Chapter 93 - 91: Tempestuous Winds and Drifting Rain
In the end, it was County Governor Ji Xuechang who stepped forward, cupping his hands and saying, "My lord, regarding this matter, we must prepare for the worst as soon as possible."
"I know..." Xiao Jingchuan supported his forehead, sighing with a face full of worry.
It had been a day since he learned of this event, and only now had he somewhat recovered from the shock of his son’s imprisonment.
As a Governor and a leading figure of his faction, with so many eyes on him, he couldn’t remain lost in grief and lose his rationality indefinitely.
He ultimately needed to recover; the more urgent the crisis, the more he needed to make calm and correct decisions.
He was very aware that in the worst scenario, he might have to abandon his two sons if necessary.
If there was the slightest chance, he would try to rescue his sons.
Unfortunately, the political enemies who sent Xiao Hongyang to prison were backed by one of those six Princes.
In other words, it was instigated by one of the Princes to suppress the Xiao family.
If the Third Prince backing the Xiao family provided no support, how could he contend with the other Princes?
"Everyone, speak your minds," Xiao Jingchuan said, scanning the room.
"This matter is most likely orchestrated by the Second Prince. Previously, we analyzed the Jianghu experts who attempted to assassinate Lord Li and the Bandit Army of the Dongcang Three Dragons; they were his placement!"
"We thwarted his plans back then, so he now has the space to retaliate against us!"
"The Third Prince promised us protection at the time; could he be going back on his word?"
"A Prince should keep his word. To break it now shows he is truly petty!"
"Had we known, we shouldn’t have backed him back then. We clearly misjudged!"
"I said long ago that the Fourth Prince should have been our first choice; the facts now prove the Third Prince isn’t worth our allegiance!"
"Gentlemen, it’s still too early for that. Perhaps the Third Prince has his reasons. Once the Governor’s letter arrives, there might be room for a turnaround."
"Setting other things aside, the plan for now should be considering how to deal with the Second Prince’s retaliation if the Third Prince does nothing!"
"..."
A group of civil servants and strategists spoke one after another, with the discourse becoming increasingly intense, occasionally bickering and expressing differing positions and proposals.
Some even sarcastically mocked those colleagues with whom they previously disagreed.
Xiao Jingchuan listened with a headache and suddenly thought of something as his gaze fell on Gu Wenhui, standing on the outer circle.
Back then, when he was determined to involve himself in this factional struggle, only Gu Wenhui repeatedly advised him against it, saying the timing wasn’t right.
Xiao Jingchuan grew tired of listening and thus distanced himself from Gu Wenhui, no longer heeding his counsel.
Now, in hindsight, he felt some regret.
It proved that Gu Wenhui’s concerns were justified, and his own impatience had led to this predicament.
"Wenhui, do you have anything to say?" Xiao Jingchuan suddenly asked, causing the others to fall silent and turn to look at Gu Wenhui standing in the outer circle.
Remarkably, this was the first time in recent years that Xiao Jingchuan sought Gu Wenhui’s opinion.
Gu Wenhui maintained his usual demeanor, cupping his hands and saying, "Lord Governor, since the matter has come to this, I am more concerned for your safety and that of the entire Xiao family than for the Eldest Young Master, who is already deeply imprisoned.
If it’s confirmed that the Third Prince has abandoned you entirely, the opposition will surely make their next move, and Donglai Prefecture might be their target next!"
After hearing this, everyone understood this was indeed the worst outcome.
"As I see it, the simplest and most direct move would be to invoke Imperial Authority to first dismiss you from your post and send you back to the Imperial Capital to await your sentence, followed by confiscating the Xiao family’s assets and appointing a new Governor aligned with their interests to take control of Donglai Prefecture’s territory..."
What Gu Wenhui said made Xiao Jingchuan uncomfortable.
"If it really comes to this, what should I do?" Xiao Jingchuan hurriedly asked.
Gu Wenhui slightly furrowed his brow, seemingly contemplating, and after a moment, he spoke.
"First of all, Governor, you absolutely mustn’t go to the Imperial Capital at this time. If someone wants to harm you under the guise of added charges, you won’t receive any protection."
Xiao Jingchuan nodded, agreeing with this point of Gu Wenhui’s advice.
"In that case, only two paths remain: one is to relinquish your position as Governor and the vast Donglai Prefecture, taking all soldiers, money, and supplies to leave, seeking a chance to rise again. As long as you’re still alive, there will always be opportunities."
Upon hearing these words, Xiao Jingchuan’s brow furrowed even tighter, asking, "What about the other route?"
"To defy the Imperial decree and hold Donglai Prefecture, waiting for another helping hand," Gu Wenhui replied.
"A helping hand? You mean the Third Prince?" Xiao Jingchuan couldn’t help but ask.
"No, other Princes," Gu Wenhui explained with a slight smile.
"The six Princes are now fiercely contesting against each other. Since the Third Prince wants to abandon us, and the Second Prince seeks revenge, perhaps other Princes might be willing to take us in.
Of course, the premise is that Lord Governor must demonstrate enough value, enough to attract the special attention of the other Princes."
"Value? Are you talking about my private army?" Xiao Jingchuan followed the line of thought proposed by Gu Wenhui and learned to answer swiftly.
"Exactly, with the six princes vying for the throne, in the end, it will most likely come down to their military power. As long as Lord Governor demonstrates sufficient martial strength, I believe one of the princes would be willing to pick up this freshly-sharpened war saber of yours to aid him in ascending the throne!
As long as a prince is willing to guarantee the Xiao family, even if it is the Third Prince who has had a change of heart, the two young masters of yours in the Imperial Capital will have their crisis resolved together."
As Gu Wenhui spoke these words, Xiao Jingchuan’s eyes had already lightened up.
Upon this analysis, it might not be impossible to save his two sons!
As for the private army, over the years he had diligently trained them without slacking. Though the results couldn’t compare to those battle-hardened elite troops, they still possessed decent combat strength.
The lower-ranked officers, such as the squad leaders and centurions, were arranged according to the martial artist’s standard of strength!
Seeing Xiao Jingchuan somewhat moved, Gu Wenhui refrained from saying more and silently withdrew from the crowd.
Among the officials and staff, there were differing opinions, but most were in agreement with Gu Wenhui’s propositions.
They deliberated until late into the night before finally dispersing.
County Governor Ji Xuechang was the last to leave, hesitantly saying, "My Lord, defying imperial orders is a grave offense. Once it is done, there is no turning back."
Xiao Jingchuan’s eyes also showed some hesitation, but he ultimately gritted his teeth and said, "Only those princes can save my sons, I won’t sit and await my downfall. If it truly comes to it, then I’ll abandon the city and regroup!"
Seeing this, Ji Xuechang understood that his Governor had made up his mind, and he could only sigh and depart.
The seemingly all-powerful Xiao family in Donglai Prefecture, capable of shaking heavens and earth, was nearly torn apart in an instant, just because of a higher-level game of power and one single thought.
Resisting such tremendous power is easier said than done.
So a few more days passed.
The imperial envoy indeed arrived, and just as Gu Wenhui said, came with the intention of stripping Xiao Jingchuan of his governorship, and to escort him to the capital for trial.
Xiao Jingchuan realized this was a path of no return and ultimately chose to defy imperial orders, tearing off all amicable façades with the court.
Such action was nothing short of bold.
Ordinarily, with the court holding the military power of the nation, a small governor like him shouldn’t be able to resist.
However, with His Majesty bedridden, and the six most likely successors fighting intensely, they couldn’t care less about the faraway Donglai Prefecture.
In the end, to safeguard imperial authority, it was the Central Secretariat that ordered the three prefectures of Nanyang, Seven Rivers, and Yongkang to jointly dispatch troops to suppress the rebellious Governor of Donglai.
These three prefectures bordered Donglai Prefecture, so dispatching troops required no long-distance expeditions, thus minimizing costs while being the most efficient.
Furthermore, assembling the forces of three prefectures, logically speaking, should make the suppression of Donglai Prefecture a sure thing.
In the Governor’s Mansion.
"As truly as Wenhui said, the imperial court is only sending these three prefectures to dispatch troops!" Xiao Jingchuan, upon receiving the news of the three prefectures mobilizing, exclaimed in excitement.
"With His Majesty neglecting state affairs, the Secretariat without military tokens can’t mobilize the Central Army or Border Defense Army, and can only coordinate the forces of the surrounding prefectures; this is not surprising. In fact, the scholars and officials of the court are all focused on the vacant throne, busy aligning themselves and engaging in factional strife, their concerns won’t rest on anything else. Even the governors of those three prefectures are observing the situation without throwing all their efforts into cooperation.
Simply put, the imperial court and imperial authority are at their weakest now!" Gu Wenhui said composedly with clasped hands, neither hurried nor worried.
"So what happens next..." Xiao Jingchuan looked towards Gu Wenhui.
"Next is a hard battle. If the Governor can repel the troops of the three prefectures, this stalemate can be broken," Gu Wenhui replied.
"Good!"
...
That day, Song Changming received a summons from Xiao Shuyun and came to the Xiao Mansion.
He quickly noticed that the atmosphere in the Xiao Mansion was quite unusual today, with every servant hurrying about, some transporting items.
Before even entering the courtyard, he heard a tune from a qin, melancholic and sorrowful.
Song Changming recognized the music Xiao Shuyun played, having heard it several times during these days.
Though he didn’t understand music, he could tell that today Xiao Shuyun played with a distinctly different tone than usual.
Stepping into the courtyard, and waiting for the tune to end, Song Changming clasped his hands and spoke.
"Greetings, Fourth Miss."
In the courtyard, there was only Xiao Shuyun and her two maids, with no other servants or guests.
"Captain Song, I’m meeting you today to bid farewell," Xiao Shuyun stood and sighed.
Today, she wore a pale yellow long dress, her beautiful black hair draped down, only adorned with a few delicate hairpins, with no excessive gold, silver, or jade ornaments, exuding a graceful elegance.
...