Chapter 62#

The moment the emperor spoke, silence fell over the hall. The crown prince stood frozen on the spot, as if he had never expected those words to come from his father’s mouth.#

“Your Majesty, please calm your wrath,” a few officials knelt.

The evidence presented was overwhelming. The Ministry of Works’ accounts could not be reconciled, and now the old case of military funds had been dragged into it. The eldest prince exchanged a glance with the officials of the Ministry of Revenue. They had been locked in a struggle with the crown prince’s faction in court for so long. Every time the crown prince made a mistake, it was quietly brushed aside on the grounds of his youth and the machinations of the Xu family. Who could have imagined that a mere case involving artisans could stir up such a storm?

The other officials thought the emperor was speaking out of anger.

But the old foxes present could see that the emperor’s words were not necessarily just a fit of rage.

“Report——”

“Your Majesty, the Kunming Palace has sent over accounts for your careful inspection.”

When the crown prince heard about the accounts sent by Empress Xu, a flicker of hope appeared in his eyes. He looked up, only to see that the emperor’s expression had not eased at all with the arrival of the Kunming Palace accounts.

The Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review was startled and quickly took the accounts to examine them. “Your Majesty, these records state that the Kunming Palace once covered the expenses for the Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet.”

Several years ago, when the crown prince was still young, it was understandable that Empress Xu had handled the birthday gifts. The accounts indeed recorded that the Kunming Palace had footed the bill for the Empress Dowager’s birthday gifts, including the calligraphy and paintings that had appeared alongside the jade beast statue offered by the crown prince at the time. There was evidence to trace this.

It was at this moment that Grand Secretary Xu spoke up. “Your Majesty, there are indeed omissions in the Eastern Palace’s accounts.”

From the looks of it, these accounts could barely serve to paper over the Eastern Palace’s debt, but only barely. The details could not withstand scrutiny. However, every clear-eyed person present knew that the vaguer these accounts were, the better—for that would leave more room to argue in the Eastern Palace’s favor. Detailed accounts, on the other hand, would be far more prone to errors.

The clever ones in court understood that the only way now was for each side to admit its own mistakes and do everything possible to quell the matter.

Upon receiving Grand Secretary Xu’s signal, the officials of the Ministry of Works immediately grasped the situation. The accounts sent by Empress Xu were merely a lead-in. “Your Majesty, at the time, there must have been a miscommunication. The Ministry of Works took on the important task of carving. The artisans were indeed provided by the Ministry of Works. The problem with the accounts was due to negligence in the Ministry of Works’ handling. Your servant is guilty. However, the urgent matter now is to investigate the internal accounts of the Ministry of Works and find out where the funds for this jade carving case ended up.”

The Eastern Palace and the Kunming Palace had both provided funds to the Ministry of Works, entrusting them with the important carving task. The Ministry of Works officials directly confessed their guilt, taking all the blame upon themselves.

Ying Fusheng listened to the Ministry of Works officials’ tearful confessions, his expression blank as he looked toward Grand Secretary Xu and the crown prince.

Truly an old fox. As soon as Empress Xu’s accounts arrived, he knew how to sidestep the weighty matters and find a way to extricate the Eastern Palace from this vortex.

But this matter had never been just about a jade carving from start to finish.

Ying Fusheng felt for the handwarmer hidden in his sleeve, calculating that the time was almost right.

No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than a report came from the entrance——

“Your Majesty, Vice Minister Hu Buyu of the Ministry of War requests an audience!”

Hu Buyu!

The emperor looked up and toward the door, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

Grand Secretary Xu froze for a moment, and then saw Hu Buyu entering from the doorway.

This was a man the emperor had specially transferred from Anlong to serve in the capital, originally appointed as the Vice Minister to fill the vacancy left by the military funds case. The moment Shen Changcun had exposed problems with the transport documents for the jade materials, this current most influential Vice Minister of the Ministry of War had arrived. And he hadn’t come alone—the officials behind him carried several documents.

When Grand Secretary Xu saw those documents, cracks finally appeared in his composure.

This was a follow-up move. Shen Changcun’s investigation of the jade transport route could have been done at the request of the Court of Judicial Review, but Hu Buyu’s appearance indicated that the emperor himself wanted to investigate this matter!

When Qi Hanzhou heard about the military funds case, his gaze had already fixed on Ying Fusheng.

Even with the arrival of the Kunming Palace accounts, Ying Fusheng’s expression remained unchanged. Qi Hanzhou knew he must have a backup plan. By the time Hu Buyu appeared, he suddenly understood this person’s true intent.

He was going to expose the hidden secrets of the Eastern Palace.

“Your Majesty, after Minister Shen of the Court of the Imperial Stud submitted the report on irregularities in the capital’s courier station records, I investigated several case files related to the Ministry of Works and discovered that certain travel permit documents were incomplete.” Hu Buyu presented the documents. “Here are a few of them. I humbly request the Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review to examine them.”

When Chief Minister Liu of the Court of Judicial Review heard this, his hands trembled as he took the files.

Meanwhile, the emperor had already turned his gaze to the Ministry of Works and Grand Secretary Xu.

The matter of the jade transport could be explained away by other reasons, or even blamed on the deceased Vice Minister of the Court of the Imperial Stud. But once the matters involved were no longer limited to a single case, it was no longer a simple issue of evidence—it meant the Ministry of Works itself was problematic!

The faction of the eldest prince looked upon the Ministry of War as if they were divine soldiers descending from heaven. First, the Court of Judicial Review had requested the courier station files from Shen Changcun; then, the Ministry of War had followed up by investigating the Ministry of Works through those files. Everything was logical and coherent. This series of moves accomplished what they had failed to do in years of wrangling with the crown prince’s faction.

Hu Buyu’s appearance had completely sealed off the Ministry of Works’ path of defense.

Being able to repeatedly destroy courier station records meant the Ministry of Works had an inescapable connection with the deceased Vice Minister of the Court of the Imperial Stud!

Qi Hanzhou glanced over the documents, ripples stirring deep in his eyes.

The documents were presented before the emperor. He flicked them in front of Grand Secretary Xu and said coldly, “Grand Secretary, why don’t you take a look as well?”

Grand Secretary Xu stared at the documents, a hint of loss of composure in his eyes. Two of the things uncovered were completely unknown to him. He looked at the crown prince kneeling in the hall. The only one who could bypass the Xu family was the Eastern Palace.

At this moment, the crown prince dared not speak. He knelt there, as if he knew nothing.

A storm raged in Grand Secretary Xu’s heart. Matters had spiraled beyond his expectations.

“Xiao Yan, Qi Hanzhou.” The emperor’s patience had run out.

Xiao Yan stepped forward. “Your servant is here.”

Qi Hanzhou stepped out and bowed.

“Investigate the Ministry of Works and the Eastern Palace thoroughly. Give me the results within half a month.” The emperor cast a cold glance at the Ministry of Works officials. “All involved officials are suspended. In the meantime, all Ministry of Works affairs shall be handled jointly by the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Personnel. As for those who deceived their superiors and concealed the truth—there’s no need to keep their heads.”

The emperor rose to his feet, and the officials in the hall were so frightened that they knelt one after another.

“Father—” the crown prince tried to speak.

But the emperor turned and walked away, never once looking back at the crown prince.

…

Half a month later, the artisan case broke, shocking the entire court.

Because of the River Slope case and the artisan case, the Ministry of Works’ embezzlement through falsified accounts and its unauthorized interference in Ministry of War affairs were fully exposed. The emperor ordered a thorough investigation of the Ministry of Works, resulting in the exposure of over a dozen implicated officials. These officials had been known as incorruptible civil servants in the court, and nearly all of them were protégés of the Xu family. The investigation dealt a heavy blow to the crown prince’s faction in the court—especially to the Xu family.

Earlier, Grand Secretary Xu had been temporarily stripped of power due to the assassination case. Now, with the artisan case emerging, neither the Eastern Palace nor the Ministry of Works could escape involvement.

The accounts of the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Works revealed that besides the jade carving case, there were several unclear entries in the accounts between the Eastern Palace and the Ministry of Works. This lack of clarity indicated that the dealings between the Eastern Palace and the Ministry of Works were far more intimate than they appeared on the surface. The crown prince could gain experience in the Ministry of Works, but he could not overstep his authority. His actions had trampled upon the emperor’s bottom line.

The emperor ordered the removal of the crown prince from his post in the Ministry of Works.

The Eastern Palace had originally held the right to participate in state affairs. The crown prince had always exercised this right in the name of the Eastern Palace. But this stripping of power by the emperor effectively removed all authority from the Eastern Palace. On the surface, the crown prince’s title remained, but every clever person in court could see that the title was hollow. When the emperor allowed it, he was the crown prince; when the emperor did not, he was merely a prince.

Faced with such punishment, the Xu family remained silent.

The great purge of the Ministry of Works effectively removed all officials connected to the Xu family from their posts. Everyone knew that the Ministry of Works was Grand Secretary Xu’s stronghold. Most of its officials had been promoted by him. In the end, only the Minister of Works was barely saved by the Xu family. The rest were either dismissed, demoted, or exiled…

This was practically a major scandal in the court!

And the key evidence came from the Ministry of War. When court adjourned, the eldest prince meaningfully detained Hu Buyu: “The Ministry of War has done quite well.”

Hu Buyu smiled but did not engage in deep conversation with the eldest prince. Instead, he respectfully bowed to the third prince, who was nearby. The Ministry of War had dealings with the eldest prince, but now it was the third prince who had been assigned by the emperor to the Ministry of War. The third prince ignored Hu Buyu and walked away.

Three princes participated in court affairs, but Hu Buyu knew that the true driving force behind all this was that one.

Submitting evidence—how and when to submit it—was all a matter of timing. This time, Shen Changcun’s investigation of the official courier station records had not been hidden from him at all. On the contrary, it had been done openly. And precisely because of that, the opportunity had been placed directly in his hands.

None of this required bribery or personal favors. The Sixth Prince knew what he was doing and had delivered the opportunity to him when the time was right. Pleading for the people never required hypocrisy or pretense. Just like last year’s disaster relief—when the timing was right, people would act on their own.

The capital was about to change.

When Qi Hanzhou arrived at the tavern, Ying Fusheng had just finished his detoxification treatment. He was lying in a rocking chair, covered with a warm fox-fur cloak, nestled in a private room with the window open, listening to the musicians hired downstairs singing folk tunes. Beside him, Weng Yanqing was recounting the events of the court.

When Ying Fusheng heard about the great purge of the Ministry of Works and the removal of several officials—some of whose names were familiar, being capable generals of the new emperor in his past life—he knew that this time, the Xu family had been flayed alive.

“Did they keep Zhou Bingjun?” Ying Fusheng asked softly.

The Xu family was wise. By sacrificing other pieces, they had preserved one key piece. That meant the Ministry of Works might still be within the Xu family’s grasp.

“What about the River Slope?” Ying Fusheng asked.

“The eldest prince reacted very quickly. He latched onto the River Slope issue,” Weng Yanqing said.

The River Slope involved the lives of artisans and villagers, who had become victims of the factional struggle. This case could not be suppressed by the Ministry of Works, and the Ministry of Revenue would drag it out and flog it repeatedly. To the eldest prince, it was merely a means to trample the crown prince.

Ying Fusheng lowered his eyes. “You can give it a push. You have Hu Buyu above you now.”

Weng Yanqing was startled. He hadn’t expected Ying Fusheng to notice his feelings. While everyone else was focused on crushing the crown prince, what he cared about were the innocent common people implicated in these cases. This was their chance for the truth to come to light. He said earnestly, “Thank you, Your Highness.”

Thank him for what? Ying Fusheng frowned.

Just then, the door to the private room opened.

Ying Fusheng only then noticed Qi Hanzhou’s arrival. Since he had stopped receiving acupuncture, his senses were not as sharp as before. Even hearing footsteps took a moment longer. He was wondering whether he should secretly prepare a few acupuncture kits behind Chen Xuqiu’s back when Qi Hanzhou walked up to him.

Commander Qi seemed to have just come from court, still wearing his embroidered uniform. He didn’t have the relaxed demeanor of their usual evening meetings. Standing before him, he carried an undeniable aura. For a fleeting moment, his figure overlapped with that of the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, who had wielded covert power in his past life.

Ying Fusheng snapped back to reality and spoke first, “Congratulations, Young General. The military funds case has been reopened.”

Qi Hanzhou said nothing.

What now? Was he unhappy again?

Ying Fusheng was puzzled. His gaze flickered briefly toward Ye Xuanjiu, who was not far away.

Ye Xuanjiu averted his eyes, then grabbed Weng Yanqing and dragged him outside. The door closed behind them.

With the door shut, the only sound left in the private room was the lilting tune from the musicians coming through the window.

“Young General, care to listen to a tune?” Ying Fusheng sat up slightly.

But as soon as he sat up, a cold draft slipped through the gaps in his fur cloak, making him shiver.

When Qi Hanzhou saw this, he turned and closed the window. The room was warm from the glowing charcoal brazier, and for a martial artist like him, it was stifling. But Ying Fusheng was used to it and couldn’t do without such warmth.

If a man like this were sent to the northern border, he wouldn’t last three days. The bitter cold alone would kill him.

Delicate and fragile—neither the poison nor his sickly body had ever robbed him of his tenacity.

But Qi Hanzhou never thought of him as weak.

“How about some tea?” Ying Fusheng looked at him.

Beside the rocking chair were tea, a messy chessboard, and an empty medicine bowl.

Seeing this, Qi Hanzhou could only take a sip of tea.

Ying Fusheng suddenly smiled. “This is the first time you’ve had my tea, Young General.”

That simple smile reminded Qi Hanzhou of the expression on his face during his birthday when he had watched the street performers. He looked at the teacup. “There’s nothing I can’t drink.”

“Then you should be a bit more cautious. Not everyone in court knows that I’ve found you to be my patron.” Ying Fusheng joked.

He used the word “patron.” Qi Hanzhou’s hand, holding the teacup, paused slightly.

Ying Fusheng had already leaned over, wrapped in his fox-fur cloak, reclining sideways as he spoke to him. There was almost no prince-like air about him. Compared to his formal demeanor in public, his current posture carried a touch of laziness. “After all, not a single person has been allowed to leave the Eastern Palace.”

He was referring to Qi Hanzhou’s search of the Eastern Palace’s accounts.

The crown prince had panicked to such an extent that Qi Hanzhou’s investigation of the Eastern Palace played a major part.

“Did you find the eyes?” Ying Fusheng asked again.

When the Eastern Palace’s accounts were being searched, the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s first step was to seal off the area. Others might not notice small movements, but Qi Hanzhou could. When he and Ye Xuanjiu entered the Eastern Palace, the eyes hidden inside only needed to make the slightest move to be fully spotted by the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Ying Fusheng knew this, which was why he had brought up the Eastern Palace that night.

“A few of them,” Qi Hanzhou said. “The Embroidered Uniform Guard is already watching them.”

“Your goal from the very beginning was never just the Xu family.”

Ying Fusheng looked up at him.

Qi Hanzhou wanted to understand what he was really thinking.

Hu Buyu, on his own, had linked the old case of the Ministry of War with the Ministry of Works. But everything had been interconnected. From the day the River Slope case broke, it had probably already been set on this man’s chessboard.

The mastermind hiding behind the Eastern Palace and the Xu family was such that his schemes could penetrate even the Eastern Palace, so they must have infiltrated other places as well. After Shuangyue’s death crippled the mastermind’s layout in the inner palace, he had gone completely into hiding, leaving no trace for months.

If he didn’t move, Ying Fusheng would force him to.

By using the River Slope case to strike at the Xu family, Ying Fusheng’s goal had never been merely to expose the Xu family’s hidden secrets. It was to use this incident to uncover more things lurking in the shadows—not just the Eastern Palace’s accounts, but also the military funds case that had been hastily and ambiguously closed. By bringing all of this to light, he would make it legitimate.

Through these means, he could uncover all the moves the mastermind had been making, using the Eastern Palace and the Xu family as proxies, to infiltrate both inside and outside the Great Yuan. That was his true purpose.

Qi Hanzhou’s eyes flickered. Ying Fusheng slowly opened his hand. A black stone lay quietly in his palm, as if it were the final move in this chess game.

He let go, and the stone fell into the bowl with a crisp sound.

“Because I want to make the first move.”