Chapter 224 - Swift Turn (Part 2)

Pan Xiangjie rummaged through chests and drawers in search of account books. Those old records at the bottom of the boxes were deadly weapons against him! He had woken up to the sound of approaching trouble and needed to burn everything before Xue Xiuzhuo arrived.

Eternal Prosperity, Salty Virtue, Heavenly Gem years!

Pan Xiangjie bound the ledgers neatly. Kneeling before the chest, he untied the knots with his bare hands and tossed the books one by one into the copper basin.

There were too many for him to burn alone.

Pan Xiangjie's heart turned sour with anxiety. He never imagined that the traitor was his own son. He was backed into a corner, but he refused to accept defeat!

"Yongyi year..." Pan Xiangjie read aloud the account records, tracing his finger, "The Huas... the Hans..."

Everyone was present. Pan Xiangjie was overjoyed. As long as they were all here, his Pan family would not perish. The sound of military boots rushing into the courtyard startled him. Clutching the ledger tightly, he leaned on the chest and struggled to his feet, trembling as he approached the door.

It was Han Cheng who arrived.

Pan Xiangjie tried to appear composed, hiding his distress behind his wide sleeves. He addressed Han Cheng, "It hasn't come to that yet. Can't the Empress Dowager wait? Sacrificing pawns to save the rook is not a wise strategy! Xue Xiuzhuo is at odds with the aristocracy. Even if they cut down our Pan family today, none of us will escape unscathed."

Pan Xiangjie had pretended to be foolish all his life, hiding behind Hua Siqian and Wei Huaigu like a coward, constantly kneeling in the court to beg for mercy. Now, he spoke with clarity and fluency.

Han Cheng held onto his sword's hilt and said, "If you surrender now, you'll give everyone a chance to catch their breath. Who would dare not remember your kindness? I promise to protect your direct descendants so that they may have a chance to rebuild in the future."

Pan Xiangjie watched as the blade approached, his voice rising in panic, "If you kill me today, you're only forcing Xue Xiuzhuo to hasten his plans! With Dan City gone, how long can Chuang City hold on?"

"Enough nonsense!" Han Cheng's forehead glistened with sweat. He waved his hand, giving orders, "The Empress Dowager knew you'd leave yourself an escape route. You've kept these accounts well-organized. Burn this courtyard!"

Pan Xiangjie leaned against the door, witnessing his family weeping amidst the chaos. He shouted, "I had Chen Zhi copy these accounts long ago. Go ahead and burn them! If you kill me now, these records will still end up in Xue Xiuzhuo's hands!"

"Han Pan has already betrayed the nation," Han Cheng drew his sword, "Didn't he secretly let Yao Wenyu go? Yao Wenyu is now Shen Zechuan's strategist! Your clan's collusion with rebels is undeniable. How much of what he says can be trusted? He's Shen Zechuan's spy left in Qudu!"

Pan Xiangjie stumbled to the ground amidst the scuffle, yelling, "When the rabbit is dead, the hunting dog is cooked... When the birds are gone, the bow is stored! I've been your loyal dog, and this is my reward! Han Cheng, how long do you think you'll live after I'm gone today?"

Carrying the badges of the Eight Great Camps, Han Cheng couldn't afford to wait any longer. As the flames grew, he stepped towards Pan Xiangjie, ready to strike. Unexpectedly, Qi Wei was quicker, leaping over the roof without circling the corridor, diving down and tackling Han Cheng out of the way.

Seizing the opportunity, Pan Xiangjie lifted the ledger, crying out toward the courtyard entrance, "General, save me!"

Struggling, Han Cheng threw the Eight Great Camp badges and shouted, "In the shadow of the Emperor, the Capital Army reigns supreme! Qi Zhuyin, your troops halt at the city outskirts; how dare you interfere with the actions of the Eight Great Camps?"

"I've requested the Marshal to apprehend this criminal minister with both the Justice Ministry's warrant and the Military's dispatch order. Why wouldn't that work?" Xue Xiuzhuo swept his robe aside and declared sternly. "Arrest him for arson, and take Han Cheng as well!"

Han Cheng retorted, "I'm acting under the Empress Dowager's orders. Do you dare?!"

The Eight Banners troops in the courtyard immediately drew their swords and advanced threateningly towards Xue Xiuzhuo.

Qi Zhuyin used the scabbard of his sword to push aside the blades and said from behind, "Since the Eight Banners are the army of the Son of Heaven, they should follow the Crown Prince's command. You insist on heeding the Empress Dowager's wishes instead of assisting with the investigation?"

Han Cheng had initially thought Pan Xiangjie was bluffing, but Qi Zhuyin had actually shown up! He had dared to kill before Xue Xiuzhuo's arrival because he held sway over the Eight Banners, which allowed him to intimidate the cabinet. However, Qi Zhuyin's troops were now stationed just outside the city, and if a battle broke out, Han Cheng knew he would be at a disadvantage.

Han Cheng's arrogance deflated, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "Of course… I'll abide by the Crown Prince's decisions."

The blades of the Eight Great Camps were sheathed as they watched Qi Zhuyin's personal guards enter, escorting Pan Xiangjie and Han Cheng away. The fire didn't last long before it was extinguished easily. Xue Xiuzhuo waved away the smoke and dust, picking up a few account books that hadn't been completely burned.

* * *

Upon hearing the sudden turn of events and that Xue Xiuzhuo had taken the account books, the Empress Dowager couldn't help but fall back onto her couch in shock. Her brows knitted tightly together as she cursed, "That scoundrel, Pan Xiangjie!"

Pan Xiangjie had actually sacrificed everyone just to save his own skin!

"The Crown Prince?" The Empress Dowager regained her composure. "Very well, if Xue Xiuzhuo has the audacity to go all out against me, let him see if his so-called 'chosen one' is strong enough."

As she spoke, she took off her Buddhist beads and threw them into the burning bronze basin, scattering ashes everywhere.

* * *

Han Cheng closed his eyes and pretended to sleep after being captured. He faced the wall, ignoring everyone, banking on the fact that Xue Xiuzhuo wouldn't dare touch him. Pan Xiangjie returned to his previous state, holding his sleeves and sobbing across the table.

"I've... I've confessed..." Pan Xiangjie wiped away his tears. "But feed me first, Yanqing. I'm starving."

This cunning old man was trying to buy time, using the account book as leverage against the Empress Dowager while waiting for her to intervene.

Although Liang Cuishan oversaw taxation, he had witnessed these interrogations before and knew these old foxes were not easy to deal with. After staying up all night, he sipped some strong tea and, with Xue Xiuzhuo's tacit approval, said, "Cooking noodles and preparing side dishes takes time. Take your time, Your Excellency."

Upon seeing Liang Cuishan, Pan Xiangjie didn't seem angry. He merely said, "Chongshen and Chen Zhi are close, they know me." Rubbing his abdomen, he grimaced and complained, "I can't stand hunger at home, and now my head is spinning."

"I wouldn't want to trouble Your Excellency," Liang Cuishan put down his tea. "Just answer me. Yesterday, I calculated the remaining grain in Dan City and found the granaries to be full. Tell me, did you purchase grain from elsewhere to masquerade as surplus before the Ministry of Revenue could inspect it?"

"I don't handle grain matters," Pan Xiangjie declared innocently, spreading his hands wide as if agitated. "I'm in charge of the Ministry of Works! Ask the Grain Inspector of Dan City or Pan Yi for the details about this grain."

"I've already inquired," Liang Cuishan opened the ledger and showed it to Pan Xiangjie. "They've confessed. You sold the grain to Yan Heru. If Dan City was sold, the other seven must have been as well, right?"

"I don't even know the accounts for Dan City, how would I know about the other seven?" Pan Xiangjie suspected that this was most likely a trap set by Liang Cuishan. He replied, "Since they've confessed, Yanqing, you should proceed with official business! Report it to the cabinet and let Yuan Fu see it too."

Xue Xiuzhuo interjected, "We need to present the matter before the morning court session, so it should be reported before dawn."

Hearing that it had already been reported, Pan Xiangjie couldn't tell if it was true or not.

Liang Cuishan pulled out a warrant from his sleeve and said, "How else could we have summoned Elder here? Of course, we followed the legal procedures; the Ministry of Justice has already approved it."

Pan Xiangjie gazed at the token for a considerable moment.

Xue Xiuzhuo leaned in closer, gazing at Pan Xiangjie, and said, "Your Excellency oversees the Ministry of Works. During the Xiande era, when the canal scandal occurred, I observed that the Qingshui River's levees were well-maintained, indicating that you indeed attend to practical matters and are willing to alleviate the people's suffering. This time, my visit is not aimed at you personally. Chen Zhi is an excellent individual; he doesn't deserve severe punishment. The Pan family merely has some accounting issues that need clarification. Once we sort them out, there will be room for leniency."

These words were a subtle warning to Pan Xiangjie that if he continued to hesitate, this margin of tolerance would vanish.

Pan Xiangjie sniffled, his beard hanging low as he spoke to Xue Xiuzhuo, "I truly have no idea, sir."

Xue Xiuzhuo declared, "So it seems that Dan City is the Pan family's 'private domain.' You have deceived the imperial court and colluded with Pan Lin from the Ministry of Revenue to seize civilian lands in Dan City, falsify land taxes, and engage in the resale of government grains. You have been in cahoots with the great merchant Yan Heru of Hezhou, causing the deaths of countless innocent people. All these misdeeds fall solely on the shoulders of your Pan family."

Pan Xiangjie's heart raced with fear as he saw Xue Xiuzhuo was serious. He hurriedly interjected, "Yanqing..."

"Copy the account books and confessions verbatim and submit them to the cabinet," Xue Xiuzhuo ignored Pan Xiangjie. "Bureaucrats who engage in such corruption and injustice deserve to have their homes confiscated and their entire families executed!"

"Those accounts haven't been sorted out yet!" Pan Xiangjie stood up, his hands trembling. "Yanqing, Yanqing! Let's talk this through, I haven't finished explaining!"

Xue Xiuzhuo turned around.

Pan Xiangjie could only say, "There's something in these accounts—"

Suddenly, the prison door behind Xue Xiuzhuo swung open, and Penholder stood up, unsure of what was happening. Xue Xiuzhuo turned back to see a eunuch from the palace, breaking into a cold sweat.

The young eunuch, out of breath and avoiding eye contact with the official, crawled forward on his knees a few steps and stammered, "M-Master! The Crown Prince suddenly fainted before the court session. Prime Minister Yuan urgently summoned the royal physicians, but they're still... "

One step away.

Xue Xiuzhuo's limbs turned icy cold, and he gripped the account book so tightly that it was damp with his sweat. Pan Xiangjie fell silent and sat back down.

The Empress Dowager truly knew how to strike at the vital spot!

Xue Xiuzhuo slammed the ledger onto the ground, gritting his teeth as he forced out the word, "Enter the palace."