Chapter 82

Chapter 82

Ying Fusheng had no intention of continuing the conversation and turned to leave.

The Second Prince smiled, feigning concern, as if worried about the coming storm.

His smile did not reach his eyes. Seeing Ying Fusheng disappear from his sight, he shrugged casually: "Guess what my sixth brother's going to do?"

Beside him, a Ministry of Personnel official said: "The news of the flood will reach the capital soon."

The Second Prince sighed: "Too slow. It needs to get to the princes' and marquises' mansions by tonight."

He then looked coldly at the official: "You know how to handle this. The conflict between the court and the regional lords must become irreconcilable."

We can't give the people behind the Sixth Prince a chance to strike back.

...

Ying Fusheng left the main hall under the pretext of illness. As he walked to the side, Song An hurried up and said that the Ministry of War had urgent news—it seemed something had happened in Jiangnan. Shen Changcun had no time to inform him and had already gone with Hu Buyu to meet the Emperor.

"Your Highness..." Song An noticed the prince's complexion. "You look pale. Should you rest?"

A sense of foreboding deepened. Ying Fusheng lowered his eyes, a storm of turmoil within them.

Countless possibilities flashed through his mind, from the northern frontier to Jiangnan, and finally to the chaos of his past life—the Emperor's death and a new ruler's ascension, the beginning of the court's disintegration. He had never truly lived through a chaotic age, yet the echoes of his past life resonated with the present. This was no longer just his personal vendetta—it was a true enmity against the nation and its people.

"Find Weng Yanqing and Shen Yunfei," Ying Fusheng said in a low voice, giving a few arrangements.

Song An's concerned words trailed off. He noticed the change in the prince's expression, then watched the Sixth Prince stride away.

In the shadowed side hall of the palace banquet, Qi Hanzhou grabbed Ying Fusheng's hand, halting his hurried steps. Seeing the prince's unusually grim face, he held him back to stop him: "Where are you going?"

Ying Fusheng turned abruptly to see Qi Hanzhou, and said: "Something is about to happen in Jiangnan."

In the distance, at the sacrificial altar's blessing banquet, nobles and ministers drank and feasted, unaware of the storm brewing in Jiangnan after this light rain. In the dark shadows, Qi Hanzhou led the prince to a safe place and handed him the urgent dispatch from the Imperial Guard.

Ying Fusheng read the message, his expression darkening.

The Jiangling levee had collapsed due to heavy rain. Jiangling was prone to seasonal floods, and the levee had always been patrolled. In previous years, the Deposed Crown Prince had advocated for the Ministry of Works to repair the levees around Jiangnan, even rebuilding the Jiangling levee. They had never expected the schemer behind this to be so ruthless as to use the lives of the people in the three southern prefectures as a gambit.

"Where are your men?" Ying Fusheng's face was pale as he asked Qi Hanzhou: "Is there any preparation in Jiangnan?"

Before setting up the open scheme, Ying Fusheng had instructed Qi Hanzhou to send men to both Bashu and Jiangnan to guard against the schemer's countermoves. Qi Hanzhou had already sent a fast message to the Qi family in the north and had corresponded with Old General Chen in Jiangnan. Qi Hanzhou had sent people to inspect the levees to avoid natural disasters, but they never anticipated man-made calamities.

Ying Fusheng's knuckles turned white, his voice calmer than usual: "Casualties?"

"Old General Chen should have acted the moment the levee collapsed," Qi Hanzhou said. They had prepared countermeasures, but neither of them expected the schemer to be so vicious as to sacrifice the people's welfare for personal greed. "But the extent of the flood—specific news hasn't come yet..."

Ying Fusheng said: "But the Chief of the Imperial Guard has disappeared."

"At most a day, or half a day, and those princes and marquises will receive the news."

Qi Hanzhou reminded him: "You still have time. Don't panic."

The disappearance of the Imperial Guard Chief was like an outright provocation.

It told the Emperor that the Jiangling levee collapse was no accident, but intentional.

Now all the regional lords were in the capital. Once news of Jiangling arrived, the Emperor would suspect that one of the lords had orchestrated this. Before entering the capital, these lords had surely given orders to their subordinates. If the Emperor detained them all in the capital, it could spark popular resentment and rebellion among the stationed troops.

Because the strategy of secretly switching the throne had been completely ruined by him after the Deposed Crown Prince's death, the schemer had to throw the Great Yuan into chaos. Had he forced the schemer onto this path? Had he abandoned the schemer's subtle machinations only to drive him to such extremes? If he hadn't pushed so hard, could the calamity in the three southern prefectures have been avoided?

Ying Fusheng lowered his head and looked at his own hands.

Strange. In his past life, he had stirred up the court. In this life, corrupt officials and abusive ministers abounded—this hand had already committed murder...

"Sixth Prince," Qi Hanzhou noticed Ying Fusheng's expression. The prince was staring at the ground, where there was nothing, but he seemed to have fallen into a trance, silent for a long time.

Qi Hanzhou tightened his grip on the prince's hand and pulled him closer: "Your Highness!"

Ying Fusheng snapped back to reality in an instant: "I was lost in thought."

Qi Hanzhou was slightly startled. In the dim palace lanterns, he saw something different in Ying Fusheng's eyes.

He said he was lost in thought, but those eyes did not hold the confusion of distraction. Instead, they held an indescribable calm self-restraint, as if he was forcing himself to stay composed, but beneath it surged an undercurrent of turmoil.

"Qi Hanzhou, we cannot let this scheme succeed," he heard the prince say.

Ying Fusheng continued: "I have foiled his plots many times. Within a day—even before tonight—the regional lords will know of this."

Once this scheme took shape, any secret letter from a lord leaving the capital would hinder the implementation of the water conservancy policies, damage the Emperor's reputation, and sow distrust between the court and the lords.

"A prince who has long been ill should not know these things."

Qi Hanzhou reminded him again: "If you face the Emperor, some things can no longer be hidden. Let me handle this."

"But what if it's not just one prince who seeks an audience with the Emperor?"

Ying Fusheng turned his gaze sideways, his eyes filled with calculation: "When many are suspicious, suspicion fades. I will not let a single secret letter from a regional lord leave this capital."

A Ministry of War official hurried into the side hall of the palace banquet. This was Shen Changcun's personal guard, also one of the spies Ying Fusheng had placed in the Ministry of War. Weng Yanqing stood still, carefully reading the urgent dispatch from the Ministry of War. Recalling Song An's instructions, he thought carefully and said: "Pass the urgent message to Minister Lu of the Court of the Imperial Stud and to the two men beside Lord Hu. Remember, inform Minister Lu first, then Lord Hu's men."

"Be sure no one else discovers it," Weng Yanqing instructed.

The guard immediately set to work. Weng Yanqing turned to another man, a Ministry of Works employee who had often carried messages for the Minister of Works. He thought for a moment and then said: "Also, inform Minister Liu of this news. And prepare ink and paper for me."

"Finally, tell Shen Yunfei to take the prince's personal seal and retrieve the Ministry of Works archives. Hurry!"

Shen Yunfei rode from the detached palace to the Ministry of Works office—a round trip of an hour—hoping to make it in time.

At the banquet, it was nearing its end. The First Prince was exchanging probes with the regional lords when another close guard approached and whispered in his ear. Upon hearing the news, his brow furrowed. He immediately looked around the banquet and noticed the Third Prince was not there. "When did this news come?"

"From the Ministry of War. I fear the Third Prince's side knew before us."

The guard said: "Both Lord Hu and Lord Shen are absent from the banquet."

The Second Prince scanned the room and immediately noticed the anomaly. Seeing the First Prince leaving, he asked: "Where are the First Prince and the Third Prince going?"

"Second Prince, it seems the news from the Ministry of War has spread."

An official said: "It appears we don't have to do anything. The princes and marquises will soon learn of it."

The Second Prince set down his wine cup, a bad feeling rising: "Where is Ying Fusheng? Find him."

Inside the side hall, the Emperor's expression was grave after hearing the Imperial Guard's confidential report. A eunuch announced that Minister of War Hu Buyu and Vice Minister Shen Changcun sought an audience. The Emperor dismissed the Imperial Guard and allowed them in.

As soon as they entered, the two senior officials noticed the Emperor's abnormal expression. Hu Buyu immediately reported the urgent matter from the Ministry of War. At the confirmation of the precise news, the Emperor's gaze grew darker and darker. He knew there were remnants of rebellious forces in Jiangnan and Western Shu, so he had specially dispatched the Imperial Guard Chief south to gather intelligence before promoting the water conservancy policy.

But someone had dared to challenge him directly.

Qi Hanzhou hurried in and saw this scene before him. He went down on one knee: “Your Majesty, the chief envoy’s fate is unknown. This is likely also a scheme.”

“Now that the princes and marquises are all in the capital, it is not advisable to make any moves.”

Hu Buyu said, “Your Majesty, I agree with Junior General Qi. The urgent message came suspiciously, and the Grand Sacrifice has just concluded. The princes and marquises are all in the capital. The breach of the Jiangling dike likely involves hidden circumstances. The priority is to urgently repair the Jiangling dike and rescue the people of the three prefectures in Jiangnan.”

Someone hurried outside the hall. Before the Emperor could make a decision, word came that the Third Prince and the First Prince were requesting an audience.

The Emperor looked up at the two loyal ministers of the Ministry of War kneeling before him, then allowed the two princes to enter.

He said coldly, “News travels fast enough.”

Hu Buyu and Shen Changcun were quite surprised by the arrival of these two. They had not leaked the information.

“I serve in the Ministry of War, Your Majesty. I recognized the messenger outside the hall,” the Third Prince said with a stern expression, cutting straight to the point: “The people are suffering from the Jiangling dike breach. I have come to ask Father to send troops to rescue Jiangnan.”

The First Prince said, “Father, disaster relief must be handled carefully. How can we deploy troops without alarming the people? The Grand Sacrifice has just ended!”

The Grand Sacrifice had just concluded when this incident occurred, and the entire ceremony had been plagued by continuous rain. If it had been auspicious rain, it would have been a good omen for favorable weather, but it was not. The Emperor had insisted on holding the Grand Sacrifice despite opposition, and had previously gained a good reputation for his water conservancy policy. Now, this incident could easily stir controversy among the people, suggesting ill omens.

But if he concealed the matter and dealt with it another day, it would be impossible to mobilize a large army to rescue Jiangnan.

The Emperor listened to the counsel of his loyal ministers and princes in the hall, his expression grave. Someone was challenging imperial power to this extent... He looked at the two loyal ministers of the Ministry of War kneeling there. “Are you saying that this matter has nothing to do with the princes and marquises at all?”

Shen Changcun quickly said, “Your Majesty! That is not what we mean.”

“Old General Chen is still with the Jiangnan garrison. The situation has not yet reached an irredeemable point.”

Nothing to do with the princes and marquises... Qi Hanzhou understood the Emperor’s meaning.

Even if the royal family did not detain the princes and marquises, what would they think? If the dike broke, the royal family would inevitably hold the local princes and marquises accountable. With just a slight deviation, the Emperor would suspect the princes and marquises of provocation, and wouldn’t they in turn suspect that the Emperor was using the flood to purge the local officialdom? Would the local officials then cooperate with the water conservancy policy?

Suspicion was not only the Emperor’s suspicion but also that of the princes and marquises... The mastermind behind this understood this and had been sowing discord from the root. If this were done, the rift between the local authorities and the court would be firmly established.

At any other time, the Emperor could have summoned all officials to discuss countermeasures.

But tonight, there was no time. The spies of the princes and marquises would soon learn the news.

Rather than letting the court be passively suspected by the princes and marquises, it would be better to detain them... This was Emperor Wu’s style.

If there was no better strategy, he would adopt the same approach as the Emperor.

By holding the lifeline, at least the officialdom of Jiangnan and Western Shu could be suppressed, the water conservancy policy could be implemented, and the people could not afford any unrest.

Suddenly, a voice came from outside the hall: “Your Majesty, the Sixth Prince requests an audience. He says urgent messages have arrived from both the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Works.”

With two princes already present, when the Sixth Prince requested an audience, the Emperor had no mind to suspect anything beyond the second half of the herald’s report. He looked at Shen Changcun, who was startled—he had not ordered any investigation. “Yes, when I received the urgent message, I ordered my subordinates to investigate the Jiangling dike.”

When Ying Fusheng entered, all eyes fell on him.

Among those present, he should have been the least relevant.

Qi Hanzhou saw the rain and dew on his clothes and the resolute look in his eyes beneath the bright lantern.

—“I will not let a single secret letter from a prince or marquis leave the capital.”

What are you going to do?

“I have come to confess my guilt for privately inquiring into the Ministry of War’s urgent report. Seeing Lord Shen urgently investigating the Jiangling dike of the Ministry of Works, I lent my private seal to Shen Yunfei to retrieve the Ministry of Works’ archives on the Jiangling dike.” Ying Fusheng knelt and said, “The archives are now in Lord Liu’s hands, specially presented.”

Minister Liu entered behind Ying Fusheng, carrying some old archives from the Ministry of Works. He had been walking so fast that he stumbled upon entering, but he laid the archives before the Emperor. “Your Majesty, these are the craftsman’s diagrams of the Jiangling dike kept in the Ministry of Works. The Jiangling dike was an old dike left from the previous dynasty. It was rebuilt a few years ago due to the Deposed Crown Prince’s involvement, but at that time, new craftsman methods were used, which could indeed have caused problems with the dike...”

A person from the Ministry of War handed a note to Shen Changcun.

Shen Changcun saw the content on the paper—it was in Weng Yanqing’s handwriting.

No other news could have come from the Ministry of War, so this so-called urgent report was something Weng Yanqing had written on the spot. He was well-versed in Ministry of War affairs and had a photographic memory... What was written on it was a record of stone transport from the Court of the Imperial Stud.

Both items were presented to the Emperor simultaneously. This achievement, once credited to the Deposed Crown Prince, was now placed before the Emperor again due to the Jiangling dike.

The archives were damp from rain and somewhat blurred, but the dike inspection diagram could still be vaguely seen.

The Deposed Crown Prince had once been praised by the Emperor for innovating new methods and completing the work before the year’s end. But after that, the Deposed Crown Prince lost his virtue, the Ministry of Works case involving the river slope was clear, and the corrupt traitors all died.

What did this mean? Was the Jiangling dike breach related to the Deposed Crown Prince?

The First Prince’s expression changed slightly, and the Third Prince’s expression shifted subtly.

Hu Buyu immediately looked at Ying Fusheng. For the first time, he felt the terrifying depth of this prince’s cunning. The conflict between the Emperor and the princes and marquises now was precisely this untimely dike breach. Those in the know understood that this was not a natural disaster but a man-made one, and it was precisely the fuse that could ignite the contradiction between the court and the local authorities.

No matter what, this could only be a man-made disaster.

The schemes and conspiracies behind a man-made disaster were what the court and local authorities feared... But what if this matter could be turned into a man-made disaster caused by a dead man who had once sought credit?

The Deposed Crown Prince was different. He was a dead man, a pawn closely tied to the mastermind, and a criminal executed by the Emperor.

Such a person could serve as a perfectly reasonable explanation. The Emperor had acted justly in executing the Deposed Crown Prince, and public resentment would only fall on the Deposed Crown Prince. It would also provide an explanation to the local princes and marquises, turning this sudden Jiangling dike breach into a man-made disaster left by a dead man.

“Your Majesty, the Jiangling dike breach is likely inseparable from the Deposed Crown Prince,” Minister Liu said fearfully, steeling himself.

Hearing this, Qi Hanzhou suddenly looked at the Emperor.

By doing this, Ying Fusheng had given up hiding from the Emperor.

The Emperor said nothing. He looked at the two loyal ministers of the Ministry of War, who remained silent, and then at his two sons, whose expressions had changed. Finally, his gaze fell on the Sixth Prince kneeling in the hall. Ying Fusheng seemed to have run too fast, a faint flush rising on his cheeks, his breath unsteady as he spoke, but when reporting this strategy, he was exceptionally earnest.

He knew his sons had their own informants, but those around Ying Fusheng were limited to Shen Changcun and, barely, Minister Liu. In such a short time, he had first retrieved the dike inspection diagram, then coordinated with Shen Changcun to obtain the transport records from the Ministry of War’s relay stations. Even officials from the Ministry of War or the Ministry of Works might not have been able to investigate this in just over an hour.

The first time was when he presented the water conservancy policy at court.

The second time, at the moment of conflict between the court and local authorities, he offered a stepping stone.

A sharp light gleamed in the Emperor’s eyes. He was smarter than he had anticipated.

“Even if it was the Deposed Crown Prince, this is still the court’s fault.”

The Emperor leaned forward slightly, his voice slow and deep: “Do you understand?”

Ying Fusheng said earnestly, “The court’s fault, once corrected, is for the people.”

The Emperor’s expression suddenly softened. Qi Hanzhou realized the problem in this matter. No matter what kind of man-made disaster, Jiangnan was far away, and public resentment would be hard to dispel. Even if the court acknowledged its fault and intended to correct it, short-term public resentment would still arise.

The Third Prince frowned. The First Prince glanced toward Ying Fusheng. Behind him, someone who had accompanied him heard this and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. How could it be so simple to resolve?

At that moment, Ying Fusheng suddenly looked up and said earnestly, “The water conservancy policy was proposed by me. The Ministry of Works is under my supervision. The people of the world expect the water conservancy project to benefit all. What the common people fear is not natural or man-made disasters, but suffering without relief and calamity without support.”

This matter was a man-made disaster, but Ying Fusheng could only temporarily make it a man-made disaster caused by the Deposed Crown Prince.

Only a man-made disaster that was reasonable and related to past court affairs could allow both the Emperor and the princes and marquises to set aside unnecessary suspicion and mobilize all resources to rescue Jiangnan.

To be able to tamper with the Jiangling dam… the officialdom in Jiangnan and even Xishu is likely in a fiery abyss.

This is not a situation he could manage by sending Qi Hanzhou's men—he can't control or influence it. If something is rotten at the root, no matter how many times, it will become a tool for others to stir up discord. If it's not removed even for a single day, the people will suffer in misery every day, and Dayuan will eventually descend into chaos.

This disaster in Jiangnan is partly his fault.

Inside the side hall, eyes from all around fixed on him.

Ying Fusheng knelt upright—

“To quell the people’s grievances, I, your son, am willing to go to Jiangnan.”