Eunuch Wei Turns Clouds and Rain

The common folk did not dare leave their homes until the soldiers took to the streets to clear away the corpses.

Naturally, talk filled every street and alley.

They mourned the hardship of the people, raged at the court's incompetence, and cursed the Di barbarians for their atrocities. At the same time, their fear of the Di barbarians deepened another layer.

The Northern Commandery's Imperial Prison, hailed as an impregnable fortress of bronze walls and iron ramparts, had actually been breached by a hardened Di spy, who killed his way in and out.

The court's dignity had been swept into the dirt!

Within the Imperial Palace.

Bang!

Wei Zhongliang smashed a white jade teacup to pieces and shrieked, "What the hell are you all good for?!"

Below the hall, the Commanders of the Northern and Southern Commanderies, Thousand-Household Commanders, and a host of civil and military officials knelt across the floor.

"The Imperial Prison of the mighty Northern Commandery was entered as if it were empty ground by a Di spy! You lot have truly brought glory to this household!"

Wei Zhongliang's face was incomparably gloomy. Since the founding of the dynasty under Hongwu, no prison break had ever occurred at the Northern Commandery's Imperial Prison.

"Xu Xianchun, how exactly did your Northern Commandery guard its gates?" Wei Zhongliang's gaze was like a sharpened blade as he pointed at one man below.

Xu Xianchun shuddered and begged, "Eunuch, the Di barbarians set fires and murdered people everywhere last night. Of the nine Thousand-Household Commanders under this subordinate's command, six were dispatched to suppress the bandits. I never expected to fall for their trick of luring the tiger from the mountain, allowing An Baogu to seize the opportunity. But rest assured, Your Excellency, no prisoners were taken from the Imperial Prison. An Baogu was driven back by the three remaining Thousand-Household Commanders working together."

"Driven back, my ass."

Wei Zhongliang grabbed the teapot from the table and hurled it at him. "An Baogu came looking for the Punishment Slave. If he had been there, he would have been taken long ago."

"Yes, yes, this subordinate deserves death. This subordinate deserves death."

Tea splashed over Xu Xianchun's head and face. He no longer dared argue and could only keep kowtowing and begging forgiveness.

Before long, his forehead was crimson with blood.

"You deserve death. All of you deserve death! An Baogu is hard to deal with, but what about the others? Did you catch them?"

"Where is that Punishment Slave?"

"And where is the Di barbarians' den?"

"You don't know anything when I ask! What use is there in keeping you lot?"

"..."

Only after cursing for the time it took half an incense stick to burn did Wei Zhongliang feel somewhat calmer.

The Capital City had been thrown into chaos last night. The Imperial Lord had seen flames soaring into the sky even from the Imperial Palace—there was no way to conceal it.

Once the Imperial Lord grew anxious and asked Wei Zhongliang what had happened, Wei Zhongliang himself had been completely in the dark. He stammered without giving an answer, so naturally the Imperial Lord reprimanded him a few times. Had Lady Ke not spoken up for him, things would have become impossible to smooth over.

When the Flying Fish Guard's detailed report arrived, though, what a mess.

Wei Zhongliang, who had already stayed up the entire night, immediately broke out in mouth sores from anxiety.

The Flying Fish Guard had suffered heavy casualties, large portions of the Capital City had burned, and the Di spy An Baogu had slaughtered his way in and out of the Imperial Prison. As for civilian casualties, they were even more unbearable to look at.

And the Di spies?

They had come and gone without a trace—not a single one had been caught.

How was he supposed to account for this?

The Imperial Lord was still waiting for an answer.

He only needed to catch one. Just one would do.

Wei Zhongliang could picture it with his toes: impeachment memorials were surely already flying toward the imperial desk like snowflakes.

He knew the Donglin Faction's bunch of hypocrites and true villains all too well.

They were useless at getting work done, but peerless at bickering and empty rhetoric. Once they sank their teeth into him, even if they could not break his bones, they would tear off a chunk of flesh.

A whole dark mass of people was waiting to seize on his weakness.

"Eunuch, An Baogu is one of the Di barbarians' renowned Baturu. His inner strength is profound, and his courage and power surpass ordinary men. The Imperial Prison was caught unprepared and lost its defenses; that is understandable. The most urgent matter now is to quickly devise a countermeasure." At this point, Cui Chengxiu, Minister of Works, raised his head and offered his counsel.

Wei Zhongliang looked at his trusted strategist and confidant. At last, he had heard something pleasant. He waved the attendants away and had everyone rise.

"Tell me, then. How should this household handle the matter?" Wei Zhongliang swept his gaze across the hall.

They looked at one another. In the end, Cui Chengxiu stepped forward again. "Eunuch, in this matter, speed is paramount. Before the memorials reach the imperial desk, we must first nail down the facts."

"Nail them down? Explain."

Qianqing Palace, where emperors through the ages handled state affairs and reviewed memorials.

Yet at this moment, it looked somewhat disorderly. All manner of precious timber was piled together, alongside a dazzling array of tools, finished and half-finished carpentry pieces, and many completed items yet to be lacquered.

Great Li's famed Carpenter Emperor, Zhu Youxiao, had rolled up his sleeves and was directing several young eunuchs as they assembled something resembling a wooden ox.

"Your Majesty, Prince Wei requests an audience." A young eunuch crept in on tiptoe to report.

"Daban is here? Hurry and let him in." Zhu Youxiao answered without thinking.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations!"

Before Wei Zhongliang even arrived, his shrill voice had already carried into the hall. He practically tumbled and crawled inside.

"Congratulations? Daban, where does this joy come from?" Only then did Zhu Youxiao turn around and look at Wei Zhongliang in confusion.

The Capital City had burned last night, reddening half the sky. He had been certain it was no good thing, so seeing Wei Zhongxian's face brimming with joy surprised him greatly.

"Your Majesty, the Flying Fish Guard encircled and suppressed a Di spy den last night. They captured seven Di spies and beheaded twenty-six. This servant specially comes to congratulate Your Majesty. May Great Li endure for ten thousand generations, and may Your Majesty's blessings reach the heavens!" Wei Zhongliang reported with a face full of delight.

"Is this... true?"

At once, joy rose to Zhu Youxiao's brow.

Wei Zhongxian patted his chest. "Absolutely true. The Di spies all wore money-rat tails, their customs entirely unlike those of Great Li's people. This old servant personally went to the Imperial Prison to inspect them and confirmed there was no mistake."

"Good, good! Daban has rendered great service through hard work. Quickly, rise!" Zhu Youxiao was overjoyed and hurriedly moved to help Wei Zhongliang up.

Yet Wei Zhongliang shrank back a step, his expression turning from joy to sorrow. "This old servant dares not claim the credit. To speak frankly, although the Di spy den was wiped out last night, the incident happened so suddenly that even this old servant was kept in the dark. Moreover, those Di spies were exceptionally fierce deathsworn. The suppression did not go smoothly. The Flying Fish Guard suffered many casualties and even implicated some innocent civilians. Even the Imperial Prison was forcibly breached by the crazed Di spy leader."

"The battle was actually so brutal?" Zhu Youxiao was stunned.

"Your Majesty, when the Flying Fish Guard surrounded the Di spy den, their leader An Baogu was not inside. After the operation began, An Baogu saw that rescue was hopeless, so he led his trusted deathsworn in a fierce assault on the Imperial Prison, killing and setting fires everywhere, attempting to besiege Wei to rescue Zhao. Fortunately, three Thousand-Household Commanders of the Flying Fish Guard who remained behind resisted to the death, preventing his scheme from succeeding."

"Who is this An Baogu? How can he be so fierce as to contend against three of our Thousand-Household Commanders?"

"An Baogu is a fierce Di general, a Bayala Leader, and a renowned Baturu among the Di barbarians. Oh, Your Majesty, Baturu means warrior."

While Wei Zhongliang was moving clouds with one hand and overturning rain with the other inside the Imperial Palace, relying on nothing but his tongue,

Liu Changan, on duty at the Ministry of War, felt as though one head had become two.

On his way to duty that morning, he received an urgent message from his spies. That fool An Baogu had actually failed to return all night.