TGPSAC – Chapter 86

In the Xuanzheng Hall, the assembled officials had varied reactions. Yu Jiuzhou took in all their expressions.

In truth, she had investigated every single person in the imperial court. The Princess’s Residence had a dedicated place for storing such files, and she had long anticipated the reactions of certain individuals.

Prince Ying’s terror, Prince Bao’an’s spectator-like amusement, the Grand Secretary’s calculations on how he might profit from this affair.

These men represented the attitudes of the majority in the court.

From the moment the blood petition of ten thousand people was presented to the Emperor, a court session targeting Prince Ying had begun. Prince Ying must have sensed it and was already starting to panic.

In the next moment, Dong Shuhan, the Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, stepped forward. “Your Highness, this subject also has a memorial to present.”

“The Fuma, Chi Wan, has behaved improperly, dallying with women in the Autumn Water Pavilion. Now, that woman is with child. This subject requests that the Fuma be punished.”

Wait, Dong Shuhan was one of Yu Jiuzhou’s people. Why was he impeaching her now?

Chi Wan was completely baffled. She immediately thought of that woman, Qing Qian. They had only met once, and then the woman ran to the gates of the Princess’s Residence claiming to be carrying her child. Did she think she could just do whatever she wanted because this world had no DNA testing?

And now, the Censor-in-Chief was impeaching her.

Chi Wan hurried forward to defend herself. “Your Highness, this matter has nothing to do with me. I was only in Lady Qing Qian’s room for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. There wasn’t enough time for me to do anything.”

Before her voice had even faded, someone else stepped out. “The time it takes to drink a cup of tea is enough.”

Chi Wan turned to look at the man who had spoken. Oh, a weakling. Without a second thought, she strode over to him. The man was so frightened he stumbled back several steps, shouting, “Fuma, this is the Xuanzheng Hall! I am a court official!”

She gave a cold laugh, grabbed the man by his collar, and dragged him out of the hall. Then she threw him out forcefully before returning.

Many officials roared in anger, “Insolence! Insolence!”

“How dare you act so audaciously during a court session! You show no respect for the sovereign!”

“Your Highness, the Fuma is running wild in the Xuanzheng Hall! We implore Your Highness to punish her!”

Chi Wan walked over to Dong Shuhan’s side. He stared at her, a bit stunned, probably thinking she was going to throw him out too.

She flashed a grin, revealing eight teeth. “Don’t worry, Lord Dong. You’re too old. If I threw you out, I’d probably be attending your funeral banquet tomorrow.”

Funeral banquet?

It took the crowd a moment to understand. When someone dies, isn’t there a funeral banquet?

“Chi Wan,” Yu Jiuzhou called out, signaling for her to restrain herself.

Chi Wan feigned a wronged expression. She knew that Yu Jiuzhou had Dong Shuhan bring up the matter of Qing Qian to put it out in the open. From now on, no one could use this incident to attack her again.

“Your Highness, you see, I dragged a man from inside the hall to the outside and back again, and my breathing is still steady. The time it takes to drink a cup of tea is truly not enough for me to do anything.”

Yu Jiuzhou was speechless. “?”

How could this person speak such nonsense during a court session?

A group of military officials burst into laughter. “The Fuma is right! What can you do in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea?”

“Silence!” Wang Hai shouted, and the court session returned to a state of calm.

Chi Wan cupped her hands in a salute. “Your Highness, Lady Qing Qian is from the Autumn Water Pavilion. I believe that if we interrogate the owner of the Autumn Water Pavilion as well, my name can be cleared.”

“The Imperial City Division has already discovered that the owner of the Autumn Water Pavilion is none other than Prince Bao’an. We also have information on the activities the Autumn Water Pavilion has been engaged in over the years. I ask Your Highness to investigate thoroughly.”

Let’s drag everyone into the water. Isn’t it more fun when more people are involved?

Prince Bao’an was stunned. Wasn’t today supposed to be Prince Ying’s doomsday? How had he been dragged into it?

His mind raced, and he stepped forward. “Your Highness, Fuma, this matter is due to my lack of supervision. I ask Your Highness to punish me.”

He admitted it just like that?

The Autumn Water Pavilion was his. The Princess and the Fuma must have already secured evidence. If he denied it, they would surely present the evidence, leaving him with no room to argue.

It was better to admit it directly and claim it was a failure of management. But he didn’t say he had arranged the matter.

He held leverage over Qing Qian; she wouldn’t dare say anything.

Chi Wan snorted coldly. “Your Highness, what I am saying is that Qing Qian’s slander against me must be thoroughly investigated. As for whether Prince Bao’an is behind it, we will know once we investigate.”

“If Prince Bao’an has done nothing wrong, he should not fear an investigation, should he?”

Some evidence had been gathered covertly and needed a legitimate reason to be brought into the light. Qing Qian’s slander of Chi Wan had created that opportunity for them.

Prince Bao’an felt this was not good. He had indeed arranged for Qing Qian, and the Autumn Water Pavilion was far from clean; it couldn’t withstand scrutiny.

Just as he was about to refuse, he heard Yu Jiuzhou’s cold voice. “Since this matter concerns the Fuma, it is not appropriate to hand it to the Imperial City Division. The Grand Court of Revision… no, it was the Censorate that made the impeachment. Let the Censorate handle it.”

Dong Shuhan quickly responded, “This subject obeys Your Highness’s command.”

The Grand Court of Revision and the Imperial City Division were investigating the Minister of Revenue, Liu Kuo, which was in fact an investigation into Prince Ying, while the Censorate would investigate the Autumn Water Pavilion.

On top of that, Xuanyang Temple had been destroyed, and who knew what the investigation would ultimately uncover.

No matter what was found, it would cause turmoil in the court. This made many people hesitate, wondering if they should retract their eager claws.

Just then, Sun Yuzhuo of the Grand Court of Revision stepped forward again. “Your Highness, some of the evidence collected by the Grand Court of Revision has been delivered. I ask Your Highness to review it.”

Memorials could be read after court, but evidence had to be examined immediately.

After a moment of deep thought, she had decided to present the evidence now.

The Censor-in-Chief’s impeachment of the Fuma had shifted everyone’s attention to Prince Bao’an and the Fuma, which meant the matter of Liu Kuo would not receive as much focus.

It might just be muddled through and forgotten.

She absolutely could not let that happen. After what Bai Xingyun had said, she was already in the game. And since she was in, she had naturally chosen a side.

The blood petition of ten thousand people had been sent to the Grand Court of Revision, which meant the Grand Court of Revision now held evidence against Prince Ying. As such, Prince Ying would not spare the Grand Court of Revision. From the very beginning, she was on the opposite side of Prince Ying.

That being the case, Sun Yuzhuo immediately chose to stand with Chi Wan. At the very least, the Fuma was still the Vice Minister of the Grand Court of Revision.

If she wanted to retire peacefully, she had to ensure Prince Ying’s demise. It was time to bring out the things she held in her hands.

“Your Highness, regarding Vice Minister Bai’s impeachment, the Grand Court of Revision has investigated and confirmed that all accusations are true.”

Liu Kuo immediately retorted, “Sun Yuzhuo, you’re talking nonsense!”

Prince Ying finally couldn’t hold back and stepped forward. “Sun Yuzhuo, why didn’t you say this just now?”

“Your Highness, this subject was about to speak, but Lord Dong suddenly stepped out to impeach the Fuma, and I did not have the chance to speak.”

It was precisely Dong Shuhan’s impeachment of the Fuma that had made Sun Yuzhuo understand one thing clearly.

Prince Ying was finished. Next, Her Highness the Princess would deal with Prince Bao’an. What she had thought was a struggle for the position of crown prince now seemed to be a situation where neither of the two princes would become the heir.

Then who did His Majesty favor as the crown prince? Was he truly pinning his hopes on an imperial grandchild?

Regardless, Sun Yuzhuo knew one thing: the winner was the one who stood with the Emperor.

Whether it was Prince Ying or Prince Bao’an, if the Emperor truly wanted to eliminate them, it would just take some effort. But His Majesty had allowed Her Highness the Princess to preside over the morning court. It seemed His Majesty’s habit of shirking responsibility had struck again.

In order to retire peacefully, she naturally had to lend His Majesty a hand.

Several other people in the court had also guessed that this was the Emperor’s move to topple the two princes. If it were just a struggle for succession, they might have been able to get involved. But if these were people the Emperor wanted to eliminate, then they could not act rashly.

Following this, many officials stepped forward, each expressing their own views. It was clear at a glance that they belonged to either Prince Ying’s or Prince Bao’an’s faction.

“Your Highness, this subject requests a severe punishment for Liu Kuo and an investigation into whether someone else was instructing him from behind.” Wasn’t this a clear jab at Prince Ying?

“Your Highness, the Autumn Water Pavilion hides many secrets. I have heard that information is sold there. It is possible that foreign tribes purchase intelligence about Great Zhou there, and the Autumn Water Pavilion would sell it.”

“Your Highness, the Minister of Revenue is corrupt and has broken the law. I ask Your Highness to punish him.”

“Your Highness, Prince Bao’an established the Autumn Water Pavilion with malicious intent. Using beauty to lure Great Zhou officials for profit is an unforgivable crime.”

“During the snow disaster in Wucheng, disaster relief was supposed to be provided, yet someone orchestrated a massacre that left it a desolate city. The mastermind’s intentions are too vicious.”

“Prince Bao’an instructed Lady Qing Qian to feign pregnancy to frame the Fuma. He must harbor ulterior motives.”

As they spoke, some people simply stopped caring about evidence, throwing one accusation after another at the opposing side.

The officials who stepped forward were either Prince Ying’s or Prince Bao’an’s, with Prince Ying’s faction being slightly larger.

They all shared a common understanding: if they could eliminate the other, they would become the sole candidate for crown prince.

Chi Wan and Yu Jiuzhou exchanged a look. They were very satisfied with how things were unfolding. A result was imminent.

Then, an official in a red robe stepped forward. “Your Highness, the Fuma had illicit relations with Qing…”

Before he could finish, Chi Wan shot him a look, and he immediately shut his mouth.

The Fuma was simply too reckless, daring to throw someone right out of the grand hall. He had no desire to be tossed out of the Xuanzheng Hall; he would lose both face and dignity.

This was the persona Chi Wan was establishing: a loyal and upright official who feared nothing.

In the next moment, Grand Secretary Gao Zheng stepped forward. “Your Highness, the evidence of Prince Ying’s corruption and the massacre is conclusive. I request Your Highness to order Prince Ying to be imprisoned in the imperial clan’s prison and to pass sentence after a thorough investigation is complete.”

“As for Prince Bao’an, the laws of Great Zhou do not forbid the imperial clan from engaging in business. As to whether the Autumn Water Pavilion is involved in illicit dealings, I request Your Highness to order Prince Bao’an confined to his residence to await judgment.”

Yu Jiuzhou lowered her eyes and smiled faintly. See? Someone would always step up to take care of everything.

However, the two princes and their followers had committed so many acts that violated the laws of Great Zhou. They had to pay the price.

Prince Bao’an stepped forward to plead guilty. “Your Highness, the Autumn Water Pavilion that I established has caused so much trouble for the Fuma. I ask Your Highness to punish me.”

He was downplaying the severity, admitting guilt but framing it as an apology for Chi Wan’s sake, not as an admission of any real crime on his part.

At the same time, the Duke of Xin stepped forward. “Your Highness, if engaging in business is a crime, then which of the civil and military officials in this court does not have a family business?”

If Yu Jiuzhou were to convict Prince Bao’an, wouldn’t she have to convict the entire court?

Once the Duke of Xin stated his position, many more people followed suit.

“Prince Bao’an’s business dealings are a minor matter. Prince Ying’s massacre and corruption are major crimes. We implore Your Highness to severely punish Prince Ying.”

With the Duke of Xin’s appearance, the tide in the court shifted instantly. While Prince Ying had more supporters initially, now Prince Bao’an had the upper hand.

The Duke of Xin was an old fox, slippery as an eel. He had also formed powerful factions and commanded an army of one hundred thousand. He was a difficult person to deal with.

With both Grand Secretary Gao Zheng, the head of the civil officials, and the Duke of Xin, who was now arguably the head of the military officials, having spoken, the matter was settled.

Emperor Shengyuan wanted Yu Jiuzhou to take the blame, but she hadn’t even officially become regent yet. It wouldn’t do to offend the entire court.

From beginning to end, Yu Jiuzhou had said very little. No one knew what she was thinking.

Since the start of the court session, one piece of bait after another had been cast, leading to the current situation.

With the Grand Secretary and the Duke of Xin speaking out, Yu Jiuzhou had managed to stay out of the fray, maintaining her persona.

As for Chi Wan, she appeared to be entirely on the side of justice. To be precise, she rebuked anyone who attacked Her Highness the Princess, and she fought back against anyone who attacked her.

Or she spoke from the perspective of the nation and its people.

Some officials believed the Fuma was an upright and unyielding minister who was also very protective of the Princess. Her temper, well, it was a bit explosive, to the point of throwing people out directly.

Of course, the Fuma was just proving her strength; the time it takes to drink a cup of tea was indeed not very long.

Many court officials believed that despite the Fuma’s explosive temper, she ultimately acted for the good of the country and its people.

Others felt that the Fuma was unpredictable and acted purely on impulse, making her unstable. It was better for such a person not to hold a high position.

Chi Wan couldn’t care less what they thought. They might not like her, but they couldn’t get rid of her.

However, Yu Jiuzhou had just given her a look.

Fine, today’s court session should come to an end. Chi Wan stepped forward and said, “Your Highness, I have brought the Laws of Great Zhou today. Since the evidence is conclusive, I ask Your Highness to pass sentence according to the laws.”

What a copy of the Laws of Great Zhou. Under the watchful eyes of all, the Fuma presented a copy of the laws.

Wang Hai bent down to receive the book and handed it to Yu Jiuzhou.

Yu Jiuzhou opened the Laws of Great Zhou. “According to the laws of Great Zhou, Prince Ying has violated the statutes on heinous crimes and injustice, as well as the criminal statutes on homicide and accepting bribes.”

“As Prince Ying is a member of the imperial clan, according to the laws governing the clan, his line shall be terminated. The title of Prince Ying is revoked. The sentence is immediate execution. His residence is to be confiscated. Furthermore, his heirs, wives, and concubines are sentenced to immediate execution, and the officials of his household are to have their nine relations exterminated.”

Prince Ying was dumbfounded. Just as he was about to cry out, Chi Wan passed by and discreetly struck a pressure point, causing him to faint.

To those who didn’t know better, it simply looked like Prince Ying had fainted from shock.

Yu Jiuzhou then continued, “Prince Bao’an established the Autumn Water Pavilion. It has not yet been proven whether he used it for seditious purposes. For now, he is to be confined to his residence, as the Grand Secretary proposed.”

“Very well. If there is nothing else, court is dismissed.”

Wang Hai quickly announced, “Her Highness the Princess is departing. Kneel.”

“We respectfully see off Her Highness the Princess.”

Chi Wan watched Yu Jiuzhou leave, then saw the Imperial Guard take Prince Ying away. Outside, guards from the Imperial City Division and the Clan Guard would be waiting to take over.

After seeing to these matters, Chi Wan hurried to find Yu Jiuzhou, only to learn that she had been summoned by Emperor Shengyuan.

When she arrived at the Imperial Study, she heard Emperor Shengyuan saying, “We have underestimated you.”

Yu Jiuzhou feigned ignorance. “I do not know what Your Majesty is referring to.”

“You went in such a large circle during the court session, ultimately having Gao Zheng and the Duke of Xin pronounce the sentence. That is more than just clever. You are truly Our daughter.”

Emperor Shengyuan’s praise was simply exasperating.

He didn’t want to take responsibility and wanted to cast Yu Jiuzhou as the villain, yet now he had the audacity to praise her.

Yu Jiuzhou bowed. “How could I possibly command the Grand Secretary and the Duke of Xin?”

She knew the Emperor was testing her. He probably suspected that she had colluded with the Grand Secretary and the Duke of Xin.

Great Zhou had thirteen provinces and one capital. The local armies numbered around one and a half million, with about one point three million stationed in various regions. Of those, the number of troops that could be mobilized was at most eight hundred thousand.

One hundred thousand in Lingnan, one hundred thousand by the East Sea, two hundred thousand in Yanbei—these were garrisoned troops that basically could not be moved, otherwise, if foreign enemies attacked, the local armies would have a hard time resisting.

There was also the Dragon Guard Army of two hundred thousand, which would not be deployed unless in a dire crisis.

Of the eight hundred thousand mobilizable troops, aside from the one hundred thousand in the capital garrisons who were ready to support various regions at any time, the rest were drawn from the garrisons across the country.

All thirteen provinces had garrisons, each with seventy to eighty thousand troops. Drawing a few hundred thousand troops from them was not a problem.

But the closest armies to the capital, aside from the capital garrisons and the Dragon Guard Army, were the Yanbei Army.

To Emperor Shengyuan, the Jinwu Guard, the Imperial Guard, and even the capital garrisons were not trustworthy. He would be wary of anyone who gained the support of the Duke of Xin.

Especially Yu Jiuzhou. The Marquis of Pingliang, with her two hundred thousand troops in Yanbei, definitely stood with her. If the Duke of Xin was added to that, he, the Emperor, would have no way to counterbalance her.

It was fine for the Duke of Xin to support Prince Bao’an; the Marquis of Pingliang was there to keep an eye on things, wasn’t she?

Hearing Yu Jiuzhou deny that she could command the Grand Secretary and the Duke of Xin, Emperor Shengyuan said with a hint of anger, “You are the Grand Princess. Would they dare disobey you?”

Yu Jiuzhou lowered her eyes and remained silent. The military system of Great Zhou was in such a state, with many regions beginning to build up their own military power, yet Emperor Shengyuan only thought of giving them enough money to maintain a superficial peace.

The three great ills of Great Zhou were the number of officials, the size of the army, and a treasury that couldn’t make ends meet.

It was precisely because of the large number of officials and soldiers, as well as the rewards and assets given to vassal princes and aristocratic families, that the annual expenditure was staggering. The treasury’s annual revenue was not enough to cover these costs.

Some armies were also claiming pay for ghost soldiers. For example, a fully staffed army unit was ten thousand strong, but the commanders would not recruit to full capacity, having at most seven or eight thousand men. Yet they would still request rations for ten thousand from the central government. The surplus would then become the commanders’ personal gain.

Such situations were common. Emperor Shengyuan was aware of it, but as long as he could maintain the superficial stability of Great Zhou, he would never care about the common people.

Even at a time like this, Emperor Shengyuan was still testing her.

A wave of sorrow washed over Yu Jiuzhou. Didn’t he realize that with Prince Ying executed and Prince Bao’an gaining the support of the Duke of Xin, someone would surely propose making Prince Bao’an the crown prince at the next court session?

If the Emperor didn’t want to be reduced to a figurehead, now was not the time to be suspicious of her.

“Your Majesty, the Fuma has arrived,” Wang Hai reminded him softly.

Hearing that Chi Wan had arrived, Yu Jiuzhou’s heart warmed considerably. She had other people who cared for her. Why should she be heartbroken over someone who was unworthy of being an emperor or a father?

No, she felt it was an injustice to the people of the world. To be saddled with such a monarch was their misfortune.

Chi Wan entered the Imperial Study. “This subject, Chi Wan, pays respects to Your Majesty and Her Highness the Princess.”

“Dispense with the formalities.”

Emperor Shengyuan leaned back on the arhat bed. “You have both worked hard. Prince Ying has been brought to justice, but the matter of the Autumn Water Pavilion is not enough to convict Prince Bao’an.”

“The things he has done are very secretive, and those in the court he has schemed against dare not come forward to testify. It seems he is now the only choice for crown prince.”

Emperor Shengyuan’s gaze swept over the two of them, lamenting that things had developed too quickly; his imperial grandchild had not yet been born. “Do you have any solutions?”

Chi Wan thought for a moment and said, “Your Majesty, a nation without a crown prince will not know a day of peace. I ask Your Majesty to appoint a crown prince.”

Emperor Shengyuan was taken aback. “?”

Yu Jiuzhou reacted even faster. “Your Majesty, the Fuma’s words are reasonable. It is best for the nation to establish a crown prince early.”

“Insolence!”

Emperor Shengyuan was furious. “How dare you speak so presumptuously about the matter of the crown prince! Get out!”

Yu Jiuzhou and Chi Wan did not linger and immediately left the Imperial Study.

It was clearly Emperor Shengyuan himself who didn’t want to appoint a crown prince, yet he acted as if appointing one meant he would have to take back the power he had given them.

Emperor Shengyuan wanted Yu Jiuzhou to be his shield, just like in her past life, to shift all the blame for not appointing a crown prince onto her, making her the long princess who brought disaster to the nation.

She wouldn’t fall for it this life. Her goal was no longer just to be the Regent Princess. In that case, she wouldn’t have to care about her reputation. But to advance further, her reputation was paramount.

That was why Emperor Shengyuan was so angry. He couldn’t believe that someone would actually not want power.

But things had reached this point. It was no longer a matter of whether Yu Jiuzhou wanted it or not.

“Wang Hai,” Emperor Shengyuan called out. “Someone leaked today’s matter to Dong Xiaoqi.”

Wang Hai quickly knelt. “Yes, your servant has already discovered that someone revealed Your Majesty’s plans to the Duke of Xin.”

Emperor Shengyuan closed his eyes. “He has served Us for decades. We did not want this either.”

As he spoke, his tone turned sinister. “But he betrayed Us first.”

“Wang Hai, be clean about it.”

Kneeling on the ground, Wang Hai’s body trembled. He suppressed his fear and said, “Yes, Your Majesty.”

But beneath the fear was a greater excitement. From now on, he would be the number one person by the Emperor’s side.

Her Highness the Princess was truly prescient, having even anticipated His Majesty’s reaction. Cheng Jiao was finished. In the future, he must never offend Her Highness.

At that moment, Chi Wan and Yu Jiuzhou had just left the imperial palace. Leaning against each other in the carriage, both were somewhat weary.

Today’s court session had been fraught with peril. Although the plan seemed to proceed smoothly, it was in fact extremely dangerous. One wrong step, and they would not have won so easily.

Chi Wan got up and poured two cups of tea. “It’s a pity Prince Bao’an is unharmed.”

Although dragging Prince Bao’an into the mess was a move to force the Duke of Xin’s hand, it was still somewhat regrettable that Prince Bao’an had gotten away with essentially nothing.

Yu Jiuzhou picked up her teacup. “The matter of the Autumn Water Pavilion has been brought into the open. This is not a good thing for Prince Bao’an. For us, Qing Qian’s existence no longer poses much of a threat. Next, Prince Bao’an will surely send someone to kill Qing Qian and frame us for the death of a mother and child.”

Chi Wan frowned. She hated conspiracies and schemes, especially such venomous ones.

“Your Highness, how do you think we should respond?”

Yu Jiuzhou tapped her fingers against the side of the teacup a few times. “That will depend on whether Qing Qian is clever or not.”

If she was clever, she might not be without a way to survive.

Chi Wan nodded, no longer thinking about Qing Qian. For them, Qing Qian’s matter was not a major issue; bigger things were yet to come. “Your Highness, by suggesting the appointment of a crown prince, we have surely angered His Majesty. Once he calms down, he will have you formally take up the regency.”

Emperor Shengyuan certainly did not want to appoint an heir. If they had tried to stop him from doing so, his suspicious nature would have made him doubt their motives. But by doing the opposite, the Emperor would be eager to make Yu Jiuzhou regent to prevent any changes to his plan.

With the upcoming visit from the diplomatic mission and various other matters, they were likely to become even busier.

Chi Wan leaned closer to Yu Jiuzhou, then rested her head on her shoulder and neck, taking a sniff. Such a strong pheromone.

Right, Yu Jiuzhou’s Rain and Dew Period was coming soon. But with the suppression pills, her pheromones shouldn’t be leaking out.

“Your Highness, you didn’t take your pill?”

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