The Immortal Seeker: Legend of Bronze Mirror
Chapter 343 - 155: The Knife Cometh! (It’s the end of the month, pleading for everyone’s monthly tickets)

Chapter 343: Chapter 155: The Knife Cometh! (It’s the end of the month, pleading for everyone’s monthly tickets)

Xu Qing’s analysis was spot-on and directly addressed the concerns of Mr. Wu.

He responded calmly, "Gongming, as I said, I will follow your advice in everything."

Xu Qing nodded.

For the next steps, Mr. Wu no longer needed to appear in public. During this period, rumors were spread that Mr. Wu had contracted a disease like a panic disorder, and they could seize the opportunity once the situation gradually intensified.

This could be hidden from anyone, except Meng Yuxuan.

...

Xu Qing called for Meng Yuxuan and shared his plans.

Meng Yuxuan nodded upon hearing this, "Xu Jieyuan’s strategy aligns with the military principle of surprising the enemy to achieve victory. However, we need someone familiar with the local sea conditions to lead the way. Although I have such talents in the Navy, their familiarity with this sea area is definitely insufficient."

Xu Qing: "I have just the right person on hand."

Meng Yuxuan: "That’s excellent. Now it’s the end of the year. The main force of the East Sea Gang is located on a few large islands at the junction of the East Sea and the South Sea. The New Year’s Eve is approaching, and according to our intelligence, they gather annually on Dongming Island to celebrate. That island, among those occupied by the gang, is the most prosperous, with all sorts of entertainment and indulgences. Usually, these people will enjoy themselves from New Year’s Eve to after the Lantern Festival."

Xu Qing nodded, "Pirates live on the edge, valuing pleasure greatly because they live day by day. This period indeed provides the best opportunity to strike. We will choose the time between New Year’s Eve and January 15th to act, depending on the weather conditions."

Meng Yuxuan: "I hope we will have good weather suitable for night sailing during this period. However, there’s another troublesome issue."

Xu Qing spoke slowly upon hearing this: "Is it about the expenses associated with mobilizing troops during January?"

Meng Yuxuan nodded: "The soldiers are people too, needing to celebrate the festival. The cost of mobilization during this time will be higher than usual."

Xu Qing naturally couldn’t provide the funds himself, as rewarding the army is a major taboo for rulers. Even if the Grand Secretary used him now and tacitly agreed to this, it would undoubtedly be a significant leverage against Xu Qing when the Court decided to deal with him later.

Now, with his Divine Soul strong and in a state of Absolute Focus, his quick-wittedness was unquestionable. Xu Qing pondered briefly and then had an idea, "Sailing from Wuzhong Harbor to Dongming Island takes too long, and any slip-ups during the journey could easily expose our plan to the enemy. We could continue sailing with Mr. Wu and go to Jinhua Prefecture to recuperate, under the pretext of an assassination attempt here leaving him in shock."

Meng Yuxuan said, "Jinhua Prefecture is close to Dongming Island; if the weather is good, it can be reached overnight. Nonetheless, the military expenses still cannot be omitted."

Xu Qing sighed softly, "When a grand army approaches a local state, naturally there will be available funds."

Meng Yuxuan frowned slightly but also understood that this was customary. Moreover, it being the festive season, some rewards were justified.

He actually believed that unity between the military and civilians could overcome any challenge, but given current societal norms, prioritizing one’s interests often leads to being marginalized in the official circles.

Meng Yuxuan clasped his hands in salute: "As long as we can secure the funds to reward the troops, I can assure that my men will not disturb the locals."

Xu Qing nodded.

Extorting money by the Official Army from locales was routine and wouldn’t be investigated.

If the Official Army did not take advantage when stationed locally, the Court might even suspect whether they were still the Great Yu Dynasty’s troops, or if they had become the private army of some commander, overly strict in military discipline.

After planning with Meng Yuxuan, they did not rush to move.

They were to enact the full play.

An imperial envoy being frightened was a valid reason for local officials and scholars to visit.

This also meant significant income.

If Mr. Wu did not receive it, complaints would follow.

Meanwhile, Guo Zhuang continued the interrogation of the remaining assassins, getting to the truth.

In this aspect, Guo Zhuang had invested great effort, no longer at a loss as he had been when encountering opponents using Secret Techniques to faint.

He sought advice from experts of the Inner Factory and Embroidered Guard, working diligently in this field.

After all, mastering this skill ensured his indispensable role beside Xu Jieyuan.

With his ability to fight falling behind, he had to cultivate professional skills.

Currently, many in Jiangning Prefecture were eager to serve Mr. Xu, able to line up from Xu Residence to Qixia Mountain.

Guo Zhuang had no choice but to be involved.

On the other hand, Su Lianqing, following Xu Qing’s instructions, targeted two particularly notorious local tyrants, bringing misfortune upon them.

Su Lianqing had observed that even if she hadn’t acted, a revolt might soon have arisen in those households.

By arresting them now, she actually saved the lives of their entire families.

The properties of these tyrants were confiscated and sold cheaply to the Xu Residence.

As for the land, it was returned to the Officials to be made into official fields.

County Magistrate Zheng, taking a light approach to corvée labor, along with a clerk from Recovery Society skilled in creating the Yellow Book, naturally managed to defuse any potential revolts without a trace.

These were all minor details; Xu Qing did not need to handle them personally.

While not everything could be managed perfectly, even if the clerk from Recovery Society managed to benefit from his position, a relatively good outcome was still guaranteed.

Elsewhere, officials and scholars from various sectors in Jiangning Prefecture came to visit Mr. Wu.

With Xu Qing’s medical skills, Mr. Wu could appear even more convincingly ill than actual patients. Many doctors from Jiangning Prefecture were invited to diagnose him, all suggested it was panic disorder and it would be best for him to leave Jiangning Prefecture.

This news delighted the local officials and scholars.

The imperial envoy being there, along with 3,000 Jinghai Guards, was a significant burden on the locality.