Chapter 33

Chapter 33

From above, the adjutant was startled. "Young General!"

Qi Hanzhou's expression shifted slightly. His hand rested on the half-open window frame, and through the gap, Ying Fusheng in the tea room looked composed, standing calmly under the probing gazes around him. His voice wasn't loud, but everyone nearby heard it clearly.

Several great scholars from the National Academy heard his words. Among them, two venerable elders immediately looked at the Sixth Prince. Though the Sixth Prince's remark seemed naive, it struck the truth. The First Prince and the Crown Prince had spoken at length, appearing to plan for the court, but in truth, both were maneuvering for their own interests. These scholars, having served at court for years, could see the clash of factions behind the scenes.

But who dared to raise this openly? When discussing governance, taxes, and officials, no one had dared to mention corruption. To say such words in this gathering was to offend every faction in the court. Corrupt Officials—which faction could claim none of its members had ever been corrupt?

This kind of behind-the-scenes purge had now been brought into the open for the first time.

Chen Yuanli never expected Ying Fusheng to say such things. It went against his original intention and completely blindsided him.

He was about to speak when he noticed the changed looks from his colleagues and the students around him.

Ying Fusheng turned his head to look at Chen Yuanli, who quickly lowered his voice to warn him: "Sixth Prince!"

As soon as Chen Yuanli spoke, the eyes of everyone around focused on him, as if waiting for him to continue speaking more.

This made Chen Yuanli stop the words at his lips.

In that brief hesitation, a highly respected scholar in the tea room stood up and asked: "Sixth Prince, how did you arrive at this view?"

Ying Fusheng paused, then turned to see the elderly man not far away. He glanced at Chen Yuanli as if seeking confirmation, and said in a roundabout way: "Last year, Father Emperor uncovered a lot of army payroll in the capital region, leading to many officials being fired. But since one batch was found, maybe there were other army payrolls embezzled before. So many funds—were only a few corrupt officials involved?"

The surroundings fell silent. Ying Fusheng seemed to gain a bit more confidence and spoke more freely: "Also, last year, the buying of official posts caused a huge uproar, and the entire capital knew about it. Just now, outside the gathering, there was a student pleading for justice, and Lord Chen specially stepped in to help. I heard those students are all from humble families with real talent. They usually associate with the incorrupt officials in the court… Why would they throw away a bright future and try to buy a position? And if they wanted to buy, could they afford the price?"

Having said this, he glanced slightly at Chen Yuanli.

In everyone's eyes, the Sixth Prince seemed to be constantly seeking Chen Yuanli's approval as he spoke.

If the earlier words might have been a mishearing, then now the Sixth Prince, by looking to Chen Yuanli for confirmation after every sentence…

Chen Yuanli had cleaned up corruption in the Ministry of Rites, earning praise from the common people, which had gained him respect from many neutral factions in the court. He had also caught the Emperor's attention and been appointed as one of the examiners for the Spring Imperial Examinations. With the examinations approaching, Chen Yuanli's stance was especially important in the eyes of the students.

Many had seen him earlier outside, arguing with that student named Weng.

That student had begged him for days, not even going to the authorities, but instead harassing him every day outside the Ministry of Rites office.

If the earlier words might have been a mishearing, then now the Sixth Prince's seemingly naive reply actually hit the nail on the head. Chen Yuanli had been in conversation with the Sixth Prince earlier, and even when the Sixth Prince stood up to speak, they had exchanged a few whispers. Now the Sixth Prince naively suggested investigating corrupt officials—wasn't that exactly in line with Chen Yuanli's earlier actions?

"Those words of the Sixth Prince are not from me…" Chen Yuanli, desperate to explain, tried to explain, but the students he had previously stirred up suddenly looked at him: "Master, when you lectured at the National Academy, you never shied away from discussing administrative corruption. So this is your true intention!"

The students looked up to Chen Yuanli, and a few even bowed to him on the spot.

In their eyes, the Sixth Prince's remarks had been orchestrated by Chen Yuanli. Chen Yuanli's face stiffened as his gaze swept over those young, passionate faces—all the words he had spoken to these students had, in just two sentences from the Sixth Prince, been transformed into a stance on government corruption.

The First Prince frowned deeply, while the Crown Prince looked directly at Chen Yuanli.

Among the crowd, several officials had dark expressions.

From the moment they entered the tea house, Chen Yuanli had sat beside the Sixth Prince and chatted freely with him. The surrounding students and officials had all witnessed it. Now it seemed that the Sixth Prince's words had indeed been taught to him.

Even the statements made by the Crown Prince and the First Prince were clearly carefully planned by their advisors.

At the Sixth Prince's age, how could he have come up with such words? That left only Chen Yuanli.

The officials fell silent, the scholars hesitated, and in this atmosphere, Ying Fusheng continued: "Isn't that right?"

While the officials pondered, the students picked up on the key point in Ying Fusheng's words. Everyone knew that reforming taxes or cutting expenses was meant to fill the treasury, but most ministers focused only on these two points. The result would either be cutting wages or taking from the people… But how much money did the people have? The real financial power was in the hands of those few.

With the Sixth Prince opening the discussion, a great scholar asking a question, and the Spring Imperial Examinations examiner Chen Yuanli present, the students couldn't contain themselves: "Sixth Prince says to investigate corrupt officials, but how easy is that? There are many problems in the court—officials cover for each other, and without evidence, the people still suffer."

The students became increasingly agitated. Officials from the National Academy noticed this and saw that the First Prince and the Crown Prince looked displeased. They had to quickly inform the other high-ranking officials! Several National Academy men were about to move when a person stepped out from the side. When the Embroidered Uniform Guard badge appeared in front of them, their expressions changed. Why were the Embroidered Uniform Guard here?

Ye Xuanjiu blocked the informants, and he glanced at the private room on the second floor.

Qi Hanzhou was watching Ying Fusheng, his expression unreadable.

In the tea room, Ying Fusheng ignored Chen Yuanli's warning look. "Investigating corruption—isn't that just reporting?"

Ying Fusheng looked at the group of students, his gaze finally settling on Chen Yuanli before him. "If a superior is corrupt, then report and impeach him. Isn't that what Lord Chen did when he reported the Minister of Rites not long ago? The government office has a complaint drum for those with grievances, and the court has supervisory bodies. If an official is corrupt, then report him."

"Your Highness!!" The student who had spoken jumped in.

Officials from the National Academy stepped forward: "Everyone—"

Another student stood up and said: "Your Highness says to report, but how many people have beaten the drum only to have their grievances addressed?"

"Are you saying that the government office suppresses information? Why? Are they corrupt too?" Ying Fusheng asked innocently in return.

The students all spoke at once.

They seemed to forget that the person before them was just a young prince, fired up by his talk of cleaning house.

By now, some ministers in the seats could no longer sit still.

They couldn't let the Sixth Prince continue—otherwise, things would get out of hand!

"Sixth Prince." Several people approached to stop Ying Fusheng.

Shen Yunfei beside him suddenly reacted: "Hey, what are you doing? His Highness isn't finished yet! The Prince is worth his weight in gold—if you so much as touch him, you'll face the consequences!"

The prince's person was inviolable, and the Sixth Prince's frail health was known throughout the court. Indeed, few present dared to touch him.

The officials who had intended to step forward to dissuade were halted by Shen Yunfei's loud voice, which rang out so that everyone nearby could hear.

As everyone was stopped by Shen Yunfei's shout, Ying Fusheng's eyes turned serious as he looked at the student who had asked the question: "If you have a grievance, can you not speak it directly?"

He looked around at the officials: "If the prefect's office can't handle it, all the esteemed officials here are present—who here can't solve your problem?"

As soon as he finished, the court officials' expressions shifted.

The First Prince frowned and stepped in to stop him: "Sixth Brother, this is a meeting, not a court. If you need to file a complaint, there is a proper process…"

"Yes! As the Sixth Prince just said about buying offices—Scholar Weng has been unable to find justice at the government office. He wanted to save Liu, but Liu was tricked by the government office into signing a confession and forced to take the blame for another. Lord Chen knows this but is powerless!" The student, now riled up, declared angrily: "What else can we do with such a government? All esteemed officials present! On behalf of Scholar Weng, I accuse the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture of cheating up and down the chain, and of condoning torture and forced confessions!"

The First Prince stopped mid-sentence. The Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture was a member of the Crown Prince Faction.

The officials were sweating bullets. The students had turned to look at them.

Indeed! If the Shuntian Prefecture was not clean, with so many court ministers here—great scholars from the National Academy, high-ranking officials—could the Prefect really pull the wool over everyone's eyes, even in front of so many?

"Your Highness, the Embroidered Uniform Guard is here." A staff member rushed over to report.

The First Prince's face changed slightly. The Embroidered Uniform Guard—was this his father's doing?

In a private room elsewhere, the Eighth Prince gazed blankly at Ying Fusheng among the students below. Several excited students surged forward, with Shen Yunfei guarding him. The Eighth Prince turned to ask the Crown Prince: "Brother Crown Prince, Brother Six over there..."

The Crown Prince looked at Ying Fusheng, his face darkened.

Upon seeing this, several members of the Xu family, who were hosting the Guozijian gathering, immediately ordered measures to be taken: "Quick, inform the Grand Secretary—something has gone wrong at the gathering!"

Among them, one man frowned as he looked at Chen Yuanli, then cast a sharp glance at Ying Fusheng before vaulted out the window. On the opposite second floor, Qi Hanzhou caught sight of the figure moving against the flow of the crowd. Seeing him leap out the window, Qi Hanzhou shifted slightly, alighting on the eaves of the teahouse. He pressed his fingers against the tiles and leaned down to look—only to see the man rushing swiftly toward the Ministry of Rites office, his movements identical to those of the figure Qi Hanzhou had seen on that night at the Cining Palace.

Qi Hanzhou's eyes sharpened, and a cold blade slid silently into his fingers. High above, a falcon soared across the sky, chasing after that man.

Qi Hanzhou turned back. His adjutant arrived: "Junior General, word that the Embroidered Uniform Guard is here has already been spread."

Ying Fusheng stood among the crowd. As Shen Yunfei shielded him, two imperial guards from the palace also arrived. The three formed a protective barrier, blocking him from the restless students. The tea on the table had gone cold. He surveyed his surroundings—though he alone had stirred up this atmosphere, he remained detached, standing aloof amidst the chaos.

To accuse corrupt officials and shift the blame was almost audaciously bold.

Having just been schemed against and made the center of attention, he showed no concern. In an instant, he had turned the spring imperial examination gathering upside down.

The students were now fully riled up.

Chen Yuanli never expected the situation to escalate like this. Several officials from the same neutral faction as he approached for a private discussion, while the Crown Prince faction members had already distanced themselves. Though he was nominally neutral, he was actually a member of the Crown Prince faction. Now that things had taken this turn, he couldn't even clear things up. Seeing a colleague pass by, he called out, but was stopped by a student beside him.

Since the Guozijian began holding open gatherings, had there ever been such a ridiculous scene? No policy talks, no discussion of state ills—just students accusing corrupt officials. A crowd of civil officials had gathered to recruit protégés and cement alliances, only to be dragged into an uncontrollable situation, forced into a different arena.

Shen Yunfei fretted, "Your Highness, this place isn't safe..."

Ying Fusheng glanced up at the high spots where Qi Hanzhou lurked, then let his gaze settle on the entrance: "They should be arriving any moment."

Shen Yunfei paused. Who?

As if on cue, footsteps echoed from outside the teahouse.

"Silence!"

In an instant, government officials arrived at the door. The Vice Minister of War arrived in a rush after receiving an urgent report.

Hu Buyu led his men to block the entrances and exits of the teahouse. Entering, he saw the scene of heated indignation. He gave a small wave, and the hastily summoned men swiftly took charge.

The officials were relieved to see Hu Buyu arriving so promptly, as if a lifeline had been thrown.

The First Prince let out a visible sigh of relief at the sight of him. If the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture were to fall, that would be beneficial—but the First Prince himself was not clean either. This situation could be exploited, but he had to maintain control. With Hu Buyu's arrival, the First Prince immediately found a pillar of support and quickly ordered others to assist Hu Buyu in handling matters.

"Lord Hu!" Several officials surrounded him.

"I happened to be returning from a military patrol. Everyone must have been alarmed." Hu Buyu spoke briefly with the officials. Turning around, he saw several princes being escorted to their carriages by guards. As the carriage curtain fell, he locked eyes with Ying Fusheng for a moment.

The curtain dropped. Hu Buyu's expression faded. "Have the suspects been detained?"

"My lord, the Embroidered Uniform Guard has already moved ahead," his confidant whispered.

Hu Buyu was slightly startled. The Embroidered Uniform Guard was no longer in the teahouse.

He suddenly understood: "So that's how it is."

His confidant, seeing the students being led away by soldiers still angrily shouting accusations, hesitated: "Did we arrive too early...?"

"No, right on time." Hu Buyu looked at the departing carriage.

To the emperor, tax collection was merely a tactic; the real goal was money.

Factions within the court were locked in conflict—over tax policy, over cuts to spending...

Chen Yuanli's guidance, the Sixth Prince's offhand remarks, the students' accusations, the presence of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the timely arrival of the Vice Minister of War... The court factions would take this as the emperor's orchestration. None would dare act rashly. Now that the Guozijian gathering had escalated to this point, the issue of investigating corruption was laid bare before everyone. If anyone stayed idle, the emperor's blade would find them.

Corrupt officials had to be arrested, but only when the time was right.

This Sixth Prince, with a few moves, had maneuvered everyone into their proper positions.

...

Inside the palace, the Qianqing Palace was silent. The fiasco at the spring gathering had been presented to the emperor. The implicated students had been taken into temporary custody. Fortunately, the Vice Minister of War had happened to be passing by and managed to notify the nearby government office in time to suppress the unrest.

Reports of Chen Yuanli steering the Sixth Prince at the gathering, conversing with other neutral officials, and inciting the students also reached the emperor's desk. The emperor surveyed the memorial before him, his gaze lingering on the Sixth Prince's candid answers during the gathering. Perhaps someone had instigated the investigation of corruption, but truly rooting out corrupt officials required more than inciting student outrage at a gathering. Ying Fusheng's remark—'all the lords are here'—though seemingly casual, was the real solution.

"Seize corrupt officials, fill the treasury." The emperor looked at the memorial. "This Little Six certainly has no filter."

Despite his words, a smile crept onto his face.

In the past few years, the war had put such matters on hold. It was high time to clean out these pests.

Qi Hanzhou stood at the emperor's side. Several officials lay prostrate before them.

"Minister Liu."

The Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review replied: "This servant is here."

The emperor said: "Release all the students in custody. As for the petitions submitted, I give them entirely to your court. No errors!"

"Get to the bottom of this!"