Xiao Yan spoke in a low voice, "Empress Lu said that this blood letter fell into the hands of the former Left Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Household, Yue Hongchang. He originally wanted to use it to blackmail the Lu family to help him rise to power. Clearly, he knew about the Lu family's actions and may have even been involved, otherwise, this matter would not have escaped the wrath of the Crown Prince."
Qian Baokun was not a fool. After thinking for a moment, he said, "I remember that Yue Hongchang was arrested for corruption a few years before the Crown Prince's rebellion."
Qian Baokun had entered the Ministry of Household only after Emperor An ascended the throne. As for the "former" matters related to Yue Hongchang, he had heard about them occasionally. Upon reflection, he realized that the so-called corruption might not have been just about greed for money, but because he had something he shouldn't have and developed ambitions he shouldn't have.
Xiao Yan said, "Nearly a million taels of disaster relief silver and tens of thousands of bushels of disaster grain—whoever gets their hands on it cannot possibly swallow it quietly."
Qian Baokun squinted slightly. "If so much grain were to flood into the market, it would surely cause a fluctuation in grain prices. And as for the disaster relief silver, unless it remains hidden, the sudden influx of a million taels would inevitably cause a rise in commodity prices, no matter what it’s used for..."
In charge of the Ministry of Household, Qian Baokun understood how the ministry adjusted the prices of goods and stabilized grain prices across various regions. He quickly came up with a plan and said to Xiao Yan seriously, "I will check the Ministry of Household's grain accounts for those years and investigate any fluctuations in grain prices across the regions. Leave this matter to me."
Xiao Yan nodded. "I will send people to secretly investigate the Rongjiang area to see if we can find anyone who knows the truth. We also need to track down the coroner who examined the bodies of the officers who drowned after the shipwreck. If we can trace the whereabouts of the disaster relief funds and find witnesses, along with this blood letter and the letter from the He family, it will be enough to convict the Lu family."
"Be careful," Qian Baokun warned seriously. "This matter concerns the Emperor. If the Lu family is found guilty, the Emperor may also bear some of the blame. If we don't have absolute certainty, we cannot act recklessly, and we must not reveal this to anyone."
The more people involved, the higher the risk of exposure.
As for the Lu family, if they were to act, it had to be a strike to kill.
Xiao Yan nodded. "I understand."
After discussing the details for a long time, Qian Baokun left with a heavy heart. Once he left, Canglang and Jin Yun entered.
Xiao Yan instructed Jin Yun, "Send two secret guards to protect Qian Baokun. Also, leave a few people to protect his wife and children."
Jin Yun nodded in acknowledgment.
"Sir, should we leak a word to Cao Dejiang and the others?" Jin Yun asked.
Xiao Yan hesitated before replying, "No need."
Qian Baokun had already been dragged into this mess, making an enemy of the Lu family. Moreover, Qian Baokun was passionate and hated evil, which Xiao Yan understood well. He knew how to handle him and could trust him to stay loyal and not turn on him. But Cao Dejiang was different.
Although the reformist faction was opposed to the aristocratic families, they had their own ambitions and many among them were greedy. Their actions for advancement would not necessarily be cleaner than the aristocrats. Cao Dejiang had not been found guilty of any dirty dealings, but he was still a person with deep thoughts.
Xiao Yan was not confident that he could bring Cao Dejiang onto his side and trust him to stay loyal when the situation grew dangerous. It was better to avoid touching him for now. Once things matured, the reformist faction would naturally become their allies, and there would be no need to force an alliance.
Xiao Yan raised his eyes. "What about He Wengran?"
Canglang replied, "On his way back to his hometown, he was ambushed by Lu family assassins. Our people rescued him and have sent him to a safe place."
"Have you cleaned up all the traces?" Xiao Yan asked.
"Don't worry, Sir. Our people disguised themselves as highway robbers and even used the bodies of nearby mountain bandits to impersonate He’s family. No one will suspect anything."
Hearing this, Xiao Yan relaxed. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Send someone to the southern regions to investigate any surviving witnesses, especially in the Rongjiang area. Also, check the people exiled from Yue Hongchang’s family after his execution to see if anyone knows anything. Be careful and avoid alarming outsiders."
"Rest assured, I will go personally," Jin Yun said before pausing. "Sir, since we are investigating the past, should we handle the eyes in the manor?"
Xiao Yan knew who Jin Yun was referring to. After pondering for a moment, he replied, "Don't move him for now. He still has some use."
He needed to make Emperor An understand that both thunder and rain were considered royal grace to him.
He was still the most useful knife in Emperor An's hands, the one he could control without fear of backlash, and his most loyal servant.
...
It had been raining on and off for several days in the capital. Sometimes it poured heavily, and sometimes it drizzled. The ground was wet, then dry, then wet again. When the rain finally stopped on this day, the summer heat set in. The weather was so hot that it felt like one could melt under the sun after walking a short distance.
Tang Ning hadn't seen Xiao Yan for several days. Although sweet cakes were occasionally sent from next door, and Xiao Yan’s people would say that he was busy these days, Tang Ning still felt absent-minded.
"Tang Ning..."
"Tang Ning!"
"Huh?"
Tang Ning snapped out of her thoughts and saw Rong Yue looking at her with some concern. "What’s wrong with you these past two days? You’ve been so absent-minded." She often seemed to zone out mid-conversation, like just now, when they were discussing the banquet at the manor the day after tomorrow, and suddenly the young girl’s mind seemed to wander.
She reached out and touched Tang Ning's forehead. "Are you feeling unwell? Should I ask Madam Qin to check on you?"
Tang Ning hurriedly shook her head when she saw her aunt’s worried expression. "I'm fine. I just got distracted thinking about something."
Seeing Rong Yue still looking at her, she lowered her hand from her forehead and said, "I was thinking about the academy. Yesterday, the people from the Jingzao Department came and said that the academy would be completed in a few days."
"So soon?" Rong Yue was surprised.
It had barely been two months, hadn't it?
Tang Ning spoke softly, "It’s my brother who had people keep track of the progress. He said it’s better to finish it sooner rather than later. If the Lu family’s 'donation' of books becomes old news, it would be disadvantageous to me."
Rong Yue’s expression softened when she heard this. "Your brother always thinks of you. These days, Lu Chongyuan has returned to court, and there’s been a lot of noise outside about him and the Lu family. I’ve heard that Lu Zhao's case might be concluded soon. It seems the Emperor is distancing himself from him..."
She had no one in the court, but Marquis Wenxin had people in the court, and whenever his wife came over, she always brought news from the court, which made Rong Yue a little worried.
"Xiao Yan’s situation in court isn’t good. He hasn’t come over these days, and I wonder how he’s doing."
Tang Ning pursed her lips. She was also worried.
"Miss, Lord Xiao has arrived." Hua Wu hurriedly came in.
Neither of the two had expected him to arrive just as they were talking about him. Tang Ning stood up joyfully, lifting her skirts, and walked to the edge of the pavilion.
"Brother!"
===============
You can read ahead to chapterr 400 (100+ extra chapters) here
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