Chapter 168
The First Prince dragged too many people into this mess at once, including even one of the Second Prince's "father-in-law," the father of the pregnant Consort Xu. The Second Prince didn't even know where to start to extricate himself, not to mention that the First Prince had presented such solid evidence as the account book, which was impossible to deny. It really wouldn't be easy to extricate him in a short time.
The second prince, whose mind was already blank, could only grit his teeth as he looked at the first prince's smiling face.
Of course, not all of the Second Prince's faction members were fools; some quick-witted ones immediately came up with ways to stall for time. However, they didn't expect the First Prince to be so ruthless, actually having a group of Third Prince's faction members recommended to thoroughly investigate the case. Even the prison cells weren't spared; using the attack on Chu Wenjing in the Ministry of Justice prison as a pretext, all the guards were replaced, and all the officers, high and low, were promoted from the Southwest Army.
—Although the Third Prince was deposed, the Qian family did not fall. On the contrary, it was precisely because the Third Prince was deposed that the Qian family and its supporters became even more powerful.
Qian Dezhong served in the Southwest Army for many years. Even though the Southwest was mostly inhabited by bandits and mountain people, and their forces were complex and intertwined, it was not like the Northwest, where they had to face the covetous eyes of the Rong and Di tribes and guard against their soldiers robbing the border people every year.
The southwest was not as dangerous as the northwest, but even if he hadn't made any great contributions, he had still put in the hard work. He was, after all, stationed at the border. Moreover, Qian Dezhong was practically a member of the imperial family. Logically, his official position should have risen rapidly. However, in reality, Qian Dezhong had been in the same position for seven or eight years without moving.
After the Third Prince crippled his leg, Qian Dezhong rose three ranks in just two or three years and is now the second-in-command of the Southwest Army. As a result, the soldiers under his command have also been promoted much faster.
The Qian family members are typical warriors, not very bright and not fond of thinking. Even Qian Dezhong himself didn't know how he had somehow acquired the title of Earl of Yongyi. They were easygoing and quite content. They hadn't been promoted for many years and never thought about why, until this time when they received news that their nephew had broken his leg, and then they were promoted and their careers were going smoothly.
Even the most clueless person would start to think of something at this point.
Qian Dezhong did not hesitate at all and immediately wrote a memorial to return to the capital, wanting to stand up for the Third Prince. However, his request was obviously suppressed. Perhaps to appease him, a generous reward was sent along with the rejection document.
The southwest was still too far from the capital. Even traveling at full speed would take three days and nights. The Qian family couldn't sneak away, so they had to keep submitting memorials. However, probably because the emperor was afraid that the Qian family would cause trouble in the capital, the reasons for their return to the capital, from reporting on their duties to visiting relatives to going on official business, were all rejected by the emperor.
Although the Qian family members couldn't come, the soldiers and officers under their command were not an obstacle. As mentioned before, thanks to the Third Prince's "crippled leg," the entire Qian family army was promoted and made a fortune. The Mighty Tiger Battalion was one of the top legions in the Southwest Army, equivalent to a modern special forces unit. Its promotion speed was already considerable, and now, with this boost, many mid-level officers were transferred to wealthy areas to serve as military officers, with the lowest rank being a county lieutenant.
Several others entered the capital, and several of Qian Dezhong's trusted lieutenants were even directly appointed as the Prefect of the Capital.
They already had a long-standing relationship with the Qian family, and their promotions were also due to the Qian family's favor. They were natural supporters of the Third Prince. They couldn't act as recklessly as the Third Prince and the Qian family, but with the opportunity to avenge the Third Prince in front of them, they certainly wouldn't let it go.
Although they knew the First Prince's proposal was ill-intentioned, the military officers who were named still couldn't wait to step forward and accept the task while the Third Prince was still frowning.
The emperor was displeased that these people were linked to the embezzlement case involving military funds. Even though he saw the rivalry among the three princes, he did not want to mediate and simply nodded in agreement.
When Grand Secretary Jiang Wen, who was eager to speak, saw that the Emperor had nodded, he subconsciously glanced at the Empress Dowager and met her eyes, which were old but not senile and faintly gleaming with cold light.
The Empress Dowager raised an eyebrow and smiled, looking very kind and approachable, but Jiang Wen felt a chill run down his spine.
Jiang Wen recalled that many years ago, when his uncle was still alive, he was serving as the second-in-command of the cabinet. He felt that his health was deteriorating and that he probably wouldn't last more than a few years, so he took him in to be raised. The first lesson he taught him was to carefully analyze the personalities of the several rulers of the Great Qi Dynasty. At that time, the late emperor was still on the throne.
"Emperor Yuan was upright and brave by nature. Because of his experiences before he rose up, he especially hated corrupt officials. Whenever he heard about powerful families oppressing the people and exploiting the locals, he would become indignant and had an excessive bloodlust, often resorting to severe punishments... When dealing with such an emperor, one should be selective in what one says, gradually revealing the truth and giving him time to calmly reflect." — Emperor Yuan was born into poverty and had suffered a lot; his uncle's analysis was quite accurate.
"His Majesty is sensitive and thoughtful by nature, yet also sharp-tongued. He is prone to extremes due to his outward expression of emotions. When he loves someone, he is willing to offer them the best, but when he doesn't love them, he will utterly destroy them. He also has some youthful temperament... So we should advise him more, but not harshly. Instead, we should use the analysis of benefits and the gentle persuasion to do everything we can. We should resolve the matter as quickly as possible to avoid making him think too deeply and have other ideas."
When Jiang Wen entered the cabinet, the late emperor had already passed away. He hadn't had much contact with the late emperor and had no reference to his uncle's evaluation, but he could see glimpses of the late emperor's "love-hate relationship" in the favored Consort Hui. After all, the late emperor had even granted Consort Hui's two children a title of prince. Later, when they rebelled and were executed, the late emperor didn't hold a grudge against Consort Hui at all. In fact, he had a rather unpleasant falling out with the Empress Dowager because Consort Hui had suffered a miscarriage due to the Empress Dowager's execution of the traitors.
"As for the Empress Dowager," the Marquis of Annan paused for a moment when he spoke of this female ruler, his tone quite complex, "Emperor Yuan died suddenly, and the young emperor ascended the throne hastily. On the surface, the Empress Dowager was in charge of the affairs of state, but in reality, the real power was in the hands of the three regents."
Throughout history, there have been numerous accounts of how powerful ministers entrusted with the care of the young emperor have become corrupted by power. Not everyone is a Zhuge Liang; the vast majority are like Wang Mang of the Xin Dynasty. The Empress Dowager was too young and inexperienced at the time, and was manipulated by the three regents. She suffered many hidden losses, and no matter what kind of humiliation she was subjected to, she could only swallow her anger. An empress dowager of a nation had to fawn over powerful ministers.
"...Perhaps that's why, after the Empress Dowager truly consolidated power, she stopped smiling so much, and her personality became much more assertive, sometimes even ruthless... One must be extremely cautious with such a ruler, do not do too much, and do not act on one's own initiative. Everything must be done according to procedure, and one should not be afraid of trouble. When offering advice, one should not be tactful, but rather speak frankly and bluntly." Having experienced having powerful ministers over her head, the Empress Dowager had a very tight grip on power and was very wary of ministers overstepping their bounds. She was the type of ruler who truly used ministers as tools. In the eyes of many court officials, she was very domineering, cold-blooded, and ruthless, the type of ruler that most court officials who wanted to seize power disliked the most.
While Jiang Wen was making great strides in the cabinet, the Empress Dowager retired to Cining Palace and returned power to the current emperor. Jiang Wen's impression of the Empress Dowager was rather vague, but at this moment, her uncle's words clearly came to mind: "The Empress Dowager doesn't like to smile."
Jiang Wen calmly withdrew her gaze, her head drooping slightly. She tightly pursed her lips, swallowing back the words she had just wanted to say. She simply raised her hand to rub her temples, feeling a headache coming on.
To be honest, Jiang Wen really didn't want to understand, but he did understand at this moment. He was absolutely certain of one thing: it was the Empress Dowager who instigated the civil war among the three princes.
Why did the Empress Dowager do this? Was she dissatisfied with His Majesty? Was she planning to...? Jiang Wen struggled to control her wandering thoughts and stopped thinking further. She recited a calming mantra in her mind, trying to clear her mind of all the rebellious thoughts.
It's hard to tell if Jiang Wen's mind is empty, but the Second Prince's mind is visibly empty.
The eldest prince smiled warmly and bowed, saying, "With you all upholding justice, this matter will surely be thoroughly investigated and the truth will be revealed, clearing my name."
The second prince could no longer laugh, but since the emperor had already agreed, he dared not object. He could only grit his teeth and say harshly, "I have remembered what happened today. I will definitely repay you double the amount another day."
"I'll look forward to it." The eldest prince said this, but he didn't actually take the threat to heart. He even made a sarcastic remark, "I heard that Chaoyang has been sick recently. My elder sister has been unable to eat or drink because of it. I just hope that she won't be burdened."
These words were practically a direct insult to the Second Prince, calling him a "useless good-for-nothing who relies on his sister to clean up his messes."
These words were more damaging than the previous series of actions. The Second Prince turned green with anger. When Consort Min learned of this, her first reaction was to find the Eldest Princess, but the Second Prince stopped her with a cold face. The mother and son even had a small argument over this.
"Mother, do I have to rely on her to get everything done?" The Second Prince's tone was full of resentment.
Consort Min hesitated, wanting to offer some gentle advice, but the Second Prince's expression darkened as soon as he heard the words "Princess." When the Second Prince, "unable to bear it any longer," brought up the matter of the Princess taking over some of the power and influence in the capital, Consort Min could only shut up and say no more.
However, since the eldest princess did not intervene, and Consort Min could not allow the second prince to run amok on his own, she ultimately had to take matters into her own hands.
The Second Prince still wanted to get the people released, but Consort Min knew that with the evidence conclusive and the First and Third Princes working together, it was highly unlikely that these people could be released. The most important thing now was to appease the others and find something that could bring down the First Prince.
Consort Min was a clever woman, so she took the bait set by Xue Jin'an and began to investigate the First Prince and Consort De step by step. In order to avoid attracting attention, she also had her subordinates fight against the First Prince's faction. She also wanted to show weakness to the enemy and use the illusion of defeat to lure them into investing more energy and power. Only then would it be time for them to launch a full-scale counterattack.
Consort Min knew all too well how addictive power was. Once you were hooked, you would become unlike yourself. Your flaws and desires would be magnified infinitely. And once you thought about losing it, you would go crazy. Madness is the beginning of destruction.
Under the deliberate manipulation of both sides, the court was engulfed in fierce fighting, drawing in more and more people, and the battlefield was quietly expanding.
Not to mention the imperial court, even the harem felt a bit tense. The concubines, who were usually noisy, all kept their tails between their legs and rarely showed any signs of trouble. As a result, Consort Zhuang was quiet for quite some time and did not go to Cining Palace to talk to the Empress Dowager.
—Ever since the incident in the palace, in which Consort Zhuang intervened, she frequently visited the Cining Palace to chat with the Empress Dowager and inquire about interesting events in the palace. The Empress Dowager already knew about Xia Zi's affair and was wary of Consort Zhuang. She soon discovered that Consort Zhuang was intentionally mentioning the events of Empress Zhaoren's time in front of her.
Consort Zhuang always liked to praise Empress Zhaoren in a subtle way, and even though the Empress Dowager knew that she had ulterior motives, she still found her praise very effective.
Since the eldest prince has not yet fallen from power, the Empress Dowager will not rush to take action against Consort Zhuang, lest she alert the eldest prince and make him realize the danger. So she has been dealing with the situation and waiting for Consort Zhuang to make her move.
Consort Zhuang remained calm and composed, and after all these days, she had not revealed anything.
The court and the harem were rife with undercurrents, and the third prince unexpectedly became a hot commodity in the court.
Nine plus one is auspicious
The Third Prince smashed the banquet invitation sent by the First Prince's residence on the table, and threw the porcelain ornament sent by the Second Prince's residence, along with its box, on the ground, not caring at all whether it was broken or not.
"Have they forgotten how I broke my leg?" the Third Prince sneered at Xue Jin'an. "They want me to work for them? Not even in my next life!"
Xue Jin'an, however, had a different opinion: "You can easily play both sides."
The third prince frowned, puzzled.
"This may be your only chance to publicly retaliate against the other party," Xue Jin'an further reminded him.
This play, besides showing that "a dog that bites doesn't bark (the eldest prince)" and "a barking dog is just a fussy dog (the second prince)," also reveals the power of the Qian family behind the third prince.
Now it wasn't just the Eighth Prince who secretly wanted it; the First and Second Princes, who had no military power, were so envious their eyes were practically popping out of their heads.
However, to gain the Qian family's assistance, one must curry favor with the Third Prince. The Second Prince is reluctant to do so due to his pride, but neither Consort Min nor the First Prince will let this opportunity pass. At the same time, the Third Prince can also use this opportunity to retaliate against the First and Second Princes.
As long as the Third Prince shows resistance and disgust towards the other party in front of the two, they will do everything they can to create opportunities for him to take action. He can then retaliate with confidence and boldness, with others paving the way for him and protecting him. Moreover, the hatred from this retaliation will not accumulate on him.
Upon hearing this, the Third Prince's eyes lit up. He rubbed his hands together and stood up eagerly. "Good, good, good, I like this."
Having suffered so many losses, he had learned his lesson and, before leaving, made sure to ask Xue Jin'an if there were any precautions to take.
Xue Jin'an thought for a moment and then added, "Don't get carried away."
"Tell me in detail." The Third Prince felt that these three words were a bit too general.
Xue Jin'an remained silent, but Cui Zui, who was standing beside him, couldn't help but speak up, "Third Prince, my master... the Seventh Prince meant that you should remain calm and not let hatred cloud your judgment, so as not to cause an accident and be schemed against a second time."
Seeing the Third Prince's still bewildered expression, Cui Zui couldn't help but count on his fingers the many impulsive things he had done in the past. When he got to the eighth one, he realized, "This is your business. Why am I making such a detailed account for you?"
The third prince said, "You're a good person."
Cui Zui: "..."
With a heart set on strangling the Third Prince on the spot, Cui Zui gritted his teeth and waved his hand, "Forget it, you definitely won't remember anything I tell you. You'll still do the things you shouldn't do. Just remember, if you sense anything is wrong, get out of there quickly and don't implicate the Seventh Prince."
The third prince grinned and readily agreed: "Don't worry, I'm not interested in that position."
If one of the brothers has to ascend to that position, the Third Prince only accepts the possibility of Xue Jin'an becoming the emperor.
The third prince rubbed his hands together and left happily, even putting aside his favorite activity of fighting for the time being.
Cui Zui watched his departing figure with great worry, "Won't he cause any trouble? Better to die than to die myself. If he dies, he dies, but please don't let him get our blood on you."
Xue Jin'an reassured him, "Don't worry, even if he wanted to, he couldn't."
The eldest prince and the second prince are vying for power, and there are more than just them eyeing each other, hoping to reap the benefits.
As expected, when the Second Prince failed to win his argument with the First Prince in court once again, the Eldest Princess, who had been quiet for a long time, suddenly sent out invitations to people to enjoy the scenery. At first, the Second Prince did not take it seriously, thinking that this time would be the same as before.
However, he soon realized something was wrong. Some people suddenly became unresponsive to him. He thought they had betrayed the Jiang family and joined the ranks of other princes. He gritted his teeth and reported the situation to his mother, only to learn that they had simply been taken in by the eldest princess.
"What do you mean?" The Second Prince suddenly had a bad feeling.
Consort Min was exhausted from working tirelessly every day. With her eyes closed, she received a massage from the palace maid behind her to relieve her fatigue. Upon hearing this, she didn't even raise an eyebrow, but simply said lightly, "Don't worry about it."
How could the Second Prince not care? His eyes were red with concern, and his mind was filled with the contemptuous and disdainful expression and look from the Eldest Princess last time.
"What does she mean? Is she trying to take me away from her?" The Second Prince paced back and forth, seemingly trying to calm his anger, but to no avail. He suddenly overturned the table, veins bulging on his forehead, and roared with a ferocious expression, "What right does she have to take me away from her?!"
Consort Min was startled by his sudden outburst, and she jolted awake, her eyes snapping open. "Xue Peilan, what do you want to do?"
Consort Min's tone was quite stern, and the Second Prince froze. Unable to bring himself to speak, he eventually stormed off, leaving his mother staring blankly at the mess in the room.
**
Xue Jin'an had done a lot of calculations. He thought that this main conflict would only affect the princes and their cronies. Even though he guessed that the conflict would have far-reaching implications, he did not expect that the emperor would also be affected.
The opportunity for him to find out was that he heard many candidates who had recently come to the capital had visited Jiu Tianyi.
Next March will be the annual imperial examination. Many candidates will leave their hometowns before the end of autumn and arrive in the capital in one or two months, around October. Most of them will be candidates from the north.
The reason for this early arrival is that winter comes early in the north, the cold season lasts a long time, and the temperature is extremely low. Once the temperature drops, not only will heavy snow block the roads, but what's even more terrifying is that people traveling outside could actually freeze to death.
The sons of wealthy families were better off, as they usually bought houses along the way and carried charcoal in their luggage. Even if they didn't have houses, they could still spend a lot of money on food and lodging. However, most candidates came from poor families, and the cost of traveling to the capital for the imperial examinations was already low. They tried to save as much as possible. Just as some people would stay in temples after arriving in the capital, many candidates would choose to sleep in cheap hotels or even dilapidated temples during their journey to the examinations.
Sleeping on the streets of the South in winter might at most result in freezing to death, but sleeping in the snowstorms of the North, where snow can bury a person, is no different from courting death.
To avoid unnecessary tears, most candidates from the north would begin packing their belongings and heading to the capital for the imperial examinations after June.
When Xue Jin'an first heard that some scholars were going to Jiu Tian Yi, he didn't pay much attention to the word "visit". He thought it was just a fancy way of saying it by the shopkeeper. In reality, these scholars were just using the excuse of seeing the perfect gentleman to pass the time, and there was nothing to care about.
Xue Jin'an forgot about it after reading it.
Within two days, more and more people came to visit. Someone had placed an incense burner there, and when the shopkeeper discovered it, there was already a layer of ash inside, indicating that someone had lit incense.
The shopkeeper: "...What's wrong with you? Coming here to bring bad luck?"
The shopkeeper assumed they were just causing trouble and told the staff to keep a close eye on things and ask a few people what was going on. But when they asked, the shopkeeper was stunned. There were rumors circulating outside that their "Nine Plus One" ritual was very effective and that as long as you were sincere, your prayers would be answered.
"What kind of nonsense is this?" The shopkeeper suspected that this was a dirty trick by the rivals, so he ordered someone to investigate. Then he heard another rumor that the candidates who came to pay their respects in the previous year had encountered such difficult exam questions, yet they all successfully passed the exam and were admitted to the top rank. Not only that, but they even took two of the top rank spots!
Such results were too much for many students who didn't study hard but were very persistent in praying to gods and Buddhas. They all rushed to Jiu Tian Yi Temple and even treated the sapling in the courtyard like a wishing tree in a temple, wanting to hang fortune slips on it, but were stopped by the sharp-eyed waiter.
After learning about this, the shopkeeper tried to clarify the matter several times in the store, but it didn't work. So, the shopkeeper wrote ten prohibitions and posted them at the main entrance, which attracted widespread attention.
The story got out of control before it even started, and some people laughed at it while others seemed to be thinking about it.
Xue Jin'an hadn't taken the matter to heart until the Lower Yuan Festival, a traditional day for worshipping ancestors and praying for the coming year. The curfew in the capital was lifted and the celebrations were lively. Many people released Kongming lanterns and Yuanbao river lanterns, all of which were filled with prayers for the blessings of their ancestors.
Then, Xue Jin'an's inbox exploded with messages. Upon opening it, he saw: "[You have received 999+ messages in a bottle]"
Xue Jin'an: "..."
Xue Jin'an scanned and read through the messages using big data analysis and found that most of them were prayers for good results in the imperial examinations. Only a few were mixed in, which were obviously genuine "messages in bottles".
Xue Jin'an originally didn't intend to get involved in this matter, treating it as an accident that would pass after today. However, it seemed as if the message in a bottle had turned on a switch, and from then on, Xue Jin'an received 99+ message in a bottle every day.
At first, it was only related to the imperial examination, but later it started to be about wishing someone good luck in playing cards and drawing the figurines they wanted... Later on, even whether it was better to step in with the left foot first or the right foot first when entering a room, people would send him a message in a bottle to wish him good luck.
Xue Jin'an couldn't understand humans. He hadn't even responded, so why were they getting more and more enthusiastic? Was this human herd mentality?
In the end, in order to avoid having to clear his memory every morning, Xue Jin'an had no choice but to ask the shopkeeper to add a rule to the Nine-Add-One rule: no praying for blessings in one's heart, or one's luck will be deducted if overheard, and praying in the opposite direction is also not allowed.
"I've learned the first bad habit of humankind: lying." Xue Jin'an opened the update log, looked at the newly added skills, and sighed.
However, the results were very good, and Xue Jin'an was very satisfied.
Although Xue Jin'an's emergency regulations relieved him of the overwhelming messages in the bottle, the number of scholars coming and going did not decrease; on the contrary, it subtly increased. They gathered in groups, each with a book in hand, and started chatting about poetry and literature, making the playboys who were really there to have fun feel uncomfortable.
The innkeeper couldn't very well turn away the customers, especially since these scholars might be future officials, even if they were just minor ones. It was best to avoid offending them. So, the innkeeper had two adjacent private rooms prepared and invited them all in.
Fortunately, these people were sensible and not only did not make things difficult for the shopkeeper, but they also contributed enough money to open the private rooms. Later, the shopkeeper thought that perhaps many scholars would come to visit after hearing the rumors next year, so it would be better to convert the two private rooms into reading rooms. It just so happened that there were some unsold old books in the bookstore, so it would be good to bring them over to make up the numbers.
Yes, the exam papers left by the adults who came to see their young master last year can also be put in. The shopkeeper then began to tidy them up.
In the blink of an eye, the two private rooms have been completely transformed.
The scholars, who had come to join the fun and were surprised to find something truly valuable, stared intently at the exam papers in their hands. After a moment of eye contact, they all picked up paper and pens and began working on the questions themselves, offering their critiques and analyses of each other.
The shopkeeper then noticed that more and more scholars were coming to Jiutianyi... Oh well, as long as it makes money, that's fine. The shopkeeper happily started fiddling with the abacus.
Xue Jin'an took all of this into account.
Because of the message in a bottle incident, Xue Jin'an paid much more attention to Jiu Tianyi than before, and visited him more frequently, naturally noticing the changes.
Xue Jin'an did not interfere with the operation of Jiu Tian Yi. After all, although it was nominally his business, he had actually given it to Cui Zui at the very beginning.
Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly noticed Tan Lingyue walking in from outside. Three years had passed, and his features had matured, losing their youthful immaturity. A faint sorrow lingered between his brows. He was talking to the shopkeeper at the counter, but because his back was turned, Xue Jin'an couldn't read his lips.
However, soon there was no need to read anymore. The shopkeeper waved his hand, and a waiter came upstairs to report to him.
"Young Master, Master Tan wishes to see you."
"Let him come." Xue Jin'an nodded, then turned and went into the private room.
Xue Jin'an thought Tan Lingyue had something important to say, but to his surprise, Tan Lingyue burst into tears as soon as she entered the private room and saw him, saying, "Teacher, you have suffered so much. I know everything. I will definitely rescue you from the Emperor's clutches!"
Xue Jin'an slowly typed out a question mark: ?
For the first time, Xue Jin'an felt lost.
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