The Ninth Year of Shenchu
Needle Tip versus Wheat Awning (Part 9)
Suichuan governor Hong Ai, with great difficulty, managed to gather six hundred thousand carts of grain from central allocations and various local levies and purchases, ready to distribute. Just as preparations were about to start, he heard that Li Yanyi had already distributed a round of grain within Suichuan’s borders. Hong Ai, overwhelmed with stress, had initially aimed to gather one million carts of grain but only managed half, and seeing no way to gather more, thought it better to distribute this batch to save as many people as possible. Unexpectedly, Li Yanyi had already done this before him.
As he learned of this, he received a letter from Runing, reminding him precisely of the matter concerning Li Yanyi.
This letter had taken over a month to arrive, and Hong Ai didn’t have time to investigate who was obstructing the intelligence. He quickly sent a letter to his uncle Feng Kun, explaining the situation in Suichuan. He knew waiting for Feng Kun’s reply would be too late, so he had to make a decision himself immediately.
The grain still had to be distributed, and it must be done in the name of the Emperor. Hong Ai promptly opened the warehouses and distributed the grain, emphasizing in every way that this was a gift from the Emperor. The disaster victims receiving the grain continued to express their gratitude to the Grand Princess.
“It is the Emperor’s grain! This food is bestowed upon you by the Emperor!”
Even if Hong Ai spoke louder, it could not reach everyone’s ears. Seeing that this way of distributing grain would only help Li Yanyi gain the people’s favor, Hong Ai instructed the soldiers to block the disaster victims taking grain, making them say “Thank the Emperor’s holy grace” before they could receive the grain. In this way, those taking the grain would somewhat know who was providing it to them. However, Li Yanyi had already acted before him, and now doing this only made people feel he was merely imitating, without the effective impact of being the first to act.
Hong Ai was busy for several days but did not finish distributing all the grain in Quxian. Just as he was about to set off to the next county to continue distribution, a group of soldiers suddenly burst into his courtyard. They immediately surrounded all his subordinates and guards with cold blades drawn.
Hong Ai’s first reaction was to shout “Audacious,” but the black helmets of these people were very familiar. The leading man wore a tall hat and snake robe, his thin, harsh lips curled into an uncomfortable sinister smile, and his voice was sharper than that of an average man.
“Are you Hong Ai?” The man, with hands behind his back, looked leisurely at Hong Ai and asked with a raised tone.
“Indeed, I am.” Hong Ai already sensed something was seriously wrong and respectfully asked, “What brings the esteemed Minister of Justice to seek out this official?”
“Since you know me, then you know there’s no escape today. Come, tie him up.”
The people from the Minister of Justice quickly tied Hong Ai’s hands behind his back. Hong Ai shouted, “Wait a moment! Can the Minister of Justice tell this official exactly which law this official has violated to warrant investigation? Even if you want to escort this official to the imperial prison, at least let this official be convinced! This official has come to Suichuan under the Emperor’s edict for disaster relief! How can you just arrest someone without justification?”
The Minister of Justice smiled and said, “Good, since you say so, I will let you die with clarity. Where are all your grain carts placed?”
“Grain carts?” Hong Ai did not expect him to ask this, “All are in the backyard.”
“Search!” The Minister of Justice commanded, and all the soldiers rushed to the backyard, opening all the grain barrels on the carts, searching barrel by barrel.
Hong Ai did not understand: “What does the Minister of Justice mean by this? Could it be that you suspect my grain has a problem?”
The Minister of Justice, with hands folded in front, said nothing and did not even glance at Hong Ai. After searching for the time it takes to burn two sticks of incense, they quickly discovered a problem.
“Sir! This barrel of grain has a hidden compartment inside!”
“Sir! This one also has!”
“Hidden compartment?” Hong Ai was confused, looking toward his subordinates, who were also detained and equally puzzled, not knowing what the so-called hidden compartment meant.
The Minister of Justice stepped forward and overturned the grain barrel, which smashed on the ground and split into two halves, revealing two wooden boards inside, filled entirely with mud and stones. This continued with over ten barrels, all the same.
“In barrels large enough to hold a person, there are hardly any grains, all filled with mud and stones. Governor Hong, is this what you are using for disaster relief?”
Facing The Minister of Justice’s questioning, Hong Ai could not respond with a single word. How could he possibly mix hidden compartments in the disaster relief grain!
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“You embezzle disaster relief funds for false fillings, corruption is a capital offense! Hong Ai! What else do you have to say! People, put him on the prisoner cart! Take him back to the imperial prison!”
“Yes!”
Hong Ai’s hands and legs were bound together by iron chains and suspended in the air. Hong Ai shouted loudly:
“Wait a moment! I have been framed! I remember now, it was a female Hu merchant! All these barrels of grain were sold to me by her!”
“Female Hu merchant? At this point, you still want to deny it. Now that grain is scarce and expensive, you received so much grain without checking it? Who can believe you didn’t know about the hidden compartments inside? Lying without a draft, how ridiculous!”
“I…” Hong Ai recalled that the female Hu merchant offered a price much higher than the market rate, and being a Hu person, there were many Hu merchants taking advantage of the situation, all following this method, so Hong Ai did not suspect anything. Apart from the three hundred thousand carts of grain allocated by the court, the majority were purchased from Hu merchants. With so much grain, where would he find the time to check each one?
“If you have more to say, tell it to my iron hook in the imperial prison.”
During the process of being thrown into the prisoner cart, Hong Ai’s legs did not touch the ground at all; he was lifted and tossed directly in. His twisted limbs were in such pain that he became furious, shouting and crying out his injustice. The Minister of Justice, irritated by the noise, drew his knife and quickly rushed toward Hong Ai. Hong Ai’s face changed dramatically, and as the Minister of Justice raised the knife, Hong Ai shouted loudly. His head did not hit the ground but was struck by the handle, causing him to faint.
“A grown man, screaming like a pig. Move, move, move!” The Minister of Justice patted the prisoner cart, and two black horses immediately galloped forward.
Like a whirlwind, Ting Wei Shu took Hong Ai and the others away, leaving the small courtyard gate hanging crookedly, and the ground covered with broken bowls, unattended, leaving behind only a chill.
“Hong Ai has been arrested by the the Minister of Justice? When did this happen? Why was he arrested? Where is he now?” When Feng Kun heard the news, he had already taken off his outer garment and was only wearing an inner garment, holding a teacup in his hand. Upon hearing about Hong Ai, he immediately dismissed everyone, closed the room door, and upon asking again, found that the tea had already gone cold in his hand.
“General, it is said that hidden compartments were found in the collected grain, and inside there was no grain, only mud and stones. The Minister of Justice went to Suichuan personally to arrest him, directly accusing Governor Hong of embezzling public funds, seizing power, and accepting bribes during the disaster relief in Suichuan, labeling him as a gluttonous follower!”
“Embezzle public funds?” Feng Kun said angrily, “How is that possible?”
The person reporting the news said, “Now the The Minister of Justice has already escorted Governor Hong back to the imperial prison, and Minister Guan Xun is already waiting for him there.”
Feng Kun said, “This Guan Xun is a notorious cruel official, and it is said that his methods are extremely brutal. Even the hardest mouths can be pried open, and even the toughest men cannot endure his interrogation… Letting him interrogate Hong Ai, is it not to coerce a confession through torture?”
The ancestors of Da Yu have always placed great importance on the integrity of officials. The former emperor once executed an entire family because an assistant minister embezzled eight hundred taels of silver. During the Shenchu period, the Minister of Justice still strictly investigated corruption, so many court struggles would use corruption as a focal point to topple political enemies. Now, Hong Ai being involved in such a matter is indeed troublesome, especially since it involves embezzling disaster relief funds. If this matter spreads, it will certainly cause public outrage, making it difficult to resolve.
Embezzlement is a capital offense for the Yi clan. Hong Ai is Feng Kun’s nephew. If Hong Ai is truly found guilty of embezzlement, not only the Hong family but even the Feng family might not escape calamity. Furthermore, his daughter, the current empress, will certainly be implicated.
Feng Kun put on his clothes and called for a driver, rushing to the Forbidden Garden through the night.
This is truly a clever move! If this plan succeeds, then the lives of his entire clan will be buried here. Once the Feng family falls, the Emperor, Li Ju, will be in an extremely difficult situation. How can the Xie family alone resist Li Yanyi’s overwhelming momentum to seize power?
But does Li Yanyi have evidence? This hidden compartment issue is obviously a frame-up. How could Hong Ai possibly embezzle public funds, and where would he find the courage to do so?
Feng Kun quickly arrived at the south gate of the Forbidden Garden, but was stopped by the Jinwu Guard.
“Guozhang, the Forbidden Garden is already closed. Outside ministers are not allowed to enter; please do not make it difficult for this official.”
“Rubbish! The Empress is about to give birth! I am here to deliver medicine to her! If there is a delay that endangers the lives of the Empress and the Prince, how many heads do you have to spare?”
The Empress was indeed pregnant with the Prince for some time, which was known throughout Da Yu. However, the Jinwu Guard only knew of her pregnancy but did not know when she would give birth. Upon Feng Kun’s words, the Jinwu Guard hesitated slightly. Feng Kun’s experienced driver saw the opportunity and immediately whipped the horse into a mad gallop, rushing into the Forbidden Garden.
Inside the Forbidden Garden, there were many night patrol Huben soldiers. Their confrontation with Feng Kun alarmed the inner attendants. The inner attendants quickly ran to report to Li Ju, who had just returned from the imperial prison after seeing Guan Xun, and urgently instructed them to bring Feng Kun inside quickly.
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When these two met, they saw each other drenched in sweat and immediately understood that both were aware of the matter with Hong Ai. They closed the door to the study and sent the inner attendants outside.
“Your Majesty, what exactly is going on? How could Hong Ai be framed with such a crime?” Feng Kun, without even having time to drink a sip of water, asked impatiently as Li Ju closed the door. Li Ju said he had only just learned of the matter himself. According to Guan Xun, not only was there an issue with hidden compartments in the grain, but there had also been an anonymous document submitted to the Minister of Justice even earlier. This document accused Guangluqing and Suichuan Governor Hong Ai of improper conduct. After receiving this document, Minister Guan Xun immediately took action and secretly conducted a thorough investigation. Now, having verified the claims, they acted at the first opportunity to arrest him.
“Verified? How is that possible!” Feng Kun did not believe it. “Did the Minister of Justice find concrete evidence of Hong Ai embezzling public funds?”
Faced with Feng Kun’s roar, Li Ju’s calmness made him even more uneasy.
“Yes.” Li Ju’s response with just this one word was more powerful than thousands of gold.
Feng Kun felt as if Mount Tai was pressing down on him, leaving him momentarily breathless and unable to speak.
“Your Maj… Your Majesty, have you personally seen the evidence?”
“Yes.”
Feng Kun had no more illusions in his heart; he knew this time Hong Ai was doomed: “What is the evidence? Can it at least let Hong Ai die with peace of mind?”
Li Ju sat down on the chair and forcefully slapped the carved dragon armrest, his palm turning red from the impact, yet he did not feel the pain.
“The disaster relief funds were personally searched out by Guan Xun from Hong Ai’s residence, right in front of everyone, amounting to a total of thirty thousand taels. Guan Xun took the official silver to the Minister of Justice, and just transporting it all required several horse-drawn carts. I just personally saw the official silver, and the bottom of the silver ingots all have the official seal and year number.”
“This…”
“An anonymous document accused Hong Ai, stating that Guangluqing Hong Ai, appointed as Suichuan Governor by imperial order, used his position to embezzle disaster relief funds, which were hidden inside the Hong residence. Hong Ai is still in Suichuan, and the home has just been sealed by the Minister of Justice.”
“How does the Minister of Justice have such authority!”
“They do.” Li Ju could no longer feel excited; he felt his blood had already turned cold. “Taizu left an ancestral instruction that the Minister of Justice holds the responsibility of overseeing the state. Guan Xun holds the Taizu seal, allowing him to act before reporting. Don’t mention mere Hong Ai, even if it were my own matter, Guan Xun would have the authority to inquire. This is the rule left by our ancestors.”
“Only thirty thousand taels of silver, considering the vast business of the Hong family, how could they be interested in a mere thirty thousand taels? It’s such an obvious framing; how can we allow others to falsely accuse them?”
Li Ju pinched the bridge of his nose: “I also know it’s a framing, but right now there is no evidence to prove it’s a false accusation. The concrete evidence instead points to Hong Ai’s embezzlement. Guan Xun has already sent the Minister of Justice personally to Suichuan to arrest Hong Ai…” Li Ju’s eyes were ablaze, “This method is exactly the same as when we first lost Wei Ziyun to prison.”
“This is revenge.” Feng Kun laughed forcefully, “This is revenge! Is it once again Wei Zizhuo’s idea?”
“This plan was perhaps already laid out and swiftly executed as soon as it was decided to appoint Hong Ai as Suichuan Governor. Those pieces of evidence were buried inside the Hong residence without anyone knowing. If this matter is truly Wei Zizhuo’s doing, her strategy is so high and her scheming so deep that it instills fear.” Li Ju’s worried expression did not ease, “Whether or not it is Wei Zizhuo’s idea, I will do everything to suppress this matter. We must not panic.”
Feng Kun’s breathing was heavy, and he did not utter a word.
“Rest assured, I will not let anything happen to you,” Li Ju said. “How could I possibly let anything happen to you? If something happens to you, what will my Zitong do, what will this Imperial Son do! I will have people thoroughly investigate who wrote the anonymous document, and the origin of the official silver will also be investigated clearly.”
Feng Kun knelt on the ground, not rising for a long time.
“Then… I entrust it to Your Majesty.”
The imperial edict appointing Sima should have already reached Mengliang.
Li Ju gazed at the horizon, uncertain of when it would turn white — Xie Zhongcheng, when can you return?
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After receiving the news that Feng Kun and Hong Ai were escorted together into the imperial prison, Li Yanyi quickly rushed back to Quxian to reunite with Wei Tingxu and Ah Liao.
“I did not expect Guan Xun to actually investigate so quickly, much faster than I anticipated,” Wei Tingxu said as she set up a table of food and wine to drink with Li Yanyi and Ah Liao.
“Right now, I most want to see what color Feng Kun, that old man’s face, is.” Li Yanyi happily drank three cups of wine. She also realized that the previous estrangement plan was not done by Xie Fuchen; apart from Xie Fuchen, it must have been that old thief Feng Kun. “Now that Feng Kun’s nephew has already been escorted back to the capital by the Minister of Justice, next I want to return to Runing once, to ensure he is implicated, and absolutely cannot let him escape!”
“Your Highness wants to return to the capital?” Wei Tingxu said, “I will send Your Highness a gift, to accompany Your Highness, to relieve worries and solve problems.”
“Oh? What gift do you want to give me?” Li Yanyi continued pouring wine for herself.
“Your Highness always keeps my matters in mind, and I have not forgotten Your Highness either. It’s somewhat inconvenient for Your Highness to travel without a maid accompanying you.”
As Wei Tingxu spoke, Zhen Wenjun shivered. Wei Tingxu turned to look at her and called her, “Come, Wenjun.”
“Here…”
Wei Tingxu supported her waist and led her in front of Li Yanyi: “Wenjun is meticulous and capable, and she will surely take good care of Your Highness. Let her accompany you back to Runing.”
Zhen Wenjun looked at Li Yanyi, her vision darkened, and she didn’t know what expression was on her face.