Xu Zhengying, Vice Minister of Revenue, had not left his house for some time. He claimed to be ill, but in truth he was hiding at home, quietly watching the shifting winds at court. A new sovereign had ascended the throne, and the old emperor had stepped down to become the Retired Emperor. After a brief period of calm, the contradictions hidden within Great Kang had inevitably erupted. First, Li Tianheng of Western Sichuan had carved out an independent domain under the banner of coming to the emperor's aid. Then the newly enthroned sovereign had begun a sweeping purge of the court. Xu Zhengying was not worried about being caught up in it. Although he was Vice Minister of Revenue, an official of the Principal Fourth Rank, he was only the third-ranking man in the Ministry of Revenue, overseeing the Coinage Hall and the Treasure Spring Bureau. He had always wanted to draw closer to Hu Buwei, but Hu Buwei had remained wary of him. What had once been a regret now seemed something of a blessing. Had he truly managed to ingratiate himself with Hu Buwei and become his confidant, he would probably have been dragged down by the Hu Family's troubles as well.
Upon hearing that the Hu Family estate had been sealed and Hu Buwei and his wife were being held at the Ministry of Justice pending trial, Xu Zhengying felt relieved, but also a little like the fox mourning the rabbit's death. Although the matter had not yet implicated him, once the hearings began, he would certainly have to go to the Ministry of Justice to testify in his capacity as Vice Minister of Revenue. He had already weighed the benefits and risks. When a wall was falling, everyone gave it a shove. Hu Buwei was