Chapter 106 Accomplice: He was thinking about clearing the name of his deceased friend.

Mu Chenbi and Mei Shiyu locked eyes until they realized they were thinking the same thing.

"Xiao Jing, you go out first." Mei Shiyu's voice was soft yet firm.

Mei Xiaojing hummed in agreement and obediently walked out of the main room. Luo Yichen wiped away the tea stains, saw Mu Chenbi throw a look at him, understood, and also walked out of the main room, turning around to close the door.

“The Crown Prince said,” Mei Shiyu coughed a few times, “that the Emperor was a witness to the counterfeit copper coin case back then, and he must have told you everything about the old case in Mayi.”

Mu Chenbi nodded, "The Ma family is not short of money. It doesn't make sense for them to be after a few copper coins. Father is right. Ma Yi must have had a huge scheme back then, but it was exposed and the case was dropped. Afterwards, Ma Yi surrendered himself, and the case was closed."

"A grand scheme?" Mei Shiyu asked doubtfully. "Does Your Highness know that the Ma family has been minting coins for three generations, amassing a fortune and becoming a royal merchant that never loses money? The patriarch, Ma Yi, is a prominent figure in his time, known for his philanthropy and extensive network of connections. What could possibly drive him to mint counterfeit coins?"

Mei Shiyu was a little out of breath after talking too much. He took a sip of hot tea, calmed down a bit, and then said, “It’s not difficult to mint copper coins. The difficult part is how to circulate them. The Ma family is just minting coins. They’ve only minted useless pieces of copper and iron. What are they after? This doesn’t make any sense.”

“If…” Mu Chenbi stared at Mei Shiyu’s pale and sickly face. He could be certain that Mei Shiyu was unaware that his father had reported him to Mayi. It was an old case that had long been settled by the previous generation. Yet, this sickly young man was still thinking about clearing the name of his father’s old friend.

“If Mayi originally had accomplices, this person could have helped him distribute the goods…” Mu Chenbi observed Mei Shiyu’s expression and said slowly, “but this person pulled back from the brink and reported Mayi to the authorities.”

Mei Shiyu's hand holding the teacup suddenly paused. "If it really is the huge amount of counterfeit copper coins they're after, such a large quantity... there's only one place in the world that could do it, and that is..." Mei Shiyu's sunken eyes widened in surprise, "it's the Mei family, Gongcheng Money Shop."

"You're saying that my father was an accomplice in Mayi's case?" Mei Shiyu sneered. "Absolutely impossible."

“There’s something you don’t know,” Mu Chenbi said slowly. “Your father should tell you that back then, it was he who reported the illegal minting of counterfeit copper coins in Mayi to the authorities.”

Mei Shiyu loosened his grip, and the teacup slipped from his hand and fell to the ground, shattering into pieces with a crash.

"Cousin?" Hearing the clattering sound in the courtyard, Mei Xiaojing jumped up and was about to rush into the main room.

"Don't go." Luo Yichen grabbed her wrist and shook his head fiercely. "His Highness is discussing important matters with your cousin. What are you doing rushing in? Just wait patiently."

Mei Xiaojing blushed with anxiety, glanced at the closed door a few times, and stamped her foot, saying, "I wonder what he said to my cousin that made him smash the teacup? What if he hurt my cousin? He's not in good health to begin with, Luo Yichen, you know that."

"I know, I know." Seeing Mei Xiaoqing's anxiety, Luo Yichen was even more worried than her. "But Young Master Mei asked you to come out because he has something to discuss with His Highness. At this time, we must not disturb him rashly."

Mei Xiaojing looked up and took a deep breath of the night wind, finally calming down. Suddenly realizing something, she pulled her hand away and rubbed her wrist, which was being pulled sore. She turned her back and stopped looking at Luo Yichen.

"I'm sorry." Luo Yichen's half-clenched hand remained stiff. "I... didn't mean to."

"You're too rude," Mei Xiaoqing muttered. "I'm just giving you a piece of advice: women don't like boorish men."

"Oh." Luo Yichen didn't understand the ghost at all. He scratched the back of his head and curled up on the side of the corridor, not daring to move.

"My father reported Mayi?" Mei Shiyu was clearly incredulous. "Impossible."

Mu Chenbi had anticipated that he would find it hard to accept, and calmly said, "This case has files on file in the Three Judicial Offices. I have also reviewed them. The whole story of the case, your father's confession, and Mayi's confession... are all recorded. Your father's name is Mei Junhe."

"According to the records, on the seventh day of the first month of the eighty-fifth year of the Great Jin Dynasty, Mei Junhe, the head of Gongcheng Money Shop, went to the Dali Temple to accuse the Ma family's mint of embezzling brass and secretly minting counterfeit copper coins. They intended to use Gongcheng Money Shop to release the counterfeit coins into the market, thereby disrupting the market and harming the people's livelihood. The records also state that Mei Junhe said that at that time, the rebellion in the seven cities of Xiguan had just been quelled, the country was in dire need of reconstruction, merchants were uneasy, and the people were still fearful. At such a critical moment, Ma Yi's actions were tantamount to harming the country and the people. This was intolerable. Although the Mei and Ma families were old friends, he could not turn a blind eye to this, much less collude with Ma Yi and leave a bad name for himself for eternity."

When Mei Junhe went to the Dali Temple, he also brought more than ten counterfeit copper coins minted by the Ma family's mint. In front of the officials of the three mints, he presented evidence that the copper coins were counterfeit. The craftsmen of the Salt and Iron Bureau verified that the coins were indeed counterfeit. The coins should have been 70% brass, but they were only 60% brass. Brass was strictly controlled by the imperial court. Each year, based on the amount of coins minted, the national treasury would allocate the funds to the Salt and Iron Bureau after a precise calculation. The Salt and Iron Bureau would then allocate the funds to the mint after verifying the calculation.

The counterfeit copper coins from Mayi contained a full ten percent of the brass allocated by the imperial court. Mei Junhe's every word was true. Seeing the irrefutable evidence and the Mei family head's willingness to sacrifice even his own family, Mayi knew he could not deny it and surrendered himself to the authorities, confessing his crimes and accepting punishment. Mayi's crime was serious, requiring the emperor's personal order for execution. However, the late emperor was already terminally ill, so the then-regent crown prince, who was now the emperor, issued the edict. It was already winter, and serious criminals rarely survived past the first month of the lunar calendar. Less than half a month after Mayi confessed, he was beheaded at Caishikou as a warning to others.

"How could Father have denounced Ma Yi?" Mei Shiyu murmured to himself. His father said that no matter whether others believed it or not, he would never believe that Ma Yi would counterfeit copper coins. His father was on good terms with the Ma family, and he was like a brother to Ma Yanyu. When Ma Yi was beheaded, his father even secretly went to see him off. His father said that Ma Yi even smiled at him, and when his head hit the ground, that relieved smile was still on his face...

Mei Shiyu remembered every word his father said. How could his father have reported Mayi?

“The records in the Three Departments’ files have all been verified by the junior ministers. Anything that Mei Junhe did or said that he did not do would never be recorded.” Mu Chenbi saw Mei Shiyu’s shock and said in a low voice, “When my father told me about it, I was also half-believing and half-doubting until I saw it with my own eyes… that’s why I came to find you… Young Master Mei, perhaps… we’ve both been overthinking it.”

"No." Mei Shiyu's resoluteness surprised Mu Chenbi. Even if the dossier were slammed in front of him, Mei Shiyu believed his father would never do such a thing. Mu Chenbi only saw the surface of many things, and he couldn't tell him everything. Mei Shiyu only knew that when his father was alive, he would secretly visit the grave of Old Master Ma every year, and what he couldn't forget before his death was the Ma family's keepsake...

Mei Shiyu reached for the jade pendant on the bone fan at his waist. The pendant was icy cold, but it was burning hot in his palm. Mu Chenbi watched Mei Shiyu's actions with lowered eyes, his expression remaining calm.

"I only have one more thing to say to His Highness the Crown Prince." With the jade pendant in his hand, Mei Shiyu instantly regained his usual composure. "If it is truly as His Majesty says, that the case of counterfeit copper coins is a thing of the past, with no hidden secrets and no longer a threat, then why did he secretly order the Imperial Guards to stay at my bank for many days, until yesterday, more than ten days after the last counterfeit copper coin appeared, to confirm that there were no more of these coins circulating in the market, before withdrawing from the bank?"

Seeing that Mu Chenbi remained silent for a long time, Mei Shiyu smiled slightly and said, "Your Majesty, it seems that your words and actions do not match."

Even if Mu Chenbi had a good temper, he would have been furious on the spot if he heard Mei Shiyu's disrespect for his father. But now, his anger was boiling over in his heart. Facing Mei Shiyu's haggard yet resolute face, Mu Chenbi could only let out a heavy sigh.

"What exactly does Young Master Mei want to say?" Mu Chenbi suppressed his anger.

Mei Shiyu stretched out his hand to Mu Chenbi, "Your Highness, would you be willing to return the fake copper coin that I gave you earlier?"

Returning it to its rightful owner? Mu Chenbi's heart sank, and he silently waited for Mei Shiyu to continue.

“That fake copper coin was left to me by my father. I told Your Highness that I kept it to remind the Mei family descendants not to be careless. Now that this matter is over, please return it to me, Your Highness. I, Mei Shiyu, assure you that this item will only be kept and will never be shown to the world.”

Mu Chenbi calmed his expression and said, "The fake copper coins you gave me have already been handed over to the Salt and Iron Bureau and should have been destroyed along with the other counterfeit coins."

Mei Shiyu looked surprised, his sickly face pale, and he gave a half-smile. "It was just someone else's thing, merely lent to Your Highness. How could Your Highness give it to the Salt and Iron Bureau without even asking? Your Highness has failed those who entrusted you with something. Who will dare to entrust anything to Your Highness in the future?"

“Young Master Mei, you have too many worries.” Mu Chenbi stood up, flicked his sleeve and looked at Mei Shiyu’s seemingly fearless expression. “They say that worry can make you sick. You’re not in good health, so it’s best not to think about things you shouldn’t.”

Mei Shiyu smiled sadly, seemingly to Mu Chenbi, but more like to himself, "It is precisely because I do not know how much longer I can live that I cannot let go of the unfinished business."

Mu Chenbi turned around and pushed open the door, then suddenly turned his head and said, "I know that the Mei and Ma families have some connection, but you were still an infant at that time, your father had been gone for a long time, and the Ma family had been exiled to some unknown place, and it was even unknown whether anyone was still alive. Why are you so persistent? In other words, what does this matter have to do with you?"

"The reason why Gongcheng Money House has stood for a century is because of its integrity and trustworthiness." Mei Shiyu said with all his might, "Honest business practices and righteous conduct are essential. Without these two words, it would not be the Mei family. Whether Mayi surrenders himself or the three judicial authorities convict him, or even if, as Your Highness says, it was my father who reported Mayi, as long as I, Mei Shiyu, feel that something is amiss, I will pursue it to the end and not rest until it is completely resolved."

"Even if you find out the truth, what can you do?" Mu Chenbi asked in a daze, stopping in his tracks. He seemed to recall Guan Ye asking him the same question outside the Ghost Market that day.

He told Guan Ye: Although we are powerless to fight back, as long as we know the truth, one day...

Guan Ye interrupted herself, saying, "What if I insist on fighting against it? Since you dare not fight against it, you don't need to know the truth."

Mei Shiyu's resounding words were exactly the same as Guan Ye's words that day. They both had the determination to fight against injustice. Mu Chenbi, Mu Chenbi, although you are the crown prince, what do you have to offer? And how can you stand with them?

"To seek the truth and to exonerate the Ma family, I must beat the drum for them and seek justice. That's all I can do, right?" Mei Shiyu pulled his blue fox fur coat tighter, his cheekbones becoming even more prominent as he smiled.

Stepping out of the main room, a biting cold wind rushed straight into Mu Chenbi's thin clothes. Looking up at the night sky, the clouds obscured the stars, and the sky was darker than when he arrived. Red lanterns were lit in the Mei family garden, illuminating the winding corridors and paths as if it were daytime.

Luo Yichen followed behind Mu Chenbi, took a few steps and stopped. He reached into his robes, but then withdrew his hand after touching something. He lowered his head and sighed softly. Just as he looked up, Mei Xiaoqing had already appeared in front of him, opened her soft white palm, and said in a crisp voice, "Take it out."

"Take what?" Luo Yichen was dumbfounded.

Mei Xiaojing put her hands on her hips and said, "Do you still want to deposit your money? Are you planning to bother me again next time? Just take it out and leave."

"Oh, oh." Luo Yichen reached out to touch the money pouch in his arms, but before he could get a firm grip, Mei Xiaojing snatched it away. Before he could even blink, Mei Xiaojing had already turned and left, leaving him with only a charming and delicate back view.

"Eight taels of silver." Mei Xiaoqing tossed the money bag high into the air and caught it steadily. "Goodbye and don't bother coming back."

Luo Yichen stared in astonishment for a while before realizing that Mu Chenbi was still there. With a cry of "Oh dear!", she turned and chased after him.

In Xingguo Lane, Guan Ye felt that Xiao Ma had been acting a little strange these past few days. For example, while she was happily shoveling rice into her mouth, Xiao Ma would hold his bowl and chopsticks and not move for a long time. Even though Guan Ye's bowl was empty, Xiao Ma's rice was still piling up. He would stare straight at her with his eyes, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping himself. Guan Ye couldn't help but feel uneasy.

Guan Ye wondered why Xiao Ma was staring at her, since she hadn't eaten any of his food. "I always eat like this," she thought. "I haven't eaten any of his food." Then Guan Ye realized that Xiao Ma must not have a good appetite today and was afraid of being laughed at for not being able to eat a bowl of rice, so he was hoping that she would help him.

Guan Ye licked her lips, cleaned the rice from her bowl, and then used her chopsticks to pick at Xiao Ma's rice. Xiao Ma snapped out of his daze and hurriedly raised his bowl high. Guan Ye poked his nostril with her chopsticks, and Xiao Ma cried out in pain. Guan Ye glanced at the chopstick stuck in his nostril, then disgustedly dropped it on the ground.