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The collapse of the Hall of Supreme Harmony was a far-reaching case. Officials in Liangdu implicated King Xin Mansion, and those in King Xin Mansion refused to take the blame, leading to a half-month-long investigation. The case was presided over by He Huaiyu, the minister of Dali Court. She was a 36-year-old female Tianqian. While most Tianqian are men, there are also female Tianqian, though they are rarer. He Huaiyu, a student of Qin Qiong, was known for her integrity and good reputation. Undeterred by King Xin’s influence, she investigated the case thoroughly.
The construction of the imperial city was already a mess, and He Huaiyu’s investigation revealed that the corruption within it far exceeded anyone’s imagination. The lumber used for the Hall of Supreme Harmony in Liangdu was supposed to be top-grade nanmu, but a large amount of pine was mixed in, much of it of poor quality or worm-eaten, rendering it unfit for beams. Yet, the purchasers passed off inferior goods as superior. Not only the timber, but also the stone and golden bricks, was substandard throughout.
He Huaiyu compiled all her findings into a memorial and presented it directly to the emperor.
Xiao Xun was furious but helpless.
King Xin Mansion pushed the blame for the timber procurement onto a minor official. This official, upon seeing the emperor, cried and wailed, claiming he was truly powerless. He explained that nanmu from the deep mountains of Yunzhou, Suizhou, Suzhou, and Bozhou in Daliang were scarce due to ongoing wars. The court conscripted people to gather wood from the mountains, but the yield was minimal, insufficient for the imperial city’s construction. Since the local officials couldn’t supply nanmu, they had to use old wood from the Nandou treasury. Even then, it was just “robbing Peter to pay Paul”—even if the emperor beheaded him, he couldn’t produce that much nanmu either.
The minor official shifted the blame to the local authorities, stating that the situation was the same for golden bricks and stone as it was for nanmu.
The minor official in charge of the laborers was even more decisive; when the yamen came to arrest him, he simply hanged himself.
It seemed that everyone involved was guilty in some way, yet the blame ultimately seemed to fall back on Xiao Xun himself. He trembled with rage, smashing everything on his imperial desk. He then turned and furiously pointed at Guo Huai, the Commander of the Jinyiwei, yelling, “Guo Huai, are you dead? Zhen ordered the Jinyiwei to supervise this, and this is how you supervised it?”
Xiao Xun was still young and had grown up in the palace. The temporary palace was indeed crude to him. When King Xin advised rebuilding the imperial city, Xiao Xun, though feeling it would be a drain on resources and somewhat unwilling, hadn’t truly understood how costly and labor-intensive the palace’s construction would be. After some back and forth, he went along with it, and even Qin Qiong couldn’t stop him.
But Xiao Xun hadn’t expected that so many problems would arise.
Guo Huai’s face darkened, and he said in a deep voice, “This minister is guilty!”
“This matter is due to this minister’s dereliction of duty. In this minister’s opinion, the collapse of the Hall of Supreme Harmony is inextricably linked to the laborers who built it. Perhaps it was their deliberate act.”
He Huaiyu frowned and stepped forward, saying calmly, “According to the Commander, did they intentionally bury themselves?”
Guo Huai sneered, “How do we know they weren’t instigated by someone else? These common folk, enticed by profit, what wouldn’t they do—”
“Commander Guo—” He Huaiyu interrupted him, her delicate face showing a hint of sternness. She said flatly, “When the Hall of Supreme Harmony collapsed, there were 236 people inside. So far, only 156 have been excavated. Of those, only 42 survived, and every single one is either injured or disabled.”
“Over two hundred lives—what kind of gain would make them commit such an outrageous and insane act that goes against heavenly principles?”
Guo Huai gave her a cold look, then cupped his hands and said to the Emperor, “This minister requested permission to thoroughly investigate the laborers involved in this case.”
He Huaiyu said, “Your Majesty, public resentment is boiling over. If the Jinyiwei subjects them to torture and forced confessions again, this minister fears it will dampen the people’s spirits and invite disaster!”
Guo Huai retorted, “Womanly compassion!”
He Huaiyu pleaded, “Your Majesty, please reconsider!”
Xiao Xun looked at Guo Huai, then at He Huaiyu, his clenched fingers loosening and tightening. After a long moment, he turned to Qin Qiong and asked, “What does Grand Tutor think?”
“Your Majesty,” Qin Qiong slowly replied, “the evidence of shoddy workmanship in the construction of the imperial city is irrefutable and cannot be denied. It must be severely punished.”
“However, why and how the Hall of Supreme Harmony collapsed remains unclear. The laborers… must be investigated.”
Xiao Xun said, “Grand Tutor’s words are wise. In that case, dear He, you shall investigate this thoroughly and clearly.”
He Huaiyu replied, “This minister obeys the imperial decree!”
After leaving the grand hall, Qin Qiong and He Huaiyu walked out of the palace gates one after the other. He Huaiyu cupped her hands and said, “Teacher.”
Qin Qiong asked, “Huaiyu, is He Xingge imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice’s dungeon?”
He Huaiyu whispered, “Yes, she’s still in there. Secretary Qin said she’s incredibly stubborn. No matter how she’s interrogated, she only talks about avenging her elder brother and refuses to say anything else. She just sits in her cell all day.”
Qin Qiong said, “The people who went to investigate her home should be back by now.”
“It should be within the next day or two.” He Huaiyu replied.
Qin Qiong said, “This person’s appearance was too coincidental. Investigate her thoroughly; she’s also a point of entry.”
He Huaiyu said solemnly, “Yes, Teacher.”
Qin Qiong said, “It’s been hard on you these past few days.”
He Huaiyu smiled, her delicate face showing a hint of nonchalance. “Not at all. As the minister of Dali Court, this is simply my duty.”
Qin Qiong also smiled faintly and said, “This case is bizarre, and you’ve offended Guo Huai today. You should be extra careful.”
He Huaiyu said, “Alright, Teacher, please take care of yourself too.”
“He Huaiyu was personally trained by Grand Tutor Qin. She’s quite skilled in interrogations and investigations. Back in Liangdu, it was rumored there wasn’t a case she couldn’t solve,” Mu Peixuan said, placing a white piece on the chessboard. “Though she comes from a prominent family, her achievements were earned little by little through her own efforts.”
Duan Linzhou toyed with a chess piece, saw the move, and followed suit, saying, “But even so, Guo Huai would only be guilty of negligence; it wouldn’t be enough to bring him down.”
Mu Peixuan placed his piece and said, “But this is already enough to make him panic.”
Duan Linzhou raised an eyebrow, looking at the board. Mu Peixuan was a master strategist; he himself wasn’t skilled in this game and was being systematically crushed by Mu Peixuan. Mu Peixuan was an extremely patient hunter, unhurried in his setup, but showing no mercy when it came time to close in. He held a black piece and said, “He’s already got a guilty conscience, and now he suspects His Majesty wants to get rid of him. He might be forced to find another way out, acting out of fear.”
Mu Peixuan said, “Yao Cong said that soon after Guo Huai arrived in Yu’an, he gained a new favorite, a person given to him by Xiao Yuanrui.”
Duan Linzhou clicked his tongue, “Xiao Yuanrui—”
Mu Peixuan said, “Xiao Yuanrui’s mother was a Yu’an courtesan, of low birth. Heaven is merciful to have given such a fool as his legitimate brother. If he were content to remain subservient and not fight for something, then he would truly be unworthy of the Xiao surname.”
His words were truly as shape as blade, and Duan Linzhou burst out laughing. He lazily tossed the chess pieces back into the box and said, “No more, no more; there’s no way out anywhere.”
“Xiao Junwang, you’re too ruthless.”
Mu Peixuan looked at Duan Linzhou’s feigned anger, a smile appearing in his eyes. “Boss Duan admits defeat?”
Duan Linzhou’s heart softened, and he promptly said, “I admit defeat, Junwang-gege is so formidable.”
“Mu Peixuan cleared his throat, sitting upright, but with a hint of eagerness in his eyes. He said, “Do you concede defeat willingly?”
“……” Duan Linzhou replied, “Yes, what, do you think I’d welch on a bet?”
Mu Peixuan said, “Just you wait.”
With that, he rose and excitedly went into the inner room. Duan Linzhou didn’t know what he was doing behind the screen, but seeing Mu Peixuan’s lighthearted demeanor, completely lacking the composed strategic air he had when playing chess, he couldn’t help but smile at the sight of a long-lost youthful spirit. The two had agreed on a stake during their game, but Mu Peixuan hadn’t specified what it was. For Duan Linzhou, whatever he wanted was fine; he would agree without question.
Mu Peixuan returned, wiping his hands with a handkerchief; he had just washed them. He had Fen Mo clear the chessboard and then told Duan Linzhou, “Come here.”
Duan Linzhou glanced at him, slowly approached, and teased, “Is Xiao Junwang going to kiss me?”
Mu Peixuan didn’t hesitate, leaning in to kiss his lips. Duan Linzhou laughed out loud, and only when he lowered his eyes did he notice what Mu Peixuan held in his hand, it was a jade box. When opened, it revealed a delicate golden shell-shaped box, clearly a rouge container. Meeting Duan Linzhou’s half-smiling gaze, Mu Peixuan calmly explained, “I picked it up when I was out with Li Chengyi the other day.”
Though he said that he “picked it up,” but it wasn’t really a casual purchase. Li Chengyi had dragged Mu Peixuan along because he wanted to buy rouge to appease his beloved female Kunze from Dong’an Fang. Mu Peixuan had never been in a rouge shop before. Watching Li Chengyi’s enthusiastic, familiar demeanor, his gaze drifted to the rouge boxes on the counter, and he became somewhat distracted.
Mu Peixuan had seen such exquisite rouge in Duan Linzhou’s possession before; they were always gifts from Duan Weirui. Duan Linzhou had been ill for a long time, and his complexion wasn’t good. Sometimes, when he had to go out for social engagements, he would use rouge to hide his sickly appearance.
On the day he married Duan Linzhou, Duan Linzhou had applied lip rouge.
The two had been together for a period that was neither long nor short, and Mu Peixuan had only seen him apply rouge a handful of times. Although Duan Linzhou was a Zhongyong, his temperament was unrestrained, and applying makeup didn’t make him seem effeminate at all.
Duan Linzhou let out a soft laugh and said, “Xiao Junwang, however you wish to toy with me, just—come at me.” The word “toy” was spoken with extreme tenderness, and his gaze was alluring. Mu Peixuan thought, The way he says that, it sounds like I’m going to do something to him. Yet, seeing Duan Linzhou obediently tilting his head back, exposing his long, pale neck, Mu Peixuan’s thoughts began to wander. He knelt up, looking at Duan Linzhou’s face. Having been ill for so long, his complexion naturally wasn’t healthy; his lips were pale, giving him a somewhat frail appearance.
Mu Peixuan had carefully chosen the lip rouge, even buying an identical box for someone to inspect before he felt confident using it on Duan Linzhou. He gently rubbed Duan Linzhou’s lips, couldn’t resist, and pecked them again. Duan Linzhou chuckled at his dog-like affection, and when he laughed, Mu Peixuan felt a little embarrassed. He retaliated by biting him lightly, saying, “What are you laughing at?”
Duan Linzhou gasped, “If you ruin it, then you can’t paint it anymore.”
Mu Peixuan licked, moistening his lips, and whispered, “It’s not ruined.”
It was his first time doing this. His hand, which never trembled while wielding a spear on the battlefield, was now somewhat nervous, and he even found a bit of playful charm in the moment. He suddenly recalled an ancient poem: “Having finished her makeup, she softly asks her husband, ‘Are my painted brows fashionable?'” This depicted the intimate joy of a newlywed couple. The lip rouge was soft and rich, a top-grade. As it was applied to Duan Linzhou’s lips, it gradually added color, giving him a unique vibrancy that left Mu Peixuan mesmerized.
He yearned so deeply to see Duan Linzhou, vibrant and free from sickness and pain.
Duan Linzhou noticed his dazed expression and said, “Let me see.” With that, he tried to get off the bed, but Mu Peixuan pulled him back, saying, “It’s beautiful.”
Duan Linzhou didn’t believe him. “If it’s so beautiful, why are you staring at me like that—”
Before he could finish speaking, Mu Peixuan had already kissed him. Duan Linzhou said, “Xiao Junwang…” Then another kiss followed, and Duan Linzhou, helpless, looked up to see rouge on Mu Peixuan’s lips. He couldn’t help but smile, saying, “Are you applying the lip makeup for me, or do you want to eat the rouge, hmm?”
Mu Peixuan, however, pressed him onto the soft cushion of the couch, leaned in, and kissed him, saying, “I want to eat what’s on your lips.”
He had wanted to taste them for a long time already.
As the investigation into the collapse of the Hall of Supreme Harmony deepened, it became more entangled. Although the Meng clan member overseeing the laborers had committed suicide, the investigation revealed ties to King Xin’s Huben Battalion. The Huben Battalion, King Xin’s personal army and the garrison of Yu’an, was responsible for supervising the transportation of construction materials. Its commander, Chao Zong, who was promoted by King Xin himself, was found by He Huaiyu to have irrefutable evidence of embezzlement. Fu Ruhui immediately arrested him and sent him to prison.
These swift and forceful actions caught Yu’an off guard, seemingly sending a message that the empire belonged to the Emperor, not King Xin.
Just a few days later, Guo Huai, the Commander of the Jinyiwei, attempted to assault the Emperor with a weapon and was executed within the temporary palace.
Yao Cong, of the Jinyiwei, was promoted to the new commander for his meritorious service in protecting the Emperor.
Within mere days, the world was turned upside down. And at this time, He Xingge died in the Ministry of Justice’s prison.
The author has something to say:
Just enjoy the political intrigue as entertainment.
