Chapter 416 - 378: Secret News

Chapter 416: Chapter 378: Secret News

As July began, an earth-shattering secret exploded within the official circles of Jiangzhou. In a remarkably short time, it spread like a plague into the city’s streets and alleys.

"Have you heard? The Garrison Command and our Governor took care of the County Magistrate of Mirror Mountain."

"More than just ’took care of’ him. They set up a private torture chamber and used extreme measures. I heard they crippled the County Magistrate."

"For real? A County Magistrate is a Seventh Grade official appointed by the Court. That’s a crime punishable by death!"

"These officials, always fighting amongst themselves. Not a good one in the bunch! Serves them right!"

...

At first, it was just hushed whispers exchanged with secretive glances in Government Offices, Official Posthouses, and the private residences of the Scholars and Gentry.

But somewhere along the line, a hole was poked in the seemingly impenetrable wall of secrecy.

The news quickly slipped into teahouses, taverns, and pleasure quarters, becoming the latest topic of conversation for peddlers, laborers, and idlers during their leisure time.

For the common folk, however, that was as far as it went.

County Magistrate, Governor, Garrison Command Star Monarch...

These high and mighty figures were too far removed from the common people’s daily struggle for survival.

After a brief period of shock and morbid curiosity, all that remained was a nearly numb, schadenfreude-filled spectator’s attitude.

In their eyes, officials could say whatever they pleased, and they were all cut from the same corrupt cloth. Whoever fell from grace would just be replaced by another who would exploit them just as ruthlessly. It made no difference to their livelihoods.

This earth-shattering secret was something they could just laugh off and forget.

The rent they had to pay wouldn’t be a penny less, and the mandatory service they owed couldn’t be skipped for even a single day.

However, there were always those who could smell opportunity.

A few rather famous storytellers keenly grasped the essence of the matter.

’What’s the fun in a dry retelling of the Governor harming the County Magistrate?’

’The common folk want to hear about grievances and passions, about strange tales and secret scandals!’

And so, countless sensational, bizarre, and utterly incredible versions emerged.

There were tales of three heroes fighting over a beauty, their love turning to hate; tales of the Star Monarch’s thirty-three-night vigil in the great prison; and even tales of a tragic love triangle among officials, a tangled web of passion and resentment...

These stories, each more outlandish than the last, were completely preposterous, but they greatly satisfied the common people’s craving for the bizarre.

The people didn’t care whether the stories were true or not; they listened with great relish.

In these absurd renditions, the news spread at an astonishing speed, even drifting along trade routes with traveling merchants.

Of course, the farther it spread, the more unrecognizable the versions became. By the time it reached other states, it had likely morphed into some unrelated piece of unofficial history or a scandalous anecdote.

However, for the Liyang Commandery Magistrate’s Office at the center of the storm, this was no laughing matter to be discussed over tea.

County Governor’s Office, Second Hall.

Governor Gao Changhe sat stiffly in the main seat, his face ashen. He tightly gripped a few pages summarizing the latest rumors collected from the city, the veins on the back of his hand bulging.

The pages contained not only summaries of various absurd rumors but also included a few tattered pages from the crude scripts used by storytellers.

His eyes were fixed on one particular line, and his breathing suddenly grew heavy.

It actually said that when Luo Pingyuan was imprisoned, his wife had gone to the Governor’s Mansion late at night, weeping and begging Governor Gao to be merciful.

And that Governor Gao, seeing that Madam Luo was captivatingly beautiful, dismissed his attendants, pressed himself upon her, and whispered, "Madam, you wouldn’t want your husband to lose his position and suffer in prison, would you?"

"Bastard!"

Gao Changhe felt his vision swim. His chest heaved violently as a furious rage shot straight to his Celestial Spirit, burning away his reason.

’What the hell is this?!’

’Luo Pingyuan’s wife?’

’I’ve never even met her! I don’t know the first thing about what she looks like!’

’I am the dignified Governor of a commandery, a Divine Intent Grandmaster! What kind of beauty could I not have if I wanted?’

’Would I really covet the wife of a subordinate?’

’And say such vile, disgusting words?!’

This was no longer just slander; this was trampling his, Gao Changhe’s, character underfoot and dousing him in filth.

A colossal humiliation!

An absolute, colossal humiliation!

He snapped his head up, glaring at County Captain Zhao Yuanhong seated below him, and roared, "Captain Zhao, half a month ago I gave a strict order to arrest those spreading rumors and sowing discord among the people. Why is it that to this day, not only has it not been stopped, but it’s gotten worse? Even such vile filth is now circulating in the city?! How are you doing your job?!"

Half a month ago, when this news began to spread quietly through Liyang County like a poisonous fog, Gao Changhe had realized the danger. He immediately ordered the Commandery Magistrate’s Office and the various County Magistrate’s Offices to suppress it with all their might and arrest the source.

His initial thinking was simple: arrest a few prominent examples, punish them harshly to make an example of them, and the rumors would naturally die down.

But the situation developed far beyond his expectations.

They arrested plenty of people, but instead of subsiding, the rumors seemed to grow legs and sprout wings, spreading farther and wider, with more and more outlandish versions.

He had considered using severe punishment, even beating a few to death with staves to make a terrifying example.

But he soon discovered that according to the law, the crime of spreading rumors was, at most, punishable by caning or being put in the stocks.

What made him feel even more powerless, and even ashamed, was his discovery that his control over the commandery’s government constables was far less effective than he had imagined.

Many of his orders were met with foot-dragging and feigned compliance from his subordinates.

’Arrest people?’

’Fine, they’d just arrest a few inconsequential local thugs and idlers to make it look like they were doing their job.’

’Trace the source?’

’They’d just make all sorts of excuses. The trail would lead to some teahouse or tavern and then mysteriously go cold.’

’Caning?’

’They’d deliver twenty strikes that looked severe, but the "criminal" would get up and walk away as if nothing had happened.’

’This was a blatant humiliation.’

He knew perfectly well that all of this was because of County Captain Zhao Yuanhong, the man seated below him.

He was a newcomer, and most of these government constables were under Zhao Yuanhong’s control.

Once an order from him, Gao Changhe, left this back hall, its authority was cut in half.

Facing Gao Changhe’s harsh questioning, Zhao Yuanhong replied calmly, "Your Excellency, it is not that I have been negligent. The truth is, the jails in both the Commandery City and the County Magistrate’s Offices are already overflowing. If we arrest any more, I fear there will be nowhere to hold them."

"Furthermore, these rumors are baseless and spread by word of mouth. There is often no concrete evidence, and those we catch are mostly just people repeating what they’ve heard. It’s difficult to find the source. In my opinion, it’s better to guide the flow than to block it. Perhaps..."

He sneered inwardly.

’Arrest them all? How could that be possible?’

’The rumor may have started with Luo Pingyuan, but there was more than one party fanning the flames.’

’He, Zhao Yuanhong, had certainly done his fair share of adding fuel to the fire, even ensuring the stories reached the desks of officials in Jiangzhou.’

’If Gao Changhe’s reputation was ruined and he was brought down, he, Zhao Yuanhong, was the most likely successor.’

’How could he let such a god-sent opportunity slip by?’

’Was he supposed to just wait for this Governor to securely serve out his six-year term, leaving him and that old fox Xiao Zilun across from him to stare at each other helplessly?’

"Enough!"

Gao Changhe cut him off harshly. He didn’t want to hear any nonsense about guiding the flow instead of blocking it.

His gaze swept over Zhao Yuanhong’s face, then flicked to Deputy Governor Xiao Zilun, who sat opposite, his mind seemingly engaged in Divine Travel.

’These two... one feigns compliance and does the bare minimum, the other remains aloof and indifferent as if it has nothing to do with him. They’re... worthy of death!’

’If his Divine Embryo hadn’t been sealed, robbing him of most of his Cultivation, he would have truly been tempted to set a trap and kill them both.’

’Why couldn’t the assassins who attacked Zhao Yuanhong and Xiao Zilun that night have succeeded and gotten rid of these two eyesores at the same time?’

’Of course, he knew this was just wishful thinking.’

When he had returned from Mirror Mountain in such a sorry state and saw Zhao Yuanhong and Xiao Zilun appear before him, looking only slightly startled but in reality completely unharmed, he had understood everything.

The so-called attack on the Deputy Governor and County Captain that night was nothing but a ploy to lure the tiger out of the mountains.

The goal was to draw him and the Water-Participating Ape away from Mirror Mountain to make an ambush easier.

And Zhao Yuanhong, he feared, had secretly pledged his allegiance to the Chen Family long ago.

As for these rumors, now spreading like wildfire and growing ever more intense, it was blindingly obvious that someone was fanning the flames from behind the scenes.

Only the Chen Family had both the motive and the means to stir up such a commotion, leaving him, Gao Changhe, overwhelmed and his reputation in tatters.

’Luo Pingyuan!’

Gao Changhe cursed, gnashing his teeth in his mind.

’That madman!’

’What in the world is he trying to do?’

’Doesn’t he understand that blowing this up does him no good either?’

’Isn’t he afraid that I’ll get desperate and silence him for good?’

’Or... is he certain that I don’t dare, or am unable, to touch him right now?’

A wave of irritation washed over Gao Changhe.

The rumors couldn’t be contained, and his subordinates couldn’t be trusted...

He took a few deep breaths, forcibly suppressing the roiling anger and killing intent within him.

Things had reached this point. Losing his temper was useless; he had to find a way to break this impasse.

’Yield to the Chen Family?’

The thought was extinguished the moment it arose.

’Even if he were willing to bow his head, could the Chen Family quell this overwhelming public outcry and handle the impending interrogation from the Court?’

’Not unless Luo Pingyuan, the victim himself, personally came forward to clarify that his Cultivation being crippled was an accident, unrelated to the Governor and the Star Monarch...’

’But was that even possible?’

’Besides, the fact that Luo Pingyuan’s Cultivation was crippled was the truth. How could that be clarified away?’

After thinking it over and over, it seemed there was only one path left.

’Seek the protection of the Duke of England as soon as possible.’

’Only by borrowing the Duke of England’s power could he hope to suppress the fallout at the higher levels. At the very least, he couldn’t let it reach the Emperor’s ears.’

’As long as the matter was contained within Jiangzhou, with the Duke of England mediating, there might still be a chance.’

But immediately, another problem surfaced in his mind.

’How would he explain the disappearance of the Water-Participating Ape to the Duke of England?’

’Report the truth? That the Water-Participating Ape had likely fallen at the hands of the Chen Family? Then why did the Chen Family let only him return? What would the Duke of England think?’

’Would he suspect that I had colluded with the Chen Family, or even that this whole affair was a play I conspired with them to stage?’

’As for his plan to seize the Jiang Family’s assets, that was completely out of the question to mention. It was undeniable leverage against him.’

’Without a reasonable explanation, if he rashly went for help, he feared that not only would he fail to get protection, but he might even be seen as a sacrificial pawn by the Duke of England, the first one to be thrown out to calm the situation.’

Gao Changhe’s expression flickered uncertainly.

Just as his mind was in turmoil, a rush of hurried footsteps sounded from outside the hall. The Director of the Experience Department burst in, his face etched with anxiety, without even waiting to be announced.

"Such impetuousness! What has become of your decorum!"

Gao Changhe, already vexed and agitated, couldn’t help but scold him harshly upon seeing this.

The Director, however, was too concerned to mind. He gave a hasty bow and said, "Your Excellency, we’ve received an urgent dispatch from the State Government Office. The Governor will personally visit Liyang for an inspection on the fifth of August. The document orders everyone in our Commandery Magistrate’s Office to immediately prepare for his reception."

CRASH!

The teacup slipped from Gao Changhe’s hand, hit the floor, and shattered into pieces.

Scalding tea splashed onto the hem of his robe, but he didn’t even notice, frozen in place.

’What was bound to happen has finally happened. And so quickly, too.’

The hall below fell deathly silent.

Zhao Yuanhong’s eyes were downcast, his expression unreadable.

Deputy Governor Xiao Zilun lifted his eyelids and shot a quick glance at the distraught Gao Changhe, his own thoughts a mystery.