My Sims of the Eastern Jin Dynasty

As soon as the city gates of Shangyu County opened in the early morning, three groups of people appeared on the official road almost simultaneously. The atmosphere was tense, and even the passersby gave way.

The first group, led by Zhang Xuanzhi, consisted of only a dozen or so riders, all dressed in the light leather armor commonly seen in the Northern Army. They carried the Northern Army flag, their ranks were disciplined, and they exuded the aura of elite warriors on the battlefield.

Zhang Xuanzhi himself was ashen-faced, fully armored, with a sword at his waist. He was acting on orders personally given by Xie An to ensure that Zhou Laosi and Xu Xianzhi were invited.

The second group consisted of Zhao Ya, a confidant of Sima Daozi, whose clear targets were also these two.

Finally, Wang Xu, the former Prefect of Donghai, arrived in a slightly hastily made carriage, accompanied by several county officials. His expression was complex, a mixture of helplessness and anxiety, a desperate attempt to distance himself from the situation. He had been urgently summoned by Wang Guobao to handle Zhou Laosi's matter. Wang Xu recognized Zhou Laosi; many of the Wang family's affairs in Qu County had passed through Zhou Laosi's hands in the past. Wang Guobao's purpose in summoning him was clear: to expose Zhou Laosi's lie about being received by Xiao Heng, thus confirming that he was part of an unknown northern force colluding with Xiao Heng, and possibly even a spy for the pseudo-Qin regime.

The three groups did not enter the city, but instead confronted each other at the city gate of Shangyu County. Of course, it was only Zhang Xuanzhi and Zhao Ya who were facing off, and Wang Xu could only watch from afar.

Zhang Xuanzhi's possession of Xie An's cloud-patterned talisman put Zhao Ya in a dilemma. In fact, Zhao Ya also carried a secret order from Sima Daozi, the Prince of Kuaiji, but its contents were even more absolute than those of Wang Guobao's, so he didn't take it out, nor did he dare to do so openly.

Wang Xu, standing behind him, was even paler. He was in the worst situation. He knew the situation was serious when he received his elder brother's secret order, but when he actually faced Xie An's tally in Zhang Xuanzhi's hands, the fear truly weighed on his heart. At this moment, what he feared most was not official business, but personal trouble. However, he had to stop it, at least he couldn't let Cui Lie leave Shangyu alive and fall into the hands of the Northern Army.

Upon learning of this, Xu Zuozhi arrived at the city gate and ordered his men to clear the area, but he did not dare to step forward to dissuade them.

When Zhang Xuanzhi saw that Xu Zuozhi had arrived, he ignored the other two.

"Prefect Xu, Lord Xie has ordered that Xu Xianzhi and Cui Lie must accompany me to the capital immediately!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Zuozhi stepped forward, puzzled as to why so many people had arrived overnight after he had just detained the men the previous night.

"General Zhang, the man is already here..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Ya produced the Imperial Edict of Kuaiji.

"The Prefect of Kuaiji is here; Magistrate Xu, do not listen to the words of petty men!"

"The order of Xie Gong is here."

Zhang Xuanzhi didn't give him a chance to finish speaking, and slightly raised the talisman.

"If you two have any questions, you may come to Jiankang to discuss them with Lord Xie. I must take these two men with me today."

He turned his gaze to Zhao Ya and Wang Xu, his tone still calm, but the Northern Army soldiers behind him were already on the verge of drawing their swords.

"Gentlemen, would you like to verify the authenticity of the talismans?"

Wang Xu choked. Verify the tally? How dare he! This was tantamount to questioning Xie An to his face. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he hurriedly asked.

"I wouldn't dare! It's just... but this person has many connections!"

"General Zhang, this is the Kingdom of Kuaiji. Could it be that Lord Xie intends to...?"

Zhang Xuanzhi wasn't buying it at all.

"What do you want? Why doesn't Lord Zhao finish what he has to say?"

How could Zhao Ya dare to continue? He only wanted to scare them.

Zhang Xuanzhi turned to look at Xu Zuozhi.

"A mere merchant dares to impersonate the Prefect of Kuaiji? Magistrate Xu is an official appointed by the imperial court; how could he possibly collude with you!"

Zhao Ya hated it most when people used his status to slander him, and he wanted to curse at Zhang Xuanzhi as soon as he pointed at him.

"you......"

But he quickly calmed down. Zhang Xuanzhi was from the Zhang family, one of the four prominent families in Wu County, and he dared not offend him.

Xu Zuozhi, however, was in a dilemma. Since Xi Chao left, the Kuaiji Commandery had been under the control of Zhao Ya, Sima Daozi's confidant.

Knowing he couldn't delay any longer, Zhang Xuanzhi nodded slightly to the back of his head. Two elite soldiers from the Northern Army immediately stepped forward to block Zhao Ya's path and went straight into the city to take the man away.

He turned back and left a message.

"If they dare to move, we'll chop them down!"

Upon hearing this, the two elite soldiers from the Northern Army immediately drew their long swords, ready to strike.

Seeing this, Zhao Ya had no choice but to take a half step back, but he was still not giving up and shouted at Xu Zuozhi in the court.

"Magistrate Xu, the Prince is the next King of Kuaiji. Have you thought this through?"

Before Xu Zuozhi could reply, Zhang Xuanzhi turned around and snorted coldly.

"It's just a side job; Magistrate Xu, don't let the slander of petty people ruin things!"

Xu Zuozhi was already pale and unable to stand. He and Zhang Xuanzhi ordered their men to drag him into the county government office.

The Northern Army moved quickly; Zhang Xuanzhi saw Xu Xianzhi being led into the courtyard before he even entered the gate.

At that moment, Zhou Laosi was also led out from behind by a soldier from the Northern Army and a county constable. He immediately saw the situation in the courtyard.

Zhang Xuan stepped forward and carefully examined the two of them.

"Are you Xu Xianzhi?"

"Xu Xianzhi of the East Sea greets General Zhang!"

Xu Xianzhi was a shrewd man; he was well aware of the power dynamics within the court.

Seeing this, Zhou Laosi, who was standing to the side, also hurriedly bowed.

"Cui Lin of Qinghe greets the General!"

After nodding, Zhang Xuanzhi looked at Xu Zuozhi, who had collapsed to the ground.

"Your father is no match for you. Take him with you, lest you give others a handle against you!"

Xu Xianzhi looked at his father and sighed deeply.

"Thank you, General!"

He then instructed the butler to quickly tidy up the place, while Zhang Xuanzhi took Zhou Laosi aside and questioned him privately.

Xu Xianzhi was very sensible. He helped his father up and whispered something in his ear.

"Father, you may return to Jingkou to await news. I hope Xianzhi is well!"

Xu Zuozhi slowly turned his head, his hands trembling as he grabbed Xu Xianzhi's arm, his eyes glazed over.

"The Xu family... the Xu family is finished..."

That day, Zhang Xuanzhi led his men away from Shangyu City, and the more than two hundred Cui family members were escorted to Guangling by the Northern Navy.

At Shangyu Wharf, the Northern Navy was on high alert. Zhao Ya and Wang Xu, seeing that there was no chance, had already left immediately.

Zhang Xuanzhi, along with Xu Xianzhi and Zhou Laosi, boarded the ship and inquired about the past events in the East China Sea and Qu County.

Xu Xianzhi spoke highly of Xiao Heng, while Zhou Laosi answered cautiously and thoroughly, both of them concealing the most sensitive points about Deng Jing and others.

After listening, Zhang Xuanzhi also revealed some things about Jiankang to the two of them.

"In three days, the Court of Justice will hold a formal interrogation. You two will need to be present for questioning. Just tell the truth."

He thought for a moment, then added another sentence.

"Xiao Sanlang is not in any immediate danger, and Lord Xie knows what he's doing with the Court of Justice."

Upon hearing that Xiao Heng was unharmed, Xu Xianzhi visibly breathed a sigh of relief, and his tense expression eased slightly.

A glimmer of relief appeared in Zhou Laosi's eyes; this time, he had made the right bet.

He pondered for a moment, then took out a thin booklet from his inner pocket. The edges of the pages were slightly worn, indicating that he had read it frequently.

"General Zhang, this is a record of some trade transactions that I secretly copied before leaving Qu County. It contains many details of transactions with Wang Xu, the former governor of Donghai, and some of the businesses behind him. The time, goods, quantities, and the seals of the people involved are all on it. Some of the items involved are items that are explicitly controlled by the imperial court."

Zhang Xuanzhi took it, quickly flipped through a few pages, and his gaze sharpened. The entries were clear, the amounts were substantial, and the time span covered Wang Xu's tenure. This was not just embezzlement; if investigated further, it could even be suspected of aiding the enemy and disrupting the law.

Zhou Laosi, observing the expressions on people's faces, continued.

"I have arranged for a reliable person to keep the original copies of these documents hidden away. If necessary, I can personally write a new one. When the members of my family in Qingzhou see the handwriting and seal, they will know how to send the more detailed original deeds and even some unusual records of dealings with the Xi family and other families to Jiangdong."

"The Xi family?"

Zhang Xuanzhi looked up, somewhat surprised, but quickly understood. It was not surprising that the Xi family had controlled the Huaibei waterway for many years.

Xu Xianzhi listened with alarm. Although he knew that Zhou Laosi was no ordinary person, he did not expect that he would hold such a secret concerning the lifeline of several powerful families. This was no ordinary act of seeking refuge, but rather gambling with one's life and fortune.

Zhang Xuanzhi closed the booklet, knowing full well that such evidence, if used well, could give the enemy the upper hand, but if used poorly, it could backfire and even immediately ignite an unpredictable firestorm in the court. This matter was of great importance and could not be decided by a general who was simply following orders.

"This matter!"

Zhang Xuanzhi carefully put the booklet away, his expression solemn.

"It is not a decision I can make. I will report everything you have said, and everything you may have delivered, to Lord Xie in person. Until Lord Xie gives you clear instructions, what you said on the way today, once it came from your mouth, has entered my ears, and must not be revealed to anyone else. Even when you are questioned by the Court of Justice, you must not bring it up unless Lord Xie or I give you other instructions. Do you understand?"

Zhou Laosi nodded solemnly.

"I understand the implications and will obey the general's orders."

He knew that he had made the right move, but also taken a risk. From now on, the fate of the Cui family would be inextricably linked with that of Xie Gong, who held the balance of power in Jiangzuo.