Volume One: The Overseer and the Candidate Chapter Fifty-Seven: A Meticulous Plan, a Fatal Oversight

Liu Botao was evidently still shaken by the sudden calamity and needed someone to confide in. At present, it seemed there was no one more suitable than Huang Ming; after all, he acknowledged the young man's identity and abilities.

So, when asked about the reasons behind the incident, he hesitated briefly before opening up. Yet his very first words made Huang Ming pause in surprise: "In truth, it was our own carelessness that allowed Commander Nie to..."

"How so?" Huang Ming pressed.

Liu Botao sighed and asked, "Young Master Huang, do you know why the entire court despises the followers of the White Lotus so deeply, why they are relentlessly investigated whenever discovered?"

Huang Ming considered, "Is it because the White Lotus sect has long shown signs of rebellion, bringing disaster to the realm?"

"That is one way to put it. Everyone has heard tales of their wicked deeds—how they seduce the masses and stir up chaos everywhere. But even so, that alone isn’t enough for us in the Embroidered Uniform Guard to pursue them so ruthlessly.

"There are two main reasons, more immediate than the rumors. First, during the fourteenth year of the Zhengde Emperor, the Prince of Ning’s rebellion—upon investigation, it was found that among the main instigators behind the uprising was the White Lotus, and in particular, a figure known as Glimmer."

Huang Ming raised his brows; this was indeed a secret of the court, likely known only by a handful of key figures. No wonder—the Prince of Ning's revolt was just two years past, and even in the two hundred years since the founding of Ming, it was a rebellion of considerable impact.

If the White Lotus truly had a hand in it, who could guarantee they wouldn’t repeat such actions and incite another uprising? After all, the Ming dynasty had precedent for a princely rebellion’s success—though it was later glossed over as the “Jingnan Campaign.”

Liu Botao continued, "The realm was shaken. Though Wang Yangming swiftly quelled the rebellion, the aftermath lingered; Commander Nie led us, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, in hunting down the remaining conspirators for more than half a year before peace returned.

"Only then, with the entire court united, did the White Lotus suffer a grievous blow and retreat fully into the shadows.

"But that only made their threat more insidious, as they became ever harder to guard against.

"So, whenever anyone is suspected of ties to the White Lotus, we would rather err on the side of severity than let them slip through. That is the second reason."

Huang Ming nodded, understanding.

With such a group—elusive, merciless, and cunning—any government would find them a source of endless anxiety. Without the forensic resources of later ages, the only way to truly stamp out their menace was through ruthless elimination, erring on the side of caution rather than mercy. This was not a matter of right or wrong, but of weighing harms and benefits.

Liu Botao sighed again, "Even preempting their schemes is no simple matter, especially with Lord Jiang formerly in charge, and now these circumstances. The Embroidered Uniform Guard faces troubles within and without, relying solely on Commander Nie’s prestige and keen insight to manage each crisis."

When Jiang Bin was the commander, the Guard seemed all-powerful, but its ranks were mixed in quality, and they could not devote themselves fully to justice. Now, things were even worse.

"It was because we heard that White Lotus followers were gathering in Shandong that Commander Nie took men to investigate. Who could have guessed that upon his return, such tragedy would unfold..."

Liu Botao’s face was clouded with regret. "Young Master Huang, you don’t know—Commander Nie has been entangled with the mysterious White Lotus figure Glimmer for nearly ten years.

"Though Commander Nie foiled his schemes time and again, each time Glimmer escaped through some hidden flaw. To Commander Nie, he was a nemesis, a lingering torment.

"This time, upon hearing Glimmer had been captured, Commander Nie was overjoyed, eager to meet him and pry the truth from his lips. Thus he went to the Imperial Prison that very night to interrogate him and his accomplice.

"And therein lay our most fatal mistake."

"What was it?" Huang Ming asked, curious.

"That man was not Glimmer at all!"

This revelation startled Huang Ming once more. "What do you mean?"

As he spoke, a thought struck him. "Ah, you said Commander Nie has been fighting Glimmer for ten years—by age, that fellow, not even thirty, couldn’t be him!"

At this, his expression changed. "Then the fault lies with me! I was the one who declared before everyone that he was Glimmer..."

"How could you be blamed, Young Master Huang? You helped us capture the villain, and even uncovered his identity—these are merits. Moreover, you knew nothing of these details, and the foe deliberately crafted his deception, leading us all into his trap."

Huang Ming fell silent. Looking back, it was clear he had been tricked from the start. The alias Yinghuo itself was a deliberate lure; he had naively assumed it proved the man was Glimmer.

In truth, the man wanted Huang Ming to believe it. Think a step further—if he only wished to hide his identity, why risk using a name that sounded like Glimmer?

Liu Botao reproached himself, "You were in the dark, Young Master Huang, so being deceived is no fault. But we should have known better—we knew the history, yet were blinded by the apparent victory, eager to extract more valuable secrets, and completely overlooked the danger.

"Commander Nie was caught off guard by this: upon learning the news, he went to meet the man.

"But the villain was ready—his accomplice within released the restraints, and together they struck..."

"Who was the accomplice?" Huang Ming interrupted, unable to suppress his curiosity.

"It was He Gang, the hundred-man captain of the Embroidered Uniform Guard who escorted the prisoner from Henan!" Liu Botao gritted his teeth. "But he was killed on the spot by Commander Nie’s counterattack."

Now it all made sense to Huang Ming; everything was finally explained.

The previous deduction about the prison break left one crucial question unanswered—even if White Lotus followers attacked at the Tongzhou relay station, the guards around the prisoner should not have been so utterly absent.

Now that overlooked question had its answer: it was inside and outside working together. Besides those at the station, there was an accomplice among the escort.

This man was deeply hidden, his presence masked by Xu Xingzhi and others who should have been responsible, allowing him to remain unnoticed until now.

This conspiracy against Nie Qingyao was a chain of intricately linked plots, each more ingenious than the last, ensnaring not only Huang Ming but the entire Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Combined with a fatal lapse in oversight, the result was a bitter tragedy.

With the tale finished, Huang Ming understood the whole truth. Though his heart was uneasy, he had no choice but to accept.

Meanwhile, hurried footsteps approached, accompanied by several greetings. A number of important figures who truly held sway over the Embroidered Uniform Guard had at last arrived.