Chapter 115

The Jin Yiwei surrounded the Dali Temple compound, and when Qi Hanzhou uttered these words, the old foxes present realized the gravity of the situation. The emperor had sent the Qi family to investigate the Prince of Qin in Western Shu, and it was no small matter. Moreover, Qi Hanzhou had raised it openly before so many officials—it seemed the emperor had long known about the secret faction in the court and had been investigating in secret all along!

Qi Hanzhou knelt on one knee, and after reporting this matter, the hall fell silent.

He stopped at that point, his peripheral vision scanning the officials standing in the hall.

Ying Fusheng briefly met his gaze, and they tacitly avoided further eye contact. Ji Wuming of the Jin Yi Wei had fully reported the Jiangnan affairs after returning to the capital, including how the Marquis Cen'an had marched on the city and how the Fei family had intended to stir conflict among the princes and marquises of Jiangnan. Layer by layer, the vast web of the secret faction had now come fully into the emperor's view.

On the night of Ying Fusheng's family banquet, the memorial he had submitted to the emperor detailed the discoveries of Western Shu's movements in Jiangling Prefecture and had reported this to the Jin Yi Wei then stationed in Jiangnan. For the emperor, if both Western Shu and the capital could be investigated simultaneously, it would be a perfectly advantageous move.

The emperor's gaze swept across the hall; beneath his outwardly calm demeanor, there was clearly rising anger.

If the Prince of Qin's palace in Western Shu truly harbored private troops, that constituted the grave crime of plotting rebellion. What did this mean now? Were Prince Yan's claims about collusion between Jiangnan and Western Shu true? Had the embezzled funds from the canal tax really been secretly pocketed by the Prince of Qin?! The Minister of Revenue hadn't expected the situation to develop in this direction. If this was true, then Prince Yan's words were true, and the secret faction in the Ministry of Personnel, the Fei family of Jiangnan, and the Prince of Qin were all...

"Your Majesty, I have never had any dealings with the so-called secret faction in the Ministry of Personnel." The Second Prince kowtowed repeatedly, crying as he spoke. "I have no idea where Lord Meng's so-called evidence came from. When I studied under Grand Secretary Xu, I inevitably had dealings with his protégés, but that is all in the past. It is not just me; many among the court have had past dealings with the Xu faction. Are we to be condemned just for having once misjudged people?"

"I am mediocre and wish only to live in peace. Xun'er is already pregnant with the imperial grandson. I didn't dare meddle in Lord Meng's affairs this time purely to protect myself."

At this critical moment, the Second Prince actually defended himself with such reasoning, even bringing up that the Second Prince's Consort was pregnant. His words carried significant weight. On the surface, he seemed to be pleading for mercy, but in fact, he was signaling to everyone else present. If he fell, then anyone who had ever had dealings with the Xu faction would not escape unscathed.

Xiao Yan, standing beside the emperor, frowned. The Second Prince was reacting quickly.

Prince Yan's scheme was intended to push him into the open and destroy his entire secret faction in one fell swoop. But there was no direct evidence for this; the only course was to use the Second Prince's own plot and turn it against him. Yet the Second Prince had now realized this and insisted they had no direct evidence of his collusion with the Prince of Qin, trying to cleverly talk his way out of Meng Jinyuan's evidence of conspiracy.

The Vice Minister of Personnel, who had earlier accused Meng Jinyuan, was now drenched in cold sweat. He could feel the eyes of everyone around him boring into him. With his forehead pressed to the ground, he caught a glimpse of the Second Prince's gaze.

His wife and daughters were in the Second Prince's custody. "I am guilty."

"I was instructed by someone to ensure that this matter was pinned on Minister Meng. The court is already in turmoil over the Jiangnan case. If a verdict could be reached now, then all the blame would fall on the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of War, with whom Minister Meng had previously had dealings." He spoke while trembling all over. "So I fabricated evidence, using this case to frame the Third Prince and Prince Yan, and also to eliminate Minister Meng, who is suspected of being part of the Second Prince's faction."

The emperor's expression turned grim. "What did you just say?"

"The one who directed me was Song Yu, a staff officer under the Eldest Prince!"

At this moment, the Vice Minister of Personnel switched sides, turning his attack on the Eldest Prince's faction.

As his words fell, the emperor on the throne wore a face as dark as water, his glare sharp and fierce.

The atmosphere in the hall froze. Everyone felt the emperor's fury.

Meng Jinyuan's pupils shifted slightly. Many remaining members of the Xu faction had defected to the Eldest Prince after the Xu faction fell. He did have evidence of the Second Prince colluding with the Xu faction, but if the Second Prince had predicted this, he could also drag the Eldest Prince down with him. If there was evidence that Song Yu, a staff officer of the Eldest Prince, had dealings with the Prince of Qin in Western Shu, the situation would change.

The Second Prince had only had dealings with the Xu faction—and the Xu faction was already gone.

Most of the Xu faction's survivors had transferred their allegiance to the Eldest Prince. If a staff officer of the Eldest Prince was a confidant of the Prince of Qin, then this shift in accusation would work perfectly, because framing Meng Jinyuan actually benefited the Eldest Prince far more than the Second Prince, who had few followers left.

When the Minister of Revenue heard this, his expression changed dramatically. "You're talking nonsense!"

The Vice Minister of Personnel was bleeding from his forehead as he kowtowed. "Your Majesty, please investigate Lord Song Yu of the Ministry of Revenue!"

The Eldest Prince's faction never expected to have this blame thrust upon them at such a moment. The Minister of Revenue, in fury, stepped forward—if the Eldest Prince had truly been colluding with the Prince of Qin, why would he have run into trouble in Western Shu?

The emperor's gaze swept over, and the Minister of Revenue, intimidated, broke into a cold sweat and fell to his knees.

"The Eldest Prince investigated the accounts of Western Shu thoroughly. If the Prince of Qin was truly raising private troops in Western Shu, then were the so-called achievements reported by the Ministry of Revenue on their Western Shu expedition deliberate, or were they covering for the Prince of Qin? I beg Your Majesty to rule on this!" The Vice Minister of Personnel was past all caution. When he said this, the Minister of Revenue felt a surge of blood catch in his throat.

The Second Prince bowed his head in silence, while Ying Fusheng lowered his gaze.

So this was the scheme. To extricate himself, the Second Prince had even used the hidden agents he had planted within the Eldest Prince's faction.

Now that the Prince of Qin's affair was fully exposed, the Second Prince and his secret faction still wanted to survive. Under no circumstances could they be linked to the Prince of Qin at this point. Only in this way could they retain room to maneuver at court.

In the hall, one piece of news after another came crashing down, startling every faction. It was no longer just about the Jiangnan case; it was about forming factions for private gain, colluding with rebels, raising private troops... With so many revelations, the old foxes knew that one wrong word could drag them into the storm.

Noticing the emperor's barely contained fury, General Lu and other military officers remained silent, while the Eldest Prince's faction trembled and lowered their heads.

At this moment, the Second Prince covertly shot a glance at Qi Hanzhou.

Commander Qi had only mentioned that Western Shu was raising private troops, but not where he had uncovered this. The Second Prince didn't know what exactly the Jin Yi Wei and the Qi family had found in Western Shu, but only by stirring the pot further could he extricate himself and get word to Western Shu.

But this was too much of a coincidence—as if the two of them were in cahoots... He recalled the secret intelligence from Jiangnan.

Just then, a sharp gaze turned his way. Qi Hanzhou's eyes were icy and cold.

"Father."

A voice cut through the chaos as a figure stepped forward, braving the emperor's authority.

"Father, one case at a time. The matters discussed in court today are the Jiangnan embezzlement case and Lord Meng's case." Ying Fusheng stepped forward at this moment, ignoring everyone else and addressing the emperor directly. "Now that evidence confirms the Prince of Qin was raising private troops and that the Jiangnan case is connected to him, the priority must be Lord Meng's case. The rebels could forge evidence and were so well-informed about developments—this must be related to the Prince of Qin's raising of private troops."

"Today they were so eager to take down Lord Meng, likely because of the records he had left with the Ministry of Works." Ying Fusheng continued. "The list of implicated officials has already been submitted."

At these words, the Second Prince's heart sank.

Everyone was shocked—Meng Jinyuan's list!

It was clear that the Vice Minister of Personnel's defection had proven Meng Jinyuan's innocence, thereby indirectly proving that the records Meng Jinyuan had intentionally submitted to the Ministry of Personnel were genuine. Thus, the list compiled by the two ministers—Liu Yunshi of the Ministry of Works and Meng Jinyuan of the Ministry of Personnel—was solid evidence.

Ying Fusheng knew that the Second Prince, having schemed for years, would be cautious every step of the way.

The more one speaks, the more mistakes one makes. Today, he relied more on bluffing than solid evidence. If he pressed too hard, he would give the Second Prince and his secret faction a chance to counterattack.

Meng Jinyuan's evidence of collusion between the Second Prince and the Xu faction had not been part of Ying Fusheng's original plan. He had used the Jiangnan case to test the various factions in court, with the fundamental goal of rooting out hidden agents.

Today, any Ministry of Personnel officials exposed as part of the Second Prince's secret faction would not escape. No matter how cleverly the Second Prince argued or maneuvered, once all his allies and hidden agents were dismantled, he would be left with no one to use, and the true mastermind behind all these preparations would finally be revealed.

"I beg Your Majesty to decide!" Ying Fusheng said again.

The Second Prince could barely remain kneeling. Ying Fusheng!

The officials in the hall realized that today's events were too significant, involving two imperial princes. How deeply the Second Prince was entangled with the Xu faction remained undetermined, and the Eldest Prince's side required investigation as well. Beyond that, internal issues within the Ministry of Personnel were now laid bare.

Whether it was the frame-up or Meng Jinyuan's list, it was enough to imprison some rebels.

Liu Yunshi: "Your Majesty, the Ministry of Personnel's list is indeed genuine. If it were not, why would some people be so desperate to kill Lord Meng!"

Hu Buyu: "I second Prince Yan's words."

Xiao Yan stepped forward and said succinctly, "Your Majesty, the Censorate also has confidential reports on this matter. I concur with Prince Yan."

The Vice Minister of Personnel said nothing more.

The Second Prince gritted his teeth in silence, head bowed, eyes dark and sinister beneath lowered eyelids.

Qi Hanzhou understood Ying Fusheng's aim: to nail down the Second Prince with evidence, though he feared the evidence might still not be enough. From the moment the Prince of Qin's affair was exposed, it was already a foregone conclusion in the emperor's eyes.

Dayuan had not experienced civil war for nearly seven years since the emperor returned from his campaigns. During the last war, the emperor entrusted the court to civil officials, which ultimately gave rise to the Xu Faction. If the Prince of Qin’s matter is reported by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, suppressing him requires first stabilizing the court.

“All officials involved in today’s court proceedings shall be handled by the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Meng Jinyuan and Liu Yunshi are fully authorized to deal with the Secret Faction within the Ministry of Personnel. The Second Prince is confined to his residence, with no visitors allowed. Ji Wuming will go to Xishu to arrest Song Yu, and the matter will be fully handled once he returns to the capital.” The emperor’s gaze was as sharp as a drawn blade, sweeping over the silent and terrified faces in the hall. “As for the Ministry of Revenue, the Grand Court of Revision shall audit its accounts. Execute immediately, without delay!”

The emperor turned and left. Ji Wuming cast a suggestive glance at Qi Hanzhou, then followed the imperial entourage.

Qi Hanzhou waved his hand, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard moved forward.

He walked up to the Second Prince, looking at the Second Prince, whose gentle facade was crumbling, and said, “Second Prince, this way, please.”

Several Embroidered Uniform Guard members surrounded the Second Prince, confining him to his residence and barring visitors.

From that moment, the Second Prince’s residence fell under full surveillance of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Meng Jinyuan stood up, and Liu Yunshi helped steady him.

He looked up and saw the Prince of Yan already walking out of the Grand Court of Revision’s hall, not lingering on other trivial matters.

“Lord Meng, you need to handle the Ministry of Personnel matters in person,” Liu Yunshi said.

Meng Jinyuan stood there without a word until everyone else had gone, then he too walked out of the hall.

His options were limited; the Ministry of Personnel, a pillar of the court, must not fall.

News of the events at the Grand Court of Revision did not spread. The emperor’s orders were carried out secretly by the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Everyone knew that ever since the rebel soldier incident emerged, things had changed completely. Both the Grand Court of Revision and the Embroidered Uniform Guard acted simultaneously. No sooner had the officials left the government offices than the emperor’s net had already been cast.

Several implicated officials had no idea what was happening. At home, the Embroidered Uniform Guard came to arrest them. A silent storm raged through the capital.

The factional conflicts in the capital had, for once, quieted down.

The Ministries of Public Works, War, and Personnel worked together to investigate the case. The three ministers entered the palace to meet the emperor, remaining for four hours before leaving. The Prince of Yan, who had set off this storm, closed his doors to guests afterward. Faced with visiting cards from the Lu and Yun families, he ultimately responded with a request for leave.

The Prince of Yan was ill.

They said he was ill, but no one in the court dared to believe it.

When Qi Hanzhou stepped into the Prince of Yan’s residence, a medicinal scent filled the air.

On the bluestone slabs in the courtyard, faint traces of blood that hadn't been washed away lingered. A secret report from the Light Garment Guard had reached him three days earlier, but only when Qi Hanzhou actually set foot there did he understand what it meant to be at the center of the storm.

Within the Prince of Yan’s residence, over the past half-month, there had been at least five assassination attempts.

He had not activated the undercover guards he had left for Ying Fusheng, allowing the assassins to strike and reporting the incidents to the emperor afterward. He knew that the more people tried to assassinate him, the longer he could drag things out at court.

According to the Light Garment Guard, at one point, the poisoned blade had already touched the curtain by his bed.

Even though he knew the court affairs from afar, only when he arrived at the hall did Qi Hanzhou realize that Ying Fusheng was fighting with his back against the wall. Given the situation at court at that time, if Meng Jinyuan had been part of the Second Prince’s clique, or if he had arrived an hour later, the outcome would not have been what it was. In a rapidly changing situation, he knew Ying Fusheng’s calculations were flawless, but a single oversight could have triggered a counterstrike from multiple factions at court.

He pushed open the door. Ying Fusheng was sitting with a robe draped over his shoulders, turning his head at the sound. The fox fur draped over his shoulders slipped, but he didn’t bother pulling it up. His face still showed signs of illness, his brows furrowed.

The scattered chess pieces on the board were the product of two months of plotting.

The room was quiet, with only him sitting alone, staring at the board.

It had only been a few days, yet he had already lost weight.

Before Qi Hanzhou could speak, Ying Fusheng’s voice came: “Father summoned you. Did he ask why you brought up the rebel soldiers in court?”

In the hall, to wipe out the Secret Faction in the Ministry of Personnel and also salvage Meng Jinyuan, Ying Fusheng had to adapt on the spot. “From the moment I got your letter, I had very limited time. Meng Jinyuan and I didn't trust each other, so I couldn't use his evidence. I could only wait for you.”

Qi Hanzhou bringing up the Xishu rebel soldiers on the spot wasn't just to take control of the scene but also to test.

From the moment the officials present in the Grand Court of Revision learned this secret, Qi Hanzhou had ordered them watched. Before the emperor allowed the news to spread, anyone who leaked it would be connected to the Second Prince’s clique.

But this also had a coincidence: when evidence was incomplete, the emperor would suspect him of being in contact with the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Even though Ying Fusheng had previously mentioned that he had passed information to the Embroidered Uniform Guard, for the emperor, just because something could be used didn't mean one could overstep their authority.

Ying Fusheng finished speaking and realized Qi Hanzhou had not come closer, but his gaze was fixed on him.

Why isn’t this man coming in?

He paused and then saw Qi Hanzhou, who had been standing by the folding screen, slowly walk over, pick up the fallen fox fur, and gently place it back on Ying Fusheng’s shoulders.

When the warmth covered his shoulders, Ying Fusheng’s words caught in his throat. He looked up to meet Qi Hanzhou’s gaze: “It was a bit hot.”

He hadn’t even noticed when the fox fur slipped off.

Ying Fusheng felt a strange sense of guilt. In a daze, he remembered something, casting a furtive glance at the table to confirm the medicine bowl was empty.

“I also took my medicine.”