Chapter 34
As Wei Luoshang walked out of Qixiang Palace, he was filled with doubt. Why was the emperor so benevolent today? For the first time in history, he allowed him to leave the palace and meet with civil officials.
It should be noted that in the past, it was only through the great efforts of his teachers and other civil officials that he was able to be allowed to study.
Because Emperor Yongzhen lost power in his childhood, he held absolute power for a long time and was extremely sensitive about the Crown Prince's private association with civil officials. But now... Wei Luo couldn't understand it.
Actually, the matter isn't that complicated. The Crown Prince will be twenty after the New Year and can assist in handling state affairs. The seditious book openly attacks the Emperor's intention to change the heir apparent, and one of the ironclad pieces of evidence is that the foundation of the state has been established, but the officials in the Eastern Palace are not yet ready.
The so-called "officials serving in the Eastern Palace" were those who assisted the Crown Prince. From the emperor's perspective, this represented a division of power and another form of "factionalism." Emperors, having ruled for a long time, had their own trusted ministers. Once officials serving in the Eastern Palace were appointed, it became a power struggle between the emperor's faction and the Crown Prince's faction.
The emperor will eventually grow old, while the crown prince, like the rising sun, is flourishing. Therefore, officials will inevitably flock to the crown prince, vying to flatter him and offer advice, thus forming a powerful force that opposes the emperor.
Being an emperor is difficult, but being a crown prince is even more difficult. You can't be too good, or the emperor will be wary of you; you can't be too bad, or the emperor will think you're stupid and incapable of governing the country.
Wei Luo will participate in politics after the New Year, but for Emperor Yongzhen, there is not much difference between now and after the New Year, as power will eventually be divided among the Crown Prince.
In his view, the seditious book was ostensibly aimed at the Shen family and the Grand Secretary, but it was actually more likely directed at him. Since some people were worried about the Crown Prince's unstable position, he should send the Crown Prince to the front line in person, which would not only dispel the rumors but also deter the Grand Secretary's faction.
It was a win-win situation; how could the emperor refuse?
Inside Cining Palace, Liu Heng was directing a group of guards in preparation for leaving the palace, while not far from the Eastern Palace, at the Ministry of Justice, a scheming act of sowing discord was unfolding.
Fortresses are often easily breached from within, a principle Xu Xuan understood well.
Logically speaking, Grand Secretary Liu Zhengxin, Minister of Justice Xiao Da'an, and Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard Wang Zhen were allies and should have helped each other. However, according to his observation, Liu Zhengxin clearly trusted Wang Zhen, whom he had personally promoted, more.
Rivalry is common among colleagues. Even though they are both in the judicial department, Liu Zhengxin preferred to entrust the power of trial to the Imperial Prison rather than the Ministry of Justice, which shows that Xiao Da'an is not as good as Wang Zhen.
Xiao Da'an is already a high-ranking official in the Ministry of Justice. The next step is to enter the Grand Secretariat. He urgently needs to make a contribution to impress the emperor and also needs the strong support of the Grand Secretary.
So, after learning that Han Yu was imprisoned in the Imperial Prison, Xu Xuan racked his brains all night and came up with a brilliant plan: before anyone could react, he would snatch Han Yu out of the Imperial Prison and imprison him in the Ministry of Justice's dungeon. Thus:
First, control the interrogation authority over the demonic book to prevent Han Yu from making indiscriminate accusations.
Second, snatching the prize from Wang Zhen's mouth will inevitably cause conflict between Xiao Da'an and Wang Zhen, which can weaken the Grand Secretary's faction;
Third, take the opportunity to give your leader a great achievement, thereby gaining Xiao Da'an's trust and being given important responsibilities.
From any perspective, seizing Hanyu is imperative.
"Minister Xiao, regarding the author of the demonic book, my investigation yesterday yielded new results." Xu Xuan said respectfully, "This person is named Han Yu. He was once a scholar and has been imprisoned multiple times for extortion. Not long ago, he also extorted... my father-in-law, Shen Guoan."
"Oh?" Xiao Da'an immediately became interested.
Xu Xuan coughed a few times and continued, "Yesterday, I went to Jiangnan Hutong and asked the local beggars. They all said that the person who distributed the demonic book was Han Yu. The beggars can all testify to this."
"Really?" Xiao Da'an was extremely excited and hurriedly asked, "Where is Han Yu now?"
Xu Xuan lowered his eyelashes and said in a low voice, "He committed a crime and is imprisoned in the imperial prison." He paused and then added, "His crime has nothing to do with the demonic book, and Wang Zhen is unaware that he is imprisoned in the imperial prison."
A smile immediately appeared on Xiao Da'an's face. He was surprised and delighted that the culprit in the demon book case had been caught so quickly, but... on someone else's turf!
The Emperor was fixated on the case of the seditious book, urging people to arrest it every day. Whoever caught the author of the seditious book would be credited with the greatest merit and would surely be rewarded by the Emperor. Moreover, the Grand Secretary would also gain face.
He kept thinking to himself, his expression unchanged, but his question was meaningful: "Ziwei, you did well. So what do you plan to do now?"
The fish has taken the bait.
Xu Xuan immediately tensed up. He raised his eyelids and lowered his posture to the extreme. "Your Excellency, I believe we should arrest Han Yu, imprison him in the Ministry of Justice's jail, and firmly grasp the power of interrogation in our own hands."
When the topic of interrogation power came up, Xiao Da'an felt a tightness in his chest. During the last joint trial by the three judicial departments, although it was ostensibly the Ministry of Justice that conducted the trial, in reality, all the control was in the hands of Wang Zhen. He, the dignified head of the judiciary, was like a puppet, manipulated by others.
There's no credit for our hard work, but this time Han Yu is indeed involved with the demonic book, so we can't back down.
Xiao Da'an looked directly at Xu Xuan and smiled, "But he's in prison; it's not right to snatch him!"
Xu Xuan returned the smile. He calmly took out a letter from his sleeve and handed it over. "Early this morning, the Ministry of Justice received a letter from the public reporting that the author of the seditious book is Han Yu. Therefore, it is perfectly legitimate for us to go to the imperial prison to arrest the criminals."
Xiao Da'an smiled and nodded. After reading it, he handed it back to Xu Xuan and patted him on the shoulder to show his closeness and encouragement. "Work hard. You'll be my right-hand man from now on."
Xu Xuan bowed respectfully and left the Ministry of Justice office.
*
Outside the imperial prison, Xu Xuan led a dozen or so men from his unit. The Ministry of Justice had already prepared the official document for Han Yu's arrest. In addition, Han Yu was being secretly imprisoned, and Wang Zhen had no idea who he was. He was not an important prisoner, so the Embroidered Uniform Guard did not ask any questions. Therefore, Xu Xuan took Han Yu away very smoothly.
It wasn't until an hour later that Wang Zhen learned from his subordinates that the Ministry of Justice had come to take someone away.
Wang Zhen was very clever; he immediately sensed something was wrong. That old fox Xiao Da'an must have something fishy about sending people to the imperial prison to arrest someone.
He asked around and learned that it was Xu Xuan who had brought people. He keenly sensed that this matter was related to the demonic book, so he asked the Imperial Guards who had accompanied Xu Xuan yesterday, and only then did he learn about the matter of Han Yu.
"Damn it, they snatched someone from my hands, that's really something."
It's disheartening when something you've almost got slipped away. Wang Zhen flew into a rage, berating his subordinates mercilessly, but still couldn't vent his anger. He immediately decided to complain to the Grand Secretary.
Today was destined to be an unlucky day. Before Wang Zhen could even step out of the prison gates, the large and imposing Eastern Palace Guards arrived.
The head guard rode a tall horse and specifically asked to see Wang Zhen, which was obviously what Wei Luo wanted to see.
Liu Shen's residence was surrounded by Wang Zhen's men. In addition, Wei Luo had suffered at the hands of the Embroidered Uniform Guard before, and now he wanted revenge. Wei Luo came here as soon as he smelled the scent.
Poor Wang Zhen, he had just been stabbed in the back by his accomplices, and now the Crown Prince was seeking revenge. He was going crazy.
The Eastern Palace Guards arrived in great force, numbering over three hundred men, and their formation was extremely large. Wang Zhen immediately recognized that it was only after the Emperor's approval that the Crown Prince was allowed to leave the palace to carry out his duties.
Wei Luo sat inside the carriage while Wang Zhen bowed outside. Since Wei Luo didn't say anything, Wang Zhen had to stand there the whole time. The cold wind was biting, and Wang Zhen was shivering from the cold.
Wei Luo didn't go too far, only ignoring him for a while before saying, "I am here on imperial orders to inform you that all the Embroidered Uniform Guards must withdraw from Liu Shen's residence immediately."
"What?" Wang Zhen twitched his ears, thinking he had misheard, and asked again loudly, "The Embroidered Uniform Guards are to withdraw from the Liu residence? We haven't received any notification from the Cabinet, and besides, surrounding the Liu residence is also to facilitate the verification of testimonies..."
"Wang Zhen," Wei Luo interrupted him angrily, his tone chilling, "I said, I am acting on the Emperor's orders. When has the Cabinet ever been more authoritative than the Emperor's will?"
Wei Luo invoked the emperor's name again, and Wang Zhen dared not disobey the imperial decree. He repeatedly bowed his head and said, "I dare not."
"In that case, you shall come with me on this trip."
As soon as Wei Luo finished speaking, a guard stepped forward and asked Wang Zhen to walk.
Wang Zhen looked up, surprise in his eyes. The Crown Prince wanted him to go personally, all the way there!
He hurriedly made an excuse to refuse: "Your Highness, I have important matters to attend to and cannot delay. Please forgive me for not being able to go."
It was obvious that Wei Luo was there to make things difficult for him, and he knew that if he went there, he would not only be humiliated by Liu Shen, but also ridiculed by his colleagues.
He can't afford to lose face.
Wang Zhen didn't want to go, but Wei Luo insisted that he go, saying, "A promise is a promise. Since I have said it, I will go with you. If you have something to do, you can do it first. I will wait for you."
Wei Luo's attitude was firm, indicating that he wouldn't leave unless Wang Zhen went. Several hundred Imperial Guards blocking the entrance to the Imperial Prison was truly outrageous, and besides, Wang Zhen didn't have the audacity to let the Crown Prince and his entourage reason with him.
If that's the case, the impeachment memorial from the censors the next day would probably drown him.
Despite the freezing weather, Wang Zhen broke out in a sweat. He looked up at the sky and saw that the sun was already high in the sky. If he set off for the Liu residence now, he could probably still make it for lunch.
He sighed, then gritted his teeth in resignation: "I will go."
Inside the carriage, Wei Luo's eyes flickered, and he chuckled softly, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Commander."
With a command, the wheels began to turn, and Wang Zhen followed the Crown Prince's carriage, passing through the streets and alleys, euphemistically called "escorting the emperor."
"I've heard that the Embroidered Uniform Guard has arrested quite a few people. How's the interrogation going regarding the 'seditious book'? Have they caught any criminals?"
Wei Luo's voice came from inside the carriage. Wang Zhen was taken aback and replied, "Your Highness, we are still investigating."
Wei Luo scoffed, "Still investigating? How many days has it been? So many people from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Eastern Depot, and the Five Cities Garrison, and they still haven't caught anyone? They've been training for a thousand days to use them for one. Governor Wang, don't you think it's time to clean up the troops?"
"Your Highness is right, but with so many demonic books everywhere, it's really impossible to know where to begin. Besides, the departments are too numerous, and transferring people would take time..."
Wang Zhen poured out his grievances to Wei Luo. As for Han Yu's matter, he still kept it a secret. Internal strife is one thing, but dealing with outsiders is another. This needs to be clearly understood.
The two chatted idly, with Wei Luo asking questions and Wang Zhen answering. After turning a few corners, they arrived at the Liu residence. The gate was still guarded by Imperial Guards, who carried embroidered spring knives and diligently carried out their orders, guarding the place day and night.
From afar, he saw a large group of people approaching. Upon closer inspection, he realized they were from the Eastern Palace. He was startled and hurriedly went forward to greet them.
"Your subject, Shen Fan, commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, greets Your Highness the Crown Prince." Shen Fan bowed respectfully.
Glancing at Wang Zhen out of the corner of his eye, Shen Fan saw that he was covered in sweat and panting heavily. He realized that the Crown Prince had come to cause trouble. Even his superior was in trouble, so he—the Shen family—was probably going to suffer even more.
Thinking of this, Shen Fan adopted an even more humble posture.
Wang Zhen, who was standing nearby, thought the same thing.
When he was choosing people to guard the gate, he specifically chose Shen Fan because she was a member of the Shen family. To harm Shen Fan was to harm the Imperial Noble Consort Shen. He wanted to see if the Crown Prince had the guts.
The air seemed to freeze.
Shen Fan bowed, but the Crown Prince ignored him. Just as he was about to raise his voice again, the carriage curtain was suddenly lifted, and Wei Luo got out of the carriage.
No need for formalities.
Wei Luo's voice seemed casual. He glanced at Shen Fan briefly before looking away and focusing on the plaque of the Liu residence.
Looks like I still don't dare!
Just as Wang Zhengang was thinking this, Wei Luo spoke up the next moment, "Go inside and bring out Grand Secretary Liu. Also, gather all the Embroidered Uniform Guards."
Shen Fan had just straightened his back when he heard these words, and he bent over again. He couldn't very well ask his boss to go and fetch someone, could he?
Glancing at Wang Zhen, and seeing his grim expression, Shen Fan immediately said, "Your subject will go right away."
Shen Fan ran and walked away from the place.
Thus, Wang Zhen's task fell to assembling the Embroidered Uniform Guards. About twenty Embroidered Uniform Guards, including those from the front and back gates, were assembled when Liu Shen arrived.
After Liu Shen finished his greetings, the palace eunuchs brought over three chairs. Wei Luo personally helped Liu Shen to his seat, then took the seat of honor himself, with Wang Zhen's seat at the end.
Wang Zhen forced a smile, expressing her gratitude to the Crown Prince. As for Shen Fan, she stood beside Wang Zhen, trying her best to make herself inconspicuous.
With everything prepared, Wei Luo began to stir things up: "I have long heard that the Embroidered Uniform Guards are all exceptionally skilled, each capable of taking on a hundred men. Today is a cold day, perfect for stretching one's muscles and bones. How about we have the Embroidered Uniform Guards and the Crown Prince's Guards have a friendly spar, stopping when they've reached a point of no return? What does Commander Wang think?"
What could he do? The preparations were all set, how could Wang Zhen refuse? Besides, the Embroidered Uniform Guard might not necessarily lose in the contest. Wang Zhen forced a smile, his eyes sweeping over Shen Fan like knives. Shen Fan felt his scalp tingle, he felt like he was going to be carried home today.
As expected, Wang Zhen pushed Shen Fan to accept the challenge first. The head guard received a signal from Wei Luo and selected a few people from the guard team to compete with Shen Fan.
Unexpectedly, the martial arts skills of the people from the Eastern Palace were no match for Shen Fan. He easily beat them until they were rolling on the ground, crying out in pain and begging for mercy.
Shen Fan was pleasantly surprised; he suddenly felt that he was doing alright.
Wang Zhen was also surprised that the guards of the Eastern Palace were so incompetent in martial arts. He glanced cautiously at Wei Luo, afraid that the other would feel embarrassed, but to his surprise, Wei Luo was very excited and even stood up to clap and cheer!
None of the people present could understand it. Could it be that the Crown Prince was just acting on a whim and simply wanted to have a contest?
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