Chapter 16

Chapter 16

No one knew what Vice Minister Shen said when he entered the palace to see the emperor. However, after Vice Minister Shen left, the emperor immediately summoned the officials of the Three Judicial Offices to the palace, and the candles burned until midnight.

The Northern Frontier army returned to the court in triumph, and the emperor issued a general amnesty... The military pay case, which had nearly been settled, was stirred into a massive uproar by the assassination of Vice Minister Shen, catching everyone by surprise. First, several chief examiners responsible for the imperial examinations were investigated, then irregularities were discovered in the garrisons on the outskirts of the capital. In an instant, countless officials were implicated.

Nobles and scholar-officials attacked each other, all eager to shirk responsibility.

At court, the emperor sat high on his throne, his gaze icy as he looked at the civil and military officials. He threw down all the memorials: "A military pay case, murder of a court official, bribery of officials, corruption in the suburban garrisons—how much more don't I know?"

At his words, all officials prostrated themselves silently.

The emperor's gaze was stern as he swept over the officials, finally resting on the leading military officer. The border cannot be left unguarded even for a day. The Qi Family Army was about to set out for the Northern Frontier. The military pay case concerned the border soldiers and, if unresolved, would be hard to calm the army's morale.

He glanced past Qi Shen and finally settled on Qi Hanzhou. "Qi Hanzhou."

The young man, fourteen or fifteen, had already grown tall. Standing in court with his father, he showed no sign of being intimidated.

He raised his head upon hearing his name: "I am here."

The emperor said, "This case is to be handled by the Grand Court of Judicial Review, assisted by the Embroidered Uniform Guard. You will serve as supervisor and get to the bottom of this!"

At these words, everyone's eyes turned to Qi Hanzhou.

The Qi family was the emperor's most trusted entity. This case involved the border. With the Qi family overseeing it, this matter would not be settled easily!

The emperor dismissed the court, and the officials left the hall.

Outside the hall, the Chief Minister of the Grand Court stopped Qi Hanzhou. "Junior General, wait. How should we proceed with this case?"

"Keep the two suspects under strict watch, and audit the Ministry of War's recent account books," Qi Hanzhou said.

The Chief Minister's expression tightened. Before he could ask further, Qi Hanzhou had already walked away.

Seeing this, a colleague approached the Chief Minister, who stood hesitating. "Lord Liu, this case won't be easy to handle."

The Chief Minister was quite troubled and quickly asked his colleague.

"This case involves many high officials. Lord Liu must be careful in handling it. Especially do not slight Young General Qi," said the colleague, looking at Qi Hanzhou's distant figure. "The Qi Family Army is heading back north soon. His Majesty's move... is likely to keep that one in the capital."

At the palace gate, Qi Hanzhou stopped. The Deputy General had already rushed over and handed him a secret letter: "As per the Junior General's orders, the assassin and the scholar had no connection in daily life, yet the hirer happened to choose both of them. The assassin frequented lavish taverns and had served wine to several nobles in the capital. The scholar frequented teahouses, gathering places for scholar-officials. Given the buying and selling of official positions, it's plausible."

"The real hirer knew the inner workings of the nobles and also knew about the undercurrent of official position trading in the court." Qi Hanzhou folded the secret letter, his gaze lingering on the palace walls. "He was just riding the tide, stirring up this muddy water."

The Deputy General paused, stunned. "Then was the horse accident at the training ground also his doing?"

"Not necessarily. The methods differ." Qi Hanzhou frowned. "Evidence of Vice Minister Shen's guilt is hard to come by. The scholar and the assassin are worthless. This isn't something for Father and me to worry about, nor is it what His Majesty wants."

The Deputy General hesitated, growing more alarmed. "Junior General, you are thinking—"

Qi Hanzhou mounted his horse, his gaze settling on the distant streets of the capital. "Where do you think the military pay the Qi family has searched high and low for could be?"

-*

At court, everyone was on edge. The inner palace was silent.

Shen Yunfei didn't enter the palace to see Ying Fusheng until three days later. When he arrived, Ying Fusheng was taking his medicine. The medicine Chu Taiyi prescribed had become a daily necessity for Ying Fusheng. After a period of recuperation, his complexion was no longer so pale, and he looked a bit more lively.

Thinking of recent court events and his father's instructions, Shen Yunfei looked at the young, frail prince before him, not daring to show any disrespect. After the attendants had been dismissed, he bent his knees and knelt. But just as he was about to kneel, the attendant Song An stopped him and quickly helped him up: "Master Shen."

"Thank you, Your Highness, for saving my Shen family!" Shen Yunfei said each word solemnly.

Ying Fusheng saw that his expression had improved and set down the medicine bowl: "It was Vice Minister Shen who went to see His Majesty and pleaded for the Shen family, thereby earning a chance to survive."

Shen Yunfei gritted his teeth. But if his father hadn't been injured and the assassination case hadn't stirred up trouble, His Majesty would not have granted his father an audience.

He didn't know what was in that letter, but he knew that thanks to the Sixth Prince's help, the Shen family had a moment to breathe. This was beyond doubt.

"You came into the palace. Many eyes are watching," Ying Fusheng looked at him. "On the surface, we're just a prince and his companion."

Song An said, "Master Shen, please stand."

Shen Yunfei hesitated, then finally stood.

On the desk lay the Four Books and Five Classics, sent by the Empress Dowager for Ying Fusheng's studies.

Ying Fusheng opened a book. "The Qi family has its eyes on you."

Shen Yunfei was startled. Ever since his father's incident, the suburban garrisons outside his gate had been replaced by Qi family soldiers, and His Majesty had ordered the Junior General Qi to be the supervisor. "How does Your Highness know?"

The military pay case involved many parties. Ying Fusheng deduced a few things from the details of his previous life. No doubt, Vice Minister Shen was a sacrifice in the factional struggle. In his previous life, it took Shen Yunfei and the Qi family years to overturn the case, and the long time caused the evidence to decay. But at this moment, right after the military pay case erupted, some evidence had not been risked to destroy. Everyone was waiting for the Shen family to be convicted to cover up the truth.

His father had kept the Shen family, even giving Shen Yunfei the chance to enter the palace, just to find the whereabouts of that military pay and the real corrupt elements within.

Able to sit in the position of Vice Minister amid the struggles of nobles and scholar-officials, Vice Minister Shen Changcun was not a fool. Otherwise, how else did Shen Yunfei later get clues to pin down the Crown Prince's faction in his previous life? Who was eager to distance themselves at this time? Who had communicated with Vice Minister Shen in the military pay case? Only the Shen family could think through such intricacies. The reason the military pay case was so hard to investigate in his previous life was, first, because it had dragged on too long, and second, because of its complexity and Vice Minister Shen's death. Now the timing was right. Vice Minister Shen Changcun was protected by the Qi family. So why couldn't it be investigated?

"The Qi family are upright officials. If there is anyone who hates the masterminds of the military pay case even more than your Shen family, it is the Qi Family Army on the Northern Frontier." Ying Fusheng opened the scroll, the incense on the desk slowly wafting. He spoke calmly: "Vice Minister Shen's audience with His Majesty was the first step. The Qi family's supervision was the second. If you want to truly turn the tide, a third step is needed."

"Evidence of the Shen family's innocence."

Shen Yunfei laughed bitterly: "If we had evidence, we wouldn't have been unable to defend ourselves..."

"Who said it has to be evidence from the Shen family? It is not your Shen family investigating the case, but the Grand Court of Judicial Review, the Qi family, and the imperial house."

Ying Fusheng raised his eyes, looking at Shen Yunfei, who had yet to see his future glory. "Someone wants to harm your Shen family. If it were me, I would have cleared the evidence long ago. Since they made the Shen family the scapegoat, why would they give you a chance to turn things around?... But evidence can also be stolen goods."

Shen Yunfei’s heart shook. "You mean the whereabouts of the military pay? But His Majesty has ordered searches for so long..."

The prince sat calmly, as if the turbulent court and country had nothing to do with him. But Shen Yunfei knew well that the cause of it all was that simple hired assassination.

Yet this matter had stirred up the political factions in the capital, giving the Shen family a chance to breathe. The reason the military pay case erupted was that this batch of military pay had been secretly replaced, delaying military operations. The Shen family indeed had no evidence to prove their innocence, but if they could find the military pay, it would be different. Such a large amount of military pay could not be easily moved by the hider. Once found, it would expose the real culprit.

Shen Yunfei suddenly understood the key point, and also understood why his father had hurried to the palace that night.

"A few days ago, there was a horse accident at the training ground. Master Shen is good with horses. Do you really think it was an accident?" Ying Fusheng said.

Shen Yunfei stared at him in shock. "You mean—"

Ying Fusheng did not answer. Calmly, he poured tea for Shen Yunfei and pushed the cup toward him. The military pay case was hard to investigate because the military pay had vanished like steam, replaced during transport before reaching the Northern Frontier. The Qi family had investigated thoroughly along the way but found no trace. "The military pay was escorted out of the capital, but before reaching the Northern Frontier, it was replaced with stones, inferior grain, and weeds, seemingly disappearing into thin air."

"But what if this batch of military pay never left the capital?"

Ying Fusheng hinted, "I heard that Vice Minister of Imperial Stud, serving under Vice Minister Shen, oversees horse administration."

"Then your Shen family needs to set a fire."

-*

In the dead of night, at the suburban garrison, soldiers were changing shifts.

A figure quietly slipped out of the garrison during the shift change. Familiar with the route, he bypassed South Street and finally pushed open the door of a teahouse. The Vice Minister of Imperial Stud was pacing anxiously, looking out frequently. When he saw the visitor, he immediately stood up, his expression tense: "Why are you here? The Qi family has been on strict guard recently. They are already auditing the Ministry of War's old accounts. If our fabricated accounts are discovered—"

"I am here to convey the teacher’s order. Please, Vice Minister, be patient," the man in black said. "It’s not safe in the capital. We need to move that batch of goods to a different location."

The Vice Minister of the Imperial Stud's face changed slightly: "So many things, how do we move them?"

"If we can't move them, we have to destroy them," the black-clad man said. "The teacher's intention is: we can't let the Qi family find any clues."

Upon hearing this, the Vice Minister of the Imperial Stud stepped back dejectedly. "We've hidden them for so long, and now we really have to destroy them?"

"The Emperor intends to protect Shen Changcun, and the Qi family is a sharp blade. It's not the time for conflict now," the black-clad man said, with a hint of insinuation in his eyes. "Someone in the court will intercede for you. You have at most three days to deal with it... Vice Minister, you can handle it properly. Your family will be taken care of."

With that, he left a secret order on the table and turned to leave.

The Vice Minister of the Imperial Stud slumped into his seat. The attendant beside him, seeing the black-clad man go far, quickly helped his master. "My lord."

"A secret letter from the palace—it's from the Eastern Palace," the attendant said, holding out a jade pendant.

Hearing "Eastern Palace," the Vice Minister shuddered. "The Crown Prince...?"

When he opened the secret letter, the Vice Minister grew more alarmed with each line. The attempts on the Shen family and the riding accident at the training ground had recently been alluded to obliquely. The Imperial Stud was in charge of horse administration. That day, following the Crown Prince's secret orders, he had arranged the horses for the training ground. The process had gone through many procedures and had been covered up, but if someone set their sights on the Imperial Stud, it would be hard to escape trouble. The person in charge that day had been dismissed and sent home, but there was always the chance of a slip. If the Embroidered Uniform Guard found out about the Imperial Stud, the problem would be enormous.

That lord didn't know about this yet; he had to clean it up quickly. "Let's go to the stables!"

The Imperial Stud maintained dedicated stables scattered around the capital.

Just as the Minister of the Imperial Stud walked out of the teahouse, he heard something and looked up to see thick smoke in the distance. His face turned pale with alarm.

Late at night, the Qi Family Army, stationed on the outskirts of the capital, surrounded the Imperial Stud in an instant, startling the stewards from their sleep. The Embroidered Uniform Guard was also acting in secret, and within less than an hour, they had surrounded the residence of the Minister of the Imperial Stud. Qi Hanzhou was followed by the Head of the Court of Judicial Review, who was almost pale with fear, as the Embroidered Uniform Guard entered to conduct a thorough search. The Minister of the Imperial Stud, along with other officials, was all trapped. Some who tried to flee overnight were intercepted. Qi Hanzhou handed the rest to the Embroidered Uniform Guard. "Where is the Vice Minister of the Imperial Stud?"

"Not at his residence," a messenger reported.

Qi Hanzhou frowned, then thought of something. "Search all the Imperial Stud's stables around the capital—"

"Bad news, Junior General!"

A cavalryman came galloping from afar. "The Imperial Stud's stable in the capital is on fire!"

Surprise flickered in Qi Hanzhou's eyes. He tugged the reins and ordered his men to extinguish the fire.

The Deputy General had control over the Imperial Stud's personnel. They had been operating undercover tonight without any information leaking out. But just as they had taken control of the Imperial Stud, a fire broke out—far too coincidental. "You had the Head of the Court of Judicial Review go to check the Ministry of War's accounts. Tonight, the Vice Minister of the Imperial Stud disappeared, and a stable caught fire. Someone is watching us."

Qi Hanzhou tugged the reins. "That fire wasn't set by their men. If they wanted to burn something, they'd burn the Ministry of War's treasury."

Setting fire to the treasury would destroy all evidence, making the accounts impossible to trace. But burning an unrelated stable would only put the Ministry of War and Imperial Stud under suspicion.

"Then this—" the Deputy General was startled.

Qi Hanzhou spurred his horse toward the outskirts. "Someone acted first."

In the night, many garrisons in the capital were roused. The Imperial Stud's stable caught fire, and the blaze was fierce and far-reaching.

The Forbidden Army and the Qi Family Army acted almost simultaneously. A great fire lit up the distant capital, but fortunately it was discovered in time and contained before it could spread to the surroundings.

This commotion alarmed the imperial city. The Embroidered Uniform Guard reported to the palace that night, and the Qianqing Palace lamps were lit.

Song An, while attending to Ying Fusheng, noticed that the prince was in noticeably better spirits today. He had taken his morning medicine early.

When the master and his servant arrived at the Wenhua Hall, the other students were already there. Shen Yunfei sat distractedly in his seat, only rising to bow when he saw Ying Fusheng.

"The Crown Prince is here!"

Ying Fusheng looked up and saw the Crown Prince entering from outside.

As he entered, the Crown Prince's gaze lingered on Shen Yunfei, then shifted to land heavily on Ying Fusheng.

Ying Fusheng, as if not seeing the hostility in the Crown Prince's eyes, greeted him according to protocol: "Greetings, Imperial Brother."

The Crown Prince turned and left, not even bothering to put on his usual gentle facade. Many people surrounded the Crown Prince. Ying Fusheng rarely attended the Wenhua Hall; he had only recently started coming more often as his health improved. Those present knew the difference between a Crown Prince and a prince. Seeing the Crown Prince show hostility toward Ying Fusheng, they quickly kept their distance.

Only the Seventh Prince leaned slightly toward Ying Fusheng. He still remembered the training ground incident and felt a bit of goodwill toward this usually gloomy Sixth Imperial Brother.

Whispers in the hall only stopped when the Grand Tutor arrived, but today the Wenhua Hall was destined to be different from usual.

After two hours of reading, Eunuch Rong, the eunuch attending the Emperor, personally came to summon the Crown Prince and the Sixth Prince.

The Emperor rarely came to the Wenhua Hall to examine the princes' studies, so this visit was clearly intentional. The Crown Prince thought about his recent lessons. When he saw Ying Fusheng accompanying him, a shadow fell across his eyes. If the training ground incident had succeeded, Shen Yunfei would never have become a companion, let alone enter the palace. Now that the Shen family's case had a turning point, if they were truly wronged, he had missed the opportunity to deal with Shen Yunfei.

In the rear hall of the Wenhua Hall, the Emperor sat at the high seat, with the Grand Tutor beside him.

When the Crown Prince and the Sixth Prince arrived, the Grand Tutor rose and withdrew.

"Xiao Liu, have you been feeling better lately?" the Emperor asked.

Ying Fusheng replied, "Thank you for your concern, Father. I am much better now."

The Emperor nodded slightly, then looked at the Crown Prince with a colder expression. "How have your studies been lately, Crown Prince?"

"Reporting to Father, I haven't dared to slack off. The tasks the Grand Tutor assigned were completed the day before yesterday," the Crown Prince narrated at length, detailing what he had learned recently from reading.

The Emperor's expression remained unchanged. When the Crown Prince finished, he said, "And what else?"

The Crown Prince was taken aback. He saw coldness in his father's expression.

This change made him a little flustered. He had no issues with his studies and had even been praised by the Grand Tutor.

He was forced to answer, "Recently, I've been focusing on my studies, and I also wrote two essays."

"Only focusing on studies?" the Emperor said in a stern voice.

The Crown Prince didn't understand. In the next moment, the Emperor threw a jade pendant to the floor, shattering it.

Ying Fusheng's gaze shifted slightly, then landed on the now-cracked jade pendant. He raised an eyebrow just slightly.

As soon as the jade pendant appeared, the Crown Prince's face turned pale.

The Emperor's expression was already angry. "Then how do you explain this jade pendant of yours?"