As the head of Dali Temple, she would not let a bad person go, nor would she wrongly accuse a good one.
Although Xiu He was loyal to her master, her words were just one side of the story. She still needed to personally investigate the truth.
After all, this matter involved the Luo family, who were regional commanders and controlled tens of thousands of Wei troops. Any slight misstep could lead to a military mutiny.
She recalled that during the Qinghe rebellion, she had even asked her uncle to use the Crown Prince's token to borrow troops from the Luo regional commander.
Although the Luo regional commander arrived after the commoners had dispersed, he had come, and the Cui family owed him a favor.
However, if the Luo father and son were truly involved in corruption and lawbreaking, she would report them to the imperial court and bring them to justice.
"Miss, are you going alone? Aren't you waiting for Lord Song?" Li Fu was a little worried.
After all, this was Yangzhou, not the capital. The漕帮 (Cao Bang) was a local power with connections to the officials. If there was danger, their martial arts skills might not be enough.
"We're not going to fight, so what are you afraid of?" Yu Mingyue mounted her horse and galloped away.
Li Fu dared not let Yu Mingyue go alone and followed closely behind.
Yangzhou was indeed a prosperous land. The漕运码头 (cao yun ma tou) here was even wider and livelier than in the capital. The ships coming and going were majestic, yet orderly.
"Miss, it looks like a scene of prosperity," Li Fu said.
"What the eyes see is not always the truth. Look at those guards," Yu Mingyue nodded slightly.
"Are those people from the 漕帮?"
"Xiu He said yesterday that the 漕帮 was colluding with the Luo family. In reality, Luo Jingyu was in charge. It seems the words were not false. Look at the weapons those guards are carrying."
Li Fu then noticed that the sabers at the guards' waists were military-issue. Great Wei law clearly stipulated that unauthorized use of military weapons would result in one hundred strokes of the cane and confiscation of property. The 漕帮 was incredibly bold.
"The 漕帮 is so blatant, Miss, you can arrest them now."
"Then what should we do?"
"It seems today we have to..." Before Yu Mingyue could finish the words "bleed heavily," she saw Song Yumíng and Xie Jiaxian dismount from a cargo ship. "It seems someone has beaten us to it."
Song Yumíng felt a little awkward seeing Yu Mingyue, especially after last night... But seeing Xie Jiaxian beside him acting naturally, he calmed down. If the person involved wasn't embarrassed, why should he be?
"Good morning, brothers. You have a good eye for enjoying the breeze at the dock so early in the morning." Yu Mingyue stepped onto the deck but was stopped by a guard. Xie Jiaxian waved his hand, and the guard immediately stepped aside.
"Is Brother Xie acquainted with the 漕帮?" Yu Mingyue looked at Xie Jiaxian with a hint of doubt.
Song Yumíng sensed something was amiss. Last night, Yu Mingyue had called Xie Daren "Jiaxian Gege," but overnight it had become "Brother Xie." What exactly had happened between them last night?
Xie Jiaxian nodded. "The head of the 漕帮 and Sect Leader Ye are old acquaintances."
An old acquaintance of my fifth uncle? Is the 漕帮 backed by the Sage?
Yu Mingyue's expression changed slightly. Xie Jiaxian knew she understood and nodded almost imperceptibly.
Yu Mingyue's mind went blank. Why would the Sage control the 漕帮? Were the Luo father and son working for the Sage?
"The head of the 漕帮 is well-connected in Yangzhou. Today, I've brought Lord Song to meet him, which will be convenient for your investigation later," Xie Jiaxian said.
"But..."
"We'll talk about it when we get back."
Yu Mingyue nodded. Although she was shocked by the relationship between Xie Jiaxian and Hua Chaofei, she still trusted Xie Jiaxian. Since he said so, there must be a reason.
They had all arrived on horseback, and within half an hour, they reached the inn. Just as Yu Mingyue was about to return to her room, Xie Jiaxian called out to her, "Liu Niang, I have something to tell you."
Seeing that the two had been silent all the way and the atmosphere was strange, Song Yumíng returned to his own room after entering the inn, giving them enough space.