Chapter 282

After the news spread that the imperial merchant had been injured, a constant stream of visitors came to pay their respects. In front of the Li family’s gate, luxurious sedan chairs and carriages stopped one after another. Fortunately, few people usually came and went in this area, but even so, rumors spread like wildfire throughout the city. Speculation about whether the imperial merchant was dead or alive spawned several versions, and the strict inspections at the city gates made those wishing to leave the city tremble with fear. Even those transporting coffins or waste in the early morning were subject to checks—the soldiers at the gates no longer cared if they disturbed the dead; they were more afraid of letting the culprit escape.

Were the city gates strict? The city itself was even stricter. After inquiring with the shop hands about the assailant’s appearance and attire, envoys from all sides meticulously inspected everyone passing through the gates—no one was overlooked, not even the servants of prominent families. Some people could not help but stomp their feet in frustration, but among the inspectors, one group held an imperial edict, granting them the authority to deal with any obstruction on the spot. Those who wished to complain could only do so by secretly submitting memorials.

After court, Lord Wang personally led a sweep, arresting several individuals whose cases had been pending—among them were precisely those officials who had wanted to submit secret memorials.

Li Linshan, having been driven to the barracks by Wang Xiujin, wore a particularly grim expression. During drills, even the most unruly soldiers behaved like mice before a cat. Besides busying herself with training, she did not neglect the task of capturing suspects. At noon, Li Linshan received a letter from a shop hand at the general store. Upon reading it, she immediately led her men straight to a narrow alley in the capital, apprehended a group who had been beaten to a pulp, and dumped them at the Ministry of Justice’s gate.

The guards at the ministry were startled—Li Linshan’s aggressive arrival was truly intimidating. If she hadn’t been dragging prisoners, one might have thought she’d come to cause trouble.

The squad of young soldiers who had accompanied Li Linshan to make the arrests split up, some continuing the search elsewhere. They were not after those already caught, but seeking others still at large. The past two days, the capital had hovered on the brink of panic. With the recent lull in investigations, the populace relaxed somewhat, but just as they saw off one round of inspectors, officers from the Censorate arrived. The earlier searches at least had a pretext; the Censorate’s men barged in without explanation, searching homes and carrying out heavy chests of unknown contents. The heads of these households were also taken away. When the Censorate made an arrest, those taken had yet to be seen returned.

Lord Wang personally arrived at the Ministry of Justice, followed closely by the Fourth Prince. One official after another soon arrived, including a trusted attendant of the Emperor. The pressure within the ministry was overwhelming; the officials inside were drenched in sweat.

At home recovering from his wounds, Wang Xiujin also received word—the assailants had been apprehended. It took him a while to react with a look of surprise. A young royal scion who had come to visit found his reaction amusing. “Sir, now that the culprits have been caught, you can rest and recover in peace.”

“Even if they hadn’t been caught today, I could still rest easy. I trust the magistrates of Great Liang would never let a villain escape,” Wang Xiujin said with certainty, though in his heart, he felt otherwise. He thought, if he didn’t hold his current position, his death might have been in vain.

Interrogating a group of vagabond-like suspects was not difficult; the mastermind was soon unmasked. However, among these vagrants were two from Koku, which created complications for the interrogators. The Fourth Prince’s expression was grim, and the generals present looked even darker. Even the civil officials could not help but suspect a plot. After leaving the Ministry of Justice, their next destination was the palace.

Upon hearing the news, the Emperor’s expression turned ugly. What was Koku plotting? As for the mastermind behind the attack, it was imperative to investigate any connection to the Kokuans. The map laid out on the table made the Emperor ponder—could that island nation, insignificant as an insect, truly be harboring rebellious intentions?

Wang Xiujin was equally shocked by the news. He too wondered what Koku intended—could they already be contemplating a move to seize inland territory? The thought unsettled him. No, he must put an end to Koku’s ambitions. Yet, thinking further, he realized that with Great Liang’s strong army and ample provisions, even if coastal defenses were somewhat weak, Koku would stand little chance in a direct attack. So what was their real scheme?

What did Koku wish to accomplish? They had taken a daring gamble, but before the game was fully played, their plot was exposed. Koku had hoped, first, to injure Wang Xiujin through another’s hand, then seize the chance to assassinate Li Linshan, frame the Fourth Prince, and send agents to sow discord within the Li family. Even if the Li family did not rebel, they sought to drive a wedge between them and the royal family. If they could persuade the Lis to defect, that would be even better—promising high positions, so that when Koku eventually took the Central Plains, they would gain a powerful ally. Koku’s ambition to seize inland territory was nothing new. Unfortunately, their strategist, despite all calculations, had not foreseen a mishap midway—their own operatives were lost, and the next step of assassinating Li Linshan was revealed.

Those tasked with investigating the Kokuans had already dispatched men to arrest their remaining associates. The Kokuans, who had been watching the arrests in the capital, now hurried toward the city gates. They needed to flee before a citywide search began. They dared not trust their captured comrades to keep the secret. Though they did not know the entire plan, they understood the next target was the eldest legitimate grandson of General Li. Once the plot was uncovered, they faced certain death; better to escape before the city was sealed.

They did not attempt to leave together through the same gate, but split up, hoping that at least one might escape and alert their superior back home that the plot had failed. Their logic was sound, but they did not know that the investigation into the Kokuans was being overseen by the Ministry of Justice, the Censorate, the Ministry of War, the Fourth Prince, General Li, and an imperial attendant, all listening in. Once news came that some suspects remained at large, the order was given to seal the city—no one could leave, only enter.

Those citizens wishing to leave the city voiced little complaint. All were anxious about the imperial merchant’s injury and eager to see the villain caught. The people were united—because of the imperial merchant, everyone could find work. Those employed at his workshops now enjoyed a good life, and even humble clerks felt superior to their peers elsewhere. Who, among those struggling to earn a living, did not wish for a good workplace?

The Kokuans, seeing the city gates just ahead but unable to leave, grew desperate, yet could do nothing but hide nearby, hoping for a chance to slip out.

After the city was sealed, a thorough search began. The Kokuans, though similar in appearance to the people of Liang, still bore subtle differences upon close inspection. The search teams comprised palace guards, constables, and specially trained soldiers from the barracks, accompanied by two fierce wolfhounds.

Those Kokuans trapped in the city felt their fate was sealed. This time, they feared they would not leave Liang alive, yet still they harbored the desperate hope of breaking through. Not everyone was barred from the gates—military escorts could pass with proper tokens. Watching a group leave for the coast, the hiding Kokuans grew uneasy. They suspected these were messengers bound for the coast; if they did not escape now, even reaching the shore would be futile.

Unaware of the events outside, Wang Xiujin was busy comforting his son. Yachang had stayed by his side at home, watching over him, even when visitors came. This filled Wang Xiujin with guilt—his child must have been frightened. After drinking some “blood-replenishing” porridge specially made by Madam Liu, Wang Xiujin forced himself to stay awake and called his son over to talk, worried that without reassurance, the boy might suffer lasting fear.

Yachang leaned against the bed, not daring to climb onto it. He answered his father’s questions one by one, his little face grave. After a few exchanges, he looked at his father seriously and said, “Father, you should rest now. No more talking. Time to sleep. Be good.”

Being told to “be good” by his own son left Wang Xiujin feeling awkward. He was truly exhausted, but surely he couldn’t let his son boss him around! As he was about to protest, he met the watery gaze of his child and the words that came out were, “Yachang, will you stay and nap with me? If you don’t, how will I fall asleep?”

Yachang gave his father a rather peculiar look. Wang Xiujin felt strangely as if his son were looking at him with contempt. Rubbing his nose, he decided he must be imagining things. He had the servants move a soft couch over, watched his son climb up and settle in, then yawned and fell asleep.

Seeing his father asleep, Yachang climbed down, ran to the door, and instructed the servants outside that no one was to disturb his father’s rest. If anyone tried, he would personally throw them out. He gave his orders, then returned inside to keep his father company as he slept.

Wang Xiujin slept deeply and comfortably. When he awoke, it was already dark. He frowned slightly; it had been too quiet all afternoon—no one had come to visit. Little did he know that all the visitors were sitting in the main hall drinking tea, and none of them minded the wait. He turned to look at his son, who sat quietly on the couch, staring at him.

“Why didn’t you wake me?” he asked.

“Father should rest more,” Yachang replied, climbing down and summoning the servants to move the couch back. Then he lit the candles in the room and carefully poured his father a cup of water. “Father, have some water. Do you need to use the chamber pot?”

Wang Xiujin nodded, called for the servants to help him up. Yachang considered having them bring a basin, but seeing his father’s state, held his tongue and merely followed behind, anxiously wishing his grandfather would return home soon.