Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 744 Meeting the Saint
Looking at Yang Qin, who was crying with snot bubbles, Xie Yuyan found it hard to connect this scene with the brave and skilled General Yang from her previous life.

"Sister-in-law, are you smiling?"

Xie Yuyan couldn't help but smile, which was just noticed by Yang Qin.

"No," Xie Yuyan reached out and covered Yang Qin's eyes, "You've seen wrong!"

Yang Qin cried even louder, his eyes blinking rapidly in Xie Yuyan's palm.

“Sister-in-law, it’s okay that you laughed… Waaah,” Yang Qin cried, hiccuping, “It wasn’t your fault… I know it was all… Lord Wang…’s fault… Waaah…”

Yang Qin had already decided to settle this score with Wang Yan. He planned to wait until he was strong and healthy, and Wang Yan was old, and then it would be time for him to take revenge.

Then... he found an excuse to bring his sister-in-law home to stay for a while, which made Wang Yan very anxious.

……

On the Chuigong Hall.

The emperor looked at the memorial presented by Wang Yan.

Today, because Wang Yan returned to the capital, there were more officials remaining after the court assembly than usual. The officials waited quietly for the emperor to finish reading all the memorials, each with their own speculations.

The King of Qin stood to the side, glancing at Wang Yan and Xu En from time to time.

Xu En was already trusted by the emperor, and after the case in Daming Prefecture, he was given even more important responsibilities. This time, he went to Fujian with documents to mobilize troops and quickly brought the situation under control. He must be credited with a great achievement.

It should be understood that such a large-scale arrest of military officers could easily trigger a mutiny. Few of those who held military power would be willing to surrender once they learned that they had committed a capital offense.

However, this was also thanks to Wang Yan's scheming, who tricked Yang Jun, the military commander of Fujian Road, out of Fujian beforehand, leaving the Fujian officials leaderless, which was like cutting off their fuel supply.

After this experience, the two will naturally form a relationship and support each other in political matters. Although their official positions are not very high, they are both trusted advisors of the emperor and will surely be able to influence the situation at crucial moments.

Wang Yan's brilliance reminded the King of Qin of Jiang Zhenru's words. The Emperor had failed to restrain the Wang family, father and son, allowing them to wield too much power in the court.

"Twenty-seven people were beheaded, three ships were sunk, and four hundred and thirty-three people were captured..."

The official suddenly spoke, and the King of Qin immediately withdrew from his thoughts.

The emperor looked at Wang Yan: "These aren't members of the demonic sect?"

Wang Yan said, "These people are private soldiers raised by Yang Jun and his men, and they are gathered on several islands at sea."

The Emperor had seen the documents Wang Yan had sent back half a month ago, but today, when Wang Yan was asked to explain in detail, the Emperor's anger surged again.

The official then asked, "Where did these private soldiers get their weapons and armor?"

Wang Yan said, "The weapons have not yet been inspected by the Salt and Iron Bureau, so I dare not speak presumptuously."

Upon hearing this, the Salt and Iron Commissioner's heart skipped a beat, and fine beads of sweat immediately appeared on his forehead. Whenever weapons were discovered, their source had to be traced. Now that the Emperor had asked about it in public, it was clear that he was preparing for a thorough and rigorous investigation. As for whether it had anything to do with him...

The Salt and Iron Commissioner could easily recall, with just a moment's thought, the several vague official documents in the imperial archives bearing his name.

He used to think there wouldn't be any problems because he was working for the Prime Minister of the West Mansion, but now... the ship has capsized, and those things will naturally be brought to light.

Unable to withstand the pressure from the emperor, the Salt and Iron Commissioner still clung to a last glimmer of hope, looking around for someone to speak on his behalf. He first looked to the Prince of Qin, hoping the prince could intervene and perhaps lessen his punishment. Unfortunately, the Prince was too cautious, always eager to avoid suspicion.

As usual, the Salt and Iron Commissioner was about to look away from the King of Qin, but unexpectedly the King of Qin raised his eyes.

The Salt and Iron Commissioner's heart skipped a beat, and then he heard the Imperial Censor beside him say, "Your Majesty, I believe that this case involves weapons and equipment, and it is not appropriate to draw a conclusion hastily. Xie Yizhi is the Privy Councilor, and he has ships and men under his command. It is not impossible that he has opened a workshop to make armor. After all, it is not difficult for him to obtain the samples from the Imperial Workshop."

"The Censorate has received several impeachment memorials, all of which impeach officials who have had dealings with Xie Yizhi. Some of them may be true, while others are just baseless accusations. If this continues, it may implicate too many officials, neglect government affairs, and ultimately damage the vitality of the court."

"I believe that we should thoroughly investigate Xie Yizhi, Yang Jun and other officials. As for the other cases, unless there is solid evidence, we should not convict them easily. It is not too late to investigate the others after the main culprits are convicted."

The Salt and Iron Commissioner felt the Emperor's gaze fall upon him, and he stepped forward with a stiff upper lip: "Your Majesty, I will certainly investigate this matter thoroughly. If this case is related to the Salt and Iron Commissioner, I will uproot him completely to uphold the law." He was now certain that the Censor-in-Chief had received instructions from the Prince of Qin to help him buy time, and he was determined to seize this opportunity.

The official's gaze was low, and it took him a long time to look away from the Salt and Iron Commissioner.

The Censorate has spoken up, but since Wang Yan is handling the case, and Prime Minister Wang cannot speak frankly, they can only wait for the Emperor's decision.

The Salt and Iron Commissioner clenched his fists slightly, his palms sweating profusely. He looked as if he was about to lose his breath when he heard the Emperor say, "Then so be it."

The Salt and Iron Commissioner breathed a sigh of relief and stepped forward with the officials from the Court of Judicial Review to receive his orders.

The King of Qin lowered his eyes, a sense of pleasure rising from the depths of his heart. He had stood beside the Emperor for so long, and finally he was no longer just a figurehead.

He only did so because he chose the right time to have the Imperial Censor offer his advice.

The Wang family, father and son, are already powerful enough. If even such "neutral" words are not tolerated, tomorrow an imperial censor will impeach them for abusing their power. Is it possible that, apart from the Wang family, there are no other capable officials in the entire court?
The King of Qin remained calm and composed. The royal family had caused him a lot of trouble, but if he could find a way to use them, he could also achieve the results he wanted.

The Emperor set the memorial aside and looked at Wang Yan: "You have purged the wicked and served the country with utmost loyalty. I am very pleased. With your achievements, it is not an exaggeration to place you among the ministers..."

"However, rapid promotion may not be a good thing. I need to think carefully before bestowing any rewards."

Wang Yan bowed in gratitude.

The official said, "You've had a long and tiring journey. Go back and rest early!"

Wang Yan and Xu En withdrew from the main hall.

In the short time that followed, it was already getting late. It was not appropriate for Wang Yan and Xu En to talk much in the palace, so they left the palace gates and prepared to go to their respective government offices.

As soon as Wang Yan mounted his horse, he saw the eunuch Huang walking out quickly.

The eunuch Huang hurried a few steps and called out to Wang Yan, "Oh dear, you're walking too fast, it's making it hard for me to catch up."

Wang Yan jumped off his horse, but was stopped by the eunuch Huang, who said, "A reward will arrive tomorrow, so you must wait at home, Your Excellency."

After saying this, Eunuch Huang became more serious: "His Majesty said that he cannot grant the request for a reward from a court official, but he can give something else."

As for what it is, the eunuch Huang could not reveal it in advance.

"In short, it's a fantastic thing."

(End of this chapter)