Chapter 157: Aftermath.

Chapter 157: Aftermath.

Huo Ze finally understood: His Majesty and Lord Song had come together, while Lord Ding had arrived on the Empress Dowager’s command.

The two groups had simply happened to cross paths.

Huo Ze wouldn’t dare defy commands from either the Empress Dowager or His Majesty.

As soon as Huo Ze nodded, Ding Jinghuan went to call his men.

When Ding Jinghuan said he was visiting as an intrusive visitor, he wasn’t exaggerating in the slightest.

He hadn’t come alone—he had brought a group of subordinates with him. However, they had been waiting outside, and Huo Ze, lost in thought upon entering, hadn’t noticed them.

Seeing Ding Jinghuan’s authoritative demeanor, Huo Ze’s heart grew uneasy. As he led the way, he pondered what could be so special about Kong Yi to warrant such scrutiny and investigation from the Ministry of Justice.

Wait…

Ding Jinghuan had just mentioned he was investigating the "Duke of Chengen’s carriage plunging into water."

Could it be that Kong Yi was somehow connected to his father’s drowning?

Had his father’s accident not been an accident at all, but a premeditated act?!

Ding Jinghuan suddenly spoke up: "Lord Huo, I trust you don’t mind if we take all of Kong Yi’s belongings back to the Ministry of Justice for examination?"

Of course, Huo Ze said he didn’t mind.

Ding Jinghuan waved his hand and ordered his subordinates, "Search thoroughly. Seize anything suspicious and box it up. Do not disturb the ladies of the household."

"Yes, sir!" a subordinate replied.

Huo Ze tried to pry for information: "Lord Ding, would it be possible to share what exactly you’re investigating?"

Ding Jinghuan’s expression turned grave. "Lord Huo, this matter involves confidential Ministry of Justice matters. I’m afraid I can’t disclose anything for now. But rest assured, once the investigation is concluded, the Ministry will provide you with a full explanation."

Even the word "confidential" was invoked—what difference did that make from stonewalling?

Huo Ze had no choice but to back off politely.

"My lord, we’ve uncovered something," a subordinate suddenly called out from the study window.

Ding Jinghuan’s eyes brightened. He cupped his hands toward Ji Xianshan and said, "Your Majesty, I must excuse myself."

Ji Xianshan didn’t follow Ding Jinghuan to join the investigation, but neither did he leave. He simply stood in the courtyard, watching the Ministry of Justice agents at work.

It wasn’t until the search was complete and Ding Jinghuan prepared to take the evidence back to the ministry that Ji Xianshan finally asked Huo Ze what he had been occupied with these past few days.

Huo Ze sighed. "Searching and dredging along the river."

What they were dredging for was left unsaid.

The chances of his father’s survival were slim.

Though no one dared say it outright, their efforts had already shifted toward "searching for remains."

Ji Xianshan paused for a moment before offering consolation. "Just do your best."

Huo Ze rubbed his face, managing a strained smile. "We can only do what we can and leave the rest to heaven’s will."

Before leaving the palace, Ji Xianshan took a considerable amount of tonics from the storeroom. He avoided meeting Fang Shi face-to-face but simply left the gifts and then asked Huo Ze to take him to the site where the carriage had fallen into the water.

The area near the accident site had long been cordoned off by the Capital Prefecture guards, preventing civilians from approaching.

The guards recognized Huo Ze and naturally did not stop him from entering.

Huo Ze asked a guard, "Is your superior here?"

The guard replied eagerly, "Yes, yes. Lord Duke, are you looking for Prefect Zhuang?"

Huo Ze lowered his voice, "An esteemed visitor has arrived. Quickly summon your Prefect."

Who else could be referred to as an "esteemed visitor" by the Lord Duke but one person?

The guard was quick-witted and immediately ran off to inform Prefect Zhuang.

"Why is His Majesty here?"

Upon hearing the guard's report, Prefect Zhuang felt his head spin.

The incident of the Duke of Chengen's drowning had drawn the attention of both the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, yet he had made no progress whatsoever. Would his position as the Prefect of the Capital be over already?

Fortunately, the Emperor did not reprimand him and even acknowledged his hard work, telling him not to feel burdened.

Prefect Zhuang, a seasoned political official for over a decade, was genuinely touched.

For the Emperor, at such a young age, to be so courteous and magnanimous truly showed the bearing of an enlightened monarch.

Ji Xianshan noticed Prefect Zhuang's obvious relief and could vaguely guess his thoughts.

But Prefect Zhuang need not have carried such a heavy psychological burden. The one who had issued the search order knew the outcome of this search better than Prefect Zhuang himself.

Ji Xianshan said, "Prefect Zhuang, based on the surrounding environment, walk Us through the circumstances of the night the Duke of Chengen met with misfortune."

This was a prime chance to showcase his investigative skills.

Prefect Zhuang recounted the events of that night, the traces left by the carriage collision, and the testimonies of eyewitnesses collected...

He even specifically described the conditions of the capital's moat and the dangerous currents near Longjin Bridge—all to prove that it was not due to his incompetence or lack of effort, but that the matter was genuinely difficult.

Ji Xianshan gave a distracted nod, "Prefect Zhuang, you've done thorough work."

Song Xu said gently, "Your Majesty, the wind here is strong. Since your health has only just recovered, perhaps it would be better to rest at a teahouse. If there is anything else you wish to ask Prefect Zhuang, you may do so there as well."

Prefect Zhuang smacked his forehead in dismay, "This humble official deserves punishment for such negligence."

Ji Xianshan replied, "No matter. We've learned what We needed. You may attend to your duties."

Ji Xianshan not only dismissed Prefect Zhuang but also sent Huo Ze away.

Huo Ze left completely baffled, never figuring out why Ji Xianshan had come in the first place.

—Still, the Emperor's concern for his father's safety was, after all, at least something positive.

"Teacher, accompany Us to Longjin Bridge. They say it's stood for centuries, the capital's oldest surviving bridge. We have yet to see it with Our own eyes."

Song Xu followed half a step behind Ji Xianshan as they walked together toward Dragon Ford Bridge.

The area around Dragon Ford Bridge wasn't a bustling marketplace, and even on ordinary days, there were few people passing through. Now, with the recent incident and the cold, snowy weather, it was even more deserted.

Ji Xianshan stood at the center of the bridge, peering northwest into the distance.

Song Xu followed his line of sight and could barely see the spot where the carriage had plunged into the water.

"You seem troubled, Your Majesty."

Ji Xianshan lifted his head, catching the swirling snowflakes in his palm. "The court's been in turmoil these last two years. How could I not be weighed down?"

Song Xu couldn’t help stealing a glance at Ji Xianshan, slightly surprised by his response.

It wasn’t that Ji Xianshan lacked intelligence.

In fact, his aptitude was excellent. During lessons at Tianzhang Pavilion, he often picked things up with just a nudge. Even when faced with difficult problems, a bit more work did the trick for him to master them.

With such talent and the best teachers of his time, Ji Xianshan’s performance in many matters more than met the court’s expectations.

But perhaps because the Empress Dowager’s temperament was so forceful—her iron grip on suppressing the court’s intrigues and the undercurrents of various factions left no space for opposition—

Song Xu, as both a subject and an outsider, couldn’t say if the Empress Dowager’s protection of His Majesty went too far. Still, he had to admit that the Emperor’s political instincts weren’t yet seasoned.

In the past, when Song Xu had asked, "You seem troubled, Your Majesty," Ji Xianshan would have taken the opportunity to confide his personal troubles.

But now, the Emperor had learned to pivot to bigger matters.

He had learned to hide what he really felt.

—Even from his closest teacher.

Yet this couldn’t be called lying.

—With never-ending border wars, the Duke of Chengen’s sudden carriage plunge into the river on New Year’s Eve—an incident that seemed to implicate even his most trusted advisor—anyone would agree that the court had indeed been unsettled these past two years.

A boy of twelve or thirteen, his frame shooting up like a young tree, stood firm in the wind and snow, unyielding as a winter pine.

Perhaps due to his recent illness, his lips were still pale, pursed stubbornly.

Song Xu ached for him, but more than that, he was gratified. "Did Your Majesty leave the palace today specifically because of the Duke of Chengen’s accident?"

Ji Xianshan murmured in reply. "I wanted to see for myself."

"What did Your Majesty wish to see?"

Ji Xianshan’s gaze grew distant, his voice so faint the wind swallowed it whole into the vast whiteness.

"I wanted to see what truly happened that night."

He wanted to see how his mother had handled the aftermath.

And beyond the truth known only to a select few, what story the public would be told.

***

Meanwhile—

After parting ways with Ji Xianshan, Huo Ze did not return to oversee the river work but went straight back to the Duke of Chengen’s residence.

Dismissing the servants, he crouched beside Fang Shi. "Mother, has Father been at odds with Kong Yi lately?"

Fang Shi frowned, trying to recall, then shook her head. "No. As you know, your father always discussed matters privately with Kong Yi in his study. Even if they’d argued, I likely wouldn’t be aware of them."

Huo Ze pondered for a moment before rephrasing his question: "Then, did Father or Kong Yi act strange lately?"

However much Huo Shiming trusted Kong Yi, he was still an outsider.

Fang Shi, mostly confined to the inner quarters, had little contact with Kong Yi and thus didn’t know him well.

But the most unusual thing about Huo Shiming...

Fang Shi asked, "After your father recovered from his serious illness, he started owning up to his mistakes and apologized. Does that count as unusual?"

Huo Ze blinked. "What?"

Fang Shi bit her lip, as if answering Huo Ze while also trying to convince herself: "It’s not really unusual. Your father just wanted to mend things with the Empress Dowager. Let’s not dwell on that. What happened today? What brought His Majesty here?"

"And why did the Ministry of Justice suddenly show up out of nowhere to search Kong Yi’s place?"

Huo Ze sighed and shared his suspicions with Fang Shi: "I suspect Father’s accident is connected to Kong Yi."

Fang Shi was startled: "How could that be?"

Huo Ze ran a hand through his hair, agitated: "In any case, Kong Yi’s shady for sure."

Whether Kong Yi had any issues, and what those issues might be, was something Huo Ze and Fang Shi couldn’t know.

All they could do now was wait for updates from the Ministry of Justice while continuing the search along the river.

Unfortunately, the massive search effort lasted a full ten days—from the first day of the new year to the tenth—turning up nothing but one of the Duke of Chengen's shoes, discovered on the riverbank outside the capital.

By then, everyone pretty much figured that the Duke of Chengen had passed away.

No body turning up for so long suggested it had either been swept further downstream or trapped in a narrow section of the river.

Either way, it was a tough situation.

Moreover, the Capital Prefecture was a government office. Even with the Empress Dowager’s orders, they couldn’t keep pulling officers off duty forever to assist the Duke of Chengen’s household in the search.

If this continued, how would the Capital Prefecture get anything else done?

Yet no one dared to openly suggest calling off what looked like a lost cause.

The only one who could take that step was Fang Shi.

She said to Huo Ze, "Let’s stop here."

Huo Ze hesitated: "But..."

His lips trembled as he lowered his head. "We at least need to find his body and give Father a proper burial."

Fang Shi replied, "The search will continue, but we can’t rely on the Capital Prefecture anymore. We’ll hire people ourselves to keep looking and offer a substantial reward."

For Huo Ze, as a son, outright abandoning the search for his father was unthinkable. Fang Shi’s plan made it slightly easier to bear.

"Should we hold the funeral now, or wait until we find Father’s body?"

"We’ll do it now," Fang Shi turned her face away. "If the body isn’t found, we’ll bury an empty coffin."

Huo Ze let out a long breath and nodded firmly. "I’ll get it done right away."

He first went to notify Prefect Zhuang, asking him to no longer dispatch constables to search for the person.

Prefect Zhuang was taken aback before replying, "The Capital Prefecture was ordered by Her Majesty to conduct the search. Without the Empress Dowager's explicit orders, this official dare not recall the men on my own authority."

Huo Ze said, "Your Excellency need not worry. I have already submitted a memorial to the palace reporting the death."

Huo Ze also expressed his gratitude to Prefect Zhuang.

Though the body had not been found, the Capital Prefecture had indeed been exceptionally thorough in carrying out this task.

"My wife has ordered a batch of pastries from Fanlou, which will soon be delivered to the Capital Prefecture."

Directly offering money would be inappropriate, but preparing two boxes of pastries and a set of clothes for each person was a considerate yet modest token that would bring comfort.

Once the palace approved Huo Ze's mourning memorial, the servants brought out the already prepared funeral hall hangings, funeral banners, and other items to begin setting up the mourning hall.

Fang Shi, Huo Ze, and the others all donned mourning garments and sent out death notices to kin and neighbors.

As soon as Minister Li Hansong of the Ministry of Rites received the news, he made haste to the palace.

He intended to inquire whether the Empress Dowager had any directives regarding the funeral arrangements for the Duke of Chengen.

According to court conventions, when a first-rank duke passed away, the court would draft a posthumous name to evaluate his life's work, then bestow funeral gifts and funds as a mark of posthumous honor.

If the court was willing to bestow special honors, honorary titles could also be posthumously conferred.

After all, the person was already deceased—posthumous titles mainly served to make the funeral arrangements more dignified.

However—

These practices were but traditions and did not necessarily have to be followed.

If those in power were unwilling to grant this dignity, the court officials could hardly object.

Li Hansong knew that the Empress Dowager and the Duke of Chengen had a complete falling-out, and he also knew that the Empress Dowager might not be inclined to bestow any favors upon the Duke of Chengen.

But he never expected—

The Empress Dowager opened by announcing her intention to revoke the Duke of Chengen's title, forbidding him from receiving burial rites befitting a first-rank duke.

This entirely unforeseen decision left Li Hansong dumbfounded.

"Your Majesty, the bonds of blood are strongest. The Duke of Chengen was, after all, your birth father. If his funeral arrangements are too meager, it would cast shadows upon your dignity as well."

Huo Ling replied calmly, "This Dowager's standing does not stem from family."

Li Hansong was left speechless. After a moment's thought, he added, "Your Majesty, the granting and revocation of titles are not matters to be taken lightly—they must undergo imperial council's approval. If you wish to strip Minister Huo of his title, the Ministry of Rites must at least be given a reason."

Though his words sounded firm, Li Hansong had already switched from referring to him as the Duke of Chengen to Minister Huo.

Huo Ling said, "The Ministry of Rites' regulations are naturally clear to this Dowager."

She gestured to Zhu Qingyun beside her.

Zhu Qingyun presented a memorial. "May the Minister examine this."

What Huo Ling showed Li Hansong was precisely the voluminous ten-thousand-character petition of contrition that Huo Shiming had written before his death.

Huo Ling said, "This Dowager initially didn't want to air family troubles, but Lord Li is my most trusted minister. Since you asked, I shall not hide the truth from you, so we don't grow distant as ruler and minister."

Li Hansong felt both flattered and uneasy.

Good heavens, Your Majesty, with such words, I truly don’t know whether I should read this or not.

But duty calls—I must read it.

The memorial of confession was lengthy, and Li Hansong would need some time to finish it.

Huo Ling had him wait in an adjoining chamber to read it at leisure, then sent for Ding Jinghuan and Prefect Zhuang.

However, before Ding Jinghuan and Prefect Zhuang arrived, Ji Xianshan hurried in first.

Ji Xianshan wore a crane-feather cloak, dusted with snow from the storm.

Entering the hall, he casually untied the knot at his neck, handed the cloak to a nearby palace maid, and quickly approached Huo Ling.

Huo Ling asked, "You’ve heard?"

"Yes," Ji Xianshan replied. "Upon hearing that the Duke of Chengen’s residence had reported the mourning to the palace, I hurried here at once to see."

The corner of his lips twitched slightly, as if he had much to say, but in this situation, the most fitting words were only:

"Mother, please accept my condolences."

Huo Ling said gently, "Sit down. Let me have them bring you a cup of pear juice to warm you up."

Zhu Qingyun entered to ask for directions: "Your Majesty, Lord Ding and Prefect Zhuang have arrived."

Huo Ling said, "Bring them in. Also, summon Lord Li from the side hall."

Once the three had paid their respects and taken their seats, Huo Ling first addressed Prefect Zhuang, praising him for his diligence and dedication.

"You’ve all worked hard these days. The officials of the Capital Prefecture shall receive three months’ additional salary—paid from my personal coffers."

Prefect Zhuang quickly rose to thank the Empress Dowager on behalf of his subordinates: "Your servant has been remiss in his duties. Thank you for Your Majesty’s generosity."

Huo Ling glanced at Li Hansong but, after a moment’s thought, did not call upon him immediately. Instead, she pointed casually at Ding Jinghuan.

"You came to the palace some days ago, saying that the Duke of Chengen’s drowning bore signs of foul play and required thorough investigation. After all this time, what have you uncovered?"

Ding Jinghuan replied, "Reporting to Your Majesty, I have confirmed that the Duke of Chengen’s drowning was no accident—it was the work of Great Mu’s Operatives."

This revelation landed like a thunderclap, and all eyes in the hall turned to Ding Jinghuan.

"Great Mu’s Operatives?" Prefect Zhuang exclaimed in shock. "Lord Ding, what do you mean?"

Ding Jinghuan raised his hand slightly, gesturing for Prefect Zhuang to remain calm. "It's a long story, so I shall be brief.

"You're both familiar with the existence of the Shadow Guard.

"The Shadow Guard is the name of our dynasty’s foreign intelligence service. In Great Mu, there is a similar organization with comparable duties, called the Operatives.

"Over the years, the Operatives have continuously dispatched operatives to penetrate our dynasty. After years of infiltration, they have cultivated assets in the capital.

"Last September, when Great Mu declared war on our dynasty, the Operatives became highly active in the capital, working tirelessly to collect military intelligence.

"The Ministry of Justice and the Shadow Guard jointly captured many Operatives and obtained critical intelligence from their interrogations. "The leader of their organization occupies a position of great influence in our court—not only capable of obtaining various military secrets but also has access to troop deployment charts of border defenses."

Ding Jinghuan glanced at Huo Ling, seemingly torn about whether to continue.

Only when Huo Ling picked up her teacup and said calmly, "There are no outsiders here," did Ding Jinghuan grit his teeth and sigh heavily.

"Among all the court officials, those qualified to access military secrets and border defense maps can be counted on one hand."

"Before I could delve deeper into the investigation, the Duke of Chengen met with misfortune, and his most trusted military advisor also disappeared."

Ding Jinghuan knew how to choose his words carefully, leaving it at that.

Yet Li Hansong and Fu Yin Zhuang couldn’t help but start connecting the dots.

If the Duke of Chengen’s most trusted advisor was a Great Mu spy, then did that mean the Duke of Chengen was involved with Great Mu…?

No, no—the Duke of Chengen had absolutely no reason to collude with Great Mu.

Great Mu couldn’t possibly afford the price to bribe a duke of our nation.

But that advisor, relying on the Duke of Chengen’s trust, must have had access to plenty of military secrets… In any case, the Duke of Chengen would surely face charges of "negligence."

"My Lady," Li Hansong declared firmly, "this could reflect poorly on you. If word spreads, even the imperial family’s prestige will suffer. We must absolutely keep it under wraps."

Fu Yin Zhuang also quickly stood to second the motion.

Huo Ling kept silent, cradling her hand warmer.

Ding Jinghuan said, "Minister Li, Fu Yin Zhuang, don't worry—I know when to keep my mouth shut."

He clasped his hands toward Huo Ling at the head of the hall. "After the Duke of Chengen’s incident, My Lady suspected foul play and ordered me to investigate discreetly."

"After extensive inquiries, I discovered that before his death, the Duke of Chengen had quarreled with that bastard Kong Yi. Suspiciously, after the Duke’s demise, Kong Yi also disappeared. In his study’s brazier, we found ashes of burned documents."

Li Hansong gasped. "Could it be…?"

Fu Yin Zhuang, drawing from his investigative experience, pondered further. "Perhaps…?"

"Exactly!"

Ding Jinghuan met their eyes meaningfully and nodded emphatically. "It's exactly what you're thinking."

Li Hansong asked, "Have the culprits been captured?"

Ding Jinghuan’s expression darkened. "The bastard's slippery and remains at large. Still, we did find something. We found a partially burned list in his residence—likely he missed in his haste to flee."

"I’ve handed the remnants to the imperial agents for their pursuit and arrest."

Li Hansong and Fu Yin Zhuang exchanged glances.

By now, the picture was becoming clear.

Surely, the Duke of Chengen had uncovered Kong Yi’s true identity, prompting Kong Yi to take drastic action—tampering with the Duke’s carriage and using his disappearance to throw the court off his trail, buying himself time to flee.

Li Hansong said, "We must find a way to catch this rat."

Fu Yin Zhuang added, "To think Great Mu’s spies had the gall to operate so openly in our capital, even going so far as to assassinate the Duke of Chengen—it makes my blood run cold."

Ding Jinghuan nodded solemnly. "Rest assured, gentlemen. We'll get the bastard."

...

"Rooting out Great Mu's spies is not enough."

Ji Xianshan, who had been sitting quietly at the front, suddenly spoke.

"Great Mu dares to plot against our empire in such a manner. We must make them pay a bloody price."

"Only by utterly crushing the enemy on the frontlines can we truly intimidate Great Mu and make Great Yan's power undeniable."

"Mother, winter is nearly over. Let us reinforce our troops in Yanbei. I have a premonition—the war's climactic battle is approaching."