Iron Dynasty Chapter 1090

“Elder Ge, I must depart. I have a crucial matter to relay to His Majesty, preventing me from accompanying you.”

Yue Yun’s words were direct and carried a frigid tone, betraying no hint of his true feelings.

Among the officials who had assisted Xiao Ming in establishing the empire, the civil servants managed to maintain a semblance of civility with Ge Yiren. However, military leaders like Yue Yun paid no heed to Ge Yiren’s sentiments.

Ge Yiren’s expression shifted to one of awkwardness. This very reason had led him to advocate for Luo Hong previously. The Empire’s military forces were under the command of individuals such as Yue Yun. Even if the civil officials held sway in court, their power was ultimately limited.

“Then I shall not detain you,” Ge Yiren replied with a smile, signaling the coachman to proceed towards his residence.

Yue Yun observed the retreating carriage before continuing his journey to the palace alongside the father and son of the Cao family.

Meanwhile, within Ge Yiren’s carriage, the atmosphere plummeted to an icy chill.

“What! Are you certain those two are the Cao family father and son?” Ge Yiren inquired, his voice laced with disbelief.

“There is no doubt. I encountered Cao Kun in Suzhou previously. The scar on the back of his hand matches that man’s precisely,” Ren He stated with unwavering conviction.

Ge Yiren gave a slight nod. “It is no wonder Yue Yun is personally escorting them. This constitutes a significant accomplishment.” He then paused, a thought striking him, and questioned sternly, “You mentioned seeing Cao Kun. Do you have any prior connection to him?”

“Brother Ge, you are being overly suspicious. Numerous individuals saw Cao Kun during his time in Suzhou,” Ren He explained. “Furthermore, had I any ties to him, I would have long since fled the Empire. Why would I remain here?”

Ge Yiren’s demeanor softened. While he harbored dissatisfaction with Xiao Ming’s policies regarding the suppression of the nobility, he was equally repulsed by the Merchant Parliament, as its ambitions also threatened to usurp their authority.

Sensing that Ge Yiren had ceased his interrogation, Ren He exhaled a subtle sigh of relief, though a flicker of deep-seated worry crossed his eyes.

He had misled Ge Yiren. His current objective in visiting Qingzhou was to sow discord within the Empire. He had never anticipated Cao Kun’s swift capture.

As a member of the Merchant Parliament, he distinctly recalled Cao Kun possessing a certain list. This very list compelled him to risk decapitation and travel to the capital.

When the Merchant Parliament exerted its influence in the southern regions, those who joined appended their names and affixed their fingerprints to this list, signifying their alignment with the prevailing trends. This document also bore the oath they swore to depose Xiao Ming’s rule upon their enlistment.

Should this list fall into the Empire’s possession, their fates would be dire and unimaginable.

It appeared that by exploiting this psychological vulnerability, Cao Kun, even after the Merchant Parliament's defeat, continued to loom like a persistent specter. He threatened them, warning that disobedience would result in the dispatch of the signed page to the local authorities.

This left them with no alternative but to fulfill the oath they had made within the parliament, effectively severing any path of retreat.

Contemplating this, Ren He’s expression grew increasingly grim. A multitude of thoughts raced through his mind, yet only one remained distinct and paramount: escape!

…

Imperial Study.

Upon receiving the eunuch’s report, Xiao Ming promptly summoned Yue Yun.

Prior to Yue Yun’s arrival in Qingzhou, Lei Ming had already dispatched the battle report from Calcutta to him.

The battle report also made mention of the Cao family father and son.

Given Yue Yun’s personal involvement in this endeavor, Xiao Ming surmised that the Cao family father and son had likely been apprehended.

Indeed, the moment Yue Yun entered the Imperial Study, he offered a salute and declared, “Your Majesty, your humble official has captured the Cao family father and son. Furthermore, a list was recovered from Cao Kun.”

“Present it.”

Xiao Ming’s expression turned grave. Wang Xuan had already apprised him of this list’s existence.

Yue Yun, upon hearing this, presented the list to Xiao Ming before stepping aside to await further commands.

Taking the document, Xiao Ming began to peruse its contents. Name after name met his gaze, causing his heart to grow progressively colder with each passing entry.

The ledger was roughly three fingers thick, bound in blue with pages of yellowed paper. Each page detailed twenty individuals, accumulating to over four thousand names across more than two hundred pages. Certain names bore an “X” mark, signifying those who perished during the North-South War.

Despite these casualties, nearly two thousand names remained unmarked. The current roles these individuals occupied within the Empire remained unknown, a cause for deep concern.

“Does anyone else possess knowledge of this matter?” Xiao Ming inquired.

“No, Your Majesty. Your humble official personally escorted them here and divulged no information to anyone en route.”

Xiao Ming gave a nod. He then reached for the telephone and initiated a call. In short order, Li San’s voice responded through the receiver.

“Come to the Imperial Study without delay. There is an urgent matter requiring your attention.” With that, Xiao Ming concluded the call.

Yue Yun experienced a twinge of envy. He had heard that the Empire’s Telecommunications Department had developed the telephone during his time in Southeast Asia, but upon his return, he had yet to have an opportunity to utilize it.

Witnessing the Emperor demonstrate it personally now, he was utterly astonished.

A brief period of waiting ensued before Li San arrived, clearly in a rush.

Xiao Ming then presented the list to him. “Ascertain the whereabouts and activities of these individuals immediately. Once you possess concrete intelligence, proceed with their apprehension.”

Li San merely glanced at the names presented and recognized them as belonging to the Merchant Parliament. He turned to Yue Yun and inquired, “Was Cao Kun apprehended?”

“Indeed. They have already been secured within the imperial prison. Once this matter concerning the list is resolved, it will be my turn to address the internal turmoil,” Xiao Ming declared with gravity.

Li San acknowledged the statement with a nod. He understood the gravity of the situation, noting the persistent emergence of individuals secretly fomenting discord throughout the Empire during this period.

Their investigations had revealed that these instigators included remnants of the Merchant Parliament. It was precisely for this reason they had been awaiting the opportune moment to execute a comprehensive apprehension.

“I shall depart to manage this at once.” As he spoke, his gaze still scanned the list. Abruptly, a particular name caused his hand to falter.

He presented the list to Xiao Ming, stating, “Your Majesty, a person named Ren He is also present at Elder Ge’s residence. He was once a distinguished Confucian scholar in the southern regions.”

Xiao Ming’s eyes narrowed as he reviewed Ren He’s name. “These insignificant rogues are truly brazen, even managing to infiltrate the circle of a cabinet minister.”

Yue Yun hesitated momentarily before offering, “Your Majesty, a fly does not trouble an intact egg. It is likely that this Ge Yiren is not an entirely upstanding individual either.”

“He is certainly no innocent. Since he has presented himself directly to me, he has only himself to blame,” Xiao Ming responded icily.

Now that the conflict in Southeast Asia had finally reached its conclusion, he was at liberty to redirect his attention toward the Empire’s domestic affairs.

Ever since the implementation of the policy to democratize the nobility, dissenting opinions had proliferated across the Empire, with individuals working behind the scenes to amplify these sentiments.

However, in the initial stages, he had elected to tolerate this dissent. His objective was to observe who would buckle under pressure and who would seize the occasion to mislead the populace with their inflammatory rhetoric.

As the adage goes, “immediate elation often precedes a later reckoning.” To this point, Li San had amassed a substantial quantity of intelligence pertaining to numerous individuals.

Now, with the acquisition of this list, the moment to “punish one to warn a hundred” had arrived.