"..."
After reading the second secret report Chen Pingping had delivered, Emperor Qing's brows drew tightly together, and his expression darkened further.
After a moment of silence, he slammed the report heavily onto the table and snorted angrily. "That Second Prince!"
"Fan Xian is currently representing Qing Kingdom on a diplomatic mission to Northern Qi. Releasing such news at a time like this—he is not making trouble for Fan Xian, he is clearly making trouble for me!"
As he spoke, he calmed down slightly. Glancing at Chen Pingping, he frowned. "Though Old Second is deep-minded, he still knows his limits. He would not release such news at a time like this to smear Fan Xian."
"I am certain there must be another reason behind this!"
Chen Pingping smiled. "Your Majesty is wise. The Second Prince indeed has another reason for doing this."
"Fan Xian has gone to Northern Qi and flawlessly completed the task Your Majesty assigned him. If he returns bearing such great merit, his qualifications and prestige will surely grow even greater. Your Majesty will value him still more, and taking over the Inner Treasury will merely be a matter of time."
"The Second Prince does not wish to sit and wait for death. Naturally, he must take the initiative while Fan Xian is away."
Emperor Qing asked noncommittally, "What else?"
Chen Pingping said softly, "According to reports from Northern Qi, Fan Xian has often visited shops under the Inner Treasury's control in Shangjing City. He has also taken away the Inner Treasury's account books from many of those shops, records accumulated over the years."
"I believe Fan Xian must have uncovered something in those account books..."
The account books... could it be smuggling?
At that thought, Emperor Qing's brow furrowed deeply, and a trace of anger rose