Chapter 106 Wanting to Send My Rival Out
Inside the Chaohua Hall of the East Palace, the fragrance of sandalwood wafted through the air, and the bronze water clock in the corner emitted a regular, even ticking sound.
Pei Siyan sat lazily in the rosewood chair, crumpling a secret report into a ball and throwing it on the ground with his well-defined fingers.
He let out a long breath and then raised his hand to rub his temples. Was she so desperate for money that she went crazy?
That white jade chessboard cost nearly six thousand taels of silver, but she pawned it for one thousand taels, and that silly maidservant went back happily.
What a waste!
If he had known that she only loved gold and silver, why would he have bothered to find her rare treasures?
Oh well, Bao Hui Pawnshop is his private property anyway, so let her pawn it if she wants to. Consider it a monthly allowance for her.
At this moment, Eunuch Anxi bowed and entered, reporting, "Your Highness, Minister Shen from the Ministry of Justice has arrived."
Anxi, the eunuch, brought over a chair, and Pei Siyan gestured for Shen Jin, the Minister of Justice, to sit down.
Shen Jin asked, "I wonder what Your Highness has summoned me for?"
Pei Siyan pulled a secret manual out of the box and handed it over, saying, "Take a look first, then we'll talk."
Shen Jin took the secret record and carefully read through it, but the more he read, the more alarmed he became, and fine beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead. He vaguely remembered that Lin Wenkai, the Imperial Censor, had once submitted a memorial to investigate corruption in Jiangnan, but because no concrete evidence was available, the matter was eventually dropped.
If this evidence were handed over, it's likely that most of the officials in the country would be implicated.
Shen Jin felt a sense of unease and, after a long pause, said, "Your Highness, have you already found the account books?"
Pei Siyan sat lazily in the rosewood chair, nodding slightly. "Of course there is. When I was inspecting salt in Jiangzhe, the extent of corruption in salt taxation in Jiangnan was astonishing. Beneath the rotten leaves, the rotten roots spread far and wide."
"Whether it's military supplies or salt tax, whether it's the long-standing corruption in Jiangnan or the officialdom of the court, with the top setting an example and corruption becoming rampant, how could a mere assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue embezzle such a huge amount of military supplies?"
Pei Siyan tapped the table with his fingers, a hint of murderous intent flashing in his eyes. "The rampant corruption cannot be tolerated. We must investigate cases thoroughly. He Jun alone is not worth the death. Corruption can indeed serve as a warning to others and have a slight deterrent effect."
"If we continue to let this go unchecked, the Great Zhou dynasty will one day fall into the hands of these parasites... What do you think, Lord Shen?"
Shen Jin wiped the sweat from his trembling hands, feeling as if he were holding a book of life and death in his hands.
He had just been reprimanded by Prime Minister Meng yesterday, and today, as soon as he finished his shift, he was invited to the Eastern Palace.
Having served as an official for many years, he knew perfectly well that He Yun's corruption case had clearly stirred up a hornet's nest. The Prince Rui and the Crown Prince's infighting had spilled over into the inner circle, causing immense suffering to their subordinates.
If the Crown Prince insists on presenting this evidence to the Emperor, it will surely enrage the Emperor, and the positions of the Grand Secretaries will likely have to be reassigned.
But the Crown Prince showed him the evidence? Didn't he also want to avoid making a big fuss?
Shen Jin, fearing he might misunderstand his deeper meaning, said, "Your Highness, please forgive my ignorance."
Pei Siyan said calmly, "Killing is easy, saving is difficult, especially in a great country like ours. The Western Barbarians and the Northern Barbarians have been making unusual moves recently."
Shen Jin's heart sank as he observed his expression. "You lowly barbarians, do you really dare to start a war?"
Pei Siyan's expression was grave. "This time, we mustn't let anyone die in jail!"
Upon hearing this, Shen Jin looked slightly ashamed. He was truly responsible for the deaths of those two people from the kiln at the Ministry of Justice.
For the sake of the greater good, His Highness the Crown Prince had no choice but to compromise.
He still needs to carefully consider how to balance the delicate relationship between them.
Pei Siyan looked at him, then changed the subject, "Lord Shen, your son is handsome and a rare young talent. Is he married?"
Shen Jin was puzzled, wondering why he would care about Shen Yanzhou. Did he intend to arrange a marriage? In the past, Meng Jingshu had been chasing after Yanzhou every day. Their two families were related, and their parents had almost tacitly approved of the marriage.
But Emperor Muzong directly snatched away the daughter-in-law he had chosen. He had no way to express his suffering. They thought Shen Yanzhou would be depressed for a while, but he acted as if nothing had happened, which puzzled them.
Shen Jin replied truthfully, "To be honest, we had secretly arranged a marriage for him before, but the opportunity wasn't right, and the girl married someone else."
Even Shen Yanzhou has a day when he is disliked?
Pei Siyan seemed intrigued, smiled, and said, "Oh? Your son is exceptionally capable, cautious, and upright—a rare and excellent official. He has been staying in Tianning City, and it will be very difficult for him to advance further. As the saying goes, 'Without experiencing the prefectures and counties, one cannot aspire to the central government.'"
"The situation in the court is chaotic. Why not consider retiring while the tide is high and your son can gain experience in the provinces? He will be able to enter the cabinet and become prime minister in the future."
"Your Highness, please allow me to go back and consider it."
With a heavy heart, Shen Jin returned to his residence and immediately ordered someone to summon Shen Yanzhou to speak with him.
The Crown Prince's suggestion couldn't be clearer: it satisfied the Shen family's desire to be upright officials while keeping them out of the fray, thus protecting the Shen family and keeping them away from Tianning City and the court's infighting. From both a public and private perspective, this was the best choice for the Shen family.
He truly did not want Shen Yanzhou to fall into the danger of vying for the throne.
"Yanzhou, do you have someone you love?"
Shen Yanzhou was taken aback for a moment, then fell into deep thought. After a long while, he finally spoke, "Father wants to arrange a marriage for his son?"
Shen Jin's expression was complicated. "The Shen family is open-minded. If you have someone you like, just tell your father, and he will arrange a marriage for you."
Shen Yanzhou subconsciously wanted to nod, but since he hadn't yet expressed his feelings and didn't know what she was thinking, he shook his head and said, "Nothing for now."
Shen Jin breathed a sigh of relief. "If there were an opportunity to be transferred to a local post, would you be willing?"
Suddenly, Dou Wenyi's incomparably beautiful face appeared in Shen Yanzhou's mind, and he said firmly, "I'm not willing for now."
——
As dusk settled, Dou Wenyi, carrying a box of silver notes, boarded a carriage and braved the drizzle to head towards the famous entertainment district of Tianning City.
Cuizhi beamed, "Miss, the price offered by Baohui Pawnshop is really reasonable."
She never expected that they would pay nearly ten thousand taels of silver for just a few items. It seems that the things His Highness the Crown Prince bestowed upon his young lady were truly good things.
Suddenly remembering something, she couldn't help but remind him, "What if His Highness finds out you've pawned everything and blames you...?"
Dou Wenyi lowered her eyes, and based on the incident when she went to the Shen family to drink plum wine last time, she deduced that Pei Siyan had already sent people to monitor her.
So at first she only had Cuizhi pawn the white jade chessboard, and it was only a day later that she asked Cuizhi to pawn other items.
He must be aware of his own actions, and the fact that he didn't stop her means he won't interfere.
Therefore, Dou Wenyi dared to act recklessly, determined to exchange all the useless things for silver. She would then use the silver to generate more silver, and then hoard rice and grain. After all, this winter was a once-in-a-century cold winter.
Dou Wenyi smiled faintly, "What's there to be afraid of? If anyone's to blame, it's me."
That's why she met with Princess Fu'an today – to make a fortune!
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