043 [The Final Blow]

The corruption case within the Ministry of Works was, in essence, not particularly complicated.

It originated from the severe summer floods this year, which had left massive numbers of disaster victims across various regions in the south. The imperial court was under immense pressure for disaster relief; it needed to resolve the emptiness of the national treasury while also projecting an attitude of holding wrongdoers accountable to appease officials and the public alike.

Whether Gu Heng, the Director of the Department of Waterways within the Ministry of Works, had temporarily lost his mind or had been coerced and instigated by others, he had abruptly pointed the finger at Xue Mingzhang, who had passed away six years prior. This was what ultimately triggered a large-scale political storm.

At that point, the Son of Heaven could no longer let the officials of the Department of Waterways off the hook.

The problem was that the current Emperor was no longer the vigorous new ruler who had ascended the throne with high ambitions all those years ago. As he was about to enter the nineteenth year of his imperial reign, what the Emperor wanted to see was stability in the court, officials performing their respective duties diligently, and a scene of peace and prosperity among the populace. He no longer wished to rise early and sleep late as he had done a decade and more ago.

Naturally, he also did not wish to see the foundations of the Great Yan devoured completely by a nest of parasites, which was why he had to occasionally teach those below a lesson.

Knowing that the issues within the Ministry of Works were deeply complicated, he had decided to let Shen Wang handle the matter. Based on the calm and restrained demeanor Shen Wang had demonstrated over the past decade or so, the Emperor believed that he would be able to empathize with the imperial will and restrict the case within a reasonable and orderly scope.

He had not expected that the master and disciple duo, Shen Wang and Xue Huai, would give him such a massive "surprise."

When Xue Huai openly uttered the three words "the Prince Dai's Estate" during the imperial court assembly, the Emperor knew instantly that this matter could no longer be lightly swept under the rug.

Consequently, he began to suspect that Shen Wang had harbored the intention of blowing the matter out of proportion from the very beginning—an act of taking matters into one's own hands that obviously could not be condoned.

Reviewing the beginning and end of the affair, the Emperor easily discovered the fishy detail: while the entire Office of Investigation's gates were tightly sealed to isolate the inside from the outside, Xue Huai, serving as the secretary of the office and Shen Wang's personal disciple, had inexplicably returned home for no apparent reason. There, he had been approached by people from the Prince Dai's Estate, which in turn dragged out the issue of the Prince Dai's Estate illegally purchasing official farmland, ultimately leading to the entire four departments of the Ministry of Works being uprooted by their roots.

This was the real reason Xue Huai had been summoned into the Imperial Study today.

"Do not tell Me that you left your post without authorization simply to return to your estate to fetch some changes of clothes. Such a minor errand only requires sending a low-ranking servant to make the trip."

The Emperor’s deep, piercing gaze was nailed to Xue Huai’s face as he continued, "Or are you going to say that you were overwhelmed by homesickness and fell apart after just a few days away?"

This soul-piercing question cooled the warm air inside the Imperial Study by several degrees.

If it were truly as he suggested—that Xue Huai could neither eat nor sleep just because he was away from home for a few days—what use would such an official be?

A trace of bewilderment appeared on Xue Huai’s face as he answered candidly, "Your Majesty, this subject returned to the estate to retrieve certain case files. Because the files from the Hanlin Academy previously disappeared under mysterious circumstances and have yet to be recovered, this subject dared not entrust the task to others, fearing mistakes might happen."

The Emperor had not anticipated this answer. He furrowed his brows slightly and asked, "What case files?"

Xue Huai answered promptly, " Replying to Your Majesty, this subject was at the time responsible for auditing the files and accounts of the Department of Waterways within the Ministry of Works. Aside from the *Manual on River Engineering*, my late father also left behind various insights and experiences regarding water governance from his years in service. Therefore, this subject wished to utilize the materials left by my late father to cross-reference and investigate the flaws within the Department of Waterways' accounts."

Hearing him mention Xue Mingzhang stirred something within the Emperor's heart.

That young official, who possessed clean hands, a righteous spirit, and no shortage of administrative acumen, had left an exceptionally deep impression on the Emperor back then.

He had once hoped to forge a legendary monarch-minister partnership with Xue Mingzhang, but ruthless fate had cut the virtuous official down in the prime of his life—a matter of profound regret in the Emperor's heart.

Had it not been for this, why else would he have taken an interest in the imperial examination path of an inexperienced young man, and why else would he have tolerated Xue Huai’s lack of tact over the past two years?

"So that's how it was."

The Emperor softened his tone. Although his suspicions had not entirely vanished, with Xue Huai invoking the name of his late father, even if only to uphold the bonds of that past monarch-minister relationship, it was no longer appropriate for the Emperor to continue pressing the interrogation.

At that moment, Crown Prince Jiang Xuan felt ripples of emotion stirring in his heart.

He had long since grown accustomed to being reticent and taciturn, acting much like a shadow by the Emperor's side.

On the surface, he was the supremely honored heir apparent, but some things were known only to him. For instance, he knew that while his Imperial Father treated the Empress with respect, he held no affection for her; the one his father truly cared for was the astute and resourceful Noble Consort Liu, visiting the Kunning Palace on only a handful of days each month.

Throughout history, adult crown princes had mostly been subjected to prolonged and agonizing trials. Performing too well would arouse the Emperor’s wariness, while performing too poorly would provoke criticism from the court and the public. Striking the right balance was genuinely difficult to master.

Jiang Xuan’s predicament was even more arduous, for he knew that his Imperial Father had established him as the heir solely because he was the legitimate eldest son by right of birth, yet this did not mean his position as crown prince was absolutely secure.

Consequently, he walked on thin ice with utmost caution, not even daring to forge overly close ties with the high ministers of the court for fear of arousing his Imperial Father's suspicions.

Yet, observing coldly from the sidelines during this period, Jiang Xuan vaguely felt that Xue Huai seemed to be an excellent candidate to win over. Not only did this man possess the legacy left by his late father and a mentor of high standing like Shen Wang, but his current conduct was also relatively mature. Most importantly, through the investigation of the Ministry of Works corruption case, he and Prince Dai Jiang Chang were now locked in an irreconcilable dynamic.

Without leaving a trace, Jiang Xuan glanced at Xue Huai, silently making a decision in his heart.

Xue Huai naturally remained unaware of the Crown Prince's thoughts. He mused that his audience before the Emperor today might not have been flawless, but it should successfully pass muster.

That would be enough; he did not expect the Emperor to look at him in a new light and elevate him to smooth sailing solely on account of a few words.

Just then, a calm and measured voice rang out.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, what Compiler Xue has stated is not the complete truth."

Shen Wang’s sudden statement caused the atmosphere inside the Imperial Study to freeze abruptly.

Even the Emperor furrowed his brow as he looked toward this universally acknowledged leader of the "pure stream" faction, wondering what medicine he had stored in his gourd.

Could he be about to cross the river and demolish the bridge, abandoning his own personal disciple? But why would he do such a thing?

The Emperor said indifferently, "What does Minister Shen mean by this?"

Shen Wang stepped forward to Xue Huai’s side and slowly stated, "Your Majesty, on that day, Xue Huai requested my permission to return to his estate to retrieve certain archives and case files. The reason I granted his request was actually because of another motive—namely, to see whether anyone would approach him the moment he stepped out of the Office of Investigation. Sure enough, no sooner had he left the office for half a day than the steward of the Prince Dai's Estate appeared in eager haste. It was through this very clue that this subject initiated a comprehensive investigation into the various departments of the Ministry of Works."

The Emperor’s expression grew gradually colder.

Xue Minglun, meanwhile, felt a heavy wave of crisis engulf him. He now realized where the problem lay; it appeared that because the Emperor had previously chosen to give him another chance, Shen Wang was unwilling to remain silent any longer.

Standing straight-backed as he always did, Shen Wang continued, "Your Majesty, before taking charge of this Ministry of Works corruption case, this subject had already heard certain rumors: that the Ministry of Works had colluded with other government offices to wantonly misappropriate the national treasury, causing severe harm. However, this subject previously lacked definitive evidence and could not speak recklessly on the matter. This time, receiving the imperial decree to thoroughly investigate the Department of Waterways, the reason I ordered the gates of the Office of Investigation to be tightly shut was precisely to make certain individuals sit on pins and needles, compelling them to expose themselves voluntarily."

This was the Imperial Study, and aside from Xue Huai, everyone present consisted of high-ranking ministers of the court. There was no need to conceal or beat around the bush, so Shen Wang spoke with utmost directness, leaving not a single trace of leeway.

No matter how displeased the Emperor might be, he could not directly strip Shen Wang of his right to speak.

With a face as dark as water, the Emperor stated, "So you have uncovered it now?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Shen Wang offered no concealment at this moment. Looking calmly and candidly at the Emperor, he said, "When this subject first went to the offices of the Ministry of Works and deliberately sought to be on good terms with Minister Xue, it was precisely to sow doubt in his mind and thereby affect those parasites hiding in the shadows. From then on, every action taken by the officials in the Office of Investigation was driven and directed by this subject. They merely acted in accordance with my commands, Xue Huai included."

Xue Huai lowered his gaze slightly.

He recalled his mentor's words from early this morning: *"Your teacher will help you eliminate hidden dangers."*

A tempest of thoughts churned within his heart, but he knew that for now, he could only maintain his silence.

"There is no need to repeat these words."

The Emperor clearly grew impatient. Staring fixedly at Shen Wang, he demanded, "What on earth are you trying to say?"

At that, Shen Wang glanced briefly at Minister of Works Xue Minglun, then adopted a solemn expression. "Your Majesty, through the compilation and analysis of the case files from the various departments of the Ministry of Works, this subject arrived at an unbelievable conclusion last night. Over the past decade or so, the Ministry of Works has drawn an annual average of three million taels of silver from the national treasury. According to this subject's estimation, less than sixty percent of these funds were ultimately put to actual use."

The Emperor's eyes narrowed.

Xue Minglun's face turned pale.

Word by word, Shen Wang declared, "Your Majesty, from the Ministry of Works alone, anywhere from one million two hundred thousand to one million six hundred thousand taels has been embezzled from the national treasury every year—amounting to nearly fourteen or fifteen million taels over ten years. Although this is merely this subject's estimation, Minister Xue undoubtedly knows in his heart that this figure is not far from the truth."

"This summer, severe floods struck many places in the south. While Your Majesty and the lords of the court lost sleep and forgot to eat worrying over funds for disaster relief, certain individuals were hoarding mountains of gold and seas of silver in their estates. Whenever this subject contemplates this, I find myself unable to sleep through the night."

"If things continue this way, how can the realm of Great Yan remain secure?"

"Therefore, this subject could not simply investigate the Department of Waterways alone, and thus acted without authorization. I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness."

Having spoken, Shen Wang executed a deep, sweeping bow, as if casting everything aside and awaiting the Emperor’s ultimate verdict.

At this moment, not only was Xue Minglun's head spinning, but the Minister of Revenue, the Minister of War, and even the Minister of Punishments instinctively shrunk their necks.

Dead silence filled the Imperial Study.

After remaining silent for a long while, the Emperor suddenly let out a self-deprecating laugh.

Upon seeing this, Xue Minglun dropped hurriedly to both knees, kowtowing incessantly.

Ning Hengzhi, meanwhile, let out a silent sigh in his heart.

"I..."

Seeming to gather his thoughts, the Emperor looked down at the kneeling Xue Minglun and slowly said, "I understand the logic that clear water breeds no fish, and I sympathized with the difficulties you faced in commanding such a massive Ministry of Works and managing all its intricate constraints. That is why I have not been too harsh on you over the years. I simply never expected that you could conceal things so thoroughly, treating the national treasury as your own private storehouse and racking your brains solely to misappropriate My silver."

"Over ten million taels... Good, very good."

By the end, the Emperor’s tone was glacial, devoid of a shred of warmth.

Appalled, Xue Minglun kowtowed and cried, "Your Majesty, this subject has never embezzled such an immense amount of silver! This subject begs the Jing'an Bureau to intervene and conduct a thorough investigation!"

"Even if you did not pocket it all yourself, do you bear no responsibility?"

Slowly rising to his feet, the Emperor stated apathetically, "In consideration of your diligent service over the years, I will not execute you. I shall grant you a final shred of dignity."

"Request to retire on account of age and illness."