"...and for you to take that poem and dedicate it to the fallen soldiers of the Blood-Clad Army, they could finally rest in peace..."
Ye Zi's lips twitched slightly. She gave Yun Zheng a reproachful look before saying, "Commander Du exaggerates! You are a man of iron and blood, Commander. Even with the loss of an arm, you certainly deserve better than to be buried in obscurity here."
"Indeed! A single poem from the lady has opened this humble commoner's eyes."
Du Bugui nodded heavily, then dropped to his knees before Yun Zheng once more: "This humble commoner is willing to follow Your Highness to Shuobei. Even if I am smashed to pieces, I will die a glorious death on the battlefield!"
"Get up!"
Yun Zheng helped Du Bugui to his feet, handing over all the silver banknotes he had just obtained from selling the gifts, along with the several hundred taels he had been carrying on his person.
"Your Highness, I cannot accept this!"
Du Bugui hastily tried to refuse.
"Take them."
Yun Zheng pressed the banknotes into his hands. "Consider it my way of making amends to them on behalf of Imperial Father."
Since ancient times, corrupt officials have never been in short supply.
Through how many layers of extortion could the pensions of those fallen soldiers pass before any of it actually reached their grieving families?
Du Bugui fell silent for a moment, his eyes reddening as he said, "This humble commoner thanks Your Highness on behalf of those fallen brothers!"
"Enough, let's not speak of this anymore." Yun Zheng waved a hand. "Go take care of your affairs. You can find me at my residence later on!"
With that, Yun Zheng told Du Bugui where his estate was located, instructed the blacksmiths to forge him a saber modeled after Gao He's weapon, and then led his people away.
***
After instructing the blacksmiths to forge him a reliable weapon matching Gao He's saber and leaving behind the address of his estate, Yun Zheng departed with his three companions.
On the journey back, Shen Luoyan looked at Yun Zheng with a slightly altered expression.
"It seems you aren't completely devoid of redeeming qualities!"
It was a rare sight to see Shen Luoyan smile in Yun Zheng's presence.
"I simply couldn't bear to break the hearts of the soldiers who shed their blood and sacrificed themselves for Da Qian."
Yun Zheng shook his head gently, then added with a flash of indignation, "At tomorrow's court session, I shall report this matter directly to Imperial Father and demand a thorough investigation!"
"Your Highness, you must not!" Gao He suddenly interjected.
"Hmm?"
Yun Zheng turned to look at Gao He. "Why not? You are also a man of the military. If the pensions of your brothers-in-arms were embezzled, would you remain indifferent?"
"Exactly!"
Shen Luoyan nodded heavily, her gaze turning cold and sharp. "Those who embezzle the pensions of fallen soldiers deserve to die!"
Gao He shook his head and said earnestly, "Your Highness, such an action will infringe upon the interests of many powerful people! By then, Your Highness's position at court will become even more perilous!"
Hmm?
Hearing Gao He's words, Yun Zheng felt a stir within his heart.
Was Gao He considering things from his perspective?
Was he gradually winning him over?
How interesting!
It seemed his fine horse had not been given away in vain!
"Guard Gao speaks with reason."
Ye Zi chimed in with a nod. "Since ancient times, corrupt officials have been impossible to eradicate completely! If the Emperor orders an investigation, Your Highness will suddenly find yourself with many more enemies at court."
Yun Zheng pondered this for a moment. "Then I shall think on it further!"
Though he said this outwardly, Yun Zheng had already made up his mind.
This matter definitely had to be reported to Emperor Wen.
However, it was best to inform Emperor Wen privately.
He had drawn too much attention recently, and there were simply too many eyes on him.
Emperor Wen had far too many agents.
Under the present circumstances, it was impossible to keep the fact that he had taken Du Bugui under his command hidden from Emperor Wen's spies.
By confessing it proactively, he would prevent Emperor Wen from suspecting him of building a private faction.
Lost in thought along the way, Yun Zheng finally returned to his estate.
The moment he arrived at the gates, the estate staff informed him that the Third Prince had arrived.
Yun Zheng felt a quiet surge of suspicion. What was this bird-brain doing at his residence?
Was he planning to undermine him?
"Then I shall take my leave!"
Not wanting to perform courtesies for Yun Li only to be mocked by him, Shen Luoyan made a swift exit.
Speechless, Yun Zheng led Gao He and Ye Zi into the estate.
"Third Brother, what wind blows you here?"
As soon as he stepped inside, Yun Zheng saw Yun Li seated there like a lord of the manor, with one of the estate's maidservants waiting upon him.
"Sixth Brother, I've come to collect a debt!"
Yun Li raised his eyes slightly, offering a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Imperial Father bestowed so many things upon you today, surely you can return those ten-odd thousand taels you owe Third Brother now, can't you?"
Damn it!
Collecting a debt?
You must be dreaming!
Once I borrowed your silver, I never had any intention of paying it back!
After a brief moment of contemplation, Yun Zheng stepped forward immediately. "Third Brother, let's put money matters aside for a moment. I have something extremely, extremely important to tell you!"
Still trying to collect a debt?
Isn't this walking right up to be fleeced?
"Spare me your nonsense!"
Yun Li let out a cold snort. "What important matter could you possibly have? Pay back the money first!"
"It truly is an important matter!"
Completely ignoring the topic of repayment, Yun Zheng leaned in close to Yun Li and told him about Du Guiyuan's situation.
Then, he sighed helplessly, "I was planning to bring this up to Imperial Father at tomorrow's court session, but everyone tells me I lack a foundation and shouldn't go around offending people. Therefore, I wanted to ask Third Brother to bring it up during tomorrow's court session instead..."
Listening to Yun Zheng's words, Yun Li's face turned green.
Damn it all!
You bastard!
You know offending people is dangerous, and you think I don't?
What's more, quite a few people in his own faction were probably mixed up in this very scheme.
If he were the one to memorialize the throne on this matter, those people would hate him to the bone!
Many of those who had sworn allegiance to him would likely turn against him on the spot!
Yet Yun Zheng already knew about this!
Even if he stayed silent, the Sixth Prince would likely speak to Imperial Father in private anyway!
If the Sixth Prince then casually mentioned that he had already informed him of the matter, but that he had chosen not to report it, Emperor Wen would undoubtedly berate him!
At that moment, Yun Li wished he could slap himself twice.
Why on earth had he come to this good-for-nothing's place in the first place?
"This matter is of grave importance. I must go straight to the palace to see Imperial Father!"
Yun Li stood up, not even bothering with polite farewells, and hurried away.
He needed to rush off and discuss countermeasures with Xu Shifu!
Watching Yun Li scramble away in a panic, a faint smile flickered across Yun Zheng's lips.
Ye Zi suppressed a laugh, thinking to herself how truly insidious this scoundrel could be.
***
Leaving Yun Zheng's residence, Yun Li made his way swiftly to Xu Shifu's mansion.
When he relayed the situation to Xu Shifu, the older man's expression immediately grew tense.
Seeing this, Yun Li's heart skipped a beat: "Uncle, you couldn't possibly..."
He suddenly realized that Xu Shifu was none other than the Minister of Revenue!
The one who had embezzled the most was very likely his own uncle!
"Cough, cough..."
Xu Shifu gave two dry coughs, steering the conversation elsewhere. "We should be thinking of countermeasures right now!"
"You..."
Yun Li panted with rage. "Imperial Father has always harbored deep resentment over the campaign in Shuobei. Of all things to touch, you had to touch the pensions of those fallen soldiers! How many heads do you think you have?"
If this matter were investigated to the bitter end, he would inevitably be dragged down with him.
Upon hearing this, Xu Shifu instantly grew displeased and retorted ungraciously, "If I hadn't touched those pensions, where would I have gotten the silver to help you win over people's hearts?"
Yun Li choked slightly, left momentarily speechless.
"There's no use dwelling on that now."
Xu Shifu's tone softened. "His Majesty attaches the utmost importance to the pensions of fallen soldiers. This matter will inevitably be brought to the throne—and this is your golden opportunity to win His Majesty's favor!"
"That... is true as well!"
Yun Li nodded slightly, though he still worried, "But if an investigation is launched..."
"Let them investigate!"
Xu Shifu smiled dismissively. "Rest assured, it's nothing major. We'll just find a couple of scapegoats; the trail won't lead back to me."
"That's a relief!"
Yun Li's mind settled somewhat. After a moment of thought, he asked, "Can we use this opportunity to strike at the Fourth Prince's faction?"
The Fourth Prince, Yunting, was his greatest competitor.
If they could use this incident to deal a blow to Yunting's sphere of influence, that would be even better.
Xu Shifu thought it over and shook his head. "Do not make a move for now. Even if we used this to strike at the Fourth Prince's faction, the impact on him would be minimal! When you strike, you must either do nothing at all or hit them so hard it shatters their bones!"
"Very well!" Yun Li nodded softly, then asked, "Should I go report the embezzlement to Imperial Father right now?"
"What are you rushing for?!" Xu Shifu glared at Yun Li. "Even if this is to be reported, you must wait until I've made proper preparations!"
If he reported it with zero preparations made, was he trying to prove how fast he could get himself killed?
"Oh."
Yun Li looked gloomily at his uncle, then frowned. "I wonder if Beihuan has begun their move yet. Right now, I just want to tear that good-for-nothing into a thousand pieces!"
At the mention of Yun Zheng, a fierce light flashed in Yun Li's eyes.
Xu Shifu smiled with absolute confidence. "Rest assured, Ban Bu is a clever man; he knows what must be done! Beihuan should have already set things in motion. This time, that good-for-nothing is bound to die without a burial place!"
"Good!"
Yun Li nodded with bitter satisfaction...
***
Deep in the night, Emperor Wen was still working in the Imperial Study.
Because of the Beihuan diplomatic delegation, Emperor Wen hadn't visited any of his imperial concubines recently.
He simply didn't have the state of mind for it!
Thinking about how tomorrow he would have to negotiate with the Beihuan delegation regarding the grain request, Emperor Wen was too worried to sleep.
"Knock, knock..."
At that moment, a soft knock came from outside.
"Enter!"
Emperor Wen raised his head wearily.
A Shadow Guard hurried inside and lowered his voice to whisper into Emperor Wen's ear.
As he listened to the Shadow Guard's report, a wave of murderous intent suddenly erupted in Emperor Wen's eyes.
"Is this information 100 percent certain?"
Emperor Wen asked, his face a mask of frost.
The Shadow Guard nodded slightly.
"How audacious!"
The killing intent in Emperor Wen's eyes materialized fully.
After the war five years ago, he had strictly ordered all departments to ensure that the pensions of every single fallen soldier were distributed to the last copper.
Anyone who dared to embezzle them would be shown no mercy!
Never had he imagined that people would still dare to stretch out their greedy hands!
Suppressing his surging anger with great effort, Emperor Wen asked again, "Are you certain the Sixth Prince mentioned this to the Third Prince?"
"Certain!"
The Shadow Guard nodded heavily.
"Very well, I am aware. You may withdraw!"
Emperor Wen nodded slightly and waved a hand to dismiss the guard.
Once the Shadow Guard had departed, the cold gleam in Emperor Wen's eyes flickered once more.
Third Prince, oh, Third Prince!
Do not let Us down!
As for the Sixth Prince, his performance had been quite acceptable.
At least he knew to make amends to those soldiers on behalf of his Imperial Father.
"Should We recall the people stationed around the Sixth Prince?"
Emperor Wen muttered to himself, lost in thought.
Before Emperor Wen could ponder for long, another Shadow Guard arrived with an urgent secret report.
Upon hearing the report, Emperor Wen nearly slammed his hand down on the table.
The Shadow Guard glanced at Emperor Wen, then reported cautiously, "Already, many rumors regarding the Sixth Prince are circulating within the Imperial City. If we do not suppress them, they are likely to spread rapidly!"
"Heh, they really are something! Do they truly find the Sixth Prince that intolerable?"
Emperor Wen was filled with rage, his smile exceptionally chilling.
Seeing Emperor Wen's expression, the Shadow Guard hesitated, words hanging on his lips.
Noticing the guard's unusual hesitation, Emperor Wen snapped, "If there is any other news, report it all at once! Stop stammering!"
The Shadow Guard turned pale and faltered, "This humble subordinate... does not dare to speak..."
"Speak!"
Emperor Wen's face darkened. "We grant you amnesty!"
Hesitating for a moment longer, the Shadow Guard spoke with utmost caution: "This afternoon, someone unearthed a stone statue in the southern part of the city, and inscribed upon it were certain characters..."
At this point, the Shadow Guard faltered again, too terrified to continue.
"What characters?!"
Emperor Wen roared: "If you do not speak this moment, We shall first charge you with the crime of deceiving the sovereign!"
Cowed by Emperor Wen's imposing aura, the guard stammered out, "The sixth son goes to the northern pass, sovereign and subject... sovereign and subject... all... ascend the mountain..."
Though it was only a few short words, the guard seemed to have exhausted every ounce of his strength to say them.
When he finished, his entire body was soaked in sweat.
Hearing this, Emperor Wen was instantly consumed by a fit of heavy breathing.
Before Emperor Wen could erupt, Mu Shun came stumbling into the room in a blind panic, whispering frantically into Emperor Wen's ear.
When he finished, Mu Shun also presented a letter to Emperor Wen.
Emperor Wen opened the letter and swept his gaze rapidly over the contents, the murderous aura in his body once more breaking past his control.
Crash...
In his fury, Emperor Wen swept everything off his imperial desk and roared, "Pass down the decree: tomorrow's court session will be advanced by half an hour!"
"May Your Majesty calm your wrath!"
Mu Shun and the Shadow Guard dropped to their knees in terror.
Consumed by fury, Emperor Wen kicked Mu Shun over and bellowed with murderous intent, "Get out and pass the message!"
Daring not to delay, Mu Shun scrambled out on all fours.
***
"Knock, knock..."
Deep in slumber, Yun Zheng was jolted awake by a rapid knocking on his door.
"Your Highness, someone has arrived from the palace!"
The steward's voice came from outside.
"..."
Yun Zheng was speechless.
Are they out of their minds?
Why are they running over to my place in the dead of night?
Could it be because of the embezzled pensions?
"Prepare some tea for them, I'll be right there!"
Yun Zheng gave his instructions and immediately got out of bed.
Xin Sheng hurried over. "Your Highness, let this slave help you dress!"
"Alright, alright! I'll do it myself!"
Yun Zheng stopped Xin Sheng and dressed himself.
Before long, Yun Zheng stepped outside properly attired.
Upon seeing Yun Zheng, the palace eunuch hurried to bow and delivered his message: "Sixth Highness, His Majesty has decreed that tomorrow's court session shall be advanced by half an hour."
What on earth?
Advanced by half an hour?
What kind of game are they playing?
Are they deliberately trying to deny people sleep?
"Very well, I understand."
Yun Zheng replied with a depressed sigh, then asked, "Has something major happened?"
"This subordinate is not entirely certain."
The messenger eunuch replied, "Judging by Grand Eunuch Mu's expression, however, it is likely nothing good."
"Understood, many thanks, Eunuch."
Yun Zheng nodded and instructed the steward to reward the eunuch with a few taels of silver.
It seemed this was most likely because of the embezzled pensions!
Whatever!
As long as his objective was achieved, it didn't matter.
Du Bugui was the commander of the Blood-Clad Army after all; even with one arm missing, he should still be considered an expert.
Spending a few thousand taels to acquire such a talent was well worth it!
After sending off the messenger eunuch, Yun Zheng returned to his room.
Seeing that it was already late, he didn't bother trying to go back to sleep.
When the time drew near, Yun Zheng boarded his carriage and headed to the palace for court.
Arriving outside the grand hall, most of the officials had already gathered.
The fact that Emperor Wen had suddenly announced an advance of half an hour left everyone completely bewildered, and many clustered together in murmuring discussions.
Yet not a single person knew what had actually happened.
Only Xu Shifu and Yun Li exchanged a quiet smile.
If nothing went wrong, their scheme had succeeded!
Even if Yun Zheng didn't die today, he would hardly escape the fate of being thrown into the heavenly prison.
Yun Li cast a vicious glare at Yun Zheng, a smug chuckle hidden in his heart.
Good-for-nothing!
Consider those ten-odd thousand taels as your burial funds!
The officials waited outside the hall for a long time, but Emperor Wen still had not summoned them inside.
Such an abnormal situation only deepened everyone's suspicions.
Yet everyone knew this certainly boded no good.
They simply had no idea who was about to fall victim this time.
Just as the officials were growing increasingly apprehensive, the summons came for everyone to enter the hall.
Yun Zheng followed the crowd inside in single file, very sensibly taking his place in the corner from the day before, and joined the others in bowing.
In the past, Emperor Wen would have long since told everyone to rise.
Yet today, whether out of some madness, Emperor Wen kept them kneeling, forcing the officials to remain on the floor and plunging them into even greater anxiety.
This kneeling lasted for the duration of a tea ceremony.
Only when older officials like Zhang Huai could barely maintain their balance did Emperor Wen finally speak.
"Rise!"
Emperor Wen's voice was frigid, clearly suppressing a boiling rage.
"Thank Your Majesty!"
The officials stood up; several elderly ministers nearly stumbled and were thankfully steadied by those beside them in time.
"Sixth son! Get out here!"
Emperor Wen's sudden, thunderous roar startled everyone present.
Yun Zheng himself was dumbfounded.
Damn it!
What is the situation here?
What madness has seized this old bastard?
Cursing inwardly, Yun Zheng slowly stepped out from his corner.
Clutching a letter in his hand, Emperor Wen stared at Yun Zheng with a piercing gaze, his face locked in frost as he spoke: "Last night, members of the Beihuan diplomatic delegation sneaked out and were discovered by our city patrol guards. Our side suffered several casualties before we managed to cut down that Beihuan agent!"
"This letter was found on the body of that Beihuan person!"
"Mu Shun, read it aloud for everyone to hear!"
***
Hearing Emperor Wen's words, the gathered officials instantly understood.
Spies!
Someone within the court had secretly colluded with Beihuan!
No wonder Emperor Wen was in such a rage.
Someone was truly about to fall!
Yun Li and Xu Shifu exchanged a silent glance, inwardly laughing without restraint.
Just as they had anticipated!
Ban Bu had indeed acted according to plan!
Yun Li raised his eyes to scan Yun Zheng, laughing heartily in his heart.
Good-for-nothing!
This is the price of daring to cross me!
Yun Zheng kept his head lowered, feeling a quiet sense of relief.
Damn it!
Thank goodness I made arrangements in advance!
Otherwise, I might have been trapped and killed this time!
Bowing deeply, Mu Shun received the letter from Emperor Wen's hands with both hands and began to read aloud before the assembled court: "To His Highness the Sixth Prince..."
The contents of the letter were simple enough.
It was nothing more than Ban Bu informing Yun Zheng in writing that since he had cooperated with Yun Zheng to pull off that little charade during the previous welcoming banquet, he hoped Yun Zheng would lend him a hand when they discussed the grain request today! If this matter succeeded, Beihuan would surely offer a generous reward!
As Mu Shun read the contents aloud, all eyes shifted to land upon Yun Zheng.
No sooner had Mu Shun finished reading than murmurs broke out among the officials.
"No wonder the Sixth Prince was able to solve that Rubik's Cube; it turns out it was premeditated!"
"I'm afraid even the subsequent wager was arranged between them beforehand!"
"Undoubtedly! Reclaiming lost territory is a monumental merit! They must have anticipated long ago that His Majesty would bestow a princedom upon the Sixth Prince for this!"
"No wonder the Sixth Prince was so dead-set on going to Shuobei—he was secretly colluding with Beihuan all along! Once he reached Shuobei, he would surely work hand-in-glove with Beihuan to plot against the empire of Da Qian!"
"What a sinister scheme..."
The crowd buzzed with discussion, every single one of them glaring at Yun Zheng with fury.
That explained it!