Chapter 41

Quite a few people had heard that group's discussion earlier. Since it did not concern them, they had no desire to stick their necks out. The person concerned was sitting there calmly, so they simply listened to the gossip.

They had thought Guan Jiasheng would laugh it off as he had five years ago. Who knew he would get serious this time and even dig up a secret murder case? He had clearly been in Suzhou then. How could he know what had happened in the capital? Terrifying! Was there anything he did not know?

Meng Zhou looked at these hopeless wastrels and said sternly, "Before you talk behind someone's back, first take stock of the guilty deeds you've done yourselves. Just because I haven't held you accountable, do you really think your hands are clean?"

His words were not only meant for these few men, but for everyone present: killing the chicken to warn the monkeys.

Loose-tongued people were bound to have done a guilty deed or two. What upright person would go around talking about the prefect of Jingzhao's impotence for no reason?

For a moment, the entire gathering fell silent. A few senior ministers disliked seeing Meng Zhou speak so arrogantly at such a young age and were about to rebuke him, but when they saw that Right Chancellor Yan Xiang and General-in-Chief Jiang Yi both looked approving, they naturally abandoned the thought. If the old duke had a problem, he could take it to His Majesty.

Of the three perpetrators, the one who had suggested sinking the body in the lake was more calculating. He kicked his companions twice, then raised his head to look at Meng Zhou. "Lord Guan, words are no proof. What evidence do you have? Has anyone seen Wang Junyang's body?"

After the murder, he had spent some time watching for floating bodies in Qianyang Lake. Apart from the one His Majesty had ordered retrieved, there had been no others.

Seeing that Jiang Yi was also present, Meng Zhou could not speak openly and could only say, "Do the three sets of bloody footprints you left on the pleasure boat count as evidence? As for the body, His Majesty will tell you where it is. Guards, take them into custody."

The old duke hurried over upon hearing the commotion and stood beneath a tree, his expression dark. Today was his grandson's wedding day, yet a mere prefect of Jingzhao dared come and disrupt it.

And with a murder case, at that. How inauspicious!

The old duke was rather superstitious and had his heart set on producing another empress in the family. Today's banquet was a grand affair, with most of the capital's high officials invited. He intended to sound them out before once again raising the matter of selecting consorts and appointing an empress. These wastrels were the groom's friends. This was a blatant slap in the ducal household's face.

Yet Jingzhao Prefecture was entirely within its rights to investigate a case, leaving him nowhere to vent his anger. Only after the guards had escorted the wastrels away did the old duke rearrange his expression and emerge smiling, bringing eighteen vats of fine huadiao wine to urge drinks upon the guests.

As the red cloth covers were lifted, a strong aroma of wine spread through the air, rich and intoxicating. One sniff told Meng Zhou it was potent.

Citing the urgency of the case, he cupped his hands and took his leave of the old duke. "I have disturbed the wedding feast and will certainly visit another day to apologize. There was a reason for today's intrusion, and I ask Your Grace's forgiveness."

The old duke patted Meng Zhou's shoulder, laughing repeatedly. "The younger generation is truly formidable. Formidable indeed."

He had reached his current position entirely by coasting along. His elder brother had died young, leaving no children besides Chu Huaiyin's mother, and his title and office had passed to his younger brother after his death. In his youth, he had committed plenty of misdeeds under his brother's protection and had been detained for a time by Chancellor Guan of that era. He still bore a grudge.

The hand landing on his shoulder was far from gentle. Thinking that he had indeed been in the wrong first, Meng Zhou let it slide. Leaving came first.

"It would be such a shame for Lord Guan to leave without tasting the wedding wine. For my sake, won't you have a cup before you go? Bring the wine!" The old duke had no intention of letting him leave so easily.

A servant brought over a cup with roughly the capacity of a large bowl. Even the wine had been specially prepared.

I'm being targeted.

Meng Zhou looked deeply apologetic. "My wife recently passed away, and I have abstained from wine for some time. I must also investigate the case shortly. His Majesty is following it closely, and I fear getting drunk would interfere with my duties."

"So you refuse to give me face?" The old duke's expression fell.

Meng Zhou thought, I really can't give you face on this one.

Jiang Yi was just about to intervene when an authoritative voice cut in.

"My minister Guan is investigating a case for me. You seem to think rather highly of your own face, Duke."

Chu Huaiyin appeared without warning. Before the old duke could feel pleased, His Majesty's words frightened him into a shudder.

"This old subject would not dare."

"Long live Your Majesty! Long live, long live Your Majesty!"

"Rise." Chu Huaiyin had originally sent only a ceremonial official, not wishing to give the old duke too many fanciful hopes. Then he recalled that Meng Zhou was also among the invited guests and, uneasy, had made the trip himself.

"My ministers, do not let my presence trouble you." After a few pleasantries, Chu Huaiyin left with Meng Zhou without so much as taking a sip of water.

The same question arose in every minister's mind: rather than summoning Guan Jiasheng, His Majesty had come to find him in person. What level of favor was this?

Following behind Chu Huaiyin, Meng Zhou felt that his figure looked particularly tall and imposing.

"I heard at the banquet just now that the old duke intends to send his granddaughter into the palace."

The old duke is vicious, and I've thoroughly offended him now. If you intend to marry his granddaughter, you must let me return to Suzhou beforehand.

I don't want to attend your consort selection ceremony at all.

Chu Huaiyin stopped abruptly, and Meng Zhou bumped headfirst into his back.

"Did you not kneel enough outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony?"

The angry words were squeezed out from deep in his chest. Even pressed against his back, Meng Zhou could feel the violent surge of emotion.

He straightened in an instant, fully alert. "Enough."

Chu Huaiyin gave him a long look. He wanted to make things clear, but feared Meng Zhou would joke around and fail to take him seriously. In the end, he only said, "If you encounter anything you cannot resolve, invoke my name freely. I'll back you up."

"Wouldn't that be falsifying an imperial edict?" Meng Zhou looked back at Chu Huaiyin, his eyes sparkling. With your word on that, I can lie as much as I like from now on, right?

Chu Huaiyin pinched his cheek. "If I acknowledge it, it doesn't count. If I don't, you bear the consequences."

How am I supposed to tell the difference?

Can I issue myself an edict tomorrow to return to Suzhou?

Meng Zhou was secretly rejoicing when Chu Huaiyin pinched his mouth shut. "I know you can tell the difference."

On a dark, windy night, Meng Zhou impersonated Wang Junyang and gave the prisoners a thorough fright. He recounted the crime without a single discrepancy, leaving all three utterly convinced that he was Wang Junyang's ghost. When court convened the next day, they confessed everything.

Meng Zhou finished all his pregnancy-stabilizing medicine with satisfaction. The murderer who had gotten Lady Lin's husband drunk and seized the opportunity to push him into the river came to light, and Lady Lin thanked him profusely. Xue Tianlu's clansmen now all knew that Lady Lin had the prefect of Jingzhao backing her and no longer dared behave outrageously.

The gossip around him all but vanished. Chu Huaiyin forbade him from visiting the ducal residence again, and Guan Jiasheng's mother took on the task of paying a visit to apologize.

She told Meng Zhou about Meng Fushan's threats. What had happened recently had jolted Old Madam Guan into seeing things differently. Meng Fushan had threatened her with the Guan Clan's reputation and Guan Jiasheng's future. In the past, Guan Jiasheng's mother might have hesitated, but she was no fool. In a matter as grave as rebellion, the slightest carelessness could make her an accomplice. Compared with an empty reputation, the Guan Clan's integrity mattered more.

After discussing it, Meng Zhou and Chu Huaiyin decided to arrest Meng Fushan first, denying him the chance to spread those rumors.

The left chancellor, who had not appeared at the old duke's banquet, was now in the imperial prison.

Meng Fushan insisted that he had not plotted rebellion. Ji Yang looked at him pityingly. "All the evidence and testimony point to you. You're merely a discarded pawn now. I advise you to tell us everything you know and spare yourself physical suffering."

The false A Hu and his adoptive parents gave matching statements, saying they had attempted to assassinate Guan Jiasheng on Meng Fushan's orders. According to them, Meng Fushan had happened upon a set of plans several years ago and learned Qing Garden's secret. Over the following years, he had therefore gathered large quantities of the corresponding Lake Tai stones in Suzhou and shipped them back to the capital. Using his high position and considerable power, he had cut off contact between Suzhou and the court and sent assassins to intercept Guan Jiasheng on his journey back to the capital. Later, upon learning that Meng Zhou had replaced Guan Jiasheng, he had feared exposure and ruthlessly attempted to kill even his own son.

He had always loved gardens and had built a replica of one corner of Qing Garden in his own backyard. Now it became the most compelling evidence.

Just then, rumors suddenly swept through the capital, claiming that Meng Fushan was a remnant of the previous dynasty, held a treasure map to its treasury, and had deliberately caused a massacre in Suzhou during His Majesty's accession.

In a single night, the Imperial Guard caught forty or fifty martial artists who had gone to the Meng Residence to steal the treasure map.

Another version claimed that the Liu Family were also pawns Meng Fushan had planted in Great Wei. One civil and one military, they trained troops, amassed wealth, and controlled the court.

They were pinning every dirty accusation on Meng Fushan.

"You bargained with a tiger for its skin. Meng Fushan, even now you refuse to tell the truth? Do you want your entire household executed?" Chu Huaiyin was inwardly furious. He did not care in the slightest about Meng Fushan being smeared, but Meng Zhou could not be branded a remnant of the previous dynasty. That would be extremely detrimental to his reclaiming his own identity.

Meng Fushan finally realized that the more stubbornly he denied everything, the more charges were piled onto him.

"I did not plot rebellion! I admit only to the matter of Qing Garden!"

"Seven years ago, a garden craftsman approached me and said he had a set of plans to offer me. I thought they looked good at the time and kept them. Not long afterward, someone else came to my door and told me the secret of those plans. He proposed a partnership: he would transport the stones from Jiangnan, and I would conceal the news. Once it was done, we would split it equally. I know nothing whatsoever about anything else." Meng Fushan truly had no connection to the Liu Family. When he had first learned of Chu Huaiyin's power, he had immediately chosen to side with him.

Later, the man who had contacted him had given him a severe dressing-down, saying that the second prince was the one on their side. Only then had Meng Fushan realized how deep these waters ran. He had no desire to continue their partnership. As long as the Qing Garden affair could be put behind him, he would still be Great Wei's left chancellor.

"Those plans fell into your hands so easily. Did you never suspect anything?"

"I did have my suspicions at the time, but he said he merely wanted to find a partner. I was blinded by greed and agreed." He had only been using the left chancellor's authority to suppress news along the Suzhou route. Who could have imagined so much else lay behind it?

Chu Huaiyin had never imagined that one day he would have to clear Meng Fushan of fabricated charges. His feelings were complicated. "Who approached you?"

"It-it was an adviser to the Liu Family." From the moment Meng Fushan had seen the adviser's portrait on the wanted notice, he had known that both he and the Liu Family were that man's pawns. Thinking further, even the second prince...

The Feng Kingdom had dispatched envoys a month earlier to congratulate Chu Huaiyin on his accession. By his reckoning, they would arrive within the next couple of days. Chu Huaiyin had much to attend to, and now he also had to consider what charges to bring against Meng Fushan.

Rebellion would not do, and being a remnant of the previous dynasty was even less acceptable.

Seeing his vexation, Meng Zhou considerately suggested that he could give up his identity as Meng Zhou.

Chu Huaiyin glared at him. "Even if I agreed, your uncle would not."

For the sake of the future alone, Meng Zhou had to have Jiang Yi to rely on.

Author's note:

Jiang Yi: Don't be afraid. Your uncle has an army of four hundred thousand.

Chu Huaiyin: That is the betrothal gift for Kitten Meng.

Jiang Yi: I'm hanging up my armor and retiring to the farm.