Chapter 34

Chapter 34

The Imperial Academy gathering stirred up considerable commotion. The Sixth Prince spoke bluntly, yet the Emperor, instead of reprimanding him, praised his sincerity and forthrightness.

The Emperor ordered a thorough investigation into corrupt officials, and imperial decrees were swiftly transmitted, with several orders reaching various departments that same day.

The Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review hurried out of the palace to his office. Upon arrival, he found the secret directive from the Embroidered Uniform Guard already placed on his desk.

Seeing the list of names on the directive, cold sweat soaked his back. Some well-known names were listed, accompanied by clear evidence...

"Your Excellency, how should we handle this?" a clerk of the Grand Court asked.

"What else can we do? If there's evidence, we get moving! Are you waiting for the Embroidered Uniform Guard to push you?"

Hu Buyu, the Vice Minister of War, could still explain his handling of the gathering as the Eldest Prince's doing. But the presence of the Embroidered Uniform Guard at the scene almost confirmed it: everything—from the Emperor assigning topics to the princes, to the Sixth Prince's frank speech at the gathering—was deliberate.

The Emperor had long wanted to strike at corrupt officials. Now, with public opinion on his side, talk of corruption in the capital had even eclipsed talk of the imperial examinations. The secret reports and evidence held by the Embroidered Uniform Guard became the justification for wielding the blade.

The officials named by the furious students at the Imperial Academy gathering bore the brunt of the crackdown. Various secret dealings in the Shuntian Prefecture were turned into written complaints from students, listed one by one. When the first complaint was sorted with evidence, the Embroidered Uniform Guard led the charge, aided by the Grand Court, and surrounded the home of the Shuntian Prefect that very night.

The commotion was immense, spreading across the court and country overnight.

Once the blade was drawn, civil and military officials knew the Emperor had made his move. At this critical juncture of the spring imperial examinations, it caught everyone off guard.

The court was in shock; factions were rife with suspicion.

The civil officials who had attended the Imperial Academy gathering were in a cold sweat, fearing the blade would fall on them. Those who had dealings with the Shuntian Prefect hurried to distance themselves. The heated discussions on tax reduction during the spring imperial examinations suddenly ceased, replaced by new schemes within the factions to stab each other with evidence.

The most conspicuous figure at the morning court was none other than the Chief Attendant of the Ministry of Rites, Chen Yuanli.

The Emperor lavished praise on him in court, and his favor toward Chen Yuanli was evident to all. Even after the court adjourned, the Emperor kept him in the palace for further discussion. The capital was rife with rumors about the Chief Attendant's righteous words.

"What's going on with Chen Yuanli?!"

"He was aided by the Grand Secretary in his youth, and he handled the previous matter in the Ministry of Rites smoothly. He acted on the Emperor's secret orders this time, yet he didn't reveal a single hint to us!"

"Quiet down! The immediate priority is to handle the corrupt officials issue! The Yun family is digging in their heels over the Shuntian Prefecture... Just how many private dealings has the Shuntian Prefect had?"

The Crown Prince's faction was in an uproar. Chen Yuanli's calling card sent to the Xu residence was not refused, but Grand Secretary Xu, citing important matters, declined to meet him.

"Grand Secretary, what about Chen Yuanli's matter..." an advisor asked. "The Eastern Palace has sent someone to inquire: how should this be handled?"

Chen Yuanli had just stabbed everyone in the back. He appeared neutral at court, and even in the Eldest Prince's faction, most believed he was neutral. But for the Xu family, it was different. They had previously tasked Chen Yuanli with impeaching the Minister of Rites. Now, with this move, everyone knew that Chen Yuanli, who could impeach corrupt officials today, could impeach the Xu family tomorrow.

Grand Secretary Xu closed his eyes in thought, only opening them after a long pause. "Set someone to watch Chen Yuanli. Do it quietly."

The advisor was startled. "Grand Secretary!"

Xu said, "With such a big incident on the eve of the spring imperial examinations, peace won't last."

"The spring imperial examination examiners are going to be shuffled."

...

"In the streets, everyone is talking about Your Highness's speech at the gathering, saying you set a great example for all the scholars of the realm!" A group of idle young nobles were drinking with the Sixth Prince at a tavern. Ever since the gathering, basking in the Sixth Prince's reflected glory, even their drinking seemed to carry more weight.

"That was Lord Chen's idea. I didn't say much," Ying Fusheng said, smiling.

Fatty butted in, "That's different! Neither the Crown Prince nor the Eldest Prince dared to say it, but you, Your Highness, did! My father has had it in for the Shuntian Prefect for ages. Last time he asked a favor, it never went through. Now that he's in trouble, my father is throwing a big feast at home to celebrate!"

After the Imperial Academy gathering, the Emperor's decree spread through every street and alley. Scholars were gathering in the streets in growing numbers.

Ying Fusheng listened to the idle nobles talking about which corrupt official had been investigated. He swirled his teacup, its surface reflecting the scene in the tavern. Claiming he was tired, he went upstairs to a private room.

As soon as he entered, Qi Hanzhou, leaning by the window, turned his head at the sound. The noise from the street was muffled as he closed the window. Before Qi could speak, Ying Fusheng jumped in—

"The Junior General has shut down quite a few properties."

Everywhere on the streets, people were talking about investigating corruption. The officials in the capital were restless.

The reason the investigation was so swift was none other than the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

"Some people have long been on the Embroidered Uniform Guard's list, just waiting for the right moment." Qi Hanzhou looked up, tapping lightly on the window frame. "Your Highness chose the right timing. With the spring imperial examinations approaching, some have been making moves behind the scenes. Seven estates were sealed today, all with unclean accounts, and the Grand Court is investigating them all."

Ying Fusheng raised an eyebrow. Qi Hanzhou moved fast. To pinpoint these people so accurately, he must have had evidence in hand for a while. Taking this opportunity, he handed it all over to the Emperor. The pests that couldn't be touched during normal times were now in the spotlight, and the factions would eagerly use them as stepping stones to address their immediate crises.

Several names on the list—Ying Fusheng had been thinking of ways to drag them down. Now, with Qi Hanzhou's help, it saved him a lot of effort. Investigating one Shuntian Prefect implicated several officials. Such efficiency suggested that the Qi family had a significant foothold in the court.

Qi Hanzhou studied him closely. Ying Fusheng was dressed in a moon-white casual robe, with extremely faint cloud patterns embroidered on the cuffs. For a member of the imperial family, this attire was too plain. He approached Qi Hanzhou, standing beside him, looking outward along his line of sight. "Just the Shuntian Prefect's land holdings—how much tax revenue do they amount to? And the ill-gotten gains—how will they be divided?"

His tone was light, as if casually asking.

But Qi Hanzhou gave him a deep look.

After years of war, the most important thing for Dayuan now was to recuperate. The assets confiscated—the wealth squeezed from the people, turned into the bricks and mortar of corrupt officials' mansions—if truly sealed and liquidated, would far exceed the silver that actually flows into the national treasury.

Two years ago, when the border was in crisis, the grain and fodder sent to the frontier vanished, leaving the border people in misery and the soldiers barely fed. For a time, it was the people who sustained them. Had it not been for this, the Emperor would not have made such a fuss when investigating the Shen family's military pay case last year, going to great lengths to protect the Shen family and to root out the deep-seated corruption.

If Shen Changcun had not been assassinated back then, given the court situation, the military pay case might have been difficult to close.

Ying Fusheng, not hearing Qi Hanzhou's reply, thought he was reluctant to disclose details.

He was about to change the subject when he heard the young man standing by the window turn his head slightly, his gaze falling on him—

"As for the confiscated ill-gotten gains, the land will be taken over by the state. Twenty percent will go to repair the flood-damaged dams south of the Yangtze River. The rest... the court will send to the border to alleviate the conditions there." Qi Hanzhou paused before continuing. "Last winter, when heavy snow fell in the north, the Qi Family Army encountered refugees all along the way as they returned to the northern frontier. Your actions saved the people of the north and also relieved the pressure on the border troops."

"What does it have to do with me?" Ying Fusheng was watching the bustle in the street. Today, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, together with the Grand Court, was conducting confiscations. The boxes they were carrying out happened to pass through this street. "We should thank Lord Chen."

Qi Hanzhou raised an eyebrow slightly at that.

Ying Fusheng chuckled. "Isn't it Lord Chen?"

Qi Hanzhou's expression shifted, his eyes turning meaningful.

"Speaking of Chen Yuanli, there was a peculiar servant near the Xu family's private room at the teahouse that day." Qi Hanzhou's tone turned slightly serious. "During the gathering, before the Ministry of War arrived, someone took advantage of the chaos to slip out of the teahouse. Tracking led to them eventually fleeing into the Ministry of Rites offices."

"A member of the Xu family?" Ying Fusheng paused.

Qi Hanzhou shook his head. "No, that person wasn't listed among the Xu family's servants."

Not from the Xu family, yet able to appear near the Xu family's private room.

Either they were deeply connected to the Crown Prince's faction, or they were a spy from some other faction planted in the Xu household.

Chen Yuanli was from the Ministry of Rites. The person who slipped away didn't handle the student unrest at the gathering when needed, nor did they help Chen Yuanli. Clearly, they noticed the Embroidered Uniform Guard blocking the Imperial Academy officials from acting and chose to lie low.

"This person didn't stay." Ying Fusheng said.

"No. They left cleanly, without leaving a trace."

If an ordinary person were faced with such a major incident, they would normally choose to wait and see. This person did not do that; instead, he chose to leave for the Ministry of Rites.

Rather than staying at the scene to await developments, he needed to go and tip someone off instead.

Yet despite this, the Embroidered Uniform Guard did not make a move against him.

As if noticing the question in Ying Fusheng's eyes, Qi Hanzhou said briefly, "Keeping him alive gives us eyes."

Always striking first will eventually put one in a passive position.

But holding back a little can serve as a later move at a critical moment.

As they spoke, a sound seemed to come from outside the private room.

Both their expressions flickered slightly, and they fell silent almost at the same time.

Qi Hanzhou listened as the footsteps outside faded away; it was probably a drunkard in the building.

Just as he turned around, he suddenly sensed a faint gaze on himself. Looking back, he saw that Ying Fusheng's gaze was slightly averted, settling on his waist, where, compared to usual, a plain-sheathed sword was missing.

"I thought that by using the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Junior General would be displeased."

Ying Fusheng lowered his eyes, looking at Qi Hanzhou's sleeve, and said softly, "But this time when meeting the Junior General, the General was not wearing his sword."

Qi Hanzhou's expression did not change, but his fingers curled slightly within his sleeve.

A smile appeared in Ying Fusheng's eyes. "I've said too much; the Junior General should be on his way."

The tavern downstairs was raucous; the playboys were still eating, drinking, and enjoying themselves. The noise from below could not be blocked even in the private room.

The two of them had met very few times; the enemy was in the shadows while they were in the open.

In their few meetings, Ying Fusheng's attitude was composed. Such a person, who at the Guozijian assembly made a fool of civil officials and turned the situation upside down, was also completely unafraid of the possibility of an assassin's hidden hand in that crowded place. The mastermind placed him in the public eye. An ordinary person would think about how to hide, but he did the opposite, shifting the situation in the court and the country onto Chen Yuanli.

With such methods, if he wanted to deal with Chen Yuanli, why would he need a Guozijian assembly?

Yet he chose to stir up the situation in full view of everyone, when the students were full of fervor.

It was as if in his eyes...

Qi Hanzhou turned and left.

The private room fell silent. The smile on Ying Fusheng's face gradually faded. An itch rose in his throat, and he couldn't help coughing a couple of times. Then he pulled his outer robe tighter to block out the surrounding chill. He wanted to close the window, but then noticed that Qi Hanzhou had already closed them all.

Ying Fusheng's gaze deepened. The emperor's blade... really does come in handy.

He murmured to himself. Thinking of his past life, his forehead throbbed with pain, and a chill seemed to seep from his bones.

The informant did not go to the Xu family, but instead went to the Ministry of Rites offices. Clearly, he had found the right person.

Chen Yuanli, secretly a member of the Crown Prince Faction, was in fact not aligned with the Xu family.

In that case, he was a discarded pawn.