The cube that so many clever people could not solve had been solved so quickly by this good-for-nothing—so that was how it was.
All of this had been arranged beforehand!
"Your Majesty, this matter is suspicious!"
At that moment, Xiao Wanchou stepped forward abruptly and bowed. "In this old subject's view, I am afraid this is Beihuan deliberately seeking revenge and intentionally framing the Sixth Prince! It is a known fact that the Sixth Highness has long lived deep within the palace; how could he possibly have made contact with the people of Beihuan beforehand?"
"The Duke of Yuguo is mistaken!"
Yuan Cong immediately jumped out and declared loudly, "Before the arrival of the Beihuan delegation, the Sixth Prince had already moved out of the palace. It is entirely possible that Beihuan sent people ahead of the delegation to arrive early and secretly contact the Sixth Prince!"
"Nonsense!"
Xiao Wanchou scolded angrily, "What about before that? When the Sixth Prince had not yet moved out of the palace, he was already bent on going to Shuobei to court death. Are you saying he had already negotiated with the people of Beihuan back then?"
"It didn't necessarily have to be at that time."
Xu Shifu finally stepped forward. "In my view, someone from Beihuan arrived in the Imperial City ahead of the delegation, learned that the Sixth Prince was going to Shuobei, and only then found the Sixth Prince to cooperate with him!"
As soon as Xu Shifu's voice fell, many people immediately chimed in.
"That makes sense!"
"The Duke of Jing is right!"
"As far as I know, the Sixth Prince has been going everywhere telling people he is going to Shuobei. It shouldn't be hard for the people of Beihuan to find out about this!"
"Right! In our dynasty, there are even people colluding with them..."
For a moment, the crowd attacked him in a swarm, as if they had seen through everything.
Faced with everyone's accusations, Xiao Wanchou could not refute them either. He could only address Emperor Wen once more, firmly maintaining that Beihuan was deliberately framing him and seeking revenge on Yun Zheng for embarrassing them.
Although a few people in the court agreed with Xiao Wanchou, the majority firmly believed that Yun Zheng was colluding with Beihuan.
Yun Zheng raised his eyes slightly, silently memorizing the ugly expressions of these people.
A few more names were added to the little notebook in his heart.
"Shut up!"
At that moment, Emperor Wen suddenly shouted angrily.
Only then did the crowd grow quiet.
"Sixth, what do you have to say?"
Emperor Wen looked at Yun Zheng with a fierce gaze and questioned him coldly.
Yun Zheng shook his head slightly and gave a bitter smile. "This son... has nothing to say."
"So, you admit it?"
A cold light flashed abruptly in Emperor Wen's eyes.
"Whether this son admits it or not makes no difference."
Yun Zheng continued with a bitter smile. "This son has no way to argue, nor any way to prove his innocence! Even if this son does not admit it, faced with the iron-clad evidence left behind by the Beihuan people, what can this son say?"
"Sixth Highness, you can defend yourself!"
Xiao Wanchou reminded him, "Didn't you say that the cube came from an ancient book? If you produce that ancient book, wouldn't you be able to prove your innocence?"
This was Yun Zheng's only chance to prove his innocence.
As long as he truly had seen it in a book, he could prove he had not colluded with Beihuan.
"Right!"
Emperor Wen nodded. "Bring that ancient book out for Us to see!"
"That was from many years ago."
Yun Zheng shook his head helplessly. "This son only remembers that the ancient book was called *Investigation of Things*, and now I have no idea where that ancient book has gone..."
Hearing Yun Zheng's words, Xiao Wanchou choked slightly.
Even the book was missing?
What was the use of just knowing a book title?
Couldn't he just make up a book title?
A dead end!
This was a dead end!
After all, since Yun Zheng had been so useless previously, everyone had reason to disbelieve that he had ever read such an ancient book.
Without any way to prove his innocence, this situation meant certain death!
Treason and colluding with the enemy—even a prince would undoubtedly die for this!
"Sixth Brother, oh Sixth Brother, you have disappointed us too much!"
Yun Li said hypocritically, "Imperial Father trusted you so much, and all the civil and military officials refused to believe that you could commit treason. Yet, in the end, you colluded with the enemy and betrayed the country?"
"Aren't you breaking Imperial Father's heart?"
"Even if you harbored resentment toward Imperial Father, you shouldn't commit treason and betray the country!"
As he spoke, Yun Li put on another heartbroken expression.
Yun Li's final sentence carried immense lethality.
In a single sentence, he directly pointed out Yun Zheng's motive for colluding with the enemy and betraying the country.
With a motive, with ironclad evidence, and with Yun Zheng unable to prove his innocence, this was a dead end!
Hearing Yun Li's words, the crowd nodded one after another.
The Sixth Prince had long been treated coldly and ignored, and harboring bitter resentment toward Emperor Wen was entirely possible!
Yun Zheng cast a cold glance at Yun Li, but said nothing more.
In his heart, he understood that this was most likely that bastard Yun Li conspiring with the Beihuan delegation to frame him.
Yet he had no evidence, so speaking would be useless.
"Imperial Father, grant this son a cup of poisoned wine!"
After a long silence, Yun Zheng sighed with a desolate expression.
He was gambling now, too.
He was gambling that the rumors he had Ye Zi spread had already reached Emperor Wen's ears, and he was also gambling that Emperor Wen would not lightly grant poisoned wine.
If this old bastard lost his mind and actually ordered poisoned wine, his only option would be to force him to grant an opportunity to confront Ban Bu face-to-face, thereby buying time.
Seeing Yun Zheng's desolate appearance, Emperor Wen could not help falling into deep thought.
After a moment, Emperor Wen raised his eyes and swept his gaze across the assembled ministers. "Since the Sixth has already confessed, how do you all think the Sixth should be dealt with?"
Not knowing what Emperor Wen was truly thinking, the officials hesitated to speak for a moment.
In the end, it was Xu Shifu who stepped forward first, saying righteously, "Your Majesty, colluding with the enemy and betraying the country cannot be forgiven, even if it is a prince! I implore Your Majesty to grant the Sixth Prince's request and bestow upon him poisoned wine to uphold the laws of the court!"
"I implore Your Majesty to grant death to the Sixth Prince to uphold the laws of the court!"
In an instant, the vast majority of the officials bowed and submitted their petitions.
Looking at these people before him, a murderous glint quietly flashed in Emperor Wen's eyes...
Chapter 27: A Long Stream of Water?
The ministers submitted their petitions one after another; however, Emperor Wen refused to speak for a long time.
"Your Majesty, why not give the Sixth Prince a chance to confront the Beihuan delegation face-to-face?"
At that moment, Xiao Wanchou stepped forward once more, making a final effort.
"The Sixth Prince has already confessed himself. Is a confrontation still necessary?"
Xu Shifu demanded sternly, "Even if he were given the chance to face the Beihuan delegation directly, would the people of the Beihuan delegation admit it?"
Xu Shifu's words won the agreement of the majority.
Even Yun Zheng agreed with them.
Even if given such an opportunity, it would merely buy time.
Ban Bu would certainly not admit to framing him.
In fact, he was even more likely to add fuel to the fire.
With a single sentence, Xu Shifu left Xiao Wanchou once again at a loss for words.
As a military general arguing with civil officials, Xiao Wanchou was bound to lose.
After a long silence, Xiao Wanchou suddenly stepped forward and dropped to his knees with a heavy *thud*. "Your Majesty, the Sixth Prince is, after all, a prince. Even if he is to be granted death, it cannot be done based merely on a letter! This old subject implores Your Majesty to let me oversee this matter, and this old subject will surely investigate it to the very bottom!"
Watching Xiao Wanchou pleading on his knees, Yun Zheng felt a surge of secret gratitude.
At a time like this, finding someone willing to help him was truly rare.
The crucial point was that he and Xiao Wanchou originally had very little interaction—they had merely exchanged a few words the night before while welcoming the Beihuan delegation.
Although he was confident he could break the deadlock, he still kept Xiao Wanchou's favor in mind.
"Rise, Old General!"
Emperor Wen motioned for Mu Shun to help Xiao Wanchou up, then nodded slightly and said, "The Old General speaks reasonably. Even if we are to grant death to the Sixth, we must investigate the matter thoroughly first!"
"Many thanks, Your Majesty!"
"Many thanks, Imperial Father!"
Xiao Wanchou and Yun Zheng spoke at the same time.
Xu Shifu and Yun Li shot a resentful glare at Xiao Wanchou, cursing the old scoundrel in their hearts.
However, they were completely unconcerned.
They had already cleaned up every trace.
No matter how Xiao Wanchou investigated, he would find nothing!
As long as Xiao Wanchou could not clear Yun Zheng's name, Yun Zheng was dead beyond a doubt!
This was a dead end to begin with!
Emperor Wen glared fiercely at Yun Zheng and snapped irritably, "Don't thank Me, thank Old General Xiao!"
"Thank you, Duke of Yuguo!"
Yun Zheng bowed in salute.
Xiao Wanchou waved his hand and said earnestly, "This old man is willing to trust the Highness once!"
"Thank you!" Yun Zheng said sincerely.
"Enough! Let the matter rest at this for now!"
Emperor Wen waved his hand and asked the assembled officials, "Is there any other business to report?"
As he spoke, Emperor Wen's peripheral vision glanced toward Yun Li.
Yet, after waiting for a long time, Yun Li did not step forward.
"Your Majesty, shouldn't the Sixth Prince be placed under arrest first?"
Xu Shifu bowed and inquired.
"No rush!"
Emperor Wen waved a hand. "Let's wait until we've met the Beihuan delegation! Surely you don't think I'm afraid he'll run away?"
Having made himself a bore, Xu Shifu obediently stepped back.
A flicker of thought crossed Yun Zheng's mind as he quietly pondered.
It seemed this cheap father of his must have received some rumors!
Emperor Wen was putting on a play!
He, too, had concluded that he was being framed!
He had deliberately staged this whole scene just to see who was stirring up trouble behind the scenes!
Otherwise, he should have at least had him escorted to the celestial prison first!
At that moment, a eunuch from outside the palace reported that the Beihuan delegation was outside requesting an audience.
"Proclaim them in!"
Emperor Wen waved a hand grandly and commanded the officials, "No one is permitted to mention the affair of the Sixth in front of the Beihuan delegation! I want to see for myself how they managed to collude!"
The officials acknowledged the order one after another.
Soon, the Beihuan delegation entered the hall.
As before, they walked with their heads held high and strides confident.
"Greetings to the Emperor of Da Qian!"
Ban Bu placed his right hand over his heart, saluting with Beihuan etiquette.
Emperor Wen frowned and said with displeasure, "Has the National Master forgotten our wager?"
"I haven't forgotten!"
Ban Bu shook his head and said, "The matter of the bow was limited to the night before; today, it no longer counts!"
Emperor Wen choked slightly, cursing inwardly that this old fellow had found a loophole.
"Very well! At least you have knelt before Me once already!"
Emperor Wen waved his hand indifferently. "My mood hasn't been very good lately, so let's skip the small talk. Can the National Master state directly how much grain Beihuan wants Da Qian to support them with?"
"Three million dan!"
Ban Bu stated directly.
"What?"
"Three million dan?"
"That is utterly impossible!"
"If all the grain goes to Beihuan, what will we in Da Qian eat?"
"Exactly, our Da Qian's annual tax grain is only eight million dan or so..."
The officials immediately raised fierce objections.
Yun Zheng muttered inwardly as well.
Three million dan—was that not three hundred million catties of grain?
They certainly thought quite prettily of themselves!
"Not at all, not at all!"
Ban Bu shook his head and chuckled, "This National Master has heard that Da Qian has enjoyed a bumper harvest this year, with tax grain exceeding thirty million dan. What my Beihuan asks for is not even one-tenth of yours!"
As Ban Bu's voice fell, the expressions of the officials shifted drastically.
The next moment, everyone's gaze landed on Yun Zheng.
Although the exact figure of tax grain was not a state secret, only high-ranking court ministers and those close to the emperor knew it clearly.
How could Ban Bu know it with such precision?
At that moment, nearly everyone believed it was Yun Zheng who had leaked this information to Ban Bu.
With a hundred mouths, Yun Zheng could not defend himself, so he simply remained silent.
How brilliant!
He neither cast glances at himself nor hinted for help.
With this single point, his collusion with Beihuan was cemented even more firmly.
He had to admit, the person who set up this trap was truly vicious.
Yun Zheng's gaze quietly fell upon Xu Shifu and Yun Li.
These two birds were his prime suspects.
Xu Shifu smiled inwardly, though his face maintained a look of intense indignation.
"Three million dan is utterly impossible!"
Emperor Wen replied without a moment's thought. "Our dynasty can support Beihuan with at most fifty million catties—no, fifty thousand dan of grain. If the National Master wants more, you can exchange it for warhorses!"
"The matter of warhorses can be discussed later!"
Ban Bu waved a hand and smiled cheerfully, "Three million dan of grain really isn't much! My Beihuan has six hundred thousand elite cavalry, and each man and horse consumes one dou of grain a day. Even with the utmost thrift, three million dan of grain can only sustain us for two months at most..."
Six hundred thousand elite cavalry!
Hearing Ban Bu's words, the faces of everyone present twitched violently.
A threat!
Ban Bu was clearly threatening Da Qian!
Beihuan's six hundred thousand cavalry undoubtedly contained elements of exaggeration.
Yet gathering three or four hundred thousand cavalry would certainly pose no problem.
Although Da Qian possessed an army of a million strong, due to a scarcity of warhorses, its cavalry numbered barely over one hundred thousand.
Should the Beihuan cavalry move south, it would be difficult for Da Qian to resist.
Emperor Wen clenched his fists tightly, his face covered in frost as he said, "I will say it again: three million dan of grain is utterly impossible! If Beihuan wishes to fight, Da Qian will accompany you to the bitter end!"
"Right!"
Xiao Wanchou stepped forward, reeking of murderous intent. "Although this old subject is aged, I can still lead an army into battle! This old subject implores Your Majesty to let me take command!"
Following Xiao Wanchou's lead, the pro-war faction eagerly stepped forward to volunteer for battle.
"My Beihuan has come here sincerely this time to request grain support from Da Qian."
Ban Bu smiled slightly. "If Da Qian feels that providing three million dan of grain all at once is too much, why don't we switch to a method of a long stream of water, what do you think?"
"A long stream of water?"
Emperor Wen raised a hand to halt the eager officials and asked, "What kind of long stream of water method is that?"
Ban Bu smiled slightly and replied, "We sign an agreement with a period of one month. On the first day, Da Qian gives us two dan of grain; on the second day, four dan; on the third day, eight dan. Every day thereafter, it doubles the previous day, and so on, until our Beihuan is fully supplied for one month..."
Chapter 28: Plus My Third Brother's Head
As Ban Bu's voice trailed off, Yun Zheng's eyelids suddenly jumped.
*Holy crap!*
The chessboard and rice legend?
Could this old dog Ban Bu also be a time traveler?
Or had someone like him traveled through time to Beihuan?
At the same time, the officials of Da Qian could not help calculating silently in their hearts.
This... did not seem like very much either, did it?
Was it not just a month?
At this rate of giving, it would at most amount to a few hundred thousand dan of grain being handed out!
It was definitely far less than three million dan!
Emperor Wen was also calculating silently in his mind.
However, the Da Qian court lacked any profound mathematical concepts.
After calculating for a long time, Emperor Wen only felt that giving it this way seemed rather cost-effective.
Even so, he still harbored a slight worry that this was a trap designed by Ban Bu for them.
Yet, no matter how he calculated it, it did not look like a trap.
Giving grain in this manner indeed seemed to require very little.
Moreover, giving a little bit each day would place much less pressure on Da Qian!
Hmm, this proposal seemed rather good!
"Imperial Father, this move is indeed not bad."
Yun Li stepped forward to offer his advice. "This son calculated it just now. The grain given away in this manner will at most amount to one million dan, and with a full month's time, it can greatly reduce the pressure on our court."
"Mm."
Xu Shifu nodded along as well. "This subject believes this plan is feasible!"
With the two of them speaking up, the rest of the officials chimed in to agree.
"Your Majesty, you must not!"
At that moment, Grand Secretary Zhang Huai suddenly spoke up. "This old subject just calculated it: if we follow this method, the grain our court gives away will likely exceed five million dan!"
"How is that possible!"
Yun Li shook his head with a smile. "Grand Secretary Zhang, surely you've calculated wrong?"
Five million dan?
How on earth did he calculate that!
"Exactly!"
The Second Prince nodded along. "Isn't it just thirty days? How could it possibly give away millions of dan of grain! Grand Secretary Zhang, you are advanced in years, you must have calculated it wrong."
"Wrong! You've all calculated it wrong!"
Zhang Huai shook his head. "This is a trap, it will definitely exceed five million dan!"
Zhang Huai stamped his feet in anxiety and said to Emperor Wen, "Your Majesty, this old subject dares to stake his life that my calculation is absolutely not wrong! This is definitely a trap!"
Listening to Zhang Huai's words, Emperor Wen fell into deep contemplation.
Indeed, he also felt it was a trap, only he could not calculate it himself.
Zhang Huai was an old scholar, and had even been Emperor Wen's tutor when he was Crown Prince. In terms of statecraft and military strategy Zhang Huai might fall short, but when it came to scholarship and academics, Zhang Huai was an absolute authority.
What was more, Zhang Huai had even spoken the words of staking his life.
Emperor Wen was naturally much more inclined to believe Zhang Huai.
"National Master, you take Me for a fool in Da Qian with no capable men!"
Emperor Wen sneered. "Do you think the people of Da Qian cannot even calculate simple numbers?"
"It was I who underestimated Da Qian."
Ban Bu gave an "awkward" smile. "However, this method truly can alleviate Da Qian's pressure! Since you've seen through it, I won't beat around the bush anymore. If we sign the agreement under these terms, my Beihuan can offer five thousand warhorses in exchange!"
Five thousand warhorses?
Hearing Ban Bu's words, everyone's eyes instantly lit up.
Five thousand warhorses was no small sum!
The total number of warhorses produced and sold from all of Da Qian's horse ranches in a year did not even reach ten thousand!
Trading five thousand warhorses for five million dan of grain—while Da Qian would take a loss, it could not be considered an excessive one.
At least it was far more cost-effective than giving three million dan of grain directly to Beihuan.
"Five thousand is still a bit too few."
Having just lost face, Yun Li immediately spoke up to assert his presence. "Ten thousand is more appropriate!"
"Right, right!" Xiao Wanchou agreed for once. "At least ten thousand!"
"Impossible!"
Ban Bu refused without a moment's thought. "Six thousand at most! That is my Beihuan's limit!"
"Nine thousand, that is also Da Qian's bottom line!"
"Seven thousand, not a single horse more!"
"No, let each of us take a step back: eight thousand!"
"This..."
When it came to eight thousand, Ban Bu hesitated, seeming somewhat tempted.
Seeing this, Emperor Wen immediately struck while the iron was hot. "Eight thousand warhorses it is! If the National Master agrees, we can sign the treaty right here in court!"
"This..."
Ban Bu was still hesitating.
Watching Ban Bu's demeanor, Yun Zheng couldn't help cursing inwardly.
This old bastard was cunning enough!
Knowing that Da Qian lacked warhorses, he had deliberately shifted the point of contention to the number of warhorses.
Out of all the civil and military officials, not a single one was focusing on how much grain was actually being given away?
This old fellow calculated truly well, step by step luring the court officials into his trap.
"Imperial Father, wait!"
Yun Zheng finally stepped forward, intending to teach Ban Bu a proper lesson.
Was this not his chance to prove his innocence?
"Sixth, this is no business of yours, step back!"
Yun Li rebuked him sternly. "Don't forget your own situation!"