NOVEL WEB Chapter 4: Verification, Confrontation in Person is Most Effective
Shi Wenbo, Cui Jin, Ji He, and others successively walked out from the main hall of the Guardian Martial Department.
After walking for a while, Xue Yan, who was at the rear, suddenly halted his steps and said in a low voice to the few people in front of him, "Lords, what do you think of this man?"
Shi Wenbo turned around and saw Xue Yan asking questions, his brow furrowed with some impatience in his heart.
However, when he thought about how Xue Yan had reached his current position, it had much to do with the support from his father, Xue Zhao.
When leaving the Capital City, his father had also instructed him to look after him, so he patiently asked, "I don't know who my esteemed nephew is referring to?"
Xue Yan said, "Naturally, it's Shen Qing. I find his speech watertight, and it matches our investigations as well. But don't you find it all too smooth?"
Within his words, he implied something.
The Spirit Mechanism matter in Yongzhou had initially started by his elder brother, Xue Bai, but in the end, his father handed over such a crucial matter to him.
Clearly, his father favored him more, and the position of the Xue Family's heir might well fall on his head in the future. Therefore, his trip to Yongzhou was purposeful—he had to achieve a result, not simply to tour.
From the information gathered thus far, to achieve any result, bypassing Shen Qing was impossible, and they needed to take action on him.
In his original idea, someone of Shen Qing's age should have been more conspicuous.
Contrary to expectations, Shen Qing managed to keep a low profile, demonstrating great shrewdness. He handled everything flawlessly and managed to deal with Shi Wenbo and the others, leaving Xue Yan no room to gain an advantage or maneuver.
He was somewhat unwilling to let it go and wanted to guide the discussion again, drawing everyone's attention back to Shen Qing to put pressure on him.
Shi Wenbo had not considered this layer.
For them, being appointed as imperial envoys to Yongzhou was merely a task—less trouble is better than more.
Shen Qing's cooperation was in line with his wishes and saved him a lot of trouble.
Shi Wenbo said earnestly, "What is bad about it going smoothly? It demonstrates that Great Zhou is full of talent and that Your Majesty's fortune is flourishing. This is indeed a fortunate event."
Ji He immediately followed, "Lord Shi speaks sensibly. Shen Qing is indeed a promising talent to foster."
"I also think so."
Xue Yan's expression paused slightly, and he seemed to realize something. Understanding dawned in his heart, and he chose to remain silent forthwith, bowing slightly, "The lords speak sensibly; it was presumptuous of me."
...
Prefecture Chief Dou Wenxi and County Supervisor Yan Xushou, two figures who usually wielded great influence in the county, now stood nervously like children outside the grand entrance of the Guardian Martial Department.
Their robes fluttered gently with the wind, their eyes flickering with a subtle unease.
"Lord Dou, how come the imperial envoy went straight to the Guardian Martial Department? Logically, he should have first visited the county office," Yan Xushou asked in a low voice, his brow furrowed, contemplating the deeper implications behind this turn of events. "Could it be that Your Majesty is dissatisfied with us?"
Dou Wenxi, softly stroking his goatee, replied, "I am also unsure. However, since they chose to come here first, they must have their reasons. As local officials, we naturally must treat them with courtesy and assess the situation first. Let's go inside and see."
With that, he adjusted his official robes and strode into the Guardian Martial Department office, Yan Xushou following closely behind.
Just as they crossed the threshold, they saw Shi Wenbo and others walking out from the rear hall.
Dou Wenxi and Yan Xushou exchanged glances, their minds swirling with questions, but they quickly put on smiley faces.
"Junior officials Dou Wenxi (Yan Xushou), respectfully welcome the imperial envoy to Yongzhou!" Both greeted in unison, their voices filled with utmost respect.
Shi Wenbo had often dealt with various local government offices and was very familiar with their ways.
He stepped forward with a smile, "Lord Dou, Lord Yan, please pardon us. We did not intend to disturb you both."
"Not at all, not at all," Dou Wenxi and Yan Xushou, feeling honored by the words, hastily responded, "Being servants to His Majesty and coming from afar, it's our duty as locals to fully cooperate. As it is now noon, I have prepared some modest wine, hoping you could take time out of your busy schedules to attend, so we can provide a feast to greet and refresh the imperial envoys."
Shi Wenbo agreed, "Since both of you are so gracious, we shall respectfully comply and join the banquet to share in the camaraderie."
"Gentlemen, please!"
"Please!"
At this moment, Xue Yan stepped forward, his face apologetic, "Gentlemen, I am feeling a bit overwhelmed and still unwell from the journey. I think I will return to rest and skip this banquet."
Everyone understood and did not feel his absence was abrupt.
After some cordial conversation, Shi Wenbo and his party left Xue Yan alone and grandly departed the Guardian Martial Department, heading towards the best tavern in the prefecture.
After parting with Shi Wenbo and the others, Xue Yan did not return to the inn to rest as he had said but instead rushed straight out of the city.
Once he was outside the city and found no one around, he took a deep breath, and the spiritual energy within him surged.
Touching the ground lightly with his toes, his figure became incredibly light, turning into a dark shadow that swiftly disappeared, heading straight for the wild outskirts of Yongzhou City.
In just a moment, Xue Yan found himself amid towering mountains and ridges.
"It should be here," he muttered.
He stopped, looked around, and finally, his eyes settled on a barren spot; his face lit up with excitement as he hurried over.
When he looked up to take in the scene before him, his breath caught.
In the distance, the once towering mountains had been completely leveled by some unimaginable, great force.
The ground had experienced violent upheavals like a dragon turning over, with trenches crisscrossing and fissures intersecting.
At the center of the ruins, there were signs of a mysterious force having fiercely impacted the area.
Xue Yan could imagine that at that moment, an indescribable powerful force had radiated outward.
It was intangible yet profoundly real, giving him a sense of unprecedented pressure. Discover hidden tales at empire
Looking closely, between the cracks of the broken stones, countless plants stubbornly broke through the soil, lush and vibrant with life.
The entire area covered a radius of six to seven hundred meters.
A strong impulse surged in Xue Yan's heart, "Yes, this is the place. The Spirit Essence from beyond this realm descended here. Father, big brother—they were telling the truth."
He cautiously approached and keenly felt the atmosphere. Finding that the residual Spirit Essence in the air had completely dissipated, his expression darkened.
Xue Yan pondered, "Such a vast Spirit Mechanism Land must contain massive amounts of Spirit Essence, which should not have dissipated so quickly. The only explanation is that the Spirit Essence here was collected by someone using the Spiritual Mechanism Jade or a similar device."
"That merchant's statement could very likely be true; Shen Qing might indeed have obtained this Spirit Essence. Even if it wasn't him, he must be closely associated with it."
Having verified the information he received, Xue Yan felt more confident.
"Since that is the case, instead of beating around the bush, confronting him directly would be most effective. However, before doing so, I need to prepare carefully and not act recklessly."