Chasing Jade (Zhu Yu)

Since receiving the letter from Jizhou's main city informing him that the youngest daughter of the Fan Family had been inexplicably abducted and Fan Changyu had gone to review the case files, He Jingyuan had been unable to sleep a wink. He was currently reading military texts in his tent when his personal guard outside suddenly entered to announce that Gongsun Yin was requesting an audience.

He Jingyuan had no idea what schemes Wu'an Marquis's chief advisor was up to, but after a brief hesitation, he still had the guard invite him in.

When the tent flap was lifted, however, more than just Gongsun Yin entered.

He Jingyuan's gaze landed on the man behind him, dressed in a black arrow-sleeved long robe embroidered with swirling cloud patterns. After a moment of surprise, he quickly rose to his feet. "Marquis?"

Xie Zheng lifted the corner of his lips. "Lord He, it's been a while."

Compared to the seasoned generals who had fought countless battles, he was far too young. With his striking looks, many in the military had once doubted him, believing he had merely been born into the right family—the sole heir of the Xie lineage, with Wei Yan as his uncle—which had allowed him to rise swiftly through the ranks.

But after reclaiming Jinzhou and recovering the twelve prefectures of Liaodong—achievements unmatched since the previous dynasty—all such doubts had finally been silenced.

Outsiders marveled at his innate genius, but as a fellow military man, He Jingyuan knew full well that any single one of Xie Zheng's military exploits would have been enough for an ordinary general to boast about for a lifetime.

And behind such glory was inevitably paid in blood and countless brushes with death.

Though He Jingyuan was at least two decades older than Xie Zheng, he held genuine respect for the youngest Martial Marquis in the history of Great Yin.

He gestured for Xie Zheng to take the seat of honor. "What brings the Marquis to Lucheng so suddenly?"

Xie Zheng did not decline. If he didn't sit there, no one else in the tent would dare to sit either.

He lounged casually in the chair, accepting a cup of tea personally offered by He Jingyuan. When their eyes met, He Jingyuan's posture lowered slightly, a trace of guilt in his gaze over the earlier grain requisition incident.

Xie Zheng's lips twitched, but he chose not to press the matter now. Instead, he said, "Sui Tuo has surrounded Jizhou with fifty thousand troops, aiming to sever the waterborne grain supply lines come spring. While the frontlines remain stable for now, I came personally to inspect the rear supply lines."

He Jingyuan clasped his fists solemnly. "Rest assured, Marquis. As long as I draw breath, I will not let those bandits take Jizhou."

Xie Zheng tapped the armrest of the Grand Tutor chair lightly, his dark eyes carrying a smile yet exuding an unspoken authority. "My visit isn't due to any lack of trust in you, Lord He. Whether Jizhou holds depends entirely on Lucheng. But with only twenty thousand troops currently stationed here, if Changxin Wang launches an assault, resistance will be difficult. The newly conscripted soldiers are said to number fifty thousand, but in reality, there are only thirty thousand—all untested farmers. If it comes to the point where even personal guards must be thrown onto the city walls to hold the line, Lucheng's advantage will still be slim. After surveying the terrain around the city with Gongsun, I've devised a plan to annihilate all fifty thousand of Changxin Wang's troops surrounding Lucheng."

He Jingyuan hadn't slept well since Lucheng was besieged. Hearing Xie Zheng speak of a strategy to break the enemy, he couldn't hide his astonishment. "What is the Marquis's plan?"Xie Zheng looked at Gongsun Yin, who answered on his behalf: "The Witch River flows from west to east, passing through Jizhou, but its source lies in the Yanshan Mountains. When the snow and ice on Yanshan melt in early spring, the water flows into the Witch River. We can send troops to build a dam upstream to temporarily block the river's flow. The riverbed near Lucheng will remain shallow, allowing Lord He to lure Changxin Wang's forces into crossing it. Then, by detonating the dam upstream, we can flood Changxin Wang's fifty-thousand-strong army."

Upon hearing this plan, He Jingyuan couldn't help but clap in admiration: "Brilliant! However, building a dam is no small task—it would require mobilizing thousands of soldiers. How can we keep it hidden from Changxin Wang's scouts?"

Xie Zheng replied, "Changxin Wang recently sent me a letter of challenge, intending to seize Yanzhou. I will borrow twenty thousand troops from Jizhou and, on the way back, station most of them upstream to construct the dam. Meanwhile, Lord He can dispatch more men to intercept enemy scouts. This way, we can deceive them completely."

He Jingyuan was puzzled. "Earlier, Gongsun mentioned weakening Yanzhou's defenses to lure Changxin Wang into attacking. If he falls for it, shouldn't he strike Yanzhou directly, catching us off guard?"

Gongsun Yin smiled knowingly. "Lord He is correct. Changxin Wang is playing a counter-strategy—pretending to fall for our trap by targeting Yanzhou, while his true goal remains attacking Jizhou to seize the salt lakes and control the waterways."

As an experienced veteran, He Jingyuan quickly grasped their earlier suggestion of leading troops back to reinforce Yanzhou as another layer of deception—making Changxin Wang believe they were truly defending Yanzhou.

After a moment of contemplation, he asked, "But what if Changxin Wang also realizes this is a ruse?"

Xie Zheng said firmly, "He won't."

He Jingyuan looked confused.

Gongsun Yin, barely suppressing a laugh, explained, "The Marquis's only daughter is in Changxin Wang's hands. On the surface, borrowing troops to return to Yanzhou is also to rescue her."

Xie Zheng's icy gaze swept over Gongsun Yin, who immediately straightened up with a serious expression.

He Jingyuan, however, was momentarily bewildered before composing himself and clasping his hands. "I was unaware the Marquis had a daughter. It must be difficult for her to suffer in the hands of those rebels."

Gongsun Yin, who had barely held back his laughter, nearly lost his composure again at He Jingyuan's words.

Xie Zheng's expression darkened, but he clarified, "It's my sister-in-law. The rebels mistook her identity."

He Jingyuan, who had just reluctantly accepted that Xie Zheng had a daughter, now learned that the captive wasn't his daughter but his sister-in-law. The sudden revelation of a Marchioness—despite his mental preparation—still shocked him.

If it had only been a daughter, perhaps born to a woman by his side, it wouldn't have been a big deal. But the existence of a Marchioness was no trivial matter. Countless noble families in the capital had been vying to marry into his household. Even after rumors of his fallout with Wei Yan spread, the imperial family—long suppressed by Wei Yan—had considered marrying a princess to him to use his influence against Wei Yan.

How had such a coveted position been claimed without anyone noticing?

Not only He Jingyuan but even Gongsun Yin was stunned.

He had assumed Xie Zheng's feelings for that butcher's daughter, surnamed Fan, were merely gratitude for saving his life, mixed with some affection over time. Who would have thought he regarded her as his wife?

For a moment, Gongsun Yin even wondered if Xie Zheng had been cursed.Though the Xie family now had only him as the sole male heir, it was still a centuries-old aristocratic clan. If he were to marry, it would stir up a storm in the entire capital, as it would mean a complete reshuffling of power among the nobility.

The matriarch of the Xie family could only be one of the most outstanding noble ladies from prestigious families in the capital. Marrying a country bumpkin would make the entire capital laugh at them, wouldn’t it?

Gongsun Yin’s brows furrowed tightly. Knowing the man he had befriended for over a decade was not one to act impulsively, he wanted to question him further. However, with He Jingyuan present, he restrained himself.

Xie Zheng watched as both He Jingyuan and Gongsun Yin lost their composure, his eyes unreadable. He simply asked, “What does Lord He think of this plan?”

He Jingyuan snapped back to reality, suppressing the shock in his heart, and hurriedly replied, “The plan is brilliant! All troops in Lucheng are at the Marquis’s disposal!”

As he spoke, he raised both hands above his head, presenting the Jizhou Tiger Tally.

There could be no more sincere a pledge of loyalty.

Xie Zheng took the Tiger Tally, seemingly indifferent to the iron token that could mobilize all of Jizhou’s forces. Twirling it between his fingers, he lowered his gaze and said, “There is one more matter I’d like to consult Lord He about.”

His use of the word “consult” was rather intriguing. He Jingyuan vaguely guessed what he wanted to ask. Ever since Xie Zheng had stopped Wei Xuan from requisitioning grain, He Jingyuan had resolved to reveal everything he knew. Now, he merely said, “The Marquis may ask whatever he wishes. If this humble official knows the answer, I will hold nothing back.”

At this assurance, Xie Zheng’s lips curved slightly. “In Lin’an Town of Qingping County, there was a butcher family surnamed Fan. Why did Wei Yan want that couple dead? And what was he searching for in their home all those times he sent men there?”

Hearing Xie Zheng ask so much about the Fan family, Gongsun Yin instinctively frowned. Could it be that his interest in the Fan girl was related to Wei Yan?

He Jingyuan’s expression turned complicated, wondering how much Xie Zheng already knew about the past. “Before this official answers, might the Marquis tell me why he is investigating the Fan family’s background?”

Xie Zheng said, “My wife’s parents died unjustly. I must look into it for her.”

At these words, He Jingyuan abruptly looked up, his face a picture of shock.

Xie Zheng assumed he, like Gongsun Yin, was surprised by his acknowledgment of Fan Changyu’s status. Displeased, his expression cooled. “Can Lord He answer me now?”

He Jingyuan’s fingers trembled faintly. Lowering his aged eyelids, he remained silent for a long moment before sighing. “The deceased Fan butcher was once a subordinate of the Prime Minister. Later, he betrayed his master and fled, living under an assumed name. But the Prime Minister eventually tracked him down and took his life. As for what the Prime Minister was searching for, I truly do not know.”

Wei Yan had once shown him kindness and mentorship. Though their political views now diverged, He Jingyuan still addressed him respectfully as “Prime Minister.”

Xie Zheng’s gaze sharpened abruptly, though his lips still held a faint smile. “If I’m not mistaken, it was Lord He who took that item, wasn’t it?”

He Jingyuan said bitterly, “It was indeed this official who took it, but I truly do not know what it was.”

Xie Zheng’s patience waned. “Does Lord He expect me to believe that?”

He Jingyuan replied, “Whether the Marquis believes it or not, every word I’ve spoken is the truth.”Xie Zheng sneered, "You don’t even know what Wei Yan is looking for. How can you help him find it?"

He Jingyuan gave a self-deprecating smile. "My actions in Jizhou over the years have long displeased the Chancellor. When he ordered me to kill the Fan family couple, it was merely to test my loyalty—he never instructed me to search for anything. That item was given to me by the couple before their deaths, with the instruction to hand it over to the Chancellor when demanded, and never to open it myself."

Xie Zheng sensed something unusual in his words and asked, "Were you acquainted with the Fan family couple?"

He Jingyuan’s eyes betrayed a deep weariness. "They were old friends of mine."

Gongsun Yin, unaware of the Fan family’s affairs, couldn’t help but interject, "So, Lord He, to prove your loyalty to Wei Yan, you killed your former friends?"

He Jingyuan remained silent, tacitly admitting it.

Gongsun Yin, observing his sorrowful demeanor, remarked ambiguously, "Loyalty and righteousness have always been hard to reconcile. One can hardly blame Lord He."

Detecting the sarcasm in his tone, He Jingyuan replied, "If I hadn’t done it, the Chancellor would have sent someone else. By killing the couple myself, I could at least honor their final wish—to spare their two children. Had another been sent, the entire family would have been eradicated."

Gongsun Yin fell silent. They all knew too well the ruthlessness of Wei Yan’s methods.

After a pause, he asked, "Wei Yan never ordered you to retrieve that item. Weren’t you afraid he’d suspect you when you handed it over later?"

He Jingyuan answered, "Of course I was. But since the Marquis has married the Fan family’s daughter, he must know the sisters are completely unaware of their parents’ affairs. My old friends are gone, and I carry this guilt. All I ask is to protect the last remnants of their bloodline. At the time, Wei Xuan had been defeated, rumors of the Marquis’s death were spreading, and the northwest was in chaos. The Chancellor had no choice but to rely on me, so he turned a blind eye."

Xie Zheng tapped the armrest of his chair lightly, remaining silent. What He Jingyuan said aligned closely with his own earlier speculations.

Gongsun Yin pressed further, "Lord He, did you truly never look at what the Fan family couple gave you?"

He Jingyuan smiled bitterly. "Master Gongsun, you jest. Had I looked, would the Chancellor have spared me?"

Gongsun Yin shrugged at Xie Zheng.

Despite all these questions, while many mysteries seemed resolved, none of the truly crucial ones had been answered.

Xie Zheng suddenly lifted his gaze. "When Fan Erniu served under Wei Yan, what name did he go by, and what was his position?"

Cold sweat dripped from He Jingyuan’s temple. "Marquis, I beg your forgiveness, but I cannot disclose that now."

When Xie Zheng wasn’t smiling, his phoenix eyes exuded an especially intimidating pressure. He scrutinized He Jingyuan and asked, "Why not?"

He Jingyuan’s mouth tasted bitter. He knew all too well what the truth behind the Fan family meant to Xie Zheng. If Xie Zheng had merely stumbled upon the Fan family while investigating the old Jizhou case, with no personal ties to them, He Jingyuan might have hoped for mercy—that with the couple dead and the past settled, he would leave the orphaned sisters alone.

But Xie Zheng had called Fan Changyu his wife, and the younger Fan sister had been mistakenly kidnapped by rebels who thought she was his daughter. He Jingyuan dared not imagine what would happen to the two sisters if the truth came out now.

He would tell Xie Zheng the true identity of the Fan family couple—but not yet. At the very least, he had to wait until both sisters were safe.