Dragon Boat Race Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Chapter Fifteen: Sudden Turmoil

Epigraph: Battle reports shock, life and death unknown; the court rushes to kick the man while he’s down. Not out of fear of death, but to prove his innocence, he ventures into danger.

The news that Wu Ge’s fate was unknown struck the entire imperial court like a bolt from the blue.

“Just as I expected!” The censor who had previously impeached Wu Ge immediately stepped forward. “Your Majesty, Wu Ge clearly lost the battle on purpose, intending to defect to the Northern Di!”

“I second that! Wu Ge has long harbored ill intentions, and now his true colors are finally revealed!”

In the court, voices eager to kick the man while he was down were incessant. Qin Gong stood among the crowd, feeling a chill run through him. He tightly gripped the secret letter hidden in his sleeve—the last one Wu Ge had sent, mentioning the presence of a mole in the army.

“Minister Qin.” The Emperor’s gaze fell upon him. “You previously guaranteed Wu Ge’s loyalty with your life. Do you still have anything to say now?”

Qin Gong stepped out and knelt. “Your Majesty, I still believe in the Marquis’s loyalty. This defeat must have another hidden reason.”

“Hidden reason?” Su Mingyuan sneered. “What hidden reason could cause the commander of a hundred thousand troops to go missing? Minister Qin, your relationship with Wu Ge is not shallow. Could it be that… you know something as well?”

The implication in his words was unmistakable, and immediately, other ministers chimed in:

“Your Majesty, Minister Qin and Wu Ge are too close. He probably cannot escape suspicion!”

“I request that Minister Qin be arrested and held for investigation!”

Qin Gong raised his head, looking directly at the Emperor on the dragon throne. “Your Majesty, I volunteer to go to the front lines myself to investigate the truth. If the Marquis has indeed defected, I am willing to pay for it with my life.”

Silence fell over the court. No one expected this frail scholar to possess such courage.

“The front lines are dangerous. You are a civil official…” The Emperor hesitated slightly.

“I have served in the army for many years and know how to protect myself,” Qin Gong said firmly. “Please grant me a chance to prove my innocence.”

Ultimately, the Emperor approved the request, appointing Qin Gong as an Imperial Commissioner, to depart for the front lines immediately.

As he left the Golden Throne Hall, Su Mingyuan stopped him outside. “Is Minister Qin going to his death?”

“Does the Prime Minister wish for me to die?” Qin Gong countered.

Su Mingyuan narrowed his eyes. “Young man, sometimes knowing too much is not a good thing.”

Returning to the Marquis’s Estate, Qin Gong immediately began preparations. Ah Sheng packed his luggage, his eyes red. “Strategist, why must you put yourself through this…”

“I must go,” Qin Gong said calmly. “Not just for Wu Ge, but for ourselves.”

He took out the dagger Wu Ge had given him and carefully tucked it close to his body. This dagger had saved his life during that night’s operation behind enemy lines, and now it would accompany him to danger once more.

Three days later, Qin Gong set off with a squad of Imperial Guards. The closer they got to the front lines, the more miserable the sights became. The roads were filled with fleeing refugees, and burned villages and abandoned farmland were everywhere.

“Sir, the main camp is just ahead,” the captain of the Imperial Guards pointed to the fluttering banners in the distance.

The atmosphere at the Northern Expedition Army’s main camp was extremely heavy. Hearing that an Imperial Commissioner had arrived, the remaining Commandant Sun rushed out to greet him.

“Strategist!” Seeing Qin Gong, Commandant Sun was both surprised and delighted. “Why are you here?”

“His Majesty ordered me to come and investigate the truth,” Qin Gong dismounted. “What is the current situation?”

Commandant Sun’s face immediately darkened. “That day, the Marquis led troops to pursue the remnants of the Northern Di and fell into an ambush in Falling Goose Valley. When we arrived, we only saw bodies everywhere. The Marquis… is missing.”

“Take me to Falling Goose Valley.”

Falling Goose Valley was strategically dangerous, with steep cliffs on both sides—indeed a perfect place for an ambush. Traces of fierce fighting could still be seen in the valley; the bloodstains had turned black but had not yet completely dried.

Qin Gong meticulously surveyed the scene, and suddenly, beneath a cliff face, he discovered a familiar object—a piece of the heart-protecting mirror from Wu Ge’s armor.

“That’s the Marquis’s!” Commandant Sun exclaimed in surprise.

Qin Gong carefully examined the mirror piece, noticing marks where it had been grazed by a sharp blade, but the surface was intact, indicating the owner was not seriously injured. More importantly, he found an extremely small scratch on the inner side of the mirror—it was the secret code he and Wu Ge had agreed upon, signifying “safe and sound.”

“The Marquis is alive,” a huge weight lifted from Qin Gong’s heart. “And he disappeared on purpose.”

“What?” Commandant Sun was confused.

“There is a mole in the army,” Qin Gong whispered. “The Marquis is luring the snake out of its hole.”

Returning to the main camp, Qin Gong immediately began his investigation. He called for the recent military intelligence documents and compared them carefully, finally discovering a suspicious detail: before every military operation, a copied document was sent to the Ministry of War, and the person handling it was a Ministry of War official—Li Zhen’s distant nephew.

“It is him, indeed,” Qin Gong sneered.

However, before he could take action, turmoil erupted in the main camp that very night.

In the dead of night, a chorus of battle cries startled the entire military camp awake. Just as Qin Gong got up, Commandant Sun rushed in, covered in blood.

“Strategist, hurry and leave! Someone is trying to kill you!”

“What’s going on?”

“Official Li is leading a rebellion, claiming to purge the Emperor’s side!”

Qin Gong’s heart tightened. Purge the Emperor’s side? This was an outright rebellion!

He quickly put on his soft armor and grabbed the dagger Wu Ge had given him. “Where is the Marquis?”

“We don’t know yet, but…”

Before he could finish, the tent flap was violently thrown open, and Official Li burst in with a squad of soldiers.

“Minister Qin, how have you been?” Official Li grinned menacingly. “It’s a pity, but I fear you, the Imperial Commissioner, won’t be returning to the capital.”

“You dare to kill an Imperial Commissioner?” Qin Gong asked calmly.

“In the chaos of war, what is one Imperial Commissioner?” Official Li waved his hand. “Seize him!”

Commandant Sun immediately drew his saber and shielded Qin Gong. “Who dares!”

Just then, a familiar voice suddenly sounded from outside the tent:

“I’d like to see who dares touch him.”

Wu Ge, clad in full military attire, strode into the tent. His face showed some fatigue, but his eyes were still sharp as an eagle’s.

“Marquis!” Commandant Sun cried out in surprise.

Official Li’s face changed drastically. “You… how could you be…”

“Didn’t expect me to be alive?” Wu Ge sneered. “Did you think sending someone to poison my drinking water would kill me?”

It turned out that Wu Ge had long suspected a mole in the army, so he played along, feigning death by poisoning while secretly investigating. Sure enough, Official Li, believing him dead, immediately began to act.

“Seize them!” Wu Ge commanded. His personal guards outside the tent immediately rushed in and subdued Official Li and all his followers.

After the situation stabilized, Wu Ge turned to Qin Gong, his eyes filled with worry. “You shouldn’t have come.”

“If I didn’t come, how could I clear your name?” Qin Gong smiled.

Wu Ge grasped his hand. “What is the situation like in the capital now?”

“Not good,” Qin Gong shook his head. “Su Mingyuan and others are vehemently attacking you, claiming I colluded with you to defect to the Northern Di.”

“Just as I thought.” Wu Ge sneered. “However, now I have the evidence.”

He took out a stack of letters. “These were recovered from Official Li—all secret correspondence between him and the Northern Di. There are also a few letters that mention a certain high-ranking figure in the court.”

Qin Gong took the letters, his alarm growing with every word he read. These letters detailed how to frame Wu Ge and how to coordinate with the Northern Di from within, and the secret mark at the bottom of the letters was clearly Su Mingyuan’s personal seal!

“With these, your innocence is proven,” Qin Gong said joyfully.

“More than that.” A fierce glint flashed in Wu Ge’s eyes. “This time, I will make those treacherous scoundrels who harm the nation pay the price.”

Three days later, news of the Northern Expedition Army’s great victory reached the capital. Wu Ge had not only repelled the Northern Di army but had also captured the Northern Di’s First Prince alive. More importantly, he submitted a memorial to the Emperor, attaching the evidence of Su Mingyuan’s collusion with the enemy.

The court and the public were shaken.

However, just as the victorious army was about to return to the capital, an unexpected piece of news arrived:

Su Mingyuan had committed suicide in prison, leaving a blood letter claiming sole responsibility for all the crimes.

This outcome surprised everyone. But Qin Gong understood that the waters of the imperial court were far deeper than anyone imagined.