eurekapd Chapter 294 Acting vigorously and resolutely
Chapter 294 Acting vigorously and resolutely
Ye Qingchen still felt lingering fear when she recalled her sister Duan Ling'er's decisive and almost ruthless style of doing things. That day, the Southern Frontier court was embroiled in a heated debate over the succession, the situation tense to the point of conflict. Upon hearing some ministers' extreme remarks, Duan Ling'er walked directly down from the court and, in full view of everyone, swiftly and decisively beheaded the ministers who had instigated the disturbance. At that moment, the entire court fell into a deathly silence; everyone was speechless with shock at Duan Ling'er's ruthless methods. Ye Qingchen, reading the letter, also stared wide-eyed, completely terrified by her sister's actions. She secretly thought to herself, thankfully they were sisters by blood; if they were ever to fight each other, given her sister's ruthless nature, the Great Xia would likely suffer greatly.
Ye Qingchen had also had similar thoughts, wanting Gu Mochen to take strong measures to deter the ministers who were acting recklessly in the court. She even planned to arrest those Japanese who harbored ulterior motives and secretly colluded with foreign enemies, using them as leverage to suppress those forces attempting to disrupt the court. However, before she could put her plan into action, her sister Duan Ling'er resolved the problem with such swift and decisive action. Although the chaos in the court was temporarily quelled, it also triggered a series of new problems.
Those Japanese had been lurking in Great Xia, secretly observing the court's affairs, hoping to profit from them. Now, hearing of Duan Ling'er's massacre in the Southern Frontier court and sensing that someone had discovered their whereabouts, they fled Great Xia like startled birds. Panic gripped the capital, and the people discussed the mysterious disappearance.
Upon learning of the Japanese escape, Gu Mochen's expression turned extremely grave. He knew that these Japanese would not give up easily; their escape might be to return for reinforcements, or perhaps to plot an even more insidious scheme. He immediately summoned Prince Wen, Prince Qi, and several trusted ministers to discuss countermeasures.
"These Japanese have always been ambitious and have never stopped! They managed to escape this time, but they will not give up easily. They will surely recuperate and make a comeback! Therefore, we must not be careless and must plan ahead and make full preparations as soon as possible! First, we must focus on strengthening the defense of the capital and make it as solid as a rock; second, we must not relax our vigilance at any sign of trouble along the border and must always be highly alert!" Gu Mochen put his hands behind his back, his sharp, hawk-like eyes staring straight into the distance. His expression was serious and solemn, and his tone carried an unquestionable authority.
Upon hearing this, Prince Wen nodded slightly in agreement, saying, "Your Majesty is wise and quite right! In addition, I believe we should conduct a thorough investigation of the court and its officials to root out those remnants who dare to secretly collude with the Japanese. Although Empress Duan Ling'er of the Southern Frontier acted somewhat rashly and impulsively this time, it has at least served as a warning to those with ulterior motives. However, deterrence alone is not a long-term solution. To truly eliminate future troubles, we must trace the root cause and solve the problem at its source!"
Prince Qi frowned and said worriedly, "The court has just stabilized a bit. If we conduct another large-scale investigation, it will probably cause new panic. Moreover, those remaining supporters will likely be more cautious, and it will be much harder to find them."
The group discussed the matter animatedly, each offering their own opinion. Ye Qingchen listened quietly, pondering a solution. She suddenly remembered that the Japanese had some peculiar habits: they often wore wooden clogs, carried long, thin knives, and some even grew mustaches. They also frequently ate kneeling at the table, and their bowing and scraping were quite obsequious. If anyone in the court deliberately practiced these mannerisms, it was highly suspicious. However, she couldn't tell anyone, so she decided to have the Red Leaf Pavilion investigate.
“Mo Chen, I think I can offer some help. I know a little about the appearance and habits of the Japanese. Why don’t we ask Liu Yufeng for help? After all, Red Leaf Pavilion is known for its excellent information network. Maybe we can find out the exact whereabouts of the Japanese, and even some clues about those in the court who are secretly colluding with them.” As Ye Qingchen spoke, she slowly raised her head, her bright and determined eyes looking directly at Gu Mo Chen, as if they were shining with confidence.
Gu Mochen's tightly furrowed brows instantly relaxed, a flash of surprise crossing his eyes. He swiftly reached out and firmly grasped Ye Qingchen's slightly slender hands, saying sincerely and with concern, "Qingchen, if I can truly get your help, that would be wonderful. However, this matter is fraught with many unknown risks and variables, so you must be extremely cautious and careful in your actions!"
Ye Qingchen smiled slightly, "Don't worry, I will act carefully. In the current situation, we must work together to protect this hard-won peace."
Therefore, after careful consideration, Ye Qingchen decided to consult with Liu Yufeng on this important matter. Soon after, Liu Yufeng arrived in haste. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, they got straight to the point. Knowing Ye Qingchen's abilities and wisdom, Liu Yufeng readily expressed his willingness to fully support her and allow her to directly command the Red Leaf Pavilion.
It's important to know that during the last operation, many of Red Leaf Pavilion's elites successfully infiltrated the imperial court. However, unexpectedly, Red Leaf Pavilion is now organizing children to carry out missions. Faced with this situation, Liu Yufeng resolutely handed over all power to Ye Qingchen.
Having accepted this important task, Ye Qingchen naturally wouldn't back down. She made a decisive decision to personally go to the Red Leaf Pavilion to take command. To avoid causing unnecessary trouble, she specially changed into a dashing set of men's clothing and wore half of an exquisite gold mask to cleverly conceal her face.
Not only that, Bai Zhi and others, who were like sisters to Ye Qingchen, also responded upon hearing this, expressing their willingness to go with her. And so, a group of women dressed as men set off in a grand procession, heading straight for the Red Leaf Pavilion's office in the capital. They were decisive in their actions and their appearance and voices resembled men, so none of the Red Leaf Pavilion's subordinates suspected anything.
Sure enough, within a few days they discovered the secret in the court: Lord Wang's son had gone to Lu City for a trip and was then captured by pirates at sea, and the pirates who captured his son were none other than Japanese pirates. Alas, Lord Sun's ability to manage Lu City is truly inadequate; he really needs a replacement. Lord Sun should probably do something else in the capital.