Chapter 323: Schemes (2)

Chapter 323: Schemes (2)

While Qiu Sinian was spinning such a tale that left Ji Zhun pale, convinced his doom was sealed, Le Wuya had already shifted his gaze from Dansui to the distant capital.

A single man's strength could hardly achieve great things.

He needed allies.

At his behest, Qin Xingyue traveled day and night, bypassing relay stations without pause, and slipped back into the capital unnoticed.

...

Right Assistant Censor-in-Chief Xu Yingrui was at home having breakfast when the letter arrived.

In the letter, Le Wuya's tone was uncharacteristically deferential and circumspect, and he specifically praised local official Zhou Wenchang's diligence, citing several excellent disaster-relief measures and praising his arrangements as thorough and flawless.

He wrote that Zhou Wenchang had the caliber of a Bangyan (top-tier scholar), yet had been relegated to county magistrate for a decade without a single promotion.

He'd heard Zhou once served in the Censorate, so they were old colleagues, and Le Wuya wanted to give him a leg up, but worried he might have some skeletons in his closet—otherwise, why no promotion in ten years?

So he asked Xu Yingrui to check Zhou Wenchang's performance reviews from the last ten years.

If all checked out, Le Wuya intended to submit a memorial praising Zhou Wenchang.

When he returned to the capital for his duty report, he'd have Xu Yingrui over for tea as thanks.

The letter bore a date ten days earlier.

Xu Yingrui sipped his soy milk and chuckled.

Well, well—so the kid could still ask for help.

Xu Yingrui did the math—Le Wuya had been in Dansui nearly half a month.

Seems this Wen Ren Yue really took a shine to Zhou Wenchang, doling out such praise right after getting there.

He sighed in admiration, set down his breakfast, and without a hint of suspicion, rushed to the Ministry of Personnel, checked out the files, and pored over them.

What he found startled Xu Yingrui:

Zhou Wenchang's yearly evaluations over the years were actually quite impressive.

Not quite "outstanding," but he'd scored "excellent" every single year—a man who truly gave his all to the job.

Xu Yingrui's one virtue: he never resented others' abilities.

He knew you can't make bricks without straw.

Dansui County was poor and resource-starved, on par with Nanting, Wen Ren Yue's home turf.

Not everyone was a Wen Ren Yue, who could build roads and spur industry with one little Fuyu coal mine, cowing Nanting's local strongmen and lifting the whole county to prosperity with one clever scheme after another.

To do one's duty and serve the people with so little was already the mark of a rare good official.

If Zhou Wenchang was truly a diamond in the rough, and by some lucky break could rise and win the emperor's favor, that would be a good thing—good for everyone.

But Xu Yingrui, a seasoned censor, had a sharper, more cynical eye than most.

He stayed extra vigilant.

How did a perfectly good Bangyan end up forgotten by the bureaucracy?

Something was definitely off here.

Xu Yingrui was tight with Vice Minister Cheng at the Ministry of Personnel, and with a little small talk, he wheedled out a key piece of intel.

"My dear Lord Xu, drop the matter of Zhou Wenchang," Vice Minister Cheng said with a smile. "He's someone Lord Wang wants to hold onto."

Lord Wang?

Wang Su?

Xu Yingrui saw Wang Su as cautious, self-contained, spotless, even cold enough to be called ruthless.

Why would he single someone out to "keep"?

Seeing Xu Yingrui's look of doubt, Vice Minister Cheng said, "Every two or three years, the Censorate sends someone to pull his file and review his ratings."

Xu Yingrui gave Vice Minister Cheng a sidelong glance.

In ten years, the Ministry's file-pull logs were a sea of paperwork—how could Cheng recall this so precisely?

Vice Minister Cheng read his mind and laughed. "Lord Xu, if I couldn't tell who's whose man, I'd be useless at this job."

Xu Yingrui scratched his head, still confused. "The Censorate pulling files by the book could pass as casework. How can you be so sure he's Lord Wang's man, Cheng?"

Vice Minister Cheng didn't treat it as a secret and said it offhand.

He knew Xu Yingrui, for all his skill, was a decent man at heart.

Better to tip him off than let him dig it up himself—this way Xu owed him a favor, and he wouldn't accidentally cross his superiors.

The bureaucracy rarely bred a good man; why drag him into the mess?

So Vice Minister Cheng spelled it out further: "On paper, it's Censorate business, but every time it's Lord Wang's aide Bo Xin who shows up. He comes in the Censorate's name, but the handwriting on the requests is all Bo Xin's."

Officials' and senior clerks' handwriting had to be registered at the Ministry.

If checked, there'd be no denying it.

This only left Xu Yingrui more baffled.

If Lord Wang really meant to look after him, why had Zhou, with stellar reviews, gone ten years unpromoted?

With this new doubt, Xu Yingrui couldn't help but get wary.

On an official's instinct, he made small talk with Cheng a bit longer, handed back the files, and hurried out to head home.

His shifty, guilty air actually sparked a flicker of suspicion in Cheng.

...But even if he kept quiet, Xu Yingrui looked set to dig deeper.

After a moment's hesitation, he decided to sit on it for now and let it lie.

...

Meanwhile, at the Hanlin Academy compound.

The emperor had been ailing lately and had called off the morning court, only having the consorts take turns nursing him. Jie Jitong was spared the chore of attending the emperor.

But his peace and quiet didn't last long.

By the time dinner was over, when he returned to his study, he found a mysterious letter on his desk.

Jie Jitong: ?

He looked around but didn't see anyone suspicious, so he had no choice but to open and read it.

To his surprise, it was a handwritten letter from Wen Renyue.

With Jie Jitong, Le Wuya skipped the polite formalities he'd used on Xu Yingrui.

He got straight to the point about what he'd seen and heard in Dansui County, along with the Xiaolian Mountain mining case that had claimed three hundred lives.

Jie Jitong's heart pounded as he read.

Before he even finished reading, he lifted the lampshade and trimmed the wick to brighten the flame.

—His first instinct was to burn the letter.

But his hand hovered in midair, trembling, and he just couldn't bring himself to get near the flame.

...Why did they come to him?

After all, he'd only met Wen Renyue once.

In a daze, he recalled that bright, blazing gaze from their first meeting, so much like the proud, outspoken man he used to be.

He flinched again under that blunt, disappointed stare, and looked down to see the letter's corner had been singed by the flame, the heat rushing against his fingertips.

Jie Jitong yanked his hand back and patted out the flame.

The lower left corner of the letter was charred black, but it hadn't burned the part he hadn't read yet.

Wen Renyue's handwriting was firm and bold: "...In the past, you risked your position to speak out, directly accusing Rebel Le of his crimes, with an awe-inspiring integrity. Though I'm unworthy, I too clenched my fists in admiration, taking you as my role model, believing that righteous spirit can pierce the heavens."

"But since arriving in the capital, I've watched you—all silence and caution, putting avoiding mistakes above everything else."

"At first, I didn't understand, but after thinking it over, I realized you might be trapped in the court's schemes, with hidden worries, like standing at the edge of an abyss, walking on thin ice, trying to stay safe through silence, waiting for the right moment."

"That may protect you, but what will protect the common people?"

These earnest words hit Jie Jitong's heart like a bell, shaking him until his scalp prickled and his limbs went weak.

On the paper, it seemed a blurred image of his former self was reflected.

Jie Jitong tried to see it, but couldn't make it out.

As his fingertip brushed the paper, he was startled to realize tears had welled up in his eyes.

After a long silence, he let out a deep sigh, pouring all his thoughts into it, carefully folded the letter and tucked it deep in a desk drawer.

Then he went about his business as usual, as if nothing had happened.

...

At the Sixth Prince's estate.

With Ru Feng gone, Jiang He was the top dog.

Right then, he was tucked away in a corner of the bamboo grove, a fancy food box from Louwailou in front of him, while Qin Xingyue squatted beside him, scarfing down his food.

Usually, Jiang He didn't spend much on anything else, but he did love buying good food and drink, so nobody thought twice about it.

He'd already tried every delicacy in the capital and didn't find them all that tasty, but now, spending his salary to feed Qin Xingyue and watching him eat with such gusto, he felt his own appetite stir and grabbed a piece of pastry, nibbling it slowly beside him.

Qin Xingyue asked between mouthfuls, "How'd it go?"

"Don't worry," Jiang He nodded. "The letter's been placed on Lord Xie's desk."

He thought for a moment, then asked, sounding serious, "But what if Lord Xie doesn't want to get involved?"

"The master said, do what you can first, then worry about the rest," Qin Xingyue mimicked Le Wuya's tone. "Besides, back when he accused the young general, wasn't he pretty bold?"

Jiang He: "But after all these years of easy living, does he still have the guts?"

Qin Xingyue chewed a dumpling with gusto: "Dunno. If he won't, we'll find someone else. The master didn't put all his chips on him."

Jiang He suddenly saw the light: "Right."

The two not-so-bright individuals quickly convinced themselves and continued eating, heads together.

Jiang He reached over to snatch a piece of fish from Qin Xingyue's bowl: "Any more letters for me to deliver?"

"Two more," Qin Xingyue pressed down firmly with his chopsticks. "The master changed his handwriting and wrote several letters of accusation to be sent to officials who were demoted after being impeached by Wang Su. Two of their walls are too high for me to climb."

Wang Su had been the emperor's dog for as many years as he had been a censor.

He had used his power to bring down many officials, yet was known for his self-restraint and refusal to form factions.

Such a single-minded political animal might not have friends, but he certainly had enemies.

Le Wuya remembered them all on his behalf.

Jiang He failed to snatch the fish, so he settled for a bite of eel shreds, chewing slowly: "Should we ask Master Ming for help? Lately, he's been investigating the young general's case and says he's made some progress."

Qin Xingyue shook his head decisively: "The master said not to involve him."

Jiang He tilted his head, puzzled.

Qin Xingyue: "The master said Master Ming has a bright future ahead, no need to get dragged into such matters. He can just focus on compiling his books."

Jiang He stared blankly at Qin Xingyue.

Qin Xingyue felt a bit unnerved by the gaze: "What are you looking at?"

"When we were kids, you always had 'my mother said, my mother said' on your lips..." Jiang He mused. "Now the master's become your mother?"

Without a word, Qin Xingyue raised his lame leg and kicked him.

Jiang He took the kick and, in the process, snatched a piece of braised pork from his bowl: "Do you have any other letters to deliver?"

"Yeah, one more."

Qin Xingyue held his rice bowl, a sly smile spreading across his face: "I've got one more letter—for Lord Wang Su."

...

Wang Su was teasing a parrot under the eaves.

But his mood was far from cheerful.

Ever since he had sent his letter back to Dansui, everything had gone as silent as a stone dropped into the sea—no further word, no sign.

He had no idea how things were going there now—not even whether Wen Ren was alive or dead.

The red-breasted parrot seemed to pick up on his mood, looking listless and off its feed, which only made Wang Su more irritated and disgusted.

Just then, Bo Xin came hurrying over, sweat beading on his forehead, his face pale with alarm.

Wang Su rarely saw him like this, and his irritation deepened. Frowning, he snapped, "Get a grip. What's the emergency?"

Bo Xin glanced around to make sure no one else was nearby, then lowered his voice and reported urgently, "Lord Wang, Qin Xingyue is back in the capital!"

"Who?"

The moment the words left his mouth, Wang Su remembered who that was, and his heart skipped a beat: "That bodyguard of Wen Ren's?"

"Yes, it's him!"

"When did he return? Where is he now?"

"He came back quietly—when exactly, we don't know. Our men spotted him near Imperial Censor Xu's residence. He was acting suspicious, and they tailed him for a bit, but he gave them the slip."

"Useless!" Wang Su barked. "He's a cripple—so obvious—and you still lost him?!"

Bo Xin broke out in a cold sweat: "I gave them a real chewing-out for it too... But Qin Xingyue came from the Tianlang Camp—that place is a natural breeding ground for spies..."

Wang Su didn't care about Qin Xingyue's background and cut him off: "You said he went to Xu Yingrui's place?"

"...Yes."

"Wen Ren and Xu Yingrui were pretty close, weren't they..." Wang Su pressed, "Has Xu Yingrui been acting strangely lately?"

"My lord, that's exactly the strange part!"

Bo Xin's face turned pale: "Lord Xu went to the Ministry of Personnel and pulled Zhou Wenchang's file!"

Wang Su was stunned: "...What?"

Why would Xu Yingrui suddenly go digging into Zhou Wenchang?

With his own skin on the line, Bo Xin was naturally frantic: "I made a special trip to the Ministry of Personnel. Vice Minister Cheng told me the moment he saw me that Lord Xu had combed through the records in detail and discovered that the Censorate had been pulling Zhou Wenchang's performance reviews every two or three years. As for why, Vice Minister Cheng claimed he had no idea."

If Xu Yingrui knew how easily Cheng had washed his hands of it, even with his good temper, he'd probably be cursing by now.

But then again, there was nothing he could do about it.

Fence-sitters in officialdom were always like that—swaying with the wind, chasing advantage and dodging trouble.

Wang Su: "..."

He had pulled those records only to have solid grounds for praising Zhou Wenchang, to win him over and keep him happily in his service.

Now, Wen Ren's man had shown up near Xu Yingrui's place, and Xu Yingrui had gone to the Ministry of Personnel...

The connection between these things was hard to ignore.

If those two were close enough to have private dealings, who could say they wouldn't...

Wang Su's mind wandered, and a sharp pain shot through the finger he had resting on the cage edge.

He sucked in a sharp breath and looked down to see several big drops of blood welling from his fingertip.

The parrot had seized its chance and given him a nasty peck!

Frustrated and furious, Wang Su yanked open the cage door, intending to crush the damn thing to death with his bare hands.

But the parrot, seeing its escape route open, struck first—it burst out with a flap of its wings, its sharp claws pushing off his face for leverage, then soared high and vanished in an instant, leaving three deep bloody scratches across Wang Su's cheek.

It all happened in a flash. Bo Xin was too slow to stop it and could only cry out in shock: "Oh no, my lord!"

Wang Su's face turned ashen as he stared at the dwindling red speck in the sky.

Somewhere in the unseen, it seemed something was quietly slipping from his grasp.

He gritted his teeth: "Send more men to keep a tight watch on Imperial Censor Xu! Report any further movement at once!"

Author's note:

Yaya: Imperial Censor Xu, I found you something to do.

Xu Yingrui: I #￥@%@……