Chapter 279: Disaster Arrives (Part 1)

Chapter 279: Disaster Arrives (Part 1)

The next day, Xiang Zheng summoned Wang Su and asked directly, "Gongzhi, what do you think of Wenren Yue?"

Wang Su stood with his hands at his sides, unsurprised by the emperor's question.

Even without the emperor's instruction, since Wenren Yue had taken office at the Censorate, Wang Su had been diligently monitoring him in secret.

By Wang Su's standards, a brash upstart like Wenren Yue, with his questionable background and utter lack of decorum, had no business holding office.

The mere charge of reckless behavior and brazenly offending one's superiors should have gotten him sent to guard the imperial tombs to knock some sense into him.

He fumed inwardly while carefully weighing his words.

Wang Su's thought process wasn't like most people's, that's for sure.

First, the man did possess extraordinary talent—otherwise he wouldn't have risen so swiftly. If one attacked his abilities, that'd be the same as saying the emperor had no eye for talent.

...In this regard, one might actually praise him, subtly lauding the emperor's sharp eye for talent.

Second, regarding his moral character, that angle was a dead end too.

Wenren Yue was silver-tongued enough to have spun the emperor's fumble of the imperial seal into a tale of harmonious ruler-minister relations and the promotion of new policies—and even slapped some gold on his own rep by calling himself Wei Zheng.

If he'd gone from being Wei Zheng to Wei Zhongxian after only two months at the Censorate, then the problem obviously wasn't with him.

...Certainly not with His Majesty.

Wang Su wasn't about to dump that crap on his own head.

After mulling it over in circles, Wang Su launched into a gushing praise fest for Wenren Yue.

In his telling, Wenren Yue was a gem of talent and virtue.

As for the times he'd been spat upon and humiliated to his face, Wang Su pretended they never happened.

Xiang Zheng listened patiently until he finished, then set his teacup down with deliberate calm.

He gave a knowing smile: "Gongzhi, you're really getting old."

Seeing the old geezer tense up, his face flushing red, and his eyes drop to desperately figure out what he meant, Xiang Zheng was thoroughly amused. He graciously threw him a bone: "In your view, how similar do you think he is to Le Wuya?"

Wang Su bowed and said, "Talk of ghosts and spirits—this minister wouldn't dare!"

Though his mouth said "wouldn't dare," his eyes kept darting to Xiang Zheng's face, watching for any change.

—If Xiang Zheng gave him the go-ahead, he'd talk.

Being a remonstrance official was a tricky balancing act.

Say nothing, and you're failing your job.

Say the wrong thing, and you're lying to the emperor.

Censors weren't allowed to attend any banquets with the officials they oversaw—break that rule and you'd be punished.

This rule made sense, but compared to the first one, it was a joke.

Especially in practice: censors were strictly banned from any contact with the people they were watching, so they wouldn't look shady—or worse, get impeached by colleagues trying to score points.

So a censor's info channels were always super limited.

The honest ones could only sit at home and wait for leads to fall into their laps.

As for the dishonest ones, they either hooked up with court factions, getting dragged into the factional wars as weapons for other officials to hit their rivals with, or they bribed the Changmen Guard to buy and sell intel.

If they got caught, the punishment ranged from demotion and losing their post, all the way to death.

And Wang Su had survived decades at court precisely because of his masterful, almost supernatural knack for reading the emperor's mind.

Xiang Zheng had great composure—his face showed neither joy nor anger, giving nothing away.

In all these years, few could make this golden boy of the throne lose his temper.

And the guy they were talking about right now was one of them.

Wang Su probed cautiously: "To answer Your Majesty, Surveillance Commissioner Wenren and Rebel Le really do look a lot alike."

Xiang Zheng chuckled: "The world's a big place, full of strange things. There've been cases of strangers who look alike."

Wang Su thought for a moment, then added, "Last time, when this minister hosted a banquet for Surveillance Commissioner Wenren, once he got drunk, he started speaking nothing but the Jing tribe's language..."

Xiang Zheng shot that down too: "Wenren Yue's got Jing tribe blood as well."

Wang Su furrowed his brow, saying nothing.

What the emperor said was true.

He'd pulled Wenren Yue's household registration files, which clearly said:

Wenren Yue's dad, Wen Renxiong, came from one branch of the Wenren clan of the Jing tribe, and had moved south to Jiangnan with Wenren Yue's grandpa about forty or fifty years back.

"Your Majesty's thinking is spot on," Wang Su said respectfully. "The Jing tribe are uncivilized people who don't abide by our Dayu's rites and laws. Maybe the two really do share the same roots?"

That'd explain why they look so much alike.

Maybe they were distant cousins, a few generations apart?

But digging into the Jing tribe's family records to trace someone's ancestors going back eighteen generations was both improper and unlikely to yield results.

After all, it was doubtful they even kept family trees.

Xiang Zheng asked again: "How do the two of them behave?"

As they talked, Wang Su slowly figured out what the emperor was getting at.

...The emperor seemed to want the two to be the same person.

Was he thinking about getting rid of Wenren Yue?

Wang Su quickly switched gears: "Rebel Le used to gather allies left and right, and Wenren Yue likes to network too. He met privately with Yuan Zijin, the Yuan family's second son. This minister warned him over and over, but he wouldn't listen..."

"Yuan Xiaotian already told me about that," Xiang Zheng hummed, unconcerned. "That second son of his was a real handful, no doubt about it. If I hadn't ordered him to bring his son over to apologize, he never would've thought to send Yuan Zijin to learn from Wenren Yue. That kid's got a good heart—now he's gone home to tell his folks he wants to formally become Wenren Yue's disciple to repay the favor."

Yuan Weiyan's story was airtight.

It buttered up the emperor, made the whole thing look legit, and quietly bragged about his son in front of the throne.

Three birds with one stone—what a seasoned old warhorse.

Wang Su was momentarily at a loss for words.

Yuan Weiyan had gone and gotten the emperor's approval, making the meeting between the two men perfectly justified and beyond reproach.

Xiang Zheng asked, "What else?"

Wang Su replied, "He seems to have a considerable connection with the Le family."

Xiang Zheng: "Oh?"

Wang Su dug deep into his memory and dredged up an old incident: "Your Majesty, the second son of the Yuan family first crossed paths with him because the Yuan carriage collided with that of Le Hang, the Erudite of the Imperial Academy, blocking the carriages of the Sixth Prince and Seventh Prince. The two princes said nothing, but he rushed forward to speak up on their behalf..."

Xiang Zheng raised his teacup again, took a leisurely sip, and interrupted him: "Minister Wang, what I want to hear isn't things I already know."

Wang Su's breath caught.

He had been a worm in the emperor's belly for years—knowing his every thought, almost never failing to grasp his intentions.

This gave him a rare experience of frustration and resentment.

The emperor wanted him to prove that Wen Renyue was Le Wuya, yet forbade him from chasing rumors and making baseless accusations, demanding hard evidence instead.

Why was this?

It seemed the emperor didn't want to punish him directly?

But what use would proving Wen Renyue was Le Wuya be?

A myriad of thoughts churned in Wang Su's mind, but when he looked up, his deeply lined, weathered face remained calm as still water: "Your Majesty, this humble minister understands your meaning."

Xiang Zheng smiled: "Go on, tell me—what do you think I mean?"

"He resides in the capital, so he must toe the line and behave himself, making it hard to see his true colors. Only by getting him to move can we make him show his true form," Wang Su answered cautiously. "Watch what a man does, and you'll see what's in his heart."

Xiang Zheng closed his eyes in contemplation for a moment, then suddenly broke into a smile and tapped the table: "Good."

Wang Su: ...Satisfied at last.

Receiving such praise, he felt as if he'd drunk sweet nectar—every inch of him at ease.

As they spoke, Xue Jie came forward to refresh the tea, saying softly, "Your Majesty, Consort Gui came to Shouren Hall earlier."

Xiang Zheng's tone lifted slightly: "Oh?"

Xue Jie smiled, his tone light as well: "When Consort Gui heard you were meeting with Lord Wang, she didn't stay long, only leaving a vase of blessed water, saying she'd obtained it after praying for blessings a hundred times, and drinking it would prolong life and promote health."

Xiang Zheng smiled and chided: "Nonsense. I think she's so deep into her Daoist faith she's lost her mind."

Xue Jie: "If I may say so, this old servant took a quick glance, and Consort Gui does appear younger than the other consorts."

Xiang Zheng glanced at him sideways: "Speaking up for her like that—did she slip you some silver?"

Xue Jie laughed: "Not at all. This old servant only speaks the truth. Consort Gui also said that if Your Majesty disliked it, you could pour the water out, and the vase would be a reward for this servant."

Xiang Zheng was in high spirits: "The vases in her palace are all jade—worth at least ten gold pieces, conservatively. You sure know how to play cute and curry favor. Scram, scram, scram."

Xue Jie left, his face wreathed in smiles.

Wang Su took in the exchange between the two, his expression subtly tightening.

The emperor had always kept his own household under tight guard, so Wang Su knew nothing of the inner palace's undercurrents, knowing only a little about the consorts' temperaments.

He didn't know that the Sixth Prince was deeply disfavored by Consort Zhuang, beaten or scolded at every turn, and doused with blessed water at the slightest excuse. Thus, when Consort Zhuang showed favor to Xiang Zheng, Xiang Zheng never imagined she was scheming to put Xiaoliu on the throne—he just smugly congratulated himself on his irresistible charm.

Precisely because of this, Wang Su was the first to notice something was off.

Consort Zhuang had devoted herself to quiet Daoist practice for years—why did she suddenly surface?

Was she trying to win the emperor's favor for the Sixth Prince?

But after sizing up Xiang Zheng's expression and mood, he swallowed the advice he was about to give.

The emperor was in a good mood; don't spoil it.

...We'll just have to see what happens later.

After Wang Su took his leave, his mind heavy with concerns, Xiang Zheng, still smiling, picked up the vase, turned it over in his hands for a moment, then poured all the water into the potted plants in the hall.

It would be good if she'd truly had a change of heart, but things of unknown origin were best kept at arm's length.

...

Of course, while the sovereign and his minister could whisper about Le Wuya behind his back, Le Wuya could just as easily gossip about them.

The summer heat steamed, dusk settled heavily, and Le Wuya sat in the courtyard with a small fan, enjoying the cool air, giving Zhong Piaoping a private lesson: "Xiao Zhong, if there were a man who catered to his superior's every whim, and that superior held power over the entire court, able to decide life and death, promotion and demotion—what method would you devise to kick that man down?"

Zhong Piaoping was brushing Er Ya's fur and asked cautiously, "Truly obedient in everything?"

"Yes." Le Wuya grinned. "That man's tongue lives in his superior's mouth; he's nothing but a puppet echoing commands."

Zhong Piaoping: "..."

Zhong Piaoping: "That's rather revolting to hear."

Zhong Piaoping hugged the dog's neck, brushing its fur while organizing his thoughts, his gaze gradually turning serious.

Soon, he arrived at an answer: "Frame him."

"How?"

"Details aside, the goal is to make him lose his superior's trust."

"That method is too risky. One misstep, and he'll seize leverage against you."

Zhong Piaoping abandoned the aggressive approach and instead said, "Then dig into his past, find his faults, and submit a memorial of impeachment."

Le Wuya: "He is cautious in all matters, never overstepping."

Zhong Piaoping was stunned.

Le Wuya coaxed, "That method won't work—think of another?"

Zhong Piaoping pursed his lips for a moment, then said firmly, "No such man exists!"

"How can you say that? Do you mean to say there are no good men who never err in this world?"

"That's not what I mean," Zhong Piaoping said. "An ordinary man, living peacefully and contending with no one, can have a clear conscience; but a man with no true heart of his own, knowing only flattery and sycophancy—how could he never stumble?"

"Exactly!" Le Wuya clapped his hands. "But the past is hard to chase—what then?"

Zhong Piaoping guessed he must have something specific in mind, mulled it over for a moment, and replied, "Smoke him out. Set a trap to provoke him into action, and when he reveals his weakness..."

Le Wuya shook his head. "Wrong."

Zhong Piaoping thought he was deliberately giving the wrong answer again and insisted, "Right."

"Not this time."

Zhong Piaoping raised an eyebrow and was about to think it through further when he suddenly saw Wang Cheng rushing over.

Wang Cheng was indeed a master at handling official business. He rattled off a stream of words, clear and well-organized: "Sir, a sudden earthquake has struck Dansui County on the southern border of Jinnan. The quake itself was not severe and would have been harmless, but a mudslide broke out right after. Three villages at the foot of Xiaolian Mountain in Dansui County have been buried! You oversee the affairs of Jinzhou Circuit; the Censorate wants you at the office right away to supervise disaster relief efforts!"

Le Wuya rose abruptly, flicked his sleeves, and strode forward swiftly, a fiery glint flashing in his eyes.

He called out loudly, "Hua Rong!"

Hua Rong, who had arrived with Wang Cheng, immediately responded, "Here!"

"Hold down the fort with Brothers He and Yang." Le Wuya spoke rapidly. "Wang Cheng, go get Qin Xingyue. You've got an hour to pack up and wait outside the Censorate."

Wang Cheng chased after him a few steps: "Sir, I'm familiar with handling official duties. After an earthquake, the roads are dangerous and hard to traverse. Why not let Brother Qin stay and keep an eye on things?"

Le Wuya said decisively, "You have your strengths, and he has his. He's got a limp, but he's not useless."

Wang Cheng responded firmly, "Understood!"

Le Wuya walked to the grape trellis, paused, as if remembering something, turned back, and gestured loosely toward Zhong Piaoping: "Xiao Zhong, you're coming too!"