Chapter 58: Facing Certain Death to Find a Way Out

"What? You say Lady Xiaohong is currently entertaining a distinguished guest? Let me ask you, in this capital city, which so-called distinguished guest could possibly be more distinguished than this marquis?"

Anyone capable of uttering such a brainless remark naturally could not be Li Jinglong.

Yet this was someone Chen Kan happened to know.

It was Xu Jingchang, the newly ennobled Marquis of Wuyang conferred by Emperor Zhu Di upon his ascension.

Unlike Li Jinglong, whose roots ran deep and who had properly inherited his peerage following the death of his father Li Wenzhong, Xu Jingchang had simply lucked into his title.

Xu Jingchang was the son of Xu Zengshou, the third son of the Prince of Zhongshan, Xu Da. Of Xu Da's four sons, the eldest, Xu Huizu, had chosen to side with Emperor Jianwen during Zhu Di's usurpation campaign, incurring Zhu Di's lasting hatred and resulting in him currently being kept under house arrest.

Xu Zengshou, on the other hand, had unhesitatingly chosen to help his eldest brother-in-law, Zhu Di. Unfortunately for him, his luck ran out when he was caught red-handed by Zhu Yunwen while secretly passing information to Zhu Di, leading to him being executed by Emperor Jianwen's own hand.

Upon ascending the throne, Zhu Di, remembering the contributions of his late brother-in-law Xu Zengshou, posthumously named him the Marquis of Wuyang, with his son Xu Jingchang inheriting the title.

Of course, what truly drew Chen Kan's interest was not Xu Jingchang himself, but the distinguished guest the madam of the brothel had mentioned.

In the capital, there were many whose status surpassed that of Xu Jingchang.

Yet among those whose status was higher than his and who also enjoyed visiting pleasure houses, Chen Kan could think of only one person.

Therefore, Chen Kan strode toward that painted flower boat without the slightest hesitation.

Flashing his Embroidered Uniform Guard badge before the madam's eyes, the madam's expression drained of color instantly.

Trembling, she stammered, "My lord, we run a legitimate establishment here and would never dare harbor rebels. Please exercise your discernment, my lord."

As for Xu Jingchang, the sight of the Embroidered Uniform Guard badge caused a flash of wariness to cross his face.

Indeed, very few people in the capital did not fear the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

With an air of unshakable composure, Chen Kan looked at Xu Jingchang and said, "My Lord Marquis, the Embroidered Uniform Guard is on official business. You should return."

He then turned to the madam. "I know the Minister of the Court of the Imperial Stud is in Lady Xiaohong's room. Take me to see him."

"Hmph, let's leave!"

Hearing the title Minister of the Court of the Imperial Stud, Xu Jingchang cast a wary glance at Chen Kan, turned on his heel, and departed with his henchmen without the slightest hesitation.

The madam wore a look of profound difficulty. "This... Lord Li gave strict orders when he arrived that no outsiders were to disturb him."

"This official is here on urgent official business to see Lord Li. If important matters are delayed, can you bear the responsibility? Besides, this official is as close to Lord Li as a brother; how could I be considered an outsider?"

"Yes, yes, yes. My lord, he is in Heaven-grade Room Number Two."

After speaking, the madam wore a pleading expression. "My lord, please don't tell Lord Li that it was this humble person who told you."

Having obtained the information he sought, Chen Kan had already stepped through the entrance, long past hearing whatever else the madam was murmuring.

Entering the painted flower boat, Chen Kan went straight to the third floor. Along the way, countless seductive women cast lingering glances his way; had his self-control not been formidable, he would have succumbed long ago.

Hearing the muffled growls of a man and the sweet pants of a woman coming from behind the door, Chen Kan kicked it open without hesitation.

"Ah—!"

"Who is it? Are you courting death?"

Chen Kan successfully elicited a woman's scream and Li Jinglong's exasperated curses.

"My lord, something major has happened!"

Chen Kan cried out with an expression of intense anxiety.

"Chen Kan, you motherf..."

Before Li Jinglong could finish bestowing his greetings upon the eighteen generations of Chen Kan's ancestors, Chen Kan flung a pile of scattered garments right onto his face.

"My lord, a major crisis has occurred within the Embroidered Uniform Guard! Hurry back to the yamen with me."

Seeing that the anxious look on Chen Kan's face did not seem feigned, Li Jinglong forcibly swallowed countless profanities.

As he frantically dressed himself, he cursed angrily, "What kind of crisis could possibly happen to the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

"Let's go quickly, there's no time to explain."

Still grumbling curses, Li Jinglong walked off the flower boat with Chen Kan, where his personal guards had already brought over a padded sedan chair.

Once seated in the sedan chair, Li Jinglong finally looked at Chen Kan with an annoyed expression and demanded, "What on earth is going on?"

Walking alongside the sedan chair, Chen Kan said, "My lord, we may be in mortal danger. The Commander-in-Chief intends to lead us all down a path of no return."

Li Jinglong snapped impatiently, "What the hell is happening? Out with it!"

Putting on a terrified facade, Chen Kan exaggerated wildly, "More than half of the officials in the capital have been dragged into the imperial prison, and several third-rank high officials have already been arrested! Your subordinate tried to stop them, but I lack the authority to command them. You must hurry back and take a look."

"What?"

Li Jinglong was so startled by Chen Kan's words that he nearly tumbled out of the sedan chair, his complexion turning ghastly in an instant.

"Has Ji Gang lost his mind?"

Flinging out an exasperated curse, Li Jinglong glared at the guards carrying the sedan chair and yelled, "Why are you dawdling? Pick up the pace!"

*Phew—*

Watching Li Jinglong's panicked expression, Chen Kan felt a wave of relief wash over him.

It had worked. With Li Jinglong intervening, even if not all the officials currently dragged into the imperial prison could be released, at least a few fewer lives would be lost.

In his haste, this was all Chen Kan could possibly do.

Hurrying all the way back to the Embroidered Uniform Guard headquarters, the moment Li Jinglong stepped through the gates, the sight of the bustling and chaotic scene within made his expression instantly darken.

Especially since a steady stream of officials continued to be hauled into the imperial prison outside the yamen, many of whom were familiar faces to Li Jinglong.

Li Jinglong's expression twisted as though he had swallowed a dead fly.

"He's mad! Absolutely mad! Who authorized them to do this?"

With a roar, Li Jinglong spun around to glare at a nearby Embroidered Uniform Guard officer, barking furiously, "What are you standing there gaping for? Go beat the military drum!"

As the officer sprinted away, Li Jinglong clambered out of the sedan chair and strode wrathfully toward the training ground, cursing every step of the way.

"That bastard Ji Gang, if he wants to commit suicide, that's his business, but why drag me into it..."

Chen Kan followed closely behind Li Jinglong, wearing a similarly anxious expression while his eyes remained preternaturally clear and calm.

Catching sight of Fang Xu escorting the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Punishments into the yamen compound, Chen Kan couldn't help casting an approving glance in his direction.

Chen Kan's strategy was actually quite simple: to find a way to blow the matter completely out of proportion, escalating it until it reached a point where it could no longer be reined in.

After all, relying on conventional methods alone made it utterly impossible to rescue so many officials.

Particularly in the wake of such a monumental incident as the rebellion of the Prince of Jin, a furious Zhu Di would certainly refuse to listen to any remonstrances; the more people pleaded, the more would be sentenced to death.

Since conventional methods were useless, Chen Kan simply decided to do the exact opposite.

Weren't they determined to make arrests? Then they should arrest to their heart's content—throw every single person into prison.

Once everyone was locked up and there was nobody left to run the government, Chen Kan refused to believe that Zhu Di could manage the entire country all by himself.

This tactic was known as fighting to live by passing through the gates of death!

It was a brutally simple strategy, but judging by Li Jinglong's current expression, it was proving exceptionally effective.

Across the evening training ground, the rapid beating of a drum suddenly shattered the air.

The busy Embroidered Uniform Guard officers froze for a moment before hurriedly shoving their suspects into the cells and rushing over in a trot to assemble on the training ground.

There, they found the usually hands-off Commander of the Northern Bureau standing at the edge of the training ground with a visage of towering rage.