380-383

Chapter 380: Unwilling To Let Go

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

In the middle of April, spring was beautiful and heavy in the air, unable to be more so. All of Jiangnan was enveloped in a warm wind. The people walking on the road had already begun to wear lined clothing. Thousands of kilometers away from Suzhou, outside of Jingdou, a smear of snow was still visible on the top of Cang Mountain, as cold as the white cloth over a dead man's face.

The tall and big man wearing a straw hat withdrew his gaze from the snow on the top of mountain. He silently drank the remaining tea and ordered a bowl of plain noodles. He began to eat it tastelessly.

This place was 15 kilometers outside of Jingdou, called Shipai Village. This big man wearing a straw hat was the Second priest of the Qing Temple, Great Master San Shi, who had made his way with great difficulty from Jiangnan to Jindou.

San Shi had not come to Jindou to preach or break off branches from the drooping willows. He was here to kill, he was here…to kill the Emperor.

Although Fan Xian had, intentionally or not, allowed him to leave Jiangnan, the Overwatch Council's search was tight. Even though they had not put out heavy troops on the northwest roads, it still took San Shi a great deal of time to go around the Overwatch Council and Black Knights blockade to arrive in Jingdou.

The Junshang Conference was indeed a loose organization. When this organization had an exceptionally divine and important mission, its importance would clearly show. Very few knew exactly how many powerful figures under heaven this mysterious organization had collected.

Although San Shi held the venerable position of Second priest in the Qing Temple, he had very little speaking power in the Junshang Conference, furthermore, he personally objected to the Junshang Conference's arrangements in Jiangnan. After having a taste of failure when trying to disturb Fan Xian's administration, he sacrificed himself and left behind the arrangements of the Jungshang Conference. Alone, with a great goal in his chest like a red sun in his heart, he came proudly all the way to Jingdou. He came to Jingdou to kill the one who could not be killed.

As he thought, he silently ate his noodles. He followed his elder brother's teaching from back in the day, ensuring that each strand of noodles was finely chewed into mush before satisfyingly swallowing it down.

For some reason, San Shi became felt sorrow rise in his heart. It was difficult to suppress. Two murky tears slid out from his old eyes and fell into his noodle soup. He was going to enter the capital to ask that Emperor, why.

…

…

After finishing his noodles, he put on his hat to hide his appearance and picked up a wooden staff the height of a man. He left the noodle shop and followed a little path at the foot of Shipai Village and began to walk in the direction of Jingdou.

In front of him was a dark and dim royal city, behind was a clean and white mountain. The Ascetic walked between them.

The woods became deeper and deeper, and the path became narrower and narrower. It was early morning, so there were not any diligent woodcutters up early to chop wood. In the wilderness, it was impossible for there to be many people passing by. It was silent on the mountain path, so silent that it was slightly strange. There wasn't even the sound of birds and insects.

After all, San Shi was not a warrior skilled in assassination, he was only a highly cultivated Ascetic. Even though he felt in his heart there was something strange, he did not pay it much attention.

Neither the court nor the Junshang Conference would know he had come from Jiangnan to Jindou. The only person who knew was Haitang. No matter what, she would not reveal his movements. San Shi was confident in this point. He did not think someone could have gotten hold of his route ahead of time and laid down an ambush.

Thus, when that mournful and fatal arrow flew out from the dense woods and wanted to ruthlessly bury itself in his eye, he felt surprised.

The flight of that arrow was very strange. In the beginning, there was no sound at all; it was like a ghost. When it was only a meter away, it suddenly whistled. The whistling was soul-stealing and absolutely terrifying.

Hiss…roar!

The long black arrow seemed to cry out, "Kill!"

…

…

San Shi let out a muffled grunt. His long wooden staff stabbed viciously into the ground. The carved bird head at the top of it extended very quickly, blocking the feathery arrow that seemed to have flown from the sky.

With a muffled thunk, the arrow ruthlessly sunk into the head of the wooden staff. The power contained in the arrow shocked San Shi enough that his wrist shook slightly. In a flash, the bird head of the wooden staff exploded.

He narrowed his eyes. A chill surged in his heart. This thunderbolt-like skill with an arrow seemed to be at the level of the Zhengbei Viceroy, Yan Xiaoyi. But he should be in Canzhou, thousands of kilometers away from Jingdou.

Through the leaves in the woods, San Shi's bright eyes saw clearly the archer's appearance. It was a young and unfamiliar face, but he knew the arrow he had personally caught must have received the true teachings of Yan Xiaoyi. This unfamiliar youth must be Yan Xiaoyi's disciple.

As he was thinking of these things, San Shi borrowed the rebound power of the shock and launched himself into the air to position his body like a bird. His hand held the wooden staff, and he smashed downward like an insane demon.

Although he didn't know why the other person wanted to kill him, before he entered Jingdou and asked the Emperor his question, he would not allow himself to die.

San Shi's figure was tall and sturdy. He wore a bamboo hat. His intent to kill was very strong. His entire person was in the air like a ruthless big bird. His manner was imposing and conveyed a sense of having reached a point of no return.

When fighting against archers, the most important thing was to reduce the distance between oneself and the opponent. But he had opened himself up completely to the other person. While in the air, there was nowhere from which he could draw power. It was even more difficult facing demonic arrows. San Shi swept over. Seeing the archer's calm expression, he knew the other person was going to use this opportunity to fire an arrow.

As expected, the archer made movements. His hands flew and drew an arrow from his back, nocked it, aimed, and fired. Three simple actions but completed naturally, harmoniously, and quickly. It was like it had been one beautiful, inseparable move. This simple appreciation of beauty came from hard practice and natural talent in archery.

Swoosh! The second arrow had already been fired toward San Shi's throat. He was still in the air and had no way of dodging such a quick arrow. However, he had been waiting for this moment. He gave a muffled grunt and neither hid or dodged. He moved all his zhenqi toward his chest and used his stupidest, yet most powerful, Iron Skin to forcefully take the shot.

The arrows landed at his throat and made a strange clinking sound. A light flashed through San Shi's eyes. His entire body had stopped in front of the archer, and his staff came down. There was only one meter of space between them. How could that archer dodge?

…

…

The archer's expression remained calm. Faced with the insane demon-like staff, he took two steady steps back. He raised his longbow in front of his body and spat out one world, "Seal!"

Four golden knives appeared out of nowhere and dissolved into four streaks of light. They sealed the San Shi's fatal blow. A loud explosion rang out. The knives shattered, and the power of the staff was scattered. A cloud of dust rose and permeated the woods.

Among the dust in the air, the bow rang out again. A soul-stealing arrow flew through the dust and trees and toward San Shi's throat from a very short distance.

The distance was too close. San Shi didn't have time to dodge, but he didn't dare let his throat, the weakest part of his body, be continuously tested by the archer's skills. He stretched out a palm and made a praying pose.

The archer had used four knives to seal his strike. He would use one palm to seal this shot. That narrow, but soul-devouring arrow, hammered into San Shi's thick calluses. It was like a mosquito bite on a poor person's flesh. It wobbled a little before falling down. It was only a light bite, a light hit, yet his entire body begun to shake violently.

He was pushed back a step by the arrow…another one came flying. San Shi raised his palm again, sealed, and took another step back. The arrows flew faster and faster out of the dust like there was no end to them. Who knew that the archer had such terrifying speeds.

It was the ninth arrow.

San Shi had been forced by those terrifying arrows back to the side of the mountain road. He gave a muffled grunt and straightened his arms. He swung his long staff and sent the last arrow flying. Then, he felt something tighten beneath his food. A horrifying animal trap closed with a snap bloodily over his right foot.

The animal trap was so big, it was probably used to catch tigers. Even though San Shi had the ability of Iron Skin, he had fallen into a trap. The flesh on his calf split, and fresh blood poured out. He let out a pained roar. He furrowed his brows, unwilling to give up. There was a small spot of blood on his throat. The hand clenching his wooden staff also had many little spots of blood, and they were slowly oozing out blood.

It was hard to fathom how many sharp arrows there had been. If it had been anyone else, they would have long been shot full like a hedgehog. Only he could have not suffered any true injuries. It was only a pity that he was forced into the trap by those arrows.

The dust gradually fell. In the woods opposite, the face of the young archer once again appeared, as well as four knife-wielding attackers.

San Shi looked at the other party coldly and said, "I never expected it was you who killed…"

He didn't get to finish his words. The young archer was here to silence him and didn't have the interest to converse with San Shi. Although he knew San Shi was a legendary figure, the younger generation grew up fiercely and did not have any extra reverence to give.

The youth used a steady finger of their right hand to nock the poisoned black arrow onto the string and once again took aim at the throat of the San Shi, who was unable to move.

"Shoot."

He spoke but the arrow in his hand did not leave the string.

A din rose in the woods. Countless young archers surged from all around. Separated by a distance of a few meters, they encircled San Shi in the middle. They all held bows in their hands. Following the instruction to shoot, countless long arrows left their strings and flew in straight soul-stealing lines ruthlessly toward his body.

San Shi's pupil contracted slightly. Seeing the other party's arrangement, he knew he probably wouldn't survive today. That many archers in the mountains had to be the work of the military. No matter how powerful an ace, in the face of the military's merciless and cold-blooded continuous attacks, they would not be able to survive. Furthermore, his right foot had already been caught by that damnable animal trap.

He wasn't Ye Liuyun, nor was he Ku He. San Shi sighed in his heart and swung the long staff around in his hand to block the oncoming rain of arrows from all directions.

Thunk. Thunk. Thunk. Thunk. Countless breaks rang out around his body. In barely a moment, over a hundred flying arrows had been broken by his wooden staff. The broken arrows piled up around him and looked unusually dismal.

Some of the arrows did make it through his defensive circle and pierced his body. Only, these archers were not as talented as the previous youth and were unable to pierce through San Shi's Iron Skin.

That leading young archer was not in a rush. He only looked coldly at San Shi who was struggling for life like a wild animal. Looking at this Ascetic battling without help against a sky full of arrows, he knew that his zhenqi was solid and strong. If they wanted to shoot and kill him at a close range, they needed to be patient. They had to keep chipping away. No amount of skills would be able to maintain the zhenqi. As soon as San Shi's showed any signs of weakening, once an arrow entered his body, that would be his time to die. He aimed at San Shi's throat, coldly waiting for that moment.

The dozens of archers in the woods continued to coldly fire arrows. San Shi roared loudly and endlessly swung his wooden staff, fighting in the rain of arrows.

There would eventually be a point when his strength ran out. Thus, San Shi's fierce might appear to be particularly tragic. Faced with the powerful weapon of the military, what use was a martial ace? The scene was chilling.

The merciless rounds continued, and the broken arrows piled up. They gradually mounted over his calf and buried the animal trap and his injured leg. It looked like a self-immolating monk who was continuously chopping firewood for his own imminent burning.

San Shi's clothing was already wet with sweat. The speed at which he swung his wooden staff had slowed. It was clear that his zhenqi was not as abundant as before. This was the opportunity. The patient lead archer gently released his middle finger, and the arrow on the string shot out.

With a swoosh and a thunk, the entire woods seemed to have fallen silent in an instant.

San Shi held the arrow at his throat. A choking noise came from his mouth; he was already unable to talk. Fresh blood ran down from his palms.

The archers stopped firing.

The young archer furrowed his brows and said coldly and mercilessly, "Continue."

The firing began again. In a flash, dozens of arrows were shot into San Shi's body. Fresh blood dyed his whole body red.

San Shi slowly opened his eyes and sighed once again in his heart. He knew it would be pointless to play weak to lure in his enemy. That disciple of Yan Xiaoyi did things in the same cold and merciless style as his master.

He waved his hand, and his big sleeves brushed away countless arrows like illnesses. He opened his eyes revealing a sudden light. He roared, and the wooden staff he held in his hands splintered into pieces by his pure zhenqi. The wood shards flew and exposed the knife within…a huge knife.

In Suzhou, San Shi had once used the knife to cut through the long street. At this moment, this knife could only cut through himself. It came down on a slant. The edge of the sword entered the flesh without a sound, and he ruthlessly cut through his right calf.

He would never again be caught in an animal trap. San Shi was like a big bird with broken wings that once again took to the skies. Like an eagle hunting rabbits, he dove into the other party. Knife light splashed like snow, causing people to spray blood. In one move, he cut off three heads and sliced through a number of chests. The woods became covered in blood.

What a powerful knife!

…

…

When San Shi took out his knife, that cold, young archer had already turned and left. He quietly went up a tree and began to fire arrow after arrow. He knew San Shi was a spent force. As he had cut off one of his own legs, the blood flowed endlessly. He wouldn't be able to last much longer.

As expected, after the knife light shone brilliantly, it began to dim.

After littering the ground with bodies, the poison in San Shi's body began to act. His injuries flared and blood had run dry. He laid out his long knife and hilt on the grass, gave a muffled grunt, and then spat out his last turbid breath.

The Second priest of the Qing Temple was dead.

To confirm San Shi's death, the archers gathered around. They were all elites in the military. Today they had come to ambush, or even to shamelessly murder, the Second priest of Qing Temple. Not everyone was able to maintain a calm expression. After San Shi had fallen into the trap yet was still able to cut through his own leg and kill so many of their brothers, they couldn't help but feel a chill in their hearts.

"Clean it up. You guys return to camp," the young archer said coldly. "Ding Han, you're responsible for clean up."

A soldier bowed and accepted in a low voice.

The woods once again became silent. These soldiers, adept at shooting, took off their disguises and found other hidden areas to change and return to camp.

After leaving the woods, that young archer had changed into a set of ordinary commoner's clothing. He did not follow the group back to camp. Instead, he took a twisting path out of the mountain woods and found the official road to the capital. On the road, he hitched a ride with a carriage going the same way. Along the way he talked and laughed with the merchant, and thus he entered Jingdou.

Having entered Jingdou, the first thing the archer did was to eat two bowls of Chinese cabbage porridge. He then bought a paper pinwheel on the side of the street. He made his way through the big street in the south side of the city, walked past quiet alleys, and stopped to have a look at a storytelling hall. It seemed he could not resist the temptation of today's story and entered the building. He ordered a bowl of tea, a plate of melon seeds, and began to listen to the story.

After listening for a while, he felt the need to relieve himself and went to the washroom.

He exited by the wall behind the toilet. After confirming there was no one following him, he entered a residence. Who knew who this residence belonged to, but he walked in it as easily and at ease as if it were his own.

He entered the study and kowtowed before the desk. He reported to the pair of small feet beneath the table, "Your Highness, he has been removed."

"You've worked hard." Qing Kingdom's Eldest Princess, Li Yunrui, smiled slightly. This woman with inhuman beauty was even more charming when she smiled.

When the young archer had shot Great Master San Shi dead, he had appeared so cold and merciless. Now, he did not dare to meet the Eldest Princess' eyes. After he rose, he stood to the side as custom dictated.

"San Shi…what a waste." The Eldest Princess sighed with regret. "He didn't listen to me and insisted on imitating the bravery of an ignorant man. In the current circumstances, how could we have the Emperor become suspicious of us? Everything is not yet prepared. Right now it is not the time to act. For those who refuse to do as they are told, they can only go."

The young archer continued to remain silent. He knew these big matters should be the concern of the older generation. He only needed to carry out orders.

The Eldest Princess glanced at him and smiled slightly. "You are not able to follow Viceroy Yan and fight in the North. Do you have any resentment?"

The young archer smiled and said, "All father does in the North is drink all day. How can it compare in excitement to the capital?"

They spoke a bit more and then she let him leave the study.

This residence had no master nor name, no one knew the Eldest Princess occasionally stayed here. Her favorite thing to do was sit alone in this study and think about things. Often she would drive herself crazy with her thoughts.

Junshang Conference? A self-deprecating smile rose to the corner of her mouth. When she was young, what had been the purpose of organizing the Junshang Conference? It had been to do something for the Qing Kingdom. She wanted to help her brother, the Emperor, do the things he could not do, such as killing some of those officials amd taking family property.

Although her brother, the Emperor, never knew of the existence of the Jungshang Conference, it had helped him plenty in secret. For example, in the war against Northern Qi, he was unaware of the secret influence it had in Dongyi.

When did these things change so much? The objective of the Junshang Conference had undergone a great change in her own hands.

A trace of wretchedness flashed across the Eldest Princess' face. She thought of Fan Xian far away in Jiangnan, the palace treasury, the Overwatch Council, the suspicion and bias the Emperor has shown these two years…I once gifted the ruler a bright pearl. What has the ruler gifted me?

She closed her eyes and then opened them again. They had recovered their calm. She smiled slightly and thought, Since the ruler cannot tolerate me, I'll have to cherish myself. It is not unthinkable to pay a certain price for this. Sir Yuan's words do indeed have their logic.

In that patch of woods, other than a faint scent of blood, there was no other trace to be found of the killing that happened earlier. It looked like the military's ability to clean a scene was no worse than the Overwatch Council's.

Everyone had left. Ding Han, who had been left responsible for the cleanup, was the last to the leave the mountain woods. Not long after he left, he silently made his way back around to the woods and found a broken arrow he had purposely hidden below a pile of mud. He carefully placed it into his clothing.

Following that, he spat into his hands and began to dig hard. After digging for an indeterminable amount of time, he finally dug to a deep place. He dug out the body that had already been burned beyond recognition. After confirming it was San Shi's body, he pulled out a dagger from his boot and plunged it into the neck area, before very carefully cutting off Great Master San Shi's head.

He refilled the earth, scattered leaves, and spread out moss. After checking there wasn't any problem, only then did he let out a satisfied breath and turned to leave the mountain woods. He didn't need to go into Jingdou. The place he was going to was just outside Jingdou.

…

…

At the back of the mountain at the back door of Chen Garden, an old servant took from Din Han's hands a box and a package. Ding Han silently bowed and began his return to the camp.

In a dark room, Chen Pingping sat in a wheelchair and smiled slightly at the charred human head on the cloth. He asked, "Do you think…after being burned to this state, will the Emperor still recognize the idiot San Shi?"

The old servant chuckled and didn't say anything. He only saw that his master seemed to be happy, so he was also happy.

Chen Pingping took out the broken arrow from the box and looked at it with narrowed eyes. Suddenly he said in a sharp voice, "San Shi is an idiot. Do you think the Eldest Princess is also an idiot? She could have used anyone, but she used Yan Xiaoyi's son. It does bind him closer to her…but isn't it too easily revealed?"

"Hmm."

"It seems like it will be more difficult for the commissioner to act." The old servant was Chen Pingping's trusted aide and housekeeper. He knew much of the thoughts of this director and carefully reminded him.

Chen Pingping sunk into thought and said a moment later, "Fan Xian might still act too early…but let him do what he thinks is the right thing. As for those things he might be unwilling to do, I will do them."

There were many things Chen Pingping would never tell Fan Xian because he knew Fan Xian's heart was nowhere near as hard and strong as his own. He rolled his wheelchair to the window. From the distance faintly came the laughs of the beautiful girls the old man had collected.

He looked outside and thought of Yuan, who was always beside the Eldest Princess. He couldn't stop himself smiling like an innocent child. "Often the things my enemies do not want me to know, I actually do know. However…"

A trace of self-deprecation flashed through the old man's eyes and he sighed. "Being a person that knows everything is actually, at times, not a happy thing."

The old servant gently squeezed his shoulders. He knew that tomorrow the director would take the head and broken arrow into the Palace, and the Junshang Conference would be revealed for the first time to the Emperor. The Emperor would have to finally make up his mind.

Chen Pingping slowly lowered his head. If he didn't cause some big ruckus, if a few of the nobles in the Palace didn't die, how could he be satisfied to let go and die?

Chapter 381: The Palace And The Court

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

The Emperor was not in a good mood.

In the Palace and court, everyone knew the Emperor has not been in a good mood because the he had temporarily paused his regular event of watching opera with the empress dowager. Every day, other than in the daily court attendance, not many people had the chance to see the Emperor. Eunuch Yao, Eunuch Hou, and the reinstated Eunuch Dai had been surrounded by officials on a daily basis. Everyone wanted to know exactly what had happened.

The Emperor also had not summoned any of his trusted officials into the Palace. It didn't look like it was because he was worried about something.

People just knew that the Emperor was not in a good mood. In the court, most of the memorials sent in from various provinces were rejected. The official of the Supreme Court was ruthlessly scolded, and old Master Qin of the Bureau of Military Affairs was also scolded by the Emperor. The Qin family were the most trusted of the Emperor's aides and powerful military officials. Under normal circumstances, he would give the Qin family some face in front of the civil and military officials, but today he had treated them harshly.

At the Jingdou garrison, young General Qin Heng's expression did not change. When he entered and left the Hall of Governmental Affairs, he maintained a clear smile. It looked like he did not care much about the scolding the Emperor had given his family.

Looking at this scene, the officials understood that the Emperor had wrongly scolded his trusted aide to warn someone else in the capital.

This was a confusing method. No one could guess who the Emperor was warning, but the warning itself existed. As expected, on the third day, Ye Zhong, far away in Dingzhou, once again sent a bitter memorial to the Emperor stating that since there was peace under heaven, Dingzhou no longer needed to maintain so many soldiers.

The Ye family asking to personally disband the military showed their terrified posturing. The Emperor lightly allowed it and did not allow the court and Bureau of Military Affairs to debate the matter. All of the officials, including the newly appointed Hu the Scholar and Shu the Scholar, all thought it was a follow-up to the Hanging Temple incident last year and did not connect it to anything else.

After the Ye family asked for disbandment, the Emperor's mood seemed to improve. He resumed his daily visit to the empress dowager and allowed the Eldest Princess to live in the Palace again. Guangxin Palace once against truly opened its doors for the Eldest Princess.

Distance creates beauty and danger. One family all living together would certainly be much safer. The old man in the Chen Garden thought this must be what the Emperor thought. He sighed and knew matters had not gone exactly as he had planned. There was still much he needed to do. Since the seeds had begun to sprout in the black soil in their hearts, there would eventually be a day it would grow into a poisonous vine and unstoppably push through that layer of hard rock on top.

Only the people living in the Palace knew the Emperor's mood had not truly taken a turn for the better. His face still carried a trace of worry and unhappiness.

He was the ruler of the world; the master of the Palace. He was the one everyone had to watch when they made any small movements. Everyone's livelihoods depended on him, as did everyone's hope for the future and wealth. Everyone in the palace was careful and nervously tried to guess what other thoughts were hidden in the Emperor's heart.

The eunuchs that closely served the Emperor in Taiji Palace and the royal study had become highly experienced. They did not make any sounds to the probing questions from various palaces. Under the might of Eunuch Hong, the housemaids and eunuchs in the various palaces also did not dare to ask too obviously.

After the Eldest Princess moved unhappily into Guangxin Palace, she immediately recovered her usual beauty and went to talk and keep the empress dowager company daily. Occasionally, she would also go the Eastern Palace to visit the empress and Crown Prince. However, she was somewhat confused and wasn't sure exactly what the Emperor was thinking.

A lead eunuch in the Eastern Palace had become an important person. Eunuch Hong Zhu had always served beside the Emperor and was well-liked by him. It was rumored he had some relation to Eunuch Hong and was familiar with the people and going-ons in the Taiji Palace and royal study. If sending someone to make discreet inquiries, he would be the most appropriate choice.

Hong Zhu had taken up the post of a fourth-level lead eunuch in the Eastern Palace for three months. Using his status as being assigned by the Emperor and his own careful and satisfactory service, he had received the empress' approval. Except, it was impossible to obtain acceptance at once. However, the empress had given Hong Zhu sufficient benefits. She wanted to see whether or not he could be used and to what extent.

The empress smiled slightly as she gazed at Hong Zhu kneeling before her. She quite liked this little eunuch who understood the situation. He was discreet and had delicate features. She gently said, "The Emperor is worried about matters of state, and I wish to help lessen his burdens. Although the back palace is not to interfere in state matters, if I know about the Emperor's mood, I will be able to make some soups to send and make His Majesty feel better."

Hong Zhu furrowed his brows and said, "Empress is thoughtful."

"Go ask," the empress sighed and said. "If the Emperor finds out, there is no need to hide it. It is not anything shameful to start with. Don't bring misfortune on yourself."

Hong Zhu's expression was moved. He took his orders and left.

Not long after, the recently popular figure made a few rounds of the enormous Royal Palace. After he had been fawned on thoroughly, he didn't dare continue receiving praise so proudly and quickly returned to the empress' palace.

He leaned in close to the empress's ear and said a few words.

The empress frowned slightly. Her noble face faintly showed her worry. She sighed and said, "So it is because of the empty national treasury. I have also heard of the work to repair the banks of the Yangtze River. It's been delayed from the beginning of winter of the year before last until now, and it's all because there isn't enough money…ah, if I could make silver appear out of thin air then I could solve His Majesty's worries. It's a pity…"

Hong Zhu chuckled and said, "Empress is the mother of the world, why do you need to worry about such things? As for the national treasury, isn't it Minister Fan who manages the Ministry of Revenue?"

When the empress heard the words "Ministry of Revenue," her eyes lit up. She asked with false nonchalance, "Minister Fan has been managing the Ministry of Revenue for many years, it could be said he has worked hard. The empty national treasury…is a problem of income, does he have any solutions?"

Hong Zhu was slightly startled. He began to speak then stopped.

The empress saw his expression and smiled disdainfully. "Child, you have quite the load on your mind."

Hong Zhu jumped in fright and quickly knelt down and said with a pained expression, "I don't dare, only in the royal study…I heard that the Emperor had been very angry yesterday saying that the Ministry of Revenue was useless, and that…" He lowered his voice and said, "I heard…there are officials in the Ministry of Revenue who are in the red and secretly moved national funds. The amount was also very large, so the Emperor…was angry."

The empress' heart stuttered. She immediately hid the expression on her face. She smiled slightly and said, "There is no need to tell me of these state affairs. How is His Majesty's mood recently? Where does he often wander to in the Palace?"

Hong Zhu looked around. He knew this was tabooed information in the Palace, but he gritted his teeth, crawled to the empress side, and said something in a low voice.

The empress' willow-like brows went up and then shortly softened again weakly. Her lips trembled slightly, and her cheeks were pale. In a cold voice, she said, "The little tower…the little tower again."

…

…

After Hong Zhu had left the palace full of unease and fear, a young man flashed out from behind the windscreen. He wore a light yellow robe. The needlework on the surface was soft and gentle, and his eyes were bright and spirited. In the palace, other than the emperor and dowager empress who could wear this color, the only other person was the Crown Prince.

Qing Kingdom's Crown Prince's body was already much better than it was a few years ago, at least his face had lost that unhealthy pallor. This was because of the empress' strict teachings and the fact she did not allow him to waste too much energy on the matters between men and women. It was also because as he gradually became older, he faced numerous complicated situations and forced step by step by his royal brothers. He had to make changes out of necessity.

His biggest enemy had been the Second Prince, but after the Second Prince was successfully half crippled by Fan Xian, he suddenly found that who he thought was his greatest help, Fan Xian, was actually his father's son. What's more, he was the son of his father and that witch.

For the Eastern Palace, they had long had an insoluble hatred for the Ye family. The Crown Prince was now most wary about Fan Xian, who was far away in Jiangnan.

Everyone involved knew everything clearly. After Fan Xian's past was exposed, if the Crown Prince took the throne, Fan Xian would definitely not meet a kind end. If Fan Xian alone held great power, he would certainly not allow the Crown Prince to inherit.

"Mother, it seems we can make a move in the Ministry of Revenue matter." The Crown Prince had been behind the windscreen the whole time listening to the empress and Hong Zhu's conversation.

The empress closed her eyes and thought for a bit. "This eunuch, Hong Zhu, just how trustworthy are his words?"

"70 percent."

The empress smiled slightly. "I thought so too. Hong Zhu originally served in the royal study and followed beside your father. His meteoric rise was just a matter of time. Although he has now been moved to the Eastern Palace and raised to levels to be the head eunuch, he holds much less power now than earlier in the year."

The Crown Prince said, "If Fan Xian had not told father about Hong Zhu taking bribes…father would not have angrily sent Hong Zhu away."

Everyone knew about this matter in the palace. They all knew the story of that day in the royal study. They all thought that Hong Zhu had left the royal study because he had offended Fan Xian.

The empress sighed and said, "Looking at His Majesty's punishment, he seems to truly like Hong Zhu this little eunuch…the question is, I am not sure whether this matter is real or fake."

The Crown Prince furrowed his brow and thought for a moment. "Hong Zhu's grudge against Fan Xian should be real. The eunuchs and serving girls in the Palace have all heard him gritting his teeth as he talked about this matter. As for father's side…even if he did send Hong Zhu to watch me, I haven't done anything slightly wrong for much of the last year."

The empress nodded as a murderous intention flashed through her phoenix eyes. She smiled coldly and said, "As long as the reason for His Majesty's anger is real…then we can investigate the Ministry of Revenue matter. We can't let Fan Jian stay in the Ministry of Revenue anymore, otherwise, with Fan Xian controlling the palace treasury in Jiangnan and Fan Jian controlling the national treasury in Jingdou, your future is going to be difficult."

The Crown Prince nodded and said, "I will remember well father's teachings and only do what father wishes me to do."

The empress furrowed her brows and said, "I'll go to Guangxin Palace in a moment to ask your aunt for her opinion."

Hearing the Eldest Princess mentioned, a strange light flashed through the Crown Prince's eyes. He immediately hid it well and asked hesitantly, "Are we still asking aunt's side to step forward this time?"

The empress shook her head and said with a cold smile, "She is also not someone easy to get along with…besides, now that the Emperor has had her move into her palace, is it not so that he is able to keep a close eye on her? With her deep in the palace, it will be much more difficult for her to contact the officials in court. When your father does something, although it always looks simple, it is actually extremely clever. You should learn more of this from him…ah, if that aunt of yours wants to make any move, it is not going to be easy."

This nominal mother of the country sighed, yet there was a schadenfreude that couldn't be hidden revealed between her brows. The Eldest Princess has shone too brightly among the women in the Qing Kingdom and always faintly covered the empress' glory. How could she possibly be happy? Now, her husband found this aunt to be more and more objectionable. Although logically the empress knew that it was nothing good, emotionally she couldn't help feeling a thread of joy.

That shameless vixen!

…

…

"I am just letting her know." The empress sighed and patted the Crown Prince's shoulder. "You'll have to temporarily put up with your aunt's relationship with the Second Prince. Don't think about what happened before. As for the matter of investigating the Ministry of Revenue running into the red this time, I will find someone to do it…don't worry."

A chill emerged between her brows. "Although my natal family has already been murdered by those wretched people, I still have some people hidden in the court. As for Fan Xian…did he think he could hide his transfer of that much silver from the national treasury to Jiangnan from the world? Did he think he could hide it from the Emperor? No matter how much the Emperor likes Fan Xian, he would definitely not allow this kind of thing to happen right beneath his nose!"

The Crown Prince was slightly startled. No wonder the Ministry of Revenue was in the red so badly. It turned out that Fan Xian's daring was unbelievably big. Only now did he know that his mother and aunt had long grasped the root of the Ministry of Revenue problem. No wonder they were so confident.

The empress smiled slightly and said, "After the Ministry of Revenue matter, the world will have a few days of peace. Fan Xian will not be able to hop around like he is right now. Think about it closely. In His Majesty's mind, as long as you don't overstep your boundaries, even if you competed with those people a bit, he will pretend he didn't see. In the end, you are still the Crown Prince, and this is something known by everyone under heaven."

The Crown Prince sighed. "In all these dynasties and generations, I am perhaps the most good-for-nothing Crown Prince of them all."

The empress smiled coldly and said, "There have been countless Crown Princes in history whose lives were not as good as yours before they inherited! What are you afraid of? As long as you endure until the day you take the throne, then that will be your moment to shine."

She continued coldly, "Naturally I have my reasons for my certainty that the Emperor still wants you to inherit."

The Crown Prince said anxiously, "But…although the Second Prince is about to fall, the Third Prince has gone down to Jiangnan and has been with Fan Xian the whole time."

This was the matter most secretly discussed in the Palace. The Third Prince had followed the imperial envoy to Jiangnan at such a young age to watch how things are handled. Nominally he was there to learn, but was he learning how to govern a country? Thus, the birth mother of the Third Prince, Yi Guipin, became the center of the discussion. However, this woman of the Liu family maintained her silence and kept to herself.

The empress glared at the Crown Prince and said between gritted teeth, "To be so scared of a yellow-faced child, how juvenile are you?"

The Crown Prince said unhappily, "I just cannot see…the intentions you say father has."

"If he didn't have such intentions, he would have deposed you long ago!" The empress felt resent for him not managing to meet such expectations.

The Crown Prince smiled bitterly. "Perhaps father is giving me a chance."

The empress shook her head and said calmly, "You're wrong, compared to your brothers…you have one particularly powerful advantage, yet you…still do not understand."

The empress' expression was calm with a hint of iciness. She slowly said, "The Great Prince has a Dongyi background. The Second Prince's birth mother, Lady Shu, has some power in the capital. The Third Prince's mother, Yi Guipin, is born of the Liu family, which is a large family in the capital, and has Fa Xian as a support. Of all the princes, only you…only the two of us are alone without any family power to use."."

"The Emperor and I are, after all, a husband and wife that has lived together for all these years." The empress smiled disdainfully. "Everything about your father is great; he is just too paranoid. With the passing on of this throne of the Qing Kingdom, of course, he fears that the power of the Li royal family would fall to relatives…so when picking his heir, he cannot accept someone who has an overly large family power behind them."

"Thus the Second Prince is not possible, and the Third Prince…even less possible!" The empress' cold gaze was like two knives scooping out the Crown Prince's heart. "Only you…the Emperor allowed that old cripple to kill all of my family. One reason was because of the evil witch, but isn't another reason so that your future obstacles have been swept clear?"

"Don't be scared, my child." She gently stroked the Crown Prince's icy cheeks and sighed. "If nothing goes majorly wrong, no matter what the Emperor does, it is all to help you grow stronger. Many years ago, he chose you and has never doubted his choice."

The empress laughed hysterically and said, "Even if his choice was originally wrong."

Suddenly her expression became severe. She said through gritted teeth, "So, do you understand? You are able to have your position as the Crown Prince and to be sure of keeping your position in the future…it is all because your mother's family had to pay a price of 3,000 lives! Those are your ancestors, your relatives! They all died. They used their blood, their bodies to lay down this path for you to the royal seat! You must endure until the day you succeed!"

A spring breeze floated through the Royal Palace, but this spring breeze was so icy that it made one chilled.

The Crown Prince couldn't help shivering. Because the empress dowager, his great-grandmother, had always controlled the back palace strictly, he had only in recent years learned, from his mother, of the truth of that night when Jingdou ran red with blood, that his grandfather and uncles had all died in that political turmoil.

So…it was because father wanted to remove the relatives beside him…

His heart began to clench. He had no idea how he should respond. If his mother's analysis was correct, then as long as he appeared sufficiently steady and nothing majorly went wrong in the world, then that dragon chair would still be his.

The Qing Kingdom's Crown Prince's gaze became determined. He nodded seriously toward his mother.

Mother and son seemed to both have forgotten that sentence they had said—the inheritance of the Crown Prince was under the condition that nothing major went wrong—and everyone in the world knew, no matter whether it was Chen Pingping or Sir Fan junior, they were both dark and ruthless people who were experts at finding big problems in no problems.

…

…

The Palace and court were actually two parts of one whole. With the Emperor, a difficult to ignore role, the two sides were beautifully and harmoniously unified together. If the officials wanted to curry favor with the Emperor, they had to curry favor with the nobles in the Palace. If the nobles in the Palace wanted to extend their hands beyond the Palace, they had to use the officials outside to do things for them.

The so-called interest group was thus created.

When the Emperor raged in the royal study about specifically the Ministry of Revenue's deficit and after this message had traveled through countless channels out of the Palace, the entire officialdom began to slowly stir. If the Emperor did not like something, as an official, their highest goal would be to quickly catch up. Even if those standing against the Emperor were figures of legendary rank like the great grandmasters, the officials would still have to summon their courage and be first. They would not be satisfied to be behind others.

With the Emperor's mood as a marker, these things were never wrong.

However, a clear time difference appeared between the news in the Palace and the reaction in the court. The officials were steadier and more cautious than in the past.

Since they were investigating the deficit of the Ministry of Revenue, they could not help but involve the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, Fan Jian. Everyone knew that Fan Jian was not only extremely ruthless but also very close to King Jing, who had affection with the Emperor as milk brothers. The officials were unsure what affection exactly the Emperor had to Fan Jian.

The second reason the officials were careful was simple—Fan Jian's son, known as Fan Xian and by the courtesy name An Zhi, was the commissioner of the Overwatch Council and the current all-powerful imperial envoy of Jiangnan Road.

Everyone knew that Fan Xian was the Emperor's illegitimate child. They also knew Fan Xian's filial piety was famous throughout the entire kingdom. Countless stories floated among the people, such as refusing to recognize his father on the pain of death while in the Palace or that he fought desperately at the annual meeting to be allowed to enter the Fan memorial hall.

If the investigation reached Minister Fan, no one knew how Fan Xian would react. The officials knew the Second Prince had once tried to use the Second young master of the Fan family. In the end, he had angered Fan Xian, who had used countless dark and ruthless moves against him. He arrogantly defeated the already secretly powerful Second Prince until he was utterly defeated from head to tail and was incredibly wretched.

In the end, Fan Xian successfully had the Second Prince banished to a house arrest. This brilliant result was enough to shock most of the officials who were politically opportunistic. Sir Fan junior didn't even care about the Second Prince, much less other officials.

The pressure coming from the palace grew stronger and stronger, and the information from various sides confirmed that the Emperor indeed had thoughts of singling out the Ministry of Revenue as a point of attack. The true reason for the Emperor's bad mood these days was also the Ministry of Revenue. Thus, the slowly stirring officials finally suppressed their natures and began to go home to write their memorials.

Among these officials were some who truly acted for the country and hoped the court would investigate the officials involved in the deficit of the Ministry of Revenue. There were some who received orders from Palace nobles who wanted to use this opportunity to topple the Fan family and play a trick of striking from a distance to destroy Fan Xian's reputation while he was far away in Jiangnan. Most were politically opportunistic officials who had been in the court for a long time and rose in ranking by guessing the Emperor's intentions.

For many different reasons, the officials in the Jingdou court came to a rare unanimous consensus. They asked that the court investigate the rumored matter of the Ministry of Revenue's deficit to give the Emperor and people under heaven an explanation.

Chapter 382: Poaching Talent In Court

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

The Qing court began at the scheduled time. The day was barely bright, and the Palace was still cool. The Emperor still sat high in his dragon chair while the officials humbly and straightforwardly discussed the government affairs of various counties and Roads. After all urgent matters were discussed and concluded, the Emperor, with faint exhaustion floating on his face, asked, "Is there anything else?"

An official from the Ministry of Justice stepped out and carefully reported, "Your Majesty, the matter of the head of the palace treasury transport company Sir Fan junior…how should it be handled?"

Many of the Jingdou officials were surprised that although the investigation of the deficit of the Ministry of Revenue, which had been accumulating power for days, had not yet started, the criticisms toward Fan Xian, who was far away in Jiangnan, had arrived aggressively.

Within three days, memorials from the Jiangnan Imperial Censorate and other officials began to fly into Jingdou like pieces of snow. Each word and sentence accused the head of the palace treasury transport company of being arrogant and using his status as an imperial envoy to suppress his colleagues. He disregarded the laws of the country and regulations of the court. He willfully killed four of the treasurers of the palace treasury, angered the people, and incited the strike of the three large workshops.

The three large workshops of the palace treasury were an important column in the financial affairs of the Qing Kingdom and such a large event like a strike had not happened for many years. When the news traveled to Jingdou, it shocked many people. Jingdou and Jiangnan were far away from each other. The people did not know of the true situation at the North Min transport company yamen. They knew even less about the fact that it was the Imperial Censorate Guo Zheng and the officials of the Eldest Princess who turned the facts on their head. Clearly, it was the strike that came first followed by Fan Xian suppressing the situation by killing people. After being accused by these excitable officials, it became so that Fan Xian first unreasonably killed, which then incited the commoner's anger.

In the hearts of the court officials, Sir Fan junior was indeed someone who could committed such crimes.

Lao Fan had not even been investigated when the officials began to have strong objections to Xiao Fan. The matter was debated in the court for days, but no one had any ideas, and the Emperor did not say anything.

Among the civil officials, there were a few who were not corrupt. They did not fear the fact that Fan Xian was the Emperor's illegitimate child. On the contrary, because of this, they looked at Fan Xian with even more distrust in their eyes. They worried that this powerful official would harm the very foundations of Qing Kingdom and the interests of the people.

Hu the Scholar who had already entered the Hall of Governmental Affairs and had begun to make his way around the cabinet, had never met Fan Xian and his knowledge of him was limited to the rumors in the officialdom and the public. Although he had the introduction of Shu the Scholar, and he gradually admired Fan Xian's literary talent, he still believed the words in the memorials.

Hu the Scholar had spent many years as a local official in various counties. He deeply understood the unreasonableness of the Jingdou officials. He was worried that Fan Xian would rely on his family's power and his past to run amok in Jiangnan since there would be none to contend with his power.

He decided to speak on behalf of the Jiangnan officials. It would prevent the location from being too deeply damaged, and he was afraid that Sir Fan junior, whom he quite admired, would slide toward the crooked path.

Hu the Scholar stepped out and calmly said, "Your Majesty, this matter should be thoroughly investigated."

The Emperor rubbed his temple and asked, "Investigated? Fan Xian had long written me a report telling me of this. The Overwatch Council also has their reports, and the Hall of Governmental Affairs also as a copy for the archive. Scholar, you should know, this time the palace treasury's trouble was because Fan Xian was investigating the long-established corrupt practices and caused it by getting justice for the workers."

Hu the Scholar said in a clear voice, "Your Majesty, those are only Sir Fan junior's side of the story. Since there have been so many officials accusing him, someone has to be sent to Jiangnan to ask. If the memorials are true, then there should be a strict investigation and compensation made. We must not hurt the hearts of the tens of thousands of workers. If the memorials are lying, then the Jiangnan Road officials should be severely rebuked to soothe Sir Fan junior and return some justice to Sir Fan junior."

The Emperor almost smiled as he gazed at him. After all this Scholar had said, he was determined to send someone to Jiangnan. Only, Jingdou is far from Jiangnan. Even if the capital sent someone, would Fan Xian actually be scared of them? However, the Emperor had called the long-exiled Hu the Scholar back to the capital because he wanted to use the scholar's stubbornness and honesty.

It was like how many years ago he used Lin Ruofu and Chen Pingping to compete against each other. The Emperor of the Qing Kingdom was preparing to use Hu the Scholar and Fan Xian to eventually compete against each other. Since that was so, he could not, at this time, make the Scholar lose face. He smiled slightly and said, "You're words make sense. Offer a candidate to go to Jiangnan to have a look. Whatever the matter is, it needs to be seen personally to know for sure."

Hu the Scholar wanted this seemingly fair suggestion of handling the matter. Since he had achieved his goal, he backed away.

Shu Wu, Shu the Scholar, couldn't stop himself saying worriedly, "Of course we must investigate clearly who is telling the truth and who is lying. But I am worried that after the palace treasury has gone through this storm, the income this year might run into problems. After all, this is Sir Fan junior's first year managing the palace treasury. I hope that Your Majesty will give him plenty of advice."

This was a mild suggestion, but it represented the worries of many officials. They were concerned that Fan Xian was overly irritating and ruthless, and would cause major problems for the production of the entire palace treasury. Although Su Wu was gentle, that did not mean that the others were gentle. On the contrary, there were a few officials who used his words as an opening and began to extol their own deep concerns and loyalty to the court. They spoke of Sir Fan junior's youth and how the matter of the palace treasury was of great importance. If, within this year, there was too big a difference to previous years, should the court consider a different candidate, and so on?

This was a brazen lack of trust in Fan Xian. The meaning was very clear. If Fan Xian could not raise the level of the palace treasury's profit, or if it was not as high as previous years, then what right did he have to control the palace treasury?

Because it was so brazen, each word and sentence seemed to be for the consideration of the court. Although the officials wanted to move deity from the palace treasury, they could not refute anything.

The Emperor smiled slightly and said, "This year's results for the palace treasury would only be known next year. I think, my dear officials, you are being too hasty. After all, some time will be needed to find out whether or not Fan Xian will disappoint me."

The Emperor seemed to suddenly think of something and said, "However, the palace treasury bidding ended a few days ago, and the bidding books should have already been escorted to Jingdou. If my dear officials wish to see Fan Xian's ability, have a look at the results of this year's palace treasury bidding. It should tell you a thing or two."

Qing Kingdom was vast, so there was a great distance between Jiangnan and Jingdou. The bidding had started March 22nd in Suzhou, but the news had just reached Jingdou. If it had traveled by the secret mail road and council report, it should have been a few days faster. Either Fan Xian had forgotten or there was a problem of secrecy with the bidding books, but he didn't reveal anything earlier to the Emperor or the court. After dealing with the strike of the three large workshops in North Min, the Overwatch Council had begun blocking the road for messages between the two places. So, although Jingdou vaguely knew about the bidding matter that had set Suzhou abuzz, they did not know of the specific situation.

The message that should have traveled the fastest, under Fan Xian's suppression, traveled even slower than Great Master San Shi.

The Emperor gazed at the group of people below and said, "Has the Taichang Temple received any documents?"

All of the income of the palace treasury's three large workshops were audited and managed by the Taishang Temple and imperial court, so the Emperor asked the head minister of the Taichang Temple.

"It just arrived early in the morning," the head minister of the Taichang Temple coughed a few times and said with an anxious expression. "I was in a rush to enter the Palace, so I have not yet seen it."

The Emperor huffed coldly, "Then why aren't you rushing to get it!"

The head minister of Taichang Temple bowed and burst into a trotting run out of the Palace to retrieve it.

"We will all wait a bit." The Emperor announced that the court conference would be extended. He accepted a bowl of tea from Eunuch Yao beside him and sipped it slowly.

Time ticked by in seconds and minutes. Palace officials began to feel a bit anxious but did not reveal any kind of expression. Besides, they were truly curious how exactly things had gone? The 40 percent deposit from the palace treasury's spring opening bid was the Qing Kingdom's first major piece of income each year, so these officials couldn't help but anticipate eagerly and wait nervously.

The Emperor looked at the officials with cold eyes and was slightly unhappy in his heart. He understood why that when it came to Fan Xian, all of the civil officials all had to stand up and express their opinion. Even those who had good relations with him, such as Shu Wu, were not an exception. Fan Xian was his illegitimate child. The officials long had complaints about the court's placement of Fan Xian in important positions. They felt it was not according to the regulations and only because the Emperor felt sorry for his own flesh and blood, so he used official positions to console him.

But this palace treasury was mine, this world was mine, this son was also mine…the Emperor thought coldly. When did it become time for these old men to run their mouths off about this? The Emperor knew in his heart that if Fan Xian failed to live up to expectations and turned Jiangnan into a mess, and the palace treasury went into decline…if calamity befell one of the important areas in the country and realized the officials' worries, then no matter how he protected him, he could only transfer Fan Xian back.

The Emperor had confidence in Fan Xian. It was a kind of confidence that had been gradually nurtured. After Fan Xian came to the capital from Danzhou, the Emperor had kept a wary and detailed eye on Fan Xian's every move. He wanted to see just what kind of ability the child had.

In all things, Fan Xian's performance had not disappointed him. In the literary arts, he had the 300 poems in front of the palace. In martial arts, he had the title of a ninth-level. He had Zhuang Mohan gifting him books. His ability to seize gold was not vulgar, and he had no inclination to corruption. Even his romanticism was not done the same way as the other young and elegant men. As for his handle on the court situation, it was even less like that of a mere 18-year-old. His loyalty to his ruler and filial piety toward his father were both to be praised.

When all was said and done, the Emperor was still a normal middle-aged man. it was difficult for him not to feel some inklings of pride toward Fan Xian, an illegitimate child. After all, it was his seed.

When the officials began to express their doubts about Fan Xian, he had the Taichang Temple immediately announce the details of the palace treasury opening bid. Although he did not know the specific amounts, the Emperor never doubted Fan Xian's ability to scrape up every last silver coin—the most basic skill required to be an official.

The sound of urgent footsteps rang out from outside of the palace. The head minister of Taichang Temple ran in at a trot. His face and ears were red as he endlessly wiped the sweat from his forehead. Behind him followed the vice-minister of Taichang Temple, Ren Shao'an, who was also puffing endlessly. To run all the way from the Taichang Temple to the Taiji Palace was indeed quite tiring.

The Emperor allowed the two to rise after a simple salute. His body leaned forward and a trace of interest showed in his expression as he asked, "How is it?"

The various elderly officials in the palace also looked nervously at the two officials of the Taichang Temple.

The head minister of the Taichang Temple swallowed. Before he could even speak, his expression was already one of joy. He replied in a loud voice, "Congratulations, Your Majesty!"

Once these words were out, everyone knew the situation of the palace treasury spring opening bid in the sixth year of the Qing calendar was good, and it was very good, not just a little good.

The officials who had some faint intentions to protect Fan Xian all let out a breath and smiles appeared on their faces. Shu the Scholar was nodding his head in approval. The majority of the officials were startled. It seemed no one had expected that after the strike and being impeded by the Eldest Princess' powers, Fan Xian, who was managing the palace treasury for the first time, would actually be able to obtain decent results.

Only the expression of that Hu the Scholar was calm, without anything strange.

After the Qing Emperor on the dragon chair heard these words, he felt his chest relax. His expression stayed calm, but now he sat his entire butt back into his chair, incredibly firmly. Although he had confidence in Fan Xian before he received confirmed reports, he had still been a bit nervous.

The Emperor smiled slightly and asked, "What is the exact amount?"

Everyone needed money, and the Emperor was no exception. He had all of the money in the world but still wished that the amount of money under heaven would grow and grow. He was the greatest landlord in the world but still like all the other wealthy landlords. Joy flashed faintly through his eyes.

The Ren Shao'an coughed and took a file. He read in a clear voice, "On the 22nd day of the third month of the sixth year of the Qing calendar, the total of the palace treasury transport company opening bid of the 36 lots for the north, sound, and east roads is…"

He spoke to here and seemed to be startled again by that enormous number. He steadied his state of mind and said, "Twenty-four million two hundred and twenty-two thousand liang…in total…"

Once this floaty "in total" came out, the entire Taiji Palace became absolutely silent for a long time.

Twenty-four million two hundred and twenty-two thousand liang? This much? This was a whole 80 percent more than last year. Fan Xian…how did he do it? Did he have the magical ability to bewitch other's hearts and made the Jiangnan royal merchants into idiots?

The officials were all wide-eyed and tongue-tied. They looked at each other a bit breathlessly from the pressure of the enormous amount. Everyone's minds dank into a kind of daze.

Bang!

Shu the Scholar, his face bright red, fell to the ground. It caused chaos among the officials, so it took a while to help him up.

The scholar's expression was unbelievably excited. He sputtered incoherently toward the Emperor on the dragon chair, "Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Majesty!"

The officials finally reacted. After a loud startled sigh, they turned around and began to salute and praise the Emperor. The fawning surged like the ocean. The Emperor's grace was like a mountain…heaven protects the Qing Kingdom…the Emperor is wise…and so on.

Twenty four millions liang of silver. Even if right now they could only take 40 percent into their accounts, that was still close to 10 million liang of silver. Such a large income could be used to do too many things, such as making river repairs, strengthening the army, improving the life of the people, and…raising official salaries? No matter which faction these officials belonged to, after all, they were still officials of the greatest country in the world. When they thought of the fact that the court had such a large amount of silver to remedy the emptiness of the national treasury and solve the current urgency, they all began to dance with joy.

This kind of dancing for joy was not an act, rather it was true joy. No matter whether or the officials were corrupt or not, talented or not, they always hoped the court would be better.

At the same time, they were desperately fawning over the Emperor. They couldn't help thinking of the person they had doubted and been opposed to: Sir Fan junior.

Credit for successful palace treasury opening and bringing in so much benefit for the court all belonged to Fan Xian, who was far away directing the fight in Jiangnan. Only, how could they make this turn? Their eyes rolled around in their heads and refused to bring up the Jiangnan matter.

It just had to be Hu the Scholar who stepped out first. Once he stepped out, the noise in the court immediately quieted down. They all wanted to hear what Hu the Scholar wanted to say.

Hu the Scholar said calmly, "This amount is so large as to be difficult to believe. I hope that Sir Fan has not used some other method to drain the pond for the fish. If he has deceived the Jiangnan royal merchants, and the palace treasury production cannot keep up, then what will we do next year?"

Among the harmony, the sudden inharmonious note truly made some people uncomfortable. The officials burst into a clamor. Even those who found Fan Xian objectionable could not stand for it. They all spoke on behalf of the palace treasury transport company and felt that Hu the Scholar's words were not appropriate.

The Emperor had also left behind the previous excitement and looked coldly at Hu the Scholar. "In your opinion, Fan Xian has sought out this much silver for the court, but he shouldn't be awarded, rather he should be punished?"

Hu the Scholar shook his head and said resolutely, "I meant, that I have some suspicions, that is all. After all, I was not in Jiangnan. I don't know the specific circumstances. I am just doing my duty and reminding Your Majesty. As for Sir Fan junior, as long as there is no problem with the opening bid, of course, he should not receive any punishment and should be greatly rewarded."

The Emperor calmed his emotions and quietly asked, "In your opinion, how should be he rewarded?"

"Although it is a matter of silver, it is the foundation of the country," Hu the Scholar said calmly. "Sir Fan junior has provided a great service to the foundations of the country and should certainly receive a magnificent reward."

The Emperor narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "What is a magnificent reward?"

"After the North Min and Suzhou bidding matter has been completely investigated," Hu the Scholar lifted his head and said gently. "I am willing to act as the guarantor and ask that the Emperor summons Sir Fan junior to enter the Hall of Governmental Affairs and work in the cabinet."

After he spoke, the court was shocked and the officials startled. What kind of role in Hall of Governmental Affairs? That was the backbone of the court. After Prime Minister Lin left his role, the Qing Kingdom no longer had the Prime Minister position. Its responsibilities had been taken over by the scholars of the Hall of Governmental affairs. Especially after Qin Heng entered the Jingdou garrison, Yan Hangshu, the Minister of the Ministry of Justice, left, and Hu the Scholar returned to the capital, the position of the cabinet of the Hall of Governmental Affairs became even more set. If one was able to enter the Hall of Governmental Affairs, that was the same as entering the court's highest organization for policy making. Hu the Scholar wanted to recommend Fan Xian enter the cabinet?

The officials wondered which side Hu the Scholar was actually on. Why was he saying inauspicious things one moment and the next he wanted to give Fan Xian such an important and elevated position? Yan Hangshu, the Minister of the Ministry of Justice, glared at Hu the Scholar with hatred and confusion.

Unexpectedly, after the Emperor heard this suggestion, without even stopping to think, he replied directly, "No, Fan Xian is too young."

The officials were slightly reassured. They thought the Emperor was being fair about this suggestion. Otherwise, it would have been too absurd to allow a not-yet 20, green behind the ears child enter the Hall of Governmental Affairs to work.

Hu the Scholar said calmly, "In ancient times, talented individuals became Prime Minister at 16, besides, the Hall of Governmental Affairs is Your Majesty's organization for documents, it is not truly the Prime Minister position. Furthermore, Sir Fan junior is talented and brilliant, and suited to many tasks. Such a talent should be in court and helping to lighten Your Majesty's burdens."

The Emperor gave him a not-quite-there smile and simply shook his head. "He is the commissioner of the Overwatch Council. According to the Qing Law, an official of the Overwatch Council cannot also be a court official. Even after he has quit that position, he can only be a sinecure third-level government office.

Hu the Scholar continued quickly, " Qing law cannot stand against Your Majesty's edict. His youth is not a problem, and his position as commissioner of the Overwatch Council also isn't a problem. If this was not so, how could I dare say this is a magnificent reward?"

The Emperor tilted up the corners of his mouth in a smile and waved his hand. "There is no need to discuss this further, I…will not allow it."

An Emperor's words were difficult to retract, so Hu the Scholar could only retreat. However, there were no other expressions on his face.

The Emperor narrowed his eyes as he gazed down and saw Hu the Scholar and Shu Wu met each other's gaze. He then knew that Shu Wu, this old man, received the news earlier, and the Emperor immediately guessed the reason why Hu the Scholar took the opportunity today to raise such an absurd suggestion.

"What a talent…An Zhi is indeed a talent."

The ability Fan Xian had demonstrated was overly shocking, so the civil officials would always be cautious with Fan Xian in the Overwatch Council. They would be happier with Fan Xian leaving the Overwatch Council and once more falling into the warm embrace of the civil officials. After all, Fan Xian more the hat of an immortal poet and vaguely the leader on the hearts of all the young scholars. For Hu and Shu, it should not be a difficult matter to admit Fan Xian to their ranks.

Both scholars were people who cherished talent and could read the situation. They could see the Emperor's future plans and felt a bit dissatisfied for Fan Xian, this bright pearl, to be thrown like this into the darkness of the Overwatch Council. Regardless of whether it was from the perspective of self-preservation of the civil system or for Fan Xian, they wanted to dig Fan Xian out.

Although it was a bit early to bring this up, Hu the Scholar had taken this rare opportunity and revealed the sincerity of the civil system. By mentioning this, years in advance, he had begun laying down the foundations for the debate.

As for these little plans of his officials, the Emperor had always been indulgent and did not bother about them much. On the contrary, through this matter, he more and more felt the honor that this illegitimate child of his brought to the royal family.

The Emperor's heart was proud. His expression was calm, and his eyes complicated. He glanced at the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, who had been standing silently in the line, the father in name of his own son—Fan Jian.

Chapter 383: The Matter Of The Ministry Of Revenue (1)

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Although the Emperor's gaze only lightly brushed by Fan Jian, it was noted by many of the people in court. Because of that 20 million liang of silver, Fan Xian, far away in Jiangnan, had pulled his official reputation in a terrifying stage, and the Emperor probably liked it.

Were they still going to investigate the deficit of the Ministry of Revenue? The silver from the Jiangnan palace treasury was enough to cover everything. If they investigated the Ministry of Revenue at this time, would it look like they were not giving Fan Xian enough face?

The officials knew the Ministry of Revenue would have to be investigated because the rumors about the deficit of the Ministry of Revenue had already flown around for a long time. Although it was unfounded, and might not be without reason, the emptiness of the national treasury around the beginning of the year seemed to faintly prove this point. If this matter was not cleared up, the court politics of Qing Kingdom would not stand firm. However, investigating was one matter. When to investigate needed a wise mind to decide.

Fan Xian had done a great service. If these officials immediately jumped out to accuse Fan Jian, it seemed a bit unreasonable. They also didn't know what the Emperor thought of this.

No matter what, they needed someone to take the lead. When the court quieted down a bit, an official rose, bowed to the ground, and reported to the Emperor regarding the deficit of the Ministry of Revenue. His words were firm, as if all the money was missing from the national treasury had been noted by him. No one knew where this official had gotten his confidence.

The Emperor's intentions were unclear. Listening to the official's words, he furrowed his brows and nodded his head. For a moment, the officials did not know whether or not the Emperor wanted to investigate.

The officials did not dare to stare at the Emperor's expression, so they secretly swung their gazes toward the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, Fan Jian, in the ranks. They saw he had a serious expression, with a hint of contentment in his solemness. They couldn't help admiring the man's breathing techniques.

"The matter of the Ministry of Revenue…after discussion in the royal study, an edict will be sent down."

After the Emperor finished saying this coldly, he announced a dismissal of the court conference. With a brush of his dragon robe, he disappeared behind the windscreen.

The officials walked toward the exit of the hall. They couldn't resist whispering along the way, guessing at what the Emperor was truly thinking in his heart.

…

…

That afternoon, in the not somewhat small royal study below the dragon bed, there were drum-shaped stools. A few scholars of the Hall of Governmental Affairs, Yan Hangshu from the Ministry of Appointments, an official from the Supreme Court, and Minister of Works were all present. Beside the dragon bed were the Crown Prince, Great Prince, and Second Prince. Like in previous years, their hands were hanging, and they stood respectfully.

The Emperor sat on the flat bed and calmly flipped through the memorials the officials had handed up. From last night, there had been a continuous stream of officials who had begun to write on the matter of the deficit of the Ministry of Revenue as well as officials using national funds. Only, the powerful had been taken out of their sails today in court by the banknote Fan Xian had sent. The Emperor also had not allowed the hundreds of officials to debate the matter in the court.

Sitting on the stools, Shu the Scholar and Hu the Scholar secretly met each other's eyes. They knew the Emperor had placed the matter of investigating the Ministry of Revenue in the royal study to discuss for the purpose of leaving the Minister of Revenue, Fan Jian, some face. Only…why was Minister Fan not in the royal study today? If the Emperor had the intention of protecting the Fan family, he should have allowed him to explain himself.

The two Scholars' were a bit nervous. Looking at the Emperor's arrangement, it seemed a bit different than what they had imagined. The deficit of the Ministry of Revenue looked like it was true and not another little trick the Emperor has played. It seemed like Minister Fan was really about to be pushed into the heart of the struggle.

"Fan Jian has reported in sick."

Seeming to have guessed what the officials were guessing, the Emperor had not yet raised his head. He spoke in a quiet voice, but it was difficult for his quiet voice to hide a faint anger.

The officials gave a pained smile. The thought the head housekeeper of the Qing court was a strange one. Every time he ran into someone in the court accusing him, he never did anything. He never bothered with any aligning of the factions. He didn't even disdain to enter the Palace to explain himself. He only had this one simple move and used illness as an excuse.

Minister Fan's daring seemed like it wasn't as small as people had always thought.

"Each speak your mind." The Emperor tossed aside the memorial in his hands. "What are your thoughts on the Ministry of Revenue?"

The expressions of these elders, who were the backbone of the Qing court, were calm. Their eyes were on their nose, and their noses were on their hearts. They all refused to be the first to jump out and offend the Fan family. Speaking from the point of court interest, they all believed that the Ministry of Revenue should be investigated, however, they all had good relations with Fan Jian. Since it was the entire court that suspected the Ministry of Revenue, there had to be someone who wouldn't be able to resist speaking out.

Unexpectedly, everyone's powers of meditation were good. After a moment, no one had opened their mouths. The royal study sank into a kind of awkward silence.

The Crown Prince watched this strange scene and couldn't resist laughing in his heart, thinking, These officials only wanted stability, but they don't know that this kind of action would only make father more and more unhappy in his heart.

This moment was the time for him to sell a favor. He quickly coughed and looked at Shu the Scholar for a bit.

Shu the Scholar also found the situation to be slightly strange. The Emperor had asked a question, yet none of them had dared to answer. Where did they expect the Emperor to put himself? He quickly opened his mouth and said, "Your Majesty…"

He only had time to say these two words before the anger the Emperor had suppressed had already exploded out. He berated, "The memorials to investigate the Ministry of Revenue all written by you!"

He picked up the memorial beside him and waved it in the air, angrily rebuking, "And at this time, the ones putting on a dead bird expression is also you! What use does the court have for all you closed-mouth gourds?"

The officials in the royal study all responded fearfully. They quickly left their seats and bowed, admitting to their faults and smiling bitterly.

The Emperor had some white-fungus soup, which slightly calmed the fire of anger in his chest. He huffed coldly and waved his hand to have them sit.

Since the Emperor had become angry, the direction of the wind was obvious.

Shu the Scholar had a good relationship with the Fan manor, but he felt he was wholeheartedly working for the public good. He didn't have any personal hatred toward Minister Fan, and he didn't wish for others to use this opportunity of investigating the Ministry of Revenue to attack the Fan manor. So, he took the lead and said, "The matter of the Ministry of Revenue is an important one. It is where the court's financial affairs are located. Each year's expenses come from the treasury of the Ministry of Revenue. Although I don't know where the recent rumors have come from or from where the Imperial Censorate learned that the deficit of the Ministry of Revenue was so large, since there is this reason, it must be investigated. It will be up to Your Majesty as to how it should be investigated."

Shu the Scholar considered his words and then smiled slightly. "All these years, Minister Fan has managed the Ministry of Revenue. Although he was the assistant minister a few years ago, because the old minister was always confined by illness to his bed, all of the matters in the Ministry were led by him. It must be noted that each matter of the Ministry of Revenue is tedious, so the officials have neglected their importance. When managing the Ministry of Revenue, it is difficult to make contributions but too easy for things to go wrong. In the end, it is a bitter assignment with bitter work. In all these years Sir Fan has managed the Ministry of Revenue, although he has made no contributions, he has also had no mishaps, and that is already a huge contribution to the court. I hope that Your Majesty will be considerate of Sir Fan's hard work and contributions, and be lenient. Even if investigated, it would not do to take it lightly."

After these words, everyone knew where Shu Wu stood. The Ministry of Revenue had to be investigated, but it could not become a mess. The Crown Prince laughed coldly in his heart. Shu the Scholar had reasoned well with these parts. Since it was unknown where the rumor had come from, he was suggesting that even if the Ministry of Revenue had a deficit, perhaps it was someone in the court who wanted to use the opportunity.

Hu the Scholar nodded his head and agreed, "It must be investigated."

The Emperor's face was calm. He asked the Minister of Works, "What about you?"

A trickle of cold sweat ran down the Minister of Work's back and he gave a pained smile. "These two years the Ministry of Works have done things by Your Majesty's edict and regulations of the Hall of Governmental affairs. When moving silver to the Ministry of Revenue, it never goes smoothly…but the public will not affect the private. I don't believe that the Ministry of Revenue is purposely making things difficult for the subordinates in my department. Perhaps the Ministry of Revenue did have trouble with the cash flow."

It was a devastating criticism. If the Ministry of Revenue did not have a deficit, how could it have cash flow problems?

Shortly following that, the Minister of Appointments, Yan Hangshu, made clear his stance and attitude toward the matter. He was responsible for testing officials and the appointment and dismissal of officials. He recommended the Emperor to investigate. If there was a problem, there should be punishment. If there was no problem, it would reduce the pressure on the Ministry of Revenue.

The Emperor grew tired of hearing these evasive words from his officials. He furrowed his brows and used his finger to gently knock on the table on the bed before pointing to a few thin memorials. "Memorials from Jiangnan, have a look."

Eunuch Yao quietly went forward, received the memorials, and passed them among the officials' hands.

For a while, all that could be heard in the royal study were the sounds of the officials flipping through the memorials and their gradually deeper breaths.

After a long time, they finally finished reading all of the memorials. They raised their heads with shock on the faces. Shu Wu and Hu the Scholar met each other's eyes and quickly twisted their heads away. Neither had hidden the deep concern in their hearts if what was written in the memorials was true, Minister Fan's daring…was too big.

"The Imperial Censor Guo Zheng reports, in the matter of the palace treasury bidding, Fan Xian chose a puppet named Xia to rig it. At the same time, he provided large amounts of silver for Xia to enter the doors of the palace treasury. On one hand, he had Xia take six of the lots going North. On the other hand, he clashed with the royal merchants and forcefully raised this year's bidding."

The Emperor's calm voice once again rang out. He was as cold as if this matter had absolutely nothing to do with him.

"Guo Zheng has suspicions about where the large amounts of silver Fan Xian had come from."

The Emperor gazed at the various officials and smiled coldly, "I…am also suspicious. We will first put aside the matter of Fan Xian allowing his subordinate to compete with the royal merchants, but which of you can tell me, this much silver, where did he get it from?"

Shu Su's throat felt dry, and he couldn't really speak. Only now did he understand why so many officials were sure that the Ministry of Revenue's deficit was such a large amount. Turns out it was because of Jiangnan. The Emperor's meaning was clear. Fan Xian was able to completely control the situation of the palace treasury opening bid, and his subordinate to secretly control six of the lots heading North, because of the enormous amount of silver in this matter. It was probably…from the Ministry of Revenue, transferred from his father's hand.

The officials were silent. This time, it was not because they were afraid of offending Minister Fan, rather they were still lost in the shock. Looking at the inscription on the memorial, it should have arrived at the Palace last night. The Emperor would have known earlier that in the palace treasury bidding, Fan Xian had used some shady methods. But the Emperor's joy earlier in the court conference had not been an act. The Emperor's silent endurance. His deep plans and distant thoughts were not something the officials could guess at. Perhaps the Emperor very much liked Fan Xian earning money for him, but he didn't like Fan Xian using the court's silver to earn money for him?

The court's silver could only be touched by the Emperor. No one could use it without permission. It looked like this time the Fan family had rubbed the Emperor the wrong way. In the silence, the Second Prince, who had only been allowed back into the royal study to listen at the side in February, smiled slightly and said, "Father, I am something to say."

"Speak." The Emperor said coldly.

A slight and calm smile rose to the Second Prince's gentle face. He bowed to the officials and said in a quiet voice, "Commissioner Fan and I have some resentment between us, but I dare not let that stop me from expressing my opinion. I believe, since Fan Xian is far away in Jiangnan with the identity as an imperial envoy, naturally there is no one to hold him back. His orders to his subordinates to steal the court's silver for his own use is a big crime. The Ministry of Revenue privately transferring national funds to Jiangnan is almost rebellion."

He was setting the tone. Everyone knew that he was targeting the Fan family, but no one was able to refute anything.

The Great Prince, who had yet to speak, suddenly opened his mouth and said, "The Jiangnan Censor Guo Zheng has an old grudge against Fan Xian. Back in the day, he had almost been punched by Fan Xian in the main hall of the Ministry of Justice."

After saying this, he did not continue to speak.

Shu the Scholar listened to this, thinking, That's right, we must grasp this opportunity, otherwise if it is really as Guo Zheng said, not only will the Ministry of Revenue be in a big mess, Fan Xian in Jiangnan will also not have a good ending. If both sides descend into chaos, who knew how many heads would fall to the ground? The Qing court could not endure such a big upheaval again.

He quickly followed the Great Prince's words and smiled, "Your Majesty, about Guo Zheng. I am not afraid of my words being insolent, but I have to say one more thing. This person strives to achieve extraordinary things and acts rashly. Last year, he was demoted to Jiangnan by Your Majesty. It is difficult to say that he would not frame Fan Xian because of his old grudge and purposely exaggerate this matter."

When the words "old grudge" were said, no one could resist glancing toward the Second Prince, whom Fan Xian had the oldest grudge against. Although the Second Prince's face maintained a clear and slight smile, his face was starting to heat up. He glanced at the Great Prince with hidden bitterness. Since his youth, he had been close to the Great Prince, he didn't understand why today his big brother had to stand on the side of that bastard.