Chapter 64: Old Officials, New Dynasty
Xie Huailing has a very good memory; she remembers many things. Xie Huailing is also very intelligent; she can calculate many things clearly.
The essence of the assassination of Li Xunhuan was not the murder of Li Xunhuan, nor even retaliation or murder of Li Yuan. The truth goes back to half a year ago, or even longer. The essence of this case was an unsuccessful purge of former officials of the late emperor by powerful ministers of the new dynasty, driven by their inflated lust for power.
Xie Huailing once had an interest in history, and she recalled a particular episode from her memory. When Cai Jing's power was at its peak, most of the former officials of the Yuan You era had already been demoted or exiled, and some had even died. But Cai Jing was still not satisfied and persecuted them extensively, not only listing their crimes but also erecting monuments to slander them and writing inscriptions to commemorate them. At that time, a solar eclipse occurred, which he used to further his scheme, labeling his opponents as heretics and attempting to turn the court into his personal fiefdom.
Although the era Xie Huailing transmigrated to was definitely not the one she remembered, judging from the course of events, Cai Jing's ambition remained almost unchanged. Furthermore, the current court was not like that in history. Leaving aside Zhuge Zhengwo's existence, the mere fact that Grand Tutor Li was still in power meant that, even though he had long since retired from politics, as long as he remained in office, Cai Jing could never truly claim the nominal position of commander-in-chief of all officials.
The Li family, with seven members achieving the highest rank in the imperial examinations and three members of the family achieving the third rank in the imperial examinations, was like a legend in the eyes of scholars. Li Taifu, in particular, passed the imperial examinations at a young age and served as a high-ranking official in the court for decades, with countless students and disciples. Although his power was not as great as Cai Jing's, he was not someone that Cai Jing could impeach at will.
But aside from the empty titles, Grand Tutor Li posed little threat to Cai Jing. During his six or seven years in court, Grand Tutor Li didn't concern himself with anything other than the people's livelihood. This is why Cai Jing didn't target Grand Tutor Li first when he began his purge six months ago. He chose other former officials of the late emperor first. Perhaps those who had been sent to remote posts were dealt with cleanly, and Gong Jiu, the de facto ruler of the Taiping Prince's Mansion, was hiding his abilities and not bothering him, which emboldened Cai Jing to act. Then came the case of the Taoist priest's slander six months ago.
Xie Huailing didn't believe that a Taoist priest who had no involvement in political decision-making would spontaneously make things difficult for court officials, unless he was out of his mind. It must be Cai Jing who was behind it all. The Taoist priests, who thought they had Cai Jing as their backer, used the strange celestial phenomenon to launch their slander.
The Taoist priest had no idea, and Cai Jing had no idea, that this matter had stepped on the landmine of Li Taifu, who had been silent for many years since he had lost faith in the emperor.
This incident also made Cai Jing re-evaluate this important minister. Despite not participating in court intrigues for many years, he was able to thwart Cai Jing's plans with a single move. Beyond his power, Li Taifu's reputation was too high, and he had too many disciples, making him too much of a hindrance.
Cai Jing lacked the magnanimity and could not tolerate it. If he wanted to completely seize power, he would first have to eliminate Grand Tutor Li.
However, if he were to kill him directly, the court would inevitably be thrown into turmoil, damaging his own foundation. Therefore, Cai Jing chose to target Li Xunhuan instead.
Li Taifu, already disheartened, fell ill upon hearing the news of his grandson's death, overcome with grief and unable to recover. This was far more plausible than dying under mysterious circumstances. And after eliminating Li Taifu, it was only a matter of a moment for him to begin his great purge.
If Xie Huailing hadn't saved Li Xunhuan, then this would have happened.
As for the evidence… Xie Huailing reached out to take something from Su Mengzhen’s desk. She was already leaning against Su Mengzhen’s side, and with this movement, she was almost pressing against Su Mengzhen’s shoulder. Even though the chair back was pressing against Su Mengzhen, she didn’t back away but moved aside a little so that she could get the item.
It was a letter, delivered by Shaman. Xie Huailing glanced at it briefly and then stuffed it onto Su Mengzhen's desk; only she knew where it was. She pinched a corner of the letter between two fingers, pulled it out, and then carefully put it back down—a series of actions that seemed to take an exceptionally long time.
Su Mengzhen was practically holding his breath, only letting out a long exhale as she straightened up. But she quickly lowered her head again, laying the letter flat on the desk. Su Mengzhen slowly realized his female subordinate's inappropriate behavior. She was being cautious, and he couldn't very well let her leave, lest she appear to be preoccupied with other matters while discussing serious business. Yet, this arrangement still left him feeling uneasy, as if ants were crawling on his back, a strange sensation that lingered.
He frowned slightly, then realized he had been distracted for a moment. Xie Huailing had already marked the contents of the letter that he wanted to see.
She said, "I kept a close eye on things and had Shaman check on the current situation of the servants in the Li household, especially those who took care of Li Taifu's daily life and were in charge of the food and drink of everyone in the household. On the second night after Li Xunhuan was assassinated, a couple who were in charge of purchasing food for the household committed theft and were kicked out."
Su Mengzhen said, "They are the ones who have been bribed, or they are the people arranged by Cai Jing. If you want evidence, you can start with them."
"good."
Xie Huailing had a knack for guiding people's words, which was especially evident when she was plotting with Su Mengzhen. She was used to giving him warm and patient looks, and Su Mengzhen only realized this when he got so close. She would flatter him at this moment and then say, "The steward couple are probably dead, but once something is done, it will leave traces. If you are willing, you can find plenty of clues."
Like a veil of smoke, the veil hanging beside him, Xie Huailing was light and graceful: "Besides this, there is another way. My suggestion is to use two methods at the same time. Please listen, Master."
Once he noticed the superficial warmth she was offering to create the right atmosphere, Su Mengzhen felt even more uncomfortable—or perhaps "comfortable" isn't the right word—he wasn't used to seeing this in her. Fortunately, he was calm and collected; after a slight frown, he quickly said as if he hadn't thought about anything at all, "Go ahead."
Xie Huailing then replied, "The second method is to investigate the source of that batch of goods from half a year ago. I'll give you a direction. You should have the ruthless chief constable investigate. Excluding rare treasures, at least one or two hundred thousand taels of silver out of the 1.5 million taels must have been exchanged for rice. And where could so much rice have come from?"
She specifically told Wuqing to go, which meant pointing to a place that couldn't be found in the martial arts world. Su Mengzhen's eyelids twitched, realizing what possibility she was referring to. In her horror, she realized that Cai Jing was not incapable of doing such a thing.
Su Mengzhen agreed to her proposal: "I will write a letter to Wuqing tonight, and in three to five days, the truth of this case will be completely revealed."
But once the truth comes out, will there definitely be a satisfactory result?
Xie Huailing and Su Mengzhen both knew that it was impossible.
There was another brief silence, but this silence was a signal, a signal that an even more outrageous topic was about to be discussed.
In the end, Su Mengzhen made the decision, saying, "Come with me."
.
There is only one truly safe place in the Golden Wind and Drizzle Pavilion.
The shimmering windows were covered with brocade, letting in no light whatsoever, just as the gleam of snow could reveal secrets, thus preventing anyone from appreciating it. This covering also robbed the once bright room of all light; the bed and bookshelves were reduced to blurry outlines, sleeping soundly in the darkness, suffocating all life. Only when two or three flames were lit on the white candle and the red candle on the corner of the table did the room's scene reappear in the heavy shadows.
Xie Huailing took his seat as soon as she entered Su Mengzhen's room; there was nothing she could do about it, her legs were genuinely sore. Su Mengzhen didn't argue with her, lit the stove, and sat down as well.
"What do you think the outcome of this matter will be?" Su Mengzhen asked directly.
"There will be no result," Xie Huailing replied without hesitation.
These five words, so full of despair, perfectly encapsulate the current state of the court, making Cai Jing fearless. He enjoys the favor of the incompetent and foolish emperor, is shrewd and calculating, and truly deserves the title of "powerful over the court." Therefore, unless Grand Tutor Li dies, he won't have to pay much of a price in the Li Xunhuan case.
Su Mengzhen had not expected her answer. He considered his view of the court to be quite pessimistic, thinking that Cai Jing would obstruct the matter and ultimately let it go easily, but her straightforward statement, "There will be no result," was still far more pessimistic than he had imagined.
Xie Huailing understood what he was thinking. The biggest difference between her and Su Mengzhen in terms of their positions was that she truly knew just how stupid the person sitting on the dragon throne was.
With her hand on her shoulder, Xie Huailing stretched slightly, loosening her shoulder joints. The candlelight flickered right in front of her, and in its dim light, she spoke casually, as if chatting with him: "People see things differently, and people and good-for-nothings see things differently too. Because good-for-nothings are good-for-nothings; they can't see anything clearly. The only thing good-for-nothings can do is disappoint others."
"Just as some people might mistake a white stone for a beautiful jade and treasure it, there will also be useless people who sit idly by in power, thinking they can live a life of wealth and leisure, unaware of their own worth, the suffering of the world, and who is virtuous and who is wicked."
"He thought he had truly promoted a virtuous and capable person, he thought his extravagance was justifiable, and he would not doubt his 'virtuous ministers.' Perhaps he vaguely knew a little, but so what? To him, the whole world belonged to him. Those who were good to him were his virtuous ministers, those who indulged him were his virtuous ministers, and those who supported his incompetence were his virtuous ministers. As for the others, they were not."
Xie Huailing sneered, a fleeting hint of sarcasm in his eyes.
No one had ever spoken to Su Mengzhen so bluntly and disrespectfully. He had considered that she might not like the current emperor, but he hadn't expected that her dislike was more than just dislike; it was practically palpable. Su Mengzhen wisely dropped the subject, but she had to admit that what she said made perfect sense.
A chill ran through his chest, a mixture of indignation and sorrow, the very starting point of his resolve to embark on this path. The two shared a deep resentment, a resentment that overflowed like a sea. In this sea, too many things would come to mind, too many things would be anticipated. The one who shaped this sea was still smug, believing himself to be a wise and benevolent ruler, as if the common people existed only on paper, something he could squander at will.
They did not realize the importance of the country and the insignificance of the emperor.
They know not the hatred for their country, nor the myriad causes.
Xie Huailing continued, "So there won't be a result unless we can find conclusive evidence. In that case, there's a greater chance of separation. However, I don't recommend you do that. Think about it another way, OP. This is a good thing. The disheartened Grand Tutor Li, having been betrayed by the Emperor... no, the Emperor, will surely be in utter despair. Only then will he have the possibility of seeking something from the outside world, and only then will the proud civil official have the possibility of forming a new faction."
"It is difficult to protect oneself even if one is pure and honest; one's loyalty and righteousness are betrayed; time waits for no one."
But Su Mengzhen closed her eyes, and after a moment, gently shook her head.
The world is too cold-hearted; he couldn't yet be like Xie Huailing, incorporating the sorrow of a virtuous minister into his plans. He said, "Let's talk about it later. Let's investigate first."
Xie Huailing wasn't in a hurry to persuade him, and replied, "I know, call me when you find out. By the way, I should be going out again tomorrow."
Su Mengzhen opened her eyes, glanced over, and asked, "What are you going to do?"
"Go pick up a cat." Xie Huailing was truly impressed by the cat, his eyes lighting up as he spoke of it. "After being called crazy for so long, I can't believe there's a crazy cat in the world. It was born to be my pet."
...Give Shaman a bigger paycheck. Su Mengzhen's head started to ache.
Xie Huailing continued, "Of course, it's a bit difficult to raise. I'll bring it to show you, OP. With your abilities, you'll definitely be a great help."
She vaguely glimpsed a future where she might even have to raise a cat. Su Mengzhen's head throbbed even more.
He really wanted to veto the right of this guy, who couldn't even take care of himself properly, who relied on him for meals, and whose sleep schedule was as chaotic as the desert, to keep a pet. But because he was too conscientious, he felt that it would be too cruel to the girl. In the moment of wavering, Xie Huailing had already slipped out.
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Ms. Xie could have used even more vulgar language, but that would have been a string of censored words, rather loudly...
Then, what was the message Ms. Xie sent to the original poster?
OP, newbie, laolao
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