Chapter 62: Internal Strife

[Wei Zhongxian and Wei Ting are essentially one and the same, so it was merely incidental.]

Finding this explanation acceptable, Wang Lu managed to reconcile himself with it.

Amidst the slanting autumn rain and chill winds, Wang Lu escorted Tian Ergeng to the Commander's Office. Just as he was about to leave, Tian Ergeng called out to him.

"Does my lord commander have any further instructions?" Wang Lu immediately asked.

With the Northern Bureau of Surveillance currently lacking a supreme commander, Wang Lu was waiting to seize this opportunity—leveraging the opening previously provided by Wei Zhongxian—to take over the affairs of the Northern Bureau.

After all, though Tian Ergeng was nominally in charge, he was the Commander-in-Chief himself and could not possibly handle the day-to-day operations of the Northern Bureau in person.

This was Wang Lu's golden opportunity.

Tian Ergeng's face was already swollen, making him look rather comical. Holding his cheek, he said, "Subsequent arrangements have already been settled with the Esteemed Director, but I sense the Director has reservations regarding Prince Xin, so I shall make the arrangements for Prince Xin's matter personally."

Wang Lu cupped his fists and said, "Naturally. With Commander Xu's unfortunate demise, Lord Tian is now the backbone of the Northern Bureau. The bureau will undoubtedly carry out whatever Lord Tian commands."

Tian Ergeng raised an eyebrow, clearly catching the underlying meaning in Wang Lu's words, and said, "However, Commander Xu's subordinate chiliarchs, Chang Zhi and Du Rong, have always been close to him. In the unlikely event that they discover Xu's death, things might go awry. Shall I accompany you to look into the matter?"

Wang Lu immediately refused, saying, "Thank you for your kind offer, my lord, but given your exalted position, a single move affects the whole body. Leave such a trifling matter to this humble subordinate. I shall certainly reason with them and make them understand that this must be done according to your arrangements and the Director's."

Tian Ergeng nodded with satisfaction. "Go ahead then. If things get out of hand, come find me. Do not let your pride ruin things."

Wang Lu cupped his fists. "I shall certainly not jeopardize the grand plans of you and the Director."

Leaving the Commander's Office, Wang Lu headed straight for the yamen of the Northern Bureau of Surveillance.

By this time, Lu Wenzhao had returned and already assembled the troops in the courtyard. The centurions, squadron leaders, and imperial guards were all fully armed and ready for action.

When Wang Lu entered, Chiliarch Chang Zhi standing in the center, along with Du Rong and Lu Wenzhao flanking him on either side, all turned their gazes toward Wang Lu simultaneously.

"What is the meaning of this?" Wang Lu demanded instantly.

"Chiliarch Wang, you're back. We already know what happened tonight. What on earth is your intention in trying to keep Commander Xu's fate a secret from us?!" Chang Zhi drew his blade and shouted.

Amidst the tense, sword-drawn atmosphere, Wang Lu caught sight of Lin Guo, who had been tied up.

That fellow truly was unreliable. First tracking Guo Zhen, and now leaking the details when escorting Xu Xianchun back to the bureau yamen—he had exposed Wang Lu's hand completely. It seemed he could no longer be entrusted with serious missions in the future.

Since neither of these two were plot-relevant characters, the system did not trigger any quests.

With a dark expression, Wang Lu said, "Keep it a secret from you? How did I keep anything secret? When Commander Xu met with disaster, I was merely afraid that spreading the news would cause panic. Am I not back now precisely to inform you of this? Yet now you point your sword at me? Pointing it at a chiliarch of the Northern Bureau! Do you know what you are doing?!"

"If my men hadn't happened to run into yours and captured him, would you ever have told us that Commander Xu met with misfortune?" Chang Zhi sneered. "I suspect you are linked to the assassins who murdered Commander Xu. You would do well to surrender without a struggle and confess everything you've done."

As his voice trailed off, Du Rong chimed in from the side, "We have already questioned the men from the Commander's Office. It was precisely your subordinate who informed Commander Xu that something was amiss at Guo Zhen's residence, which is why the Commander rushed out in the middle of the night without his full guard."

The two men spoke in tight succession, playing off each other seamlessly. After finishing, they both stared fixedly at Wang Lu with undisguised hostility.

Meanwhile, Lu Wenzhao, who usually played the role of a peaceable man on the surface, also spoke with stern severity at this moment, saying, "At first, your squadron leader Lin Guo even tried to cover it up. It was only when Lord Chang's men overturned the carriage that Commander Xu's death was discovered. You concealed the situation regarding Commander Xu; you owe us an explanation!"

Wang Lu remained unfazed in the face of danger. Although the opposing side possessed three chiliarchs, Lu Wenzhao should logically be excluded from that count—at least his questioning remarks were, in reality, affording Wang Lu an opening.

In terms of allegiance, even if Wang Lu did not display the level of loyalty to Prince Xin that Lu Wenzhao imagined, he was still far preferable to the likes of Chang Zhi and Du Rong.

Judging by Tian Ergeng's hypocritical demeanor, he inherently intended for Wang Lu to return to the Northern Bureau and let his subordinates tear at each other like dogs.

However, Wang Lu did not mind this at all. To seize power, how could one avoid taking risks?

Therefore, Wang Lu stated bluntly, "You all merely wish to know why I concealed Commander Xu's death. There is no need to frighten yourselves; before returning, I went with Commander Tian to report to the Director's residence. The Director himself agrees that it is currently inadvisable to make the death public, lest it throw our ranks into panic."

Raising his arms, Wang Lu shouted, "This means even the Director believes I acted correctly! What is it you want to do now? Are you attempting a rebellion?!"

Driven by excellent discipline, the men behind Wang Lu instantly drew their blades.

Wang Lu felt a surge of satisfaction at their response, then sneered, "The Director has temporarily placed the Northern Bureau under the command of Commander Tian, with myself assisting the Commander in managing all affairs of the bureau."

"If you do not sheath your swords now, should something go awry, we shall see whose side the Director takes!"

"Bullshit!" Chang Zhi gnashed his teeth. "You damn upstart from the border garrisons, you've barely been a centurion for two years—what gives you the right to throw your weight around here?! Even without Commander Xu, this Northern Bureau is damn well not your place to call the shots!"

Du Rong glanced at Chang Zhi. Catching the signal, he immediately understood and bellowed, "Take him down! Commander Xu met with disaster, yet he only sent back a single squadron leader and delayed this long. Who knows if he was covering for the assassins? Take him down first and throw him into the imperial prison for interrogation!"

Yet their subordinates hesitated, failing to step forward immediately.

Chang Zhi added, "Is the Director someone you can just see whenever you please? Don't listen to his rambling nonsense; the Director would never hand the Northern Bureau over to the Commander. He's just talking through his hat! Take him down!"

"As you command!" With the threat of the Director seemingly dismissed, some men naturally answered the call.

Chang Zhi's deputy chiliarch immediately brandished his saber and roared, "Charge!"

Not a single platoon leader was present among them; the lowest rank was squadron leader, and all were middle-ranking core officers.

As the ringleaders among the fourteen chiliarchs, Du Rong and Chang Zhi naturally commanded fierce and capable men.

Now they surged forward as one, reeking of murderous intent. This caused Wang Lu's subordinates to tighten their grips on their embroidered spring blades, eager for action. The gleam of some blades even flashed past Wang Lu, waiting only for the enemy to close the distance before striking.

On the very night the commander of the Northern Bureau met his end, an armed brawl was on the verge of erupting right here.