Chapter 572 - 325: Kill Them All
Chapter 572: Chapter 325: Kill Them All
The commoners in the Prefecture City had all returned to their daily lives. However, because grain prices had stabilized, those who had hoarded grain earlier were filled with regret, while those who hadn’t were naturally somewhat smug. They completely forgot the miserable state they were in just a few days ago.
Some rejoiced while others worried. Chen Yi was naturally among those who rejoiced. Over the past two days, Wang Ji had visited once, bringing him quite a bit of news. He had confirmed that Liu Hong seemed to have accepted his fate; it was said his hair had turned white overnight.
"Liu Zhaoxue has disappeared, the Five Poison Sect in Xinglin Hall has been purged, and Liu Hong’s eldest and second sons are also nowhere to be found.
"Coupled with that old fox’s recent behavior, everything points to a massive upheaval on his end."
Although Chen Yi didn’t know who was responsible, given his understanding of Liu Hong, the truth behind this matter was definitely not simple. Think about it: how could someone so deeply calculating do absolutely nothing in the face of his current predicament? When things were this abnormal, something was definitely amiss.
Thinking about this, Chen Yi remained completely unbothered, sitting by the pond and holding his newly bought fishing rod to fish. There was nothing he could do. Thanks to that "plague poison," he had been ordered by the Old Master to rest peacefully at home.
Chen Yi was more than happy to enjoy the leisure. Especially since Xiao Wuge was Cultivating Martial Arts in the Martial Arts Arena, no one was beside him catching fish every now and then to ruin his peace.
However, these good days came to an abrupt halt with the arrival of Li Huai’gu.
"Brother Qingzhou."
"Brother Huai’gu."
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Chen Yi saw Li Huai’gu’s haggard expression and couldn’t help but ask with a smile, "Brother Huai’gu, you made a special trip here despite your busy schedule. Is there something important?"
Li Huai’gu smiled bitterly and cupped his hands. "I can’t hide anything from you, Brother Qingzhou." He sighed and said, "I don’t know what happened, but Lord Liu has barely been involved in the affairs of the Government Office over the past two days.
"Lord Yang went to ask him a few times but couldn’t get a clear answer.
"But the Governor’s Office has a lot of matters to handle, and someone eventually has to do the work."
Li Huai’gu rambled on for a while before finally explaining his purpose for coming. "I wonder if Brother Qingzhou has been in contact with Brother Yunfan lately?"
Chen Yi paused slightly. "My brother?"
Li Huai’gu nodded helplessly. "Brother Yunfan hasn’t come to duty at the Government Office for several days.
"I went to Tingyu Pavilion to ask, and they said Brother Yunfan has fallen ill and closed his doors to all visitors.
"I figured that since Brother Qingzhou and Brother Yunfan have a deep relationship..."
Chen Yi understood. After a brief thought, he roughly had some guesses. Chen Yunfan had obtained the evidence of Commander-in-Chief Zhu Hao’s crimes. Not showing his face at this time likely meant he was no longer in the Prefecture City. However, Chen Yi also didn’t know where Chen Yunfan would go, nor what method he would use to bring down Zhu Hao.
Thinking this, Chen Yi shook his head and said, "I don’t know either. But I’ll send someone over to ask. Brother Huai’gu, you just need to wait for my news."
Li Huai’gu cupped his hands in thanks and hurried away without staying any longer.
Watching him leave, Chen Yi lost the mood to continue fishing, so he called Xiaodie over to brew a pot of tea. As he drank, he looked up at the clouds in the sky, inevitably falling into a daze. The White Tiger Guard also had schemes regarding Chen Yunfan... Judging from the current situation, Chen Yunfan was valued by the White Tiger Guard even more than he, the "Fledgling," was.
"All along, I seem to have overlooked something," he thought.
"Chen Yunfan isn’t just an Assistant Governor to the Governor of Shu State; he is also the eldest young master of the Jiangnan Prefecture Chen Family.
"If he was chosen by the White Tiger Guard... would the Chen Family just sit idly by?"
Chen Yi didn’t think the Jiangnan Prefecture Chen Family would treat Chen Yunfan the same way they treated him. Especially considering the status and positions of Chen Xuanji and Chen Xuandu in the Imperial Court. Thinking deeper, could his status as the "Fledgling" also have been tacitly approved by the Jiangnan Prefecture Chen Family?
"The White Tiger Guard, the Chen Family... the Imperial Court... me, Chen Yunfan..." he pondered.
The chessboard in Chen Yi’s mind shifted, silent and unnoticed, making him feel like an Immortal seated in the heavens, looking down upon the Nine State and Three Prefectures of the Great Wei Dynasty.
"If the Chen Family tacitly approved, I’m afraid the original host’s marriage into the Xiao Family... might have hidden motives behind it..."
Thinking up to this point, in the right corner of the chessboard, on the intersecting lines representing Jiangnan Prefecture, a few Heizi quietly emerged. A few names faintly appeared: Chen Xuanji, Chen Xuandu, Cui Yu, Lin Zhong...
Chen Yi’s gaze shifted northward toward Guangyuan County, as if crossing thousands of miles to see where the Capital Commandery was located.
"It seems it’s necessary to interact more with my brother," he mused.