Chapter 50#

Something must be wrong.#

Shen Chen stared at Wen Zhuo’s upright departing figure, lost in thought.

Could Wen Zhuo truly be so ruthless? To sacrifice the entire Wen clan as a bargaining chip just to elevate Shen Zheng to power?

Or was he merely bluffing, with no other viable strategy left?

Beside him, the murmurs of two imperial censors drifted into his ears—

“That Minister Wen has been idle and negligent for years, and yet he’s finally stepped up on this matter.”

“After all, the emperor’s favor toward him is a thousand times stronger than toward others. Since the founding of our Great Qian dynasty, has anyone ever reached his position at such a young age?”

“Eh, I don’t agree with that. If it were you, would you be willing to donate your entire fortune to disaster relief?”

“Well…”

“See? You hesitated. Just in terms of this resolve, none of us can match Minister Wen.”

“Alright, Brother Wei is quite right.”

The longer Shen Chen listened, the heavier his heart sank.

Strange!

In the previous life, when Wen Zhuo was assisting him, his reputation deteriorated day by day. All the court officials were furious but dared not speak out, afraid of offending this rare and powerful minister.

That was why, after he ascended the throne, impeaching Wen Zhuo went so smoothly—using one man to win the willing submission of hundreds.

But in this life, Wen Zhuo’s reputation was actually getting better and better!

At this moment, the treasury was empty, and the court was in urgent need of contributions from wealthy civilians. With just a few words, Wen Zhuo had resolved Emperor Shunyuan’s pressing crisis.

Overjoyed, Emperor Shunyuan was also generous: “I specially appoint you as Inspector-General of Border Patrols, with the authority of the Son of Heaven to patrol Mianzhou, assisting Fifth Prince Shen Zheng in relieving the victims of Xing and Jing Prefectures. From the moment you receive this edict, all civil and military officials in Mianzhou and below shall be at your disposal. Anyone who delays or shirks responsibility will be punished according to military law!”

Wen Zhuo lifted his robe and knelt: “Your subject will not fail Your Majesty’s trust.”

“Rise quickly.” Emperor Shunyuan waved his hand repeatedly, his tone full of concern, “Your constitution has always been frail, and this journey is long. Be sure to take good care of yourself. If there’s anything you need, just ask me.”

Such meticulous instructions were not even given to the princes. The officials looked on with burning envy, thinking that Wen Zhuo’s imperial favor was truly unprecedented.

Emperor Shunyuan was so focused on speaking with Wen Zhuo that he completely forgot about Xie Langyang, who was standing by with a bent back.

Xie Langyang had remained bowed for a long time. Seeing no indication from the throne, he could only straighten up awkwardly.

He looked at Wen Zhuo, bathed in light up ahead, his mood complicated.

In the previous life, after the downfall of the Virtuous Prince, they had traced the clues and found the shadow of Wen Yingjing in the Virtuous Prince’s interest chain in Mianzhou.

Although the new emperor had granted a general amnesty upon his ascension, that didn’t mean they wouldn’t settle accounts later.

And this Wen Yingjing was very shrewd—he immediately donated his entire fortune to relieve the famine-stricken refugees of Bozhou, earning the title of “Great Sage,” forcing Shen Chen to show leniency.

Xie Langyang found it hard to believe that Wen Zhuo could be so heartless toward Wen Yingjing.

He had long known that Wen Yingjing was not Wen Zhuo’s biological father.

Wen Zhuo had come into the Wen family with his mother when she remarried. For years, he had lived in comfort and enjoyed respect. It was because Wen Yingjing had hired renowned local scholars to teach him that he was able to pass the metropolitan examination at seventeen and secure the rank of bangyan (second place in the palace examination).

Xie Langyang knew how difficult the examinations were. Born into a noble family, he had received the strictest education and frequently consulted with successful candidates to improve his essays, yet he only managed to achieve the top score (zhuangyuan) at twenty-one.

Wen Zhuo was nearly five years younger than him, which showed how much Wen Yingjing had invested.

And Wen Zhuo felt not even a trace of gratitude for such nurturing kindness?

The Great Qian dynasty ruled through filial piety. Even if Wen Yingjing was only a stepfather, Wen Zhuo was expected to treat him with utmost deference, just like the filial son Min Ziqian who endured cold in reed coats for his stepmother’s sake.

If Wen Zhuo showed no favoritism toward his parents and brothers and acted strictly according to the law, then their entire scheme was a complete joke.

They had not only used their limited foresight to help Wen Zhuo bring down the Virtuous Prince but also created an opportunity for Shen Zheng to earn merit.

Xie Langyang was burning with anxiety, yet utterly helpless. He could only pray that he was wrong—that Wen Zhuo hadn’t become so ruthless.

“Withdraw from court—” Liu Quan shouted loudly.

The officials immediately adjusted their court robes, bowed, and prostrated themselves.

Wen Zhuo rose unhurriedly, brushed the dust off his knees, and was soon surrounded.

“Minister Wen!” Xue Chongnian’s eyes sparkled, his admiration practically pouring out, “I am truly ashamed! I had no idea you were such a noble soul!”

Wen Zhuo lowered his lashes slightly and smiled, shaking his head: “Don’t flatter me. Anyone would do the same in the face of such a national crisis.”

“No, no, no!” Xue Chongnian was very serious, indignant, “I dare guarantee that no one else in the entire court would donate their entire fortune to relieve the disaster.”

Wen Zhuo’s expression was modest: “Minister Xue exaggerates. My salary is still safely stored away. I’ve merely persuaded my own family to be generous.”

“Given our relationship, I’ll be blunt—what can a salary do? You can’t even afford a few extra servants. Minister Wen, please stop being modest.” Xue Chongnian rambled on, this time genuinely in awe.

As they neared the gate of the Hall of Martial Valor, Wen Zhuo caught sight of Xie Langyang, looking dazed.

He deliberately stopped and turned, smiling: “Vice Minister Xie is quick-witted and brilliant. Just now, you thought of me and solved His Majesty’s problem. You must be overjoyed, right?”

Xie Langyang’s face was gloomy, not a trace of joy in sight.

He opened his mouth and murmured, “Wanshan, are you really—”

Xue Chongnian was still beside them, expressing his admiration, so Xie Langyang couldn’t finish.

He wanted to ask Wen Zhuo if he could truly abandon the debt of life and upbringing and stop at nothing for the struggle for succession.

Wen Zhuo took in the disappointment and confusion in his eyes, a hint of contempt tugging at the corner of his mouth: “I am truly delighted by this incredible stroke of luck. Vice Minister Xie, rest assured, I will not let down you and His Highness’s good intentions.”

“Wanshan, are you doing this out of spite? If you truly deplete your family’s wealth, how will your parents and siblings live?”

Xie Langyang still couldn’t believe it. He himself couldn’t explain whether this innate resistance came from concern for Wen’s elders or from his own fragile self-esteem.

Wen Zhuo slowly shook his head, his tone laced with mockery: “So this is what it’s like to watch a mediocre man waste his efforts. How amusing.”

Xue Chongnian chimed in: “Vice Minister Xie, what do you mean ‘how will they live’? The court will pay it back, won’t it? Minister Wen’s level of understanding—you should learn from it!”

Xie Langyang: “…”

In fact, it wasn’t surprising that these two bastards were shocked. Wen Zhuo had never revealed the truth about his family to them.

When he first met Xie Langyang, Xie had been the picture of a noble scion—surrounded by servants, demanding the finest pine oil lamps in his residence, refusing to wear anything less than Yun brocade from Juanshu Pavilion, and insisting on paper that was white, supple, and non-bleeding for practice and writing.

Seeing how freely Xie Langyang and the other examinees tipped several silver taels at a time, Wen Zhuo had felt a mix of emotions.

He had to claim he came from a wealthy family to avoid being ostracized.

Fortunately, he did know the life of rural gentry—only, that life had never been his.

It was a case of unintended success. His one private act of preserving his dignity in the previous life had become an unexpected turning point in this one.

While Xie Langyang and Shen Chen were stuck halfway through their venture, nursing a bitter grudge, the Virtuous Prince’s faction wasn’t faring much better.

Bu Zhangyi and other trusted ministers had abandoned their official duties and gathered at the Virtuous Prince’s mansion to discuss countermeasures.

The Virtuous Prince sat in the master seat, pressing his fingers against his brow, his forehead creased into a deep frown as he said in a low voice, “Don’t you all think Shen Zheng has been rising a bit too fast lately?”

Bu Zhangyi disagreed: “This time, Your Highness lost some of His Majesty’s favor due to the matter of mistreating the Crown Prince. It’s understandable that His Majesty didn’t choose you. It’s not that Shen Zheng is rising too fast.”

“That’s not right!” Tang Guangzhi immediately retorted, “Then why didn’t His Majesty choose the Fourth Prince or the Sixth Prince?”

Bu Zhangyi: “Blame it on His Majesty’s waist belt coming loose. Eunuch Liu mentioned it, and that reminded His Majesty of the Fifth Prince.”

Shang Zhichen slapped his thigh: “What’s the point of dwelling on this now? The urgent matter is that we absolutely must not let Shen Zheng succeed in the relief efforts! If he wins both the emperor’s favor and the people’s hearts, what will happen to His Highness the Virtuous Prince?”

“This…” Tang Guangzhi looked troubled, hesitating to speak.

While it was right to obstruct Shen Zheng, were they really supposed to watch the millions of people in Xing and Jing Prefectures starve to death?

The Virtuous Prince scanned the faces of his advisors. Seeing that few supported Shang Zhichen, he put on a sorrowful expression and shook his head: “No! How could I put millions of lives at risk for my own selfish desires?”

Shang Zhichen urged: “Your Highness, we absolutely cannot allow another mortal enemy to grow!”

The Virtuous Prince raised his hand to stop him, his stance firm: “Let’s think of another way.”

Bu Zhangyi, seeing that the Virtuous Prince had made up his mind, finally breathed a sigh of relief and turned to chide Shang Zhichen: “Shanggong, you’re playing with fire! The people regard food as their heaven. Starving people go mad. If we push the people of two prefectures into rebellion, Shen Zheng might not gain merit, but what good would a tottering Great Qian dynasty be to His Highness?”

“Then what do you suggest? Should the Ministry of Revenue just help them gather the money and grain and hand Shen Zheng a free favor?” Shang Zhichen was also irritated.

Tang Guangzhi stepped in as a peacemaker: “President Wen said his clan would drain their fortune to gather the grain. Don’t forget, his father Wen Yingjing is one of the top spice merchants in Mianzhou.”

“Mianzhou…” The Virtuous Prince’s eyes narrowed sharply. That was his biggest source of revenue—it truly stung. “Wen Zhuo has never been involved in factional struggles. He probably won’t deliberately oppose me.”

Bu Zhangyi said: “Rest assured, Your Highness. We’ve always been cautious and won’t leave any loose ends. But the prefect of Mianzhou probably won’t survive this time.”

Concealing disaster reports was no small matter. Once Wen Zhuo arrived, there would be no way to hide it.

For years, Mianzhou had secretly converted rice paddies into spice fields, leaving a huge hole in grain taxes. They had relied on purchasing grain from Xing and Jing Prefectures to fill the gap, and the prefectural granaries had been empty for years.

Now that Xing and Jing were suffering disasters and had their own problems, Mianzhou dared not follow their example and cry to the court.

Because once the accounts were compared, their years of seizing farmland and amassing wealth would be impossible to conceal.

A secret letter from Mianzhou had already been delivered to Bu Zhangyi’s residence, but Bu Zhangyi hadn’t replied.

The Virtuous Prince was silent for a long time before speaking slowly: “Zhongqing’s foresight is profound. Fortunately, our line does not depend on any single prefect.”

Bu Zhangyi accepted the praise but added: “But for a while, I’m afraid we’ll have to tighten our belts.”

The last leaf from the old locust tree in the palace was swept away by the autumn wind. The moment it touched the golden bricks, a young eunuch quickly picked it up. The vast Forbidden City remained as clean as washed.

After court, Wen Zhuo went straight to the Hanlin Academy.

This round trip to Mianzhou would take considerable time, so he needed to hand over all academy affairs properly.

Especially for dullards like Gong Weide, who required repeated instructions to avoid mistakes when serving as a tutor.

After finishing his business at the academy, Wen Zhuo took a small sedan chair back to his residence. As soon as he stepped through the gate, Liu Qi hurried up to him: “My lord, Their Highnesses are waiting for you at the Marquis of Yongning’s residence.”

Wen Zhuo nodded, took out a handkerchief to wipe the thin dust from his face, and after waking up a bit, lifted the hidden passage entrance in the back courtyard.

The stone steps had been repaired neatly, and oil lamps hung along the passage. As he reached the bottom, he saw Shen Zheng standing with his arms crossed, leaning against the wall, his figure drawn long by the lamplight.

Wen Zhuo paused mid-step: “Your Highness, why are you waiting here?”

Shen Zheng lifted his gaze, a light burning in the depths of his dark eyes: “I just wanted to wait for you.”

“…”

Your Highness, what kind of reason is that!

…Strangely pleasing.

The passage was narrow, and as they walked side by side, their shoulders occasionally bumped and arms brushed against arms, but neither suggested moving apart.

“Why did Xie Langyang recommend you?” Shen Zheng suddenly asked. “Could it be a trap?”

Wen Zhuo chuckled softly: “With their brains, what kind of trap could they set?”

Shen Zheng sighed inwardly. His little cat in the dark still didn’t know that the Mianzhou assignment was the most troublesome—because even if he truly stripped his family of all their wealth, there would be no grain to borrow. Mianzhou itself was in dire straits.

“Your Highness came to see me—surely not just for this?”

“We’ll discuss it in detail later. Huang Ting and Mo Shu are also there.”

“Huang Ting?” Wen Zhuo paused, his expression hesitant.

“Yes, I asked him to come. As the Crown Prince’s steward, no one knows the Virtuous Prince better than him. Today, Bu Zhangyi and Tang Guangzhi were practically singing a duet, clearly trying to get the Virtuous Prince to take over the relief effort. From now on, I’m afraid the Virtuous Prince will see me as a thorn in his side.” Shen Zheng smiled slightly, reaching out to steady Wen Zhuo’s elbow as he helped him up the steps. “I need to know my enemy and know myself, or how else will I counter their moves?”

“Aren’t you afraid his loyalties aren’t settled yet? That he might still be hiding things from you?”

“When you employ someone, you trust them. Besides, everyone has their secrets, right, Teacher?”

Wen Zhuo immediately turned his head to look at him, his heart lifting just a little. His lips were pressed together cautiously, his eyes hiding his emotions well.

But Shen Zheng only patted his side with a broad palm and said with a smile: “Hurry up.”

When they emerged from the passage, Huang Ting and Mo Shu rose to their feet.

Today, the Marquis of Yongning was absent, and Jun Dingyuan was busy with the affairs of the Three Great Camps, so only the four of them were in the study.

Huang Ting cupped his hands in salute: “So the President of the Academy is one of Your Highness’s men. No wonder that day when I came bearing gifts on behalf of the Crown Prince, the President ignored me completely.”

Wen Zhuo didn’t tell him to dispense with formalities; instead, he studied him with narrowed eyes: “It’s been so long, and you’re still brooding about that, Steward Huang?”

Huang Ting shook his head: “That’s all in the past. I consider myself proud and have never been well-liked, but I’m still a man of loyalty. Your Highness has treated me well, so I will be completely honest.”

Seeing that he didn’t seem to be lying, Wen Zhuo finally gestured for everyone to sit: “You’re here to talk about the Virtuous Prince. Do you know how he planned this relief mission?”

“Exactly.” Huang Ting had followed the Crown Prince for years. He knew the Crown Prince’s faction thoroughly and had a clear picture of the Virtuous Prince too. His gaze turned heavy. “Your Highness spent ten years as a hostage and may not know this, but few of the officials in this court aren’t up to their necks in money-lust. In the past, Qianzhou and Nanzhou were the Crown Prince’s channels, while Liangzhou and Mianzhou were the Virtuous Prince’s moneybags. Even the cabinet ministers, who pride themselves on being upright, have thousands of acres of questionable farmland. It’s true that the Ministry of Revenue has no silver—Bu Zhangyi didn’t lie—but the Virtuous Prince’s silver could probably stack up into a mountain. If the relief effort had fallen on his head, he would have handled it without a hitch.”

Shen Zheng raised an eyebrow: “I’m all ears.”

Huang Ting continued: “Cao Fangzheng took a fall because he was too ostentatious, his methods for collecting money crude. I already told the Crown Prince to rein in Cao’s faction, but he went his own way and wouldn’t heed my advice. When it comes to gathering wealth, the Virtuous Prince’s side is much smarter. If Your Highness wants to bring him down, it will be a hundred times harder than it was for them to bring down the Crown Prince.”

“Oh?” Shen Zheng thought, This Huang Ting has really been a good acquisition. He seems to have something.

Then Huang Ting changed the subject and asked: “Has Your Highness heard of the Granary Commissioner of the Ministry of Revenue?”