After Li Zhao left, Hong Xingping leaned back in his chair in a long daze, thinking of his youthful ambitions, of where he would go once this was over, of how many years it had been since desire had surged through him like this, urging him to take the initiative and accomplish something.
Hong Xingping had thus agreed, and that had become his promise two days ago.
Over those two days, he had secretly made countless preparations. The Left Gate Guard was where he had risen through the ranks, and many of his personal soldiers had come up with him; as a commandant, he carried the [Lüshou Order] himself; he had also worked through the route from the garrison to West Pool many times, detail by detail.
Then, at noon yesterday, a trusted subordinate told him that a procession of canopied carriages had arrived at Jingzhao Prefecture. He ordered the man to keep watch for news, but no reply came until shortly after one.
"We've confirmed it, sir. Those are Yu Sicheng's carriages."
For an instant, Hong Xingping's heart stopped beating. "...Who?"
"Yu Sicheng, sir."
"...It's over."
The subordinate hesitated. "No, sir. Lord Di doesn't seem to have compromised. After the carriages left, he set up a table and chairs outside the offices to publicly adjudicate the wrongful case involving the Divine Capital's Taiping Transport Gang."
Hong Xingping stared at him in astonishment. "...He didn't compromise?"
"No, sir. We can still move against the Taiping Transport Gang."
"We still have to move against the Taiping Transport Gang," Hong Xingping repeated, yet suddenly felt a chill throughout his body.
"...Sir?"
"...Nothing. Continue preparing the troops, then."
Hong Xingping spent the entire day in something of a stupor. That night, he stared fixedly at the rafters, the name "Yu Sicheng" still circling