The Demon Prince

Xiao Xingyue took a small sip:

"Both things are necessary."

Gu Bing'en's eyelids twitched.

Xiao Xingyue didn't give them a chance to interrupt:

"To investigate the cause of my father and brother's deaths, I need old files from the Ministry of War; to trace the flow of military equipment, I also need old files from the Ordnance Bureau; to find out who tampered with the Xiao family's military reports in those years, I also need documents from the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Revenue..."

As for cultivating influence...

If I don't cultivate my own power base, who will investigate for me? Am I supposed to rely on those dogs raised by Cao Bi and Lu Chengzhang?

Yan Shao's expression changed.

Gu Bingen also said in a deep voice:

"Your Highness, please be careful with your words. Many of those present are important officials of the court."

"I'm referring to the important officials of the court." Xiao Xingyue shifted his gaze, glancing at them.

"Why is Minister Gu in such a hurry?"

Gu Bingen's expression was solemn. Of course he was anxious. If Xiao Xingyue continued to speak, the money laundering network between the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works might be exposed to the Fifth Princess in more detail.

But he couldn't interrupt directly, because the Fifth Princess was watching.

Li Taiping also noticed Gu Bingen's reaction.

She frowned slightly:

"Your Highness, it seems you've already discovered something."

Xiao Xingyue was about to speak:

"The accounts of the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Rites also involve the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works..."

"Your Highness," Gu Bing'en suddenly spoke, interrupting him very quickly.

His expression remained calm, but his palm was already pressed down on the table:

"Today is a banquet. If we wish to discuss the case, we can arrange for the relevant authorities to formally report it another day."

Xiao Xingyue looked at Gu Bingen.

Gu Bingen was worried that he might continue talking.

Gu Bingen knew about money laundering, but the Fifth Princess seemed unaware.

A hint of doubt flashed across Xiao Xingyue's eyes. The Fifth Princess seemed to control the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works, but weren't these money channels authorized by her?

The people below her used her name to do things, but they didn't actually hand over the real accounts to her.

Li Taiping glanced at Gu Bing'en:

"What exactly did the Crown Prince mean by 'involved'?"

Gu Bing'en paused slightly:

"It's just a change in accounts. The Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works have many repair and maintenance tasks every year, so it's inevitable that the people below them will have complicated accounting work."

Li Taiping did not press the matter further.

Her mother had warned her long ago that the people in the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works were not exactly clean.

But she always thought it was just her subordinates embezzling.

But now it seems that the team she controls is far more dangerous than she imagined.

At this moment, Li Taiping felt a sense of unfamiliarity with his own power for the first time.

She thought she was in control of these people, but perhaps they were just using her name to control more things.

She looked at Xiao Xingyue, who had obviously already noticed, but he didn't expose her. Was he waiting, or was he using her?

Li Taiping's features were exquisite:

"Your Highness, you've come to this banquet not to argue about the accounts. I'd like to make a deal with you."

She raised her hand, and a maid took out three documents and placed them on the table in order:

"The Ministry of Revenue can provide funds for the funeral ceremony of the Prince of Zhenwang's Mansion, the Ministry of Works can repair the Prince's Mansion's ancestral hall and the Xiao family's ancestral tomb, and the Bureau of Investigation can also arrange for the vehicles, documents, food and medicine needed in the future."

Gu Chenjun was given a lesson by the young master and then released.

The condition is that the investigation cannot be expanded to the core of the Ministry of Revenue.

"The Ministry of Works' old accounts can be investigated on the periphery, but the Crown Prince must stop investigating the core accounts."

This was also the purpose of the banquet. Li Taiping did not want his team to be shaken, especially since this investigation had caused such a stir. Xiao Xingyue's actions were not the usual perfunctory formalities.

Everyone in the hall looked at Xiao Xingyue.

Gu Bingen lowered his eyes, feeling a sense of relief.

This is the kind of approach the Fifth Princess should take: offer benefits, set boundaries, and teach Xiao Xingyue what it means to know when to stop.

Xiao Xingyue picked up the logistics list and flipped through two pages:

"The conditions offered by the Fifth Prince are very reasonable."

"I never speak falsehoods," Li Taiping said in a deep voice.

Xiao Xingyue smiled:

"Then I'll make a condition too."

Li Taiping looked at him: "Please speak, Your Highness."

Xiao Xingyue closed the list:

"At the voting ceremony one month from now, the Fifth Prince must cast his vote for me."

The hall fell silent instantly.

He crushed the teacup in Gu Bingen's hand!

Yan Shao suddenly looked up, and the expressions of several scions of wealthy families changed simultaneously.

Li Taiping merely raised an eyebrow: "Just this one vote?"

"Just this one vote." Xiao Xingyue nodded.

She smiled gently:

"Even if I cast my vote for you, you wouldn't be enough."

"Nine princesses require at least five votes in favor; my single vote cannot change the outcome."

"That's not important." Xiao Xingyue stared at her.

"The important thing is that the Fifth Prince is willing to pledge allegiance to me."

What my Xiao family needs now is not a vote, but an attitude.

Why should I treat you this way?

"Because I can make the Fifth Prince's team more solid." Xiao Xingyue smiled calmly:

"It will also ensure that the Fifth Prince does not fall behind the other princesses."

The affairs of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works will be uncovered sooner or later.

"When others investigate, they'll uproot His Highness's power base; when I investigate, I'll be cutting away the rotten flesh for His Highness."

Li Taiping's eyes darkened slightly. Was Xiao Xingyue reminding her?

What exactly did the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works do wrong? Why is Xiao Xingyue so fearless?

Gu Bingen finally couldn't sit still any longer:

"Your Highness, you mustn't."

Li Taiping turned his head to look at him:

"Minister Gu, please speak frankly."

Gu Bingen stood up, his expression no longer calm:

"Although the Crown Prince is currently enjoying great popularity, the matter of voting involves the dignity of the royal family and the marriage arrangements of various families."

If Your Highness publicly supports the Crown Prince, what will the outside world say? Moreover, the Gu family is related to Your Highness's maternal family by marriage.

Several families present have already reached marriage agreements with His Highness.

A young man from a wealthy family immediately stood up. He was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, tall and slender with a handsome face, and his brows and eyes betrayed an undisguised urgency.

"Your Highness, Minister Gu is right."

My Yan family is willing to serve Your Highness for many years. If the Crown Prince needs any other assistance, the Yan family can also provide it.

But His Highness cannot give this vote!

Within the Fifth Princess's faction, there were too many people who wanted to form a marriage alliance with her.

If the Fifth Princess is willing to vote, the Emperor, in order to appease Xiao Xingyue, might very well push the marriage agreement onto her as well.

Xiao Xingyue used to be a joke, but now he's in charge of the Investigation Bureau, favored by several princesses, and even Cao Bi and Lu Chengzhang have fallen into his hands.

Even if the emperor is suspicious, he can no longer treat him as a useless person.

What if the emperor really believes that marrying the Fifth Princess to Xiao Xingyue will stabilize the court?

Then all their years of planning would have become a joke!

Yan Shao also stood up:

"Your Highness, the Crown Prince's request involves too many implications."

If a public vote is held in favor, it would be tantamount to binding oneself to the Prince Zhenguo's Mansion. If His Majesty were to grant the marriage, wouldn't the entire network His Highness had built over the years fall into the hands of the Xiao family?

The people inside the house had different thoughts.

Some wanted to use the Fifth Princess to rise to power, some wanted to marry the Fifth Princess to control the Ministry of Revenue, and some wanted to marry their younger sisters, daughters, and nieces into Taiping Prefecture to tie themselves to the Fifth Princess's maternal clan.

But no one wanted to see the Fifth Princess marry Xiao Xingyue.

Li Taiping initially didn't expect this, thinking that a single vote wouldn't have much of an impact, but now it seems she underestimated the variables that Xiao Xingyue would bring in the future.

It's astonishing that so many of his subordinates have already voiced their opposition.

She looked at Xiao Xingyue:

"Your Highness, let's change the terms."

Xiao Xingyue slowly shook his head:

"No change, if you can't agree to this condition, then forget it."

I won't take the benefits from the Fifth Prince, and I won't let go of Gu Chenjun either.

"I will continue to examine the accounts of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works. This banquet is adjourned."

The voice just fell.

Suddenly, the sound of orderly footsteps came from outside the Listening to Rain Hall. A squad of soldiers surrounded them from all sides, their weapons drawn, the cold light reflecting on the window paper.

Gu Bingen's expression turned completely cold, and Yan Shao also placed his hand on his waist.

Several scions of wealthy families stepped aside, their previous composure vanished.

Gu Bingen looked at Xiao Xingyue:

"Your Highness, since we can't reach an agreement, why not stay here for a few days instead?"

Xiao Xingyue glanced at the soldiers outside:

"What do you all mean by this?"

"Didn't you want to investigate?" Gu Bing'en sneered.

"If you don't agree to join us today, don't even think about leaving Taiping Prefecture."

After you got drunk, you tried to take advantage of the Fifth Princess, but we made a mistake and captured you.

Is this reasonable?

Xiao Xingyue thought about it seriously:

"Reasonable."

Gu Bingen was taken aback.

Xiao Xingyue nodded:

"That's certainly reasonable."

Gu Bingen gave a cold laugh:

"It's good that the young master is sensible. I don't really want to hurt you."

"As long as you agree, the investigation will stop here. The matter of the Fifth Princess's vote was never mentioned, and today we'll pretend nothing happened."

Xiao Xingyue glanced at Li Taiping, as if to say, "And you? What are your thoughts?"

Li Taiping's expression was cold; he neither stopped her nor offered any words of support.

But the struggle that flashed across her eyes already indicated that she was not fully aware of the situation.

She could let go of Gu Chenjun's matter, and she could also protect the core accounts of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works.

However, taking Xiao Xingyue directly in the mansion was beyond her original plan.

She was about to speak when Gu Bingen spoke first:

"Your Highness, those who achieve great things cannot be swayed by momentary emotions."

Li Taiping took a deep breath; her mother had told her the same thing.

She ultimately remained silent.

Gu Bingen raised his hand: "Take it down!"

The guards outside were about to rush in.

One of the guards was suddenly sent flying backward and crashed into a stone lantern in the courtyard.

With a bang, the stone lamp cracked.

Immediately afterwards, a gentle voice came from outside:

"I heard that the Crown Prince is a guest at the Fifth Princess's residence, presumably to investigate something."

I have come uninvited, and I hope my colleagues will not take offense.

"I'm a step late, but I hope Your Highness won't blame me."

The cold smile on Gu Bingen's face vanished abruptly, and he turned his head sharply.