Chapter 49: Are you making it clear that you're going to be my enemy from now on?
Feng Tan looked at the insightful Feng Tingxiao and said with a smile, "The Nine Departments have many spies from various factions, especially those under the Prince of Chu."
Feng Tan's words were sharp and incisive. Feng Tingxiao had never seen such a straightforward way of fighting before. He was taken aback by her words, shook his head helplessly, and said, "Among the thousands of officials in the capital, no one dares to speak to me like this."
On a beautiful May day, with warm sunshine, Feng Tan watched the bustling crowds on the street, shrugged lightly, and said indifferently, "Your Highness is not my superior, and the Ministry of Justice does not belong to Your Highness."
Feng Tingxiao chuckled. Her words had a clear implication; her tendency to constantly argue was exactly the same as when she was a child. A hint of interest appeared in his eyes. "Lord Feng, tell me, which of the six ministries in the court belongs to my faction?"
Feng Tan leaned forward slightly, gazing into the man's deep, dark, and sharp eyes, and spoke clearly, "The factional struggle in the court is in full swing. The Ministers of Works and Rites are loyal to Prince Jing, while the Ministers of War and Revenue are loyal to His Highness. You two seem to be evenly matched, but that is not the case."
Feng Tingxiao said, "Oh? What do you mean by 'otherwise'?"
“The Ministry of Justice is secretly subordinate to Prince Jing.” Feng Tan said calmly, recounting the situation in the court that he had observed and summarized over the past few days, and carefully observing the changes in Prince Chu’s expression. “In this way, Your Highness seems to be at a slight disadvantage.”
Of the six ministries under the Great Emperor, Zheng Guanhe, the Minister of Personnel and concurrently the Grand Secretary, belonged to the Qingliu faction. The other five ministers appeared to be evenly divided between the Princes of Chu and Jing, with the Ministry of Justice having no affiliation. In reality, Gao Yu had already secretly sided with Prince Jing. However, when Feng Tan said this, he used the word "appeared."
Feng Tingxiao's voice floated down, "Lord Feng, what's the significance of the word 'seems'?"
Feng Tan's voice was filled with certainty, "In terms of both financial resources and military strength, Prince Jing is inferior to Your Highness."
Feng Tingxiao looked into her eyes, and his heart skipped a beat.
Outside the tent, the world bustles with activity; inside, swords clash.
Having said all that, Feng Tan wanted to confirm her guess, so she continued, "In the case of Wan Niang of Hongxiu Pavilion last year, Gu Junwei, the son of the Minister of War, and Zhu Youqing, the Vice Minister of Revenue, died tragically from the poison of the Yin Ghost. The Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue are under His Highness's jurisdiction. Since people died in these two ministries, the biggest suspect is Prince Jing."
A cold smile curved Feng Tingxiao's thin lips. "Continue."
Feng Tan said, "The case has been handed over to the Ministry of Justice for trial. Gao Yu is a subordinate of Prince Jing, so it is impossible to put the blame on Prince Jing. Moreover, His Majesty wants to close the case as soon as possible and prevent the rumors from spreading widely. Therefore, the murderer can only be Wan Niang. After all... no one would have thought that His Highness would kill his own subordinate."
Feng Tingxiao's handsome face remained unchanged as he calmly asked, "How did you come to this conclusion?"
Feng Tan said, "The deceased in this case was Zhu Youqing, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. The Inner Transport Treasury of Dahuang was managed by the Ministry of Revenue. The procedures for entering the treasury were complicated, and the surrounding area was heavily guarded. Only those holding a lacquered dragon talisman could enter. The lacquered dragon talisman was divided into two parts, one half of which was managed by the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs, and the other half was in the hands of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. Only when both were present could one enter the Inner Transport Treasury. After the loss of tens of millions of taels of silver from the Dahuang national treasury, Vice Minister Zhu Youqing died from visiting prostitutes and taking drugs. Is there really such a coincidence in the world?"
If we want the silver to disappear from the national treasury without alerting anyone, we can only do it through the actions of officials in the Ministry of Revenue. First, we need to have Zhu Youqing, the Vice Minister of Revenue, embezzle funds and secretly build a passage to quietly send the silver to Evil Spirit Island in the waters off Linzhang by sea... No, that's not enough. There must be people from the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs who are also working for the Prince of Chu!
The King of Chu had planned this scheme flawlessly, but it was ruined because the investigators were Xiao Yinshi and Feng Tan.
Xiao Yinshi had no feelings for Dahuang. His purpose in infiltrating the capital was to obtain Dahuang's defense map, so he didn't care how chaotic the Huang Dynasty was. Feng Tan was caught up in the situation and used it to get promoted, but she was at risk of being crushed to pieces if she was not careful.
This was a conspiracy orchestrated by the King of Chu, the intricacies of which could not be fully understood without his personal involvement. Feng Tan had only reached this conclusion by repeatedly reviewing the entire incident in her mind. Emperor Chongming entrusted her with investigating the theft of the national treasury. She could only deduce the events, but there was no concrete evidence. The King of Chu was incredibly meticulous in his actions; all witnesses and physical evidence had disappeared, and even Liang Baoquan refused to budge. Without any evidence, the case could not be closed.
Feng Tan leaned closer to Feng Tingxiao, her eyes seemingly blazing with dark fire. "A powerful figure sets up a scheme, yet innocent bystanders are caught in the crossfire. Your Highness surely has no idea how tragically Wan Niang died. You... are you not morally reprehensible?!"
Feng Tingxiao leaned forward slightly, and the oppressive atmosphere between them decreased. He smiled coldly, "What does it matter to someone who aspires to great things?"
As time passed, Feng Tan suddenly recalled Xiao Yinshi's words at Yongle Temple that day: "Just a pawn, what do I care if they live or die?" In essence, Xiao Yinshi and Feng Tingxiao were the same kind of people. Once they rose to power, they would stop at nothing to achieve their goals. They would choose open schemes when things were going their way and insidious schemes when things were going their way. They would use all sorts of tricks to set up and break up schemes, regardless of whether their subordinates lived or died.
Mencius said: "The people are the most important, the state is next, and the ruler is the least important."
Was there not a single good official in the Dahuang Dynasty who served the people?
Feng Tingxiao laid his cards on the table, but it was as if he hadn't. Feng Tan couldn't possibly risk her future and life to accuse him before Emperor Chongming. Without any evidence, a fifth-rank civil official couldn't shake the powerful prince. This would be tantamount to courting death.
She hadn't forgotten how he almost beat her half to death on Ghost Island because of her weapon; he wouldn't have allowed her to stand on the island alive if she hadn't had a weapon.
Feng Tan took a sip of tea, his words seemingly calm yet resonant: "Would Your Highness feel secure sitting on a throne obtained through the bloodshed of thousands of girls from Evil Spirit Island?"
Look at the stupid question his little niece asked.
Feng Tingxiao's smile was cold and indifferent. "Since no one has bestowed upon me the Nine Bestowments①, I shall take them myself, regardless of the process."
There was no point in saying more than necessary. Feng Tan put down four copper coins and got up to leave. Feng Tingxiao, however, grabbed her wrist, lifted his eyelids, and asked, "You... are you going to be my enemy from now on?"
“I have no desire to compete with things, and I do not need to suspect the eagles and falcons.” Feng Tan looked back at Feng Tingxiao, smiled slightly, and pulled his hand away with a distant air. “Also, if I stay with Your Highness for another quarter of an hour, I will feel disgusted.”
Feng Tingxiao watched Feng Tan walk into the crowd and gradually disappear into it. He slowly withdrew his empty fingers, his indifferent expression returning.
The guard Chu Qinglin stepped forward and bowed respectfully, saying, "Your Highness, the Imperial Concubine just sent word that she will be going to Wansheng Temple to worship Buddha this afternoon."
Feng Tingxiao toyed with the remaining teacup from Feng Tan, looking down at the clear water inside, and said, "Inform the Princess Consort, and also Madam Yue."
Chu Qinglin nodded in agreement, then hesitated for a moment before asking, "Your Highness, was that official left alive?"
Feng Tingxiao looked up at him, the coldness in his eyes gradually gathering, like an icy blade in a cold river, "I have a use for her life."
After saying this, he drank the remaining half cup of tea from Feng Tan, got up, and boarded the sedan chair.
Chu Qinglin was left speechless.
***
In Wansheng Temple, the golden statue of Buddha is magnificent and splendid. The hall is bathed in Buddha's light, with incense smoke rising and the atmosphere peaceful and tranquil.
On the fifteenth of each month, the imperial concubine would come here to offer incense, so Wansheng Temple has an unwritten rule that commoners are not allowed to visit on the fifteenth of each month.
The afternoon sun shone through the windowpane onto Consort Su's kneeling figure, her hands clasped in prayer. Princess Chu stepped forward, bowed, and knelt on the prayer mat behind her, her posture dignified.
Consort Su slowly opened her eyes, looked at the Buddha statue, and asked, "How has the Princess been lately?"
Princess Chu had delicate features and a somewhat aloof demeanor. She also looked at the Buddha statue and said calmly, "Your Majesty, I am well. I heard about the princess's situation a few days ago, and I hope Your Majesty will take heart."
The mention of the princess still brought a dull ache to Consort Su's heart, and tears welled in her eyes, but her voice remained calm as she said, "The princess's death was not an accident."
Princess Chu shifted her gaze slightly, landing on the slender figure kneeling to her right, her tone questioning, "Whom does the Noble Consort suspect?"
Consort Su turned her head and met Princess Chu's eyes. "Ning Dai, Gao Zhizhen was previously very close to Princess Yongle."
Princess Consort of Chu, named Gu Ningdai, was the legitimate daughter of Gu Chengjun, the Minister of War. Nine years ago, she married Prince Chu by imperial decree, and the two treated each other with respect. However, after their wedding, Prince Chu became philandering, frequently spending his nights in brothels. People simply said that the princess consort had not met a good man and had given her heart to the wrong man.
Princess Chu asked calmly, "Princess Yongle has only been back in the capital for a short time, and then this accident happened to my elder sister. Could it be... that Yongle found out something?"
Consort Su waved to her personal maid, Mu Qingling, to close the palace door. She slowly stood up from the prayer mat and said, "Perhaps she left some clues from the plot back then, which she discovered."
As the sun moved westward, it fell upon the gentle features of the Princess of Chu. She frowned, racking her brains, and said slowly, "Where did we go wrong?"
Consort Su smiled inexplicably and said, "Man proposes, God disposes. I took her life, and her daughter came back to take my daughter's life. It is truly a cycle of karma."
Princess Chu's heart skipped a beat, and she stood up from the prayer mat, asking, "What does Feng Qinghuang know?"
Consort Su shook her head and said, "I don't know how much she knows, but she must have come prepared. I observed that she was cautious in her actions and left no clues. I wanted to plant spies in her palace, but I found that her palace was guarded like an iron barrel, while I must have spies planted in my palace, and even... Dou Xiaoquan has already fallen into her hands."
Princess Chu frowned and asked, "Dou Xiaoquan?"
Consort Su said, "This child is Dai-jie's personal maid, a few years older than Dai-jie. I thought she was reliable and clever, so I transferred her to Dai-jie's side. On the day of the palace coup in the eighth year of Chongming, Dai-jie and she may have seen something... Dai-jie is dead and there is no way to ask, but if Dou Xiaoquan finds out something... things will become very troublesome."
"You want me to find a way to kill Dou Xiaoquan?" Princess Chu looked at Su Zirou with indifferent eyes. "When?"
"The sooner the better," Consort Su said, a hint of sadness in her eyes. "This child has served her elder sister for so many years; let's give her a gentle death."
A wolf in sheep's clothing, all talk and no action.
Princess Chu smiled silently, her eyes gazing into the deep, dark vortex of the capital. The swirling mist obscured her expression, making it impossible to discern her features.
Consort Su knew that her temperament had always been eccentric, so she did not say much. After achieving her goal, she asked in a low voice, "I heard that Prince Chu participated in the trial today, but the Court of Judicial Review disagreed with him. The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review requested His Majesty to order the Six Ministries to re-examine the case by legislation."
Princess Chu said, "This case involves the interests of various parties, and the key points are complicated and difficult to investigate. What is Feng Qinghuang trying to do by stirring up trouble like this?"
"I can't tell." Consort Su had been immersed in the palace for many years and had long since developed a keen and shrewd mind. Feng Qinghuang's actions were too mysterious, and she joked with the palace servants with a half-smile all day long. She really couldn't see through her true purpose.
Princess Chu pursed her lips. Even Consort Su couldn't figure out what Feng Qinghuang was up to. It seemed that this princess did have some real skills.
As the two were talking, the palace door was pushed open again, and the person who came in was the wife of Yue Yuda, the Minister of Revenue.
Madam Yue was slightly plump and had a cheerful appearance. After bowing, she asked with a smile, "Oh dear, what wind blew the two bodhisattvas in together today?"
Princess Chu remained aloof and did not reply, while Consort Su greeted her with a smile, saying, "Madam Yue, your mouth is as sweet as if it were coated with honey."
Madam Yue smiled and said, "Your Highness, please don't tease me. I'm here today on a mission."
Madam Yue was a straightforward person. After speaking, she gestured to the maid behind her to bring over a wooden table covered with a red cloth, and said, "I have a good-for-nothing son named Yue Xiangbo. He only passed the provincial examination at the age of twenty-three. This year, the whole family is hoping that he will pass the imperial examination with nine papers and get a better academic ranking so that my husband, Yue Xiangbo, can secure a good future for him."
After hearing Madam Yue's words, Consort Su knew how much gold was hidden under the red cloth. As the official in charge of the Ministry of Revenue belonged to the Prince of Chu's faction, she was obligated to comply with Madam Yue's request, both morally and logically, since she was working for the Prince of Chu.
Consort Su accepted the gift with a smile, then jokingly asked, "Is Xiangbo married?"
Upon hearing this, Madam Yue was furious. "I've found him so many girls, and every single one of them is virtuous and kind! Especially the second daughter of Yu Yanhan, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, who is gentle and lovely! But my brat has taken a fancy to a girl born out of wedlock! He keeps nagging and insisting that he won't marry anyone but her, and it's giving me a real headache!"
Since ancient times, marriage has always emphasized matching social status. Yue Xiangbo is the eldest son of a high-ranking official of the second rank in the current dynasty, so the woman he marries can only be a daughter of a prestigious family, so that both families can benefit from each other.
Upon hearing this, Consort Su's smile faded, and she said, "So she is an illegitimate daughter. Indeed, it will be detrimental to the child's career."
Lady Yue glanced cautiously at the Imperial Concubine's expression, then changed the subject, saying, "By the way, my husband instructed me to tell Your Highness that he went through some trouble regarding the marriage alliance with the Princess of Huachao, but his goal has been achieved. Princess Liling will definitely not enter the palace as a concubine, and the delegation will leave the capital and return to Huachao in a few days."
“Your husband is competent in his duties,” Consort Su said softly, holding Madam Yue’s fingers. “Gao Zhizhen killed my daughter, and I want him dead. The result of the Six Ministries’ reform of the law must be his death.”
Madam Yue was somewhat intimidated by her, her face twitched, and she said with an awkward smile, "Okay...okay, I will."
The author's note: ① The Nine Bestowments: The Nine Bestowments were nine ceremonial objects bestowed by the emperor upon feudal lords or ministers of outstanding merit, representing the highest honor. Receiving the Nine Bestowments was both the highest honor for a subject and a sign of usurpation of power.
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