Chapter 131: Young Duke, I am wronged...

"Young Duke, I know you are furious, and I am just as angry. If there were any other choice, why would I have acted this way?!"

Seeing Zhang Zhiji suddenly explode, Li Yuanjing was also deeply agitated. Unable to suppress his own irritation, he spoke in a low, sharp voice:

"Young Duke, if you were to follow your heart and act on your impulse for vengeance, it might be satisfying for a moment! But have you thought about it? How will you answer to the Imperial Court? How will you answer to the men under your command?"

"The Court will only perceive you as incompetent, unable to control even your own household servants and generals, let alone lead a grand army. How, then, could you ever command thousands in the future?"

"And as for your soldiers—seeing the comrades they fought alongside only moments ago turn into mortal enemies—what would they think? Would they still be willing to follow your lead?"

"Young Duke! If you cannot endure the small, you will ruin the great. You must not let anger and hatred blind you!"

"This..."

Upon hearing Li Yuanjing’s words, Zhang Zhiji felt as if a basin of ice water had been poured over him, and he quickly calmed down. Even though Li’s words were grating to the ear, he understood the truth of them. Li Yuanjing was right; he was truly acting in Zhang Zhiji’s best interest.

After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Zhiji bowed deeply to Li Yuanjing until his hands touched the ground. "Sir possesses great talent and unparalleled loyalty. It is my fault for being blinded by rage. Please, sir, do not take my behavior to heart..."

Seeing that Zhang Zhiji had finally come around, Li Yuanjing let out a long sigh of relief and said in a low voice, "Young Duke, there is no need for such formalities between us. The situation is as it is now; we must solidify our position, observe how things develop, and then decide on our next move."

"Sir, I trust you completely. I have no objections!"

...

With Li Yuanjing and Zhang Zhiji in agreement, Zhang Yuzhu’s name was cleared, as was the reputation of the assassin from the Yi Ding Cavalry. Li Yuanjing and Zhang Zhiji worked in seamless coordination to appease the troops, offering them grand promises while increasing compensation for the fallen and wounded.

This quickly stabilized the situation inside and outside the Liu estate, and the morale of the soldiers, which had been flagging, began to rise again. Although Zhang Wuwei had been injured and required care, his condition was not life-threatening, allowing Zhang Zhiji and Li Yuanjing to regain firm control of the overall situation.

After everything was settled, watching Li Yuanjing move among the soldiers to further soothe their spirits, Zhang Zhiji could not help but sigh deeply, his eyes filled with contemplation.

By now, he understood clearly. In this engagement, if not for his luck—that fortuitous decision to seek out Li Yuanjing first and receive his strong support—he might not have even survived, let alone achieved any merit.

"Report!"

"Young Duke, Magistrate Zhao Bingchun of Feng City has arrived and is waiting outside the main gate of the Liu estate..."

At this moment, a personal guard hurried over to report to Zhang Zhiji. Zhang Zhiji tensed up and immediately beckoned for Li Yuanjing.

"Zhao Bingchun is here?"

Li Yuanjing rubbed his nose hard and, looking into Zhang Zhiji’s eyes, whispered, "Young Duke, do you still wish to launch a counter-strike against these remnants of the Fragrant Teachings and secure some real merit?"

"This..."

Zhang Zhiji struggled to keep up with Li Yuanjing’s pace. After a moment of thought, he asked, "Sir, what is your intention?"

Li Yuanjing exhaled a long breath and looked at Zhang Zhiji. "Young Duke, we have suffered a significant blow. I do wish to strike back and dampen the arrogance of these demonic remnants of the Fragrant Teachings! However, I cannot guarantee success, and above all, your safety must come first. Still, if there is an opportunity, I want to try. At the very least, we must break their internal balance so they dare not openly threaten your life or interfere with our vital mission again!"

"This..."

Zhang Zhiji was clearly hesitant. By now, he was truly shaken by the methods of the Fragrant Teachings. However, looking at Li Yuanjing’s young but resolute face, he could not bring himself to refuse. He understood well that even with over a thousand soldiers at his command in Feng City, without Li Yuanjing’s support, he was nothing; his very life might not be secure.

After a moment of deliberation, Zhang Zhiji gritted his teeth and declared decisively, "Sir, I trust your character and even more your ability! Whatever you say, we shall do!"

...

Soon, Zhao Bingchun arrived. But Li Yuanjing did not let Zhang Zhiji meet him in the inner courtyard; instead, they went to the front courtyard. Li Yuanjing accompanied him the entire way. By now, both men realized that Zhao Bingchun was certainly not on their side.

This meant that Zhao Bingchun’s arrival was likely an attempt to act as an informant for the Fragrant Teachings. Even though Zhang Yuzhu and the assassin were dead, Li Yuanjing had held onto one crucial line from the start: keeping all information from inside the Liu estate strictly contained. Thus, even if the remnants outside had ears, the information they received was far from complete. Zhao Bingchun’s arrival only confirmed Li Yuanjing’s suspicion—if the cult truly had detailed intelligence, why would Zhao be in such a rush to come here himself?

"Young Duke, how is the battle going inside? Have you wiped out those remnants of the Fragrant Teachings?"

After a few perfunctory greetings, Zhao Bingchun skillfully steered the conversation toward the main topic. Zhang Zhiji was about to speak when he caught a signal from Li Yuanjing. He quickly regained his composure and shouted coldly, "Don't speak of such frustrating matters; it makes me furious. Magistrate Zhao, please, let Mr. Li explain it to you."

Seeing Zhang Zhiji catch on, Li Yuanjing gave him an appreciative look and bowed to Zhao Bingchun. "Magistrate, these remnants of the Fragrant Teachings have somehow colluded with Zhang Kewang, the 'One-Wall' second-in-command of the Boshan Bandits! Those damned bastards! Our army has already suffered over two hundred casualties, yet we have failed to take the inner courtyard. Master Liu is currently trapped, and his fate is unknown!"

"Magistrate, the Young Duke urgently needs your city defense troops and bailiffs to support us. We must take the inner courtyard before sunset and rescue Master Liu! Otherwise, the consequences will be unimaginable..."

"'One-Wall' Zhang Kewang, the second-in-command of the Boshan Bandits?"

Stunned by Li Yuanjing’s sudden outburst, Zhao Bingchun couldn't help but swallow hard. Having served as the magistrate of Feng City for three years, he knew exactly what kind of existence Zhang Kewang was. But now, Li Yuanjing wanted his bailiffs and city defense troops to join the fray, specifically his own personal forces... This would cost him his life. He had maintained his position in this volatile city precisely by relying on these loyal subordinates. If they were slaughtered like pigs or sheep by that demon Zhang Kewang, what would be left for him?

"No... Yuanjing, what exactly is the situation? Can it be that the Young Duke’s thousands of elite troops cannot take down these remnants?"

Zhao Bingchun’s forehead was covered in sweat, but he was too busy to wipe it away, asking a question that ignored the gravity of the situation.

Li Yuanjing sighed softly and remained silent. Zhang Zhiji, now fully understanding Li’s intent, sneered and roared at Zhao Bingchun:

"Zhao Bingchun, you two-faced dog official, do you really think I know nothing?! If it weren't for you, this bastard, colluding with the Fragrant Teachings and providing them with intelligence, how could over two hundred of my finest men from the Capital Garrison have fallen so easily?!"

"Guards! Seize this dog official for me! I will take his head myself to pay a debt to my fallen soldiers!"

"Yes!"

Five or six Yi Ding cavalrymen charged forward like wolves, pinning Zhao Bingchun to the ground like a pig in an instant. In the blink of an eye, Zhao Bingchun was trussed up. Terrified to the point of wetting his pants, he struggled desperately and cried out:

"Young Duke, I am wronged! I am truly wronged! This is a grave injustice..."