a ripple.

Eunuch Wang kept his head low, his voice shrill and respectful: "Replying to Your Majesty, Marquis Yongchang has always acted ruthlessly and decisively. This time, the evidence is seven parts true and three parts false. The key is that the batch of leather armor was indeed tampered with, and there are traces of people from 'that side' making a move."

"That side?" The Emperor's tone deepened slightly, his fingers tapping the table lightly.

Eunuch Wang immediately understood: "Yes, Your Majesty. In the Armory Division, there are several officials who have been connected to the Marquis's Estate for many years. They mixed a batch of old leather armor into the new military supplies and tampered with it, just waiting for the war on the front lines to start to immediately expose the problem."

"What is Liu Wenyuan's reaction?" The Emperor slowly set down the memorial, his face unreadable.

"Lord Liu has joined with several Censorate officials and is arguing strongly, saying this is framing by party strife." Eunuch Wang replied.

"Framing?" The Emperor chuckled, his voice carrying a hint of mockery. "Of course it is framing. This Su Ming, I have an impression of him. Tenth in the second tier, his writing is steady and balanced, and he has been unknown for a year in the Hanlin Academy. For Marquis Yongchang to make such a big fuss, it actually makes me a little curious."

The Emperor stood up and walked to the huge map of the Northern Frontier. That massive map revealed the entire border of the Daxing Dynasty.

"The Northern Frontier needs the military talent of Marquis Yongchang to stabilize morale, but his power in the court also needs to be balanced." The Emperor's gaze fell on the red-marked war zones on the border. "The pure-minded faction has also been somewhat incompetent lately. This Su Ming is a good chess piece."

Eunuch Wang immediately understood that the Emperor did not intend to easily give up this chess piece, but he would not directly step forward to protect him either.

The Emperor turned around, his tone flat but unquestionable: "Issue an imperial decree. Hanlin Academy Compiler Su Ming, negligent in duty and involved in the military supply corruption case, is stripped of his academic honors and official position, and exiled three thousand miles to serve in the 'Blackwater Camp' of the Northern Frontier to redeem his crimes."

Eunuch Wang felt a chill in his heart and immediately understood the Emperor's deep meaning. Exile, rather than beheading, both gave an explanation to Marquis Yongchang and left hope for the pure-minded faction.

"Your Majesty is wise." Eunuch Wang said respectfully. "The road to exile is dangerous, should we..."

"No need." The Emperor waved his hand, his voice carrying a hint of cold determination. "If he cannot even reach the end of this road, then it is I who misjudged him. If he can reach it... Liu Wenyuan and Zhou Wenhai will know what to do."

"Go."

Eunuch Wang bowed and retreated, clutching the secret decree tightly in his hand, sighing in his heart: The art of the emperor is truly unfathomable. The life, death, honor, and disgrace of this young man, Su Ming, are themselves weights to fine-tune the two factions. If he succeeds, he is a hidden chess piece; if he fails, it is insignificant.

The snow of the Northern Frontier finally fell on the capital.

The first snow of early winter, carrying a knife-like cold wind, swept through the entire Hanlin Academy.

Inside Wenyuan Pavilion, the atmosphere was colder than the wind and snow outside.

"Have you heard? Something happened in the Northern Frontier!"

"The Black Rong raided at night, three military forts were lost, and dozens of brothers died!"

The news spread like a plague within Wenyuan Pavilion.

Qian Bin jumped up immediately. He slammed the table, his voice full of indignation: "It is simply a great humiliation! How can our Daxing border army be so vulnerable!"

He walked to Su Ming's desk, watching Su Ming still copying the compendium. Those neat handwriting strokes seemed to be mocking the noise of the world.

"Compiler Su, you are quite composed!" Qian Bin sneered. "The soldiers of the Northern Frontier are bleeding at the border, yet you are here copying the rites of the previous Dynasty? Is your heart made of stone?"

Su Ming put down his pen, looked up, with a hint of well-timed panic and helplessness on his face.

"Brother Qian, what... what are you talking about? The border..."

"Still pretending!" Qian Bin roared, his voice attracting the attention of Attendant Scholar Guo.

Attendant Scholar Guo walked out from the inner room, his face as gloomy as if water were about to drip from it.

"What are you all arguing about! What kind of decorum is this!"

Just then, a person wearing the official uniform of a Censorate official walked into Wenyuan Pavilion with big strides, followed by several yamen runners.

The Censor's expression was serious, his gaze swept across the room, and finally locked onto Su Ming.

"Who is Hanlin Academy Compiler Su Ming?"

Su Ming's heart contracted violently.

"It's here." Lin Yu's voice rang in his mind, carrying a calm of burning the boats. "Disciple, don't panic, play your part well."

Su Ming stood up, his voice trembling slightly: "This official... this official is Su Ming."

"Take him!" The Censor shouted violently.