Chapter 61

Chapter 61

Wen Zuo carefully recalled that Liu Kangren had indeed died at the end of the 23rd year of the Shunyuan reign, but he had originally considered it an insignificant matter.

At that time, he was assisting Shen Chen and had just gained the full support of the Marquis of Yongning's estate. His mind was entirely occupied with plans to leverage Prince Xian's influence to counterbalance the Crown Prince.

From the very beginning, he had held no expectations for Duke Liu. Having chosen the Marquis of Yongning, he knew he would inevitably have to abandon the military faction led by Duke Liu.

Because of the crushing defeat Liu Kangren suffered a decade ago, the two families had become sworn enemies.

When the memorial accusing Liu Kangren of crimes reached the capital, Emperor Shunyuan flew into a rage.

Duke Liu, who had already retired from public life, disregarded his lifelong reputation and knelt outside the Cool Breeze Hall, kowtowing until his forehead bled profusely, pleading for His Majesty's mercy to spare his son's life.

Yet Emperor Shunyuan had long borne a grudge over that earlier defeat. With the new offense compounding the old, it was truly intolerable.

A royal edict was issued, punishing both crimes together, sentencing Liu Kangren to immediate execution without pardon.

Wen Zuo still remembered that Liu Kangren did not live to see the New Year of Shunyuan 24.

Devastated by this blow, Duke Liu fell gravely ill. Though he narrowly escaped death, his spirit was broken. The vigorous energy of his past was entirely replaced by a frail and aged demeanor.

Duke Liu had three sons in his lifetime. The eldest was disabled from a childhood accident, bedridden and entirely dependent on care. The second son was brave and skilled in battle, full of youthful ambition, but unfortunately fell into Nanping's trap and died on the battlefield.

He had only this last son left—Liu Kangren, mild-tempered and of ordinary ability.

But now Liu Kangren was also to be beheaded. He had lost even this last hope.

In the court at that time, Wen Zuo merely stood by and watched, viewing it as the Liu family's fortune having run its course. Moreover, with Duke Liu having no worthy successor and his influence waning, it was actually beneficial for Shen Chen.

But he had not anticipated that this seemingly unrelated old case would later become a shackle constraining them.

The change occurred in the spring of Shunyuan 24.

Fearing his paralyzed eldest son would have no one to care for him, Duke Liu, driven into a corner, had no choice but to join the factional struggle and throw in his lot with Prince Xian.

Prince Xian already enjoyed a widespread reputation for virtue, was the Empress's legitimate son, the Emperor's eldest son, and had a solid foundation. Now, with the addition of Duke Liu's military faction, he was like a tiger that has grown wings—his power and influence grew daily, becoming Shen Chen's most formidable rival.

At that time, Shen Chen was consumed with anxiety day and night, unable to sleep. He would often come to the Wen residence late at night, sighing and shedding tears before Wen Zuo, begging him for strategies to curb Prince Xian's rising power.

It was then that Wen Zuo truly felt the lingering repercussions of Liu Kangren's death.

They had to clip Prince Xian's wings.

In the court, they had Gong Zhiyuan take action against Bo Zhangyi and Tang Guangzhi. In the military, they pinned their hopes on Jun Dingyuan and the Marquis of Yongning to find a way to bring down Duke Liu.

But to Wen Zuo's surprise, both Jun Dingyuan and the Marquis of Yongning opposed destroying Duke Liu. Even Jun Mulan, who had suffered the most from the past defeat, spoke up to dissuade them.

It was then that Wen Zuo suddenly realized that military men had their own backbone and sense of honor. Although Duke Liu stood on a different side, they were all men who had fought on the battlefield. The Jun family could still pity his tragic circumstances.

He had to respect the Jun family's sentiments and devise another plan.

Just as the deadlock seemed unbreakable, the incident of the fall from the Phoenix Sun Terrace occurred.

Much evidence pointed to an accident, but how could Wen Zuo allow it to be just an accident?

With a skillful scheme, he directed all suspicion toward Prince Xian.

With old grievances and new resentments piling up, the Marquis of Yongning and Jun Dingyuan could no longer stand in the way. After Prince Xian's downfall, Duke Liu was sentenced to exile, and his ducal estate was confiscated.

The entire family was reduced to refugees. The Duchess, knowing she was powerless to care for her paralyzed eldest son, fell into utter despair. That very night, she poisoned her son and then hanged herself.

Duke Liu, on his journey into exile, heard the tragic news and was overcome with grief. Reaching a desolate wilderness, he smashed his head against a large rock by the roadside and died.

Thus fell a renowned general of his generation.

Xie Langyang was convinced that since Wen Zuo could skillfully pin the Phoenix Sun Terrace tragedy on Prince Xian's faction, he must have planned it all along. The entire affair was orchestrated by Wen Zuo's hand.

He never believed Wen Zuo acted on the spur of the moment or improvised.

Therefore, he also attributed the deaths of Duke Liu's family to Wen Zuo. This matter offended his own sense of justice and later became one of the reasons he believed Wen Zuo had it coming.

Recalling this, Wen Zuo, though feeling wronged, ultimately dared not meet Shen Zheng's gaze. He only lowered his eyelids further, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the edge of his sleeve.

He never expected that in this life, they would inadvertently stumble into Liu Kangren's grain theft case in such a manner.

"I actually do know this person," Shen Zheng said with a laugh upon hearing this. His eyes held neither surging anger nor vengeful satisfaction, only a calm stillness. "Tell me, what exactly did he do that was so evil, to make you this angry?"

Liu Hou'er's face was flushed with anger. "He stole grain! Stole it from the government granaries!"

At this point, he slapped his thigh and stood up, as if only this action could vent his indignation. "That locust plague half a year ago was truly terrifying! A dark, dense swarm flew over, and the crops in the fields were devoured in an instant! Some folks in our village, desperate, caught locusts with nets and boiled them to eat, but they died from poisoning within a few days. That's when everyone panicked and begged the authorities to open the granaries for relief."

"But for many days, nothing happened. People in the village gradually began to starve to death. When it became unbearable, some fled as refugees, others gritted their teeth and rushed to the county town. That's when Liu Kangren jumped out!" Liu Hou'er paused, his tone full of sarcasm. "He led his junior officers to various towns and counties in Mianzhou to distribute porridge for disaster relief. But that was no porridge! It was just watery rice soup—you could hardly see a few whole grains of rice in it! The more people drank it, the hungrier and thinner they became. My mother eventually couldn't even walk, just lay there barely breathing. Yet even then, everyone still saw him as a living Bodhisattva saving them from suffering!"

His words halted abruptly. Liu Hou'er suddenly turned and kicked the mottled wall of the Liu residence several times, leaving a series of ugly black shoe prints.

"Later, guess what? This corrupt official had actually swapped out the grain from the prefectural granary! The prefect caught him red-handed, with the stolen goods as evidence, and threw him straight into prison! When the government posted the notice, we found out he, relying on being the son of a high official, promised promotions to the granary keepers managing the prefectural granary, secretly bribed them, and bit by bit stole all the grain from the granary! He stole so much grain, yet only gave us watery rice soup, and even tricked us into being endlessly grateful to him! Tell me, isn't that infuriating? Isn't he the greatest villain in the world?"

Wen Zuo listened quietly to the youth's accusation. Though other details were unknown, Liu Kangren's grain theft was likely true.

Back then, when Duke Liu pleaded for his son, he never offered a single word of defense against this charge. According to the Da Qian Legal Code, any court official who stole money or grain from government warehouses would receive eighty strokes of the cane for theft under one string of cash, one hundred strokes and exile three thousand li for twenty strings, and could be executed for forty strings.

The amount of grain Liu Kangren stole must have far exceeded that, enough to warrant his death several times over.

For such an insignificant figure with no achievements, the Qian History contained no record of his death. So Shen Zheng hadn't known Liu Kangren had been involved in such an affair in Mianzhou.

However, Liu Kangren's great battle with Nanping's ghost general Fan Wan completely altered the fate of the Da Qian dynasty, so it was recorded in various historical materials. Local county annals from the southern border also preserved detailed accounts.

Later scholars, analyzing this defeat from an objective, bystander's perspective, generally agreed the responsibility did not lie entirely with Liu Kangren.

Though Liu Kangren was of ordinary ability, he was diligent and hardworking, thoroughly familiar with military texts and strategies.

But upon arriving at the southern border, he discovered that leading troops among his father's old comrades and subordinates was exceedingly difficult.

Those senior generals, all his uncles' generation, had deep seniority. He simply couldn't command them. Moreover, out of respect for his father's connections, he couldn't completely break ties and enforce strict military discipline.

The practice of drawing pay for non-existent soldiers was rampant in the southern border camps. The rosters listed many soldiers, but most were actually nominal supply troops. The true elite troops capable of fighting on the front lines were few and far between.

And those embezzling these military funds happened to be Duke Liu's sworn brothers from the past, elders whom Liu Kangren was obliged to respect.

After the defeat, Liu Kangren could never bring himself to deal harshly with these people. He shouldered all the blame himself, was demoted again and again, and exiled far from the capital court.

In terms of military strategy and commanding prowess, Liu Kangren was indeed far inferior to Jun Dingyuan and truly unworthy of being the commander-in-chief.

When Jun Dingyuan later arrived at the southern border, his situation was even more difficult. Everywhere he looked were Duke Liu's old subordinates. Yet he forcefully carved a path through with his military achievements, repeatedly earning promotions.

Once he held real power, he gave no one face. He implemented sweeping reforms, eliminated useless supply troops, reorganized military registries, eradicated the corrupt practice of empty-payrolls, and strictly punished anyone who violated military orders.

So, after ten years, the southern border military camp was completely transformed, its combat power now a far cry from the past.

When Nanping invaded again, Jun Dingyuan rightfully fought and won a morale-boosting victory, washing away the previous disgrace of Da Qian.

Later generations spoke extremely highly of Jun Dingyuan, praising him as a rare military talent, though it's just a shame he provoked the emperor's wrath and died young.

As for Liu Kangren, the verdict was that he was too soft-hearted and not cut out to be a commander.

Shen Zheng would agree that Liu Kangren needed to atone for the defeat at the southern border and for the people of Da Qian. But to claim that someone so soft-hearted—willing to shoulder all the blame and bound by old ties—would steal official grain for personal gain and harm the people, that just doesn't add up.

One thing at a time, Shen Zheng knew Liu Kangren and the Jun family, especially himself, had grievances, but he still wanted to understand the whole story behind this.

"I ask you, how long did Liu Kangren hand out porridge?" Shen Zheng's gaze was sharp, drilling into Liu Hou'er.

Liu Hou'er rubbed his neck, a flicker of disappointment crossing his face.

He had thought Shen Zheng would share his righteous indignation, but instead, he was met with such calmness. Still, he answered honestly, "About three or four months, I can't remember exactly. I just know we drank that watery gruel for a long time."

Upon hearing this, Wen Zuo's brow immediately furrowed; he too sensed something amiss.

Sure enough, Shen Zheng then spoke, "So, Mianzhou suffered the disaster for half a year, but the reason it wasn't like Ying and Jing provinces, with corpses everywhere, was because of Liu Kangren's months of rice soup?"

Liu Hou'er was taken aback and quickly objected, waving his hands, his cheeks flushing red with urgency, "No, no! Don't be fooled by him! He only gave us that watery soup—the real grain was kept for himself! It was only later, when 'Benevolent Wen' opened his granary and gave out steamed buns, that we survived!"

"You think the one who made you sell your children for steamed buns is the benevolent one?" Shen Zheng wasn't cross-examining; he knew how easy it was for the local gentry and wealthy households to deceive little beggars like Liu Hou'er.

"What's wrong with that? At least everyone survived and could eat their fill. Better than starving to death." Liu Hou'er didn't care at all; he still fondly remembered those days of eating hearty meals every day in the Wen family compound.

"Then what about those who had no children to sell? Didn't they lose even the rice soup?"

Liu Hou'er was stumped for a moment, then scratched his head, "Hmm... Well, they can't blame others. They could either flee to other places or, like that old man yesterday, run to the seaside. There are people buying ambergris; as long as you can find chunks of it from the sea, you can exchange them for money or grain at the Mianzhou Incense Association. Actually, I always thought my mother didn't run off with some man—she must have gone to the seaside to search for ambergris too. Once she finds some, she'll definitely come back for me!"

Ambergris.

How incredibly difficult it was to find a piece.

Lou Changsui and the spice merchants likely used this faint, elusive hope to lure starving refugees to the seaside, which is why there were few corpses near Mianzhou city.

And the people who died at sea mostly wouldn't blame the government for failing to help them; they would only hate themselves for being incapable, unlucky, unable to find the incense.

"Since Liu Kangren was caught red-handed by the prefect, his home must have been seized." Shen Zheng slowly surveyed this Liu residence. The courtyard was desolate, the furnishings inside simple and crude. The only things of any value were the two long spears in the front hall.

Perhaps they were too heavy or too hard to offload, so the confiscators left them behind.

He turned to ask Liu Hou'er, "Do you know how much money was seized from his home?"

Liu Hou'er had no understanding of such official matters and quickly shook his head.

"I don't know... but it must have been a lot! After all, he stole so much grain; he must have sold it for a fortune!"

"If it was such a large amount, that silver should now be in the government treasury. Why hasn't the government used it to buy grain for relief, instead of letting people sell their children?" Shen Zheng pressed further.

Liu Hou'er was left speechless by the question. He opened his mouth but couldn't utter a single word of rebuttal.

After stewing for a while, he finally blurted out in frustration, "Why do you keep asking me these questions? Are you trying to stick up for that great villain Liu Kangren?"

"Then let me ask another way: if the government granary had always held that much grain, why were they so slow to open it for relief when the locust plague first struck?"

"Because... because..." Liu Hou'er was dumbfounded, finally realizing that the biggest problem likely lay with the Mianzhou prefectural government. It was just that everyone now hated Liu Kangren so much they had forgotten the prefect's name.

"Actually, I'm not just asking you." Shen Zheng's gaze was profound. After a moment of thought, he said, "I'm also asking myself: who is the real villain?"

According to historical records, Mianzhou's farmland had been taken over by spice merchants, mostly converted to incense trees. The arable land area had sharply decreased, long since insufficient to feed Mianzhou's population, so it was impossible for the government granary to be fully stocked.

Liu Kangren might indeed have stolen grain, but he likely couldn't have kept it all for himself to amass great wealth.

The most probable scenario was that he used all the stolen grain for disaster relief, but with too little grain and too many people, he could only give the people thin, watery rice soup.

Yet Shen Zheng still had doubts. If this were truly the case, why didn't Liu Kangren petition the court earlier, stating the truth about Mianzhou's disaster and the empty granaries?

Even with people like Bo Zhangyi obstructing, he could have used his father Duke Liu's connections to get a memorial onto the emperor's desk. These matters probably could only be asked of Liu Kangren himself.

Some things were not suitable for Liu Hou'er to hear, so Shen Zheng pulled Wen Zuo aside to a secluded corner, using the shadow of a struggling old tree to lower his voice and ask, "Teacher, do you think there's something wrong with this matter?"

Wen Zuo, still feeling guilty over past events, didn't dare look at him. He turned his face slightly away and asked in return, "What does Your Highness intend to do? Could it be you want to investigate this deeply and overturn Liu Kangren's case?"

Shen Zheng, thinking he was still shy about last night's events, didn't press. Instead, looking at his handsome profile, he said earnestly, "If he truly had mitigating circumstances."

"On the day Liu Kangren was imprisoned, Lou Changsui's impeachment memorial was already speeding toward the capital, coincidentally right after we left." Wen Zuo analyzed softly, "I can tell Your Highness plainly: Liu Kangren's conviction resolves Mianzhou's crisis. The Virtuous Prince Faction would be overjoyed, and those who admire General Jun and favor Your Highness would also seize the chance to add fuel to the fire to show their support—this even includes Eunuch Liu Qian. So, in the entire court, aside from Duke Liu, no one else would plead for Liu Kangren. He is doomed."

"There is someone: I would." Shen Zheng's tone was solemn, "But time is pressing now. By the time we investigate and send a memorial back to the capital, it will be too late!"

Wen Zuo's eyelashes trembled. He took a deep breath and said, word by word, "Has Your Highness considered that the person Duke Liu is least likely to ever submit to in this life is you? He and your grandfather have been rivals for years, their political views greatly at odds. Later, on the southern border battlefield, his son paled in comparison to Jun Dingyuan, completely disgracing the Liu family's military reputation. No matter which prince he sides with in the future, he will be a formidable threat to us."

"I've thought about it." Shen Zheng looked at him, "If Liu Kangren had died on the southern border battlefield, I might say 'good riddance.' But if he is willing to bear the blame and die to save Mianzhou's people, and after death still carries a false, unjust stigma, I cannot accept that."

"Your Highness should just consider it his atonement for the southern border defeat." Wen Zuo slowly closed his eyes.

"Punishment should fit the crime, reward should match the merit. I wish for everyone's posthumous reputation to be fair and just." Shen Zheng grasped Wen Zuo's slightly cool hand, "Teacher, you always have me read the *Comprehensive Mirror to Aid in Government*, but I don't agree with the methods used to alter historical facts to educate people. Those whose lives were distorted, whose reputations were tarnished—if they knew how they were portrayed after death, wouldn't they be saddened?"

Wen Zuo's heart suddenly clenched, feeling a chill.

In that past life, after signing that absurd confession, what would his posthumous reputation have been?

Probably infamous, becoming a despised symbol like Zhao Gao, never to be redeemed.

"Since it's a posthumous reputation, once the person is dead and the soul gone, what is there to be sad about?" Wen Zuo's voice was light and faint, speaking to Shen Zheng, yet also as if comforting himself.

"Their descendants would be."

"What about those without descendants?" A thin mist seemed to veil Wen Zuo's eyes, carrying a hint of self-abandoning smile.

Shen Zheng fell silent, thinking inwardly, *I would be sad for you.*

Seeing Wen Zuo still unmoved, Shen Zheng glanced around from the corner of his eye. Liu Qiying was talking with Liu Hou'er, and Jiang Mannv was stretching with her back to them; neither could see this spot.

His courage suddenly grew. He stretched out a long arm, wrapped it around Wen Zuo's slender, resilient waist, and pulled him tightly into his embrace.

Then he leaned close, his voice soft and slow, carrying a note of coaxing, "Teacher, help me. I want to see Liu Kangren."

Wen Zuo found this unbelievable, "Your Highness, Liu Kangren is in prison right now!"

Wen Zuo turned his face away again, not responding.

Suddenly, Shen Zheng "swished" open his bamboo folding fan, tilting the fan surface to shade their increasingly close heads in shadow.

Taking advantage of Wen Zuo's silence, he quickly planted a kiss on his cool cheek.

Wen Zuo indeed widened his eyes in shock, looking over with a mix of alarm and fear.

Shen Zheng took it a step further, fingertips gently stroking Wen Zuo's chin as he leaned in once more to press against those soft lips, his breath warm. "My Wanshan is such a softie."

He's *your* Wanshan?!

A thunderclap exploded in Wen Zuo's mind. Shen Zheng actually dared to commit such an act, one that violated the laws of Da Qian, in broad daylight!

"You—"

Another kiss cut him off.

"In the light of—"

Not enough. Another kiss, this one yielding a faint, wet sound.

"Stop th—"

Shen Zheng chuckled lowly, his lips sliding from the corner of Wen Zuo's mouth up to the bridge of his nose, where he placed a tender kiss on the smooth tip.

Wen Zuo's struggles gradually weakened. He lowered his lashes, and after a moment of silence, slowly lifted his neck, with a desperate, now-or-never resolve, and actively sought Shen Zheng's lips.