Chapter 1106: Chapter 616: How Is the Great Ming Venerate Buddha (Double-Length)

That night, the moon was high in the deep night.

During late autumn, the Southern Borderlands showed little sign of coolness, instead unusually muggy, with mushrooms growing wildly between the wall cracks, and tangled shrubs crowding the eaves.

Qin Jingde left Gaoliang Mountain, rushed through the night, and after entering the city on horseback, he returned home to remove his armor before hastily heading out again. It was already deep into the night; every household had long since bolted doors and windows, while the patrolling guards in the streets occasionally stopped Qin Jingde. However, he merely showed them the badge of the Iron Scale Army, and the guards instantly fell silent and made way.

Contrary to the common knowledge of the Central Plains students,

Nanwei has many horses.

Hence the Iron Scale Army.

Before Duke Chu was assigned to the Southern Borderlands, Nanwei was already known for producing fine horses, referred to as Yunnan Horses and Barbarian Horses by the people of the time. These horses were hardy, adaptable, robust, agile, skilled in climbing mountains and crossing terrains, and capable of enduring long-distance labor. Among them, the Dali Horse was the finest, and these were the horses used on the Tea Horse Ancient Road. After Duke Chu was assigned to the Southern Borderlands, he crossed them with Da Wan Horses from the army. With persistence over generations, they successfully bred a unique breed known as Nanwei Horses.

Duke Chu once named this breed "Cloud Steed," though this name was seldom used and not well-known. Hence they are generally referred to as Nanwei Horses, but only the horses of the Iron Scale Army are formally labeled "Cloud Steed" in writing.

The horses used by the Iron Scale Army are the cream of the crop among Nanwei Horses.

The same applies to the people. Since Qin Xuzhi, Duke Chu, was assigned to the region, he has established camps and guards for his personal soldiers, generously ennobled merit officers, and strictly managed them. Military and civil matters are integrated, and from this setup, elite troops were drawn to form the Prince Mansion’s personal bodyguard, thus the Iron Scale Army came into being.

To this day, the Iron Scale Army mainly consists of Han, with Qin Family members taking the lead, while also absorbing outside commoners to strengthen their vitality. It is this framework, polished over generations, that forged today’s elite cavalry.

One could say the Iron Scale Army is the elite among the Qin Family’s personal troopers.

However, precisely as a member of the Iron Scale Army, Qin Jingde had a grand task tonight.

Upon reaching a certain courtyard gate, the door slowly opened a crack, and Qin Jingde slipped through as it closed again behind him.

Inside the great hall, those present were dressed variably, not as officers nor thieves, and among them were martial artists from the Jianghu with swords and knives, young nobles in feathered robes, and also supernatural people in kasayas and Daoist robes.

Upon close inspection, each was a figure from the Jianghu, many known far and wide.

If Chen Yi were here, he would certainly not be unfamiliar with such a scene.

Qin Jingde stepped forward through the crowd, clasping his fists he said: "Father."

By the flickering candlelight, an elderly silver-haired man sat in the main seat of the hall, appearing oblivious until the voice fell, when he rubbed his eyes and said: "Jingde, you’re here?"

"Father, I have arrived. Earlier, I was patrolling with Cousin Jingshan, I came late due to an intelligence report. However, it wasn’t without results; I met a person from the White Lotus Sect, upon initial assessment... around the fourth or fifth grade."

The once indifferent old man suddenly raised his eyes, and the people in the hall turned their heads to look. A fourth-rank master would be one in ten thousand even in the Central Plains, and in the remote Southern Borderlands, especially rare.

Even a fifth-rank master in this region would be treated as an honored guest by the Qin Family.

"Explain in detail," the old man said.

Qin Jingde recounted the situation, the old man listened slowly. Once Qin Jingde finished speaking, the elder pondered silently, the hall fell into serene silence, no voices dared to intervene.

The old man’s name was Qin Weini, one of the very few of the "Wei" generation left within the Qin Family, undoubtedly an elder among elders in the family.

"If we can pull this person in, even if he just stands by without intervention, it would be excellent."

The old man sighed as he stroked his beard.

Qin Jingde replied, "Father, I was thinking the same, so I left a line to make contact."

At this moment, a middle-aged man not far from the elder seemed to have disagreements but hesitated to speak.

"Speak."

Upon Qin Weini’s permission, the man spoke: "Uncle, at this crucial stage of action, should we still try to involve others?"

Qin Jingde’s words of intention to claim credit got stuck in his mouth, unable to come out.

Fortunately, Qin Weini resolved the situation for him, saying: "Hehe, your nephew shares your father’s caution, but the biggest fear in handling matters is being overly cautious, overly apprehensive. No matter how comprehensive one’s calculations are, human planning always falls short of celestial calculation.

Moreover, the matter we undertake... is a great one. You are not the only one with reservations."

Upon these words, the hall fell silent again, so quiet one could hear a pin drop.

A great matter, such as regicide.

After a long silence, Qin Weini personally spoke, breaking this silence, "I know each of you has your concerns, yet matters have reached this stage, retreat is no longer an option."

Having said that, he once again looked around the assembled people and continued:

"She, a woman, inheriting the throne, is inherently unjust, disrupting ethics, relying merely on the Divine Sect, and with the help of the Zhu Family, to maintain the situation. Today’s execution is only to right the chaos, reveal the truth to the world, and ensure your names endure eternally, keeping the rivers flowing forever."

With those words, everyone responded in unison.

He turned his head to look again at Qin Jingde, saying:

"...Contact him, but don’t rush to build a deeper relationship. Probe him, and if possible, let him assist in cleaning up, start a connection, and consider drawing him in. Though not usable now, he might be in the future."

"Understood!"

......

The long stairs lay hidden among the vegetation, extending endlessly into the sun-blocking forest.