Volume One: The Hidden Dragon Beneath the Abyss Chapter 109: The Traitor Within

"What would you have me do?" Yuan Zhen asked. "Zhong Jie might arrive at any moment."

The others looked toward the door, their hearts trembling.

"Flee!" a loyalist urged. "Our fortunes are bound to the Yuan family. If the Prime Minister couldn't stop Zhong Jie in the capital, we have even less chance here in Shizhou! If we cannot deal with Zhong Jie, we are merely waiting for our deaths. Lord Yuan, you must leave!"

"As long as the Prime Minister remains in power, we will not fall into total ruin! This matter must not implicate him; he remains our final hope."

"Otherwise, we simply finish Zhong Jie off—better to act decisively," someone suggested harshly.

"Are you courting death?" another immediately retorted. "Zhong Jie is a martial arts expert himself, and now he is guarded by an army. It is impossible to simply deal with him. If we couldn't stop him before he entered Shizhou, we certainly won't have the opportunity now."

"Then, if I am to run, where can I go?" Yuan Zhen stood up and asked.

It seemed this was the only way. They were powerless; rather than waiting here to be slaughtered, they might as well take a gamble. He did not want to go on like this.

"Go to the Jin Kingdom or the Tang Kingdom. They are not far. Once we hide there, we can surely make a comeback," someone said with certainty.

Yes! As the saying goes, when disaster strikes, everyone flies in their own direction.

Yuan Zhen made up his mind immediately. There were still many young men of the Yuan family in his estate whose loyalty was beyond doubt; they would be enough to escort him across the border. Under these circumstances, most people had realized the danger and were unwilling to risk their lives in adversity. Running away was the best strategy. He would do the same; it was only natural.

Yuan Zhen stood up at once and headed back to his estate without delay. He packed his gold, silver, and valuables, and under the protection of a squad of guards, he disguised himself and fled.

"We must leave the government office quickly, too. It is possible the Shizhou army has already arrived."

They had once toasted each other as brothers, but today, staying meant certain death. Should they just stretch out their necks and wait for Zhong Jie to cut them off?

"Immediately send men to check the west side of the city. The main gates are impassable; take the detour from the north. We must confirm whether Zhong Jie has entered the city and if he is still at the granary. The west gate is a strong defensive point in an emergency; launching a frontal assault would be costly and time-consuming."

A subordinate quickly replied, "I will find someone to go at once."

Even their escape route was being meticulously planned. Would Zhong Jie have anticipated their flight and stationed troops to intercept them? At this critical juncture, they remained rational and calm, avoiding rash actions. They had to act while they still held authority over the garrison; once they faced Zhong Jie, who carried the Imperial Edict, everything would be over.

Just then, a soldier approached and saluted: "Report, my lord, someone has brought men to the office."

Everyone was startled and immediately asked, "Has Zhong Jie come?" If that were the case, they would not be able to escape; they might as well beg for leniency. They began destroying evidence—over the years, they had been involved in far more than just the illegal sale of grain.

"It does not appear to be him; it is led by a captain," the soldier reported.

The rank of a civil official is easily distinguished from that of a military officer, even by commoners. Those within the system could clearly identify the rank.

"Then it must be one of Zhong Jie's men, a deputy general?" an official asked. "How many men did he bring?"

"Dozens of riders," the soldier replied.

Upon hearing this, they breathed a subtle sigh of relief and urged the clerks to accelerate the destruction of documents. Since Yuan Zhen had fled, they would not sit idly by; they had their own strategies for survival. Once the physical evidence was gone, they could feign ignorance about everything else and pin all the blame on Yuan Zhen. Better the friend dies than oneself. Besides, dead men tell no tales. Even if the Sword of Imperial Authority hanging over their heads was meant to strike, it would have no justification.

Moreover, in the worst-case scenario, if they were to die, there were many ways to do so. They wanted a dignified end.

They went out to receive the visitors. Outside, someone was speaking loudly. Upon reaching the entrance, they saw dozens of cavalry escorting a captain and, unexpectedly, a palace eunuch.

The visitor spoke loudly: "I come by order of the Imperial Envoy. Where is Yuan Zhen, the Prefect of Shizhou? Come out to inspect the documents, the seal, and the Imperial Edict."

Someone replied in a low voice, "Lord Yuan seems to have returned to his estate."

"Are the Assistant Prefect and the Magistrate present?" The visitors did not seem to intend to enter the office.

The eyes of the crowd converged on the two highest-ranking officials present. The captain also identified them by their robes and stared at them. Caught in this situation, the two had no choice but to step forward and say, "We are here."

"Then you may perform the inspection," the captain said.

Others felt this was a redundant gesture. It seemed Zhong Jie already held ironclad evidence; he could have simply arrested the commander, sent him to the capital for trial, and taken over the Shizhou army. Why follow standard procedure now? If he had evidence, he could have used the Sword of Imperial Authority to behead them like radishes.

They hoped they had cleaned up their tracks well enough. But perhaps he had not yet found the definitive proof? Even concerning the grain shortage and the illegal sale of military supplies, the first to be held accountable would be the grain officials, the Prefect, and the Commander—the two highest civil and military authorities. As for the Assistant Prefect, he could claim negligence at worst. The Emperor was looking to fill the national treasury; if there was money involved, the punishment would be significantly lighter.

Zhong Jie seemed to be stalling for time... the situation became clear to them. He had only sent a few dozen men to watch them. Where was he himself, and what was he doing?

The two high officials inspected the documents; everything was in order. It was indeed the Imperial Envoy's seal.

The Prime Minister had not given them any warning. Had he fallen out of favor? They felt a sense of foreboding. Even Shizhou had been taken by surprise; they were powerless and unprepared.

"I heard Commander Ma has been captured. By whose decree was this done? What did he do wrong?" a young man of the Yuan family asked. He had not followed Yuan Zhen in his escape. Bearing the surname Yuan, they were destined to rise and fall together.

"Do you wish to find out?" the captain said in a calm, loud voice. "Shall I send you to meet Commander Ma so you can ask him yourself?"

"You are not the Shizhou garrison," the young man said, having identified the accent. "Without an Imperial Edict, the tiger tally, and an order from the Ministry of War, moving troops without authorization is treason and rebellion! Why has a garrison from another region crossed the border?" The Shizhou garrison would never disrespect the Yuan family.

"Do not trouble yourself," the captain replied. "The Shizhou garrison is already under the command of Lord Zhong. Whether we have those things or not is for us to know."

Moving troops was no laughing matter. That Zhong Jie could take command of the military the moment he arrived suggested the Emperor had granted him immense power. It was enough to deal with everyone present; even if Yuan Zhen were still here, it would be of no use—which was precisely why he had fled.

The others did not seem to know this, yet they were not in a hurry to go to the estate to find Yuan Zhen.

"Everyone knows the Emperor has not attended court for years. How could he suddenly issue such an edict and appoint an Imperial Envoy to Shizhou?" the Yuan family official shouted. "How do we know if this edict truly reflects the Emperor's will? Perhaps you have held the Emperor hostage and are issuing forged edicts!"

It sounded very logical. Perhaps the reality was exactly that... absurd as it was.

The captain merely snorted and rode off, ignoring them entirely. He would not argue.

The Yuan family members were left standing there, the focus of everyone's gaze. If they didn't believe it, they were welcome to defy the edict. But the others lacked the courage. The Yuan family was now treated like pariahs, an embarrassment to be around.

"Follow me to welcome the Imperial Envoy!" The eunuch finally took the lead. Under his command, the cavalry escorted the officials of Shizhou. Many were lost in their own thoughts, contemplating how to save themselves.

The Assistant Prefect, now the highest-ranking official present, was stunned. A thought crossed his mind: From the moment Zhong Jie entered the city to his arrival at the granary, how much time had passed? Half an hour? Maybe, but certainly less than an hour. How did he know the exact location? This wasn't something one could find out by asking a commoner. The granary and the armory were highly classified; even ordinary officials did not know their locations.

Zhong Jie must have known beforehand—before he even entered the city! From mobilizing troops to seizing full control, it had taken only half an hour! Every step was perfect, direct, and effective.

In Shizhou, the Yuan family's ship was sinking. Someone must have colluded with Zhong Jie. The State of Xia was well aware that Shizhou was the stronghold of the Prime Minister's faction. Yet, there must have been a turncoat within. If not, how could Zhong Jie be so swift and strike at the heart of their power?

If Zhong Jie had contacted someone to stage a mutiny, why hadn't he contacted him? The Assistant Prefect felt a twinge of jealousy and regret. If that person had been him, this crisis would have been an opportunity. If Shizhou were to be purged, they would need someone with experience to appease the people... He fit the bill, and he was the highest-ranking official who wasn't a Yuan. Unfortunately, he was now a man with a guilty conscience.

If they had presented the edict and revealed the plan, even the Yuan family members would have surely betrayed them to jump ship. There were few people who knew the situation in Shizhou so well.

At that moment, a dozen officials looked at one another. The subordinates were bewildered. The dozen or so officials suddenly broke into a cold sweat. It was terrifying. Everyone looked like a traitor. Even worse, it seemed they were all thinking the same thing. They had hidden so deeply; now they were even acting as if they were catching the thief!

Zhong Jie was formidable. What kind of game was he playing?

...

"Who exactly sent me the intelligence and the strategy? Who has the ability and the willingness to help me? Prince Wang Chuan? Impossible. He wouldn't be so familiar with the situation in Shizhou, knowing the exact location of the granaries and the amount of grain stored there."

Zhong Jie stood outside the granary, lost in thought. It had to be someone among the Shizhou officials, likely from the upper-middle tier. This person was a master strategist. And he had even taught him how to bring down the Prime Minister. Was he on their side as well?