Chapter 111: Saddle the horses, we return to the capital!

The soldiers at the gate looked as if they had seen a monster. Dropping their weapons, they scrambled and crawled back into the Governor's Mansion in a panic. Xu Boqing stood quietly before the entrance. Behind him, Jiang Jin and Kong Qing were so flushed with excitement that their faces turned red; they felt more than ever that becoming the hounds of the Overseer was the wisest decision they had ever made in their lives.

Before long, a commotion erupted inside the mansion. Dozens of formidable martial artists—ranging from military lieutenants to household retainers and advisors—rushed out, weapons in hand, surrounding the trio in a tight circle.

Finally, Zhou Xuan stepped out of the mansion, his face ashen. Seeing the shattered gates and the three West Depot agents standing before them, he felt a burning sensation on his face.

"Xu Boqing, you have some nerve!"

"My nerve has always been quite substantial, Governor Zhou. As a high-ranking official guarding the frontiers, yours seems, by comparison, a bit too small."

"You!!!"

"Heh..." Xu Boqing glanced at the surrounding martial artists and sneered, "Does Governor Zhou truly believe these pathetic weaklings can keep you safe?"

"You..."

"Then you are mistaken."

As Xu Boqing spoke, he reached out and clenched his hand in the empty air. The surrounding martial artists stiffened; before they could even react, their weapons were ripped from their grips. Dozens of blades, spears, swords, and halberds were pulled as if by an invisible giant hand, twisting in mid-air until they were crushed into a massive lump of scrap metal in an instant.

The heap of metal hit the ground with a jarring, discordant clang. The martial artists were jolted back to their senses, staring blankly at their own hands and then at the mangled heap of steel, their expressions filled with bewilderment.

Zhou Xuan fared no better. Before he could react, his body refused to obey him, and he stumbled, rolling directly down the stairs from the entrance. When he looked up, he found that he had somehow landed right at the feet of the West Depot agent. Gazing up at the man’s towering, condescending silhouette, he felt as though he had brushed past the gates of hell, a thin layer of cold sweat instantly soaking his back.

"You..."

"How careless of you to fall, Governor Zhou."

Xu Boqing crouched down before him and gestured toward Kong Qing at his side. "I heard that when my subordinates came to investigate a matter here a few days ago, they were chased away?"

"That is absolutely untrue!"

Zhou Xuan’s throat bobbed. He wanted to maintain a tough facade, but he knew this man was an unpredictable eunuch. If he were to act on a whim and strike, would he not lose his life for nothing? He hurriedly explained, "I was away from the mansion that day. It must have been the eyes of my underlings that were blinded, offending you unintentionally. I hope you will forgive us..."

"That is good... that is very good..." Xu Boqing stood up with a smile, pulled Zhou Xuan to his feet, and even thoughtfully brushed the dust off his robes. "I have always been a kind man," he said.

He paused, a meaningful smile playing on his lips. "My abrupt visit today is merely to ask you a question, Governor. If I have caused any offense, I hope you will be magnanimous."

***

Zhou Xuan’s cheek muscles twitched. He knew that since the situation was unfavorable, there was no point in being stubborn for the sake of a moment's pride.

He nodded and stammered, "Please ask, Overseer. I will tell you everything I know, without reservation."

"Where is Deng Jian?"

Seeing Zhou Xuan’s strange expression, Xu Boqing smiled and reminded him, "Governor Zhou, you know which Deng Jian I am asking about. You had better think carefully before you answer." He paused, his tone turning stern. "Otherwise, I fear I might lose control of my hand. If it happens to tremble, I might be forced to exercise the authority of 'execute first, report later' granted to the West Depot by His Majesty."

"..."

A pale, sickly hue flashed across Zhou Xuan’s face. He sighed and said cryptically, "Overseer Xu, some things are merely done to secure more leverage for one's descendants."

"..."

Xu Boqing was momentarily stunned, then his eyes flickered as he grasped the implication. He brushed the dust from Zhou Xuan’s shoulders again and smiled. "I see. In that case, I will not overstay my welcome. Farewell."

He waved his hand and turned to leave. Jiang Jin and Kong Qing, still dazed that their Overseer was leaving after asking only one question, quickly followed.

"Overseer, are we just leaving like this?"

"I asked what I needed to ask and learned what I wanted to know. Should I stay and wait for them to invite us to dinner?"

"..."

Kong Qing remained furrowed in confusion. Seeing that Jiang Jin seemed to have understood, he leaned over and whispered, "Old Jiang, you get it?"

"Mm."

"Tell me..."

Jiang Jin glanced at him, and seeing that the Overseer didn't stop him, he whispered, "His Majesty has three princes. The eldest was born to the Empress... the second prince to Consort Qiu; the third prince to Consort Zhou. That Zhou Xuan back there is the father of Consort Zhou and the maternal grandfather of the third prince..."

"Hiss..." Kong Qing sucked in a breath through his teeth. Once he realized Zhou Xuan was the third prince's grandfather, he understood exactly what was meant by 'securing leverage for one's descendants.'

Xu Boqing returned to the temporary base of the West Depot with a pensive look. Although Zhou Xuan hadn't spoken plainly, his words had revealed Deng Jian's whereabouts. As the Grand Overseer of the Cining Palace, he was well aware of the three princes, the youngest being the one born to Consort Zhou. Coupled with Zhou Xuan’s comment, the pieces were easy to assemble.

He tapped his fingers on the armrest, pondered for a moment, and asked, "Zhu Hong has been released from confinement, but his status as Crown Prince has not been restored?"

"..."

Jiang Jin was taken aback, then shook his head. "Though His Majesty lifted the ban on the eldest prince's Eastern Palace, he has not reinstated the position of Crown Prince... The throne remains vacant."

Xu Boqing’s gaze sharpened, and he smiled thoughtfully. "Relay the intelligence gathered from the palace to me, especially regarding palace affairs. Be as detailed as possible."

"Yes..."

Jiang Jin spent a while recounting the intelligence the West Depot had gathered before and after their return to the capital.

"Strange occurrences in the capital, two princes vying for favor, Zhang Song avoiding suspicion to the point that he refuses to meet even his own daughter, Empress Zhang..."

Xu Boqing muttered to himself, "So Deng Jian is being kept as a hidden piece by the third prince? And who is shielding Xie Honghua of the Chongxu Sect? The second prince?"

He seemed to recall something, his eyes glinting. "The man Grand Overseer Huang specifically named—these two little whelps want to snatch someone away from his old hands, and mine?"

Jiang Jin’s throat felt dry as he listened, a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. He suddenly remembered something and quickly produced the clothing brought by Empress Dowager Chen and the letter Empress Zhang had requested to be delivered.

"O-Overseer, this is the clothing the Empress Dowager asked me to bring you, and this is the letter Empress Zhang insisted must be delivered into your own hands..."

"Mm."

Xu Boqing snapped out of his thoughts and took the items. The clothing was identical to the moon-white robe he was wearing, crafted by Empress Dowager Chen herself—a sign of her deep affection. When he tore open the envelope and read the letter from Empress Zhang, his expression turned strange.

He had expected a simple letter of gratitude. At first, it was indeed filled with thanks. But somehow, as the writing progressed, the tone and language shifted, permeated with "resentment" and "helplessness."

In the letter, Empress Zhang wrote from a mother's perspective, describing how even though Crown Prince Zhu Hong’s confinement had been lifted, he was treated like a plague, and people in the palace avoided him at all costs. She also wrote of the chill she felt when she returned to her parental home to seek help, only to have her own father shun her to avoid suspicion, and of her isolation and lack of support upon returning to the palace.

There were a few tear stains on the paper, indicating that she must have been overwhelmed by sorrow while writing of these experiences. Near the end, the handwriting clearly changed; the self-reference shifted from 'this concubine' to 'the Empress Dowager,' clearly written on her behalf by Empress Dowager Chen.

Empress Dowager Chen’s writing was gentle, using mundane matters like adding warm clothes for the coming winter to subtly express her longing over the past few months. She concluded by stating that she wished to stand up for the widowed Empress and her orphaned son, implying that if the West Depot were to support Zhu Hong’s return to the position of Crown Prince, there would surely be rewards in the future...

'Having someone in the family to rely on... that actually feels quite nice.'

After finishing the letter, Xu Boqing’s lips curled into a faint smile for reasons unknown. He let out a long breath, rubbed his fingers together, and the letter in his hand ignited. Under the flickering glow of the flames, his smile was brilliant.

"Prepare the carriage! Return to the capital!!"