The Ming Dynasty: Starting with the Carpenter Prince!

At that moment, several censors and officials in the back row immediately raised their voices and echoed, "What Grand Secretary Liu said is absolutely right."

This was the Donglin Party's talk that they had been planning for half a month, just waiting for this moment to launch their attack.

Zhu Youxiao's smile faltered slightly.

The Donglin Party had already changed its stance and stopped impeaching Xiong Tingbi for embezzlement. This was because the Crown Prince's irrefutable evidence had cleared Xiong of any involvement in the corruption. Now, the Donglin Party was attacking Xiong Tingbi for knowing about the matter but failing to report it, a more vicious attack because the facts were indeed true.

Xiong Tingbi must have known that the roster was falsified.

He remained silent, knowing that if he exposed the truth, Liaodong would inevitably cut off supplies, causing the real troops to collapse. He desperately tried to cover up the mess, hoping to keep these eight hundred men a day longer.

These hardships are understood by everyone on the front lines.

The high-ranking officials in scarlet robes throughout the hall pretended not to know anything.

Zhu Youxiao sneered inwardly.

What national righteousness? It's all just a matter of self-interest. Whoever gets in their way of making money peacefully, they'll deal with.

In the blink of an eye, Zhu Youxiao deduced three risky moves in half a breath.

Did he defend Xiong Tingbi on the spot?

If the Crown Prince's stance is exposed, Fang Congzhe can immediately pin the charge of "the Crown Prince associating with border generals." Once the suspicion of colluding with border generals is confirmed, the rumors will surely erode the Emperor's trust. This path must not be taken.

Did they tacitly accept the challenge and allow Xiong Tingbi to be dragged into the imperial prison for investigation?

Whether they can maintain their tight-lipped stance on the truth about Puhe remains to be seen. Torture in the imperial prison could easily expose all the hidden agents within the Eastern Palace. This path is also a dead end.

There is only a third way to go.

Zhu Youxiao turned his head and stared intently at Fang Congzhe: "Prime Minister."

Fang Congzhe put down his teacup and slowly rose: "This old minister is here."

"Grand Secretary Liu advised a thorough investigation, and I am determined to do so as well," Zhu Youxiao said calmly. "May I ask, Grand Secretary, which government agency should be in charge of this matter?"

Fang Congzhe remained silent for two breaths, his thoughts racing.

If it is handed over to the Ministry of Revenue?

This is tantamount to a perfunctory self-inspection of the chain of events. Although it may be able to protect Zhou Yingqiu and stop the bleeding, the Crown Prince and Donglin are keeping a close eye on it, which could easily lead to accusations of "the Grand Secretary condoning the loss of his property".

If handed over to the Ministry of War?

Minister Huang Jiashan is old and ill, and unable to take over. Moreover, the Ministry of War has no verifiable evidence to support the claim that the matter was fabricated.

What if it were handed over to the Censorate?

This would be tantamount to handing the butcher's knife to Liu Yijing. The Donglin faction wanted to execute Xiong Tingbi, but what did Xiong's life or death have to do with them? They could simply sit back and watch their Donglin generals kill each other, and reap the benefits.

I circled around the three roads three times.

The crown prince pressed him for an answer regarding the authority to organize the event; failure to provide a proper answer would be considered dereliction of duty.

Fang Congzhe finally spoke: "Piao's involvement in the expenditure of funds should be investigated by the Ministry of Revenue in conjunction with the Ministry of War. As for whether the Military Commissioner's Office was aware of it, that should be handed over to the Censorate for a separate court hearing."

This move effectively separates the two lines, ensuring they do not interfere with each other.

The Ministry of Revenue investigated the fraudulent activities to protect its cronies; the Censorate thoroughly investigated the Grand Coordinator, allowing the Donglin faction to carry out their attacks. Each side held its own weapon, avoiding direct confrontation—a skill honed over seven years as Prime Minister, a tactic of appeasement and compromise.

Zhu Youxiao chuckled and nodded: "Then let's investigate."

He will never compete for the hosting rights.

As long as the word "investigation" is put in black and white and the verdict is reached, that's enough. What the result of the investigation will be remains to be seen in the future. The true number of Puhe and the signature are both in the wooden box in the Eastern Palace. No matter how the investigation is divided into lines, in the end, it cannot avoid the accounts of the Eastern Palace.

After the court session ended, the officials filed out.

Liu Yizhu was surrounded by a group of censors, conspiring together. Sun Chengzong walked alone behind, his sleeves trembling slightly, truly a man full of pent-up frustration with nowhere to vent.

Fang Congzhe did not return to the cabinet and stood alone on the stone steps of the Wenhua Hall for a long time. Xu Yiqing, a secretary in the Imperial Secretariat, waited beside him and cautiously inquired, "Why is the Grand Secretary lingering?"

Fang Congzhe's gaze was fixed on the direction of the East Palace. He didn't turn around and murmured softly, as if in a dream, "This child is nothing like his father."

Xu Yiqing stood frozen to the side, not daring to say a word.

Fang Congzhe stood there for a while longer.

He had served in the court for forty years, witnessing firsthand the ruthlessness of Zhang Juzheng and the machinations of Shen Yiguan. He had spent seven years as prime minister, a man of compromise and incorruptibility, and had seen countless people. Yet today, this fifteen-year-old crown prince, for the first time, stood on equal footing with that name in his heart.

This child has not yet left the Eastern Palace, has not participated in the imperial examinations, and has not held any official positions.

Yet, within six months, he intercepted the Red Pill, discussed the Liaodong military pay, established a training institute, and settled accounts in Puhe, each step hitting the nail on the head.

This is something that cannot be accomplished by mere talent.

Fang Congzhe stood there for a long time before finally walking towards the Cabinet Office. After taking a few steps, he suddenly stopped.

"Go and bring all the prescription files that the Imperial Medical Academy has prepared for His Majesty over the past six months to the duty room."

Xu Yiqing was slightly taken aback: "Your Excellency, I'm afraid this matter is overstepping your authority."

"Find a secret contact among the imperial physicians to send a note requesting the money; never go through the official channels of the cabinet."

Xu Yiqing quickly agreed.

Fang Congzhe took a new step.

Having served as prime minister alone for seven years, this was the first time he had felt the urge to thoroughly investigate this young man. He vowed to find out how this boy had developed such profound methods and to uncover his true origins.

Upon returning to the warm pavilion of the Eastern Palace, Zhu Youxiao changed back into his everyday clothes.

Wang An served tea and withdrew.

Zhu Youjian followed him inside, but contrary to his usual behavior, he did not utter a single word.

Zhu Youxiao sat down and glanced at his younger brother: "What's wrong? Were you frightened?"

Zhu Youjian shook his head several times, then nodded emphatically, and asked honestly, "Your Majesty, did the officials in the hall just now already know that the remaining soldiers at Puhe numbered only 1,200?"

Zhu Youxiao scrutinized them for a long time before replying, "They probably know the details."

"Then why did no one in the entire hall dare to speak out?"

Zhu Youxiao casually picked up a piece of wood from the table and made a cut.

"Please remember this: there are certainly people in this hall who are skilled in arithmetic. As for the reason?"

"Nothing more than that, once the accounts are settled, one has to take responsibility."

His gaze sharpened slightly. "Thirty thousand taels shrank to fifteen thousand. Whose pockets did that money end up in? Naturally, no one dares to be the first to do it."

"Then why does Your Majesty dare to speak like this today?"

"I can bear this responsibility." Zhu Youxiao smiled nonchalantly. "As the Crown Prince, I have already made my word, so Fang Congzhe has no choice but to accept this mess."

Zhu Youjian seemed to understand, but not quite.

After a long silence, he called out softly to his elder brother, the Emperor. Once the Emperor responded, he pressed on, "Grand Secretary Liu is clamoring for a thorough investigation of Commander Xiong. I hear you, Commander Xiong doesn't seem to have done anything wrong?"

Zhu Youxiao's sword strike faltered slightly.

"You've finally caught the unspoken message." He stared at the wood, remaining silent for a long time. "He is indeed without fault. Yet the entire court is hoping he will make a mistake. This is the deep-seated disease of the Ming Dynasty."

Zhu Youjian frowned: "Why? Commander Xiong painstakingly defended Liaodong and protected Puhe with 800 men. Why does the entire court want such a meritorious official to make a mistake?"

Zhu Youxiao put down the timber and looked at his younger brother.

"If we examine the case further, and if Xiong Tingbi is not at fault, then the devastation in Liaodong is the fault of the Household and Military Cabinet and the entire court."

"If Xiong Tingbi is at fault, then the devastation in Liaodong is entirely Xiong Tingbi's fault."

He paused slightly, then asked, "Would you choose to have one person bear the blame, or for the entire court to bear the blame?"

Zhu Youjian was stunned: "So they would rather destroy the talented generals guarding Liaodong than admit that it was the court's fault?"

"That's not all." Zhu Youxiao picked up the carving knife again. "After destroying it, if Liaodong is defeated again, a new general will take the blame. This cycle continues, ensuring that the court is never wrong."

Zhu Youjian remained silent for a very long time.

A nine-year-old child was encountering such an abyss for the first time. The entire court's factional infighting machine was operating in unison, enough to crush any minister who dared to speak the truth.

After a long silence, he whispered, "Brother, can we protect Commander Xiong?"

Zhu Youxiao did not answer, and slowly pushed the carving knife across the wood.

Whether or not we can protect them depends on the Emperor's decision. It also depends on whether the eight hundred men at Puhe can hold out until spring.

On the same day, outside the pass, in Hetu Ala.

Nurhaci urgently summoned the four great beile to the main hall. The old Khan sat comfortably on the warm kang (heated brick bed), twirling a pearl, listening intently to the report from his scouts.

"In the past half month, five civil officials and their entourage from the capital city poured into the Puhe stronghold. Three days after they left, the stronghold added sentry posts, repaired armor, and set up deer fortifications."

Fourth Prince Huang Taiji was the first to assert that the Southern Dynasty had already planted spies in Puhe.

The Third Prince Mangultai scoffed, "What's so great about scholars?"

Huang Taiji shook his head decisively: "This is spies planted. A scholar can figure out the truth with just one glance, which is far more troublesome than a thousand armored soldiers."

Second Prince Amin scoffed, showing no fear. First Prince Daishan's face was grave: "Now that we've already reinforced the outposts and repaired the fortifications, if the Southern Dynasty allocates more silver to replenish the troop numbers, that will be a major problem."

Nurhaci finally spoke: "This is my hidden worry."

Though the sound was low, it silenced the entire hall.

"From Fushun to Shenyang, we are blocked by the Puhe Pass. If Puhe is indeed reinforced with troops, our army will have to detour 300 li to advance westward. We will have to carry our own rations for the entire 300 li march."

He slowly turned the pearl in his hand.

"I've heard of the Southern Dynasty's Crown Prince twice already. The first time, he forcefully opposed the cabinet's establishment of a training institute; this time, he's even investigating the accounts of Liaodong." The old Khan raised his eyes. "A mere youth who knows nothing of military affairs has managed to uncover the secrets of Puhe through these accounts. If we let him roam free for another six months, what level will he uncover then?"

No one in the hall dared to speak.

Nurhaci abandoned the Eastern Pearl.

"We must not allow the troops in Puhe to replenish their strength at will. Before the ground thaws in spring, we must strike first and deliver a heavy blow!"

Zhu Youxiao put down his carving knife and looked out the window.

He had no way of knowing Hetu Ala's schemes.

All that is known is that after today's lecture, the grand scheme of things has already begun. Fang Congzhe is secretly making arrangements, the Donglin Party is sharpening its knives, Sun Chengzong will surely reorganize the documents upon returning home, and even the chaotic puzzle in Zhu Youjian's heart will be completely put together.

Although he could not see his nemesis, the one who was manipulating the pearls in the snowy plains, he knew that in the midst of the power struggle, no one could remain unscathed.

Some moves were made so subtly that even the players themselves were unaware of them.

Zhu Youxiao picked up his knife and began to carve the wood again.

He knew all too well that if this wind of power struggles blew two thousand miles further north, it would lead to the Pu River, a place of mountains of corpses and seas of blood.