Chapter 707 Collaboration - A Test
Since it wasn't specifically called the Royalists, it must be a name for young people like them.
After mentally reviewing all the ministers, Yun Yichen could only think of Ji Wenjin as a candidate.
Just as he was wondering, Ji Wenjin and Lu Hexuan walked in hand in hand.
"Your Majesty, we pay our respects!" The two men kowtowed to the emperor.
Once everyone had arrived, the emperor waved his hand and said, "Rise, my two ministers."
After the two men had stood still, the emperor looked at them and said, "I have summoned you here today to entrust you with a few matters."
As the emperor spoke, eunuchs brought out three copies of the documents.
“These are old case files from previous years. Because they involve a wide range of issues, they were stored in the Dali Temple. They were unearthed yesterday when the Dali Temple was sorting through the case files. After much consideration, I think it is more appropriate for you young people to investigate these three case files.”
As the emperor spoke, he waved to the eunuch, who immediately brought the dossier to Lu Changqing.
Then the emperor continued, "The fourth prince and Ji Qing will form one group, the fifth prince and the virtuous prince will form another group, and the last group will be the chief minister and Gu Qing. Your group will be responsible for coordinating the investigation and will give me a reply in five days."
The emperor's words seemed to be a precaution against the involvement of officials, which is why he chose people who had nothing to do with these cases. However, Gu Renjie and the fourth prince both understood that the emperor's so-called case files were actually a test for his three sons.
"Your Majesty, we obey."
Although the crowd had some doubts about the emperor's words, they still had to bow respectfully to him on the surface.
Starting with the fourth prince, the three groups each took a file and left.
After everyone had left, the emperor immediately summoned the commander of the Imperial Guards.
"What are your orders, Your Majesty?" the commander of the Imperial Guards asked.
The emperor gave a look to the old eunuch beside him, who immediately led everyone in the hall away.
Inside the room, the emperor, who was alone with the commander of the Imperial Guards, said directly, "Find a few reliable people to supervise these men and have them report the latest news daily."
As the emperor's confidant, the commander of the Imperial Guards naturally understood the emperor's intentions. The reason he devised this plan was entirely to eliminate any remaining concerns in his mind.
"I obey the decree."
The commander of the Imperial Guards bowed to the emperor and took his leave without asking why.
The three groups returned to the yamen and reviewed the case file. They then analyzed the contents of the file that same day.
Because Lu Yuanbin was paired with Lu Hexuan, he did most of the work by himself. As for Lu Hexuan, he just nodded and agreed, and then sat there doing nothing.
In contrast, the other two groups, whether it was Ji Wenjin, Gu Renjie, or Yun Yichen, were all discussing collaboration among themselves.
It is said that there is no harm without comparison. At first, Lu Yuanbin thought it was fine to make decisions on his own, but seeing others dividing the work and cooperating, his uncle seemed to be non-existent, and Lu Yuanbin gradually became uncomfortable.
Back at his residence that evening, Lu Yuanbin said to his advisors in a fit of anger, "What does Father mean by this? It's just an old case file. Is it really necessary for me to investigate it personally?"
Lu Yuanbin only had a case of corruption involving a county magistrate, which listed a lot of evidence of the magistrate's embezzlement, some of which seemed to imply that his superiors were also involved. But such trivial evidence was hardly worth investigating.
But the emperor had to dig up this particular file, and Lu Yuanbin realized that his father was truly getting old.
Otherwise, this matter, which has been going on for many years, could have been handled by any minister; there would have been no need for him to come personally.
Seeing Lu Yuanbin's exasperation, the advisor observed his expression and said, "His Majesty has unearthed three files this time and has also summoned some of the youngest and most trusted officials in the court. This shows that His Majesty wants to test you all."
The advisors, unaware of Gu Renjie's identity, could not possibly have imagined that this was a test for the three princes.
Since so many officials were implicated, the staff assumed it was a test from the emperor for them.
One of the advisors nodded in agreement, "I think so too. Since His Majesty has entrusted this matter, it certainly cannot be just to settle these old scores. Moreover, the Fourth Prince is also involved this time. I believe this is also His Majesty's way of testing the two princes."
Lu Yuanbin could not possibly have been unaware of what his advisors were saying, but the thought of Lu Hexuan's domineering demeanor made him feel as if a thorn was stuck in his throat.
"Even so, why did Father Emperor give Lu Hexuan to me alone?"
Clearly, any of those other candidates were more useful than Lu Hexuan, but the emperor still chose to give him Lu Hexuan.
Lu Yuanbin's dissatisfaction with Lu Hexuan escalated to a new level.
Upon hearing this, the staff members all turned to look.
They knew Lu Yuanbin was genuinely angry, but no one dared to step in and get caught in the crossfire.
"Your Highness should perhaps think this way," an aide said, stepping forward when no one else spoke.
Lu Yuanbin looked over, making the advisor's heart skip a beat, but he still forced a smile and explained, "The Prince Xian is His Majesty's only living brother. Since this is His Majesty's test for the officials and the two princes, placing the Prince Xian in the princes' group, can we say that His Majesty actually prefers His Majesty?"
After his advisor finished speaking, Lu Yuanbin's frustration dissipated considerably.
Considering Lu Hexuan's identity, this explanation doesn't seem unreasonable.
Because the emperor valued him highly, he specially arranged for his brothers to supervise him, ostensibly to assist him, but in reality, he wanted to see how capable his son was.
While the other individuals were also favored by the emperor, none held the same weight as the virtuous prince.
Once Lu Yuanbin understood this, he suddenly stopped being irritable. He softened instantly and even seemed a little happy.
The staff breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this.
I don't know why, but the Fifth Prince used to be a very easy-going person. Even when he was angry, he had the demeanor of a superior.
But now the Fifth Prince has become increasingly unpredictable, and even his temper has become much more volatile than before.
"I'm afraid I'll need your help to review the case file. If there's anything that's been handled improperly, I can correct it when I go to the yamen tomorrow."
The Fifth Prince's mood changed faster than flipping through a book, and everyone had gotten used to it by now, so they all hurriedly agreed to help look at the documents.
In the main courtyard, a maidservant, seeing that Luo Yuying was about to go to sleep, couldn't help but ask, "I heard that His Highness is discussing matters with the gentlemen. Doesn't the Princess Consort intend to wait for His Highness to come?"
The maid's words made Luo Yuying chuckle involuntarily, "Let's just forget about it when he gets here!"
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