Chapter 76

Chapter 76

The Second Prince studied this not-so-tall imperial brother, skipping unnecessary pleasantries and simply said, "Is your health better? I was outside the capital on the day you left the palace and couldn't make it back. If you're still not fully recovered, you can leave some matters to Lord Liu to handle."

Ying Fusheng shifted slightly, accepting his concern. "Father Emperor ordered me to supervise; I cannot be negligent."

He let out a light laugh, wearing the eager expression of someone new to his task.

Even though this was not their first meeting, the two spoke like a pair of decently close royal brothers. The nearby officials, seeing the positive rapport between the two princes, breathed a collective sigh of relief—after all, clashes between princes had become common in court; the First Prince openly clashing with the Third Prince was not a first.

"That's as it should be," the Second Prince said, looking at him with slight approval. "If there's anything you don't understand, feel free to ask me."

Ying Fusheng tilted his head slightly, as if pondering, and then said, "But Father Emperor said I am to supervise the Ministry of Works. If I come to you, Second Brother, do I need to report it to Father Emperor?"

The moment his voice fell, the surrounding officials fell into silence. Good heavens—did he just say that outright?

Everyone knew the Emperor had placed the Sixth Prince in the Ministry of Works precisely to guard against the court factions!

The Second Prince was taken aback, then couldn't help but laugh. "That works too."

Just then, the Vice Minister of Works arrived and, seeing the two princes together, quickly came over to guide them.

Song An, who was accompanying Ying Fusheng, looked apologetically at the other officials. "Please bear with us, my lords. His Highness has been unwell since his illness last year, and his words are not ill-intentioned—he's merely a bit too straightforward."

With Song An's explanation, the Ministry of Works officials naturally understood. It was said around court that the Sixth Prince had damaged his mind from the fever; now it seemed his temperament was indeed a bit more direct. "We understand perfectly, of course."

The review of the Ministry of Works not only assessed its officials but, most importantly, inspected the progress of the Lingxiao Terrace.

Behind the government office, workers were busy tallying the craftsmen and stone needed for the terrace.

The Second Prince had come today with the Merit Assessment Office. He held a post in the Ministry of Personnel and had no notable achievements in court, always staying middle-of-the-road. At that moment, an official from the Merit Assessment Office approached and whispered a few words to him. He replied genially, "That is a bit troublesome—can it be resolved?"

The officials, who seemed to favor this easygoing Second Prince, answered, "Naturally, there's no problem. As long as the Lingxiao Terrace goes smoothly, Lord Meng won't scrutinize too deeply."

Ying Fusheng watched from the side as the Second Prince conversed with the Ministry of Personnel officials.

The Second Prince's gaze swept over and, seeing Ying Fusheng still standing there, he spoke to a nearby official. Soon, a chair was brought over. Noticing a few flower petals clinging to Ying Fusheng's hair, he reached out and picked them off. "Your health hasn't fully recovered yet; you shouldn't stand for long. Have a seat."

The two princes, but before so many officials, offering a chair—on the surface, it seemed like the Second Prince was showing concern for the Sixth Prince. In reality, if Ying Fusheng did not sit, he would leave the impression of being overly stubborn and might be seen as troublesome. If he did sit, in front of these Ministry of Works craftsmen, he would appear pampered and delicate—even for inspections, he had to sit.

The stage was set.

The Second Prince seemed unconcerned with whether Ying Fusheng sat or not. Ying Fusheng looked at the chair for a moment, then without much hesitation, sat down. "Thank you, Brother. I've just recovered, and my legs are still a bit unsteady... I'm new here today, but I see you're quite familiar with the Ministry of Works."

The Second Prince smiled. "I trained here a few years ago; it's still fairly familiar."

With that, the Second Prince did not linger but followed the Ministry of Personnel officials to inspect the entire area around the Lingxiao Terrace. He did not delegate official duties and even asked the Ministry of Works staff for guidance when he encountered something unfamiliar.

Soon, everyone's attention was on him—this prince had no airs and was easy to get along with.

The Ministry of Works officials waited anxiously for the results from the Merit Assessment Office. Only after they had finished reviewing matters concerning the Lingxiao Terrace did the leading official from the Merit Assessment Office speak—

"So far, no issues have been found. But the Lingxiao Terrace is of great importance."

The Ministry of Personnel official continued, "From what we've seen, the Ministry of Works is indeed short-handed. However, given the tense political situation, Lord Meng's opinion is that we could temporarily transfer some Ministry of Personnel officials to assist here."

At these words, the Ministry of Works officials all turned to look at the Minister.

Minister of Works, Lord Liu, expression shifting, replied, "I'm afraid that would be inappropriate. Matters of the Ministry of Works, without His Majesty's command, cannot be handled privately by the Ministry of Personnel."

The Ministry of Personnel official, however, fixed his gaze on the Minister of Works and said, "Lord Minister Liu's considerations are prudent. But if the Ministry of Works fails, it would reflect poorly on our Ministry of Personnel's assessment standards."

With that, he produced the day's assessment document, which showed several items where the Ministry of Works officials had not passed. "You should see for yourself, Lord Minister."

Most of the Ministry of Works officials were either transferred from other departments or appointed to fill vacancies; there were few veterans. Evaluating them by the old standards of the Merit Assessment Office was already somewhat inappropriate, but laws and regulations were clear, and the Merit Assessment Office was simply following the court's instructions.

"Before we came, Lord Meng instructed us to consider your difficulties, Lord Liu. The Ministry of Works is indeed in a tough spot right now." The Ministry of Personnel official sighed. "We don't want to submit this and harm our colleagues' careers either. That's why we're here to discuss it with you, Lord Minister. The Lingxiao Terrace must be handled properly—we're afraid the Ministry of Works might make a misstep. If that happens, scrutiny from the Censorate could fall on us as well, and it would no longer be just a Ministry of Works issue."

The implication was that the document could be withheld, but the Ministry of Works had to ensure the Lingxiao Terrace was completed without any mistakes, and without dragging the Ministry of Personnel down.

Ying Fusheng listened quietly. When the Minister of Personnel was mentioned, he cast a brief glance at the Second Prince.

The Minister of Personnel, Meng Jinyuan, was a former classmate of the Emperor when he was a prince. A civil official, he had formed a separate faction with the Xu Faction in court. He never engaged in cronyism or took on private disciples. His conduct was almost unique in court, making him a neutral figure. He had been demoted twice and promoted twice for his frank remonstrance, always loyal to imperial power.

But his reputation was decent.

The Ministry of Personnel's concerns were reasonable, and the Ministry of Works officials understood.

Once the Ministry of Personnel official had spoken, the decision fell to the Minister of Works.

Not only were officials present, but also two princes. The Ministry of Personnel official then turned to the Second Prince. "Your Highness, what do you think?"

The Second Prince thought for a moment. "Neither option is easy to handle. What do you think, Sixth Brother?"

The Ministry of Works officials had nowhere else to look, so they turned to the Sixth Prince.

"You're right, Second Brother—it doesn't seem easy to handle either." Ying Fusheng appeared deep in thought. "Since you're afraid of getting burned, why are you volunteering for the Ministry of Works' work? If you're that scared of trouble, shouldn't you keep your distance?"

A flicker of displeasure passed through the Ministry of Personnel official's eyes. He replied respectfully, "The Lingxiao Terrace is a major matter of state. His Majesty ordered it done well, and serving the court is the duty of the Ministry of Personnel. This suggestion I made was merely to find a comprehensive solution for the Ministry of Works."

The Second Prince did not take the lead but wore a thoughtful expression, as if also pondering a perfect solution. Yet beneath that facade, his gaze, seemingly scattered among the crowd, focused sharply on Ying Fusheng.

"All the lords of the Ministry of Works have recently assumed their posts," Ying Fusheng said slowly. "If that's the case, shouldn't the Ministry of Personnel first ask Father Emperor whether the assessment criteria should be revised, and then come to conduct the assessment?" He paused deliberately after the Ministry of Personnel official spoke, appearing to think carefully. Then he said earnestly, "Father Emperor values the lords of the Ministry of Works; he must have his reasons."

Some Ministry of Works officials realized that what the Ministry of Personnel offered as a convenient favor was, in fact, a threat to their careers.

The Ministry of Personnel official's expression changed. "Your Highness, revising assessment criteria would shake the very foundation of the Ministry of Personnel! How could that be adjusted within a few months? If the Ministry of Personnel changes its rules for the Ministry of Works, how would we deal with other departments in the future?"

Ying Fusheng said, "Your words make sense. Let me think about it again."

And just then, Ying Fusheng suddenly turned his head and looked at the Second Prince with a faint smile. "What do you think, Brother?"

The very question was passed back to the Second Prince.

The Ministry of Works officials nearby then realized: what could the Sixth Prince, new to the Ministry of Works, possibly understand? If he could directly petition His Majesty, wouldn't that benefit both departments? He was only raising a question. So what about the Second Prince?

All eyes turned back to the Second Prince.

The Second Prince stepped forward quickly, showing no sign of displeasure. Even when pushed into the spotlight by Ying Fusheng, he simply played the peacemaker with a genial laugh. "It's true that the Ministry of Works is short of hands, and the Ministry of Personnel is only trying to help. The two departments have different functions, and the Ministry of Personnel doesn't want to make things difficult. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Works is swamped with tasks and can't make a quick decision."

Ying Fusheng added lightly, "Second Brother is right."

Whatever the Second Prince said, he echoed.

With neither prince offering a decisive opinion, what more could the officials say?

The Ministry of Personnel official, unwilling to argue further, sighed and took his leave.

Lord Liu, the Minister of Works, looked gratefully at the Second Prince and personally escorted him and the Ministry of Personnel officials out. Ying Fusheng did not drop his look of feigned understanding. Watching them leave, he asked, "Lord Liu, haven't you requested more personnel from Father Emperor?"

The Ministry of Works officials listened as the Sixth Prince's questions came one after another, knowing he was new to the ministry and unfamiliar with its affairs: "Your Highness, Lord Liu has also tried ways—memorials are submitted daily, but there's simply no way."

Regarding the shortage of manpower, Liu Yunshi had submitted too many memorials to the emperor. Otherwise, how could those old foxes at court be recommending people to the Ministry of Works every day? Yet, precisely in this situation, the emperor would rather use the Sixth Prince to temporarily block others' mouths than allow any opportunity for interference. He chose to slowly adjust personnel, placing all the pressure on the Minister of Works.

Not to mention the Ministry of Personnel—just the other day, when the Ministry of Works went to the Ministry of Revenue for funds, the Minister of Revenue also hinted at sending people to help. Now everyone wanted to get their hands on the Ministry of Works. If they agreed to the Ministry of Personnel, they would offend the Ministry of Revenue at court.

And that's not even considering the Ministry of War watching from the sidelines... The emperor would not allow others to interfere under the guise of assistance, logically and morally. But once they agreed, if problems arose later, it would be these newly appointed Ministry of Works officials who took the blame. Thinking back to the North Mountain Hunting Ground incident, just a single arrow left by the former Minister of Works led to two officials being demoted for negligence in warehouse management.

Offend the factions, incur the emperor's suspicion—either way, it was a dead end.

Thanks to Minister Liu, who could withstand the pressure and still refused to give in... But now that the Ministry of Personnel had spoken, the officials' faces were grim. To serve the people, they had to be in a position to act. If the Ministry of Personnel impeached them, they were finished.

"In my opinion, Lord Meng is effective at court and deeply trusted by His Majesty," a Ministry of Works official said. "Rather than letting the Ministry of Revenue and Ministry of War interfere, it's better to let the Ministry of Personnel help us. At least then the Merit Assessment Office's evaluation documents won't go against us."

Moreover, the Ministry of Personnel was neutral and had nothing to do with the factions.

Ying Fusheng raised an eyebrow: "So we should side with the Ministry of Personnel? Cling to their coattails?"

Officials: "..."

Sixth Prince! Do you have to be so blunt!

Ying Fusheng thought for a moment. "Just now you said the Ministry of Works is short-handed, and issues with evaluations and funding approvals are problems."

Hearing that the Sixth Prince was also considering, an official couldn't help but say, "...It's better to owe the Ministry of Personnel a favor than to owe the Ministry of Revenue."

"So you're worried about reciprocal favors? Today they help you, and later you'll have to help them?" Ying Fusheng tried to understand the Ministry of Works' thinking. After a pause, he said, "The Ministry of Works is the foremost of all ministries in the court. That official also said it's all for the court's affairs—can that be considered a favor?"

The officials didn't know how to explain to the Sixth Prince. In principle, it was true, but dealing with officials at court, forming alliances and interests—all of it was about human relations.

Without equivalent effort in return, everyone would just look out for themselves. Who would help them?

The foremost of all ministries—that was when Grand Secretary Xu was still around. Now the Ministry of Works' status had plummeted!

"I am now the Inspector of the Ministry of Works. I should be able to solve the manpower shortage for you."

After some thought, as if he had finally come up with a solution, Ying Fusheng said, "In that case, since we have to owe favors anyway, why not owe a few more and settle it all at once."

"Wait, Your Highness—" The officials suddenly had a bad feeling.

...

Outside the office, Minister Liu respectfully saw the Second Prince off.

The Second Prince said, "Minister, you've worked hard. I'll discuss this matter with Lord Meng and see if there's a complete solution. I spent some time in the Ministry of Works myself, so if I can help, I certainly will."

Minister Liu was moved: "How could we trouble Your Highness the Second Prince!"

"It's no trouble. Lord Minister, you don't need to see me off," said the Second Prince.

Minister Liu watched as the Second Prince boarded his carriage.

But as soon as he got on, the Second Prince's easy-going, amiable persona vanished. Peering through the gap in the carriage curtain, he watched Minister Liu walk back inside with relief, his eyes cold. "Liu Yunshi is talented. The emperor was right to place him in the Ministry of Works. But his tact cannot be used for our purposes."

"The medical records at the Imperial Hospital—there are problems," he said.

His subordinate replied, "The Imperial Hospital's records are indeed problematic. Our agent there has been watching for a year. The intelligence from Wanchun Hall is not false..."

"Didn't His Highness come today to test the waters?"

The Second Prince had observed Ying Fusheng—his reactions, movements, and demeanor all showed signs of a long illness. But the two traps he had set for him earlier: this man stepped into them but didn't fully fall in. Everything he did was plausible, even his blunt tongue was the same as when he was at the Dali Temple.

"His performance is flawless," the Second Prince said calmly. "And he's clever."

"Pity I don't believe in coincidences... My adoptive father laid repeated traps but couldn't kill him. This sixth brother of mine is not simple."

He really wanted to see what lay beneath that exterior.

The carriage began to move slowly. The Second Prince leaned back against the seat when suddenly his peripheral vision caught something, and his eyes sharpened. Outside the window, at a corner near the Ministry of Works office, an ordinary carriage was parked. There were no wealthy homes nearby—why was a carriage there?

"That carriage is suspicious," the Second Prince said.

His subordinate understood. Lifting the curtain for a moment, he exchanged glances with some among the crowd. Several "commoners" on the street stiffened, dropped what they were doing, and approached the parked carriage as if passing by. As they drew near, they saw the driver crouched by the wheel, complaining loudly.

The "commoners" saw that the carriage wheel had been damaged by gravel, and the driver was repairing it.

"Is that so?" The Second Prince's suspicion eased. "Then let's go."

He exchanged a glance with his subordinate, who understood. The driver urged the horses to speed up.

As the carriage moved away, inside the ordinary carriage, Qi Hanzhou, dressed in plain clothes, held onto the window frame, concealing his presence. Through a tiny crack, he watched the carriage disappear around the corner. Beside him, Ye Xuanjiu was drenched in cold sweat. In just a passing glance, commoners had approached their carriage. If not for the Junior General's quick thinking in damaging the wheel, they would have been discovered.

"Those commoners are agents. I'll deal with them shortly," Ye Xuanjiu said.

Qi Hanzhou stared at the departing carriage and said firmly, "No, leave them. And don't send anyone to tail them."

Ye Xuanjiu was secretly alarmed. Today, when the Imperial Guard learned that Ying Fusheng was coming to the Ministry of Works office, the personnel from the Merit Assessment Office had already arrived. The Second Prince had even arrived before the Sixth Prince. Anyone investigating would think it was a coincidence—their meeting natural and plausible.

The date for the Ministry of Personnel's evaluation had been set long ago, and the Second Prince's visit was because the Ministry of Works was his former domain; it was convenient for him to come.

"This man truly leaves no room for error," Ye Xuanjiu said. "The direction of his carriage—he's returning to the Ministry of Personnel."

"If he deliberately chose today to deliver the document to the Sixth Prince, then this 'chance encounter' was intentional." Qi Hanzhou frowned. But this also showed one thing: although the Second Prince seemed ordinary in the Ministry of Personnel, his covert influence was enough to affect its procedures.

Compared to the overt factions, this kind of silent opponent was truly difficult to deal with.

Ye Xuanjiu looked at Qi Hanzhou, wondering what the Junior General and the Sixth Prince were thinking.

The Ministry of Works was now known to everyone at court as a mess. Liu Yunshi had been trying every way to submit memorials to the emperor, also hoping to install more suitable candidates. But the court was short of officials now. Even with the imperial examinations, the talent that could be assigned to the Ministry of Works was mostly tainted by faction ties. Precisely because of the matter of the Former Dynasty Remnants, the emperor was extremely cautious about the Ministry of Works.

"If the Sixth Prince wants to influence court affairs, why would he go to the Ministry of Works?" Ye Xuanjiu hesitated, voicing his own thoughts. "His Majesty seems to have given His Highness a sinecure. But if the Ministry of Works gets into trouble, even if it's not related to him, the Sixth Prince's standing in the emperor's eyes will only worsen."

As for being implicated, even the innocent would be involved.

Qi Hanzhou's expression shifted slightly, then a faint smile curled at the corner of his mouth: "Because in his eyes, the Ministry of Works is the fastest path."

Suddenly, noise came from outside the carriage.

In the distance, at the Ministry of Works office entrance, several officials rushed out, looking flustered, trying to stop someone ahead.

That someone was Ying Fusheng. After a long illness, he couldn't move quickly, but now his face was cold, his steps faster than usual. Behind him, Ministry of Works officials were trying to block him, saying something.

Before they could stop him, Ying Fusheng's carriage drove out from the office gate, followed by the Minister of Works running and shouting. As soon as the Sixth Prince boarded, the driver mercilessly flicked the reins, quickly shaking off the pursuing officials.

Ye Xuanjiu was startled and hurried forward to hear what the Minister of Works was shouting.

He heard the minister's voice, shrill: "Your Highness!! Wait, Your Highness!!"

Qi Hanzhou paused. This tactful Minister of Works had never been so undignified. He told the others to stay calm and sent an Imperial Guard to see what Ying Fusheng had done.

The carriage seems to have headed toward the Ministry of War.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard were quick to act. Qi Hanzhou did not go himself but sent someone to inquire about the situation.

The Sixth Prince was in poor health and spoke very slowly. The officials of the Ministry of War, who usually had loud voices, dared not even raise their voices when they saw him.

"The Sixth Prince, citing a shortage of personnel in the Ministry of Works, went to the Ministry of War to borrow personnel, claiming it would only be for two months and that he would definitely return them." The Embroidered Uniform Guard officer hesitated mid-sentence, then added, "But the Sixth Prince asked for thirty men."

Ye Xuanjiu drew in a sharp breath.

"Did Lord Hu agree?" asked Qi Hanzhou.

The guard replied, "Lord Hu refused, saying he could only lend five men."

"...So, the Sixth Prince went to the Ministry of Revenue to borrow personnel."

The carriage is probably nearly at the Ministry of Revenue building by now.