Yinshan Record

Chapter 349 A Plot to Move the White Deer: Entrusting the Orphan to the Judge
Dark clouds loomed over Wenning County, while the ground shook violently in Cizhou Prefecture.

Riders with small flags stuck in their backs emerged one after another from the city gates, some heading north to Jiankang, others going to various places to summon troops.

Under Li Yizhen's orders, more than two thousand armored soldiers were ready and marched south in a long column under the command of the two military commanders. Accompanying them were supply wagons loaded with grain, fodder and arrows, as well as prostitutes and merchants traveling with the army.

Behind the huge banner bearing the character "Liang" was a procession of all sorts of people. The brightly dressed young women laughed and called out to customers, while the peddlers, pushing carts and carrying loads on shoulder poles, headed south with their goods.

The soldiers heading south all had the resettlement funds and provisions recently allocated by the Censorate, making them the wealthiest people in the world and a perfect opportunity for them to sell and profit.

Wang Jian naturally wanted to take advantage of such a grand occasion. He hosted a banquet on the city tower, saying it was to see off Imperial Censor Li and wish him success.

Of course, the Imperial Guard also received an invitation, and Chief Secretary Wang invited Su Che and Shi Chibao to attend the ceremony together.

Young Master Su naturally declined, as Su Che had no interest in such a scene. Shi Chibao also cautiously chose to refuse.

Commander Shi wasn't one to hold grudges, but since Wang Jian had just sent men to surround the Imperial Guard's office, and now that a banquet was being served, Commander Shi naturally had a reason not to go.

Su Che stayed at home with the senior Yin-Yang Dharma King, while Lu Bai and Zhu Yi went to see what was going on.

Fifth-grade Rejuvenation Pill Realm experts are rarely seen; they are practically half-immortals.

Not to mention a master of the Elixir of Immortality like Li Yizhen, who has a special cultivation method.

Lu Bai and Zhu Yi kept talking about Li Yizhen's impressive campaign performance after they returned.

When this Imperial Censor Li left the city, he made a grand entrance. First, a hundred striped tigers led the way, each wearing black leather armor and roaring fiercely, which frightened the onlookers into a panic.

Then, Imperial Censor Li appeared riding on a huge six-tusked war elephant. Lu Bai said that there seemed to be lightning flashing in the pupils of the six-tusked war elephant, while Zhu Yi was more direct, saying that Li Yi's demeanor was like that of a barbarian king who had come from the south.

There was still a hint of disappointment in their eyes.

Su Che felt that the rebels who least wanted the Great Liang to win a great victory were naturally Sikong Tu's gang outside Wenning County, and the rebels who did not want the Great Liang to win were probably himself.

As for Lu Bai and Zhu Yi, they still hold traditional mindsets. That's all the credit they've received. The rioters in Wenning County were easily defeated; now that they've encountered a ruthless person like Li Yizhen, they'll likely crumble even faster, and be wiped out completely.

Where will you guys go to seek credit, promotions, and wealth when the time comes?

Su Che naturally disapproved of his subordinates' ideas, but he wouldn't try to change their thinking.

Judging from Li Yizhen and Xiong Shou's reactions, those who plotted against them by the imperial court have not been completely dealt with, since Bailudong is still intact.

The current situation may well be a test by these people.

Besides, Su Che felt that the emperor in the Jiankang Palace back then hadn't played a good role either.

An emperor, to put it nicely, is called the Son of Heaven; to put it bluntly, he is nothing more than a tyrant.

This family's destiny of the Azure Dragon of the Six Harmonies is practically dancing on the emperor's most sensitive nerve.

The imperial power can only be held by one person; neither husband and wife nor father and son can share it.

Even if I have no intention of disloyalty, as long as I am burdened with this destiny, I will definitely be a thorn in the side of that emperor.

Therefore, now that someone in Cizhou has stepped forward to attract the court's attention, Young Master Su is happy to have someone share the burden.

It would be best not to have just one Six Harmonies Azure Dragon, but several more such as Overlord Reborn, True Martial Emperor, Sun and Moon Bright King, etc., to hold a grand gathering of rebels.

"Do you all think that Imperial Censor Li will be victorious from the start?"

Su Che looked at Lu Bai and Zhu Yi, wondering where their confidence in Li Yizhen came from.

"Young master, you have not seen Imperial Censor Li's six-tusked war elephant. From a distance, it looks like a small mountain. If it were to gallop on the battlefield, I'm afraid anything that gets in its way would be reduced to dust."

Zhu Yi shook his head: "And those tigers, if released, would be no less powerful than light cavalry. Imperial Censor Li follows the path of beast taming, but if it comes to fighting against cultivators, the outcome is probably hard to say. However, Wen Ning's side are just ordinary people."

Lu Bai also chimed in, agreeing with the gesture.

Su Che looked at the Yin-Yang Dharma King and found that he was still calm and composed.

Li Yizhen's beast-taming skills were undoubtedly a massacre against an army composed of mortals, but there was also Sikong Tu, a ghost general who had led troops in the Yin-Yang realm for many years.

When a ferocious beast encounters a wicked demon, the outcome is still uncertain.

The Yin-Yang Dharma King turned his head and found Su Che staring intently at him, a slight smile appearing on his old face.

When it comes to Sikong Tu's background, no one can surpass his old lord.

"What does Uncle think?" Su Che asked, looking at the Yin-Yang Dharma King.

When Su Che asked a question, Lu Bai and Zhu Yi listened attentively.

Although this man is publicly known as the father of Su Che's concubine, the two of them have been with Young Master Su for so long, and they have never seen Young Master Su keep any mistresses or seduce any girls.

Moreover, Su Che was very respectful to this uncle, treating him like a teacher. They assumed that this uncle was probably a master hired by the Su family, who had changed his name and identity to take care of Su Che.

Since the official teacher is Huang Tiandao himself, they simply arranged for him to have this title.

In fact, it wasn't just Lu Bai and Zhu Yi; everyone in the Su family, from the head steward Su Fu down to the maids and servants, treated this uncle with utmost respect.

After all, his demeanor speaks for itself.

“Sikong Tu is no ordinary ghost cultivator.” Yin Yang Dharma King looked at Su Che: “Moreover, he couldn’t have stirred up such a situation by himself alone. I heard that he had some connections with White Deer Cave when he was in the Yin Yang Realm.”

Bailudong?
Why are they involved in everything?

Upon hearing the name White Deer Cave, Su Che sensed something was amiss. The White Deer Cave was the mastermind behind those who had attacked him in Jiankang City. According to them, their purpose in eliminating this "Six Directions Azure Dragon" was to maintain peace in the world and prevent further turmoil.

But now it turns out that they are the ones behind Sikong Tu's uprising.

Young Master Su glanced at the Yin-Yang Dharma King.

Back then, among the six ghost generals in the Yin-Yang realm, Sikong Tu, who held military power, colluded with the White Deer Cave outside. Bai Hejiao, who was in charge of intelligence, seemed to be a member of the Su Nu Dao. This intelligence and military affairs were both controlled by an insider. You really have a big heart.

Upon thinking about this, Su Che changed his mind.

If this matter involves Bailudong, I cannot stay at home and lie around doing nothing, neither morally nor logically.

We must not only seek to recoup our losses from the old and new grudges between Bailudong and Bailudong, but also make them pay some interest.

Just then, a message came from outside that Shi Chibao had come to visit.

Su Che naturally ordered someone to invite him immediately.

Shi Chibao arrived in a hurry, his expression revealing a great deal of exhaustion.

His temples had many more gray hairs, and there were also many bloodshot eyes around his pupils.

He was a person who had cultivated to the sixth level of martial arts. The reason he looked like this was because he had been very busy with affairs recently, and also because he was under too much mental pressure.

Although he was a member of the Imperial Guard, Shi Chibao had been a Taiping official all his life and had never seen a scene like this before.

It's like doing half a lifetime's worth of work in half a year. Who could bear that?

"Brother, do you have any ideas about this situation?"

"The matter concerning the Prince of Wuling must be investigated..."

"That's not what I'm talking about."

Shi Chibao didn't even bother with pleasantries before getting straight to the point. He was under too much pressure lately, and every time he woke up in the middle of the night, his body was covered in a fine sweat.

In his dreams, he was always met with the court arresting him and interrogating him, and his entire family being sold into slavery.

Shi Chibao pondered carefully at home and came to understand many things. With such a big incident in Cizhou, even if everything was eventually resolved, a scapegoat would have to be thrown out to give the court and the people an explanation.

The previous Censor-in-Chief of Cizhou was Yu Ze, and the next one was the Prince of Wuling, who has since disappeared.

The imperial court naturally wouldn't blame these two. Of the remaining prominent figures, since Lao Liu's promotion, the Jingye Division had been without a head officer. That leaves only myself, in charge of the Cizhou Imperial Guards, followed by Wang Jian of the Langya Wang clan, and Su Che of the Duling Su clan.

The Wang family of Langya and the Su family of Duling are not to be trifled with, and he himself has no background, so the position is suitable.

The one who has to take the blame and bear the brunt of the criticism is definitely themselves.

Given the bleak outlook, Shi Chibao adopted a "do your best and leave the rest to fate" attitude, neither rushing forward nor delaying.

No matter how well you do, you'll still be the one convicted in the end. If you do poorly, your family will also be held accountable.

Commander Shi came here to entrust his son to someone else.

(End of this chapter)