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

Inside the main hall of the imperial court, the fragrance of sandalwood wafted around the beams and pillars, yet it could not suppress the solemn atmosphere of the noble families filling the hall.

Civil and military officials lined up on both sides of the imperial steps, and princes stood in order. Everyone's eyes were fixed on the eunuch delivering the imperial decree in front of the throne, and their fingers unconsciously clenched the hem of their court robes—the final verdict that had been awaited for many days was finally about to be decided.

The eunuch delivering the imperial edict unfurled the bright yellow imperial decree, his shrill voice echoing through the empty hall, each word striking the hearts of everyone like a heavy hammer blow:

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Wen Ziyu has been found guilty of treason and framing loyal officials, committing heinous crimes. He is sentenced to death by slow slicing, to be carried out in three days as a warning to others. Jia Lian is guilty of corruption, bribery, forming cliques, and abuse of power. Xue Pan is guilty of disregarding human life and repeatedly refusing to mend his ways. Both are sentenced to beheading and their heads displayed to the public. The execution will take place at noon tomorrow at Zhengyang Gate..."

As the imperial edict was read aloud line by line, the atmosphere in the hall grew increasingly heavy and solemn.

In addition to Wen Ziyu, Jia Lian, and Xue Pan, whose cases had already been settled, several princes and their heirs were also sentenced to beheading for their involvement in treason.

The nuns of Shuiyue Nunnery colluded with the emperor's relatives and interfered in the affairs of the court; the entire nunnery was executed.

Although Wen Zonghan, the head of the Wen family, was not directly involved in the case, he was sentenced to three years of confinement for failing to manage his household properly and for indulging his children. He was not allowed to leave the mansion without an imperial edict.

Only when the appointments and removals of officials in the court were announced did everyone's tense nerves relax slightly, only to tense up again in an instant.

"Qin Zhongxun was promoted to Second Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, in charge of the daily affairs of the Cabinet and assisting in the administration of the state."

Qin Zhongxun stepped forward steadily, bowed to express his gratitude, his expression remained calm, but a hint of barely perceptible joy was hidden in his eyes—although he had not yet ascended to the position of Grand Secretary, he had already entered the core of the cabinet, and was one step closer to the pinnacle of a minister's position.

This massive purge had far-reaching consequences, leaving half of the positions in the imperial court vacant and severely lacking in officials.

After delivering the decree, the emperor raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet, his gaze sweeping over the officials below the steps, and said in a deep voice:

"This rectification of the court has purged treacherous officials, but it has also led to a shortage of officials. The Ministry of Personnel is instructed to make preparations immediately and, after the completion of this year's imperial examinations, to rigorously select capable individuals to fill the vacancies."

"Furthermore, I have decided to establish a Royal Academy to recruit the best talents from all over the land. Enrollment will officially begin immediately. I appoint Prince Bei Jing, Shui Rong, as the academy's dean, and Prince Ping An, Murong Zhao, as the vice dean. Both of them must perform their duties diligently and live up to my expectations."

Shui Rong and Murong Zhao stepped forward together, bowed, and accepted the decree: "Your subject obeys the decree."

As soon as he finished speaking, Prince Teng, who was ranked first among all officials, suddenly stepped forward, knelt down, and kowtowed, his voice earnest:

"Your Majesty, I am getting old and my energy is failing. I wish to give up my post as the Inspector General of Nine Provinces and humbly request Your Majesty's permission to retire and return to my hometown to spend my remaining years in peace."

The entire hall was astonished.

Everyone knows that the Inspector General of the Nine Provinces, who holds a large army, is the core symbol of the powerful faction in the court. Prince Teng's sudden resignation clearly shows that he sensed the emperor's apprehension and wanted to retreat in order to protect himself.

The emperor stared at the kneeling prince Teng, a complex expression flashing in his eyes.

He was indeed wary of Wang Ziteng's military power and prestige, but after Wang Ziteng returned to the capital this time, he handled every task properly and well, especially the matter of purging the influence of the southern relatives of the emperor, which pleased him greatly.

After a moment's hesitation, the emperor said in a deep voice, "Minister Wang, stop uttering such absurd words!"

He gestured for Wang Ziteng to rise, his tone softening slightly: "Minister Wang, you have handled matters appropriately and your loyalty is evident. Now that you have just returned to the capital, it is the time for you to serve the country. How can you so easily speak of retiring?"

"My mind is made up. Minister Wang will be appointed as the Second Grand Secretary, serving alongside Qin Zhongxun as regents."

"As for the position of Inspector General of the Nine Provinces, it will be put on hold for now. You will remain as Inspector General of the Three Provinces, in charge of the military power of the three northern provinces. As for the other vacant positions, I will give you more time to consider them."

Prince Teng felt a sense of relief, knowing that his strategic retreat had been the right move. He quickly kowtowed again, saying, "Your Majesty, I thank you for your great kindness!"

The court session continued, and the topic quickly shifted to the investigation and confiscation of property from wealthy merchants in the south who had broken the law.

Many wealthy merchants in the south were deeply entrenched in local factions and powerful families, making it easy for them to offend people when their property was confiscated. The selection of the appropriate personnel to investigate and seize their property was a major headache for the emperor.

His gaze swept across the officials, finally landing on Shui Rong, the head of all the kings, and a calculating glint suddenly appeared in his eyes.

"Prince Bei Jing, step forward."

Shui Rong was slightly taken aback, secretly wondering why His Majesty had suddenly chosen him, since the matters of appointment, dismissal, and confiscation discussed today had nothing to do with him, a prince inactive. Despite his doubts, he still stepped forward as instructed and bowed to await orders.

"Shui Rong, are you willing to share my burdens?" The emperor's tone carried a hint of probing, yet also an undeniable air of authority.

Shui Rong lowered his eyes and bowed, his tone respectful yet firm: "Your Majesty's favor has been bestowed upon me, and I will gladly go through fire and water for Your Majesty."

"good!"

The Emperor was overjoyed and immediately said in a deep voice, "The Cabinet shall draft an edict appointing Prince Bei Jing, Shui Rong, as Imperial Commissioner. He shall soon lead the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard south to investigate and confiscate the illegal wealth of the merchants on the Cabinet's list, and severely punish those who collude with local authorities and oppress the people!"

Zhang Shi'an, as a cabinet minister, immediately bowed and accepted the order: "Your subject obeys the decree."

Shui Rong's heart sank, but then suddenly everything became clear.

Confiscating property is an unpleasant task that offends people, and he originally thought that the emperor would send a trusted minister like Zhang Shixun to do it, but he never expected that it would fall on his head in the end.

This was clearly a way to make him take the blame for offending the southern faction, but he couldn't go against the emperor's will, so he had no choice but to accept it.

"Your Majesty, I thank you for your trust and will certainly not fail in my mission." Shui Rong bowed in gratitude and returned to the ranks of the princes, but a trace of solemnity flashed in his eyes.

The court session finally ended in the afternoon, and the officials gradually left, but the emperor deliberately kept Shui Rong behind.

Inside the imperial study, the emperor and his minister stood facing each other, the atmosphere even more somber than in the main hall.

The emperor approached Shui Rong, his tone unusually gentle, yet carrying a barely perceptible hint of worry:

"Shui Rong, the South is not like the North. In the North, I am here to protect you. However, the situation in the South is complicated, with deeply entrenched factions, and it is far from the capital. If something happens to you in the South, I will not be able to come to your aid in a short time."

As he spoke, he took out a gilded tiger tally from his robes and handed it to Shui Rong. The tally was clearly engraved with military symbols, exuding an awe-inspiring majesty.

"This tiger tally can mobilize some of the troops in the three southern provinces. Keep it with you on this trip for your own protection."

The tiger tally gleamed with a cold metallic luster, but in Shui Rong's eyes, it was like a raging fire burning his vision.

A longing grew wildly in his heart.

He was a person who had transmigrated to this era. He was never willing to spend his whole life as an idle prince with nothing to do. The idea of ​​ascending the throne and looking down on the world had long been hidden in his heart.

With military power in these three provinces, he was able to gain a significant advantage in the south, not only successfully completing the raids and confiscations but also secretly cultivating his own power base, and even... laying the groundwork for a future day.

But then, fear overwhelmed that desire like a tidal wave.

He recalled the Prince of Jing'an from the original owner's memories—the Prince of Jing'an also held considerable military power and was the emperor's younger brother, yet he died suddenly without causing a ripple.

Who is the emperor? He is the most suspicious monarch in the world.

As a prince, he was already in a sensitive position regarding power. If he were to take over military power as well, wouldn't that be giving others a handle to use against him?

Today the emperor may smile as he bestows the tiger tally, but tomorrow, if he becomes suspicious, that tiger tally will be a sharp blade piercing his own heart.

The phrase "his merits overshadowed his master" echoed repeatedly in his mind like an alarm bell.

Shui Rong stared intently at the tiger tally, his suspicions growing stronger. He quickly declined, saying, "Brother, this... is inappropriate."

He suppressed the turmoil in his heart and bowed again: "I have agents from the Eastern Depot and skilled members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard accompanying me on this journey, which is sufficient to protect me. It is against ancestral rules for a prince to command troops, and I dare not accept such a command. I beg Your Majesty to rescind your order."

The emperor smiled, then directly placed the tiger tally into his hand, his tone carrying a deeper meaning: "Shui Rong, I believe you will not rebel. Moreover, with only a portion of the troops from the three provinces, you cannot stir up any trouble. What do I have to worry about?"

Moreover, for some reason, seeing Shui Rong's cautious and precarious demeanor, the emperor's tense nerves eased slightly.

Perhaps, this younger brother really just wants to be a peaceful and virtuous king?

"Shui Rong, we've been brothers, don't I know you well enough?"

The emperor sighed, his tone growing increasingly somber. "I know what you're worried about. But as I've said, I don't want to lose another brother. Take this tiger tally. Firstly, it's to save your life, and secondly... it's also to have you keep an eye on the south for me."

Shui Rong felt the cool touch from the emperor's palm and the firm pressure conveyed by the emperor's fingertips.

He knew that this was not just a simple military tally, but a weighty trust, and even more so, a grace with invisible chains.

He raised his head and met the emperor's unfathomable eyes.

In that depth, he saw the king's majesty, the politician's calculations, and also a trace of... perhaps even the emperor himself was unaware of the tenderness.

At this moment, all hesitation and fear quietly melted away as the emperor and his minister exchanged glances.

Sunlight streamed through the window and fell upon him, but it couldn't penetrate the turbulent emotions churning within him.

He knew that by going there, he had stepped into the eye of the storm, and the road ahead was long and fraught with danger.

But he understood even more clearly that this might be his only chance to shed the label of "idle prince" and truly leave a significant mark on the history of the Dayin Dynasty.

He tightened his grip on the tiger tally, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.

South, here I come.