ledger

Once the festive atmosphere of New Year's Eve was over, the sky in Beijing turned gloomy again, and the wind felt dry and cold on the face.

Yan Shu is about seven months pregnant. Lately, her belly has been feeling tighter more often. Although it's not painful, the tight feeling always makes her feel uneasy.

They summoned the imperial physician to examine him, and his instructions remained the same: he needed to rest, avoid overexertion, and keep his emotions stable.

Ling Yuan listened, his brows never unfurrowing. From then on, aside from the necessary court appearances and roll call at the Ministry of War, he moved almost all his official duties to Lingxiao Pavilion, where he stayed every day.

That afternoon, the pavilion was quiet and peaceful.

The charcoal brazier burned brightly, making it warm and cozy. Yan Shu reclined on the soft couch by the window, a notebook in her hand, her eyelids half-closed. Ling Yuan sat at his desk not far away, reviewing military reports, occasionally picking up his pen to write a few words; the only sound in the room was the soft rustling of pages turning.

Yan Shu occasionally glanced up at that focused profile. He sat there, his back straight, as if isolated from all the outside disturbances.

Ling Ying entered silently at that moment.

He walked very lightly, and only when he got close did Ling Yuan look up from his documents.

"Your Highness."

Ling Yuan put down his pen: "Speak."

“There’s been progress in Xie Mingde’s case.” Ling Ying stepped forward, took out an oilcloth bag from her bosom, and presented it with both hands. “It was found in a hidden compartment in his study.”

Ling Yuan unwrapped the oilcloth, revealing an old account book inside. He opened it, his gaze sweeping over the densely packed writing, his fingertips pausing on a particular page.

Yan Shu also put down her book and looked over quietly.

“The destination of the money is all above,” Ling Ying said in a low voice. “The largest sums all ended up in the hands of Li Mu, the secretary of the Ministry of Revenue.”

“Li Mu?” Ling Yuan repeated the name. “Prime Minister Cui’s nephew, he’s quite a good asset to him.”

Removing Li Mu is tantamount to cutting off Cui Chong's arm.

"Who else knows?" Ling Yuan closed the ledger and looked up to ask.

Ling Ying answered decisively: "Besides my subordinates and two trusted brothers, there's no one else. His Highness Prince Chen hasn't given a heads-up either." He paused, "After finding the account books, my subordinates ordered the Xie residence to be restored to its original state, leaving no trace."

Ling Yuan nodded: "Go down first, and keep this matter quiet for now."

"yes."

Ling Ying left, and the room fell silent again. But the ordinary account book lying on the table, like a stone thrown into still water, stirred a unease in everyone's hearts.

Yan Shu asked softly, "What are Your Highness's plans?"

Ling Yuan's gaze returned to the account book: "The evidence is conclusive, so naturally it must be reported to the Emperor. Li Mu embezzled funds for river repairs, delaying the project; the evidence is irrefutable, and he cannot deny it." His voice was cold. "It's time to teach some people a lesson."

Yan Shu knew in her heart that what was recorded in this ledger was probably only the tip of the iceberg, and the one truly manipulating things behind the scenes must be her cunning and scheming father. But now, being able to cut off his arm was a rare opportunity.

The atmosphere was solemn at the grand court assembly the following day in the Golden Palace.

When Ling Yuan stepped forward, presented the account book, and stated frankly that Li Mu was suspected of embezzling a huge sum of money, the court was immediately in an uproar!

Li Mu himself turned ashen-faced, knelt down with a thud, trembling uncontrollably, and could only cry out, "Your Majesty, please see the truth! I am innocent! I am innocent!"

The Emperor's face darkened, and he ordered a eunuch to take the account book and examine it closely. The more he looked, the deeper his brows furrowed, and veins throbbed on his forehead. When he saw that those huge sums of money had ultimately flowed into properties under Li Mu's name, he slammed the account book shut and slammed it heavily on the imperial desk!

"Fine! Fine, Li Mu!" The Emperor roared in fury. "I appointed you to the Ministry of Revenue to manage the country's finances, not to line your own pockets! Embezzling funds for river repairs—do you know that this is a crime that plunges the people into misery and undermines the very foundation of the nation?!"

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty... Your Majesty..." Li Mu was terrified, tears streaming down his face, unable to speak coherently. As if grasping at a last straw, he scrambled to Cui Chong's feet, clutching the hem of his official robes tightly. "Uncle! Uncle, save me! For the sake of my deceased mother, please save me! Uncle!"

All eyes of the court officials were fixed on Cui Chong.

Cui Chong's face was also extremely grim, clearly not expecting Xie Mingde to have such a trick up his sleeve! He bent down as if to help Li Mu, his wide sleeves hanging down to conceal the movement. He leaned close to Li Mu's ear and whispered quickly in a voice only the two of them could hear: "Confess. I'll guarantee the safety of your wife and children."

Li Mu trembled violently, his hand gripping the hem of his robe suddenly releasing its grip. He looked up, staring incredulously at his usually shrewd and resourceful uncle, his eyes filled with despair.

Cui Chongzhi stood up, his face regaining some composure. He bowed to the dragon throne and said, "Your Majesty, this old minister... failed to discipline his relatives properly, causing them to commit such a heinous crime. I have no face to face Your Majesty! I beg Your Majesty... to punish them severely according to the law, so as to rectify the court!" He spoke with deep remorse, upholding justice even at the cost of his own family.

Li Mu collapsed to the ground, as if his bones had been removed. He stared blankly at Cui Chong for a moment, then turned to look at the enraged emperor, finally understanding his predicament. He slowly turned around and kowtowed heavily to the emperor, his forehead hitting the cold floor tiles with a dull thud.

“This sinful subject… Li Mu,” his voice hoarse and deathly, “confesssses… all the crimes, this sinful subject… confesses without reservation…”

The Emperor, still furious, immediately issued an edict: "Li Mu's embezzlement of state funds is a proven crime. Effective immediately, he is to be stripped of all his official positions, his property confiscated, and imprisoned in the Imperial Prison to await trial! All related personnel involved in the case shall be thoroughly investigated and dealt with without leniency!"

The imperial guards stepped forward and dragged the limp Li Mu away. As he passed Cui Chong, his lips moved, but he ultimately couldn't utter a word.

Cui Chong lowered his eyes, his face expressionless, but his hands were clenched tightly in his sleeves, his nails digging into his flesh.

After the court session, in the study of Prime Minister Cui's residence.

With a sharp "bang," the fine imperial kiln teacup was smashed to the ground, shattering into pieces.

"Useless! All of you are useless!" Cui Chong's chest heaved violently, his face ashen. "That idiot Xie Mingde! He dared to keep the account book! And you!" He suddenly turned to the shadowy corner of the study. "Their people infiltrated the Xie residence to search, and you didn't even notice?! How did Ling Ying manage to hide it from everyone's eyes?! That's my own nephew! I swore to take good care of him when my sister passed away!"

From the shadows, a low, hoarse voice said, "Prime Minister, please calm down... Ling Ying's operation this time was a secret mission. There was no news at all, not even a notification to Prince Chen."

Cui Chong took a deep breath, suppressing his surging blood and qi, and paced anxiously in his study. Thankfully… thankfully the ledger only implicated Li Mu; if it had directly pointed to him… years of hard work might have been ruined!

“With Li Mu dead, our connection in the Ministry of Revenue is severed.” He stopped, his voice grim. “Prince Duan… what cunning! He’s cut off one of my arms!” A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes as he looked into the shadows. “From now on, we must be even more careful. You over there must be extremely cautious and absolutely cannot be exposed!”

"Yes, I understand."

Cui Chong pondered for a moment, then said, "There's one more thing. I suspect... that token concerning the succession might actually be in their hands. Investigate carefully, and report back immediately if you find any clues!"

"Yes," the person in the shadows replied in a low voice, and silently retreated.

The study returned to silence, leaving only broken porcelain on the floor and suppressed anger.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere inside the Lingxiao Pavilion of the Duan Prince's Mansion was completely different.

When Ling Yuan returned from court, his expression remained blank, but Yan Shu could sense a slight relaxation emanating from him. She went to greet him and took the court robes he had removed.

"Your Highness seems to be in a good mood today." She smiled, her eyes crinkling.

Ling Yuan hummed in agreement and sat down on the edge of the couch: "Li Mu has collapsed."

Yan Shu sat down beside him and handed him a cup of warm tea.

Ling Yuan took the teacup, his fingertips gently tracing the inside of the cup: "However, this is just the beginning."

He was unusually enthusiastic and spoke at length about the situation at court. Yan Shu listened quietly, nodding occasionally.

As she was talking, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her lower abdomen. The sensation was sudden and intense, as if something inside her had twisted her hard. The pain made her curl up instantly, and the tea set on the table crashed to the ground.

"Uh..." she groaned, her face turning pale instantly, and a fine layer of cold sweat appeared on her forehead.

"Shu'er?" Ling Yuan caught her swaying body. "What's wrong?"

Yan Shu was in so much pain that she couldn't speak, and could only clutch his sleeve tightly. The excruciating pain came in waves, making her feel cold all over and even making it difficult to breathe.

"Your Highness... my stomach... hurts so much..." she managed to squeeze out a few words, her voice trembling.

Ling Yuan immediately picked her up and shouted sternly outside, "Summon the imperial physician! Summon the imperial physician immediately!"

He carried her quickly toward the bed, his arms surprisingly steady, but his usually calm eyes were now churning with an unprecedented fear.

"Shu'er!" He carefully placed her on the bed, holding her icy hand, his voice trembling without him even realizing it, "Look at me, it's alright, the imperial physician will be here soon..."

Yan Shu was in so much pain that she was barely conscious, and could only tightly grip his hand as if it were the only piece of driftwood.

Chaos erupted in Lingxiao Pavilion, with footsteps and screams filling the air. Amid the chaos, Lingyuan held Yan Shu's hand tightly, calling her name repeatedly, his eyes reflecting panic for the first time.

"Shu'er..."