Within two days, the palace had news.
The matter of the Ministry of Rite embezzling the Emperor's birthday
banquet funds caused an uproar. Two days prior, the Ministry of Justice
suddenly discovered a clue about the whereabouts of the embezzled money.
Indeed, it was a mansion purchased by an official from the palace.
His Majesty gave orders at once, sending people to seize the mansion.
The Ministry of Justice immediately sent personnel to set out. Because the
operation was sudden, it was rather successful. Not only did they seize an
astonishing amount of gold, silver and antiques from the mansion, they also
found a prostitute kept there.
For some reason, after His Majesty learned of this matter, he was not
concerned about how much money the mansion had hidden. Instead, he was
extremely interested in that woman, and immediately sent someone to
investigate the master of the mansion, along with the background of this
woman.
But unexpectedly, the Ministry of Justice official discovered that the
mansion was under the woman's name. This woman was actually redeemed
by the Ministry of Rites' Chen Ti.
And Chen Ti was the very first to find the clue that day and reported to the
higher officials about Ji You's corruption.
This result was unexpected to the palace's higher and lower positions.
Somehow, the Emperor was extremely dissatisfied with the outcome, and
lashed at the Ministry of Justice official. Afterward, he gave orders to severely punish Chen Ti, not merciful in the least.
Buying out a woman from the brothel was not considered a crime, so Chen
Ti couldn't really be convicted. However, it could be verified that this
mansion, as well as the residence's gold and silver money, were all Chen
Ti's possession.
These years, very few officials in Southern Jing were incorrupt. The amount
of this embezzlement was not considered much to them, but the Jing
Dynasty's laws and decrees had written rules which stated that once an
official was captured, the penalty naturally had to be dealt out according to
the laws and decrees.
Few days had passed before Chen Ti was convicted, and thus, the wind
sighed and the crane called* on the palace's officials for a period of time.
*wind sighing and crane calling (idiom) – extremely jittery and scared
——
The peach blossoms in Pang residence bloomed just in time, buoyantly
filling the garden with blossoms.
A neat and quietly elegant stretch of fresh greenery could be seen in Pang
Shao's courtyard.
Those were Huizhou and Shexian County's green plum blossoms. Because
the previous emperor was fond of it, ever since decades ago, it would be
delivered to Jing's imperial harem every year.
Because the water and land were different, it was difficult to transport, so
every year, no more than a hundred plants would be sent to the palace. This
year, even outside Hou Zhu's palace, only a few were planted. But in Pang
Shao's courtyard, the whole courtyard had been planted like cloud and
mist*.
*cloud and mist (metaphor) – obscured/packed/full
Tea was boiling on the stove in front of Pang Shao. An official was
respectfully sitting on his right-hand seat. Another knelt before him,
trembling all over, not daring to lift his head.
It was the Ministry of Justice official who went to investigate Jiang
Suizhou's residence the other day.
Pang Shao lifted open the teapot and leisurely took a look inside. Among
the dense steam of smoke, he slowly asked, "What did Jingwang tell you?"
The official trembled and cried, "Please investigate, Chief Minister! This
humble one enquired His Highness Jingwang as instructed. His Highness
Jingwang's statements are all recorded in the book, this humble one by no
means has lied!
Pang Shao smiled faintly.
"Then, what of that residence?" he asked.
The official said, "It's what Jingwang Manor's youngest concubine said!"
Pang Shao's movement paused, and he covered the lid of the teapot back.
"He told you?" Pang Shao's expression was rather odd.
The official shook his head. "That's not it! This official had
eavesdropped…That concubine was complaining with his maid, said His
Highness Jingwang keeps a mistress outside, and also bought a residence in
Changle Square for that mistress…This official thought, this information
was significant, and had to let His Majesty know, this is…!"
His frightened voice trembled.
Pang Shao smiled lightly. "What is Zhang-daren nervous of? I am only
asking," he said.
The official trembled to the point of not being able to speak.
Pang Shao said with a faint smile, "Alright, my tea is almost done, I also
won't keep Zhang-daren here anymore. Please, go back."
The flustered official got up from the ground.
He wanted to bow and express his gratitude, yet he heard Pang Shao open
his mouth again. "But, Zhang-daren."
The official hurriedly answered, "Chief Minister?"
He watched as Pang Shao picked up the teapot from the small clay stove.
The flame from the stove jumped once in a while, glowing with a hot, red
light.
"See, if a person makes a mistake, they must pay the price." Pang Shao did
not lift his eyes, pouring the tea as he spoke.
"This price, if you don't take the initiative yourself, you can't blame others
for doubling it."
When he finished speaking, he put down the teapot, and lifted his eyes to
look at that official with a smile that was not a smile.
He saw the official dumbstruck, then saw him repeatedly bowing with his
hands clasped in front, saying, "Many thanks, Chief Minister! Many thanks,
Chief Minister!"
Pang Shao lifted a teacup with one hand, while he waved languidly with
another hand.
The official retreated down.
Pang Shao blew and drank the hot tea. He lightly smiled and commended,
"The Dragon Well tea from Jiangnan indeed is clearer than Ye City's."
Saying this, he picked up the teapot and said to the official on the side, "Do
you want to have a taste, too?"
That official was the official responsible for searching and sorting the
embezzlement of Chen Ti's residence.
He dared not let Pang Shao pour him tea, so he hurriedly took the teapot
with both hands, and also put out the stove on behalf of Pang Shao.
"Chief Minister, why did you let him go just like that?" the official asked.
Pang Shao hmmed.
"What's the use of keeping him? It wasn't his fault." Pang Shao lightly
smiled, his expression lukewarm and generous.
But the official understood what Pang Shao meant.
There were a couple of people in Pang's faction who had previously
provoked Pang Shao. Pang Shao had found their vulnerable points, spared
their lives, and brought them into the adherents. These people had no choice
but to put double effort into slaving for Pang Shao, as well as giving more
beneficial results.
To Pang Shao, keeping him was more profitable than killing him.
The official laughed upon hearing his response. Following Pang Shao's
words, he commended, "Chief Minister is always generous and kind, and
has great wisdom and knowledge."
Pang Shao only lightly smiled.
Soon after, he heard the official follow up with a question. "What about…
Chen-daren?"
Pang Shao looked at him.
The official said indignantly, "Jingwang must have bore a grudge against
Chen-daren, so he pulled this dirty trick! Chief Minister, we must not let
Jingwang have his way, must we?"
But Pang Shao shook his head and sighed, lifting his eyes to watch the
abundant green plum blossoms outside the window.
"His Majesty already issued an imperial edict, how could I dare to
disobey?"
He lightly sighed, as though having seen a dead bird that flew past, casually
uttering.
"What a shame for Chen Ti, that child."
The official on the side shut his mouth immediately, losing his bravado to
talk again.
Today, who honored their words in the palace? Even when one closed their
eyes, they would know. It wasn't His Majesty, but rather, Pang-daren.
There was no imperial edict that Pang-daren could not change; Pang-daren
merely did not want to change it.
This official came here originally because of Chen Ti's case. He probed
with a few words, and soon vaguely understood.
Pang Shao had never cared about Chen Ti, and only regarded him as a dog
that he could order about as he wished. These two times, Chen Ti had acted
on his own, crossing him to curry favor with His Majesty, which had rubbed
Pang Shao's sore spot. Such large amounts of hidden gold and silver, which
Pang Shao was oblivious of, were also discovered. So even if the Emperor
did not raise his hand to handle the matter, Pang-daren would also not spare
his life.
The official sighed in his heart.
It was Chen Ti who was blinded by greed and was not sensible.
Nowadays in the palace, whose life was not in the hands of Pang-daren?
Doing little acts behind his back, would there be any good end?
Then, this made it clear what the official ought to do.
Naturally, it would be before Chen Ti's deathbed that he would be trampled
on, in exchange of Pang Shao's joy. And in the process of delivering the
gold, silver and antiques into the exchequer, he would think of a way to take
20-30% and send it to the residence of Pang-daren.
The official inwardly planned.
He then heard Pang Shao suddenly give out a light, rueful sigh.
"I just didn't expect, the loser dog confined in the cage is still figuring out
how to bite people."
The official did not understand.
Pang Shao also did not explain. He lowered his eyes and drank his tea,
concealing the stern countenance in his eyes.
"Truly interesting."
——
Although Jiang Suizhou was not beside Pang Shao, he was aware that Pang
Shao resented him a lot.
Although Chen Ti was not a high-ranked official, who in the palace didn't
know that he was Pang Shao's distant relative, that he was one of Pang
Shao's people? Even though Pang Shao did not place much importance in
him, he himself had his own selfish calculations. But the penalized Chen Ti
just had to publicly slap Pang Shao in the face.
It was a blunt, cold knife that brought dishonor.
However, this did not stop the joy in Jiang Suizhou's heart.
He had long seen Chen Ti as an eyesore. This time, since Ji You's rescue
went smoothly and Chen Ti was also disposed of, to him, it was a
successful kill of two birds with one stone.
As for why Pang Shao resented him so much…
Anyway, even if Jiang Suizhou didn't do anything, Pang Shao would still
not let him off. It would be better to fight with him, and not let him win.
Ever since receiving the news, Jiang Suizhou was filled with exuberance.
He sat down in front of Huo Wujiu's bed, and immediately felt Huo Wujiu's
eyes on him.
"How are you today?" Jiang Suizhou asked.
Huo Wujiu's complexion was still ghastly, but his expression was
composed. His hands were extremely pale*, but he still had miniscule
energy left to glance at Jiang Suizhou several times.
*the literal translation from Chinese is "the veins on the back of his hands
were vivid", but it's to show that he's pale and unwell, so I translated it to
"his hands were extremely pale"
Jiang Suizhou noticed his scrutinizing, and his twinkling eyes stared at Huo
Wujiu, waiting expectantly for him to open his mouth and ask.
After all, looking at this whole world now, there were few people who
could talk with him, and there were fewer people whom he could share his
joy with.
Huo Wujiu, however, counted as one of them.
But he saw Huo Wujiu pause, withdraw his gaze and indifferently say,
"Doing good."
Indeed, he did not say anything else.
Jiang Suizhou felt his breath stuck in his throat, not going up or down. It
was truly awkward.
For a moment, he only stared blankly.
Why didn't he ask! Huo Wujiu, why didn't he ask!
Though unaware, Huo Wujiu, who squinted a glance at him, silently
clamped his lips in agony at the bottom of his heart.
This Jingwang was already dying with "I have something to tell you"
etched on his face, and was only waiting for him to ask, but instead, he
chose to tease him.
Huo Wujiu's expression was indifferent, as though not at all realizing Jiang
Suizhou's abnormality.
Then, he saw Jiang Suizhou taking the book Meng Qianshan brought. But
over and over, he kept biting his tongue, so he neither looked nor flipped
the book.
Those glossy black eyes repeatedly shot a glance at Huo Wujiu several
times.
Teasing him actually made him soft.
Huo Wujiu paused, and finally asked, "What is it?"
Sure enough, those eyes brightened at once.
Huo Wujiu only felt that those legs that were hurting so much that it made
him want to kill someone, had gotten far away from him.
He saw Jingwang looking solemn and unyieldingly putting on an
indifference. But that ostentatious expression couldn't be concealed, quite
like a cutesy cat.
"This Prince saved Ji You," he said.
Huo Wujiu nodded. "It's a good thing."
Then, he heard Jiang Suizhou followed with, "Chen Ti was beheaded."
Huo Wujiu hmmed and pondered for a moment, connecting these two
matters together. "Scapegoat?"
Jiang Suizhou nodded.
He merely settled his gaze at Huo Wujiu. This look was the same as waiting
to be praised. Huo Wujiu paused, and could not bear but to compliment,
"It's a brilliant scheme."
But he heard Jiang Suizhou repeat, "It's Chen Ti."
Huo Wujiu was quite puzzled for a while. "What about him?"
He saw Jingwang staring at him, his satisfied expression natural. He blurted
out, "Chen Ti, did you forget? The one who gave you the flower banquet
invitation, who wanted to humiliate you, that one."
With this said, Jiang Suizhou smiled faintly. "This Prince brought disaster
on his head."
Huo Wujiu was dazed for a time.
He just realized; this Jingwang was this happy to tell him about this matter,
not because he had saved the life of the Minister of Rites, but instead because…
Jiang Suizhou wanted to tell Huo Wujiu, he had taken revenge for him.
The author has something to say:
Huo Wujiu: Thanks for inviting me. Although I know he doesn't like me,
my heartbeat still starts going insane.
Wei Kai: He doesn't love you.
Huo Wujiu: I know, hehe.
Wei Kai: ?