Chapter 270

Chapter 258: A Young Freshman

The Crown Prince led the officials in praying for rain, but the rain still did not fall in Yung City. Jiang Qingshan was gathering grain from all around, while Liang Dishi continued to audit Chuang City's accounts. Helianhou trembled with fear after Han Cheng's death and dared not even step out of his door these days.

"The accounts can't be brushed aside," Helianhou groaned in bed. "Empress Dowager is also confined in the palace. Is it Heaven's will that the Fei family should perish?"

Fei Shi, the young marquis, had been frightened by Li Jianting at the banquet and didn't dare to roam about anymore. He stayed by his father's side, scolding him. "Why were you so greedy? With such a large sum of money, how can we fill the hole now?"

"How can you blame me? Who was I doing it for?" Helianhou's tears flowed freely as he struggled to sit up, pointing at Fei Shi. "If only you had made some effort, why would I have had to beg others like that? Look at yourself—illiterate, unskilled in martial arts, and inheriting your title just to idle away your life. If I don't seek connections, what will become of our Fei family?"

"Yes, yes," Fei Shi hurried to support his father as he heard him gasping for breath. "I'm a good-for-nothing, an idiot. Please don't let yourself get too upset."

Helianhou covered his chest, trying to calm himself down, and said through his tears, "If they were to seize our assets... I can't even bear to think about it..."

Princess Zhao Yue held her child, with a white flower in her hair. Since her divorce, she had remained at home, and she looked much more haggard after hearing the terrible news about Pan. She handed the baby to the nursemaid and motioned for everyone else to leave.

"Knowing what would happen today, why did we do what we did back then?" Princess Zhao Yue's almond-shaped eyes were slightly red. "This account has taken so many lives."

"You're right, this account has indeed caused deaths," Helianhou lamented. "But without it, how could you have married into the Pan family? Your status and honor came from this account. During the heyday of the Hua family, Hua Siqian held immense power in the court, and we had no choice but to rely on them. After his death, I had hoped that Shi could secure a position, at least to have a say in the court. But he spends his days fooling around, leaving me with no options."

The Fei family of Chuancheng had very few descendants, with only Fei Shi as the legitimate heir. If Duke Helian did not make plans in advance, their fate would mirror that of the Xue family. But even though the Xue family had declined, they still produced a remarkable figure like Xue Xiuzhuo. In contrast, the Fei family truly lacked outstanding members.

Upon this thought, Duke Helian sat up again and asked, "What was the name of that child who used to serve in the Imperial Guards?"

Fei Shi replied, "You mean Fei Sheng?"

"Yes, yes! Fei Sheng," said Duke Helian. "He inherited his father's position due to my endorsement. Han Cheng promoted him back then because of me as well. Later, he ran away with Xiao Chiye and is now serving under Shen Zechuan in Zhongbo."

Fei Shi's expression changed. "He's a rebel! Being associated with him can lead to execution."

"A hole of such magnitude cannot be mended," Helianhou raised his voice. "Not only shall their household be confiscated and their noble rank stripped, they may very well face execution. Look at the House of Pan—how many now remain alive? Even if it were mere exile, death would likely claim them mid-journey." His heart grew colder with each word. "Better to defect to Zhongbo... even the tea merchants of Huizhou have fled..."

Fei Shi sat in a daze, his life accustomed to the luxuries of being a young marquis and a loyal subject of the Great Zhou Empire. Suddenly, he was expected to associate with traitors and rebels, a notion that struck him as absurd and laughable. After a long moment of silence, he declared, "This can't be. How could I become a servant to three masters? Chen Zhi remained loyal until his death, and we were the closest of friends. I cannot betray his memory by engaging in such disloyal and dishonorable acts. Besides, Shen Zechuan is known for his cunning nature and difficult disposition, while Fei Sheng is greedy for fame and power... This won't do."

"In times of calamity, who cares about loyalty and righteousness?" Helianhou grumbled, disappointed. "You didn't learn what you should have, but instead, you mastered Pan Lin's vinegar-soaked attitude!"

"I refuse to leave," Fei Shi declared as he rose, "You are, after all, a Count; I simply cannot believe the Cabinet would dare lay hands on you."

"Why would I not dare?" Princess Chao Yue wiped away her tears. "Without the Empress Dowager, the crown prince would investigate according to the law. Once the cabinet issues its warrant, a family can be destroyed and heads roll in a single night." Recalling Pan Yi, she covered her face and wept. "The Pan family was thus wiped out."

"Look at your elder sister, she is still caring for her child," Helianhou said, his own tears streaming down. "Can you bear to see your aged father punished, your beloved sister exiled, and your entire family reduced to unmarked graves in a chaotic burial ground?"

"Yet leaving is not an option," Princess Zhao Yue raised her head, wiping away her tears. "Suitable Son speaks truly; Fei Sheng is indeed skilled at currying favor and amassing power within the Embroidered Uniform Guard. He is driven by fame and authority, impervious to persuasion without substantial benefit. Hear me out, Father: Our region of Yongcheng suffers from drought, while Mount —— in Qudu City struggles to gather provisions. Moreover, Tao Ming of Huaizhou has absconded, leaving the imperial court in a quandary. It would be wise to liquidate our family's country estates and use the proceeds to aid the court in its provisioning efforts."

Helianhou remarked, "But there's no grain to be found anywhere now. I'm afraid money might not be enough to procure it."

"The rice Father sells should be bought back from the same source," Princess Chao Yue tucked her handkerchief neatly away. "As for the connection with Fei Sheng, if it truly becomes necessary in the future, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

***

Several days later, ice buckets were replaced in the Mingli Hall. Li Jianting was reviewing documents, while Fu Man stood by his side, bending slightly, holding a fan to gently cool the Crown Prince.

"Your Highness has been reading for an hour," Fu Man whispered softly. "Take a break."

Li Jianting closed the document but before he could speak, Fu Man turned to call out, "Serve the chilled plum soup – Your Highness, it's hot outside, a bowl of plum soup will help cool you down."

Recently, Fu Man had gained favor, and Li Jianting still seemed to be upset with Feng Quan. Only Fu Man remained by the Crown Prince's side to serve him. Buoyed by this newfound favor, Fu Man, who would never have dared to make decisions for the Crown Prince before, began to test his boundaries. After a few attempts without rebuke, he grew bolder.

As Li Jianting wiped his hands, Fu Man tidied up the desk. Li Jianting watched him arrange the documents in order, grouping them by region and department. He asked, "Why are these Mingzang documents placed together with those from Yuan Fu? I recall they're not from the same hometown."

"Your Highness might not be aware, they are master and disciple," Fu Man said with a wide smile. "It was Minister Ming who promoted Lord Yuan to his current position."

As Kong Qiu served as the Chief State Councillor, he had evaluated countless officials from various departments. According to protocol, these officials could address him as their "teacher." Li Jianting had recently taken on the state affairs, so it was understandable that she didn't know this. With so many officials in each department, it would be difficult to remember such details without making a special effort.

Now, Fu Man was merely serving before the imperial throne. Once the crown prince ascended the throne, she might become the Grand Secretary, the one who held the brush for the emperor to sign documents. However, Li Jianting was not Emperor Xiande; she personally managed state affairs at her youthful prime and had no need for eunuchs to handle important matters on her behalf. Fu Man's thorough knowledge of these relationships revealed her ambitious nature.

Li Jianting understood and replied, "You know more about these things than I do."

Hearing this, Fu Man was slightly startled but quickly regained her composure. "This servant doesn't deal with state affairs, but I happened to overhear Lord Yuan mentioning it once when he was on duty. I remembered it while serving nearby."

"That's great," Li Jianting said with a gentle smile. "I can't keep track of everything. You'll have to remind me in the future."

Taking the opportunity to pick up the bowls, Fu Man secretly glanced at Li Jianting. Seeing that the crown princess maintained her usual demeanor and spoke humbly, just as she always did, Fu Man felt reassured. "It is this servant's good fortune to alleviate Your Highness's concerns."

"Have all the scholars arrived?" Li Jianting asked. "Let them in if they're here."

Upon hearing the order, Kong Qiu, Xue Xiuzhuo, and the others, who had just reached the Hall of Reason, were summoned inside. They bowed together and said, "We, your subjects, pay our respects to Your Highness."

"Each of you is my teacher," Li Jianting gestured for Fu Man to help Kong Qiu up. "There's no need for Lord Yuan to be overly formal in the hall. It should be I, as a student, who pays respect to Lord Yuan."

Kong Qiu took his seat with a smile, saying, "Your Highness is no longer the same as before, there's no need to adhere strictly to the rules of teacher and student. The Hall of Reasoning is where state affairs are handled; here, there are only ruler and subject. I dare not overstep my bounds."

Li Jianting studied Kong Qiu, unable to hold back a smile. "There's good news today."

Kong Qiu was not one to show his emotions easily, maintaining a serious and composed demeanor most of the time. True to form, he continued, "This morning, I heard from Jiang Qingshan that the famine relief grains for Yongcheng have been gathered."

"Already? That's fast," Li Jianting rejoiced. "Did we borrow them from Hezhou?"

"It was Helianhou," Kong Qiu's expression turned more somber. "Helianhou realized the error in the land taxes and, in order to earn Your Highness's leniency, sold his manors to gather the grains himself, alleviating the suffering of the people in Yongcheng."

The case of the Tancheng land taxes was a delicate matter, known to all within the court. The imperial administration sought to recover the missing funds and redistribute the fertile lands to the people. Helianhou would inevitably bear the brunt of the responsibility; however, the cabinet would have to carefully consider their judgment in this situation.

"Law knows no mercy, Your Highness, and thus one must not indulge the wicked in hopes of leniency," Xue Xiuzhuo knelt, his voice resolute. "In my humble opinion, though Helianhou has indeed secured provisions for Yongcheng, he should still be held accountable according to the law."

Cen Yu, an elderly statesman from a humble background, now stood up to protect Helianhou, all for Li Jianting's sake. Helianhou's efforts in gathering grain for disaster relief had earned him a reputation of benevolence in Yongcheng. If Li Jianting were determined to utterly destroy his family, the remaining noble clans who were still observing the situation would have no choice but to fight to the bitter end.

As early as during the investigation into the Dan City accounts, Cen Yu had repeatedly advised Kong Qiu to proceed with caution. Now, with the great victory in Duanzhou and six states under Shen Zechuan's command, once the northern peace was established, the next target would be Qidu. As the saying goes, dripping water wears away a stone; since the aristocratic families were a chronic illness, they couldn't be dealt with hastily, lest it harm the very foundation. Then, how could there be strength left to confront Zhongbo? Furthermore, the re-measurement of farmland in Dan City and the reexamination of the Yellow Registers required undivided attention from the court. Such reforms could only proceed without the distraction of external threats.

"In the Xiande era, the court showed them leniency, but the Eight Cities took it too far, leading to the emergence of the grain corruption scandal," Xue Xiuzhuo explained. "If we don't make an example out of someone, how can we instill fear in them?"

"In these perilous times for our realm," Cen Yu also knelt down, "with Li Bei and Zhongbo rebelling in succession, the rebels have gathered in Jiang Ye. Shen Zechuan—"

Cen Yu lifted his head, speaking with earnest concern. "The harsh medicine has been administered, and the Pan, Han, Hua, and Wei families have crumbled. The influence of the noble clans is not what it once was. If we do not quell this external threat now, it will lead to calamity. Your Highness, governing a great nation is like frying a small fish—requires a delicate touch!"

Li Jianting fell into deep thought, remaining silent.

Outside the hall, a scorching heat waved through the air, the silence oppressive. After a long while, a young eunuch rushed forward, his expression urgent as he whispered something into Feng Quan's ear.

"Your Highness!" The crystal beads of the curtain swayed wildly as Feng Quan spoke, "The Empress Dowager's condition is critical!"

Everyone in the hall paled at the news.