Zhang Xin stood silently in the hall, his gaze lingering on the doorway long after Cao Xing had left.
The matter of the Quanzhou magistrate was, on the surface, resolved—but in truth, it had only just begun.
Forging case records, concealing pirate raids, allowing civilians to die without reporting it… under the laws of the late Han Dynasty, such crimes rarely warranted execution. At most, dismissal from office. Perhaps exile if the court chose to be strict.
But Zhang Xin had seen the bamboo slips with his own eyes.
Dozens of corpses.
Hundreds of "missing persons."
If this kind of official could simply remove his robes and walk away clean, then what meaning did governance hold? What meaning did law have?
So he chose another path.
A colder one.
Gu Yong, still standing nearby, hesitated before speaking."My lord… was it truly necessary?"
Zhang Xin didn't turn around.
"Tell me, Yuan Tan," he said calmly, "if an official hides bandits and lets the people die without reporting it, what should be his crime?"
Gu Yong lowered his head."According to the law… dismissal."
"And according to your heart?"
Gu Yong fell silent.
After a long pause, he said softly,"…death."
Zhang Xin finally turned, a faint, almost imperceptible smile on his lips.
"Then the law is too light."
He walked slowly back to his seat and picked up one of the bamboo slips again.
"The law governs the world," he continued, "but when the law fails to protect the people, someone must step beyond it."
Gu Yong frowned slightly. "But if word spreads—"
"It won't," Zhang Xin cut him off.
His tone was calm, but carried a weight that made the room feel colder.
"Pirates roam the Bohai. A dismissed former magistrate, traveling with wealth, dies at sea. Who would question it?"
Gu Yong understood.
Not because it was flawless—but because it was plausible.
And in chaotic times, plausibility was often enough.
Zhang Xin then shifted the topic, as if the matter were already behind him.
"Quanzhou must change," he said. "If pirates can land freely, it means we have no control of the sea."
He looked directly at Gu Yong.
"You will take charge here. Not just administration—naval construction as well."
Gu Yong straightened immediately. "Yes, my lord."
"First, choose a harbor. Then build ships—small, fast ones for patrol. Train archers. Set watch posts along the coast."
Zhang Xin paused, then added:
"And recruit locals who understand the sea. Fishermen, salt workers… anyone who knows the tides."
Gu Yong nodded, already organizing the tasks in his mind.
But Zhang Xin's thoughts had already drifted elsewhere.
To the east.
To Donglai.
To a man who, in another timeline, would one day cross seas and fight under Liu Bei and later Sun Quan.
Taishi Ci.
"If I remember correctly…" Zhang Xin murmured, almost to himself, "he should be in Liaodong by now."
Gu Yong looked up. "My lord?"
Zhang Xin waved his hand lightly.
"Nothing. Just thinking about a man."
A very valuable man.
Naval warfare.
In the north, it was almost nonexistent.
But Zhang Xin knew better.
In the years to come, rivers and seas would decide the fate of empires. Whoever controlled the waters would control movement, supply, and ultimately—power.
Quanzhou was just the beginning.
And Taishi Ci…
might be the key.
Zhang Xin placed the bamboo slip down and gave his next order:
"Prepare a letter."
Gu Yong stepped forward. "To whom, my lord?"
Zhang Xin's eyes narrowed slightly.
"To Liaodong."
He paused, then added with quiet certainty:
"We're going to bring someone back."