"It's premature to speak of treason."

Yuwen Xuzhong sighed. "At the very least, he knows to consult me, the Vice Commissioner of the Privy Council, before killing an Intendant, so it can only be considered as suggesting that I, the Chancellor, kill the Intendant. And, as I suspected, his intention to kill Wang Shu is mostly to annex Wang Shu's remnants and unify military power… However, this man is arrogant and unruly. Furthermore, Wanyan Loushi's invasion of northern Shaanxi and Wang Shu's crushing defeat have left no one on the front lines to restrain them, which has gradually fueled their rebellious intentions."

This Chancellor Yuwen is too indecisive. Regardless, for a subordinate general to contemplate killing his direct superior, especially a military officer killing an Intendant, is unheard of. Even just having this thought constitutes treason.

Realizing this, Wan Qi Xie felt a touch of contempt for Yuwen Xuzhong, but maintained a serious expression and immediately corrected himself:

"Chancellor is astute, it is precisely these four words, 'gradually fueled rebellious intentions'… No one dares to rebel from the start, but given the circumstances and the lack of restraint, this fellow's rebellious intentions can only grow stronger and stronger, inevitably leading to chaos in the future!"

Yuwen Xuzhong nodded repeatedly: "Therefore, my meaning is that, in any case, Qu Duan is no longer suitable for important roles. In addition, Wang Xie is incompetent, and Wang Shu's troops are utterly defeated. There is no need for you to investigate these three matters further. You should return to Dongjing and let the Emperor and the central officials make an early decision and establish a new strategy for Guanxi. As for Wang Shu, I will find a way to rescue him from Qu Duan's army in the name of the court…"

Hearing this, Wan Qi Xie felt even more disappointed. His arduous journey had been in vain, which was truly regrettable, but he nodded repeatedly, praising the Chancellor's arrangement as proper.

Then, the two of them looked at Hu Yin, the Censor-in-chief of the mission, waiting for him to nod before returning to Dongjing.

Unexpectedly, after some hesitation, Hu Mingzhong spoke of something else: "Chancellor is from Jingdong. Does he know about the rebel Liu's audacious claim to be a false emperor?"

"How could I not know?" Yuwen Xuzhong smiled wryly. "What does Censor Hu want to say?"

"During the battle at the beginning of the year, I spoke with Scholar Xiao Lin, and one of his remarks has made me ponder ever since." Hu Yin glanced at Wan Qi Xie, stirring a slight feeling in the latter’s heart. "I won't repeat the exact words, but the meaning was clear… Namely, since the Jingkang Incident, the world has in fact fallen back into chaos. The Emperor ascended the throne in Nanjing, struggling from nothing, and although he established the Filature of the Song, bringing some improvement to the country, it is like the Guangwu Restoration, the system of the Former Han cannot truly apply to the Later Han…"

Yuwen Xuzhong paused, but immediately nodded: "Actually, Censor Hu doesn't need to be coy, I think so too… Times change, and the ancestral laws are indeed not to be relied upon."

This time, it was Hu Yin's turn to be slightly surprised, but he quickly continued: "It's good that Chancellor understands. What I mean is that in this day and age, even proper Jinshi graduates can commit such heinous acts, it's a sign of the complete moral decay. Why should we still view military officers in the same way as before?"

Qu Duan is about to rebel, and you’re still talking about the past?!

Wan Qi Xie was speechless, but his expression remained unchanged: "What Censor says also makes sense."

"The Emperor once said that he would endure anything if someone could resist the Jin." Hu Yin ignored Wan Qi Xie and earnestly said to Yuwen Xuzhong, "Chancellor Yuwen, the current situation is that, in any case, Qu Duan has stabilized the situation on the front lines… Even if his ambitions are truly irrepressible and he harbors intentions of secession and rebellion, he may still be useful!"

Yuwen Xuzhong stroked his beard and nodded: "Indeed."

"Moreover, even if Qu Duan has rebellious intentions, his troops are all soldiers of the court. Judging from his consultation with the Chancellor about killing Intendant Wang, his prestige in the army may not be so high as to have absolute authority. Furthermore, the matter of Guanxi is of great importance. Even if Qu Duan is completely unusable, we should find someone capable to shoulder the responsibility…" Hu Mingzhong continued, looking earnestly at Wan Qi Xie.

"So, Censor Hu still wants to go to the army in person to see if he can do something?" Yuwen Xuzhong directly asked, cutting to the chase, as he could easily understand the other party's meaning without waiting for Wan Qi Xie to respond.

At this point, Hu Yin finally sighed:

"Actually, I won't hide it from the Chancellor. The nation is facing difficulties and lacks people who are willing to act. I am just a mere scholar who, in my early years, impulsively submitted a memorial, advising the Emperor not to ascend the throne, which earned me a little fame and allowed me to become an official. Later, thanks to the Emperor's appreciation, I was promoted to a close attendant, and at the age of thirty, I became a Censor-in-chief. Looking back, most of it was due to seniority and suggestions. I have no real achievements in my life, and even my military opinions are often absurd… Therefore, I really don't want this trip to be in vain."

"Then let Censor go!" Yuwen Xuzhong nodded directly. He actually understood the other party's mentality very well, because before the Jingkang Incident, he was also a so-called pure and upright figure, but after the Jingkang Incident, he felt ashamed and wanted to desperately do something for the country, but he always failed to do it well. "It's good to use the name of a court envoy to rescue Intendant Wang, and also take the opportunity to investigate Qu Duan's intentions and the general situation in his army. But in any case, be sure to prioritize your own safety… Know that you are the Censor-in-chief of the Great Song, and your safety is of great importance."

Hu Mingzhong quickly got up and bowed deeply.

Wan Qi Xie sighed in his heart and also got up and bowed.

Wan Qi Xie's thoughts were a bit strange. With his level of observation, he naturally understood Hu Mingzhong's intentions from the beginning, and at first, he was reluctant to risk going with the other party.

But for some reason, when Hu Yin expressed his feelings to Yuwen Xuzhong, he went with the flow and didn't offer any resistance. This was not only because of his low position and inability to speak between the Chancellor and the Censor-in-chief, but also a genuine willingness to go with the flow, feeling that such a trip might not be a bad thing.

And the reason for this was clear to Wan Qi Xie before they set out the next day—he still wanted to make meritorious contributions and become a high-ranking official!

You must know that when he was first appointed as an official, he dared to venture into a dangerous place like Dongting Lake, and it was precisely for this reason that he caught the Emperor's eye and became one of the two most capable among those who were appointed at that time, which led to his later opportunities.

And now, although his foundation is already deep, the fact is that he is older, has followed the Emperor for a shorter time, and has very low seniority… During the spring awards in Dongjing, he could have directly taken up a position in an outer prefecture, but he knew that the Privy Council had greater authority and could be closer to the Emperor, so he endured it… And now he is obviously thinking of accumulating several great merits during his tenure and then trying to directly transfer to a high-ranking official in the capital.

It can only be said that everyone has their own ambitions.

The next day, the group set off again. Hu Yin, confident in the complete official documents and seals he carried, politely declined Yuwen Xuzhong's offer to send old members of the Western Army to accompany them. He only asked the other party to provide two guides and set off immediately… However, Hu Mingzhong and his party soon discovered that there was actually no need to bring guides, because military supplies were still being continuously sent from Chang'an to the northern front. The group only needed to follow the general flow of people to reach Fuzhou in Yanfu Road, which is where the Guanxi troops were gathering, confronting the Jin army in Yan'an Prefecture across the mountains.

The scenery of Guanxi is different from other places. The land is poor and the people are martial. Along the way, women and children are often seen carrying bows and arrows, and adult men are often seen in groups, with a military atmosphere… But Hu Yin, Wan Qi Xie, and others only sighed silently and didn't linger much because they were in a hurry to get on their way.

On the twenty-seventh day of the fourth month, they arrived in Fuzhou and prepared to cross the Huachi River via the Sanchuan Town to reach the hinterland of Fuzhou.

But it was at this time that an unexpected incident occurred.

You must know that Sanchuan Town is an important commercial hub in northern Shaanxi, where waterways and land routes converge. Soldiers coming from the western Huanqing Road by shortcut, military equipment transported along the Luo River from the southeast, and money and grain transported from Sichuan along the southwest main road basically gather here, making it a logistics base for the front line.

Therefore, the troops here are mixed, and it has long been under military control.

Hu Yin and his party tried to cross the river, but found that the pontoon bridge was guarded and no idlers were allowed to pass easily. Not only that, but inside the small camp in front of the pontoon bridge, there was only a Preparing General and two Captains, who didn't know what a Censor-in-chief was or how high a rank he held. In addition, Qu Duan's military administration was relatively strict, and there was a clear military order that non-military personnel were not allowed to cross the river without authorization, so they didn't dare to let them pass.

However, the Preparing General did know that the Privy Council was a powerful place, so he didn't dare to be negligent. He pointed to the upstream and suggested that they cross the river from Zhiluo City, twenty miles upstream, because Xue Commander, who had retreated from Yan'an for reorganization, was stationed there and should recognize official documents, making it easier to escort them.

Hu Yin and Wan Qi Xie looked at each other and had nothing to say. Instead, they sighed inwardly at Qu Duan's strict military law, so they immediately followed the instructions. The Preparing General also specially sent someone to inform the Commander.

And indeed, after all, that person was a Commander, how could he not know what a Censor-in-chief was?

In fact, upon hearing that the Censor-in-chief had come to Guanxi on the Emperor's orders, this person immediately opened the city gates and personally led hundreds of soldiers out of the city to greet him.

Up to this point, everything was going smoothly, except that when the two sides met, a sudden change occurred.

"Who are you, why do you dare to wear purple robes?" When this Commander Xue saw the person coming, he respectfully greeted him with hundreds of soldiers by the roadside. Seeing the person in purple robes approaching, he simply knelt down to pay his respects, but after hearing the words "rise" and looking up to see Hu Yin's face, he suddenly stood up and pointed at him on the spot.

"I am the Censor-in-chief Hu Yin, naturally I wear purple robes." Hu Mingzhong was confused, but still earnestly responded. "What is Commander Xue's intention?"

"Looking at your face, you're not even thirty years old. How can there be a Censor-in-chief like this in the world?" The Commander Xue sneered repeatedly. "I thought to myself, how could a dignified Censor-in-chief arrive here with only twenty or thirty followers? Could it be a stinking scholar taking the opportunity to deceive people, a fake Censor-in-chief?!"

Hu Yin couldn't help but feel a bit ashamed upon hearing this, and became embarrassed. Then, with a red face, he tried to explain.

However, the Commander was already impatient. Seeing the other party's appearance, he was even more convinced that this person was pretending, so he directly glared and sternly ordered by the roadside river: "Drag this fake Censor-in-chief, who dares to fool me and coax me to kneel and salute him, off his horse and give him twenty lashes first!"

As soon as the words fell, armored soldiers stepped forward, directly dragged Hu Mingzhong and others off their horses, and used weapons to restrain Wan Qi Xie and other followers. Then, without regard for anything, they stripped off Hu Yin's purple robes and forcibly whipped him twenty lashes!

The whips rained down, leaving bloody welts. Seeing this scene with a blade to his neck, Wan Qi Xie couldn't help but gasp and immediately abandoned the idea of ​​forcibly arguing on the spot, because once he angered the other party or confirmed his identity, it would lead to his death. Of course, he couldn't admit that they were fake… It could only be said that this was truly a case of the Censor meeting a soldier, where reason was useless.

And Hu Mingzhong endured the twenty lashes without uttering a single sound, only gritting his teeth and persevering.

Moreover, only one sentence kept echoing in his mind at this time—this is truly a chaotic world!