Chapter 7 Pine Tree Embracing Snow (Part 7) "Your Majesty, please eliminate Lan Huai'en as soon as possible..."

Lan Huaien, however, felt no embarrassment whatsoever. He brazenly replied, "Yes," and then said, "I know I am despicable and shameless. But Your Highness is different. You are upright and virtuous, and have a long-standing reputation for goodness. So, I am simply considering abandoning darkness for light..."

"You flatterer! What have you abandoned and what have you given up? You show no remorse whatsoever, nor any sincerity in asking for help. I shouldn't have seen you!" Yan Chao said coldly, waving his hand to have someone drive him away.

Lan Huaien blurted out, "Wait, wait! Your Highness, I am sincere, I am truly sincere!"

Seeing that Yan Chao was no longer willing to pay attention to him, he desperately grabbed the corner of the table, no longer daring to keep him in suspense:

"Although Your Highness has the power to oversee the country, there are bound to be areas that cannot be overlooked in the grand scheme of things. According to His Majesty's wishes, it is unlikely that this matter will be thoroughly investigated. But does Your Highness really intend to let it go? I have a way to restrain Grand Secretary Cao, protect Lord Meng's reputation after his death, and ensure that the Crown Prince's palace is not implicated. Furthermore, Your Highness has spies in the palace. I can secretly investigate for Your Highness."

Yan Chao looked up. When it came to the exchange of interests, the two were finally able to be frank and open with each other.

Yan Chao remained silent, but Liang Lu frowned first. Lan Huaien was certainly arrogant; Cao Ying's position in the court was so secure, how could they possibly do anything to him?

"I ask for nothing more than to be saved. The situation is unclear now, but as the culprit, my life is in your hands. You need not worry that I will turn around and bite you." Lan Huaien said, bowing his head to the ground. He was good at observing things carefully and knew that the Crown Prince was wavering.

People always have to look forward; this applies to the Crown Prince as well as to him.

Upon hearing the words "culprit," Yan Chao was unable to remain calm. She also knew perfectly well that Lan Huaien was an accomplice.

"In my opinion, there must be some unruly people among your subordinates." Otherwise, how could you command such swift and effective responses from both inside and outside the court?

Lan Huaien was taken aback, then nodded: "Yes, Your Majesty, I will investigate when I return."

She glanced at the now-cold tea beside her, her fingertips trembling almost imperceptibly as they gripped the table. Then she stood up, no longer looking at Lan Huaien, and after a long silence said in a deep voice, "I agree."

Lan Huaien breathed a sigh of relief, kowtowed again to express his gratitude, and knew that he actually did not want to see him, so he quickly took his leave.

He had just taken a few steps back and turned around when he heard Yan Chao call out to him, "Wait."

"What are your orders, Your Highness?"

Liang Lu had already picked up the overflowing cup of cool tea and handed it to him. Yan Chao said slowly, "I'm giving it to you along with the teacup." Lan Huaien was slightly taken aback, but then he understood what she meant and respectfully took it out.

The hall suddenly felt empty. The sun had risen sometime earlier, its pale light still carrying the chill of melting snow, seeping in through the windowpanes and tracing the edges of the tables and chairs inch by inch. She stood in the center, so lost in thought that even her breathing was careful.

Liang Lu remained silent for a long time before speaking with great concern: "Your Highness, if he cannot be trusted..." If Ruolan Huaien cannot be trusted, then what the Crown Prince said to him today will cause great trouble if it reaches the Emperor's ears.

"It's true that he's in danger, and it's also true that he has ulterior motives. He's not begging me for help; he's using me to break the deadlock. And if I want to get out of this predicament, I still need his help."

Liang Lu was puzzled and asked, "Isn't Ke Lan Huai En also involved... how can it be considered an external force?"

Yan Chao shook his head, seemingly deep in thought, but refused to say anything more.

.

Half a month later, the ailing emperor summoned his ministers to the West Warm Pavilion for the first time. Although only a few important ministers from within the pavilion were present, the opportunity to meet the emperor was indeed rare. Ji Weixian stood respectfully to the side, separated by curtains and screens, so the emperor and his minister could only hear each other's voices but not see each other's faces.

At first, things were peaceful, with everyone tacitly wishing the Emperor a speedy recovery. But after a short while, they were almost arguing.

It's all for Meng Huai.

"Your Majesty, Scholar Meng was known for his benevolence and righteousness, and he and Han Yu were friends of the highest order. His wrongful death in prison was a result of a villain's framing. I beg Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly and give Scholar Meng justice!" The first to speak was Ren Lu, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War. Although he was a civil official, he often dealt with military officers and was quite impatient. He couldn't stand people shirking their responsibilities and procrastinating.

Cao Ying immediately retorted: "The friendship of gentlemen? Han Yu is greedy and tyrannical, can he bear the name of a gentleman? Since Meng Huai had an overly close personal relationship with him, if we were to investigate him thoroughly, we should also investigate the Meng family as well, so that we can be completely cleared out. Now, before we have even investigated whether he was suspected of embezzlement, he has already committed suicide out of fear of punishment, which shows that he was extremely guilty because of his treacherous intentions in associating with his close attendants."

"The investigation was not thorough enough before Scholar Meng was imprisoned. How can he be convicted on such a fabricated charge! Grand Secretary Cao has read all the memorials submitted in the past few days, and it is clear that the majority of them are in defense of Scholar Meng. Are all the officials in our court blind and unable to appreciate what is good for them? You are judging a gentleman by the standards of a petty person!"

"Leaving aside the irrefutable evidence of their close personal relationship, if Meng Huai were a gentleman, why would he plead for Han Yu, whose crimes are notorious? If he were a gentleman, why would he not think of sharing the emperor's burdens when His Majesty is ill, but instead shrink back and repeatedly petition to retire? If he were a gentleman, an upright and honorable man, why couldn't he even protect his own reputation? He himself was unable to defend himself and had already admitted his guilt, so he can't blame anyone else. His Majesty has already been exceptionally merciful by not issuing an edict to execute and implicate his family. Now you are criticizing this case, do you doubt the Emperor's judgment?"

Ren Lu was furious, his expression gradually turning ferocious: "You're clearly misinterpreting this..."

"Enough! Haven't you finished arguing outside? If you're not done arguing, go outside and argue!" The emperor suddenly spoke, his voice slightly weak and muffled but still imposing.

The commotion in the hall abruptly ceased. The men, their anger subsiding, bowed their heads and said in unison, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger."

The emperor lifted the curtain and gestured for Ji Weixian to help him sit up. After straightening his posture, he spoke: "Ren Lu."

Ren Lu responded with "Your Majesty, I am here," and then kowtowed to plead guilty: "I have acted improperly before Your Majesty and disturbed Your Majesty's rest. I am guilty."

The emperor remained silent for a moment. Cao Ying, standing nearby, felt a pang of panic and hurriedly began to speak, "Your Majesty, I..."

“Si Cun has probably been observing for a long time, so you go first.”

Yang Ren was the Grand Secretary, but he was also the most taciturn member of the cabinet, rarely speaking, but often hitting the nail on the head. The fact that the Emperor asked him first clearly showed that he didn't want to waste time listening to nonsense.

Cao Ying, standing to the side, couldn't help but panic. Something was indeed strange today, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what was wrong.

As usual, after a moment of silence, Yang Ren's deep and calm voice rang out in the hall: "Your Majesty, in my opinion, there are indeed doubts in this case. When in doubt, the guilty party should be punished more leniently. Rather than killing the innocent, it is better to let the guilty go unpunished. Moreover, Meng Huai has served the Crown Prince diligently for many years without committing any major mistakes. Now he has died tragically in prison. The excessive slander from the Eastern Depot and the inadequate supervision of the Imperial Prison are the main culprits. If Your Majesty can comfort him, there will be no need to resort to force and damage the foundation of the court. It will also make his family grateful for the Emperor's grace."

The people in the hall remained silent. Even Cao Ying, who had been so aggressive just moments before, secretly clicked his tongue in disapproval. The old fox was indeed shrewd; he had neither offended the emperor nor failed to appease those on Meng Huai's side.

These high-sounding words, however, carried a chilling undertone, like the coldest days of winter.

The emperor nodded slightly where they couldn't see it. Only Ji Weixian saw it, and he thought to himself that perhaps this matter was resolved just like that.

Ren Lu still harbored resentment, but dared not say anything more.

Chen Xiu finally couldn't help but speak up: "Your Majesty, the Director of the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs, Lan Huai'en, is treacherous and cunning. He abuses his power, indulges in lust, and flatters the emperor with slanderous words, causing loyal officials to be wronged. This is a villainous and wicked person. I beg Your Majesty to get rid of him as soon as possible to restore order to the court!"

Lan Huaien was not in the hall.

Ji Weixian, standing beside the emperor, stiffened and held his breath, afraid of missing a single movement of the emperor.

Minister of Revenue Li Shih-huai was the first to respond: "I second that proposal."

Seeing the opportunity, Cao Ying also said, "I agree."

In truth, most people were uncertain, after all, Lan Huaien had been impeached more than once or twice, yet his favor with the emperor hadn't diminished much. Even if they cursed the treacherous eunuch in their hearts, they still had to maintain a harmonious relationship with him on the surface.

The emperor suddenly chuckled: "Didn't you just say that Lan Huai'en was innocent? Why have you changed your mind now?"

Cao Ying's heart skipped a beat. His previously muddled mind cleared up, and based on his years of experience, he realized that the emperor was indeed targeting him.

He could only bite the bullet and say, "Your Majesty, I only discussed Meng Huai's faults just now, Eunuch Lan..."

"You just mentioned the friendship between gentlemen. I suddenly remembered that your son and Cao Hong are usually quite close. How so? According to you, one is influenced by one's surroundings. Your son's character is questionable."

Through the screen, the emperor vaguely saw the figure standing frozen in place, unable to utter a single word. He gestured for Ji Weixian to step forward. Ji Weixian understood, bowed, and walked around to the emperor's side, reaching out to massage his temples with a light but firm touch.

The Emperor continued, “Regarding this snow disaster in Jiangnan, I recall that the Minister of War in Nanjing was in charge of the Grand Canal transport, and your son was appointed as the governor of Suzhou. I have heard that your son has encountered some trouble in Suzhou these past few days. You may wish to inquire about it when you return. After all, a father and son are of one mind, and I am sure your son is also very concerned.”

The topic suddenly shifted, and Cao Ying paused for a moment, roughly guessing what was going on. His heart sank, and he lowered his head in agreement. The emperor clearly already knew something, and although he deliberately showed favoritism and let it go, it was actually a warning to him.

The emperor already had his answer regarding the Meng Huai matter.

Seeing this, the others stopped talking. The emperor waved for Ji Weixian to let go, and then pointed to several memorials on a nearby table. Ji Weixian took the memorials out, handed them to Yang Ren, and then turned around and came back.

The emperor asked, "Where is the crown prince?"

Chen Xiu replied, "His Highness the Crown Prince is still at Wenhua..."

Before he could finish his sentence, a eunuch outside the hall suddenly announced, "Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince requests an audience outside the hall."

Chen Xiu swallowed his words, glancing at the memorial in Yang Ren's hand, knowing it must mention the Eastern Palace. The situation had been tense, but the emperor's few words had dispelled all his worries. Throughout the entire exchange of memorials, Cao Ying was the key to the emperor's change in attitude.

"Zichuan served as the Emperor's tutor and the Crown Prince's tutor for decades. He was respectful, honest, and upright, and died unjustly in prison. This was due to my oversight. I hereby reinstate him to his official position, posthumously grant him the title of Grand Tutor of the First Rank, the posthumous name Wenzhen, and a grand funeral. I am still ill, so Jianchu will comfort his family on my behalf." The Emperor's voice lowered, filled with grief.

Chen Xiu should be right. He and Meng Huaiping were on good terms, and even if the emperor didn't give the order, he would take good care of him.

"I will deal with the rest myself. You may all leave," the emperor said wearily, then instructed Ji Weixian, "Bring in the Crown Prince."

Everyone took their leave. When Yan Chao entered the hall, Chen Xiu lagged behind, secretly giving her a reassuring look.

A note from the author:

Note: ① This comes from the Book of Documents (Shangshu).