Prince Bei Jing of the Red Chamber, starting from saving Qin Keqing

The morning bell tolled slowly three times, its echoes lingering and dissipating among the buildings of the Forbidden City.

Inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, incense wafted through the air, and the smoke rose slowly from the dragon-patterned caisson ceiling, making the hall appear even more solemn and dignified.

Civil and military officials stood solemnly in order of rank, their scarlet, blue, and black robes neatly arranged. The area below was completely silent, save for the faint crackling of the flickering candlelight, which made the court even more tranquil.

Today's court assembly was initially just a routine discussion.

The Minister of Revenue stepped forward first, holding a memorial and bowing as he reported on the year-end grain reserves and fluctuations in market grain prices; then the Minister of War reported on the recent situation of border defense, mentioning that the winter in the northern frontier was cold and that cotton clothing and grain had been urgently allocated to the border; the Minister of Rites then requested the arrangement of the New Year's Eve sacrificial ceremony, all of which were old and mundane matters.

Shui Rong stood among the princes, his posture upright like a pine tree. He listened quietly with his eyes lowered, his expression calm and undisturbed. His fingertips unconsciously caressed the jade belt at his waist, while he secretly pondered the details of his trip to the Rongguo Mansion yesterday, as well as the clues in the case of the missing children in the capital.

Suddenly, a heavy, cold snort came from the throne, breaking the silence in the hall.

His Majesty slammed his hand on the imperial desk, the jade tablet clanging loudly, his face contorted with rage.

"Outrageous! I ordered you to thoroughly investigate the missing child case three days ago, giving you only two days. Now the deadline has passed, and you still have no clue whatsoever, not even a trace of the abductor's involvement! You are all paid by the emperor and hold high positions, yet you commit such disloyal acts. Do you think I am old and senile, incapable of controlling the court?"

His Majesty's angry rebuke echoed throughout the Golden Palace, causing all the officials to tremble and bow their heads, not daring to utter a sound.

At this moment, King Chungsun slowly stepped out from the ranks of the princes, bowed, and began to speak:

"Your Majesty, I have a matter to report. I propose that the Eastern and Western Depots be immediately ordered to intervene in the investigation of this case, and that the entire Embroidered Uniform Guard be mobilized to directly search the residences of all ministers inside and outside the capital. Anyone found to be suspicious or with suspicious items should be arrested immediately and brought to justice, and subjected to rigorous interrogation. We will surely be able to uncover the mastermind behind this as soon as possible!"

These words caused an uproar in the hall, which quickly subsided into deathly silence.

The officials were so frightened that their legs went weak, and they all knelt down, their foreheads pressed against the cold gold bricks, none daring to raise their heads.

No one expected that King Chungshun would make such a radical demand—to search the residences of all officials without any evidence. This was not only against ancestral rules, but also an insult to the dignity of all officials. Everyone was shocked, but dared not voice any objection because of His Majesty's wrath.

A moment later, Meng Zhili, the Minister of Rites, rose shakily from among the officials, bowed deeply, and said:

"Your Majesty, this is absolutely unacceptable! This is contrary to propriety and ancestral rules! Since the founding emperor established the empire, there has never been a precedent for conducting large-scale searches of officials' residences without any evidence. Officials are the foundation of the court; such actions would likely chill the hearts of all subjects. I urge Your Majesty to reconsider!"

After he finished speaking, the officials of the Ministry of Rites all stood up and echoed his words. Some said that Prince Zhongshun was "reckless and shameless," while others pleaded with His Majesty to "adhere to ancestral rules and rescind the decree." The court was immediately plunged into a dispute.

Just then, Shui Rong slowly stepped out from the ranks of the princes, straightened his robes, bowed, and declared loudly, "Your subject, Shui Rong, is willing to set an example and fully cooperate with the investigations of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern and Western Depots, with the Prince of Beijing's residence as an example. Everyone in the residence, from the stewards and advisors to the maids and servants, will be at your command. We will not harbor any suspicious persons, nor will we tolerate any illegal acts!"

He paused, then looked up at the arguing crowd in the hall, his tone firm and resolute:

"My lords, what is propriety? The people are the foundation of the state, and only with people can there be propriety. Now, dozens of children have gone missing in the capital, and countless families have been torn apart, leaving them heartbroken. Even under the emperor's nose, human traffickers dare to be so rampant. If even the capital cannot eradicate such evil, how rampant will human trafficking be in remote areas?"

"Such heinous criminals, once caught, must be executed to serve as a warning to others, so as to appease the people and bring peace to the world!"

Seeing Prince Bei Jing take the lead in expressing his stance, Jia Zhen, Jia She, and Jia Zheng of the Rong and Ning mansions immediately stepped forward, bowed, and said in unison, "Our Rong and Ning mansions are also willing to fully cooperate with the Embroidered Uniform Guard's investigation. Everywhere in the mansions will be searched at will, and we will not tolerate any suspicious persons!"

Seeing this, Meng Zhili was so angry that he puffed out his beard and glared at Jia Zhen and the others, unable to speak for a long time. Finally, he managed to stammer out, "You...you are simply ignorant of etiquette and disregard ancestral rules!"

The dispute in the court became increasingly heated. Just as the two sides were deadlocked, Qin Zhongxun, the Minister of War, slowly stepped forward, followed by Su Wenyuan, the Minister of Revenue, and Li Xiuyuan, the Minister of Works.

Qin Zhongxun bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I believe that what Prince Bei Jing said is absolutely right. The case of the missing child concerns the hearts and minds of the people and cannot be delayed. I am willing to set an example with the Qin family and cooperate fully in the search; Lord Su and Lord Li are also willing to have their families fully cooperate without any shirking of responsibility!"

The three men's statements instantly reversed the situation in the court.

Seeing this, the officials, though still having doubts, dared not openly oppose it any longer.

At this moment, Grand Secretary Zhang Shi'an slowly rose from his seat. Over seventy years old, with white hair and beard, he stroked his gray beard and said with a smile:

"Please stop arguing, everyone. In my opinion, let them search. The innocent will remain innocent, and the guilty will remain guilty. If one has nothing to hide, what is there to fear from a search? In any case, no innocent person will be wrongly accused."

"As for Commander Lu of the Embroidered Uniform Guard being absent from the capital today, this old minister proposes that Qin Zhongxun temporarily assume the position of acting commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard to oversee this search of the prefecture. What is Your Majesty's opinion?"

The emperor, seated on the dragon throne, slowly swept his gaze across the steps below. Seeing that most officials had already acquiesced, his anger subsided slightly, and he shouted sternly, "As Zhang Shi'an says!"

"Qin Zhongxun, I hereby appoint you as the temporary commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, with full authority to search all the residences of princes, noble families, and officials both inside and outside the capital. You must thoroughly investigate the case of the missing child!"

"As for your Qin residence, Zhang Shi'an will personally lead a search to ensure fairness and impartiality! Both the Eastern and Western Depots will immediately intervene in the investigation and supervise the entire process without any mistakes!"

Having said that, His Majesty suddenly raised his voice: "Where are the Embroidered Uniform Guards?"

"Your subject is here!" The deputy commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard led a group of elite guards to step forward, bowing in unison to receive the order, their voices resounding throughout the hall.

"I order you all to take my decree and immediately go to all the princely and noble families and official residences inside and outside the capital, and thoroughly search every house! Anyone or anything suspicious must be arrested and interrogated. Do not let any clue slip by! You must uproot this gang of kidnappers and the forces behind them. I want results, not shirking responsibility!" His Majesty's voice was firm and resounding, shocking the entire hall. No one dared to raise any objections.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" the Imperial Guards shouted in unison, their morale soaring.

"Alright, court is adjourned." His Majesty waved his hand and closed his eyes wearily.

The officials rose one after another, bowed, and took their leave.

Zhang Shi'an was old and staggered slightly as he stood up. Qin Zhongxun quickly stepped forward, reached out to support him, and said in a low voice, "Teacher, why are you doing this? Making such a statement today will inevitably offend many people."

Zhang Shi'an patted his hand, sighed, and said in a low voice, "Little Qin, you need to see some things clearly. I'm getting old and won't live much longer."

"As you know, Wen Zonghan has always disliked you and has been targeting you in secret. While I am alive, I can still protect you to some extent. But if I die, you will be all alone, with no one to protect you, and your situation will be precarious."

"This search of the mansion is a good opportunity for you to secure your position and build up your power. You must seize this opportunity to find out the secrets of these noble families so that you can gain a foothold in the court in the future."

He paused, then added, "The struggle between the Crown Prince and the Prince of Qin is escalating, and Shui Rong and Zhang Shixun are also at odds with each other. Factions are rife in the court, and undercurrents are swirling. I see that you have a high opinion of that kid Shui Rong, which is good. Having more help means having more security."

"Haha, you don't need to help this old man anymore."

Zhang Shi'an waved his hand, shaking off his support. "I'm going to see the Emperor. He's quite angry today, so I have to go and try to persuade him. I'm off." With that, he slowly walked towards the inner palace, supported by the young eunuch.

A thunderous outburst finally ended with a vote from the officials.

After the court session ended, the officials gradually left the Golden Palace, whispering among themselves about the day's events. Shui Rong was about to turn and leave when his gaze inadvertently fell upon a man standing under the corridor—it was Qin Zhongxun, the newly appointed temporary commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.