A Hunt in Lujiang

Wang Ling could scarcely believe his eyes.

This was too outrageous, too strange.

"General, this..." Wang Ling tried to say something, but Man Chong immediately cut him off with a wave.

Man Chong slowly stepped down from the dais, walked over to Wang Ling, and leisurely rested a hand on his shoulder. "Yanyun," he said coldly, "I gave you a chance."

At that moment, Wang Ling felt his hair stand on end, unable to utter a word.

He glanced at the man on the floor, who was also looking at him with his head turned sideways. What chilled him even more was the sinister smile that had inadvertently appeared at the corner of the man's mouth.

Then the other man's words echoed through Wang Ling's mind: When a cut must be made, make it!

Wang Ling raged inwardly: You damned dog of Wu! Must you drag me down with you even as you die?

At this point, however, Xiahou Xian could no longer make sense of the situation before him.

Just who was this man lying on the floor, covered in wounds?

But this was hardly the moment for Xiahou Xian to ask questions.

Man Chong seemed to enjoy other people's bewildered expressions and volunteered an explanation for Xiahou Xian. "Prefect Xiahou, you are far too timid in how you handle matters. Yesterday in Lujiang, once your people spotted the signs, you should have acted decisively. Had my men not been sharp-eyed, this Wu scoundrel would have slipped away."

Xiahou froze.

Was this the Wu State spy who had plotted with Wang Ling in Lujiang?

Yesterday, Wen Qiluo had merely followed him and brought the news back. Without evidence, she had chosen not to act openly.

Yet Man Chong had simply arrested the man and beaten him to this state?

Come to think of it, how had Man Chong's men also reached Lujiang at the same time?

Wang Ling seemed a little unsteady on his feet now, but still forced himself to stand firm. Xiahou Xian could not help asking, "May this subordinate ask why Inspector Wang would do such a thing?"

The Wang Clan of Taiyuan was a distinguished great clan with extensive connections.

By rights, Wang Ling had only chosen to rebel later to contend with Sima Yi for power. Before that, neither reason nor sentiment should have led him to rebellion.

"Hmph." Wang Ling sneered. "Prefect Xiahou, are you suggesting that I mean to betray Great Wei?"

"Then how do you explain this man?" Xiahou Xian pointed at the man on the floor.

"Each was merely taking what he needed," Man Chong suddenly interjected, then turned his gaze toward Wang Ling. "I do not know how much intelligence about our state Inspector Wang has sold. But by the same token, you obtained plenty of useful information from Wu State as well, did you not?"

Wang Ling turned his head aside without a word.

Perhaps made uncomfortable by Man Chong's stare, Wang Ling suddenly snapped, "Man Chong, whether I have committed treason is for His Majesty to decide. You have no authority to arrest me!"

Man Chong remained expressionless, as though being addressed directly by name could stir no emotion in him.

Wang Ling was right. Although Man Chong oversaw military and civil affairs in Huainan, he indeed had no authority to try the local inspector directly.

Man Chong called toward the door, "Come in."

A man in black robes entered the administrative hall in response. He first bowed to Man Chong, then rested his gaze on Wang Ling.

At that moment, the surrounding air seemed to freeze all at once.

At the sight of his face, Wang Ling's bluster instantly deflated.

"You?" Wang Ling stared at him in disbelief.

Looking at the stunned Wang Ling, Man Chong said casually, "Director Zhang should have the authority to conduct the trial."

Only then did Xiahou Xian learn that the man before him was Zhang Zhong, head of the Office of Investigations. Back when Man Chong had headed the office, Zhang Zhong had been one of his most capable subordinates.

Man Chong said, "Sorry for troubling you with what comes next, Director Zhang."

Zhang Zhong nodded, turned, and extended a hand to Wang Ling in a gesture of invitation. "Inspector Wang, let us go."

This gesture was merely to preserve Wang Ling's dignity; at least for now, he could still walk out. Wang Ling finally reined in his temper and, with a sweep of his sleeve, headed for the door.

Man Chong also had the Wu State spy escorted back to prison.

After Wang Ling was taken away, Xiahou Xian tried to unravel the reasons behind all this.

Man Chong's men could only have appeared in Lujiang because preparations had been made long beforehand. In other words, Man Chong's target had been Wang Ling from the very beginning.

How had this Wu State spy suddenly appeared?

And what was the story behind that traveling merchant from Wu State?

Even now, he remained lost in a fog.

"Prefect Xiahou, you seem rather puzzled." Man Chong's low voice sounded beside him.

Xiahou Xian cupped his hands and asked, "General, forgive this subordinate's dullness. I would welcome a full explanation."

Man Chong first offered praise. "Prefect Xiahou, you did quite well. At least you were heading in the right direction at the outset. Had you not made the 'small fish' show its tail, this 'big fish' would not have been exposed so quickly."

"The Wu merchant this subordinate arrested is the 'small fish' you speak of, General?"

"Precisely," Man Chong said. "But judging by your report, this 'small fish' does not seem to have told the truth."

"Oh? Then he is a Wu State spy as well?" Xiahou Xian asked.

Man Chong stroked his beard. "It is easy enough to guess. He is probably just an intelligence peddler feeding from both sides, traveling between the two states year-round, though most of what he carries is inconsequential news."

Man Chong sounded utterly certain, as though he had interrogated that Wu merchant himself.

As he spoke, Man Chong suddenly sighed. "Prefect Xiahou, you are far too softhearted. With a spineless wretch like that, just a little more pressure would have made him confess everything."

"Never mind. Go back and give that man a proper warning, then submit your report."

Having finished his instructions, Man Chong picked up the documents beside him again and began reading them intently. Those familiar with him knew what that gesture meant: he was dismissing his guest.

Xiahou Xian did not ask for too much. After all, it was already quite something for Man Chong to have told him this much.

Still, he wanted to ask one final question.

"General, you were after Inspector Wang from the very beginning. Am I right?"

Man Chong's gaze never left the roll of documents. Xiahou Xian could not tell whether he was tacitly admitting it or disdained to answer.

In any case, he would not invite a snub, so he said no more.

Several days later, Man Chong summoned Xiahou Xian, saying there was an important matter to discuss.

It was worth noting that the investigation into Wang Ling had not been handed over to the Chamberlain for Law Enforcement; instead, the Office of Investigations was handling the case directly.

This was somewhat irregular, but given that the Office of Investigations currently answered directly to the emperor, Cao Rui, presumably no one else dared say much.

The moment Xiahou Xian entered the General of the Vanguard's administrative hall, he sensed something unusual.

Inside the hall, Man Chong stood at the center of the dais. Below him stood two orderly rows, one clad in armor, the other in plain scholars' robes.

They were Man Chong's advisers and the generals under his command.

Xiahou Xian had never seen such an assembly before.

Once everyone had arrived, Man Chong sat down and said solemnly, "I have summoned you all today to announce a matter of great importance."

Everyone exchanged glances.

After a brief hubbub, only Man Chong's ironclad words could be heard in the administrative hall: "A hunt in Lujiang."