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

June 15th, the 24th year of Yonghe.

The moment the imperial edict was issued, the white marble plaza in front of the Qian Yuan Hall was so quiet that you could hear the wind whistling through the pillars.

The civil and military officials lined up on both sides, all holding their breath and focusing their attention on the figure in the ochre-red dragon robe on the imperial steps.

Zhou Qian did not sit on the dragon throne, but stood at the edge of the steps, holding the memorial that had already been approved in red.

His voice wasn't loud, but thanks to the internal energy of a ninth-rank martial artist, it clearly resonated throughout the entire plaza.

"The case of Jiangning Textile Bureau embezzling official silk and colluding with river bandits has been tried by three judicial departments, and the evidence is conclusive."

"Ma Jun, the director of the Imperial Textile Bureau, embezzled a huge amount of official silk. He was sentenced to death according to the law, and his family property was confiscated."

"Although the Assistant Magistrate of Jiangning Prefecture has committed suicide out of fear of punishment, his crimes are still unforgivable. He is stripped of his official rank and titles, and his family is exiled to Qiongzhou."

"The transport officer of Runzhou section of the Grand Canal Administration colluded with Liu Heng, and his crime is aggravated by one degree; he shall be executed."

"Although Liu Heng is dead, all the remaining members of his water stronghold shall be exiled to the northern border to serve in the army."

"Prefect Zheng Ke of Runzhou was promoted one rank for his meritorious service in capturing bandits."

"Wang Anshi, the clerk of the Censorate's Records Department, was promoted to the position of Chief Clerk of the Records Department of the Censorate for his meritorious service in investigating cases. He is a sixth-rank official."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the princes standing at the front of the imperial family's line.

The eldest prince lowered his eyes, his expression calm.

The second prince had a faint smile on his lips.

The Third Prince stood there expressionless, as if he hadn't heard anything.

The fourth prince's face was slightly pale, but his demeanor remained composed, though his fingers, which were tucked into his sleeves, unconsciously clenched.

Zhou Qian's gaze lingered on Zhou Bin's face for less than a second before shifting away.

"The Fourth Prince, Zhou Bin."

"His chief steward had financial dealings with the Jiangning Textile Bureau. Although there is no evidence to suggest that the fourth prince himself was aware of this, his lax discipline and indulgence of his servants in acting in his name are also to blame."

"He will be fined three years' salary and confined to his residence for three months to reflect on his mistakes. I hope all the princes will take this as a warning."

He closed the memorial, turned and walked back to the dragon throne. As he sat down, the jade ornament on his crown swayed slightly, obscuring his expression.

All the civil and military officials knelt down in unison, and shouts of "Your Majesty is wise!" echoed across the square.

Everyone knew that this was the safest course of action His Majesty had taken after weighing the pros and cons.

The corruption case at the Jiangning Textile Bureau has far-reaching implications. If it is truly investigated to the end, the Fourth Prince will certainly find it difficult to escape unscathed, but are the other princes completely clean?

Along the Grand Canal, the people of the First Prince, the Second Prince, and the Third Prince all got involved to some extent.

If we really turn everything upside down, where will the face of the Great Zhou royal family be?

Therefore, His Majesty made the Fourth Prince's Chief Secretary a scapegoat, summarizing his case with the words "lax discipline".

This preserved the royal family's dignity while also making it acceptable to all parties involved.

This is how a father deals with his son: not by eliminating him completely, but by lifting him up high and letting him fall gently.

But this gentle slap was seen by onlookers as a clear signal: the Fourth Prince's path had narrowed.

After the court session ended, the ministers descended the white marble steps in twos and threes, their voices buzzing in the corridor.

Pei Du and Wang Anshi walked side by side at the front. The old censor was unusually not stern-faced, and his steps were lighter than usual.

Su Shi caught up from behind, tapped Wang Anshi on the shoulder with his folding fan, and said with a smile that he wanted to invite him for a drink, for three reasons.

He's been promoted, his rank has been raised, and he even got the Fourth Prince punished. We absolutely have to drink tonight.

Wang Anshi stumbled as he was slapped, shook his head helplessly, but did not refuse.

The three walked side by side along the passageway leading out of the palace, with Yao Guangxiao following behind.

He carried a cup of herbal tea that he had somehow gotten his hands on, and walked a little slower than usual, as if he were waiting for someone.

Sure enough, as they turned the corner of the moon gate, Zhao Gao was standing under the eaves, holding a stack of memorials in his hands.

The two passed each other without exchanging any words, their eyes only briefly meeting.

Zhao Gao's hand, holding the whisk, shifted almost imperceptibly, pointing to the palace road to the east that led to Osmanthus Lane.

Yao Guangxiao's steps slowed almost imperceptibly, and the herbal tea in his hand swayed slightly, as if in response.

In this imperial city, some things never need to be said.

In the courtyard of Guihua Lane, the Third Prince Zhou Ying was sitting in his study, reviewing the files from the Ministry of Personnel's Examination and Evaluation Department that Liu Wenzhao had just sent.

Birds were chirping outside the window. He put down the file, leaned back in his chair, and suddenly smiled.

He said that his fourth brother had shot himself in the foot this time.

It wasn't that he was too ruthless; someone simply handed him the stone.

Liu Wenzhao asked in a low voice if His Highness had any clues about the person who handed him the stone.

Zhou Ying shook her head and said that this person was very well hidden. Yao Guangxiao, Wang Anshi, and Su Shi all seemed to be fighting their own battles.

In reality, their cooperation was seamless, involving people from the Grand Tutor's Mansion, the Censorate, and the Ministry of Rites.

Even the several new supervisors he recruited at the Imperial Horse Stables all contributed to this scheme at different stages.

But these people never had any direct contact with each other.

There must be one person who can unite these forces, and this person is hidden underwater and has not yet shown himself.

Liu Wenzhao remained silent for a while before asking him what he planned to do.

Zhou Ying asked me why I wanted to expose him.

He handed me the stone, and I took it.

He pushed his fourth brother down the steps, and I just watched.

At least for now, this person is not my enemy.

Liu Wenzhao still had reservations, feeling that His Highness's victory in this game was only superficial.

Zhou Ying said that this was enough for her fourth brother to stay in the mansion obediently for three months, enough for him to gain a foothold in the Imperial Horse Administration and the Ministry of Personnel, and enough for Qiu Wu to secure three more berths at the dock.

Liu Wenzhao said nothing more, but sighed inwardly.

This Third Prince is no longer the obscure prince who was ignored back then.

He vaguely felt that the source of all these changes seemed to be related to that ordinary meal at Ningcui Pavilion.

In the study of the Grand Tutor's mansion, Kong Yan sat behind his desk, fiddling with prayer beads. After listening to a disciple's account, he remained silent for a long time.

In this joint trial by the three judicial authorities, they did not appear to take direct action.

But in reality, Su Shi's promotion of the Hanlin Academy was orchestrated by the Confucian school.

Pei Du's position in the Censorate was the foundation of the Qingliu faction.

His Majesty's final comment, "lax discipline," fell just short of their acceptable limit.

To go any further would be to exterminate the princes, which would violate the Confucian principle of benevolence and forgiveness.

To be even slightly lenient would be to condone evil and betray the integrity of the upright and upright.

He told his eldest son that the person in charge of this game was more discerning than he had imagined.

The student tentatively asked who the person in charge of the trading was.

Kong Yan stopped reciting prayer beads and looked out the window at the tall bamboo in the night. Suddenly, he started talking about the old story of Emperor Shizong.

When Emperor Sejong was alive, he also liked to lay out his plans in the shadows and never show himself until the very last moment.

In the garden of Taibao Mansion, Yuwen Lie was playing chess with himself by the light of a solitary lamp.

The fourth prince was punished by being confined to his room for three months to reflect on his mistakes, and the first act of this game of chess finally came to an end.

He placed a black piece and muttered, "Pei Du, this old man, is still quite resilient."

Kong Yan, that old fox, never showed his face from beginning to end, but placed Su Shi in the most prominent position.

The Third Prince reaped the most benefits this time.

Before he could even settle into his post as the supervisor of the Imperial Horse Administration, he had already obtained the files from the Ministry of Personnel's Performance Evaluation Department. He was playing this game much more steadily than his two older brothers.

He placed another white piece, then suddenly stopped.

No, there's another person in this game.

The Wudang boxing gym that captured Liu Heng, and He Shengyuan who helped them gather intelligence.

The grain ship that exposed the textile bureau's accounts, and the person who delivered the secret report to the emperor at just the right moment.

These people, seemingly unrelated, worked together at different stages to dismantle the Fourth Prince's defenses layer by layer.

He looked up out the window. The old locust tree in the garden swayed gently in the night breeze, its shadows dancing like a net slowly closing in.

He put down the chess piece and leaned back in his chair. After a long while, he muttered to himself, "His Majesty? No, impossible. But besides him, who else could make these seemingly unrelated people move at the same time?"

In the East Warm Pavilion of Qianyuan Hall, Zhou Qian was reviewing Wang Anshi's newly submitted memorial.

Zhao Gao stood by the emperor's side, holding a whisk. The candlelight on the imperial desk flickered slightly, making the wrinkles on the emperor's face appear even deeper.

After Zhou Qian finished writing the last word and put down his vermilion brush, he suddenly spoke up: "The fourth prince's downfall this time is not unjust. I have punished him with three months of confinement to reflect on his mistakes. Do you think that's too lenient or too harsh?"

Zhao Gao hesitated for a moment, then bowed and replied, "Your Majesty's intentions are good. The Fourth Prince is Your Majesty's own flesh and blood. Your Majesty's punishment of him is a sign of deep love and strict discipline."

"You certainly know how to talk." Zhou Qian leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest.

He was silent for a moment, then asked him what he thought of Wang Anshi.

Zhao Gao said that Wang Jingli was neither arrogant nor humble in this joint trial, and that he was a capable person.

Zhou Qian nodded slightly and said that he should continue the investigation. The corrupt officials on the canal transport line had not been completely eradicated, and the Censorate needed his knife.

He paused, then suddenly changed the subject: "Tell me, who's really playing this game of chess?"

"It's neither Pei Du nor Kong Yan; they each serve their own masters and will not join forces."

"It's not the third son either. The third son doesn't have that ability, at least not yet. I've thought about it for a long time, but I can't figure it out."

Zhao Gao's hand holding the whisk remained motionless.

He did not answer the question, but said softly, "Your Majesty, it is late, you should rest."

Zhou Qian looked at Zhao Gao, remained silent for a long time, and then smiled.

That smile lacked the majesty of an emperor, only an indescribable weariness.

As he stood up and walked past Zhao Gao, he paused and said, "Sometimes you lackeys are better at hiding things than those ministers in the court."

Zhao Gao's hand holding the whisk remained motionless.

He followed Zhou Qian, blowing out the candles one by one, and finally glanced back at the memorial handed to him by Wang Anshi on the imperial desk.

The last line of text in the memorial was circled in vermilion ink.

"I have heard that the Fourth Prince's residence has recently had financial dealings with the Jiangning Textile Bureau, involving a very large sum of money."

"Although there is no direct evidence to convict him, since there is suspicion, a thorough investigation should be conducted to set the record straight."

Next to the red circle, Zhou Qian wrote four characters in vermilion ink: "Read and saved for now."

Zhao Gao closed the memorial and gently placed it back on the corner of the desk, then silently withdrew from the East Warm Pavilion.

A night breeze caressed his face as he looked up at the brightest star in the eastern sky.

That was the morning star before dawn.

He knew this game was far from over, but he also knew that after tonight, some people in the court would likely have a hard time.