Ink Burns

Chapter 218 Ruler and Minister
Emperor Yongping issued an edict, and the Censorate accepted the order. Left Vice Censor-in-Chief Xiao Po was stationed in the capital. The chubby Xiong Laowu, who had become famous in one battle, and another Right Vice Censor-in-Chief named Fan Yi led their respective teams to the south of the Yangtze River, traveling along the Grand Canal. They split into two lines, and within half a month, they frequently reported victories—of course, for "Qingfeng," it was a death knell.

Songjiang Prefecture, under the jurisdiction of Bai Yusi, was the first to be targeted.

Liu Hezhou should be thankful that he died young, perfectly avoiding this round of purges, but his descendants were not so lucky. The Liu family was sealed off, and the three major merchants and two major businessmen involved in the Guan'anzhai account books were detained and interrogated separately from the Liu family. Liu Huan, who was in mourning, was naturally personally received by the chubby Xiong Laowu. It is said that before he had suffered much, he revealed everything about his superior, Zhao Tingguang, the magistrate of Nanzhili, and his father's colleague and friend, Han Chengrang, the former prefect of Suzhou. He revealed when he gave how much money, who he helped to get away with crimes, and who he bought official documents for to exonerate.
In Songjiang Prefecture, a pumpkin belonging to the Liu family was pulled out, and following the vine, many other strangely shaped pumpkins, large and small, were discovered.

Aside from Zhao Tingguang and Han Chengrang, who have names, there are also several prefectural magistrates, county magistrates, and commanders in Songjiang Prefecture. Like countless spiders hovering at the entrance of a deep cave, they diligently weave a fine web of silk, ensnaring the entire Songjiang Prefecture within the Liu family's reach.

"He acts like a local tyrant."

Along the water's edge, ice basins were placed at each of the six corners of the pavilions and corridors. Mirror Lake, connecting the Xuebei and Nanfu mansions, lay beneath the covered bridge and flower-lined courtyard, its surface shimmering in the moonlight. The once densely packed bookshelves and books in the flower-lined courtyard had all been removed, their whereabouts unknown. The empty room contained two bamboo rocking chairs, each with a small low table beside it, on which sat two teacups, one on each side, still emitting wisps of steam.

Emperor Yongping, Xu Quyan, now dressed in a light blue linen robe, sat on a rocking chair with his hands lightly resting on the armrests. His face was serene, and his lips had a touch more color than before: "How big is Songjiang Prefecture? Only seven counties and 330,000 households. Yet the Liu family has seventeen courtyards in and around the city, with three hundred servants and attendants. They have two hundred and seventy thousand taels of silver in the bank and twelve chests of silver and three chests of gold stored in their other residences."

Xu Quyan spoke calmly, but his eyes flashed with murderous intent: "And last winter, when there was an epidemic in Songjiang Prefecture, Bai Yusi opened the government treasury and found only a mere five thousand taels inside."

Xue Xiao lowered his eyes and raised his hand to fill Xu Quyan's teacup to eight-tenths full: "There is an old saying that goes, 'When you take office, you have an empty baggage, but when you leave office, you have a full baggage.' The Liu family has been entrenched in Songjiang Prefecture for many years. They probably have spent more money than they have given away."

Xu Quyan raised his lips slightly and said, "Liu Huan is timid and stupid but clever. Apart from Zhao Tingguang and Han Cheng, she didn't reveal a single name of anyone in the capital, let alone 'Qingfeng'."

"It was his father who embezzled, and his father is dead. The debt is settled with the dead. The things he implicated were all his father's bad deeds. What does it have to do with him? At worst, they'll exhume Liu Hezhou's body and whip his corpse, and the Liu family will never recover. As for him, he'll just be exiled and his property confiscated. At least he can save his life."

Xue Xiao raised his sharp, defined jaw slightly: "Once he exposes 'Qingfeng,' he will face certain death. Everyone can tell the difference between a miserable life and a good death."

"I do feel it's a pity."

Xu Quyan, the young emperor, spoke in a more calm and steady tone than Xue Xiao, though his voice was somewhat dry, perhaps due to a lack of energy: "He never confessed to the money used to purchase the paintings at Guan'anzhai. Whenever asked about this, he would excuse himself by saying, 'I was too young at the time and did not know what my father was doing.' Without a confession, it was impossible to take the opportunity to completely overturn the case against the Su family."

Xue Xiao smiled, comforting the emperor, who was both a ruler and a friend: "Everything depends on 'fate,' and success requires the right time, place, and people. When Liu Hezhou retired, if it weren't for Liu Huanyi's appointment as a Beijing official, how would you have had the opportunity to place Lord Bai in Songjiang Prefecture? Yu Si is tough and ruthless, dodging numerous open and covert attacks, and only by quelling the epidemic was she able to gain a foothold."

Xue Xiao swung his hand back and tapped his knuckles on the hardwood: "The impregnable defenses of Jiangnan have finally been breached!"

Only with their swords could they penetrate Songjiang Prefecture and pry open this shield as hard as iron!
Xu Quyan also smiled.

The relationship between the ruler and his ministers was harmonious and peaceful.

Xu Quyan seemed disappointed and sighed, "My aunt probably already knows that the Xu Quyan of today is no longer the weak, docile, and unknown little prince he was eight years ago."

Xue Xiao said, "When the two armies clash, it is only a matter of time before they draw their swords and fight to the death. The sage should be at peace with this."

Xu Quyan slowly looked away.

Xu Quyan's feelings toward Jing'an were complex.

He was able to ascend the throne thanks in part to his adoptive mother, Empress Ji, and in part to his aunt, who commanded a great following.

Empress Ji chose him because he was the only prince she raised.

Her aunt chose him because Prince Rong was still in her womb, and she dared not gamble on whether the child was a boy or a girl. Her elder brother, Prince Yong, had always been a carefree and irresponsible prince, and being the eldest, he was also very willful and difficult to control if placed in a high position. Only he was the right age, not yet twenty, physically weak, and known for his gentleness and humility.

Judging by actions, not intentions, regardless of Jing'an's motives, she still placed him on the throne—everyone knows that if he were to easily repay kindness with enmity to Jing'an, the comments and records of officials, the people, and future historians would surely condemn and question him, and his reputation would be stained in the transmission of time.

He wanted to restore the country's glory, to emulate Emperor Taizong's policy of internal stability and external defense, and to create a peaceful and prosperous era!

He also wanted to become an emperor whose name would be remembered in history, someone who would be praised by posterity, and someone whose name would be clearly and honestly recorded in the history books!
The former represents public desire, while the latter represents private desire; the two are not in conflict.

He was never reckless, impulsive, or reckless.

On the contrary, he could remain a weak prince in obscurity for sixteen years, or an obedient and quiet young emperor for eight years. He could spend seven years waiting for the Tianbao Temple to grow stronger and for his trusted partners and ministers to mature. Therefore, he would naturally have enough patience to wait for the net to be woven so tightly and large that it could accurately contain all those who coveted his throne, those who encroached on his power, and those who disobeyed his orders.

“My aunt’s attention is probably on Prince Rong now,” Xu Quyan said quietly. “With the Xishan Camp on our side and the Northern Frontier Army guarding the border, plus the likes of Yuan Wenying, Zhao Tingguang, and Han Chengrang helping us to seize control of the central and local finances—we must get the book done quickly.”

Xue Xiao lowered his eyes and nodded, saying succinctly, "Yes."

The ultimate goal of "Qingfeng" was to revive the gentry of Jiangnan and restore their power to its former glory, making it superior to imperial power.

As the reigning emperor gradually revealed his power and claws, "Qingfeng's" goal became to replace the emperor with a more obedient one who could be considered "one of their own."

He will never step down.

He wanted to be emperor.

Why can't he be emperor?

His father, Emperor Zhaode, was a dissolute man who indulged in refined pursuits, knowing only music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, but nothing of military affairs, law, finance, or administration. He was easily manipulated by the Jiangnan gentry, led by Jing'an. This incompetent and absurd emperor still held the throne, constantly criticizing him and, when drunk, belittling him as much as his elder brother and the former crown prince: "Sickly!" "Incompetent!" "He's out of breath even walking, what can he do!" "The Ji family is a menace, harming not only their own son but also their adopted son!" "Just like your mother, utterly unfit for respectability!"

Emperor Zhaode looked at him as if he were looking at a puppy curled up in the mud on a rainy day, about to die—with suspicion, disgust, disdain, and a desire to keep his distance.

He transferred his resentment and hatred towards his strong and capable first wife to the sons raised by her.
As a child, he couldn't understand why, no matter how hard he studied, practiced calligraphy, or wrote, he could never earn his father's praise.

His father always stood aloof, coldly watching him make a fool of himself, as if waiting for him to make a mistake to prove the "harmful nature" of his adoptive mother, Empress Ji, and the "lowly nature" of his birth mother, Consort Fang.

Emperor Zhaode himself didn't even act as a good emperor, so why should anyone dislike him, doubt him, or neglect him?

He is not satisfied.

He doesn't agree!
Xu Quyan's chest heaved rapidly as he silently exhaled several breaths of stale air. He was the first to look away, not hoping that Xue Xiao would notice his emotional and physical abnormalities.

Xue Xiao wisely looked away; he never pried into or questioned the Sage's physical condition.

(End of this chapter)