Deployment for the Arrest Operation

Upon arriving at the Imperial Guard headquarters, Huang Shaojie went straight to the main hall to request an audience with Niu Ren.

"Commander Niu, the Prefectural Governor's residence was attacked last night."

After saluting, Huang Shaojie first reported the attack on the Prefectural Governor's residence.

Niu Ren nodded slightly. "I learned of it this morning. Cao Renqi even brought men over to provide aid."

As the highest commander of Suzhou's Imperial Guard, he naturally learned of such a major incident very quickly.

Huang Shaojie cupped his hands. "My lord, that is precisely what concerns me."

"Oh?" Niu Ren raised a brow slightly and looked at Huang Shaojie. "What do you mean?"

Huang Shaojie said, "Cao Renqi took dozens of guards to provide aid. He left those guards at the Prefectural Governor's residence to protect Lord Prefectural Governor, while he himself returned to Cao Manor with only a few attendants and continued sleeping soundly. Is he not afraid that those people might come attack Cao Manor?"

Niu Ren frowned slightly in thought. "Indeed. Logically speaking, after the Prefectural Governor's residence was attacked, Cao Renqi should have been even more afraid that his own residence would be attacked as well. Yet he left all his household guards at the Prefectural Governor's residence and could still sleep soundly at home. That is highly abnormal."

Huang Shaojie continued, "If Cao Renqi were a loyal and righteous general, that might be understandable. But Cao Renqi secretly met with Japanese pirate spies the night before last. It is difficult not to suspect his motives in doing this."

Niu Ren's expression changed slightly. He abruptly rose to his feet and said in a deep voice, "This is bad. Among the dozens of guards Cao Renqi left at the Prefectural Governor's residence, there must be Japanese pirate assassins. Prefectural Governor Luo is in danger at any moment!"

He said coldly, "It seems we can delay no longer. Cao Renqi must be arrested at once!"

"Pass the order. Notify everyone of Battalion Commander rank and above to gather in the main hall immediately for a discussion!"

Niu Ren made his decision without hesitation and issued the command.

The two attendants accepted their orders and left.

Huang Shaojie cupped his hands toward Niu Ren. "Reporting to Commander, I have one more matter to report."

Niu Ren sat back down. "What is it?"

Huang Shaojie said, "Yesterday morning, Cao Renqi sent his trusted deputy general with a thousand soldiers to the coast near Yancheng to escort a shipment to the Dongsheng Merchant Association's warehouse."

"Going to the eastern coast to escort goods?" A cold glint flashed through Niu Ren's eyes, and he snorted. "It appears Cao Renqi must have been helping the Japanese pirates transport goods."

Huang Shaojie said, "I suspect that the Japanese chairman Cao Renqi met in the secret chamber of Fountain Pavilion the night before last was the chairman of the Dongsheng Merchant Association. And the matters they discussed in secret must have been these two things."

"First, arranging Eastern Ocean Samurai at the Prefectural Governor's residence to assassinate or hold the Prefectural Governor hostage at any time. Second, helping the Japanese pirates transport military supplies and the like to Suzhou."

Huang Shaojie voiced the deductions in his heart.

His first guess was completely correct.

But his second guess was wrong. He had not expected that what Cao Renqi was helping the Dongsheng Merchant Association escort was sea salt shipped from Japan.

Great Chu's salt was controlled by the government, which set the price extremely high to reap enormous profits and increase the state treasury's revenue.

For salt merchants to deal in official salt, they had to spend a high price to purchase salt permits. Only then could they use those permits to buy salt extracted by the government.

In short, eighty percent of the profits went to the government. After spending silver to grease various connections, salt merchants could earn at most ten percent in profit.

The Dongsheng Merchant Association naturally possessed the qualifications to deal in official salt.

If they transported sea salt from Japan to sell in Great Chu, they could reap enormous profits and earn every last piece of gleaming silver back to Japan.

After hearing Huang Shaojie's analysis, Niu Ren nodded in agreement.

At this time, all officials of Battalion Commander rank and above had arrived in the main hall.

After exchanging cupped-hand salutes,

Niu Ren said with a grave expression, "Suzhou's military commandant, Cao Renqi, has colluded with Japanese pirates. He intends to control Prefectural Governor Luo, seize command of all Suzhou's troops, and capture the Jiangsu-Zhejiang coastal region."

The moment these words were spoken, everyone in the hall widened their eyes in shock and looked at one another. They could hardly believe it.

A dignified Principal Fourth Rank military official had actually been colluding with Japanese pirates in secret, intending to control the Prefectural Governor and capture the two provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang?

Damn, was Cao Renqi trying to turn the heavens upside down?

Commander Zhao showed a doubtful expression and cupped his hands. "My lord, this matter is no small thing. Is the information reliable?"

The others in the hall were also secretly alarmed and doubtful, wondering where Commander Niu had suddenly obtained this information.

Niu Ren said, "These are clues Huang Shaojie uncovered while secretly monitoring and investigating Cao Renqi. They are absolutely reliable! Enough. The situation is urgent now. We of the Imperial Guard must arrest Cao Renqi immediately."

"Commander Zhao, lead the Imperial Guard of the First, Second, and Fourth Guard Posts to the Commandant's residence. Arrest Cao Renqi and all his confidants, and bring them back to the Imperial Prison."

"By your order!"

Commander Zhao bowed, then led the three Battalion Commanders of the First, Second, and Fourth Guard Posts out of the main hall to gather personnel and set off.

Niu Ren turned to another Commander of a Hundred and called loudly, "Commander Li."

Commander Li cupped his hands and bowed. "Your subordinate is here!"

Niu Ren said, "You and the three Probationary Commanders of a Hundred will lead the Imperial Guard of the Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Guard Posts to the Dongsheng Merchant Association. Arrest everyone there. Kill without mercy anyone who resists!"

Suzhou's Imperial Guard had two Commanders of a Hundred and three Probationary Commanders of a Hundred. Even the weakest Probationary Commander of a Hundred had reached the Ninth Level of Innate Realm.

Now, Niu Ren was directly dispatching one Commander of a Hundred, three Probationary Commanders of a Hundred, and the Imperial Guard from four Guard Posts in full force. This showed just how seriously he regarded the Dongsheng Merchant Association.

As for arresting Cao Renqi, it was more than enough for Niu Ren to send only Commander Zhao with the Imperial Guard from three Guard Posts.

Cao Renqi possessed the cultivation of a First Rank Grandmaster, while Commander Zhao was a Second Rank Grandmaster. He could easily take Cao Renqi down.

Although Cao Renqi was a Principal Fourth Rank commandant and military official, commanding over ten thousand troops, when the Imperial Guard came to arrest him, he could not mobilize those ten thousand troops to resist arrest.

Unless all ten thousand officers and soldiers had become Cao Renqi's confidants and were willing to follow him in rebellion.

That was clearly unlikely.

Having a dozen or so confidants was possible.

But Commander Zhao, leading three Battalion Commanders, nine Banner Captains, and over a hundred imperial guardsmen, would be more than enough to subdue them.

"Your subordinate obeys!"

Commander Li and the other three Probationary Commanders of a Hundred all cupped their hands and accepted the order, leaving the main hall with four Battalion Commanders to gather men and horses.

"Huang Shaojie, Xiao Qiuyue."

"Your subordinates are here," Huang Shaojie and Xiao Qiuyue answered in unison with cupped hands.

Niu Ren said, "The two of you will take the Imperial Guard from your own Guard Post to Fountain Pavilion and arrest everyone there."

In Niu Ren's eyes, although Fountain Pavilion was merely a brothel, it was still a Japanese spy stronghold and was bound to have quite a few experts.

Therefore, Huang Shaojie and Xiao Qiuyue, the two strongest Battalion Commanders, had to be sent there.

Huang Shaojie and Xiao Qiuyue accepted the order and left.

"Battalion Commander Gao, Battalion Commander He, lead the Imperial Guard of the Tenth and Eleventh Guard Posts to the Prefectural Governor's residence at once. Inform them of Cao Renqi's collusion with Japanese pirates, and assist Prefectural Governor Luo in arresting and interrogating all the dozens of guards Cao Renqi left there last night."

"By your order."

The two Battalion Commanders accepted their orders and left.

Finally, Niu Ren looked at He Lu, the Inspection Battalion Commander of the Twelfth Guard Post, and said:

"He Lu, lead fifty imperial guardsmen and one hundred Strongmen to Cao Manor. Arrest everyone in Cao Manor. Also search and confiscate the manor. Do not overlook a single corner."

He Lu cupped his hands and bowed. "Yes, my lord."