Fu Shanhe

Chapter 435 Imperial Envoy
Kunming Prefecture.

"Your Excellency, too much time has passed, and the evidence has been destroyed."

Even whether the corpse lying in the coffin was Governor Liu himself is unknown.

The case is truly at a standstill!

The middle-aged official couldn't help but complain.

Six months have passed since the sudden death of the Yunnan governor.

Not only could they not find the scene of the death, but they also could not find any of the governor's advisors, servants, maids, or household servants.

As if overnight, everyone around the governor had vanished from the face of the earth.

The world is so big, finding these people from the vast sea of ​​people is no easier than finding a needle in a haystack.

"Whether we investigate or not, we must investigate."

I have come down here today to investigate this case.

"How can I go back and report if I don't get a result!"

Cao Xingwen resolutely refused.

If it were possible to smooth things over, why send this Vice Minister of Justice as an imperial envoy to investigate?

The Qingliu faction needed an excuse to make a fuss, and the emperor wanted to take the opportunity to give a warning to the meritorious nobles.

As the executor, Cao Xingwen must produce results.

"Your Excellency, evidence is needed to investigate the case."

There's nothing here now, so even if we wanted to investigate, we wouldn't know where to start.

Or we could change the direction of our investigation, for example, by investigating the causes of the outbreak of war.

Both the Kingdom of Siam and the Kingdom of Burma have sent letters of credence, and since both countries have ended their war, it would be better to finalize this matter first.

Being able to stabilize southern Xinjiang through diplomatic means is also a great achievement.

The middle-aged official made the suggestion tactfully.

If the blame for the death of the Yunnan governor were placed on the Burmese, a whole host of evidence would immediately emerge.

As long as the details are not investigated, it can be regarded as evidence and brought back to the capital to report.

Unfortunately, the imperial envoy set his sights on the Duke of Qian's mansion, which brought the investigation to a standstill.

They could label and frame the Burmese, but they were powerless to defend themselves before the emperor. However, the Duke of Qian's mansion could.

Even if all the evidence is solid, if there is even the slightest flaw, it cannot convict the person.

The nobility controlled the discourse in the court, and cases involving them had to be handled with meticulous attention to detail, leaving no room for oversight.

Ending the war is easier than investigating a case.

Neither the Kingdom of Burma nor the Kingdom of Siam wanted to continue the war, and their proposed conditions for a cessation of hostilities were limited to the restoration of the war-torn territories.

"He Hong, you're a veteran criminal investigator too."

They have solved countless major cases and made many contributions.

Do you know why you've been stuck in the position of supervisor and haven't been promoted?

Cao Xingwen asked calmly.

He himself is not good at solving cases, and this trip south was a tough job in itself.

To achieve results, you have to rely on the hard work of your subordinates.

He Hong, whom he used to ignore, has now become a trusted confidant and must be won over.

"This humble official is ignorant and humbly requests your guidance, sir!"

He Hong said in a trembling voice.

He served as a judge for twenty years, during which time countless colleagues were promoted, while he remained stagnant.

Most of their achievements pale in comparison to a fraction of his.

I initially thought it was because I had no powerful connections in the central government, but later I discovered that some of my colleagues without such connections were also promoted.

Although his career path was more difficult, he was still making progress, but he himself remained stagnant.

"It's very simple, you haven't seen the essence of the problem."

As an imperial envoy, there was no problem in receiving the credentials from the Kingdom of Siam and the Kingdom of Burma.

But ending this war would have far-reaching consequences.

Don't be fooled by how obedient and docile the Burmese and Siamese people seem now; they might change their tune as soon as the war ends.

Barbarians never keep their word.

If I, the Imperial Envoy, declare the war over, and subsequent fighting resumes, then I, the Imperial Envoy, will also bear responsibility.

Moreover, announcing the end of the war now would offend the Marquis of Hanshui.

Compared to the declining Qian State Duke's Mansion, the Han River Marquis was at the height of his power and had far more resources at his disposal.

Anyone with a discerning eye knows that the war in the Kingdom of Siam was initiated by the Annam Protectorate.

But what can we do about it?
"Could it be that this Imperial Envoy, in the name of justice for the Siamese, is willing to antagonize the Marquis of Hanshui and stand against the Grand Secretary and the Second Grand Secretary of the court?"

Cao Xingwen explained earnestly.

In officialdom, one must learn to feign ignorance.

This imperial envoy was ordered to go south to investigate the case of the sudden death of the Yunnan governor, not to seek justice for the Kingdom of Siam.

It's fine to investigate the case against the Duke of Qian, since from the beginning everyone knew that they were most likely the ones who committed the crime.

Both the government and the public were prepared, the evidence was found, and all parties were able to accept it.

If this involves the Marquis of Hanshui, then it exceeds the scope of his authority.

Neither the emperor nor the Qingliu Party members considered Li Mu a target.

If you take action without authorization, you will have to bear the political consequences alone.

The Annam Protectorate's unauthorized invasion of the Kingdom of Siam seemed to constitute a serious crime, but the problem was that the Protectorate won the battle.

The territory of the Great Yu Dynasty had no fixed boundaries; at the very least, the Great Yu laws did not clearly define its boundaries.

"Under the whole heaven, all land belongs to the king; on the shores of the earth, all people are subjects of the king."

However, since it originated from the Five Classics of Confucianism and involves the core doctrines of the orthodox tradition, the civil service group also had to acknowledge it.

When the Central Plains dynasties could find no excuse for external expansion, they would shout out this slogan as a legal basis.

It's a bit far-fetched, but it's still an excuse.

If one has thick enough skin, Li Mu could easily claim that his soldiers got lost and wandered into the Kingdom of Siam during the pursuit of the remnants of Annam.

The subsequent war was entirely caused by a misunderstanding.

When a suzerain state attacks a vassal state, that's all that matters.

In an era when the nobility controlled the discourse, at worst the generals involved would have their salaries reduced by a few months to give the outside world an explanation.

The real charge was that Li Mu's previous memorial regarding the Siamese invasion was untrue and suspected of deceiving the emperor. However, whether the emperor would accept this charge depended on his decision.

Emperor Yongning believed that since the Siamese army launched the attack first, there was no problem.

Given the current situation in the court, even if the emperor wanted to put pressure on the noble faction, he couldn't target a powerful figure like Li Mu.

If the emperor pretends to be confused, then this imperial envoy who overstepped his authority and stirred up trouble will be in deep trouble.

"My lord, the Marquis of Hanshui is untouchable, so we will investigate the Duke of Qian's mansion."

The outbreak of this war in Myanmar was very bizarre, and all signs indicate that someone was orchestrating it behind the scenes.

"The target above happens to be the Duke of Qian's residence; surely this won't cause any trouble!"

He Hong thought for a moment and then said.

If you can't crack the tough nuts, then go for the easy ones.

During his time in Yunnan, he also uncovered many illegal activities by the Duke of Qian's mansion.

However, these kinds of petty things are done by gentry in various places, so they cannot be used to convict them.

"This is exactly what the Duke of Qian's mansion wants."

Compared to the sudden death of the Yunnan governor, the other charges are utterly insignificant.

Since the current Duke of Qian has not yet come to power, they could easily claim that it was done by his subordinates and throw out a few scapegoats to end the matter.

The deceased governor of Yunnan might just be a scapegoat they've prepared.

Dead people can't speak, so you can pin all sorts of accusations on them.

"When the time comes, will you clear Governor Liu's name, or will I clear his name?"

Cao Xingwen said irritably.

Being an imperial envoy is no easy task; Yunnan these days is full of pitfalls.

One wrong step could lead to his utter ruin.

It's a pipe dream for them, with only a hundred or so people, to shake a duke's mansion that has been operating in the area for hundreds of years.

Just look at the Imperial Guards next door; they choose to lie down as soon as they arrive at their destination.

Every day he either went to brothels to listen to music or went out to attend various banquets.

Investigating cases has long been put aside.

Whatever evidence the Duke of Qian provided, that's the result they investigated; their main strategy was simply to go with the flow.

If it weren't for the constraints of factional affiliation, Cao Xingwen would also want to play it safe.

Essentially, the main purpose of the imperial envoy sent by the court to investigate was to test the loyalty of the Duke's mansion.

As long as they remain loyal to the court, all previous issues can be overlooked.

Of course, the Governor of Yunnan could not die in vain; the Duke of Qian's mansion would have to pay a price for it.

Putting everything else aside, those mines that have been losing money every year should be profitable by now.

As the most important source of currency supply in Dayu, it is imperative to increase the money supply.

These actions were all about taking a piece of flesh from the Duke of Qian's mansion.

Unless we find evidence that can hold them accountable, it will be difficult to get them to make concessions.

……

The Duke of Qian's Mansion.

“That old scoundrel Cao Xingwen has been very active lately, and it seems he’s determined to find something to hold against us.”

The magistrate who came with him, He Hong, had extraordinary investigative abilities.

Those summoned for questioning were all key figures.

Although these people are unaware of the details, if they continue investigating like this, the news that we sent them to the Annam Protectorate will eventually be exposed.

Meng Xiuyuan said with a solemn expression.

It's not that I'm afraid of imperial envoys causing trouble, it's that I'm afraid of them following the rules.

Even directly targeting them would be better than this rigid, step-by-step investigation.

"So what if it's exposed? The Imperial Commissioner's authority is limited to Yunnan; his reach doesn't extend to the Annam Protectorate."

We've already arranged for someone to take care of things at the Marquis of Hanshui's residence.

Even if Cao Xingwen, as an imperial envoy, sent a letter to the Annam Protectorate, the Marquis of Hanshui would not cooperate.

The coroner's autopsy results would only indicate a normal, sudden death.

Since the parties involved cannot be found, what the imperial envoy can uncover is all a smokescreen we deliberately created.

With this information alone, the case cannot be overturned.

Meng Xiuren said with an indifferent expression.

The reason for sending people to the Annam Protectorate was to bring Marquis Hanshui onto the boat.

Mining in Annam is still in its infancy, and some mineral resources need to be purchased from Yunnan.

Yunnan, located deep inland, also has many supplies that need to be purchased from neighboring provinces.

Driven by shared interests, the two companies have a basis for cooperation.

If the benefits are right, helping to cover for them is no problem at all.

No matter how high the rank and power of an imperial envoy, without the cooperation of local government offices, he is nothing.

"Third Uncle, how about we try to bribe him again?"

There are indeed upright and honest officials in this world, but Cao Xingwen is clearly not one of them.

When the letter of credence from the Kingdom of Siam reached him, he chose to feign ignorance, which is enough to show that he was a coward who bullied the weak and feared the strong.

Meng Lixuan then made the suggestion.

The fact that the letters of state from the Kingdom of Siam and the Kingdom of Burma reached the hands of the imperial envoy was naturally the result of their deliberate leniency.

Without the Duke's tacit approval, the delegations from both countries would not have been able to reach Kunming alive.

By creating such a huge loophole, they were trying to distract the imperial envoy.

If Cao Xingwen cannot resist the temptation and covets the great achievement of stabilizing the southern border, he will inevitably stand on the opposite side of the Marquis of Hanshui.

With the addition of another powerful ally, their situation will change dramatically.

"Ok!"

"The Duke is right, we can certainly try again."

If we can win them over, then all the problems will cease to be problems.

What the Qingliu Party can give, we, the noble faction, can give in the same way!

……

(End of this chapter)