Chapter 61#

Upon Hearing It Was Qi Hanzhou, the Crown Prince Quickly Shouted, “What Are You Standing Around For? Hurry Up!”#

The Eastern Palace attendants had not yet rushed to the storeroom to retrieve the ledgers when the Embroidered Uniform Guard had already arrived, surrounding the Eastern Palace inside and out, blocking any palace personnel attempting to leave. This show of force caught the Eastern Palace completely off guard.

Qi Hanzhou’s gaze swept over the Eastern Palace guards. Noticing two of them subtly stepping back, he ordered coldly, “No one, including the guards, is to leave the Eastern Palace. If the number diminishes by even one, you will all be dealt with according to the regulations.”

At these words, the palace attendants who had intended to send word immediately stopped in their tracks.

By then, Qi Hanzhou had already stepped into the Eastern Palace. The Crown Prince’s expression tightened at the sight of him. He wouldn’t have been this nervous facing other officials, but Qi Hanzhou was different. He was a member of the Qi family first, then the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Behind him stood the Qi family army that dominated the northern frontier, and beside him were Embroidered Uniform Guards loyal only to him. As long as the emperor’s decree allowed it, no one could stop him.

“Your subordinate pays respects to Your Highness the Crown Prince and Her Majesty the Empress.” Qi Hanzhou’s face was as cold as frost as he bowed respectfully. “Acting on imperial orders, the Court of Judicial Review has submitted an old case concerning a craftsman, which involves the Eastern Palace. The Censorate has jointly impeached Your Highness. By His Majesty’s command, I am here to review the Eastern Palace’s accounts. I hope you will both cooperate to prove His Highness’s innocence.”

Accounts…?

At these words, Empress Xu immediately thought of that jade beast statue. She caught a flicker of panic on the Crown Prince’s face. Recently, due to the Riverside Slope case, the Ministry of Revenue under the Great Prince had repeatedly used the old craftsman case to drag the Ministry of Works into the mud. The Ministry of Works had only managed to extricate itself by producing clear accounts. They were accustomed to handling such craftsman cases and had countermeasures. Even if there were problems with the craftsmen, it shouldn’t have involved the Eastern Palace—that was the Ministry of Works’ affair!

Since it now involved the Eastern Palace, it meant the accounts for that jade beast statue were likely problematic. Normally, this would be a minor issue, but with the Ministry of Works’ accounts under repeated scrutiny due to the Riverside Slope case, they had no way to cover up a loophole as large as that jade beast statue.

“Since you are here on imperial orders to audit the accounts, the Eastern Palace will naturally cooperate. However, the Eastern Palace has many trivial matters—purchases by the Internal Affairs Office, handling by the Kunning Palace, supervision by the Ministry of Works. Commander Qi, I doubt you can clearly audit the Eastern Palace’s accounts,” Empress Xu said calmly.

The Crown Prince felt a surge of gratitude upon hearing Empress Xu take charge of the matter. Hiding his emotions, he hurriedly tried to discreetly order his attendants to handle things. He still had his shadow guards; if he could stall Qi Hanzhou here, he might still have a chance to fill the loophole.

“Your Highness, our people can’t get out,” an attendant whispered. “Commander Qi has blocked all the palace gates and is keeping count. If even one person is missing, it will be treated as an offense.”

The Crown Prince’s expression shifted slightly. Keeping count… That meant no one from outside could get in, and no one inside dared to leave.

The Eastern Palace’s assassins could probably avoid the Embroidered Uniform Guard, but if they exposed their identities in the process, the Eastern Palace would have far more than just a single ledger to worry about.

At that moment, the palace attendant in charge of the Eastern Palace’s accounts was brought forward.

The Crown Prince’s face stiffened as Qi Hanzhou took the Eastern Palace’s ledgers and carefully examined them, confirming something. The more the Crown Prince watched his expression, the more panicked he became. Now, his only hope was that the Kunning Palace’s accounts could balance things out. If he could shift the blame to Kunning Palace, the Eastern Palace’s accounts would be fine.

“Since Your Majesty says so, I will request an imperial order to audit the Kunning Palace’s accounts as well,” Qi Hanzhou said, turning to Empress Xu. “The Court of Judicial Review is currently hearing the case, and all the officials from the Ministry of Works are present. These details will need to be cross-examined in court.”

He bowed and said, “His Majesty has personally arrived at the Court of Judicial Review. I ask Your Highness to accompany me there to prove the Eastern Palace’s innocence.”

Empress Xu’s expression shifted slightly, while the Crown Prince’s face turned utterly grim.

…

Outside the Court of Judicial Review, the courtroom had never been so lively. Since the corruption investigation last year, this was the first case involving officials from three ministries. Seated at the main bench were the Chief Judge of the Court of Judicial Review and Censor-in-Chief Xiao. Seated below was the Sixth Prince, Your Highness.

The Sixth Prince served as a supervisor of the Court of Judicial Review. It was only natural for him to be present to observe the trial.

When this jade sculptor case was submitted to the Court of Judicial Review, the Chief Judge had immediately sent for the Sixth Prince to oversee proceedings. Ever since the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review had returned from his southern mission as an imperial envoy, the officials of the court had unanimously agreed: when faced with a major case, don’t panic—just invite the Sixth Prince. As long as he sat there, he was the court’s greatest shield.

But none of them had expected the emperor himself to arrive.

The emperor, unusually dressed in plain clothes, entered the courtroom with only Eunuch Rong and the Imperial Guard Commander following behind. The moment he stepped in, the Chief Judge’s legs nearly gave way. Even during the massive corruption case back then, the emperor had not come to the Court of Judicial Review in person. Yet now, he had.

The emperor waved his hand, signaling the officials to dispense with formalities. His gaze swept over them as he ascended to the high seat.

Ying Fusheng, who had been standing, rose as well. The emperor glanced at his frail frame and ordered a seat to be prepared for him.

“What about the Eastern Palace? How is it over there?” an official from the Ministry of Works whispered.

Another replied, “The Xu family has already sent people to the Eastern Palace to inquire. We can only stall for time here.”

When the emperor appeared at the Court of Judicial Review, news spread quickly through the officials’ networks to the other princes. Within less than the time it takes to burn two incense sticks, successive announcements rang out from the court.

“His Highness the Great Prince has arrived—”

“His Highness the Third Prince has arrived—”

“Grand Secretary Xu has arrived—”

A crowd of princes arrived upon hearing the news. Ying Fusheng sat properly, with Shen Yunfei and Song An standing behind him. Weng Yanqing stood in the ranks of the Ministry of War, having come together with Shen Changcun.

He looked up and saw Grand Secretary Xu walking in slowly.

Grand Secretary Xu’s expression was no longer as calm as it had been during the Riverside Slope case. After bowing to the emperor, his gaze fell on Ying Fusheng. Ying Fusheng met his eyes without flinching. Not far away, the officials from the Ministry of Works looked pale, though their expressions improved slightly at the sight of Grand Secretary Xu—but not by much.

Because the Chief Judge had already begun hearing the case. The entire matter revolved around a jade craftsman from the Ministry of Works several years ago.

This situation was completely unexpected. There had been so many craftsman cases recently that the Ministry of Works, in order to guard against the Ministry of Revenue and the Court of Judicial Review, had obtained all the case files involving craftsmen from the Riverside Slope case. They never imagined that such a seemingly unrelated case had slipped in, leaving them no time to prepare when it was impeached before His Majesty.

The Ministry of Works oversaw many types of craftsmen. Most of the craftsmen who had recently gotten into trouble were under the Road Construction Bureau. The submission of this jade sculptor case was truly abrupt. The jade sculptor claimed to be a craftsman of the Ministry of Works and had been harassed by the Ministry for failing to pay his fees. He reported that a Ministry of Works vice minister had embezzled funds meant for jade sculptors.

This was originally a minor issue. The Ministry of Works could have covered up the accounts of a single craftsman.

But unfortunately, the statue this craftsman had worked on was that jade beast statue that had been displayed before the civil and military officials. When the Ministry of Works tried to balance the accounts, they discovered that there had never been any clear records of it from the start. Several Ministry of Works officials had privately purchased the jade to curry favor with the Eastern Palace, without going through proper accounting.

Worse still, the Court of Judicial Review and the Censorate had found not just one jade sculptor to testify, but several, all of whom had worked on that jade beast statue. They knew exactly how much jade was used and how many man-hours it took. What did this mean? It meant the Court of Judicial Review and the Censorate could estimate the approximate cost from the sculptors’ accounts. This made it nearly impossible for the Ministry of Works to fabricate a false account retroactively after several years.

“Does the Ministry of Works have any objections?” the Chief Judge asked.

The emperor listened to the testimonies with a deep, unreadable expression.

The Ministry of Works officials were frantic. The Minister of Works was still on his way, and they didn’t even dare look at Grand Secretary Xu. With so little time, they couldn’t possibly forge a fake account. They had no idea how to defend themselves. “This matter is suspicious and happened suddenly. Your subordinate needs to return and carefully review the accounts before giving an answer.”

“The jade sculptor was employed by the Ministry of Works, yet the Censorate found no record of him in your accounts. That alone is abnormal,” the Chief Judge pressed sternly. “For such a large jade item, you need the accounts just to give an answer?”

The princes listened nearby. The Great Prince could barely contain his glee. Who would have thought an old case like this would come to light?

Grand Secretary Xu glanced subtly at one of the Ministry of Works officials.

“The jade sculptor’s testimony may be erroneous,” the official said. “It’s been so long. Using a few people’s statements about materials is hardly solid evidence. Besides, the work was rushed, and the accounts were inconsistent. We do need to carefully review them before giving a definite answer.”

“Where are these accounts recorded?” the Chief Judge asked.

The Ministry of Works official gritted his teeth and said, “It concerns the empress dowager’s birthday gift. The jade carving project took a long time, and accounts would be recorded in both the Ministry of Works and the Eastern Palace. I humbly submit to Your Majesty: we need a thorough review before drawing conclusions. Minister Liu is forcing the Ministry of Works to give an answer, but we dare not make rash promises.”

The Ministry of Works stubbornly insisted that the accounts were scattered and the jade sculptor’s testimony was flawed. This would give the Ministry of Works—and the Xu family—a chance to fill the gap.

Ying Fusheng listened calmly as the Ministry of Works used clever arguments to buy time. Grand Secretary Xu’s expression gradually steadied. Many Ministry of Works officials were present, but Minister Zhou Bingjun had not arrived. Ying Fusheng knew that from the moment Grand Secretary Xu stepped into this place, the other Ministry of Works officials were likely already scrambling to find a way to cover the Crown Prince’s accounts.

At this rate, the timing at the Eastern Palace should be about right.

“His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived—”

When this announcement rang out, Ying Fusheng raised an eyebrow slightly. Grand Secretary Xu’s expression finally changed.

Because walking in behind the Crown Prince was Qi Hanzhou of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. The Xu family had already sent someone to notify the Crown Prince at the Eastern Palace the moment the case broke, hoping he could fill the accounts and allow both the Ministry of Works and the Eastern Palace to avoid disaster. But now, the two of them had entered together, meaning the Embroidered Uniform Guard had gotten there first.

The trial had not even reached a conclusion, yet the Embroidered Uniform Guard had already gone ahead and seized the Eastern Palace’s accounts.

Upon seeing the emperor, the Crown Prince’s face turned pale as he bowed. Qi Hanzhou stepped forward and submitted the Eastern Palace’s accounts to the court. The Chief Judge did not dare examine them himself and instead presented them to the emperor.

“What were you saying just now?” the emperor asked, looking at the Ministry of Works officials.

Grand Secretary Xu moved to stop them, but a censor from the Censorate spoke up: “Grand Secretary, this is a court of law. Please abide by the laws.”

The Ministry of Works officials had no idea what was in those accounts. The only thing they could do was stick to their statement: “Your subordinate still maintains what he said earlier. The records are spread across multiple places. We need to consolidate them before giving a conclusion…”

Before he could finish, the Chief Judge interjected, “But the Eastern Palace’s accounts have almost no record of this.”

In the Eastern Palace’s account books, there were only a few scattered lines about the jade beast statue, hastily added afterward, simply noting that the Eastern Palace had prepared the jade beast statue. Such a record was almost equivalent to having no record at all. That meant even the Eastern Palace hadn’t properly accounted for the jade beast statue. The Ministry of Works’ claim that the records were spread across various places was completely false!

For such a large sum of money, neither the Ministry of Works nor the Eastern Palace had kept clear accounts.

So then, should this account be charged to the Eastern Palace or the Ministry of Works!?

Ying Fusheng watched coldly. There was no way to balance this account.

If the Ministry of Works hadn’t previously submitted clear accounts for the Riverside Slope case, it might have been different. But those accounts had been so neatly done that they had left a distinct impression on the Censorate and the emperor. To fill the gap left by the jade beast statue, they would have had to go back and forge records.

If the jade beast statue had been paid for by the Eastern Palace, it would have been fine. Since the Eastern Palace was part of the imperial family, the Crown Prince’s treasury could afford such a statue. As long as the Eastern Palace had detailed purchase records and the Ministry of Works’ official seal, everything could be made transparent.

But if the Eastern Palace’s accounts showed no major outflow for jade materials, then the Ministry of Works’ accounts couldn’t be balanced.

If they claimed the money had come from private coffers of Ministry of Works officials, which official could possibly have that kind of wealth? The Ministry of Works prided itself on its reputation for integrity. The common people praised its officials for their concern for the people. Lower-ranking officials didn’t have the authority to handle the Eastern Palace’s affairs. Higher-ranking officials were all “incorruptible.” There was almost no Ministry of Works official who could have afforded to pay for such a luxurious jade statue out of pocket.

No matter how this case was argued, both the Eastern Palace and the Ministry of Works were implicated.

The emperor’s expression gradually darkened.

Ying Fusheng noticed the look on the emperor’s face at that moment.

He lowered his eyes slightly. This matter could not be brushed aside lightly. Corruption had existed in every dynasty. The Great Prince had made mistakes repeatedly, yet the emperor had turned a blind eye.

But the craftsman case was not simply about corruption and falsified accounts. It involved the Ministry of Works and a host of deeper issues. If the Ministry of Works could conceal accounts, they could later cut corners and pass off shoddy goods… These problems ultimately harmed the people’s livelihoods.

The Ministry of Works officials were still arguing, but when Grand Secretary Xu saw the emperor’s expression, his face tightened in tension.

In the distance, the Great Prince watched with malicious glee. The Third Prince frowned slightly.

The courtroom was crowded. The Ministry of Works officials desperately tried to disentangle the connections. They could tell someone was pulling strings, but at this moment, they couldn’t let this issue escalate. The Eastern Palace had done too many things through the Ministry of Works—it was impossible to sort them all out. When that jade beast statue had been presented at the palace banquet, it had already been a surprise. If the person behind this case held more than just the jade beast statue, then once everything came to light, it would involve far more than just the Ministry of Works.

It would involve an entire faction of the Crown Prince in the court.

At that moment, Ying Fusheng looked at Shen Changcun. With just a brief exchange of glances, Shen Changcun suddenly stepped forward.

Amid the Ministry of Works’ arguments, Shen Changcun spoke up: “Your Majesty, your subject has something to report.”

Everyone turned to see Shen Changcun. What was the Ministry of War doing interfering!?

Wait, why was Shen Changcun here!?

Even the Great Prince looked over in surprise. This wasn’t part of his plan. Besides, Shen Changcun wasn’t his man.

The emperor’s gaze turned cold. His patience was wearing thin amid the endless shifting of blame. “Speak.”

“The jade sculptor’s testimony is indeed true,” said Shen Changcun, the Vice Minister of the Court of the Imperial Stud. “At the request of the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, the Court of the Imperial Stud investigated the records of jade materials passing through official courier stations.”

The other officials suddenly understood. So that was why Shen Changcun was here—at the behest of the Court of Judicial Review.

This proved that the jade sculptors’ testimonies were genuine. The Ministry of Works had indeed transported those jade materials to the capital.

Ying Fusheng’s eyelids half-lowered. Qi Hanzhou looked at him, knowing that Shen Changcun and Weng Yanqing had been investigating something, but Ying Fusheng had not shared the details with him.

His expression shifted slightly. What other trump cards had Ying Fusheng prepared?

“Such jade materials entering the capital would inevitably travel by official roads, leaving traces at the courier stations. The jade sculptor’s testimony is corroborated by records from the Ministry of War’s courier stations,” Shen Changcun continued.

The emperor glanced over the records Shen Changcun submitted and noticed something unusual. “That’s it?”

The Ministry of Works officials saw a glimmer of hope. They thought the Ministry of War’s records might be flawed. If the Ministry of War’s records were problematic, they could argue their way out! Just as the official was about to speak, Shen Changcun added, “The records only go up to the outskirts of the capital. There are no records afterward. According to Hu Buyu, who rechecked the files, the records near the capital area were destroyed.”

The Ministry of Works officials immediately fell silent. Grand Secretary Xu’s expression changed dramatically.

“The official who made those records was the former Vice Minister of the Court of the Imperial Stud. That Vice Minister is dead,” Shen Changcun said.

Upon hearing this, the expressions of several people in the room shifted dramatically. Shen Changcun was referring to the Vice Minister of the Court of the Imperial Stud who had committed suicide out of guilt during the military pay corruption case several years ago. That incident had led to Shen Changcun’s demotion from Vice Minister of the Ministry of War to the Court of the Imperial Stud. Every official in the court knew this story.

A mere batch of jade materials had actually caused a former Vice Minister of the Court of the Imperial Stud to destroy the evidence—a man who had already been convicted of a serious crime.

Why? If this was just a birthday gift for the empress dowager, why go to such lengths to conceal it!?

Ye Xuanjiu started and immediately looked at Qi Hanzhou.

Qi Hanzhou’s hand was already resting on his waist, his expression stern.

That was the military pay case that the Qi family had investigated. At the time, Grand Secretary Xu had intervened, the culprit had died, and part of the military pay had been recovered, leading to the case’s closure. Now, with the Eastern Palace in trouble, this old case was being resurrected before everyone’s eyes by the Court of the Imperial Stud!

Ying Fusheng sat in his supervisory seat, his gaze sweeping over the officials below. The Ministry of Works officials’ faces grew uglier and uglier at Shen Changcun’s words.

No one wanted to be associated with that old case. Back then, Grand Secretary Xu had smoothed things over, severing the connection between the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of War so that the military pay case wouldn’t implicate too many officials.

Now, because of a jade sculptor case, these issues were all being dragged out by coincidence.

The Ministry of Works officials could no longer argue. They couldn’t argue this; if they insisted that the Court of the Imperial Stud and the jade sculptors’ testimonies were flawed, it would implicate more than just a single old case.

At the high seat, as the Ministry of Works officials’ arguments grew weaker, the emperor’s gaze turned increasingly cold. When he heard the mention of the deceased Vice Minister of the Court of the Imperial Stud again, the look he directed at the Crown Prince and the Ministry of Works was filled with nothing but icy indifference.

The Crown Prince, having learned of the jade beast statue’s problems, was already a nervous wreck. In the past, someone like Shuangyue would have handled such matters for him. But since Shuangyue’s death, that person had no longer offered help, and even the shadow guards had fobbed him off with excuses about avoiding the emperor’s wrath. He had finally managed to turn things around with the Riverside Slope case, only for this to erupt now.

He had to distance himself from all of this at any cost. The Ministry of Works would have to bear the blame!

“Father, this matter was handled by the Eastern Palace, and Mother was also involved,” the Crown Prince blurted out in desperation, panicked by the look in the emperor’s eyes. He knew he couldn’t let this fall on the Eastern Palace, or he would never be able to explain it clearly. “Perhaps Kunning Palace has some records as well… There was indeed an expenditure from the treasury at the time, but all other matters were handled by the Ministry of Works. Your son truly doesn’t know the details.”

Grand Secretary Xu interrupted sharply: “Your Highness!”

The Crown Prince flinched, looking blankly at his maternal grandfather.

The problem from start to finish was not about accounts but about overstepping authority and embezzlement. If the Eastern Palace had commissioned the Ministry of Works to have the jade beast statue made, and the Eastern Palace had clear accounts showing it had hired the Ministry of Works, with clear records of money, everything would have been resolved. But if the Eastern Palace or Kunning Palace had simply ordered it, and the Ministry of Works had carried it out with unclear accounts and no explanation, the Ministry of Works would be implicated.

And that implication would lead back to the Riverside Slope case.

The Riverside Slope was a project proposed by the Crown Prince. The jade beast statue was also casually handed over to the Ministry of Works by the Crown Prince. So was the Ministry of Works the Crown Prince’s Ministry of Works, or the emperor’s Ministry of Works?

From the moment the Eastern Palace’s accounts were found unclear, the problem had ceased to be just about a single jade beast statue. The Ministry of Works could shift the blame and find a scapegoat. Even the Xu family could step forward. The only one who couldn’t be touched was the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince seemed to suddenly realize this. A chill ran down his spine as he understood what he had blurted out in his panic.

He looked up at his father. The emperor’s gaze was like a cold blade, cutting into him inch by inch.

“You say the matter of the jade beast statue has nothing to do with you.” The emperor’s eyes were sharp as he fixed them on the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince, facing this rage for the first time, couldn’t hide the panic in his expression. “Then let me ask you: regarding the Ministry of Works’ Riverside Slope project, you said you drove everything forward. During that time, were you clear on the accounts?”

Grand Secretary Xu’s expression shifted slightly. Under normal circumstances, this question could be answered ambiguously. But with so many matters piled up together, it was different.

The Riverside Slope matter could be dismissed as the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue shifting blame onto each other. It could not be allowed to implicate the Crown Prince and the Xu family.

The Crown Prince was completely tongue-tied. “Your son… your son…”

He couldn’t answer. If he said he was clear, then when the Riverside Slope’s false accounts came to light, he would be guilty of deceiving the emperor along with the Ministry of Works.

If he said he wasn’t clear, then what did it mean that the Ministry of Works had attributed the project’s success to him during the imperial court session?

In his panic, the Crown Prince had no choice but to seek help from others. Suddenly, he noticed the quietly seated young man. The young man remained unmoved, as if the entire courtroom had nothing to do with him. Then, suddenly, he turned his head and looked at the Crown Prince—not with deference, not with respect… but with a look of contempt, even disgust.

Why was he looking at him like that? What did he know? No, how could he know anything?

“Your Highness! Your Highness!”

In the courtroom, the officials watched the Crown Prince, who stood silent, his expression strange—part panic, part terror—but lacking his usual composure and steadiness.

The Crown Prince snapped back to reality at the calls, only to find everyone looking at him oddly.

He looked up and realized that everything he had just done had been witnessed by his father.

The emperor sat at the high seat, his eyes filled with pure disgust: “Is it that hard to answer?”

“I think you’re not fit to be Crown Prince anymore!”