The leader of the Crane Control Army had a slender figure, unmistakably a woman.
Upon hearing that Lou Mingyue was the new family head, her gaze suddenly softened. "I am the Tianjia Company Commander of the Divine Martial Army."
A company commander was a military rank, subordinate to the deputy commander, while "Tianjia" was the designation for one of the squadrons within the Crane Control Army.
Lou Mingyue keenly noticed the shift in the other's attitude but did not respond to it. "My apologies, I was too hasty. If the two of you aren’t pressed for time, please come inside for a while."
"Very well," the company commander replied.
Lou Mingyue led the group to the main hall of the estate.
Once seated, she skipped the pleasantries and went straight to the point. "I assume you are also of the Lou family?"
The Crane Control Army company commander nodded.
Lou Xin's expression darkened, her anger flaring. "If you share the blood of the Lou family, why did you stand by and do nothing when we were in peril? We sent out our distress call even before seeking help from the Mei family! If you truly intended to aid us, why did you arrive only now? Could it be that The Emperor—"
"Aunt!" Lou Mingyue sharply interrupted.
Lou Xin was straightforward and hot-tempered. Having endured these past few days, she was already brimming with resentment. If she vented now, she might say something reckless.
The Crane Control Army company commander did not rebuke her but instead grew somber. "At first, we thought it was a plague, so we secretly dispatched two physicians. But those two were ambushed and killed along the way. Our superiors then ordered the Crane Control Bureau sealed off to root out the traitors."
"Even the Crane Control Army has been infiltrated?" Lou Mingyue said in disbelief.
The Crane Control Army was the shield protecting the heart of the Great Song, responsible for guarding the last line of defense and The Emperor. If even the Crane Control Bureau had been compromised, the Great Song was in grave danger.
"By protocol, I should not have been the one to come this time." There was a rule in the Crane Control Army against excessive contact with one’s own family, though this order had been frequently disregarded. Still, it had not been officially abolished. The company commander continued, "It was precisely because of the traitors that the Divine Martial Commander allowed us to return. But alas..."
Even if the shadow unit operatives from the Lou family harbored grievances against their own kin, they would never annihilate their entire clan. Moreover, the loyalty of Lou family women was beyond reproach—they were the least likely to be suspected as traitors. Sending them back first to provide support was the most prudent course of action. If the Crane Control Army had merely shut its doors to hunt for traitors, they would have fallen right into the enemy’s trap!
If the Lou family faced calamity and the Crane Control Army failed to send aid, what would the other great families think? Was the extermination of the Lou clan The Emperor’s will? Even if this was not the case, such inaction would only fuel suspicions that the imperial court wished for the four great families to vanish.
The trust between The Emperor and the four great families was already as fragile as a cicada’s wing. If they fell for this scheme now and allowed further discord to be sown, even the pretense of harmony might shatter.
This series of conspiracies was clearly meticulously planned. Who could be so cunning and ruthless?
Lou Mingyue asked, "Are there any leads regarding this covert attack?"
"None," the company commander replied.
Lou Mingyue was deeply disappointed, but then the company commander added, "However, based on current evidence, only one person seems the most likely culprit."
"Who?" Lou Xin pressed.
"Princess Huang Wu of Liao."
"Huang Wu? Since when has Liao had a Princess Huang Wu?" Lou Xiaowu asked, puzzled.
The company commander explained, "She was originally the Princess of Zheng, named Huang Wu, born to Empress Xiao. After Empress Xiao passed away, she was demoted to a princess consort and stripped of her title as 'Princess of Zheng,' sent away to guard Empress Xiao’s tomb..."This matter was shrouded in mystery, and even the Crane Control Army, with its extensive intelligence network, struggled to uncover the truth.
To trace the root of it, we must go back a generation. Empress Xiao was of Khitan descent, with the given name Chuo. Before marrying Emperor Jingzong of Liao, Yelü Xian, she had been betrothed to Han Derang.
The Khitan people had a tradition of female leadership. After Yelü Xian's death, he entrusted the reins of power to Empress Xiao.
Han Derang was a general of the Liao dynasty, and he and Empress Xiao saw each other constantly. Rumors spread that they had rekindled their old romance. This was permissible under Khitan customs and not considered scandalous, yet Empress Xiao never made their relationship public.
What was even more perplexing was that two months after Yelü Xian's death, Empress Xiao was found to be three months pregnant. Most speculated she had already been unfaithful, but no one could produce evidence.
When the child was born, Empress Xiao personally bestowed the name "Huangwu"—Yelü Huangwu.
"Yelü Huangwu resembles Empress Xiao and possesses the ability to wield power," the captain mused, increasingly convinced she was the mastermind behind this. "At fifteen, she was demoted for privately raising an army named 'Ghost Tigers.' After her demotion, we lost all trace of the Ghost Tigers. Few in Liao have the means to recruit so many skilled warriors, and she is one of them."
"Even in exile, guarding tombs, she still holds such influence?" Lou Mingyue asked.
"Indeed," the captain explained carefully. "According to our spies, Yelü Huangwu enjoys considerable prestige in Liao. Han Derang devoted his life to Liao, still leading campaigns in his seventies. Even now, over half of Liao's military commanders are his former subordinates. These officers may believe Yelü Huangwu is Han Derang's bloodline and thus show her special favor. As for whether she harbors ambitions, that's harder to say."
"How could she not have ambitions?" Lou Xiaowu said indignantly. "The character 'Huang' can mean 'emperor.' Empress Xiao likely hoped she would be ambitious—perhaps even intended to pass power to her from the start!"
Knock, knock!
A soft rap came at the door. "Captain, it's getting late."
The Crane Control Army captain asked, "Any further questions?"
"Since there's a suspect, what are the Crane Control Army's plans?" Lou Xin paused, feeling his wording was slightly off. "Is there an imperial decree?"
"The Emperor is eager to root out traitors," the captain lowered his voice. "The Crane Control Army is in turmoil, and the Emperor is keen to reorganize. Even if he wanted to pursue this, he lacks the resources. Besides..."
Besides, the Emperor might secretly wish to use this opportunity to eliminate the four great families. But given the current imbalance of power, he wouldn't act on it.
"Thank you," Lou Mingyue stood. "You may go now."
The captain rose and quietly scanned the room, his tone tinged with an inexplicable emotion. "Between family, thanks are unnecessary."
Lou Mingyue's throat tightened. "My words were careless."
A wave of sorrow filled the room. Unable to bear it, Lou Xin broke the silence and escorted the captain out.
Dark clouds veiled the moon.
Lou Manor fell into utter stillness.
Lou Mingyue stood alone in the courtyard for a long time before finally moving. Step by step, he trudged through the snow toward the council hall, only to spot a figure wrapped in a Fire Sable Coat standing beneath the corridor.
"Who's there?!" Lou Mingyue called.
The figure turned, revealing a face as pale as snow.
Lou Mingyue relaxed slightly. "Mei Shisi."
An Jiu gave a slight nod.
Lou Mingyue walked under the corridor and looked up at the inscribed plaque. "Are you looking at this?""Hmm."
"Does the Mei family not have it?"
"I don't know." An Jiu hadn't explored all of Plum Blossom Village yet and wasn't sure if there was such a plaque there. But hearing Lou Mingyue mention it, she suddenly recalled Hua Rongjian once saying that the Crane Control Army's Precepts were "Loyalty, Integrity, and Righteousness."
"Loyalty, Integrity, and Righteousness." Lou Mingyue turned her head and asked, "Do you know what that means?"
"I don't know," An Jiu answered truthfully.
"The Lou family devoted themselves to following Emperor Taizu, swearing never to betray him." Lou Mingyue let out a scornful laugh. "Our family values loyalty and righteousness above all else. Every Lou man has sacrificed himself for the nation. We never betrayed anyone—it was Emperor Taizu's descendants who abandoned us first."
Lou Mingyue's words dripped with bitterness. "We guarded the Great Song's borders for the peace of the people, yet they became obsessed with power games and broke their promises."
An Jiu was momentarily stunned.
The four great families saw their descendants dwindle with each generation—not for family prestige, not for wealth and glory, and certainly not just for an oath made long ago. (To be continued...)
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