Urged to Marry

Recently, the Chenghuan Emperor had caught a chill and remained in the Hall of Mental Cultivation to recuperate properly. Acting as a hands-off shopkeeper, he had tossed all state affairs to the Crown Prince. The ministers had all been summoned to the East Palace, where Xiao Hanye flipped through the testimony submitted by the Court of Judicial Review without speaking for a long while.

Since he did not speak, no one in the hall dared to speak either, much less move carelessly or cough.

Xiao Hanye tossed aside the testimony, swept his gaze over the crowd, and finally fixed it on the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. "You said Zhan Lingxiang entered the Imperial College under Sang Wen's identity. You arranged it?"

The Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices knelt on the ground and cupped his hands. "Yes. This humble subject had known Brother Zhan for many years and knew his character well. He would never have committed such a crime as murder for profit. Yet this humble subject held little influence and could only do what little he could to preserve the Zhan family bloodline. After Lingxiang was sent to a brothel, this humble subject feared she would be harmed, so he bribed the madam to get her out. By chance, Sang Wen, the loyal servant who had followed her, died of illness, so this humble subject had her assume his identity and live in the countryside. Lingxiang was a clever and strong-willed woman. She swore to enter the court, search for evidence, and clear her father's name. Last year, when the tribute student selection came around, she took the opportunity to return to the capital."

At this point, the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices' eyes gradually reddened, and his voice caught. "About half a month ago, she sent this humble subject a message saying she had found a very important ledger in the old residence. This humble subject wrote back and arranged to meet her, asking her to hand the ledger over so he could investigate it. But who would have thought that only two days later, the child would..."

He abruptly could not continue and raised his sleeve to sob softly.

The ministers exchanged glances and began putting on mournful expressions as well. As for how much of it was genuine, they all knew in their hearts.

After a moment, the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices kowtowed. "This humble subject has lost composure. Please forgive him, Your Highness."

Xiao Hanye crossed one leg over the other, his posture somewhat casual and unruly. After watching him for a while, he did not probe the truth of his words and merely waved a hand. "Step aside for now."

The Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices quickly raised his head and stole a glance at the Crown Prince. Unable to read his expression, he hastily answered, "Yes," then rose and withdrew to the side.

Xiao Hanye lightly tapped the table with a bent finger, his gaze settling on Wang Zhonggui. "Kneel."

Though his tone was calm, the command carried immense authority. Wang Zhonggui's back was already soaked through with cold sweat. Forcing himself not to tremble, he lifted his robe and knelt, doing his utmost to appear composed. "May this humble subject ask why Your Highness summoned him?"

Xiao Hanye directly smashed a ledger into his forehead. "Look at it yourself. Look carefully for me."

The blow left Wang Zhonggui seeing stars. He secretly cursed, Crude brute, then took a deep breath, picked up the ledger from the floor, and opened it. The more he read, the more horrified he became. Holding the ledger up in both hands, he said in panic:

"Your Highness, this ledger... this ledger is forged. The detailed accounts for Tongzhou disaster relief were clearly recorded by the Ministry of Revenue, and the Directorate of Ceremonial reviewed them that year as well. There were no errors!"

"The Directorate of Ceremonial found no errors, but what about the Office of Merit Assessment?" The Chief Censor stepped forward. "Lord Zhan was responsible for evaluating the Ministry of Revenue that year. He must have discovered issues with these accounts, which was why he was murdered."

"Embezzling disaster relief funds is a grave crime. Wang cannot bear such an accusation!" Wang Zhonggui grew agitated and craned his neck to glare back. "Censor Yao, you had best consider your words carefully. You must not make wild accusations and slander a court official!"

The Chief Censor said, "The Ministry of Justice presided over Zhan Ru's case back then, and it handled it in a muddled fashion. A close review of the old case files reveals utter disorder. You were also close to the Ministry of Justice and often exchanged benefits with them. It would hardly be surprising for them to fabricate a false case for you."

When the Minister of Justice saw the fire suddenly turn on him, his expression changed. He stepped forward to argue, while the Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review occasionally chimed in as well, making the hall exceedingly noisy.

Ji Zhang and Xie the Grand Secretary stood apart, silently forming an opposing front. They exchanged a glance filled with hidden hostility before casually looking away.

Xiao Hanye listened quietly for a while, then tapped the table with a bent finger.

The hall fell silent. Everyone cupped their hands and lowered their heads, waiting for him to speak.

Leaning against the back of his chair, Xiao Hanye said unhurriedly, "The Minister of Revenue is dismissed from office pending investigation and detained in the Temple of Revealed Guilt. Vice Minister Yu will temporarily oversee the Ministry of Revenue. The Minister of Justice is suspended from duty and confined to his home. Until the case is truly resolved, he is not to take one step outside his door."

The Crown Prince's Senior Tutor swiftly recorded the order at his side, drafted the edict, and presented it with both hands.

Xiao Hanye glanced at it and casually stamped it with the heir apparent's seal. At last, Xie the Grand Secretary spoke slowly. "Your Highness, this old subject believes the case is complex and far-reaching, and it indeed requires careful investigation. But the most important matter now is to determine Zhan Lingxiang's cause of death. Yet the Censorate and the Court of Judicial Review are fixated on the Ministry of Revenue's old accounts, clearly steering the investigation off course. Moreover, based solely on the words of the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, with the dead unable to testify, it cannot be easily concluded that the false Sang Wen was Zhan Lingxiang."

Ji Zhang spoke as well. "Grand Secretary, you are mistaken. Did Zhan Lingxiang not die because she wished to clear her father's name and reopened the old case? How is it steering the investigation off course for the Censorate and Court of Judicial Review to follow the trail?"

Xie the Grand Secretary said gravely, "If someone truly wished to silence her, they would certainly have handled every detail flawlessly. They would not have specifically chosen to act in Spring Garden."

"Oh? Then according to the Grand Secretary, someone intended to use Zhan Lingxiang's death to stir up trouble?" Ji Zhang looked at him and smiled. "The case still needs further investigation. Grand Secretary, there is no need to be so eager to clear the Ministry of Revenue. Right and wrong will receive their fair judgment."

The Chancellor stood with his hands tucked into his sleeves, looking utterly calm as he listened to their verbal sparring and maintained his silence.

Xiao Hanye stroked the back of his hand, then suddenly laughed and changed the subject. "I have recently heard that the Baochang Bureau has colluded with merchants to privately sell copper coins. Since the Ministry of Revenue is being investigated, this matter may as well be investigated along with it. Thus, Minister Wang must be removed from office first, by both law and reason."

Wang Zhonggui froze. The words "Baochang Bureau" instantly magnified the unease in his heart. Dizzy and disoriented, he felt that disaster had truly come crashing down upon him.

The court was roiling with turmoil, and the inner palace was no calmer.

As the legitimate daughter of a top aristocratic family, Ji Siyin was dignified and poised, exceptionally talented and beautiful—a perfectly faultless candidate for a principal wife. Unfortunately, she was the daughter of an enemy family.

The Empress Dowager had arranged the marriage, so the position of Prince Jing's principal consort was already destined to be hers. Consort Xian could only begin selecting candidates for secondary consorts for her own son. Consort Shu had the same idea, and each busied herself summoning unmarried noble young ladies into the palace. Their two groups occasionally ran into each other in the Imperial Garden, where they inevitably exchanged a few barbed, confrontational pleasantries.

Seeing that the Crown Prince had no birth mother to arrange his marriage, the Empress Dowager could not help worrying over it. She summoned him into the palace and gave him a lengthy, earnest lecture:

"By your age, your father already had you. Look at those sons of noble families—their back courtyards are stuffed with concubines and bedchamber maids, and some even have children already. Why are you not the least bit envious or anxious? From what I can see, you do not appear to have any hidden ailment."

Xiao Hanye's eye twitched. "Your grandson is perfectly well."

The Empress Dowager patted his shoulder. "You are a young man full of vigor. It would not do to hold it in until you make yourself ill. The East Palace is far too desolate. It is time to add a few women to it. Otherwise, it is nothing but guards and eunuchs. Do you not find that dull to look at?"

"That's hilarious," Xiao Hanye said. "I am already busy enough. Why bring a few women in? So I can play palace intrigues with them? You really are amusing."

The Empress Dowager: "..."

The Empress Dowager took a deep breath, sorely tempted to smack him on the forehead.

With that rotten temper, no wonder he still did not have a wife!

Her little Jue was still better—sweet-tongued and lovable.