Ink Burns

Chapter 216 Dispute
Xiao Po still looked at Emperor Yongping: "One case is a coincidence, but what about multiple cases? The account books show that the three major merchants and two major businessmen involved in Songjiang Prefecture all have testimonies stating that the purchase of the painting by Guan'anzhai was at the behest of Liu Hezhou, the money for the purchase came from Songjiang Prefecture, and the value of the purchased painting was far lower than the amount sold—this is really suspicious!"

"Having doubts? Then let them arise! I don't care if you have a son or a daughter, it's up to you!"

"The imperial court is such a solemn place, how dare you speculate and doubt!" Chang Lin interrupted Xiao Po loudly, then waved his hand dismissively: "If Lord Xiao is merely 'suspicious,' I advise you to leave early. Let Xue Xiao teach you what to say and what not to say in court!"

Xiao Po finally looked at Chang Lin, a sharp smile forming on his lips: "This humble subject has been exempt from court assemblies, and truly did not know that this court had come to be surnamed Chang? — Or is it that the Marquis of Guanbei wishes to make this court surnamed Chang?"

If this claim is true, it would be tantamount to directly accusing Chang Lin of treason!
"You—! You're spouting nonsense!" Chang Lin shouted. "Slander! This is slander!"

After Yu Zhu, Emperor Yongping finally frowned: "Minister Chang, the Taizu Emperor's court assemblies could discuss important matters of war and strategy, as well as trivial matters such as the purchase of land for planting grain. The reason why I changed 'three consultations' to 'nine consultations' is that I want to open my eyes and ears, listen and see more, so that I can think and discuss more. Minister Chang, do you want to shut down my ears and eyes?"

Chang Lin's pupils dilated, and he buried his head in shock: "It is not true, naturally."

"Since you, Changqing, do not have such intentions, then stand aside and listen carefully to your colleague's report." The young emperor said in a calm voice, "Whether what he said is reasonable or not, if you, Changqing, want to be a loyal advisor and help me discern and consider, then wait until he has finished speaking before we talk."

Chang Lin lowered his head, clenched his back teeth, and remained silent for a long time.

Emperor Yongping looked at Xiao Po and steered the conversation back with a simple "However": "However, what Changqing said makes some sense. I trust the Censorate in its work; the authenticity of the ledgers and testimonies is beyond doubt. But the words 'just right' and 'perfectly' are not evidence for a case. Lord Xiao, you are a veteran of the Censorate. Your judgments and conclusions must be based on irrefutable evidence, not speculation and coincidence. I ask you, even if wealthy merchants from Jiangnan used Guan'anzhai as a base to embezzle silver from the Duzhou dike breach case and transport it to the capital, where did the 32,000 taels of silver collected by Guan'anzhai go? And where did the 32,000 taels of silver unearthed from the Suzhou villa inside Shanhaiguan come from?"

Xiao Po bowed deeply and said, "Thank you for your inquiry, Your Majesty!"

To reiterate: "Although there is no direct and conclusive evidence, we can glean some insight into the case and know that there are many suspicious points in the Duzhou dike breach case back then. This case involves not only the reputation of the Su family but also the wealth and silver treasury of the imperial court, which shows how serious and important it was!"

Xiao Po raised his voice, his small body making a loud noise: "Therefore! Today, your humble servant is petitioning Your Majesty to reopen the case of the breached dike in Duzhou! First, seal up Guan'anzhai and seize all account books and records from the twenty-third year of Zhaode to the present! Second, seal up all forms, account books, and lists of people entering and leaving the residence, villas, and shops of Zhou Xingyun, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies! Third, dispatch special personnel to Shanhaiguan to verify the truth about the Su family's acceptance of bribes!"

The government and the public were in an uproar!

The first one is easy to handle; just shut down a pleasure boat. Once it's shut down, it's fine, nothing serious.

The second and third points, upon closer examination, are quite profound!

Sealing off all of Zhou Xingyun's documents is just a euphemism! Who stands behind Zhou Xingyun? It's the Grand Princess Jing'an! Sealing off Zhou Xingyun's residence is simply sealing off the Grand Princess Jing'an's residence!

Who were the special personnel dispatched to Shanhaiguan to investigate? Were they from the Northern Frontier Army? Were they from the Cui family, the Marquis of Wuding?

The Censorate. How dare the Censorate!
A slight tremor finally appeared in Cui Bainian's expression. His son, Cui Yulang, from the Ministry of Works, raised his head, his deep gaze fixed on Xiao Po of the Censorate, who had stirred up such a storm in the court. He blinked thoughtfully, a strange smile unconsciously appearing on his lips: the little emperor "Qingfeng" had spoken of had finally made his move. The term "sealing and consolidating" was merely a euphemism for "seizure and impoundment"; its essence was confiscation—surrounding the Grand Princess's residence, forbidding entry and exit, thoroughly examining all documents, forms, and seals, and detaining all servants and personnel for questioning and investigation at the Censorate. With such a relentless pursuit, it would be difficult to avoid being caught red-handed.

The account books in Xiao Po's possession, from the Guanzhai Studio, were powerful enough to open the iron gate to the Grand Princess Jing'an.

Once it's opened, all the schemes and plans of "Qingfeng," "Su Family," and others will be laid bare under the clear sky.

Nothing can be hidden; all that awaits them is a thorough investigation and further examination.

Would Emperor Yongping dare?
The Chang family controlled the Xishan Camp, located on the inner outskirts of Beijing, acting as an inside agent;

The Cui family has been stationed in the northern frontier for twenty years, weathering many storms. The Cui family has long since changed the surname of the northern frontier army from "Su" to "Cui", and they are now working together outside Shanhaiguan.
The late emperor's posthumous son, Prince Rong, is exactly eight years old this year. He is at the age of innocence and carefree youth, and it is the perfect time to support him to the throne. Several ministers in the court can serve as regents.

Furthermore, there is the energy accumulated from the sparks of "Azure Phoenix," the unity of the people in Jiangnan, and the presence of leaders in the Six Ministries, Three Temples, and the inner palace of the capital. Once all these forces are gathered, can Emperor Yongping withstand them?

With inside help and outside support, and with the right timing and location, he didn't believe that Emperor Yongping would dare to rebel at this time.

Chang Lin reacted the most, shouting, "You're talking nonsense! How dare you!" He directly exposed Xiao Po's implication: "Isn't Lord Zhou from the Grand Princess's residence! The Grand Princess Jing'an is the most senior and noble member of the current imperial family! How dare you besiege the Grand Princess's residence! Regardless of her high status, even when the late Emperor passed away, he summoned the Grand Princess to his bedside to entrust her with his affairs! The Grand Princess has devoted herself to the Great Wei Dynasty, which has brought about this peaceful era. How can you eat from the bowl and then curse her!"

This wasn't meant to be an insult to Xiao Po.

It was a direct reference to Emperor Yongping.

Your rise to power was largely thanks to Jing'an!

Without Jing'an, there would be no Yongping!

Chang Lin sneered: "In ancient times, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang besieged and killed Emperor Taiping. Does Lord Xiao also want history to repeat itself?!"

Once he had secured his throne, he began to surround and slowly investigate his aunt's residence—was he thoroughly investigating old cases, or was he eliminating dissidents and consolidating imperial power?

"Lord Guanbei, be careful what you say!" Xiao Po shouted. "As you have said, this is the imperial court! Although my rank is lower than yours, I am not only an advisor but also have the responsibility of a censor! I will carefully fulfill my duties and impeach you for the grave crime of disrespecting the emperor! According to the law, you should be exiled three thousand li away!"

Chang Lin grinned, his hands draped over his waist belt, his gaze lightly fixed on Xiao Po: "You accuse me! You accuse me!—Let me tell you, in the Censorate, only Xue Xiao can pull off this blustering yet cowardly act so well! You bunch of censors, besides wielding your authority like a tiger, what skills do you have? What great things can you possibly accomplish!?"