The tree is still and the wind is still
The cold war between the Emperor and Empress, like the lingering autumn haze over the capital, weighed heavily on the inner and outer palaces. Xiao Jingche became increasingly diligent in his duties, spending almost all of his time in the Palace of Heavenly Purity, and paying little attention to the Kunning Palace. Both the former and harem assumed the Empress's fall from grace was inevitable, and some of the servants who had once relied on Kunning Palace began to waver. Even the Imperial Household Department occasionally delayed or deducted a percentage of Kunning Palace's expenses.
Lu Qinglan was completely oblivious to this, even overlooking several obvious slights, simply instructing Fu Yu to keep the accounts in order. Her daily life was extremely regular, handling palace affairs, visiting Mingde Hall, worshipping Buddha and chanting scriptures, like a truly disillusioned and uncontested queen mother.
However, the tree wants to be still but the wind does not stop.
That day, Lu Qinglan was sitting in meditation in the Buddhist temple when Qingdai quietly walked in and whispered a few words to her. Lu Qinglan paused slightly as she twirled her Buddhist beads and opened her eyes.
"Is the news confirmed?"
"Absolutely true," Qingdai whispered. "I saw it with my own eyes while sorting through old files in the study. Your Majesty has drafted an edict promoting Han Mingyuan to the position of Right Assistant Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate and... ordering him to secretly audit the accounts of officials at all levels who have had dealings with Lingfeng Pavilion over the past three years, especially those involved in military procurement in Jiangnan, along the Grand Canal, and at the border."
As expected, it came. Xiao Jingche intended to use Han Mingyuan, this "lone minister," as a knife to thoroughly investigate her financial lifeline and sever her hand reaching out to the previous dynasty. Han Mingyuan, a man known for his integrity and impartiality in his previous life, would investigate thoroughly now that he had received this secret order.
"I understand." Lu Qinglan closed his eyes again, his tone calm, "Let him investigate."
"Your Majesty..." Qingdai was a little anxious. Lingfeng Pavilion's business network was complex and tangled, and although they had tried their best to conceal it, if someone as stubborn as Han Mingyuan was on their radar, there was no guarantee that there would be no clues.
"Why are you panicking?" Lu Qinglan said calmly. "Lingfeng Pavilion is a place for business. We keep clear accounts and pay taxes according to the law. Why should we fear an audit? Tell Chen Xing to sort out all the visible account books. If Lord Han wants to check, we will fully cooperate. As for those things that are not visible to the public..." She paused. "Those that should be cut off should be cut off immediately; those that should be hidden should be hidden thoroughly. Have Shen Chong's fleet dock less frequently in the near future, and have the goods go via the newly opened land route to the west."
"Yes." Qingdai felt relieved to see her master so calm, and left after taking the order.
The temple returned to silence, with only the lingering scent of sandalwood incense. Lu Qinglan knew that Xiao Jingche's move was both a reckoning and a warning. He was telling her that this world was his, and no one could cross it.
But how could she sit and wait for death? Xiao Jingche had his own imperial mindset, and she also had her own way of survival.
A few days later, Han Mingyuan launched his investigation with swift action. He, along with officers from the Metropolitan Censorate, first sealed off Lingfeng Pavilion's main accounting office in the capital, removing several years' worth of account books for inspection. Chen Xing followed orders with a respectful attitude, keeping the records impeccable. Han Mingyuan investigated for several days but could find no fault, other than discovering that Lingfeng Pavilion's business was vast and profitable, yet it paid taxes according to the law.
Meanwhile, Zhao Tieshou had made an unexpected discovery. Ordered to monitor officials closely associated with Han Mingyuan, he discovered that one of them, a newly promoted deputy minister of the Ministry of Works, had been acting suspiciously at a calligraphy and painting shop in the west of the city called "Moyunzhai." Zhao Tieshou managed to infiltrate the shop and, unexpectedly, uncovered several copies of letters in a hidden compartment, handwritten in the style of the deceased steward of Prince An's mansion. The letters involved laundering project funds and... offering "health-preserving elixirs" to a "noble" in the palace!
Pills! Another pill! Although the letter didn't refer to the kind of elixir from Yongquan Temple, but rather some ordinary tonic, the idea of "offering it to a noble in the palace" made Lu Qinglan's heart tremble. Prince An fell, but was this connection still operating in secret? This Minister of Works was one of the upstarts Han Mingyuan relied on. Was his involvement a coincidence, or...
Lu Qinglan immediately ordered Zhao Tieshou to remain silent and simply transcribe the contents of the letter. She needed to understand whether this was the last gasp of the remaining forces of Prince An, or if the hidden "Ninth Brother" had changed his tactics.
Just when Han Mingyuan got nothing and was in a state of panic in Lingfeng Pavilion, several censors in the Censorate who had always been at odds with him suddenly jointly submitted a memorial to impeach the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Works for embezzling project funds and living an extravagant life, and attached some letters seized from "Moyunzhai" as evidence!
The evidence was irrefutable, and the official was immediately imprisoned. This incident caused considerable uproar within the court, and put Han Mingyuan in an awkward position. The fact that the upstart he had so enthusiastically recommended turned out to be a corrupt official was undoubtedly a huge blow to his poor judgment of people. Although Xiao Jingche didn't blame Han Mingyuan, his gaze towards him was already filled with scrutiny.
Inside Kunning Palace, Lu Qinglan listened to Fu Yu's report, a cold arc forming on the corners of her lips. She didn't attack Han Mingyuan directly, but simply pushed him forward, exposing the chess piece that had been caught in the crossfire. This served as a warning to Han Mingyuan and also a warning to Xiao Jingche—this pool of water was far deeper than he had imagined.
"Your Majesty, His Majesty..." Fu Yu was a little worried. Although this move was neat, it inevitably made Xiao Jingche more suspicious that the Queen was manipulating it behind the scenes.
"That's all right." Lu Qinglan said calmly, "I've lived in the inner palace for a long time and haven't been involved in external affairs. How could I possibly know the secrets of the officials of the previous dynasty? It's just that the net of heaven is vast and wide, and nothing can escape it."
She cleared herself of all charges. Even if Xiao Jingche had suspicions, he couldn't do anything to her without evidence.
However, after this incident, the rift between the emperor and empress had deepened into a chasm. Although Xiao Jingche hadn't taken any further action against Lingfeng Pavilion, he had tightened his surveillance of Kunning Palace. Lu Qinglan felt as if he were trapped in an invisible cage, surrounded by cold gazes.
But she was not afraid.
The wind does not stop even when the trees are still, so let the wind blow even harder.
She wanted to see whether she, the tree with deep roots, would be broken first in this violent storm, or whether the violent wind that tried to control everything would run out of power and die first.
This chess game has reached the middle stage, and it is full of dangers. Every step must be taken with caution.
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