The low-key prince summons trainees from the Imperial Household Department at the start of the game.

May 18th, the twenty-fourth year of Yonghe.

A gray-legged sparrow darted over the palace wall and landed with a flutter on the windowsill of a side hall.

Zhou Xing was practicing calligraphy at his desk when he heard the flapping of wings. He looked up and saw the familiar little gray bird. His lips curved slightly.

He put down his pen, caught the sparrow in his hand, took the copper tube off its leg, unscrewed the seal, and pulled out two paper strips as thin as cicada wings.

The first letter is a handwritten letter from Song Yuanqiao, the handwriting is neat and steady, just like the man himself.

"Your Highness's opinion: The Wudang Boxing School has reopened. Yu Lianzhou has broken through to the seventh rank, Yin Liting has entered the sixth rank, and the rest have all made progress."

"Having gained fame in the ring, captured thieves in the water village, and received a visit from the prefect, the boxing gym has firmly established itself in Runzhou."

"However, the case of Liu Heng involves a wide range of people. He has been taken away by the Governor-General's Office of Jiangning. The forces behind him are deeply entrenched and have not been investigated in depth for the time being."

"There are more than 30 branch schools to be investigated. After Runzhou is stabilized, we plan to send Songxi with his disciples to various prefectures to reopen the branch schools."

"Using the boxing gym as a base, I will spread the network of Jiangnan for Your Highness. Song Yuanqiao bows in gratitude."

The second piece is Yao Guangxiao's handwriting, tiny characters, densely packed, clearly written in haste, yet orderly.

"Jiangnan Intelligence Summary: Liu Heng is backed by the Canal Gang, which has ties to the Jiangning Textile Bureau. The Textile Bureau has financial dealings with a prince's residence in the capital, but the specifics have not yet been verified."

"Furthermore, Zheng Ke, the prefect of Runzhou, is an honest official who does not form cliques or engage in self-interest. He is a lone minister in the Jiangnan officialdom and can be employed."

"It is suggested that we use the Wudang martial arts school as a base to gradually erode the influence of the Grand Canal Gang in Runzhou and control the intelligence network along the Grand Canal. Respectfully submitted by Yao Guangxiao."

Zhou Xing read the two slips of paper three times, then lit them over the candle flame, watching them turn to ashes and fall into the copper plate.

The Grand Canal Gang, the Jiangning Textile Bureau, and a prince's residence.

These words flew through his mind.

The Jiangning Textile Bureau was an imperial merchant agency dispatched by the Imperial Household Department to Jiangnan. Nominally, it was solely responsible for the imperial textile production, but in reality, it was also the emperor's eyes and ears in Jiangnan.

If the textile bureau is involved with the canal gangs and has the shadow of the prince's residence behind it, then the complexity of this line is far more than just a dispute over a corner of Runzhou.

However, these are not things he should be worrying about right now.

Song Yuanqiao knew what he was doing, and Yao Guangxiao's analysis was always accurate.

He spread out a blank sheet of Xuan paper, dipped his brush in ink, pondered for a moment, and then wrote down his reply.

The pen tip glided across the paper, the handwriting neat and steady, just like his thoughts at that moment.

"Mr. Yuanqiao, I am aware of the matter in Runzhou. It is gratifying that Lianzhou has broken through to the seventh rank. The martial arts school has established a firm foothold, which is very gratifying to me."

"The affairs of Jiangnan are entrusted to you. The expansion of the branch can proceed according to Songxi's plan. The funds will be allocated by Heshengyuan Bank."

"We don't need to investigate Liu Heng's backing for now; we can save it for later. Zheng Ke is a useful person; we should maintain close contact with him under the guise of the boxing gym and avoid revealing our identities."

"Furthermore, intelligence from Jiangnan can be delivered through the Shengyuan Bank channel and burned immediately after reading."

He sealed the letter, stuffed it into the copper tube, and retied it to the gray sparrow's leg.

Pushing open the window, the gray sparrow took flight, circled once in the air, and flew south, quickly disappearing beyond the layers of palace walls.

As dusk deepened, Chunlan came in to light the lamp. He was tucking the self-made booklet back under his pillow when he looked up and smiled at her.

Granny Liu carried in a freshly brewed soup of red dates and longan, muttering as she walked that His Highness had been reading too late these past few days and that it was hurting his eyes.

She has now fully adapted to the role of the head maid and manages the side hall in an orderly manner.

Even Chunlan and Qiuju's clothes were re-measured, and two new outfits were made for each person.

Zhou Xing took the soup bowl and sipped it slowly, but his gaze involuntarily drifted out the window.

The old locust tree swayed gently in the night breeze, its shadows dancing, as if silently telling a story.

He thought that the first stronghold in Jiangnan had finally been established.

Now we'll see how far Songxi can go in this game.

……

On the 19th day of the fifth month of the 24th year of Yonghe, I was on duty at the Hanlin Academy.

Dusk seeped in through the carved window lattice, bathing the books on the desk in a dark gold hue.

Yao Guangxiao folded up Song Yuanqiao's secret letter and lit it over the candle flame.

Watching it turn to ashes and fall into the bronze plate, he then picked up his brush and wrote a few words on the blank Xuan paper in front of him: Liu Heng, Jiangning Textile Bureau, Canal Gang.

He put down his pen and pushed the paper toward Wang Anshi and Su Shi, who were sitting opposite him.

"Master Song captured Liu Heng, the 'river monster,' in Runzhou, and caught him red-handed. That very night, he was taken away by the Governor-General of Jiangning with a warrant."

"Prefect Zheng Ke of Runzhou did not sleep all night, and the next morning he personally went to the Wudang Boxing School to apologize."

Yao Guangxiao's voice was not loud, and his speech was neither fast nor slow, but every word was like a chess piece being struck on a chessboard. "Liu Heng has been running rampant on the waters of Runzhou for so many years, robbing merchant ships and government ships, and committing all kinds of evil deeds."

"Why has no one ever been able to touch him? It's not that they can't catch him, it's that even if they do, they have to let him go."

Su Shi leaned back in his chair, tapping his palm lightly with his folding fan, and took over the conversation with an unusually cold tone: "Brother Yao is right, it's obvious that someone above is suppressing this matter."

"Liu Heng is just a bandit leader; why would the Jiangning Governor's Office send someone to take him away in the middle of the night?"

"Moreover, the official documents were prepared in advance, and the timing was even more accurate than that of the watchman at the prefectural government office."

"This is not a coincidence. Someone leaked the information in advance. The official document to release the person arrived as soon as he was arrested."

He quickly put away his folding fan, unusually showing no interest in composing poetry.

"Jiefu, you are in the Censorate, so you can see things that others cannot."

Yao Guangxiao turned to Wang Anshi and asked, "Can we investigate the records of the grain transport, the land tax archives, and the flow of silver along the waterways?"

Wang Anshi put down his teacup, his gaze calm yet sharp.

He recalled that a few days ago, when he was auditing the accounts, there were indeed a few discrepancies, but he needed evidence.

"Liu Heng robbed an official ship from Runzhou. The ship was carrying grain and silk. The grain was to be paid by the Ministry of Revenue and the silk by the Imperial Textile Bureau. Robbing an official ship was tantamount to robbing the imperial court's tax revenue, which is a heinous crime punishable by confiscation of property and extermination of the entire family."

"The Governor-General's Office of Jiangning dares to back him up, so the person backing him up must be no lower than the third rank. And the person who can get a third-rank official to get up in the middle of the night to sign official documents must have an even bigger backer behind him."

He stood up and paced around the duty room for a few steps, then suddenly stopped and turned to Yao Guangxiao. "Tomorrow morning, I will go and review the accounts of grain losses sent to Jiangning Prefecture by the Ministry of Revenue's Grain Transport Department over the past three years."

"The number of ships Liu Heng robbed will be reflected in the accounts. Discrepancies in the accounts are evidence."

Yao Guangxiao nodded slightly, then looked at Su Shi: "Zizhan, you are in the Ministry of Rites, so you have access to the procurement files of the Jiangning Textile Bureau."

"The Imperial Textile Bureau was a royal merchant stationed in Jiangnan by the Imperial Household Department. Nominally, it was in charge of the imperial textile production, but in reality, it also managed local tributes along the Grand Canal."

"The official ship that Liu Heng robbed happened to have official silk. The people in the weaving bureau know best where this batch of official silk came from, where it was handled, and who handled it."

Su Shi unfolded his folding fan and waved it twice, saying that after Zhou Bangyan, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, was transferred to the position of Chancellor of the Imperial Academy.

The liaison affairs of the Jiangning Textile Bureau, which originally belonged to him, were temporarily taken over by Liu Wenzhao, the Right Vice Minister, who was the father-in-law of the Third Prince.

But then he changed the subject, mentioning that Liu Wenzhao, a newly appointed official, was worried about not having a place to make a name for himself.

If the Censorate impeaches the Jiangning Textile Bureau for colluding with the grain transport gangs, Liu Wenzhao will definitely be the first to jump out and clear his name, and voluntarily hand over the Textile Bureau's procurement accounts.

He snapped the folding fan shut and slapped it into his palm, his eyes clear and bright: "Now, even if the Third Prince doesn't want to take sides, he'll be dragged into this."

"It's perfect to let the Third Prince fight them." Wang Anshi sat back down in his chair, picked up his now-cold teacup, and drank it all in one gulp. "When the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits. Your Highness's game is bigger than we ever imagined."

Yao Guangxiao didn't reply. He simply picked up the sheet of Xuan paper with a few keywords written on it, looked at it again, and then burned it over the candle flame.

The firelight flickered in his eyes, reflecting a faint smile.

He said the most important thing right now is to thoroughly investigate Liu Heng's connection.

After the evidence was conclusive, Wang Anshi drafted the impeachment memorial, and Su Shi cooperated with public opinion to create momentum in the Hanlin Academy.

He himself was responsible for collecting and integrating intelligence from all parties.

The three had clearly defined roles and then went their separate ways.

For the next few days, the lights in the duty room of the Censorate never went out.

Wang Anshi reviewed the accounts of grain losses sent to Jiangning Prefecture by the Ministry of Revenue's Grain Transport Department over the past three years.

They also retrieved the reimbursement records for river repair funds submitted by Jiangning Prefecture over the years, and reviewed the case files of river bandits and ship robberies submitted by Runzhou Prefecture, Changzhou Prefecture, and Yangzhou Prefecture over the past three years.

He immersed himself in the mountains of files day and night, his eyes wandering back and forth among the dense numbers.

He occasionally jotted down key data on the paper with his vermilion pen.

A few days later, when he laid out three sets of data from different sources side by side on his desk, a pattern that was shockingly clear gradually emerged.

The grain transported by the Grand Canal to Jiangning showed a loss of nearly double the normal amount.

Normal losses during canal transport are around 10%, but the loss rate for the Runzhou to Jiangning section is as high as nearly 20%.

The total amount reimbursed for river repairs was significantly different from the actual project funds received by each prefecture, and the whereabouts of the difference were unknown.

What's even stranger is that there have been more than a dozen reports of boat hijackings by river bandits along the Runzhou to Jiangning section in the past three years.

However, only a handful of cases were reported to the imperial court by Jiangning Prefecture, with the rest marked "no clues found, temporarily archived".

He suddenly discovered a case file from Runzhou Prefecture submitted three years ago regarding a ship robbery. The ship owner's confession mentioned that the leader of the robbers was surnamed Liu and wielded a large, ghost-headed knife, which perfectly matched Liu Heng's characteristics.

However, at the end of the case file was a note from the Jiangning Prefecture Household Registration Office, which had a line of text on it.

"Insufficient evidence, case will not be filed."

The signatory of the note was the then-Director of the Household Affairs Department of Jiangning Prefecture, who is now the Assistant Prefect of Jiangning Prefecture. This person is the cousin of the Fourth Prince's concubine.

Key progress has also been made on Su Shi's side.

While chatting with Zhou Bangyan at the Imperial College, he overheard Zhou Bangyan mention that the director of the Jiangning Textile Bureau had privately complained.

It is said that nearly 20% of the silk purchased by the Weaving Bureau each year would disappear without a trace, but it would be written off as "transportation loss" on the books.

These "losses" happen to be highly consistent with the abnormal canal transport loss figures that Wang Anshi discovered.

More importantly, Liu Wenzhao, upon assuming office, was eager to sever ties with the old Jiangning Textile Bureau.

He voluntarily sent the procurement accounts of the Weaving Bureau discovered during the handover to the Ministry of Rites for archiving, among which were waybills related to the Runzhou official ship case.

Yao Guangxiao compared the abnormal data that Wang Anshi had dug out from the files with the waybill stubs that Su Shi had obtained from the Ministry of Rites.

All the clues, pieced together, finally converged into a clear chain.

The official silk of the Jiangning Textile Bureau was switched and transported out, and Liu Heng hijacked a boat on the Grand Canal to create a false impression.

In reality, they sold the official silk through the grain transport network, and part of the proceeds was used to bribe officials at all levels in Jiangning.

The majority of the money flowed into the residence of a prince in the capital through the textile bureau.

The person behind the power that could mobilize the Jiangning Governor's Office and suppress the Runzhou Prefect in such a short time is already obvious.

He put down his pen and turned the sheet of rice paper filled with the derivation process towards the two of them.

"Fourth Prince." Yao Guangxiao's voice was very soft, but it was like a hammer hitting the ground.

Wang Anshi stared at the complete chain of evidence on the Xuan paper for a long time, then placed the teacup heavily on the table.

"I will write the impeachment memorial."

"No rush." ​​Yao Guangxiao pressed down on Wang Anshi's wrist, his gaze calm as still water. "His Highness said that this knife should be used at the most critical moment."

"Right now, the Fourth Prince has only shown his tail, not his head. This impeachment memorial must hit the mark decisively, leaving him no chance to recover."

"We're just missing the last piece of the puzzle: Liu Heng's confession. Liu Heng is currently imprisoned in Jiangning Prison, and our people can't get in, but there is one person who can: Zheng Ke."

"He is the prefect of Runzhou. Although he has no authority to interrogate, he has the authority to visit people in Jiangning prison under the pretext of 'assisting in investigating long-standing cases in Runzhou'."

"As long as Liu Heng speaks, this game will be won. I'll make the arrangements."