After ten years of accompanying me in my studies, the entire court begged me to shut up.

Chapter 125 Assassination of the Crown Prince

The next day, before dawn.

Despite the injury on his buttocks, Wang Zongli went straight to the tent.

Li Gong drank too much last night and was still sleeping in the back office when he was woken up by a commotion.

He groggily opened his eyes and heard someone shout, "Imperial Censor Wang is here to inspect the accounts!"

Li Gong jolted awake and became completely sober.

When they arrived at the front office, they saw Wang Zongli already sitting at his desk, with a thick stack of account books in front of him, which he was flipping through page by page.

Li Gong hurriedly stepped forward, smiling obsequiously, "Imperial Censor Wang, why have you arrived so early? It's the New Year holiday, shouldn't you have slept in a little longer?"

Wang Zongli didn't even look up, and said coldly, "I'm too old to sleep."

Li Gong's smile froze for a moment, and he said awkwardly, "Imperial Censor Wang, you've worked hard. I'll have someone prepare some tea and snacks—"

"No need."

Wang Zongli waved his hand, opened an account book, and squinted as he looked at it.

Li Gong stood aside watching, his heart pounding.

He rewrote the ledger, erasing what needed to be erased and filling in what needed to be filled in. You shouldn't be able to spot the problem, right?

However, seeing Wang Zongli's serious expression, he felt unsure and turned to go to the General's Mansion.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ji asked suspiciously, "The accounts should be fine, right?"

Li Gong said, "There shouldn't be any problem. I'm just worried that he might cause trouble for no reason and deliberately find something to cause."

"The Crown Prince and his entourage are just passing through, so don't overthink it."

"Lord Dingxi, you can't say that!"

Li Gong's expression turned serious, and he said, "We're all in this together. If something really goes wrong, none of us will be able to escape."

Jiang Ji had no choice but to say, "I'll go see His Highness the Crown Prince!"

After saying this, he dressed and went to Zhu Houzhao's room.

Two Imperial Guards were stationed at the entrance. Upon seeing Jiang Ji arrive, they first went to announce his arrival and then stepped aside to let him pass.

After Jiang Ji entered, he greeted him with a beaming smile, "Your Highness, did you sleep well last night?"

Zhu Houzhao nodded and said, "It's alright, much better than staying at the post station."

Jiang Ji then said, "Your Highness, Imperial Censor Wang went to check the accounts before dawn. What's the point of checking accounts during the New Year? I'll have Steward Li send the account books to his room later, and he can take his time to look at them."

Zhu Houzhao put down his teacup and looked at him: "Marquis of Dingxi, are you in such a hurry because you're afraid there's a problem with the accounts?"

Jiang Ji's expression changed, and he quickly said, "Your Highness is joking! How could I be afraid? There's absolutely no problem with the accounts! They've been managed by Steward Li for years; he's meticulous and I guarantee there won't be any issues."

Zhu Houzhao nodded, then suddenly asked, "Marquis of Dingxi, do you listen to Li Gong in everything?"

Jiang Ji was taken aback and asked, "What makes you say that, Your Highness?"

Zhu Houzhao said, "Li Gong is just a sixth-rank official, how come he manages all the affairs, big and small? He manages the provisions and pay, the military supplies, and even the accounts. You, the commander-in-chief, seem to have a very leisurely life!"

Jiang Ji looked somewhat embarrassed and quickly explained, "Master Li is very experienced and manages things very well. He has never made a mistake over the years, so I feel at ease entrusting him with this task."

Zhu Houzhao didn't say anything more and picked up his teacup.

Jiang Ji tentatively asked, "What are your plans, Your Highness? I will make preparations accordingly."

Zhu Houzhao said, "I still have to rush to Liaoyang. I'm just passing through your place. I'll leave tomorrow."

Jiang Ji quickly said, "Your Highness, the snow is so heavy. Why don't you stay a few more days and leave when the weather improves?"

Zhu Houzhao shook his head: "The wind and snow are even stronger in Liaoyang. They have just been attacked. I am going to the front lines to fight, so I cannot stay any longer."

Jiang Ji said, "Then I will send troops to escort you! Your Highness is of noble birth and cannot afford any mishap."

Zhu Houzhao waved his hand: "That won't be necessary. You just need to guard Shanhaiguan well."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than footsteps sounded outside the door.

Wang Zongli limped in, his face ashen.

He walked up to Zhu Houzhao, bowed, and said, "Your Highness, there's a problem with the accounts!"

Jiang Ji's expression changed, and he hurriedly said, "What makes Imperial Censor Wang say that? How could there be a problem with the accounts?"

Wang Zongli sneered and looked at Jiang Ji: "Marquis of Dingxi, are you sure there's no problem?"

Jiang Ji forced a smile and said, "Of course there's no problem! Manager Li's accounts are checked every year and there has never been a mistake."

Wang Zongli pulled a few sheets of paper from his sleeve and slammed them on the table: "Take a look at this!"

Jiang Ji leaned closer and saw that the numbers in the accounts were copied onto several sheets of paper, densely packed together.

Wang Zongli pointed to one of the lines: "This is the military supply loss for last December: 200 cotton-padded coats, 300 pairs of cotton-padded shoes, and 50 iron pots. Now look at December of the year before last: 120 cotton-padded coats, 180 pairs of cotton-padded shoes, and 30 iron pots. Similarly..."

"In the same month, with the same garrison, the losses were almost double. Does the Marquis of Dingxi find this reasonable?"

Sweat began to bead on Jiang Ji's forehead, yet he still tried to argue, "The losses are unpredictable—"

Wang Zongli then pointed to another spot: "And here, last November, we wore out thirty cotton-padded coats, but by December it had suddenly increased to two hundred. In November, we wore out fifty pairs of cotton-padded shoes, but by December it had increased to three hundred pairs. Marquis of Dingxi, did your soldiers at Shanhaiguan only start walking in December?"

Jiang Ji opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word.

Wang Zongli continued, "I have reviewed the accounts for three years, and the monthly figures don't match up at all. Sometimes there are more, sometimes fewer, it all depends on what Chief Li is happy with. Furthermore, the whereabouts of these losses are not recorded at all. If they are losses, where are they? Who incurred them? Has there been any verification? Absolutely nothing!"

He slammed the paper on the table and stared at Jiang Ji: "Marquis of Dingxi, is this what you meant by 'no problem'?"

Jiang Ji broke out in a cold sweat and stammered, "This—this might be a mistake by the people below. I'll send someone to investigate."

After saying that, he turned around and hurriedly walked out.

Yang Shen suddenly spoke up: "Where is the Marquis of Dingxi in such a hurry to go?"

Li Chun remained calm and took a step towards the door, blocking Jiang Ji's path.

Jiang Ji was taken aback for a moment, then said, "The accounts are a bit messy. I'll send someone to check if there's a mistake."

Yang Shen asked, "Wasn't it Li Gong who kept the accounts? Marquis Dingxi just said that Li Gong has never made a mistake in all these years."

Jiang Ji wiped his sweat: "But—it might have been an accident. I need to ask around to find out."

Yang Shen looked at him and suddenly said, "Is the Marquis of Dingxi preparing to flee because he sees that things have been exposed?"

Jiang Ji's face darkened: "What did you say? This is Shanhaiguan, why would I run away?"

Yang Shen said calmly, "So you're planning to gather troops and kill Your Highness and us to silence us?"

Jiang Ji roared in anger: "You—what nonsense are you spouting!"

Yang Shen remained calm and looked at Li Chun: "Commander Li!"

Li Chun understood and waved his hand.

Two Imperial Guards escorted a man in.

The man was dressed in rags, wearing a worn-out leather robe and a leather hat, looking like a Mongolian.

When Jiang Ji saw the man, his heart skipped a beat, and he knew something was wrong.

Yang Shen pointed at the man and asked, "Marquis of Dingxi, do you know this person?"

Jiang Ji forced a calm demeanor: "He looks like a Mongolian, how would I know him?"

Yang Shen said, "That's strange. Why would this person appear near Shanhaiguan?"

Jiang Ji swallowed hard. "There's a small path nearby that's passable. It's possible that a small group of Mongol cavalry has sneaked in. That happens often."

Yang Shen shook his head: "But he's not a Mongol."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the man knelt down with a thud and cried out to Jiang Ji, "Marquis of Dingxi! Help me!"

Jiang Ji's expression changed drastically: "What are you shouting about! I don't know you!"

The man ignored them, prostrating himself on the ground and crying out, "Lord Dingxi, you ordered us to ambush the Crown Prince on the way, and even made us disguise ourselves as Mongols. I was just doing as you instructed! You can't just abandon me!"

Jiang Ji's head buzzed, his face flushed red, and he roared, "You're talking nonsense! When did I order you to ambush the Crown Prince? Don't you dare make false accusations!"

The man raised his head, looking aggrieved, and said, "Lord Dingxi, why are you denying it? You said the Crown Prince only had five hundred men with him, and ordered us to ambush him at Shimen Village. You also said that the Crown Prince would definitely check the accounts this time, and then all the embezzlement and smuggling would be exposed, leaving no choice but to kill the Crown Prince—"