Chapter 165: Do Not Disappoint Me

What Gou Ye had not expected was that the situation in Yanzhou had escalated to such an alarming degree. The audacity was truly staggering; they had actually dared to stretch their hands into the realm of firearms. Without a doubt, no emperor in existence could ever tolerate such an offense.

However, what was most headache-inducing and astonishing at the moment was that the Emperor had entrusted such a monumental task to himself and Qian Ning. Although, as the Emperor had said, newly appointed officials belonged to no factions and possessed driving momentum, for Gou Ye, writing essays was acceptable and dabbling in business was passable, but investigating criminal cases was genuinely not his field of expertise. Besides, this was no simple corruption case; as often depicted in television dramas, it likely involved civil and military officials numbering in the hundreds. With the slightest misstep, would he not be placing his life in jeopardy?

Gou Ye felt a sense of hesitation in his heart, but seeing the Emperor watching him with a grave expression, he had no choice but to respond reluctantly, "Thank Your Majesty for your appreciation, but this subject is still young and possesses little understanding of the ways of officialdom. I fear I might fail to live up to Your Majesty's trust this time."

The Emperor chuckled softly and said, "You need not worry about that. Once you arrive in Yanzhou, there will certainly be people to assist the two of you. Moreover, I will also dispatch the Brocade Guard to protect you in secret."

The Brocade Guard? The legendary Brocade Guard—this was an organization that only the Emperor could mobilize. Furthermore, in Gou Ye's impression, these individuals were all formidable in martial arts and ruthless in character, forever executing dark and unspeakable secrets in the shadows. He had never imagined that this organization would also exist in the Ming Dynasty of this era. At the mere thought of them, Gou Ye could not help but experience a creeping sensation of hair-raising dread and bone-chilling fear.

"Your Majesty, this subject can only say that I will do my utmost and try my absolute best not to fail Your Majesty's trust. I still have a few questions I wish to ask Your Majesty: how many people will be accompanying us on this trip to Yanzhou, and am I permitted to bring my own personal attendants? Also, when shall we set off?"

The Emperor looked at Gou Ye and replied, "Including you and Qian Ning, there will be a total of six people in the traveling party. The remaining four are solely responsible for protecting the two of you along the way. If the two of you wish to bring your own personal attendants, that is entirely acceptable, provided you do not bring too many. As for the departure time, you and Qian Ning shall set off tomorrow morning. I have already instructed him regarding this matter; once you leave, you may go find Qian Ning to discuss the details."

"We set off tomorrow?" Gou Ye could not help letting out a soft exclamation of surprise.

The Emperor did not grow angry at Gou Ye's look of astonishment; instead, he replied, "Indeed, tomorrow it is. This matter has long since become a lingering affliction in my heart, and resolving it sooner will allow me peace of mind a day earlier. In addition, the journey to Yanzhou is long; traveling there by carriage will take at least a month, so setting off early means arriving somewhat sooner."

"Understood, Your Majesty. Then allow this subject to return home to settle my affairs, after which I will go find Qian Ning to discuss this matter. I shall set out tomorrow morning."

Upon hearing this, the Emperor nodded and said, "Very well. For now, you are merely a compiler; although you also hold the title of Junior Preceptor, it is an empty rank in reality. I shall bestow this token upon you. Once you arrive in Yanzhou, seeing this token is akin to seeing me in person. Wherever you go and whichever officials you encounter, all are subject to the command of the two of you."

Goodness gracious! Such immense authority! Every official encountered along the way—not to mention a few of the fourth rank, with numerous fifth and sixth rank officials and below—would all be subject to their command. Wouldn't this be utterly exhilarating? However, since the Emperor dared to grant him such vast power, he must have made preparations long in advance. Gou Ye could not forget what the Emperor had mentioned regarding the covert Brocade Guard. If he were to act recklessly, he feared he would be executed by the Emperor's Brocade Guard before the officials of Yanzhou could even eliminate him. It seemed best to avoid using it unless absolutely necessary and to proceed with utmost caution. Thinking thus, Gou Ye lowered his head and received the token handed over by Eunuch Bai.

After accepting the token, the Emperor instructed, "Remember this above all during your journey: investigate openly while probing in secret. If you rely solely on open investigation, pressing them too hard will inevitably drive them to desperate measures. Secret investigation certainly carries perils, but the truth is often concealed in places that see no light, so the two of you must exercise the utmost caution."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your consideration. This subject shall engrave it upon my heart!"

"Very well, the hour is growing late; hurry home and make your arrangements. Find Qian Ning and discuss this thoroughly together. I shall await your good news here in the capital. If you succeed in this matter and do not disappoint me, I certainly will not let you down either!"

When spoken aloud, taken purely at face value, these words sounded rather ordinary: do a good job, return after it is accomplished, and I will treat you well. Yet viewed from another angle, they were equally equivalent to saying: handle this properly; if you fail and disappoint me, I shall also let you experience what disappointment truly means.

Meeting the Emperor's profound and meaningful gaze, Gou Ye hastily bowed and begged leave to withdraw. Walking out of the Imperial Study, he felt thoroughly disgruntled. Not only had he blunderingly accepted a hot potato, but it also carried the weight of high expectations. Leaving aside the Emperor's side for a moment, in Yanzhou there was no telling how many swords and axes were lying in wait for him. Just thinking about it made this an expedition where blessings were few and perils were many. With a sigh, Gou Ye had no choice but to hurry home and make his arrangements.

When Gou Ye informed his household that he was about to set out on a case investigation, Yun Niang's initially cheerful expression instantly transformed into one of overwhelming sorrow. She clutched Gou Ye and wept bitterly.

Gou Ye held her in his arms and comforted her, "There, there, silly girl, what is there to cry about? Your husband is merely going through the motions. The Emperor has taken a liking to me and is sending me to gain some credentials so that upon my return he can promote me and bestow honors. Rest assured, although the journey is somewhat long, there will be a whole entourage of people protecting us all the way—a full one or two hundred of them—so there will definitely be no problems whatsoever."

To keep Yun Niang from worrying, Gou Ye had no choice but to conceal the truth, intentionally portraying the matter as simple and lighthearted while exaggerating the number of traveling companions to put her at ease.

While comforting Yun Niang, Gou Ye instructed Laifu to summon the Guo brothers. As the two brothers arrived, Yun Niang forced herself to stop crying out of consideration, looking at Gou Ye with eyes full of sorrow and holding back her tears.

Guo Bingjin looked at Gou Ye and asked, "What instructions does the young master have for summoning the two of us?"

"The two of you, quickly go pack your luggage. Tomorrow morning, you will accompany me on a trip to Yanzhou. By the Emperor's decree, I am going there to investigate a case."

Upon hearing this, the two men immediately turned around to pack their belongings. At that moment, Dali walked in as well and said, "Master, you are taking the Guo brothers, but what about me? I also wish to accompany Master. Although I do not know martial arts, I can still attend to Master along the road."