Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince panicked immediately. The jade pendant was something he had instructed the Vice Minister of Imperial Stud to dispose of yesterday—it was already a matter of the past and should have been handled properly. Why had it ended up in the Emperor's hands? "Your son lost the jade a few days ago and has been unable to find it..."

"Can a jade pendant be lost outside the palace?" the Emperor questioned.

At this, the Crown Prince was at a loss, murmuring, "Your son does not know."

He had no idea where things had gone wrong, and he was even more worried that the incident at the training grounds might be discovered. "Perhaps it was picked up by a palace maid..."

But the Emperor's expression was cold, clearly unsatisfied with the Crown Prince's answer. "Last night, the outskirts of the capital caught fire, and the blaze spread to the Imperial Stud stables."

The Crown Prince was utterly flustered. He hadn't known about the fire in the capital's outskirts and had received no news. This jade should have been with the Vice Minister of Imperial Stud. What exactly had happened? He dared not speculate further, nor did he know how much the Emperor had learned... His mind was in chaos, and he didn't dare raise his eyes. Out of the corner of his vision, he caught sight of Ying Fusheng standing nearby, and it seemed he saw a flash of mockery in the other's eyes.

That look was undisguised, and the Crown Prince's temper flared instantly. Nothing had gone well since the Wangyue Pavilion incident; his credit at the palace banquet had been stolen, and Shen Yunfei, whom he despised, had become his study companion... Ever since encountering Ying Fusheng, everything had seemed to go off the rails.

If only this person didn't exist...

"Father, there might be a misunderstanding regarding the jade pendant," Ying Fusheng took the initiative to explain.

The Emperor glanced at the silent Crown Prince, then at Ying Fusheng who was defending him. "Crown Prince, I am asking you."

The Crown Prince's mind was in turmoil. "Your son does not know."

The Emperor's eyes darkened slightly, as if dissatisfied with the Crown Prince's answer.

The hall fell silent. The Crown Prince's thoughts were in disarray, utterly lost.

Just then, Eunuch Rong entered and reported in a low voice: "Your Majesty, Grand Secretary Xu has arrived."

The Emperor frowned slightly at the mention of Grand Secretary Xu. Ying Fusheng noticed the fleeting change in his expression. Soon, the Emperor waved his hand, signaling Eunuch Rong to summon him.

Before long, sounds came from outside the hall.

Ying Fusheng looked up and saw an elderly man approaching.

When Grand Secretary Xu entered, the hall grew quiet.

His temples were white, and his gait carried the dignity of a scholar. He bowed respectfully to the Emperor.

The Emperor's previously tense expression relaxed upon seeing him. "Grand Secretary has come?"

"Having heard that Your Majesty is troubled by the military funds case, it is my duty to relieve Your Majesty's worries," said Grand Secretary Xu, handing over a memorial. "Regarding the allegations of purchasing official positions in the court, I have had it investigated thoroughly. The implicated officials are all listed here, with solid evidence."

The Emperor ordered it brought to him and, upon scanning its contents, his brow smoothed. "Grand Secretary has put in much effort."

When the Crown Prince saw Grand Secretary Xu arrive, it was as if he had found his anchor. Ying Fusheng stood quietly, watching the elderly man. As a leader of the Qingliu faction, Grand Secretary Xu held great prestige in the Grand Secretariat and rarely involved himself in matters personally. He had a scholarly appearance and a gentle temperament, bearing some resemblance to Empress Xu. Yet beneath this scholarly demeanor lay deep cunning. In his past life, it was this same elder who had labored tirelessly for the Crown Prince, toppled the Eldest Prince's faction, and successfully placed the False Crown Prince on the throne.

The plan for the horse accident, orchestrated by the Crown Prince and the Vice Minister of Imperial Stud, must have been done on his own initiative. Grand Secretary Xu's arrival was to bail the Crown Prince out.

Vice Minister Shen had been assassinated, and the imperial examinations were marred by corruption... Someone needed to answer for it.

The memorial was Grand Secretary Xu's explanation, and it achieved the Emperor's goal.

The old man's gaze fell distantly on Ying Fusheng. The season had turned, snow was melting, and most people had shed their heavy clothes. Yet Ying Fusheng, though dressed thickly, appeared more frail and delicate than others his age, almost too weak to bear the weight of his garments. He stood aside, seemingly indifferent to everything, his eyes as calm as a deep winter pond. Though young, his expression betrayed no flaw; he resembled a prince summoned in trepidation, fitting the timid image described in palace intelligence, with no similarity to the glib Vice Minister Ning.

If he were his student, he would consider the boy steady and promising.

But he was a prince.

Grand Secretary Xu shifted his gaze. Beside him, the Crown Prince's eyes were barely concealing his anxiety, until he heard the old man speak: "Your Majesty, regarding the training ground incident, the Crown Prince is usually kind-hearted and may have been exploited by others. There are many implicated officials in the Imperial Stud, which requires further investigation."

From the high seat, the Emperor's anger had long been soothed by the memorial. He looked at the kneeling Crown Prince, and dissatisfaction turned to disappointment. Then, casting a glance at Grand Secretary Xu, who had come specially, his expression grew deeper. Finally, he said, "Enough. The Crown Prince has acted improperly. He is confined to his residence for two months and must copy the ancestral teachings to reflect on his actions."

The Crown Prince was stunned. He looked up abruptly.

As the Crown Prince and heir to the throne, he had never been punished like this before. He almost couldn't stand.

Shen Yunfei was merely the son of a disgraced official...

But the Emperor had no more words for him; he waved his hand and left directly.

Ying Fusheng made a slight bow to Grand Secretary Xu and also exited the hall.

"A two-month confinement should give the Crown Prince time to think."

Grand Secretary Xu said, "You have been rash and acted on your own. Your mother, the Empress, is worried."

The Crown Prince was unwilling to accept it. "Grandfather, I..."

Grand Secretary Xu bowed and took his leave, leaving the Crown Prince alone in the hall.

As he came out, a palace maidservant was waiting with a bow. Grand Secretary Xu did not turn to look at her; his gaze lingered on the distant figure walking away. He spoke softly, "Go tell the Empress that the Crown Prince is safe for now. But from now on, his words and actions must be careful. The Emperor's mind is unpredictable, and it's best not to get involved in this muddy water."

The maidservant respectfully acknowledged, and Grand Secretary Xu had already left the Wenhua side hall.

...

In the Wenhua Hall, classes had ended for the day. The Crown Prince and the Sixth Prince had been summoned away. Shen Yunfei was genuinely nervous. Knowing the inside story, he was aware that the Sixth Prince had been helping the Shen family. He feared that the Sixth Prince might be implicated for helping them, until he saw Ying Fusheng approaching from afar, only then did he relax.

But as he drew near, he saw Ying Fusheng pause, his gaze falling on the distant path.

The Emperor's procession had long since disappeared, and only a few palace maids were moving about. He didn't understand what the prince was looking at. "Your Highness?"

Ying Fusheng came back to reality and turned around, his eyes narrowing as he glanced at the side hall.

Palace maids bustled about, and the elderly man who had come specifically to the Wenhua Hall was no longer visible. But he knew that his presence in the same room as the Emperor had surely been noticed by many.

Ying Fusheng withdrew his gaze slightly. The Xu family had responded quickly.

The current Crown Prince was still young, and his flaws in conduct were easily exposed.

But the truly difficult opponent was not the Crown Prince at this stage; it was the vast web of power behind him.

Grand Secretary Xu. In his past life, he had dealt with this grandfather more than once and knew the plans he had laid for the Crown Prince. This old man, who had disciples all over the realm, had devoted immense effort to the Crown Prince. It could be said that he had orchestrated everything for him and built his power base in later years. In his past life, when he had learned of his own identity, he had sought help from this renowned grandfather, but his letter of appeal had sunk like a stone, and all he received was a message from the old man's secret guard:

'The prince is weak and incompetent, and his frail body cannot bear great responsibilities...'

When he died in his past life, his grandfather had already become a three-dynasty elder, a minister who had plotted for the world, and a trusted advisor to the new emperor.

The Xu family had chosen the new emperor, which meant they were strangers to him.

"Your Highness," Shen Yunfei called again.

Ying Fusheng snapped back to reality. As he steadied himself, the spring snow was melting before his eyes, not the barren land of the cold palace. "School is over. Why have you come looking for me?"

"Grand Tutor dismissed class. Did His Majesty... give Your Highness any trouble?" Shen Yunfei asked nervously.

Ying Fusheng tilted his head, puzzled by the question. "You should be asking me about the Shen family."

The Qi family already knows about last night's fire.

Shen Yunfei tensed up at the mention of the Qi family. He had barely set the fire the night before when he heard the commotion from the Qi Family Army—almost simultaneously, the Qi family took note of the Imperial Stud. Had it not been for the Sixth Prince’s reminder to leave an escape route, he would not have managed to slip out of Qi Hanzhou’s secret defenses. “Was I discovered by Young General Qi?”

Hearing Shen Yunfei treat Qi Hanzhou like a formidable enemy, Ying Fusheng’s expression remained natural, and he said with a light laugh, “He has a nose like a wolf—hard to guard against. The other point I mentioned is simply to let the Qi family know that someone set the fire, and someone also intended to save your Shen family. That’s all, no need to dig deeper.”

Shen Yunfei looked at the Sixth Prince before him, whose stature was smaller than his own. At the start of the new year, once his birthday passed, the Sixth Prince would only be eleven.

Yet the Sixth Prince showed none of the innocence of youth. Even his father spoke of Qi Hanzhou with trepidation, but in the eyes of the Sixth Prince, he appeared to have a deep understanding of Qi Hanzhou, even using an analogy like “a wolf’s nose.” That was the young general of the Qi family, who could charge on horseback and take the head of an enemy commander.

Ying Fusheng looked at him. “What are you thinking?”

His thoughts seen through, Shen Yunfei was about to explain, but Ying Fusheng was not interested in what he thought. He looked into the distance, where a furtive palace servant was retreating, and said briefly, “The military pay case has results. In the next few days, we should not meet again.”

Shen Yunfei sensed the distance in his words, but he also knew that they should keep their distance now.

He had no choice but to take his leave. As he left, he noticed the eunuch by the Sixth Prince’s side exchanging his hand warmer, and he was momentarily distracted... Was he really that frail?

After the people in the Hall of Literary Brilliance dispersed, Song An packed up and replaced the prince’s hand warmer, saying in a low voice, “Bi Zhu just came by.”

With palace servants from various palaces coming and going outside the Hall of Literary Brilliance, it was easy for spies to mix in. When His Majesty arrived, the consorts’ spies were all there.

Matters involving the emperor and the crown prince would spread faster than anticipated.

“The news of the crown prince’s punishment will spread quickly.” Ying Fusheng held the hand warmer, his gaze fixed on it as he rubbed it, feeling the heat inch by inch seep into his fingertips, relieving some of the chill in his body. After a pause, he spoke again, his tone growing colder: “You haven’t sent a message to Weiyang Palace for a long time. She can endure for a month or two, but she cannot bear this one thing.”

“Remember to bring her some calming incense when you go.”

Song An’s expression tightened upon hearing this, and seeing the cold look in the prince’s eyes, he said, “This servant will go at once.”

...

Within three quarters of an hour, news of the crown prince’s punishment had spread throughout the imperial city, with rumors surging through the palace corridors.

Not much information leaked; the reason for the crown prince’s punishment was unknown. But those who had eavesdropped said that the emperor was furious and even smashed the crown prince’s jade pendant.

The crown prince had been deeply favored by His Majesty since being appointed heir, and had never received such severe punishment. This heavy penalty was a rare sight in the eyes of many.

Meanwhile, compared to the crown prince’s severe punishment, Cining Palace received a special gift of nourishing pills from the emperor, who, mindful of the Sixth Prince's frail health, specially bestowed the pills upon him.

As the rewards and punishments spread, everyone gossiped.

But soon, another major case completely disrupted the capital!

Two days after the fire in the capital outskirts, the military pay case that had shaken the court and the country revealed astonishing news. The Imperial Guards discovered a large amount of unallocated grain hidden among the storage in the burnt imperial stables, a large portion of which was burned. Some grain bags were torn open by the fire, exposing the contents... These grains were used as cover. The most shocking finding came after the cleanup: a small portion of official silver was found buried beneath the stables.

That was the unpaid military pay, hidden in the stables for who knows how long. Had it not been for the fire, no one would have known the silver was concealed there.

The Vice Minister of Imperial Stud, fearing guilt, committed suicide in the street, and the officials involved were all detained.

It should be noted that finding official silver in the Imperial Stud was normal, as the place saw carriages coming and going from all over the country, handling countless shipments of grain and pay daily. But when the unallocated grain and official silver surfaced, Inspector Qi Hanzhou ordered a thorough investigation of the Imperial Stud and all subordinate departments. The shocking discovery was that the missing military pay was hidden in various places around the capital, never even leaving the city, concealed until now.

This news shocked the entire court, and a number of officials were implicated.

The emperor was furious and ordered the Imperial Guards to investigate thoroughly. Meanwhile, Shen Changcun, Vice Minister of War, was cleared of suspicion. For his merit in reporting, and due to faults of negligence, he was demoted from Vice Minister of War to Vice Minister of Imperial Stud and fined three months’ salary.

After the court session ended, Eunuch Rong hurriedly caught up with the departing young general: “Junior General, please stay. His Majesty requests your presence.”

Seeing this, the senior military officers around patted Qi Hanzhou on the shoulder.

Qi Hanzhou took his leave from the others and followed Eunuch Rong.

“Junior General, you have just arrived at court, the military pay case has been solved, relieving His Majesty’s worries,” Eunuch Rong said as they walked. “This case troubled His Majesty for a long time, and now that the truth is out, it can console the spirits of General Chen’s household.”

Qi Hanzhou caught the hint in his words: “To relieve His Majesty’s worries is this subject’s honor.”

Eunuch Rong smiled. Seeing the thirteen- or fourteen-year-old boy with a stern face, knowing how decisive he had been in this matter—first intimidating the capital garrison with the Qi Family Army, then surrounding officials late at night—he said, “The Junior General bears some resemblance to General Qi when he was young.”

At the mention of Qi Shen, Qi Hanzhou couldn’t help but glance sideways.

But Eunuch Rong said no more, as the Qianqing Palace was already in sight.

Inside the palace, the emperor still wore his court robes. Several memorials were spread open on the desk before him. “Hanzhou, you’re here.”

Qi Hanzhou had grown tall, but at his young age, his face had lost its childishness.

The emperor had watched him grow up, and now seeing him like this, there was relief in his eyes.

“Your father will set off back to the border in a few days. The war has ceased, and you handled the military pay case well. I discussed it with your father—the position of Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard is temporarily vacant. I’ll keep you here to gain experience.” The emperor’s tone was gentle, treating Qi Hanzhou like the son of a friend. When Qi Hanzhou remained silent, he chuckled, “What? Still want to go back to the northern border?”

Qi Hanzhou hesitated. “Your subject…”

“You grew up with your father