Volume 1, Chapter 50: Who in This World

"These..." Wen Tiren's expression changed drastically.

"Do you recognize them?" Zhu Youjian asked coldly. "These are all the secret letters you wrote to the Jianzhou Jurchens."

Wen Tiren forced himself to keep his composure. "This... this is a frame-up..."

"A frame-up?" Zhu Youjian suddenly burst into laughter. "Then what about this?"

He gestured to the imperial secret agents to open another chest.

Inside was a pile of weaponry.

"This... this..." Wen Tiren was suddenly speechless.

"And this as well," Zhu Youjian continued.

The third chest was opened, revealing a roster inside.

"This is the roster of your faction members," Zhu Youjian sneered. "They have already confessed."

Wen Tiren's face turned ashen.

"What? Still trying to quibble?"

Wen Tiren abruptly dropped to his knees. "Your Majesty, please grant me clemency! Your servant..."

"Silence!" Zhu Youjian snapped harshly. "I have had enough of your lies."

He descended the steps and stopped right in front of Wen Tiren.

"Do you know what I hate the most?"

Wen Tiren kept his head lowered, not daring to speak.

"What I hate most is betrayal," Zhu Youjian said, emphasizing every single word.

Wen Tiren trembled all over.

"Did you think I didn't know?" Zhu Youjian went on. "Your illicit dealings with the Jianzhou Jurchens have been known to me for a long time."

"Your Majesty..." Wen Tiren still attempted to defend himself.

"Shut your mouth!" Zhu Youjian roared. "I gave you a chance."

He turned and walked back up the steps. "But you betrayed my trust time and time again."

Wen Tiren knelt on the ground, cold sweat streaming down his face.

"Did you think you hid your tracks well?" Zhu Youjian sneered. "Those weapons, those secret letters, those faction members..."

"I knew it all," he continued. "I was simply waiting."

"Waiting for what?"

"Waiting for you to slip up," Zhu Youjian said. "Waiting for your faction members to fall into the net one by one."

Wen Tiren suddenly smiled. "What a brilliant scheme, Your Majesty."

"You are not so bad yourself," Zhu Youjian said coldly.

"It is only a pity..." Wen Tiren raised his head. "We fell just short by a single step."

"Indeed," Zhu Youjian nodded. "Just that single step."

He gazed down at Wen Tiren. "Do you know which step that was?"

Wen Tiren remained silent.

"You were far too impatient," Zhu Youjian said. "Had you waited a little longer..."

"Perhaps you truly would have succeeded."

Wen Tiren gave a bitter laugh. "Indeed, just a single step short."

"Therefore..." Zhu Youjian looked at him. "You have lost."

Wen Tiren burst into loud laughter. "Yes, I have lost."

He tilted his head back to look at Zhu Youjian. "Does Your Majesty truly believe that arresting me is the end of it?"

"Oh?" Zhu Youjian narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean by that?"

"My people..." Wen Tiren sneered. "Are spread throughout the entire court and country."

"I know," Zhu Youjian replied indifferently.

"Does Your Majesty truly believe you can catch them all?"

"There is no need to catch them all," Zhu Youjian said. "I only need to catch you."

"Why?"

"Because you are the head," Zhu Youjian said. "Without a head, no matter how many faction members there are, they are entirely useless."

Wen Tiren chuckled again. "Is that so?"

"What are you trying to say?" Zhu Youjian demanded.

"Does Your Majesty truly believe..." Wen Tiren sneered, "that I am the head?"

"Of course not." Wen Tiren laughed heartily. "I am merely a chess piece."

"Whose chess piece?"

Wen Tiren shook his head. "That, I cannot tell you."

"Really?" Zhu Youjian sneered. "Then let the men of the Eastern Depot question you."

Wen Tiren's expression shifted abruptly. "Your Majesty..."

"What? Are you afraid?"

Wen Tiren clenched his teeth. "Do as you please."

"Take him away!" Zhu Youjian waved his hand.

Several secret agents stepped forward to drag Wen Tiren away.

"Wait," Wen Tiren said suddenly.

"Is there anything else you wish to say?" Zhu Youjian asked.

"Your Majesty..." Wen Tiren raised his head. "Do you truly believe you can capture everyone?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you think..." Wen Tiren sneered, "that those merchants and officials are all my people?"

Zhu Youjian narrowed his eyes. "Are they not?"

"Of course not." Wen Tiren laughed wildly. "They are..."

Before he could finish, he suddenly clutched his throat.

"Stop him!" Zhu Youjian shouted.

But it was already too late. Wen Tiren had swallowed poison and collapsed to the floor.

"Search his body!" Zhu Youjian ordered.

The secret agents stepped forward and searched him, discovering a small paper packet hidden within Wen Tiren's sleeve.

"Red arsenic," Zhu Youjian sneered. "These people always carry poison with them."

He walked down the steps and looked down at Wen Tiren's corpse.

"I am eager to see..." he said coldly, "who exactly you were referring to."

The secret agents began searching the body thoroughly.

Before long, they found a slip of paper hidden inside Wen Tiren's boot.

Zhu Youjian unfolded it, a cold gleam flashing in his eyes.

"Interesting," he sneered.

Written on the slip of paper were merely four characters: "Who under heaven?"