Volume 1, Chapter 20: The One Behind the Scenes

The next day, Qin Yi had regained consciousness. Upon receiving the news, Crown Prince Zhu Biao immediately set aside his urgent tasks to visit him.

"Jin Yi Wei Qin Yi pays his respects to Your Highness!" Qin Yi, dragging his battered and wounded body, struggled to rise and salute.

"Hmph. Are your injuries serious?"

"In reply to Your Highness, they are not. However, I will be unable to engage in combat for some time."

"Very well, I understand. Take the Jin Yi Wei and avenge your Prince! How the Japanese pirates managed to reach Yingtian without a single official along the route reporting it—investigate all of it and uncover the truth."

"But do not go off to fight them yourself; otherwise, you will have no way to answer to your Prince," Zhu Biao ordered, satisfied that Qin Yi was not in critical condition.

The vengeance was far from over; Xu Da and Li Shanchang alone were not enough. This order was exactly what Qin Yi had been hoping for.

He immediately replied, "Thank you, Your Highness, for giving this subordinate a chance to seek revenge!"

As he looked up, his eyes were filled with murderous intent.

"Good. Go."

***

Inside the Eastern Palace, the time that had passed overnight was more than enough for an old fox like Li Shanchang.

"Your Highness, I have managed to identify some people." Li Shanchang’s expression was grim, and he hesitated, not knowing how to continue.

"Oh? It seems the Duke of Korea is truly a pillar of our Great Ming! Speak. No matter who it is, my father and I will deal with them personally." Zhu Biao, finally having received some good news, offered a rare, benevolent smile to Li Shanchang.

"Your Highness, I am incompetent. By the time I identified these individuals and led the men of the Court of Judicial Review to apprehend them, they were all dead. Their methods of death varied, but they had all committed suicide without exception. Furthermore, their families have all vanished."

Li Shanchang nearly buried his head in the floorboards; the outcome was truly difficult to report.

As Zhu Biao listened to the report, his smile vanished, and his expression grew increasingly dark.

"Splendid! Truly my fine officials indeed!" Zhu Biao laughed in anger before asking, "Duke of Korea, what were the ranks of those officials?"

"Your Highness, they were all minor officials scattered throughout the various departments of the Six Ministries; none were key court figures."

"It seems they were merely scapegoats. Duke of Korea, who do you suspect? Speak. Do not tell me you have no suspects, or you shall have to answer to me."

Zhu Biao’s deep, icy gaze locked onto Li Shanchang as he stated the cold reality.

Li Shanchang gritted his teeth, as if having made a decision, and said bluntly, "Your Highness, I suspect the current Right Chancellor, Hu Weiyong!"

"In the court, only four people possess such capability. The first was Earl of Chengyi, Liu Bowen, leader of the Western Zhejiang faction, but he has passed away. The second is Duke of Wei, Xu Da, but he rarely associates with court officials, even among the nobility. The third is myself; having managed the court for many years, I possess the capability, but I maintain my innocence and beg for Your Highness’s discernment!"

Zhu Biao signaled for Li Shanchang to continue, unmoved. "I will investigate it myself. I hope, for your sake, that you have no connection to this."

"Thank you, Your Highness! Furthermore, there is Hu Weiyong. He was originally my protégé; it is my own failing that I did not see his true nature. Hu Weiyong is talented, but he is incredibly greedy for power and enjoys recruiting retainers and cultivating ties with officials. Now that he has risen to Right Chancellor, if there is anyone in the court who orchestrated the attack on the Imperial carriage, Hu Weiyong is the most likely candidate!"

"Hmm, that is well-reasoned. Have you discovered anything?"

Li Shanchang smiled bitterly. "Your Highness, I am incompetent. There is no connection between these individuals and Hu Weiyong."

"A 'lack of connection' indeed! Then I shall add fuel to the fire. Duke of Korea, you are old; do what you do best and retire for now."

"Your servant obeys."

In that moment, Li Shanchang seemed to age significantly, and he left with trembling steps. Not until he returned to his estate did the words "You are old!" leave his mind.

Sitting alone in his study, he let out a bitter laugh and a sigh before taking up his brush to write a memorial.

"Someone come!"

"Master, I am here!" A middle-aged man dressed as a steward pushed the door open.

"Deliver this memorial to the Eastern Palace for the Crown Prince. From this day forward, announce that I am ill and decline all visits from court officials."

"Yes, Master!"

***

Zhu Biao received the memorial shortly after. Upon reading the contents, he smiled with satisfaction. He murmured to himself, "As expected of an old fox who has followed my father for years—claiming illness and withdrawing from all political affairs. Good, very good!"

"Is it you, Li Shanchang? Or is it you, Hu Weiyong? I have the time to wear you both down. A fox will always reveal its tail eventually!"

Zhu Biao let out a cold laugh and then looked at his personal eunuch, Huang Gou'er. "Has it been verified? Has Li Shanchang shown any suspicious activity these days?"

"In reply to Your Highness, Li Shanchang has made no other moves; everything is normal," Huang Gou'er replied, bowing his head.

"You fool! I call him Li Shanchang, and you address him the same way? Where are your manners? Go receive your punishment!"

"Yes, Your Highness," Huang Gou'er replied expressionlessly.

"Send word to Hu Weiyong: the Left Chancellor, Li Shanchang, is claiming illness, but state affairs cannot be neglected. Tell him to handle the duties of both offices."

"As you command, Your Highness."

"Liu Bowen—has my teacher truly passed away from illness?"

"Your Highness, everything is confirmed; there are no suspicious circumstances. If there is anything amiss, it is that Liu Bowen met with Hu Weiyong's men shortly before his death."

"Hu Weiyong again. You may withdraw." Zhu Biao rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. There hadn't been a single piece of good news lately, and his father was still occupied with his younger brother.

Everything was left to him to handle, but he wanted to be with his younger brother as well!

***

As night fell, a fast horse rode from the south into Yingtian Prefecture and headed straight for the Eastern Palace.

The rider was Qin Yi of the Jin Yi Wei, and he brought more bad news.

"Your Highness, those Japanese pirates came from Fujian. But the officials along the route who knew of the intelligence were all minor clerks, and they have all committed suicide! The Jin Yi Wei has failed in its duties; please punish me, Your Highness!"

"I know. I do not blame you. Although the Jin Yi Wei was reorganized from the Inspectorate Bureau, the bureau was too weak after its downsizing!"

"Qin Yi, hear my decree!"

"From this day forth, aside from the matters you handle for the Prince of Qin, you are to vigorously expand the Jin Yi Wei. Do not fill the ranks with incompetents. You are my brother's trusted man, and I trust you! I promise you everything you need for the development of the Jin Yi Wei!"

"But I want the Jin Yi Wei spread across every corner of the Great Ming as quickly as possible!"

"Furthermore, find suitable people and place them within the estates of the Duke of Korea and Hu Weiyong. Keep a close watch on every move they make!"

"Your servant, Qin Yi, accepts the decree! I will not fail Your Highness's expectations!" Qin Yi said firmly, then suddenly asked with cautious hope, "Heh, Your Highness... has the Prince woken up yet? Might this subordinate go to visit him?"