A Pawn's Passage

From the standpoint of power struggles, the truth has never been important.

Whether Zhang Juquan truly committed suicide depended entirely on the stance of both sides.

If both sides agree that his death was convenient, then it was a suicide.

If one side disagreed, then it became a matter of competing tactics.

If both parties were to reach a consensus, communication was crucial.

Since the conflict among the three Daoist sects intensified, communication between the Zhang and Li families had nearly been cut off.

This so-called communication was not just about face-to-face conversation—everyone could speak formalities and diplomatic jargon. The real test lay in whether they could put aside suspicion and engage sincerely in deep discussions on stances, bottom lines, and interests.

If the two families wish to communicate, they would need an intermediary who was not a Zhang or a Li.

The day after Zhang Juquan’s death, Qi Xuansu returned to his official duties. His first task was to understand Suzuka Gozen.

In this regard, both the Fenglin Daoist Mansion and Chancellor Toyotomi’s Office held extensive information.

Suzuka Gozen was a female ghost of Mount Suzuka. It was said she had once traveled to the Shakya Kingdom and was adept at divine arts and swordsmanship. Many conflicting accounts existed regarding her life.

Initially, she was known as a notorious bandit who robbed imperial tributes, nicknamed Tate Eboshi.

The Fenglin Court dispatched generals to subdue her, but she chose to surrender and later helped them in defeating Ootakemaru, one of the Three Great Yokai.

However, she died young at the age of twenty-five.

After her death, she became the mountain god of Mount Suzuka and has remained so to this day.

Her disposition was hard to grasp.

Claiming she was loyal to the court seemed odd, considering she was once an infamous bandit.

But she was not exactly an enemy of the court because she aided them in defeating one of the Three Great Yokai.

In the end, the Daoist Order classified her as a potential ally, one of the highest-priority targets, second only to Tamamo-no-Mae.

At that moment, Mu Jin arrived to see Qi Xuansu. “Deputy Hall Master Qi, someone wishes to meet with you.”

Qi Xuansu looked up and asked, “Who wants to see me? Why are you the one delivering the message?”

Mu Jin looked around to ensure no one else was nearby before saying, “It’s someone from the Zhang family. They first contacted Deputy Hall Master Qing Xiao via the mother-child mirror, so she asked me to summon you. The mirror connection is still active. They’re waiting for you now.”

Qi Xuansu had no choice but to get up and follow Mu Jin to the mirror room, where the mother-child mirror was housed.

Due to the long distances, larger mirrors were needed, and because they were scarce, they were installed in central locations rather than individual offices.

Upon arriving at the mirror room, Zhang Yuelu was already waiting and took the initiative to introduce him. “Tian Yuan, this is my granduncle. His name is Zhang Wuliang. You met him during the Shangyuan Festival.”

Qi Xuansu naturally remembered him, as Zhang Wuliang was one of the seven managers of the Taiping Bank—a true god of wealth.

There were two core powers in this world—authority over personnel and financial control. The importance of such positions speaks for itself. In this regard, the Zhang, Li, and Yao families were the same. Only those holding real power within the family were eligible for such a post.

Qi Xuansu had encountered this elder of the Wu-generation briefly during the bidding after the Shangyuan Festival.

Qi Xuansu bowed respectfully toward the elder on the other side of the mother-child mirror. “Greetings, Manager Zhang.”

“Tian Yuan, no need to be so formal.” Zhang Wuliang did not look down on Qi Xuansu. Instead, these elders of the major families had a keen eye for talent. They recognized that Qi Xuansu was no ordinary man, especially with the Quanzhen Sect backing him. He was bound for greatness, which was exactly why they worried he and Zhang Yuelu might one day challenge the main branch of the family. If Qi Xuansu were mediocre, then Zhang Yuelu would have no real backing, and they would not need to go to such lengths.

In the Daoist community, people who readily looked down on, mocked, or provoked others were rare. Even if such people existed, they seldom rose to high positions. The general code was to avoid making enemies lightly, but once enemies were made, it became a battle to the bitter end.

Qi Xuansu glanced at Zhang Yuelu.

Before Zhang Yuelu could speak, Zhang Wuliang said, “Tian Yuan, I assume you’ve already heard about Zhang Juquan’s case?”

Qi Xuansu replied, “Yes.”

“I’ve heard you’re the one in charge of the case over at the army camp?” Zhang Wuliang asked.

Qi Xuansu hesitated slightly before he heard Zhang Yuelu whisper, “Just tell the truth.”

He had no choice but to reply, “Yes, I was responsible. All suspects were taken into custody, but Zhang Juquan died after only one round of interrogation, so the investigation was paused. The case has effectively been put on hold for now.”

Zhang Wuliang said, “So it seems Sage Qingwei still places a fair amount of trust in you.”

Qi Xuansu was about to offer a clarification.

But Zhang Wuliang raised a hand to stop him and spoke first. “I’d like to host a banquet for Sage Qingwei. Could you help arrange it?”

Qi Xuansu was startled at first, but upon second thought, he understood.

This was exactly the outcome they had hoped for. It seemed Zhang Yuelu’s efforts over the past few days had not been in vain. Her actions had made a difference. As long as both sides were willing to talk, the situation could be de-escalated so that it would not affect the overall situation of the Fenglin campaign.

Qi Xuansu asked, “Manager Zhang, when do you think would be appropriate?”

Zhang Wuliang replied, “I’m already en route to Fenglin and will arrive tonight. However, I can’t stay long, so tonight will be best. Sage Qingwei can decide the location.”

Qi Xuansu said, “Very well. I’ll report to Sage Qingwei now and follow up with you afterward.”

Zhang Wuliang nodded. “That’s settled then.”

After ending the conversation, Qi Xuansu immediately headed to the command tent to request an audience with Sage Qingwei.

It seemed Sage Qingwei had instructed his secretary in advance, as Qi Xuansu was not made to wait and was led directly to the office.

Upon meeting Sage Qingwei, Qi Xuansu reported the matter in full detail.

Sage Qingwei listened without commenting, his expression unchanged.

Qi Xuansu’s heart tensed. If Sage Qingwei refused the meeting, then all his earlier assumptions would be proven wrong, and the past few days of effort would have been for nothing.

But the moment Sage Qingwei spoke, Qi Xuansu realized he had not guessed wrong. Sage Qingwei did want reconciliation. His earlier silence was simply due to contemplating the logistics.

Sage Qingwei instructed his secretary, “Have Long Chen arrange a private courtyard in Xiujing to host our distinguished guest. Make it in the Central Plains style, not the Fenglin style. Everyone involved—servers and security—must be our own people. Ensure there are no leaks.”

The secretary asked, “Should we prepare any gifts?”

Sage Qingwei pondered briefly. “Manager Zhang likely won’t bring many attendants. Have Zhuyu prepare some local specialties from Donghai. Also, check if we still have those ceremonial miniature flying swords or sword talismans. If we do, pair each one with the local goods—one set per person. I’ll prepare the gift for Manager Zhang myself.”

The secretary accepted the order and left.

Sage Qingwei turned to Qi Xuansu. “Tian Yuan, you and Deputy Hall Master Zhang should also come tonight.”

Qi Xuansu responded, “Understood.”

To be honest, Qi Xuansu was somewhat surprised. Sage Qingwei’s level of attention to this meeting exceeded his expectations.

After leaving the command tent, Qi Xuansu first met with Zhang Yuelu and then conveyed the message to Zhang Wuliang.

By dusk, Zhang Wuliang’s flying ship arrived.

Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu went to receive him because Zhang Wuliang had not informed anyone else of this secret visit. Just as Sage Qingwei had anticipated, Zhang Wuliang brought only two attendants.

After disembarking from the flying ship, Zhang Wuliang did not linger and headed straight to Xiujing.

On Sage Qingwei’s end, Li Tiangang had already arranged a secluded, standalone courtyard in Xiujing, quiet and cleared of any unrelated personnel.

Recently, the situation in Xiujing City has changed significantly. Most of the Sonno-joi faction had been eliminated, with only a few deeply hidden members remaining, which posed no real threat. Moreover, this meeting was highly confidential. Even within the Daoist Order, few knew of it, let alone the Sonno-joi faction. Moreover, with Sage Qingwei personally attending, there were no safety concerns.

Sage Qingwei had arranged a large round table, yet only six people were seated. Besides the two key figures—Sage Qingwei and Zhang Wuliang—there were Qi Xuansu, Zhang Yuelu, Li Tiangang, and Li Zhuyu.

Li Zhuyu was considered an old acquaintance of Qi Xuansu. Their first meeting had been at the flying ship port outside Jade Capital, where they had exchanged threats over Feng Bo’s incident.

At the time, Li Zhuyu claimed to be an unregistered goddaughter of the Li family, thus she did not have a formal generational name. Only today did Qi Xuansu learn that her adoptive father was none other than Sage Qingwei. The reason she did not follow the generational name was simply because Sage Qingwei disliked that convention. Naturally, he did not impose it on his adopted daughter. By generational ranking, she belonged to the Tian-generation, the same as Li Tianzhen.

Zhang Wuliang’s attendants and others were received in a side hall by Sage Qingwei’s secretary.

At the banquet, Sage Qingwei and Zhang Wuliang did not touch on any substantive matters, not even mentioning the name “Zhang Juquan.” They exchanged only pleasantries and small talk, occasionally bringing up the current war in Fenglin.

After about an hour, Sage Qingwei said to his adopted daughter, “Zhuyu, keep Tian Yuan and Qing Xiao company. I’ll have a private talk with Manager Zhang.”

Li Zhuyu rose and acknowledged the order.

Under the guidance of Li Tiangang, Sage Qingwei and Zhang Wuliang stood and entered the inner chamber.

Moments later, Li Tiangang also exited.

Li Zhuyu had the table cleared and replaced with hot tea. The group then sat outside and chatted idly.

Sage Qingwei and Zhang Wuliang conversed inside for nearly two hours. Qi Xuansu did not know exactly what was discussed, but he could roughly guess that it must have been about Zhang Juquan.

Qi Xuansu was optimistic about the outcome of the discussion, partly due to Sage Qingwei’s attitude. Moreover, Zhang Wuliang’s willingness to make a trip to Fenglin was, in itself, a sign of his sincerity and stance.