"I trust you the most," An Jiu said.
Though Chu Dingjiang was pleased to hear this, he knew it was impossible. "My appearance is too similar to Hua Rongtian's. If I show my face in Bianjing, it will inevitably cause unnecessary trouble. Relying on disguises and a beard isn’t a solution—paper can’t wrap fire."
The Emperor had no shortage of capable people around him. Trying to deceive him with crude methods was absolutely impossible.
"As for the palace coup, not only do I know too much, but I also played a part in pushing it forward. The Emperor won’t let me go."
"He needs you now. Why would he be in a hurry to silence you?" An Jiu knew the Song Dynasty was currently in dire need of talent. Why would the Emperor guard against and discard such a capable person?
Chu Dingjiang replied, "The current situation may seem promising, but the Emperor has only just managed to weaken the Hua Clan’s influence. How could he allow another force to rise?"
The Song Dynasty had no shortage of noble families, but none wielded power as overwhelmingly as the Hua Clan, whose influence propped up half the country.
The new Emperor had paid a heavy price to weaken the Hua Clan. Imagine the consequences of suddenly removing several load-bearing pillars from a house. He needed his own trusted men to fill those gaps—men who were independent, without powerful families behind them.
Chu Dingjiang fit this condition, but he had once controlled a portion of the Crane Control Army. Even if he disbanded them, the Emperor would still believe he had the ability to recall them.
For this reason alone, the Emperor could never trust or fully employ him.
"I do have a suitable candidate in mind," Chu Dingjiang said.
An Jiu didn’t know many court officials. After much thought, she couldn’t think of anyone suitable. "Who?"
"Wu Lingyuan."
"Him?" An Jiu had a deep impression of this man—a blind scholar living in poverty, barely scraping by with a rundown wonton stall that few visited, yet maintaining an air of serene detachment.
Chu Dingjiang explained, "Hua Rongjian arranged for someone to cure his blindness and pulled strings to let him take the imperial exams. He placed third—the Tanhua."
Without a recommendation, Wu Lingyuan should have taken the prefectural exams first. Hua Rongjian had originally intended for him to test the waters, then retake the exams after passing the prefectural level. Unexpectedly, Wu Lingyuan proved himself—after recovering his sight, he had only studied intermittently for a few months, yet he passed! He then performed exceptionally in the palace examination, earning the Emperor’s favor as the Tanhua.
Wu Lingyuan had wanted to test his abilities and gave it his all. After years of blindness, he hadn’t had the means to continue studying, so even he was surprised by his success.
However, this wasn’t entirely good news for him. Skipping the prefectural exams couldn’t be hidden, and everyone knew he had powerful backing. Many suspected his Tanhua title was undeserved, making him a target and leaving an indelible stain on his official career.
He would have opportunities to prove his worth, but the key was whether he’d get those chances.
After explaining all this to An Jiu in detail, Chu Dingjiang added, "The matter has already reached the Emperor. If they dig deeper, Hua Rongjian’s involvement will inevitably come to light, which would be even more disastrous for Wu Lingyuan."
Hua Rongjian held no official position—how could he have opened this backdoor? Was he connected to the Hua Clan? Had the Hua Clan formed secret alliances with other officials? These suspicions were unavoidable.Chu Dingjiang said, "The best way is to overshadow this matter with something bigger. If he requests to be assigned as a county magistrate under Hejian Prefecture, the emperor will likely agree."
Hejian Prefecture was located at the border between the Liao and Song territories, a region plagued by constant warfare. In the past decade alone, not only county magistrates but even two prefects had been killed by the Liao people. Everyone avoided the place like the plague.
An Jiu thought about it—that place was indeed perfect for development! Due to the need to defend against Liao raids, the number of garrison troops in Hebei Circuit was much higher than elsewhere.
"It is a good idea, but is Wu Lingyuan willing to go to his death?" An Jiu asked.
"He will go. Fortune favors the bold. If he can successfully defend a county there, he’ll be hailed as a hero. Of course, he’ll have many concerns—like what are his chances of success? Is it worth the risk?" Chu Dingjiang took out a jade token and handed it to her. "I can recall the disbanded Crane Control Army. Take these men to assist him, and he’ll naturally agree!"
An Jiu didn’t take it. She knew very well that those men only trusted and respected Chu Dingjiang—no one else could command them. "I don’t want this. I want you to come with me."
If she were to take charge, she would have to earn their loyalty herself, not rely on Chu Dingjiang’s token to borrow authority.
"Fine," Chu Dingjiang agreed. "These men all came from the Crane Control Institute. None of them belong to the four great families. They grew up in bloodshed, so they likely share your ideals."
No wonder Chu Dingjiang was so familiar with the Crane Control Institute! An Jiu asked suspiciously, "Did Sheng Changying collude with you?"
Chu Dingjiang flicked her forehead with his finger. "He helped me quite a bit. Whenever he came across someone with good potential, he’d pass their information to me, and I’d secretly train them for my own use."
An Jiu nodded, then thought of Wu Lingyuan and couldn’t help but worry. "What exactly is Hua Rongjian’s motive for putting so much effort into nurturing Wu Lingyuan?"
Ever since she learned that Hua Rongjian secretly controlled the Bounty Board, An Jiu understood he was no longer the carefree young master he once was. She didn’t believe his exhaustive efforts to help Wu Lingyuan were purely out of camaraderie. (To be continued...)
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