Chapter 851 - 854: Lost
Chapter 851: Chapter 854: Lost
Before the courtiers could even react after the morning assembly, the Ministry of Revenue’s account books had already been thoroughly reviewed. Everyone had always known that the Holy Emperor had a group of expert auditors at his disposal. However, they hadn’t made a move in years. This sudden action caught them completely off guard.
The courtiers hastily looked to the Crown Prince for help.
Hua Zhang said, "It’s useless to look at me. This is my royal father’s fury. You’d be better off figuring out how to remedy the situation."
Hua Zhang had felt this deeply these past few days. As the future Emperor, he naturally had to stand on his royal father’s side. Among these courtiers, some had grown increasingly greedy. If left unchecked, they would eventually pose a threat to him as well. The fact that his royal father was willing to order a thorough investigation right now was a tremendous boon for him. How could he possibly try to stop it?
Truth be told, he also coveted those capable hands under his royal father’s command. He wondered if his own subordinates could learn a thing or two from them. Speaking of which, he seemed to have heard that Lord Gu Wenheng was the one who had helped train them.
Thinking about it, his imperial mother was right. Although he had never met this Mr. Gu, the man was capable and upright. Having someone like that by his side might lead to clashes, but it would certainly save him a lot of worry. He had felt a bit awkward about it before, since the man was assigned by his royal father, but looking at it now, he realized he had been short-sighted.
Although the courtiers were talking all at once, trying to persuade him to intervene, he figured his recent demeanor must have given them the illusion that he was easy to manipulate.
"There is no need to be anxious, my lords," Hua Zhang said. "My royal father has ruled impartially for many years. As long as you haven’t broken any laws or violated any taboos, I imagine you will all remain safe and sound."
Seeing their expressions subtly shift, Hua Zhang merely raised an eyebrow. If this were two months ago, he would have felt angry. But his royal father had once told him that just as perfectly clear water harbors no fish, a ruler could turn a blind eye as long as there were no fatal transgressions. He just didn’t know how these people had provoked his royal father this time. Otherwise, having been by his father’s side for so long, it was impossible for him not to have noticed anything beforehand.
Lu Gaoning’s face turned ghastly pale. The Crown Prince hadn’t given them a reassuring answer, and the Ministry of Revenue had already been turned upside down by the audit. The ominous premonition in his heart grew stronger by the second.
Back when he took over the Ministry of Revenue from Minister Zhou, the account books of that year had been clearly audited and settled under the witness of Marquis Zhou and the Holy Emperor. Managing such a massive ministry with countless daily ins and outs, how could he guarantee there wasn’t a single discrepancy? Furthermore, there were a few specific accounts hidden in there. If those were discovered, his entire family would be doomed.
"Your Highness," Lu Gaoning said, blocking Hua Zhang’s path with a forehead full of sweat. "Could you spare a moment for this old subject to say a few words?"
"Mr. Lu," Hua Zhang replied. "I believe it won’t be long before my royal father summons us. How about you accompany me to the Imperial Study Room?"
"I..."
Lu Gaoning didn’t even know what to choose right now. Should he leave the palace first to pacify the officials in the Ministry of Revenue, or should he find a way out for himself? If he went to the Imperial Study Room, he would directly face the Emperor’s wrath. He might not even make it out of there alive.
Hua Zhang saw through his hesitation at a glance but paid it no mind. He simply smiled at him and walked away with his hands clasped behind his back.
He thought it was wonderful that his royal father was helping him clean up these messes. Sure enough, he was his royal father’s favored Crown Prince. As for his brothers who had just changed expressions and hurriedly left, he figured they were probably running to the harem right now to beg for reinforcements. But so what? As long as they had genuinely committed offenses and fell into his royal father’s hands, it would only benefit him.
Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but feel fortunate to have a good imperial mother and uncle. They had taught him to strictly abide by his duties since he was a child; otherwise, he wouldn’t be in the winner’s seat today. The more he thought about it, the more joyous he felt. He didn’t even bother with the courtiers still gathered in the court and strode confidently toward the rear hall.
Hua Shunming was quickly informed of his son’s behavior and expressions.
"How can I be at ease with this?" Hua Shunming said. "I’ve told him long ago that wearing his emotions on his sleeve is his greatest flaw. It’s been so long, and he still hasn’t learned to be composed? The way he is, his inner thoughts are far too easily grasped by others. Damn it all, there isn’t much time left to temper him. It seems I really have to make a choice."
Le San stood silently to the side, not daring to make a sound. The Holy Emperor’s dissatisfaction with the Crown Prince was growing, which was not a good sign. Fortunately, the other Princes had also exposed their flaws this time. Otherwise, the position of Crown Prince would likely be in jeopardy.
"Send someone out to block the Crown Prince. I don’t want to see him right now," Hua Shunming ordered.
As soon as he finished speaking, a eunuch withdrew to carry out the command.
"Prepare the brush and ink. I will personally write a Holy Decree."
Le San didn’t dare delay. He dismissed the attendants and personally served the Emperor.
Gu Wenheng hadn’t expected the previous audit to be a mere feint. The Emperor was playing for keeps this time. Even though he was at home observing Ding You, people still came knocking on his door for help. Looking at the urgently delivered letters from Shangjing, Gu Wenheng felt that these people were truly grasping at straws in their desperation. Even if they had some prior relationship with him, he was currently in his Ding You period. How could he possibly help them?
"They want to curry favor with Marquis Zhou through you," Jin Qianqian said, glancing at the letters and voicing her guess. "If that doesn’t work, they probably figure that someone in the court would be willing to do you a favor by helping them."
"These people really think highly of me," Gu Wenheng scoffed. "During this transition of imperial power, how foolish would I have to be to get involved? It seems power and influence truly blind people. How long has Wu Yichen been in the capital, and he’s already picked a side?"
The sender of the latest letter was Wu Yichen, who had previously served as an Assistant Magistrate with him in Lu City. Thanks to his political achievements there, coupled with his family leveraging all their connections to restore their past glory, he had been promoted a few ranks over the last dozen years, becoming a Standard Fourth-rank Prefect. He was also a man who knew how to scheme, having aligned himself with Chen Zishu, the maternal family of the Sixth Prince.
Tied together like this, it was inevitable that their interests would entangle. During his tenure, funds had been inexplicably allocated from the National Treasury several times. If he couldn’t clearly account for those ledgers this time, his official career would likely be over.
"We absolutely cannot get involved in this," Jin Qianqian said. "Should we send a letter back to refuse him?"
Gu Wenheng shook his head, folded the letter, and handed it to Jin Qianqian. "Put this away for now. I’ll have someone go over and tell him that we are currently observing mourning, and we are ignoring all worldly affairs and trivial matters. He probably isn’t just grasping at straws. Rather, the master behind him is using this to extend an olive branch, waiting to see if I’ll accept it."
Gu Wenheng only needed to think a little deeper to guess the other party’s intentions. If he chose a side now, the Sixth Prince would help him return to office later. He really couldn’t understand it. Now that the Crown Prince was established and the Emperor was showing signs of abdicating, how could these people still be stirring up so much trouble?
"I didn’t expect a person to change so quickly," Jin Qianqian sighed, recalling their years in Lu City. "Back then, we all faced hardships together, relying solely on a sense of righteous integrity. Power and nobility truly blind the eyes, turning an official who was once wholeheartedly devoted to the people into someone who only knows how to scheme and form factions."
Gu Wenheng also felt a faint sense of disappointment in his heart. "I’m just afraid that things like this will become very common in the future..."