As Jiang Zhizhou returned, Yang Qing asked, "Have you made arrangements for the matter we just discussed?"
Jiang Zhizhou replied, "These are merely the choices I considered best after comparing them..."
"Your judgment is mine, Xiao Zhou," Yang Qing said.
Jiang Zhizhou steadied himself and glanced at Yang Qing before continuing, "After screening the candidates, I now have two men worth examining."
He paused, untied the scroll in his hand, and slowly spread it out before Yang Qing.
"Take a look. These two are Xiao Shandong, Northern Liang's Vice Minister of War, and Tan Wenjie, prefect of the Capital Prefecture."
"What makes these two worth examining?" Yang Qing glanced down at the scroll, then looked up at Jiang Zhizhou.
"They retired from office in the same year, came from the same hometown, and entered Duan Hongzhuo's service one after the other."
Jiang Zhizhou pointed to several places on the scroll and continued, "By all rights, with such close ties and belonging to the same faction, they should be friends bound together in life and death."
"Yet at court, they are often as incompatible as fire and water."
Yang Qing listened carefully beside him. Only after a long while did he speak. "Since you know they both serve under Duan Hongzhuo, why do you not think they might be acting on someone's instructions?"
Jiang Zhizhou slowly shook his head. "It is certainly not that simple. If Duan Hongzhuo had ordered it, he would never allow their fighting to reach this point."
Yang Qing picked up the thread. "In your view, there is a conflict between them, one that even Duan Hongzhuo cannot resolve?"
"No," Jiang Zhizhou said. "Perhaps Duan Hongzhuo is also waiting for the right moment to strip them of their authority without damaging his own foundations."
"Or perhaps he