Volume Two: Gentlemen and Petty Men Chapter Seventy-One: Each Has a Countermeasure in Mind

After rescuing the Xu siblings, apprehending all the kidnappers, and calming the alarmed townspeople, it was already the middle of the night. It was impossible to rush back to Beijing, as the city gates would have long been closed. Consequently, the Embroidered Uniform Guards decided to interrogate the captured bandits on the spot.

Given their various methods, it did not take long to round up another twenty or so individuals and extract valuable information. Before dawn, Huang Ming, who had only managed to doze for a short while, was awakened by Xu Xingzhi. "Young Master Huang, we have a lead."

Xu felt a mixture of gratitude and admiration toward Huang Ming. Without realizing it, he had begun to treat Huang as his superior, reporting the findings directly to him.

"Oh?" Huang Ming shook off his lethargy and asked, "Have you discovered their origins and the mastermind behind them?"

"These men have confessed that they belong to the Brocade Society."

"The Brocade Society?" Huang Ming repeated the name. He was not truly familiar with the various gangs and factions in the capital. As the saying goes, wherever there are people, there is a world of strife, and where there is strife, various organizations inevitably emerge. The Ming capital, Beijing, was no exception. With all walks of life intermingled, there were countless gangs—some benevolent, some malevolent; some law-abiding, others brazenly violent. They were as numerous as the turtles in the Yongding River, and Huang Ming could hardly keep track of them all.

Seeing his confusion, Xu Xingzhi explained carefully, "On the surface, the Brocade Society is a merchant guild that helps traders from out of town sell Sichuan silk and brocade. Most of those in charge are indeed silk merchants. But in reality, they have been secretly building their own influence, frequently clashing with silk merchants from the Jiangnan region, and have been involved in many illicit activities. They are a significant power in Beijing. Especially in recent years, they have expanded rapidly and are now one of the five largest underground gangs in the capital."

Huang Ming nodded in realization. "So it is a faction with ties to Sichuan. Does this mean the matter is inseparable from the Yang family?"

Everyone knew that the current Senior Grand Secretary, Yang Tinghe, was a native of Xindu, Sichuan. The Brocade Society’s rapid rise in recent years was clearly linked to this connection. When combined with the true motive behind their attempt to capture him, the answer became increasingly obvious.

Xu Xingzhi nodded at first, then sighed. "However, their testimony only goes as far as the third guild master, Zhu Yuntong. Beyond that, there is nothing."

"How so?"

"The ringleader only admits to acting under Zhu Yuntong’s orders, claiming it was a personal feud between Zhu and Meng Chuyao. He insists they had been tracking Meng, and when we, the Embroidered Uniform Guards, got to him first, they decided to resort to kidnapping to achieve their goal."

"Do you believe that?" Huang Ming sneered.

"Naturally, there are holes in the story, but he is sticking to it. Furthermore, he is the only one with such knowledge; his subordinates were merely following orders and did not even know the true purpose behind capturing you, Young Master Huang."

Huang Ming frowned. He wanted to ask why they didn't use harsher interrogation methods on the man. Weren't the Embroidered Uniform Guards known for their ability to break anyone?

Sensing his thoughts, Xu explained, "Even what I have gathered was only obtained after applying significant pressure. Regarding what lies beyond, he truly knows nothing. Moreover, times have changed. If we force a confession or fabricate testimony, the repercussions could be endless if we are held accountable."

Huang Ming sighed in understanding. "I see. The Embroidered Uniform Guards have to be cautious now. Especially since this matter could easily implicate Yang Tinghe, and you would be the ones under fire."

Xu Xingzhi gave a bitter smile and cupped his hands in a salute. "I hope you understand my predicament."

Huang Ming shook his head helplessly. He paced the room, murmuring, "So, even with everyone in custody, we can only trace this back to a third guild master? There are no leads to dig deeper?"

"Correct, unless we move to arrest Zhu Yuntong himself and force him to confess who is behind him. But..."

"But that man holds a much higher position. Once we move against him, the powers above will immediately know and respond."

Huang Ming added quickly, "And they will certainly learn of the events here. By dawn, they will likely cut off all remaining leads. More importantly, it seems they have realized the situation regarding Meng Chuyao. They might already be preparing secondary or tertiary contingency plans."

Xu Xingzhi’s expression turned grave. "Exactly. I only hope that Thousand-Man Commander Liu does not run into any trouble..."

Since Huang Ming had deduced that the target was Meng Chuyao, they had taken precautions, and Commander Liu Botao had personally led his most trusted elites to guard the prisoner.

Huang Ming offered some reassurance. "It should be fine. They wouldn't dare go that far."

As he spoke, he stopped pacing, a flash of light appearing in his eyes. "I have a plan. We can approach this from two sides. Even if they silence Zhu Yuntong, the initiative will still remain in our hands!"

Having been awake for nearly the entire night, Huang Ming suddenly felt rejuvenated. Perhaps everything would be resolved once these two fronts were secured.

...

Huang Ming and his men were not the only ones who had spent the night sleepless. Within the capital, at the Yang residence, others were awake as well.

In the back courtyard, inside Yang Shen’s study, his bloodshot eyes glared at his brother. "How could you be so foolish, so reckless, and so impulsive! When something like this happened, instead of consulting me first, you acted on your own authority and involved those people from the Brocade Society! Do you have any idea how much trouble this will bring us? Especially for Father—if this comes to light, you know what the consequences will be!"

"Big Brother, I didn't want this either. But... Meng Chuyao fell into the hands of the Embroidered Uniform Guards. It is clearly related to that past affair. If it gets out, you, Brother, will be..."

"Even so, you should have consulted me! What kind of mess is this? It’s like hiding silver in the backyard—no one had even suspected us, yet you went and admitted to it yourself!"

Yang Shen looked at his younger brother, Yang Dun, with a mix of anger and disappointment. His brother was far too impulsive and arrogant, which was why he had failed the imperial examination last time. In terms of intellect and talent, his brother was not beneath him, yet this time, he had tried to be clever and committed the most foolish of blunders.

After scolding him, Yang Shen let out a long sigh. "Enough. I will find a way to remedy this. What you need to do now is return to our ancestral home in Sichuan immediately. Leave as soon as the sun rises."

"What? But what about Father..." Yang Dun was shocked and reluctant, knowing the imperial examinations were only a few months away.

"If Father finds out what you have done, I fear for your life!" Yang Shen said sternly. "Nothing else matters now. You must return home to save yourself. Listen to me; I will handle everything else!"

"Big Brother..." Yang Dun felt both anxious and ashamed. He wanted to say something, but in the end, he remained silent.