After Xiao Yan went to the Empress’s palace, Qian Baokun felt uneasy. The matter of the Lu family had been causing a commotion, and now, with Empress Lu approaching Xiao Yan at this time, he had a bad feeling about her intentions.
He waited for nearly half an hour, and when he saw Xiao Yan return completely unharmed, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
“Is everything alright?”
Qian Baokun stepped forward, about to ask what the Empress wanted with him. However, he noticed that Xiao Yan’s face was grimmer than ever before. Although he hadn’t said a word, the thick, oppressive aura of hostility around him made people uneasy. Qian Baokun hesitated and asked, “What happened? Did something go wrong?”
Xiao Yan waved his hand, signaling Jin Yun and the others to leave, leaving only Qian Baokun in the room.
Once they were both seated at the long table, Xiao Yan reached into his sleeve and handed him the items he had obtained from the Empress's palace.
“What’s this?” Qian Baokun asked, surprised, as he took the items.
“The Empress gave it to me,” Xiao Yan replied.
Qian Baokun’s eyes grew darker with suspicion. He quickly lowered his head to examine the contents, and when he had read halfway through the blood letter, his hands began to tremble.
Upon reading the part where Lu Chongyuan ordered the sealing of the city with fire oil, poisoning the well, and driving more than nine thousand people out of the city to be burned alive, his face turned red with anger.
Xiao Yan looked down coldly. “A few days ago, the Fourth Prince fell from his horse. The doctor, Mr. He Wengran, had been bribed and tampered with the medicine. As a result, the Fourth Prince’s face was ruined, and after healing, he would also be left with a permanent limp. Recently, several people have died in the Empress’s palace, and the Empress herself nearly fell victim to an assassination attempt, but she managed to suppress it.”
“Did the Lu family do this?” Qian Baokun said incredulously. “Has the Lu family gone mad?”
“They’re not crazy,” Xiao Yan replied. “It’s likely that the Fourth Prince forced Guoshi to death, which crossed the Lu family’s bottom line.”
Xiao Yan handed Qian Baokun the letter from the He family and said, “I’ve been thinking about why His Majesty has been acting strangely when it comes to the Lu family. Now, after seeing this, it’s clear—he and the Lu family are cut from the same cloth.”
Qian Baokun read the letter, where He Wen Zhuo of the He family described the incident from twenty years ago when the disaster relief ship sank. It mentioned how the officers escorting the disaster relief funds had already been dead before falling into the water, raising suspicions that the disaster funds and supplies had been tampered with beforehand. Qian Baokun couldn’t help but feel his hands shake.
Xiao Yan noticed the change in his expression. “I thought this was just a matter of powerful families seeking personal gain, that the Lu family was dirty. That’s why I rashly pulled you into this. But now, it’s not just about the Lu family. If we keep investigating, we might encounter danger.”
“I’m a lone man, with no attachments. But you, Qian Baokun, you have a wife, children, and the Qian family behind you. If you get involved, it could bring about deadly consequences, endangering your loved ones.”
Xiao Yan took the letter and other items from Qian Baokun’s hands and said, “Consider this a matter you never knew about. From now on, stay away from this. Don’t get involved in the grain issue or the Lu family’s business. I’ll handle it on my own. If something happens, I’ll bear it alone…”
“What are you talking about?” Qian Baokun interrupted.
Although he had been hesitant at first, thinking that the matter could blow up and lead to a huge scandal, making him wonder whether he should continue, the moment Xiao Yan excluded him and shouldered all the responsibility, Qian Baokun’s hesitation vanished completely.
Xiao Yan was just a young man in his twenties. He, as a powerful official, could have chosen to ignore everything and live a carefree life.
But Xiao Yan did not hesitate, and neither could Qian Baokun.
Qian Baokun made up his mind, his gaze full of determination as he looked up. “I have a wife, children, and my clan, but I also know what it means to be a person. Tens of thousands of people died unjustly in Rongjiang, and countless innocents perished in the southern disaster. If I turn a blind eye, how can I still hold my head up in the court?”
When he first entered the court, he had pledged to serve the people and bring peace to the world. Over the years, he had lost sight of that initial resolve.
Qian Baokun spoke solemnly, “I once thought His Majesty was forced to abdicate to avoid turmoil in the court. But now, it’s clear that he’s in league with these people. This case must be investigated, even if it’s been twenty years, and we must uncover the truth.”
If the Lu family is guilty, they must take responsibility.
If Emperor An is guilty, Emperor An must take responsibility.
So many lives cannot have been lost in vain. Those wronged souls must be avenged to reach peace.
Xiao Yan furrowed his brow. “But…”
“There’s no ‘but,’” Qian Baokun interrupted, decisively. “Investigating this case won’t be a quick matter. If things turn dangerous, I can send my family to Lingnan. As for my clan, the Qian family isn’t in the capital. Even if someone wants to harm them, it won’t be easy.”
The Qian family, unlike other aristocratic families, had been in Lingnan for hundreds of years. To call them “local lords” wouldn’t be an exaggeration. They didn’t covet power, and he was the only one in the capital, but that didn’t mean they were without resources. If the Lu family dared to cross the border and attack the Qian family, they would make sure the Lu family didn’t return.
As for the Emperor, unless he sent soldiers to attack, it wouldn’t be easy to touch the Qian family. But if he did send soldiers, Emperor An would need to provide a reason.
Qian Baokun said to Xiao Yan, “I know your disposition, and this case involves too many people. If we can’t strike decisively, neither of us will act lightly.”
Seeing Xiao Yan hesitate, he said, “You say you have nothing to lose, but what about the Princess of Yiyang?”
Xiao Yan pressed his lips together.
Qian Baokun turned and patted his shoulder. “Since you call me ‘Uncle Qian,’ I can’t let you make a fool of yourself. If you back down now, what will I become?”
Xiao Yan’s eyes softened. “No matter what happens, I’ll do my best to protect you and the Qian family.”
Qian Baokun smiled. “With that, I’m at ease.”
Xiao Yan wasn’t one for excessive words. Seeing that Qian Baokun had made up his mind, he didn’t say more. After carefully putting the two items away, he said to Qian Baokun:
“The Empress gave me these to use as leverage against the Lu family. She’s clearly on our side right now because she hates the Lu family, but we can’t guarantee she won’t go back on her word later. We need to make sure she sees the benefits and isn’t willing to let go…”
“I understand,” Qian Baokun said. “The Fourth Prince is in a difficult position. I’ll find a way to help him maneuver in the court. You don’t need to get involved. If the Lu family suspects that the Empress and her son have ties to you, it will alert Lu Chongyuan and make him wary.”
Xiao Yan nodded. “Thank you, Uncle Qian. There’s one more thing. Since you’re in the Ministry of Revenue, can you find a way to look into the accounts from twenty years ago?”
Qian Baokun frowned. “You want to investigate the disaster relief funds from back then?”
Xiao Yan nodded. “The government allocated more than 900,000 taels of silver for the disaster relief back then, plus the grain. Whether it was for purchasing grain or the disaster relief funds, it was a considerable amount. Since He Wen Zhuo mentioned that the officers escorting the funds died before the ship sank, it’s likely that someone tampered with the funds and supplies before leaving the capital.”
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T/N: Xiao Yan manipulating an old official so skillfully is sending me.
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You can read ahead to chapterr 400 (100+ extra chapters) here
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