Chapter 131 The Absurd Ending: Suo'etu hadn't attended court for several years, and Yu Lang couldn't remember when it had started...

Suo'etu hadn't attended court for several years, and Yulang thought for a moment but couldn't remember when it started.

He sat on the edge of the bed watching Chang Shun's mouth open and close as if he were saying something, but he didn't hear a single word of what he was saying.

Shen Wanqing took a few deep breaths and pulled him out of bed: "Come on, get up and wash up first. After you're done washing up, hurry up and change your clothes and go take a look."

"I'll go see what's going on first. You go and wait for Tu Nan and the others, and you also need to call Fang Yi back. As for Yi An in the palace, I'll have Chang Lu bring the people out with the waist token." Yu Lang held Shen Wan Qing's hand and stood up, feeling as if he had just regained a little bit of his senses.

"Alright, if anything happens at the Suo residence, send someone back to let me know immediately. Something's definitely wrong. How could someone just leave like that?"

The story of Songgotu is too complicated. He was not only a leading figure among the princelings for many years, but also the leader of the entire Hesheli family for decades.

Even though Yinreng chose to personally break this flag in recent years, causing Suo'etu to scatter like monkeys when the tree falls, there is still an old saying that even a broken boat has three pounds of nails.

No matter what, Suo'etu is still Suo'etu. In recent years, not only within the Hesheli clan, but also outsiders, people have been coming to Yulang to say that since they are all of the same clan, Yulang cannot just watch Suo'etu's family fall apart.

At first, Yu Lang thought the person who said these things was out of their mind. He and Suo'etu, even if they weren't mortal enemies, were at least mutually exclusive. What did "same clan, different clan" mean? When it comes to life and death, even brothers will turn against each other. How much silver is the same surname worth?

But we can't say that. Not only can we not say it, but we really have to show tolerance and magnanimity towards the Hesheli clan. We are one family, and we share the same fate with the outside world.

Only if Yulang could treat Suo'etu to this extent would those clansmen who originally relied on Suo'etu but have now switched their allegiance to Yulang feel at ease.

Even if they all know that Yu Lang's attitude is fake, it doesn't matter. After all, if you, Yu Lang, are not even willing to put on this pretense, how can we believe that you will treat us well one day when you rise to prominence?

Therefore, Yulang gradually came to understand. In the past few years, Yulang and Shen Wanqing had kept track of everything that happened at Suo'etu's residence. Both the Qianqing Palace and the Yuqing Palace knew about it, but neither of them said anything to forbid it.

On one occasion, the Crown Prince even asked Yulang, under the guise of being drunk, whether it was annoying that Suo'etu always had to handle all the big and small matters.

That day, Yulang went hunting with the Crown Prince. The group had a very good run of luck and killed two gazelles and a wild boar. After the hunt, they found a nearby manor belonging to one of the accompanying guards to rest. That evening, they had barbecued meat and drank wine. When they were almost done drinking and about to rest, Yinreng suddenly pulled Yulang aside and asked him this question.

Yulang was probably drunk at the time, because he actually nodded to Yinreng. This made the Crown Prince, who had already prepared what to say, how to comfort him, how to encourage him, and how to look forward to the future, suddenly stop talking.

The guards who accompanied Yinreng on the hunt were all his close attendants; who wouldn't know what was going on around the Crown Prince? Since the hunt wasn't held in the court, everyone was quite relaxed. So when Yulang nodded, Eshan immediately choked on his wine with laughter.

Seeing Eshan's face turn red from choking on the wine, Yulang casually tossed him a yellow sheep bone. Eshan bowed towards the Crown Prince, then got up and walked away. Only after a few coughs and bursts of laughter could be heard, making Yinreng laugh along with him. Yulang was so embarrassed that he almost died.

It was all a joke, half-serious and half-joking. It was all to keep the Crown Prince and Yu Lang from feeling too awkward. Once the laughter had died down, everyone took their chances to get up and leave the fire, making room for the two of them to talk.

Eshan had already gotten up and moved away, and now he was standing at a distance to protect them. He couldn't hear what the two were saying because he was standing far away, but he could tell from the Crown Prince's expression that he wasn't angry.

Only Yu Lang could pull off something that seemed like a slip of the tongue and caused trouble, but was actually a stroke of genius. He managed to do it without annoying anyone, and even make the Crown Prince trust and care for him more—he's the only one like that in all these years.

Eshan was naturally jealous back then. He had clearly caught the Crown Prince's eye first, so why was his future prospects and how much the Crown Prince valued him not as good as Yulang's? Could it be because Yulang's surname was Hesheli, while he was an outsider?

Now it seems that's not the case at all. It's like he could never relax to this extent in front of the Crown Prince in his entire life. He could actually nod blankly after the Crown Prince asked such a question. He couldn't even fake such a pure and straightforward reaction.

But Yu Lang could do it; E Shan felt he wasn't faking it, which was quite rare. Some might think he was just playing dumb in front of the Crown Prince to win his favor, but if that were the case, then it would be even more remarkable and impressive.

That day, Yu Lang assured the Crown Prince that he would take care of everything he could as long as Suo'etu didn't go too far. The Crown Prince assured Yu Lang that if Suo'etu really had something he couldn't handle, he should just tell him, and he would cover for Yu Lang.

Strictly speaking, the embezzlement case back then did not involve Songgotu himself. It was Algishan and Gerfen who were dismissed from their posts. Songgotu was at most implicated by his two sons.

Even now, Songgotu still holds the honorary titles of Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince and First-Class Duke. As a result, how he died and what regulations his funeral should follow have become very important matters.

Yu Lang arrived at the Suo residence first. The Suo residence, which had long been deserted, was still so magnificent yet could not hide its desolation. The two completely different auras intertwined, and every time Yu Lang saw it, he could not help but feel a thousand emotions, but he could not express them.

However, he didn't have time to feel that much today. Yu Lang had only taken two steps and hadn't even entered the door when he was surrounded by the two head stewards of the Suo family.

"Master, you've finally arrived! If you hadn't come, this mansion would have truly lost its leader."

"Don't flatter me now, Chief Steward. Tell me what really happened."

"Last month, Lord Suo invited me to his residence to discuss matters. At that time, he was in good health, with a booming voice and a ruddy complexion. How could he have passed away in just one month? He must have been making sure the doctor came to check on his pulse every five days. Does the doctor have any pulse records? If so, please send someone to get them as soon as possible."

Yu Lang interrupted the two stewards of the Suo family and bombarded them with questions in rapid succession. At this moment, it was crucial not to be led by the nose by the Suo family. If they listened to everything they said and did everything they were told, things would fall apart.

"Also, what exactly was the time Lord Suo left? Besides me, which other residences did he send messages to? Did he go to the palace and the Imperial Clan Court?"

The Imperial Clan Court is supposed to have no say in matters outside the imperial clan, but Suo'etu is not only a relative of the emperor but also a high-ranking official in the court for many years. Whether from the emperor's perspective or the crown prince's, it is definitely not acceptable for them to ignore it.

"Sir, please sit in the study in the front yard for a while. I will tell you about these matters one by one."

Yulang is not easily fooled. Back then, his master had repeatedly failed to suppress his power, and the servants and subordinates around Suo'etu knew this all along. In recent years, Yulang has been dealing with abacus beads and shrewd people every day in the Ministry of Revenue, which has further honed his skills among those shrewd individuals.

"What exactly happened? Why do we have to talk about it in the study?"

Yu Lang suddenly became suspicious and stopped to look at the steward. He looked him up and down and finally realized what was wrong with him the moment they met. The Suo family hadn't even had time to put on mourning clothes yet.

It's one thing if I'm an outsider and don't have time, but several hours have passed since last night. A family like the Suo family must have extra supplies in their storerooms in case of such a situation. Even if everything is arranged perfectly and neatly, at least the family members should wear mourning clothes.

"Where is the mourning hall set up? I'll go take a look first."

"Master, Master..." The butler knew he couldn't fool anyone. He tried to stop Yu Lang but failed, so he had no choice but to follow him toward the main courtyard in the middle.

For someone of Songgotu's rank and status, the mourning hall must be set up in the main courtyard in the central axis. Yulang had prepared for the worst, and when he arrived at the main courtyard and saw the mourning hall frame erected, he even breathed a sigh of relief. It was alright; they hadn't gone so far as to just leave Songgotu there unattended.

Then, before Yulang could ask the housekeeper what was going on, he saw a figure rush out from a side door.

The person rushed straight towards Yu Lang. Yu Lang didn't even see the person's face clearly, only that the figure was that of a woman.

The woman was followed by two maids and two old women, but neither of them could catch up with her. When Yu Lang saw the woman about to pounce on him, he instinctively raised his foot to kick her. Only after raising his leg did he remember that he was in the Suo residence, and in Suo Etu's mourning hall. So he pulled his leg back, staggered, and dodged to the side to avoid being pounced on.

"Yulang! You've come at the right time! The master was angered to death by that beast Gerfen, and he also killed Algishan. Are you going to do anything about this? Are you going to do anything about the Crown Prince?!"

The woman with her disheveled hair didn't pounce on Yu Lang; instead, she fell to the ground and simply sat there, refusing to get up. She pointed at Yu Lang and screamed in a heart-wrenching voice. Only then did Yu Lang recognize her as Madam Algishan.

Argishan was a little younger than the Empress. Yulang couldn't remember exactly how old his wife was, but she was probably a woman in her forties or fifties. She usually appeared as a dignified and elegant lady, but now she looked like a complete shrew.

Once she came out, the truth could no longer be hidden.

Several years ago, after the embezzlement case came to light, Argishan and Gerfen were dismissed from their posts. This dismissal was no ordinary one; the emperor's edict at the time included the phrase: "Go home and reflect on your actions."

When Emperor Kangxi said this, it was essentially a form of semi-confinement. He wasn't explicitly imprisoning you, but you had to behave yourself and not wander around attracting attention, whether you had something to do or not.

At first, Algishan and Gerfen were indeed well-behaved, after all, these two were the kind of people who couldn't be truly bad.

When Suo'etu was in power, they naturally took advantage of his influence to act arrogantly. But when they saw that their father had fallen from power, they really didn't have the slightest thought of making a comeback or struggling to rise again.

But the difference between having power and not having power is too great. Falling from the peak to the bottom, after enduring the initial period of "being afraid that the emperor might remember this and take action against us again," these two became a little restless.

When Suo'etu was still in good health, he could keep his two sons under control. But in the last year or two, his health has gradually deteriorated, and he has become increasingly unable to control them.

It's better to guide than to block. After Kangxi fell ill and handed over court affairs to the Crown Prince, Suo'etu confirmed that the emperor was genuinely ill and not trying to trick someone. Only then did he secretly begin to use his old connections to try and select a promising young man from his family to send out of the capital.

He didn't need to become a high-ranking official; after going through several rounds of selection, he was finally chosen as a military officer stationed in Liaodong, a position that was both suitable in size and location.

After entering the pass, Liaodong became a harsh and cold land, and military positions there naturally became even less valuable. As long as you were under his command, you could go wherever you wanted. In the past, such official positions were nothing to Suo'etu; he would simply give the order, and someone would take care of everything for him.

Things are different now. Suo'etu sold his now worthless face, and after much effort, all he got was a military post. So, who should take that post became a big problem.

Initially, he wanted to choose one of his grandchildren, since descendants were the hope. However, as soon as Suo'etu brought this up, it was met with strong opposition from his two sons.

The implication was that the young boy had no experience, and this military post was the last hope and last branch of the family. How could they so easily give it to a child? Even the youngest of the several 'children' that Suo'etu wanted to choose was actually older than Yulang.

Soetu certainly understood what his two sons meant. It was a critical moment, and the father couldn't care less about his sons. Even if his own son from this branch of the family took the military post and went to Liaodong, they felt that others had taken advantage of them and they had suffered a loss.

Neither of his sons was any good, and Suo'etu regretted not advising them sooner, but it was too late. Fine, if his own sons wouldn't allow it, then so be it. Anyway, Suo'etu's face was only worth this one military post now. If others wouldn't allow it, then the two brothers could discuss it and decide who would stay and who would leave.

Frankly speaking, if it were a grandson, Suo'etu thought this matter could be accomplished with careful handling. But if it were either Algishan or Gerfen leaving the capital to serve as an official in Liaodong, even if the military post was approved, he would probably still have to find a way to go to the palace to plead with the Crown Prince.

Let's see if the Crown Prince can spare a way out for his family, considering that he has worked hard in the past few years, even if he hasn't made any great contributions.

However, it was clear that Algishan and Gerfen were not concerned about this, and the two started arguing in Soetu's study.

It started as an argument, but something was said that turned into a fight. When the servants heard the commotion and went inside, they found Algishan lying unconscious on the ground, covered in blood.

Gerfin was older than Argishan, nearly fifty years old, and a fight like that was no easy feat. Exhausted and panting, he sat on the ground, unable to get up, and had to be helped up by two servants.

Argishan was carried back to his own courtyard, while Gerfen sat dejectedly to one side, silent. Because it was night, the servants in the study were in a panic. When they finally realized what was happening and asked each other where their master was, they discovered that Soetu had somehow slipped off the desk and fallen to the ground.

At this point, the two stewards really panicked. They quickly called for someone to lift Suo'etu and put him on the bed, and repeatedly urged the person who went to fetch the doctor to bring him over directly. They told the rest of the family to worry about Algishan.

When the doctor arrived, he didn't even need to take Suo'etu's pulse. He could tell at a glance that Suo'etu was dead. The death of such a powerful minister was so absurd and hasty. Not only could the entire Suo family not accept it, but even Yulang was speechless for a long time after hearing the steward's words.

Looking at the steward of the Suo family, he felt his throat tighten. He could even accept that Suo'etu might be imprisoned or killed if he offended the emperor or the crown prince, but this kind of death was really hard to accept.

"This is what your household said. I need to go to the palace to report to the Crown Prince to see if it's true. Someone will come to investigate. If they find anything wrong, you should know the consequences."

"Master, this servant is hoping you will go to the palace to discuss this matter. No matter what, our master cannot die such a pathetic death. Please explain the situation clearly. Even if the Crown Prince has no pity on our master, he should give him an explanation."

"You want an explanation? Well..."

Yu Lang didn't say anything explicitly, but both stewards understood. They both bowed and knelt down in front of Yu Lang.

"Master had told us before that the masters of the various households in this mansion are all good-for-nothings. In the past, it was one thing if Master himself was good-for-nothing, but now he's been driven to his death by them. If they were still in the mansion, this family would probably really be ruined."

"This servant knows that Master is a good man. In the past few years, he has never been perfunctory in fulfilling his promises regarding matters of the manor. Although this servant is just a servant, Master has treated us well over the years. We can't do anything else, but we hope that Master can leave this world with dignity."

Upon hearing this, Yu Lang understood. These two wanted to use the Crown Prince to get rid of Algishan and Gerfen.

When the time comes, the remaining people of the Suo family may be down on their luck or have to keep a low profile, but without these two bastards causing trouble, who knows, after ten or even several decades, they might produce some outstanding figures.

If they choose to cover this up and let it go, all the family's wealth will be squandered in just a few years.

Before leaving, Yu Lang had Chang Shun go find people, waiting for Fu Chang and Bao Shan to arrive with their men so that the situation could be stabilized, before he got up and headed to the palace.

Upon arriving at Yuqing Palace, Yinreng was told the whole story, and the Crown Prince burst into tears.

I originally thought that by not mentioning anything about him, Suo'etu could have a peaceful end and could live out his old age quietly in the mansion.

Who knew that this person's fate was so unpredictable? Yinreng sighed deeply: "You will be in charge of the funeral arrangements, with the Ministry of Rites, the Imperial Observatory, and the Imperial Household Department assisting. Have Gerfen imprisoned by the Five City Garrison Command immediately, and we will conduct a thorough interrogation after the funeral."