Chapter 112: Placing Large Bets

In recent days, the Lin residence had been hosting several distinguished guests. All of them had come from the Jianghuai region, seemingly students making their way to the capital to participate in the imperial examinations. It appeared that the venerable Master Lin intended to extend his favor to a number of promising individuals. If even one of them succeeded in ascending to a higher position, the Lin household might continue to rise in prominence.

After all, Master Lin had governed the Jingzhao Prefecture for a lifetime. Yet, despite his lifelong efforts, the emperor had never granted him the recognition he desired. Now, he hoped to place his bets on a capable person within the next few years.

Han Qing had guessed this with about eighty to ninety percent certainty, so he regarded the situation with equanimity. What he did not expect was to encounter Inspector Lin Fei here. This was the very man who had once set such a grand trap for him; if it hadn’t been for Han Qing’s keen awareness, the Bai family might have been dealt with much sooner.

“Tell me, you’ve been at Master Lin’s residence these past few days. He must be treating you quite well?” Lin Fei remarked casually, though his eyes betrayed a probing curiosity. It was clear he already knew something had shifted and was deliberately pressing for more information.

“Oh? Truth and falsehood matter little now. I have nowhere else to turn. Since someone is willing to lend me a hand, why should I refuse?” Han Qing shook his head, speaking earnestly. He had some justification—when one reaches a dead end, one must leave a path to survival. No one would forgo the chance to live for the sake of so-called pride.

“But my uncle is no good man,” Han Qing added, revealing a familial connection between the two families. Yet Lin Fei seemed somewhat discontented with Lord Lin, the Prefect of Jingzhao, even seemingly intent on cutting off all his future avenues.

“So you came to me to help get rid of him?” Lin Fei asked.

“Not exactly,” Han Qing replied. “I just wanted to warn you, don’t be fooled by that old fox’s honeyed words. He must have his reasons for acting this way, and he might keep dragging you into his schemes.”

This was nothing less than brazen moral coercion, but Han Qing wasn’t buying it. Having witnessed the fickleness of human nature countless times, he knew better than to believe in lofty ideals. Besides, the people he had dealt with before were hardly paragons of virtue.

“You might be overthinking it. But you didn’t come here only for this, did you?” Han Qing said.

“Yes. Recently, Luojing has become unstable. With a large number of students arriving for the imperial exams, His Majesty has ordered heightened security, especially strict screening of outsiders who might sneak in,” Lin Fei explained slowly. It didn’t seem an impossible task, but with commands trickling down through layers of officials, enforcement was inconsistent. Some might slip through the cracks.

If they were mere petty troublemakers, it wouldn’t cause much disturbance. But what if they were assassins or worse, conspirators colluding with criminal gangs? This troubled Inspector Lin greatly.

What made matters worse was that none of the men he had sent out were reliable. He had stationed personnel at various gates of Luojing, but to little effect. Within half a day, more than a dozen unidentified individuals had slipped inside. And there were still five days to go.

His anxiety grew.

“You want me to help deal with this? That puts me in a bind—I have no soldiers who will obey my orders,” Han Qing immediately refused. This hot potato was not something he wanted to handle. People should manage their own affairs. It was absurd to show up looking worn out over this.

“No, no, I just wanted to ask if you had any methods to suggest,” Lin Fei quickly clarified.

Ah? Wasn’t this just a matter of deploying more manpower? Han Qing found it confusing.

“The group of black-clad men who were hunting you have also entered the city, so the danger isn’t only to the students but to your lives as well.” Lin Fei’s words revealed a certain capability. He had even located the martial underworld faction pursuing them and allowed them to enter? That was rather unscrupulous.

“Han Gongzi, it’s not as you imagine. While investigating these crowds these days, we found that the places they frequent are a few particularly famous inns,” Lin Fei hurried to explain. He was keen to persuade Han Qing without ruining it all with a few careless words.

“Where are these black-clad men staying?”

“In a small inn in the western part of the city. I’ve arranged patrols around them these days, but they haven’t shown any suspicious activity.”

That was good news. They weren’t the same men who had pursued him before, but rather another group from the same organization with a different mission.

“Perhaps these martial factions gathering here are up to something. We should investigate whether any local officials are colluding with them,” Han Qing suggested.

Lin Fei was momentarily dumbfounded. Why investigate links between martial factions and officials now? There should be no connection.

“There are countless officials in Luojing, big and small. This new batch has come in—surely others know about it? Your task is to intercept them, but some officials think otherwise.”

Han Qing’s words cut through the pretense. Everyone had their own agenda; they were undoubtedly scheming something significant. Moreover, what good could martial factions offer? At best they did shady jobs for some, or smuggled goods forbidden by imperial law. In short, they sought both power and profit.

The schemers’ ambitions were loud, but their usefulness was doubtful. They should think carefully about their next moves.

Lin Fei said no more and immediately set about arranging for further investigations.

At that moment, an unexpected visitor arrived. Zhu Xiaoye, who had been absent for many days, appeared with a refreshed spirit. He must have settled some personal matters.

“Brother Han, don’t you find it dull staying indoors all the time?” Zhu Xiaoye asked.

“I’m just studying. The provincial exams are in a few days, and I’m feeling somewhat uneasy,” Han Qing replied.

Hearing this, Zhu Xiaoye was somewhat surprised.