Prime Minister

Chapter 176, Section 175: [But for Your Sake]

Xue Huai was so busy that he didn't have time to visit Shen Qingluan at Shen Garden.

Although Shi Daoan, Tan Mingguang, Huang Chong, and others were all capable ministers who helped him share many of the burdens, as an imperial envoy appointed by the emperor, Xue Huai was in charge of all matters, which was a rule and procedure that had to be followed.

The most leisurely person these days is naturally Wu Changling, the commander-in-chief of the canal army. His duty is to eliminate the remaining troubles, and these tasks are naturally carried out by captains such as Duan Yuanbiao and Yu Chengguang. There is no need for a high-ranking military officer to personally apprehend fugitives.

It's one thing to be leisurely, but Wu Changling also likes to come and chat with Xue Huai, which shows how much he has suffered from the suppression of the Grand Canal Governor Jiang Jizhou in recent years, and he will not let go of any opportunity that can threaten the other party.

"Jing Che, look what good things I brought you!"

Wu Changling walked into the Tongzhi Hall of the prefectural government office with a smile, carrying a wine pot. Jiang Sheng and Qi Qingshi exchanged a glance and helplessly made way for him.

"Uncle Wu is here, please have a seat."

Xue Huai put down the dossier in his hand and stood up to greet him.

Because of the imperial envoy status bestowed upon him by the emperor, even senior officials like Shi Daoan and Wu Changling, who held higher ranks than him, had to respectfully address him as "Imperial Envoy." Xue Huai did not want to give people the impression of being arrogant, so he agreed with everyone to address each other by their seniority in private.

Wu Changling placed his treasured wine on the table and said heartily, "I've seen how busy you've been these past few days, so I had someone bring this pot of medicinal wine from Huai'an. Drink a cup before bed tonight, and I guarantee you'll sleep soundly until dawn."

"Thank you, Uncle Wu."

Xue Huai smiled and said, "The arrest warrants have already been issued. We'll need Uncle Wu's elite troops to put in a lot of effort afterward."

"Your business is my business, no need for formalities."

Wu Changling waved his hand, glanced at Jiang Sheng and Qi Qingshi inside the room, and lowered his voice slightly, saying, "Jing Che, why didn't you have the Jing'an Division keep an eye on the Liu family beforehand? I had Duan Yuanbiao investigate. That Liu Yi is not simple. He has the most vicious people the Liu family secretly keeps under his control. Murder and robbery are commonplace for them. He certainly wouldn't have dared to act rashly in the past, but now that you've dealt with the Liu family, his father and brothers will most likely not have a good ending. He has no more scruples now. You have to be careful."

Xue Huai nodded and said, "I understand. The reason I didn't keep an eye on the Liu family beforehand was because I was worried about alerting them. Uncle Wu, you now know how many secrets are hidden in the Salt Bureau. If Xu Guanlan discovers anything, even if he is eventually caught, he will definitely destroy everything in the Salt Bureau. At that time, this case will probably become a mess, and the court will not be able to reach a conclusion."

Upon hearing this, Wu Changling sighed and said, "Indeed, you have already done a perfect job to this extent."

Xue Huai smiled calmly.

He wasn't a god; he couldn't simply wave his hand and make everyone act like puppets. This scheme was planned from the moment he arrived in Yangzhou, and it was no easy feat to finally bring it to a successful conclusion. He could also accept the minor setbacks with equanimity.

“If it weren’t for Lord Xue’s insistence on overturning the case back then, my father-in-law would have died unjustly. I have always kept this kindness in my heart.”

Wu Changling pondered for a moment, then said quite seriously, "How about this, I'll give you two lads. They are my personal guards, trained by my own hands. They may not be invincible in terms of martial arts, but they are skilled in unorthodox methods and are cautious and meticulous. If you don't mind, you can have them stay by your side. Just pay them their monthly salary on time."

Commanding tens of thousands of grain transport troops, he naturally had extremely high standards, and the personal guards he recommended with such solemnity were no ordinary people.

Xue Huai did not refuse. He believed that human relationships should be reciprocated. If he did not accept Wu Changling's kindness, this rough and tough military officer would inevitably feel resentful. He immediately cupped his hands and said, "Uncle Wu is too kind. It would be disrespectful for me to refuse."

"That's good, haha."

Wu Changling laughed loudly, quite satisfied with Xue Huai's attitude.

After chatting for a while, Wu Changling remembered something and asked, "By the way, is that Magistrate Huang from the Salt Bureau one of your teacher's men?"

Xue Huai was slightly taken aback, then shook his head and said, "No."

"Eh?"

Wu Changling asked in surprise, "He's not one of your teacher's men, and judging from his age and background, he's not one of the connections left by Master Xue back then. Why would he be willing to risk helping you this time?"

Xue Huai, puzzled, pondered and said, "Uncle Wu, Magistrate Huang has been suppressed and ostracized by Xu Guanlan and Lou Shizong, and he is filled with resentment. He has always wanted to bring down Xu Guanlan, but he has to lie low because he has no help. I had previously learned about this matter and had someone secretly test him. Later, I also had Uncle Shen risk entering the Salt Bureau to find an opportunity to contact Magistrate Huang. Looking at the whole process, there should be no suspicious points, right?"

"It's not that it's strange."

Wu Changling waved his hand and laughed, "I just think Huang Chong is a bit interesting. Look, he is a fourth-rank assistant prefect, but his position in the salt office is not even as good as that of an ordinary clerk. Xu Guanlan and others didn't take him seriously at all before. If it were an ordinary person, they would have found a way to transfer him elsewhere long ago, but Huang Chong was willing to endure years of suffering in the salt office. If it weren't for your trip south and the turning point, wouldn't he have had to suffer in that godforsaken place for the rest of his life?"

Upon hearing this, Xue Huai fell into deep thought.

Wu Changling continued, "Huang Chong's style of doing things is very much like a pawn arranged by some big shots, enduring humiliation and waiting for an opportunity to counterattack. That's why I suspected he was Minister Shen's man earlier."

Xue Huai nodded slightly; the other party's analysis was indeed reasonable.

Huang Chong couldn't possibly be the Emperor's confidant; otherwise, Xue Huai wouldn't have had the chance to send that secret memorial. If the Emperor had known earlier that Xu Guanlan and the others were so audacious, they wouldn't be alive now. He also couldn't be one of Shen Wang's men. Back when Xue Huai left the capital, Shen Wang had already told him about the situation in Jiangnan, and Shi Daoan was the assistant that Shen Wang had prepared for Xue Huai.

So whose man is he? Or is he really just an honest official who upholds his principles but has no powerful backers to promote him?

Looking back on the whole scheme, Xue Huai admitted that although Huang Chong's presence was inconspicuous, Huang Chong filled a crucial gap in his plan, causing Xu Guanlan to completely lose hope of saving himself.

Xue Huai's heart stirred. He suddenly remembered that when the spring imperial examination had just ended at the beginning of the year, at the Baiyun Tower outside Dayongfang, that noble young lady had said to him with certainty, "I think there is a place that is very suitable for you. You will definitely be able to show your talents there."

He asked, "Where?"

She answered, "Yangzhou."

As if a flash of light had passed through Xue Huai's mind, he lowered his head slightly, a complex smile appearing on his face.

……

In the capital, at the Green Villa.

Inside the waterside pavilion, Princess Yun'an, Jiang Li, sat leaning against the railing, gazing calmly at the half-acre pond in front of her.

Su Erniang stood to the side, holding an envelope in her hand, and said with a hint of joy, "Your Highness, Huang Chong said in his secret letter that Xue Tongzhi is about to deal with Xu Guanlan and the other major salt merchants. He has concealed his identity as Your Highness has arranged and will lend Xue Tongzhi a helping hand at a crucial moment."

"Ah."

Jiang Li simply responded with a faint "yes".

Su Erniang didn't know why she was in low spirits.

Jiang Li withdrew her gaze and looked at the woman, saying, "Second Aunt, do you think Xue Huai might guess that Huang Chong is actually one of my men?"

Su Erniang thought for a moment and hesitated before saying, "Your Highness, I don't understand why you would hide this matter from Xue Tongzhi."

Don't you understand?

Jiang Li gave a self-deprecating smile and slowly said, "The Lianghuai Salt Transport Office is the head of the eleven salt offices of the Great Yan. If Xu Guanlan is imprisoned, Huang Chong, as the Salt Commissioner who is second only to him, is very likely to take over as Salt Transport Commissioner. This time, I am both paving the way for Xue Huai and helping Huang Chong accumulate merits so that he can take the position naturally. Although Xue Huai and I have become allies, I cannot be sure when his stubborn nature will flare up."

Su Erniang sighed softly, "Is Your Highness worried that Xue Tongzhi will realize what's going on and be dissatisfied that Your Highness, knowing all along, didn't have Huang Chong secretly report to the Emperor?"

"Yes."

Jiang Li readily agreed, her eyes narrowing slightly as she said, "Xue Huai wouldn't understand His Majesty's thoughts. If Huang Chong were to commit treason, even if Xu Guanlan and the others met with bad ends, Huang Chong would not be able to rise to power. At most, he would be promoted in name only and reassigned to a sinecure. Only when Xue Huai lifts the lid, as is the case now, and Huang Chong, in such a difficult situation, still understands the greater good and opens the gates of the Salt Bureau, will His Majesty give him a chance to prove his abilities."

Seeing this, Su Erniang comforted him, "Your Highness, I don't think Xue Tongzhi is a pedantic person. Even if he guesses Huang Chong's secret, he certainly won't blame Your Highness."

"Complaints?"

Jiang Li frowned slightly and said unhappily, "Why should he blame me? How much effort did I put in at the beginning of the year to ensure that he could go to Yangzhou to take up his post smoothly? Not to mention that I asked Lu Zhixuan, the Jiangsu Provincial Inspector, to help him cover up the news, and Huang Chong and the Qiao family... Although I was far away in the capital, and this time he mainly relied on his own ability to solve the problem, I did a lot for him in secret. I am at least much better than that Shen Qingluan."

Su Erniang wanted to laugh but dared not.

Jiang Li snorted and rolled her eyes at her.

Just then, a female official hurriedly entered the waterside pavilion, respectfully curtsied, and said, "Your Highness, news has come from Jiangnan that Xue, the Assistant Magistrate of Yangzhou, with the cooperation of several officials, has successfully uncovered a major corruption case in the Lianghuai Salt Transport Office. Just now, the memorial submitted by Assistant Magistrate Xue, together with the Jiangsu Provincial Surveillance Commissioner and others, arrived in the capital via the official road and has now been sent to the palace."

"I understand, you may leave."

Jiang Li slowly stood up, looked at the ripples on the surface of the pool, and said slowly, "Second Aunt, please don't laugh. I'm not trying to lower myself to argue with a merchant's daughter, but there are some things that only I can help Xue Huai with."

Su Erniang was taken aback by these words and looked at Jiang Li's profile, saying, "What do you mean by that, Your Highness?"

She truly didn't understand. The current situation seemed bright for Xue Huai. Xu Guanlan and the others' crimes were a foregone conclusion. No matter what their final fate was, Xue Huai would definitely gain the emperor's favor and appreciation, and his meteoric rise to power would be a given.

Jiang Li shook her head and frowned, saying, "The situation in the imperial court is never that simple. You think the overall situation is settled, but this is just the beginning. The lid Xue Huai lifted this time has implicated countless people, and those people won't sit idly by and wait to be killed..."

She turned to look in the direction of the imperial city and murmured, "I have to help him resolve some hidden dangers."

(End of this chapter)