CMWKSD -Chapter 210 Treason

Which family doesn’t secretly pull strings and build connections behind the scenes?

Who puts ambitions of promotion and wealth right out in the open—and says it so righteously at that?!

Especially with the look on Jiu Yue’s face—she was clearly not very satisfied with a mere zheng salaried post.

Official positions weren’t cabbages.

Who gave you the right to pick and choose?

What’s more, if Jiu Yue’s words were spread by someone with ulterior motives, wouldn’t that be grounds to impeach her for overstepping her authority?

Accusing her of plotting rebellion?

How dare she directly appoint officials of Great Qi!

Although during the year-end evaluation,

Ji Chaomian would indeed most likely become a zheng liupin salaried official—also known as a Dali Temple Registrar—

Jiu Yue saying it so bluntly still made sweat bead at the center of Ji Chaomian’s forehead.

The current Dali Temple Registrar—the very one standing inside the tent, the one Jiu Yue had just said should be stripped of his post—was Ji Chaomian’s superior.

From this point on, no matter what Jiu Yue said or did, it was very likely to be overinterpreted by others.

If this man so much as had a scrape or a wound, it could easily be twisted into a case of torture-induced confession—saying it was all to make room for Jiu Yue’s elder brother-in-law.

Ji Chaomian recalled Jiu Yue’s uncanny ability to read faces and discern subtleties earlier, and his heart eased slightly.

Jiu Yue was much steadier in her actions now.

She had questioned dozens of people already without laying a hand on any of them.

Even when impatience was written all over her face, she still hadn’t acted.

Her elder brother-in-law felt deeply gratified.

Then everyone saw Jiu Yue stand up.

She pulled a silver needle, several inches long, from her belt.

The tip gleamed coldly, flashing with a chilling light.

Ji Chaomian completely lost his voice—he couldn’t utter a word.

Jiu Yue twirled the silver needle in her hand. “Will you speak on your own,” she asked, “or should I make my move first, and you talk afterward?”

The salaried official snorted coldly. “Is the Princess County Lord planning to beat a confession out of me?”

Then he changed the subject, casting a sidelong glance at Ji Chaomian. “Or is this to make room for Lord Ji?”

Jiu Yue smiled faintly and walked down from the head seat to stand before him.

“A mere salaried official—do you really think you’re worth me lifting a finger?”

“Isn’t stripping your post just a matter of one sentence?”

The officials: Outrageous! Absolutely outrageous!

Ji Chaomian: The dead are still dead.

Ji Yiqing: My wife is so damn cool!

Yet no one could understand how the matter of Pingtai County was connected to a Dali Temple salaried official.

Jiu Yue smiled and kicked the salaried official’s leg.

His leg buckled in pain, and he staggered, falling to the ground.

Immediately after, Jiu Yue’s silver needle flashed out with a whoosh.

There came a bone-chilling sound.

Crack, crack, crack—the silver needle plunged straight in through the top of his head.

At first, the salaried official was still stubborn.

But as the needle went in, his screams became unceasing.

Just when everyone thought Jiu Yue was about to start questioning him, they saw her suddenly clamp a hand on his jaw.

With a sharp rip—

Heavens above!

The man’s face had been torn off!!!

Everyone stared hard.

Oh—not his face.

It was a human-skin mask!

No—wait, that was just as terrifying!

The faces of the Dali Temple officials turned deathly pale.

When had the salaried official been replaced?

“I’ll talk… I’ll tell you everything…”

Jiu Yue clicked her tongue and turned back to the head seat.

Before anyone could speak, a foul stench spread through the tent.

The man had lost control of his bladder and bowels.

Jiu Yue’s expression didn’t change.

She had a hundred ways to make someone tell the truth.

This one was simply faster and more convenient.

But she had always disliked using it—it was disgusting, and the victim’s speech became disordered, requiring her to extract useful information from the rambling.

Jiu Yue found it troublesome.

But since this man had used a human-skin mask, it was obvious he had undergone special training.

He was nothing like the two small-time lackeys caught earlier.

Heavy methods were necessary.

Jiu Yue didn’t want to take another step—the sight of his incontinence was truly nauseating.

Only the Dali Temple officials present remained expressionless.

During interrogations, because of the methods used, such incidents were countless.

They had long since grown used to it.

Once the man was finally taken away, everyone was still immersed in the shock from moments earlier.

Was staying with Jiu Yue always going to mean seeing scenes like this?

It was truly eye-opening!

An official said shakily, “Princess County Lord… so you already know what’s going on?”

Jiu Yue lowered her gaze slightly.

Wasn’t she supposed to be the one least willing to think?

So why was everyone waiting for her to give the answer?

They didn’t know that although Jiu Yue’s questions seemed scattered and rambling, she only asked them after she already had a rough answer in mind.

It was completely different from their method of digging for conclusions from confessions.

The matter was actually quite simple.

“Very simple,” Jiu Yue said lightly.

“There’s a private army in Pingtai County, raised specifically to replace Great Qi’s military officers. Surprised? Didn’t see that coming?”

“Gah?!!”

No—how had things suddenly taken such a horrifying turn?

Jiu Yue glanced sideways at the official who had let out a goose-like squawk.

“Just take a good look and think about it.”

“The Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue select officials to participate in bandit suppression—always choosing minor, obscure military officers.”

“Each time, under the pretext of suppressing bandits, these junior officers are sent out.”

“Then they find some excuse—say the bandits were too cunning, or something like that—and replace the officers.”

“Quietly, those people infiltrate various military camps.”

“Because the losses in each suppression are never large, and the common people can’t petition higher authorities, the Pingtai County magistrate never allows anyone here to leave.”

“So even if higher-ups wanted to investigate, it wouldn’t be easy. Of course, more importantly, it’s probably collusion from top to bottom—His Majesty and many high-ranking officials have no idea at all.”

“In everyone’s eyes, it’s just a small bandit stronghold. Who would care? Every year, one or two hundred men are sent to surround and suppress it together with Pingtai County’s garrison.”

“Ten or so people get swapped out each time.”

“This time it’s suppressed—next time it springs back to life again.”

“So who’s implicated?”

“The Pingtai County magistrate. The garrison responsible for local defense. The Ministry of War. The Ministry of Personnel…”

“After all these years, who knows how many of their people are already in the military camps?”

“What purpose could controlling all the camps have—other than rebellion?”

A Ministry of War official broke out in a cold sweat. “Then… what about the original people?”

Jiu Yue shrugged. “Who knows?”

“Maybe they’re dead. Maybe they’re being used for something else.”

“After all, feeding so many people costs silver. Dig deep enough, and there might be some unexpected gains.”

Jiu Yue’s casual words made everyone feel as if the black gauze hats on their heads were about to fall off.

This was a systemic loophole!

Years—years of it!

At least a hundred people had been replaced, and they’d known nothing about it.

How many people up and down the chain would be implicated?

The Fengyuan Emperor governed all of Great Qi.

If it truly had been just a tiny bandit lair of a few dozen people,

the matter might never even have reached his desk.

Jiu Yue stood up. “Sansan, our guests have arrived.”

Under the mask, Ying Sansan’s face twisted slightly.

Ever since Jiu Yue found out he was Ying Sansan, she had been calling him “Sansan.”

The camp looked orderly on the surface, but underneath, panic ran rampant.

Everyone stared tensely at the group approaching the encampment gates.

Some wore expressions of schadenfreude.

Others, deep worry…