Chapter 56 Stance "If Lord Taishan truly wishes to apologize, perhaps he could act on my behalf..."
When Jiang Chen woke up, it was just getting light. He had been up most of the night and had barely slept at all.
He turned to look at Shen Yujiao, who was fast asleep nestled beside him, and gently stroked her furrowed brow. After last night's escape, Jiang Chen could clearly feel that there was a distinct difference between him and Jiaojiao. If they weren't currently in Daxia, in Jiangnan, perhaps he would have sought a resolution to his years of unrequited love.
But he has too many things to consider right now.
After tucking Shen Yujiao in, Jiang Chen quietly got up and changed his clothes. August was almost over, and the weather was getting cooler. As soon as he stepped out, he was shivered by the cool morning breeze. He turned around and carefully closed the door. Jiang Chen walked towards the front yard in the dim morning light.
After reviewing the evidence brought from the He residence last night, and recalling the Duke of Cheng's reaction, he now had too many questions he wanted to ask the Duke of Cheng for clarification.
As Jiang Chen walked to the front courtyard, before he could even grab a servant from the roadside to ask about the Duke of Cheng's residence, he saw Shen Boyi already waiting at the inevitable path. Upon seeing Jiang Chen, he respectfully nodded and said, "Your Highness has arrived."
"How long has the Duke been waiting for me here?"
Jiang Chen was invited to the study by Shen Boyi. As they walked, they talked: "Last night, I reflected on my actions and realized that I had been too disrespectful in front of Your Highness. Therefore, I have come today to apologize to Your Highness."
"Lord Taishan is, after all, an elder of both me and the Crown Princess, so it is only right that you say a few words. But for this matter, it's not worth it."
“As ruler and subject, father and son, the proper roles of ruler and subject should come first.” Upon arriving at the study, Shen Boyi personally opened the door for Jiang Chen. The two entered the study, and Shen Boyi bowed deeply to Jiang Chen: “Your Highness, I have offended you yesterday. Please forgive me.”
Jiang Chen couldn't let him really apologize. He reached out to help Shen Boyi up and said with a smile, "If Lord Taishan really wants to apologize, why not help me clear up my doubts?"
"Please speak, Your Highness."
"Last night, because I was in front of the Crown Princess, I did not ask directly. It is already illogical that there were assassins lying in ambush in the He residence. Moreover, the Shen family was able to come to the rescue immediately when the situation was critical. If the Duke does not explain this matter, then I really have no choice but to think about it."
“Your Highness,” Shen Boyi bowed again, “it was not my intention to send people to follow you in secret, but Jiangnan has been quite turbulent recently. I was worried about the safety of Your Highness and the Crown Princess, so I sent people to protect you from a distance.”
Jiang Chen looked at him, a smile playing on his lips, and shook his head slightly: "If I hadn't questioned the guards, I might have believed the Duke's words. But my Eastern Palace is not without capable people. If we hadn't been outnumbered yesterday, I might not have been unable to escape. Moreover, before entering the He residence, my guards did not detect any members of the Shen family. Were the Shen family secretly protecting me and the Crown Princess, or were they secretly protecting the He residence?"
"It is you and the Crown Princess."
"Is that so?" Jiang Chen's smile gradually faded. He rummaged in his pocket for a moment, then took out a letter and waved it in front of Shen Boyi. "Is the Duke curious about what I and the Crown Princess discovered at the He residence yesterday?"
Upon seeing the Crown Prince produce the letter, Shen Boyi's previously composed expression instantly froze. His pupils contracted sharply as he stared at the envelope, looking at the Crown Prince in disbelief: "This letter, how—"
"How did it end up in my hands?" Jiang Chen folded the letter and put it back in his pocket, his smile completely gone. "I already said that I went to the He residence yesterday because of what Ziwang said..."
"Was it Zhiju who told Your Highness?!"
Jiang Chen didn't miss the shock that flashed in Shen Boyi's eyes. He didn't respond, but instead asked, "Does the Duke want to know what the contents of this letter are?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Boyi lowered his head, avoiding Jiang Chen's intense gaze. He sighed deeply and then said, "Since Your Highness has read the letter, you should know how far it has spread and how serious the matter is."
"Does the Duke know?"
“Yes,” Shen Boyi said frankly, “I believe you. Although I have not read it, I know about 70 or 80 percent of its contents.”
"Then please tell me, Your Excellency, is the Shen family secretly watching the He residence because they don't want this letter to be taken away, or because they fear it will fall into the wrong hands?"
"Knowing that the letter involved matters of state, such a serious matter, not only did the Duke not report it, but he even tried to cover it up? Is the Duke trying to protect the Shen family, or does he want to disrupt the country and the state?"
"Your Highness!" Faced with the Crown Prince's accusations, Shen Boyi lifted the hem of his robe and knelt down. "I will take full responsibility for my actions. I beg Your Highness not to blame the entire Shen family!"
"Since our ancestors, the Shen family has upheld the ancestral teachings that loyalty to the emperor and love for the country are the foundation of the Shen family's existence. The members of the Shen family have always kept this in mind and have never forgotten it in the slightest. We hope that Your Highness will understand!"
Jiang Chen lowered his eyes to look at Shen Boyi and asked, word by word, "So, does that mean the Duke of Cheng has admitted to the crime of undermining the stability of the state?"
Shen Boyi stood ramrod straight and answered without changing his expression, "Yes."
Seeing his reaction, Jiang Chen laughed out loud, which made Shen Boyi look up at him in confusion. Then he heard the Crown Prince say, "Lord Shen, you have already married your daughter to the Eastern Palace, so why don't you trust your son-in-law?"
Realizing the meaning behind the Crown Prince's words, Shen Boyi's eyes widened in disbelief. Then he heard the Crown Prince continue, "Or do you think that I, as the heir apparent, only care about the face of the royal family? Or that I covet power and influence in the court and cause loyal and brave people to be wronged?"
Every word the Crown Prince spoke struck Shen Boyi like a hammer blow. The Crown Prince's stance was crystal clear. Just as he was about to muster the courage to ask, he heard the Crown Prince solemnly say:
"I, Jiang Chen, as the Crown Prince, will not stand idly by and watch the soldiers of my Great Xia die at the hands of their comrades, nor will I allow loyal and brave people like the He family to suffer injustice because of treacherous officials in the court who collude with the enemy. Today, in the name of the Crown Prince, I swear that the injustice and disgrace suffered by the entire He family will one day be redressed and the truth will be revealed to the world!"
Shen Boyi considered himself a man who rarely showed his emotions, but faced with the Crown Prince's resounding words, he couldn't help but burst into tears. He solemnly kowtowed to the Crown Prince, his voice choked with emotion: "On behalf of the entire He family, I thank Your Highness for your kindness!"
Seeing Shen Boyi's shoulders shrug, Jiang Chen breathed a sigh of relief. The grief and indignation that had been weighing on his chest all night was finally relieved. The letter he got from the He family contained a secret conversation between Li Lu, the Minister of Revenue, and Huli Zong, the chief general of the Northern Barbarians!
The Northern Barbarians exchanged silver for the plans and deployments of the He family army's marches. Li Lu, holding the important position of Minister of Revenue, arranged for his trusted confidants to steal military intelligence in the military pay sent to the northern border. Before each major battle, Hulü Zong would learn in advance about the commander-in-chief and the Xia army's tactics. This is why the He family army, which was once known for its bravery, suffered defeat after defeat.
In the final battle, General He faced the enemy with the determination to die. Although the Northern Di had learned of the situation in advance, they were unable to defeat the united He family army. In the end, the Xia army narrowly won, and the Di army was able to withdraw back to the Northern Di thanks in no small part to Li Lu's assistance in the withdrawal.
Jiang Chen didn't know what benefits the Northern Di had given Li Lu that led him to join forces with an enemy general, resulting in the loss of his own soldiers on the battlefield.
General He, who led his entire clan into battle, probably never imagined that the lives of the entire He clan would be lost at the hands of their own brethren! After the Northern War, not only did all the talented generals of the family perish on the battlefield, but the He clan's reputation for loyalty and bravery was also nearly tarnished by accusations of embezzling military funds.
When Jiang Chen was rescued by the Shen family's secret guards at the He residence last night, he vaguely guessed that the Shen family might also be searching for these letters. Given the long-standing friendship between the Shen and He families, if they obtained these letters, they would surely want to overturn the case against the He family.
However, the matter of that year involved a wide range of issues. Although the case of the He family embezzling military funds was overturned thanks to the suicide of the He family women and the collective petition from a group of military families, it would be tantamount to openly slapping the Great Xia Dynasty in the face if the matter of the Minister of Revenue colluding with the enemy was to be announced to the world to clear the He family's name.
Not to mention that the current emperor intends to take military power back to the central government, if the news spreads that the current Minister of Revenue has colluded with the enemy and betrayed the country for financial gain, resulting in the loss of hundreds of thousands of Xia troops on the battlefield, how will the other countries view the joke on Great Xia?
This matter concerns the reputation of the Great Xia Dynasty, and the emperor cannot afford to lose face. All the important officials in the court will work together to cover it up. This is a risky and outrageous matter. As the crown prince, he is also a member of the royal family. Shen Boyi was initially unwilling to be honest with him, but now it is understandable. If it were Jiang Chen himself, he would also be disheartened by such a court.
He Zhiju is the only son left in the He family. He grew up in the Shen family and now represents the positions of both the He and Shen families. Unless there is absolute certainty, this matter should not be acted rashly. The Shen family simply cannot bear the consequences of failure.
Shen Boyi straightened up with red eyes, his gaze towards the Crown Prince filled with gratitude. As the heir apparent, even if he could not fulfill today's promise in the future, he had a heart that cared for loyal ministers and generals, so the Great Xia court would have a future to look forward to.
In return for the favor, since the Crown Prince is willing to make this vow to him today, he is also willing to lead his entire clan to serve under the Crown Prince.
"From this day forward, the Shen family will follow His Highness's lead."
Faced with the Duke of Cheng's surrender, Jiang Chen nodded and asked the last question in his mind: "I have seen the loyalty of the Shen family, but there is one thing I really don't understand."
"Please speak, Your Highness."
“Since the time of the founding emperor, the Shen family has received an imperial edict that if a daughter of the Shen family were to be born into the Xia Dynasty, she would surely become the empress. However, in order to avoid such honors, the Shen family has had daughters born and married into the He family for generations. If the Shen family does not want to compete for wealth and power and wants to stay away from the intrigues of the court, I understand that intention today. But why is the Shen family willing to accept imperial favors when it comes to the Crown Princess?”
Shen Boyi seemed to have guessed that the Crown Prince would ask this question. He smiled bitterly and his eyes were filled with sorrow: "As Your Highness said, one must bear the corresponding price for receiving imperial favor. My Shen family has never been willing to ruin our daughter's life in exchange for the future of our family. Therefore, we have never reported the birth of our daughter. As for Yujiao... the time when the clan decided to keep this child was when the He family was completely destroyed."
Jiang Chen subconsciously gripped the jade pendant at his waist. He and Shen Yujiao originally thought that Miss Shen's marriage was a ladder to wealth and power built by the Shen family, and that the Shen family wanted to gain power for the clan by becoming the emperor's father-in-law. However, they never expected that the Shen family, as a prominent family that had been living in seclusion for generations, was willing to step back into the public eye for the sake of the He family, which had already been completely destroyed!
If one day the Shen family can gain a foothold in the court through the Crown Princess or the Empress, and win the favor and trust of the Crown Prince or the Emperor, then they will have enough confidence to overturn the case of what happened back then. It is precisely for this reason that Miss Shen must marry the Crown Prince. Jiang Chen was deeply impressed by this magnanimity.
This is the camaraderie of ancestors, the loyalty of generations of friends. Jiang Chen admired the vision of the Duke of Cheng and the Shen family. He bowed deeply to Shen Boyi and said, "The Shen family's righteousness is beyond my reach."
Shen Boyi waved to Jiang Chen, then walked around to the back of the desk and took out a box from a hidden compartment. In front of Jiang Chen, Shen Boyi opened the complicated lock on the box, took out several account books, and cut them in half.
“These are the account books from Jiangnan for this year that Your Highness has been looking for. These are copies made by my people based on the originals. They were just bound the night before last. If it weren’t for what happened last night, I would have been thinking of sending these account books to the villa today.”
He pushed two stacks of account books in front of the Crown Prince and said earnestly, "Your Highness has a benevolent heart, which is a good thing. However, if I may say something, Zhu Tong has been operating in Jiangnan for many years as the Provincial Governor. He must have a powerful backer from the capital. If Your Highness intends to report this matter to His Majesty, we must be wary of the person behind him."
Having said all that, Jiang Chen had no idea. Shen Boyi was practically telling him directly that the man was either a powerful minister in a high position or a prince vying for the throne. If he wanted to harm Zhu Tong, he had to be prepared to risk his own life as well.
Jiang Chen nodded upon hearing this and put the two stacks of account books back into the box. "Even so, there is no reason for the people to suffer. Moreover, the Two-Tax System was proposed by me."
He bowed to Shen Boyi and said, "This trip to Jiangnan was made possible thanks to Lord Taishan's assistance. I have taken today's matter to heart. If there is any progress in the future, I will send a message through a trusted person. Now that the account books have been found, the Crown Princess and I will return to the capital. I am deeply grateful to Lord Taishan."
Shen Boyi accepted the Crown Prince's gift, not for any other reason than that he had found these account books. The Shen family had lost two extremely capable guards. He didn't say anything because the Crown Prince was already so determined. If the case of tax embezzlement in Jiangnan could be thoroughly investigated because of these account books, then those two guards would have served the people and been loyal to the country.
Standing at the door of the study, facing the rising sun, Shen Boyi looked at the departing figure of the Crown Prince, his heart filled with a myriad of emotions.
At first, he did not think highly of this young crown prince. Compared with his elder brother, the former Crown Prince Yu, this Crown Prince Chen seemed too mediocre in every way. The former Crown Prince Yu was a true future wise ruler. He was not only intelligent and virtuous, but also had lofty ambitions at a young age. He once believed that the Great Xia would become more prosperous and powerful because of this crown prince.
But fate is cruel to the talented. After the early death of the first Crown Prince Yu, he had to turn his attention to the second Crown Prince. It was because the Crown Prince Chen was far inferior to his elder brother that he strictly taught Yu Jiao. Whether it was music, chess, calligraphy, painting, or military strategy, he would have Yu Jiao learn everything she could from a famous teacher, so that she could assist the Crown Prince in the future.
But today, the Crown Prince really surprised him.
The rising sun was particularly dazzling at this moment. Shen Boyi slowly closed his eyes. What he once thought he might never be able to accomplish in his lifetime now had hope again. With the Crown Prince like this, the future of Great Xia was promising.
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Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 15:38:30 on March 17, 2024 and 02:31:30 on March 18, 2024!
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Hot Tofu Hotpot (4 bottles); Iris (1 bottle);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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