Another official chimed in sarcastically, "Indeed. The eldest son of the Xin family now serves under the Sixth Prince and is said to be highly regarded. As for the Xin family's daughter... she seems to be 'visiting' the Sixth Prince's residence as well? Heh, no wonder the Xin family is so 'wise and righteous,' giving away a thousand taels of silver in one go. It seems they received some 'advice' from a noble person!"
These words were met with several knowing chuckles from the audience. The implication was that Xiao Xun was abusing his power for personal gain, and even suggested an ambiguous relationship between Xin Jiuwei and Xiao Xun, implying that the Xin family's money was ill-gotten.
Xiao Jue's smile remained unchanged, but a cold smugness flashed in his eyes. He took a sip of wine and said slowly, "Gentlemen, you flatter me. It's only natural for my sixth brother to be considerate of his subordinates and their families. However, donations should be voluntary and within one's means. The Xin family's 'generosity' makes the other gentry in the area seem somewhat... insufficient. I'm afraid things will be difficult for Prefect Zhao." With these few words, he not only confirmed Xiao Xun's suspicion of "abusing his power for personal gain" but also put the Xin family in the spotlight, implying that their "generosity" might provoke dissatisfaction among other gentry and create difficulties for local officials.
The discussions at the banquet grew even louder. Rumors, filled with malice and prying, began to spread quietly in certain circles of the capital, like drops of ink in clear water. They concerned how the Sixth Prince Xiao Xun had "taken care" of the Xin family, how the Xin family's daughter had "gained favor," and the "true source" of the Xin family's huge sum of money.
These rumors soon reached Xiao Xun's ears.
"Your Highness, the rumors circulating about the Second Prince are getting rather outrageous." You Ye stood in the study, his face grave as he reported the gossip. "They're not only accusing His Highness of abusing his power for personal gain and enriching himself, but... they've also dragged Miss Xin into it, using extremely offensive language. If this continues, it could damage His Highness's reputation and Miss Xin's name!"
Xiao Xun sat behind his desk, toying with a cold jade thumb ring in his hand. His face was expressionless, only his eyes held a layer of unyielding iciness. He remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking, his voice low and cold: "Xiao Jue... can't sit still anymore."
He put down the jade thumb ring, his knuckles tapping lightly on the smooth rosewood table, producing a soft, resonant sound. "Now that Qi Huaiyu is a useless pawn, he's looking for another excuse to cause me trouble. Making a fuss over a lowly local gentry, and even dragging... her into it." Xiao Xun's eyes suddenly sharpened, an invisible pressure spreading out. "Despicable methods."
"Your Highness, should we..." You Ye's eyes flashed with a fierce light as he made a gesture. He meant whether they should resort to some extreme measures to silence those who were gossiping.
“No need.” Xiao Xun raised his hand to stop him, a cold smile curving his lips. “It’s better to guide than to block. Since he wants to play, I’ll play along.” He pondered for a moment, then ordered, “Have Zhao Dezhang compile a detailed report on the income and expenditure of the Yuncheng River project funds, as well as the list and amounts of all the gentry who donated, and present it directly to the Emperor. Be quick.”
"Yes!" You Ye immediately understood. This was to lay everything bare before the emperor in a straightforward manner. It was a fact that the Xin family had donated one thousand taels, but as long as the accounts were clear and the source was legitimate (Xiao Xun's private accounts were untraceable), it was a righteous act! How much other gentry had donated would be obvious. Who was "not doing enough" and who was "making things difficult for local officials" would be self-evident. This move, cutting off their supply lines, was enough to render Xiao Jue's veiled slanders completely ineffective, and might even turn the tables on them.
"Furthermore," Xiao Xun's voice grew even colder, "investigate those censors who were the loudest at the banquet. I want to see if their own households, and the behinds of their relatives and friends, are truly spotless."
"Understood!" A glint flashed in You Ye's eyes. This was a counterattack! Not only to clear his own name, but also to expose the enemy's weakness!
You Ye accepted the order and left. Only Xiao Xun remained in the study. He stood up, walked to the window, and looked out at the deep night. He didn't care about the rumors. But involving her… Xiao Jue was courting death. The coldness in his eyes was tangible, like poisoned icicles.
Xin Jiuwei was unaware of these undercurrents. She only noticed that the atmosphere in the mansion seemed more tense than usual these past few days, You Ye was entering and leaving Xiao Xun's study more frequently, and the cold and stern look between Xiao Xun's brows seemed to have intensified.
That day, she went to Xin Yunzhou's room as usual. Xin Yunzhou was in much better spirits and was stretching his arms and legs by the window.
"Brother, how are you feeling today?" Xin Jiuwei put down the snacks she had brought.
"Much better. Miss Lin said that in another half month, I can throw away this cane," Xin Yunzhou said with a smile, then lowered his voice, "Wei'er, are you aware... there are some rumors going around?"
Xin Jiuwei was taken aback: "What rumors?"
Looking into his sister's clear eyes, Xin Yunzhou hesitated for a moment before recounting some of the less offensive things he had heard about the donations to Yuncheng, Xiao Xun's "favor," and even the insinuations against Xin Jiuwei. "...It seems the Second Prince is intentionally spreading rumors. Wei'er, are you... alright in the manor? His Highness..." Xin Yunzhou's eyes held worry and a hint of wariness. He didn't want his sister to be involved in these sordid political infightings, and he was even more worried that the rumors would harm her.
Xin Jiuwei's face paled slightly upon hearing this. She hadn't expected that the Second Prince would exploit such a trivial matter in Yuncheng, turning it into a weapon against Xiao Xun and dragging her into it as well! Those words… although Xin Yunzhou had phrased them euphemistically, she could imagine how harsh they were. A wave of humiliation and anger surged within her.
“Brother, I’m fine.” Xin Jiuwei took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in her heart. “That sum of money was donated by His Highness in the name of the Xin family using his own private account. His Highness did it to help the family out of a predicament, and also for the river works. As for the rest…” She bit her lip, “The innocent will clear themselves. I believe His Highness will handle it well.”
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