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

The twenty-fifth year of Yonghe, the day of Jingzhe (Awakening of Insects).

Under the old locust tree in the backyard of the side hall, Zhou Xing slowly opened his eyes.

He sat cross-legged on the tree root, his hands clasped together in his lower abdomen.

The body's Qi and blood receded slowly like the tide, returning from the limbs and bones to the Dantian, where they condensed into a warm and solid core deep within the Qi vortex.

Fourth rank.

He was suppressed for nearly two years before he could be promoted from the third to the fourth rank.

He was ready to break through in the past two years, but he kept waiting.

Once the foundation is solid enough, once all thirty forms of the Five Animal Frolics are practiced to the bone marrow, and once the medicinal power of the Shaoyang Peiyuan Decoction is fully integrated into the meridians.

Tonight, as spring thunder rumbled, he suddenly felt that the time had come.

He stood up and looked down at his hands.

A slight redness in the palms is a sign of abundant blood and energy.

He tried circulating the "Concealing Edge Technique" for a while, and the vortex of energy in his dantian quickly contracted, pressing down from the solidity of the fourth grade all the way back to the gentleness of the second grade.

The boy in the bronze mirror had a calm expression and a steady demeanor; he looked like an ordinary second-rank prince.

He smiled at himself in the mirror, and the boy in the mirror smiled back, revealing a small tiger tooth.

Eleven years old, fourth rank.

Among the seventeen princes, only the second prince Zhou Xun could match his speed.

But when the Second Prince entered the fourth rank at the age of sixteen, all the military officers in the court cheered, while he entered the fourth rank at the age of eleven, only this old locust tree knew.

As Chunlan emerged from the backyard, she walked across the porch carrying a bowl of freshly cooked white fungus soup.

She is now a second-rank martial artist, and her steps are much lighter than before.

He carried a full bowl of soup with incredible agility, not spilling a single drop.

Last winter, she single-handedly moved all the winter clothes and bedding from the storeroom to air them out in the side hall, making seven or eight trips back and forth without even breaking a sweat.

Autumn chrysanthemums are even more remarkable.

She was originally a quiet and reserved person, and after practicing the Five Animal Frolics, she became even more serene, but her hand skills improved the fastest.

A few days ago, a clueless eunuch was peeking into the side hall when Qiuju grabbed him and pinned him against the wall, scaring him so much that he couldn't even speak properly.

Later, Wei Zhongxian came personally to take the person away. Before leaving, he looked back at Qiu Ju, and there was a clear message in his eyes.

This girl is not someone to be trifled with.

"Your Highness, it's time for your soup." Chunlan placed the white fungus soup on the table and then turned to get her cloak.

He muttered to himself, "It's the Awakening of Insects, but the weather is still cool. Your Highness, remember to wear more clothes when you go out."

Zhou Xing took the soup bowl, took a sip, and then looked past the rim of the bowl to the old locust tree outside the window.

In the crow's nest in the tree, several newly hatched chicks were peeking out their fluffy heads and chirping.

He felt that the brood of chicks was very much like a scheme he had set up.

They may look unremarkable, but each one is quietly growing, waiting for the day when its wings are fully grown.

They will fly out together, letting the whole capital city hear their cries.

……

Duan Xi's messenger arrived in the capital on a drizzly morning.

The letter was hidden in the lining of the messenger's inner garment, wrapped in three layers of oiled paper.

The seal was sealed with sealing wax, and Duan Xi's personal seal was pressed onto the sealing wax.

A Ruyi (a type of scepter) symbolizes "good fortune and smooth sailing".

The messenger waited at the back gate of the Ministry of Works for about half an hour.

Until a middle-aged man in an indigo official robe hurriedly came out, took the letter, checked the seal, stuffed it into his sleeve, and turned back to his duty room.

This middle-aged man was Zhao Huan, a fifth-rank official in the Ministry of Works, a figure of considerable power within the ministry.

He was in charge of purchasing materials for government-run workshops nationwide, a position that was not considered high-ranking.

But it's extremely greasy.

Every year, he handles countless amounts of timber, stone, ironware, and lacquer; even a small amount slipping through his fingers amounts to tens of thousands of taels of silver.

Duan Xi's brother-in-law ran a salt and iron business in Jiangxi, and half of the goods were transferred to the Ministry of Works' purchasing lists through Zhao Huan.

The other half was transported to various places through the canal transport channels of Sun Nian, the magistrate of Yangzhou.

These three people, Duan Xi, Zhao Huan, and Sun Nian, are in the same boat.

The rope originated from this inconspicuous duty room of the Ministry of Works.

Zhao Huan closed the door to the duty room, sat down behind the desk, and used a paper cutter to pry open the sealing wax.

Unfold the letter.

Duan Xi's handwriting was as messy as ever, but every stroke revealed an uncontrollable anxiety.

The letter detailed Xu Jie's various actions after taking office.

They unearthed an old case concerning the land property of Ma Wencai's brother-in-law.

He threatened the provincial inspector to his face at the meeting and even said that he would thoroughly investigate the salt and iron tax accounts in Jiangxi.

At the end of the letter, Duan Xi almost gritted his teeth as he wrote a line: "If this man is not eliminated, we brothers will not be able to eat or sleep in peace."

"I earnestly request Brother Zhao to put in a good word for me with Lord Dong. If you can get him transferred out of Jiangxi, I will reward you handsomely."

After reading the letter, Zhao Huan folded it and burned it over the candle flame.

He stared at the clump of ashes in the bronze dish, his fingers tapping slowly on the table, the rhythm growing slower and slower until finally stopping.

He did not go to see Lord Dong.

Dong Chang, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, was a third-rank official and his direct superior, as well as his strongest backer in the Ministry of Works.

Dong Chang spent more than ten years in the Ministry of Works, rising from a junior official to the Left Vice Minister. He had a very deep-rooted influence and was said to have close ties with the Grand Tutor's mansion.

Zhao Huan was able to rise to the position of physician by virtue of his own purchasing skills and the other half by the support of Dong Chang.

But instead of going directly to Dong Chang, he went to find someone else first.

The chief clerk of the Ministry of Works' Office was surnamed Sun. He was Sun Nian's distant cousin and Zhao Huan's most trusted informant in the Ministry of Works.

This person did not hold a high official position, but the Office of State Affairs was in charge of the circulation of documents between various departments and the evaluation of officials.

All the information from the Ministry of Works passed through his hands.

He knew which official submitted which memorial, and what stage the investigation had reached, even before the Minister.

Zhao Huan summoned him to the duty room, briefly recounted the names and cases mentioned in Duan Xixin's letter, then leaned back in his chair and asked, "Have you seen Xu Jie and Lu Zhi in the archives of the Department of State Affairs?"

After thinking for a moment, Chief Clerk Sun said that Xu Jie was originally the Supervising Censor of Jiangxi Province, and had stayed in Jiangxi for several years.

Numerous impeachment memorials were submitted, but they were all trivial matters. His performance evaluations remained average or above average year after year, never revealing any significant achievements.

Lu Zhi was originally the magistrate of Jiangdu County in Yangzhou. His performance evaluation was above average. He served as the magistrate of Jiangdu for many years, and he judged cases fairly, but he never flattered his superiors.

Neither of them looks particularly special.

Born into a poor family, he passed the imperial examination in the same year and worked in local government for many years, never taking sides or forming cliques.

This promotion was also quite strange; His Majesty personally circled Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui with a vermilion brush.

Everyone was watching these two, but the transfer orders for Xu Jie and Lu Zhi were issued directly by the Ministry of Personnel.

Without anyone's recommendation, they were promoted incidentally while Fang and Du were being promoted, and no one paid any attention to them.

"But now that you mention it, I think these two people are not simple."

Zhao Huan picked up his teacup and took a sip, his gaze lingering on the flickering candlelight for a long while. "Born into a poor family, a fellow Jinshi in the same year, never taking sides, yet he was simultaneously promoted to key positions in Jiangxi and Yangzhou after the Runzhou official ship case."

"This is no coincidence; someone is playing a game, but we don't know who's behind them yet."

"Let's put that aside for now. The most important thing right now is to get through this hurdle."

"The accounts on Sun Nian's side need to be dealt with quickly. Send him a message and ask him to redo the salt and iron tax accounts for the past three years and make up for the deficits in these areas."

Sun, the steward, responded and then cautiously asked if they should try to influence the Ministry of Personnel regarding the case concerning Lord Duan.

Let's see if we can find a pretext to transfer Xu Jie away.

Zhao Huan shook his head and said there was no rush; he needed to sound out Lord Dong's opinion first.

So, after the court session ended that evening, he took a box of freshly brewed tea that had just been delivered from the south and went to the residence of Dong Chang, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works.

Dong Chang is fifty-six years old this year, but he is well-maintained and looks no more than forty.

He was sitting in his study, looking through a river repair plan submitted by the Ministry of Works' Construction Department, with a well-worn copy of "Commentary on the Waterways Classic" lying next to him.

Zhao Huan entered and bowed. He was a trusted confidant promoted by Dong Chang, so he never had to be too reserved in this study.

He placed the tea box on the corner of the table and chatted with Dong Chang for a few minutes about official business in the government office.

Then, the conversation shifted, seemingly casually mentioning developments in Jiangxi.

It is said that recently some newly appointed local officials have been eager to make merits and have taken action against people and cases they should not have taken.

Dong Chang picked up the new tea that Zhao Huan had brought, took a sip, and praised it as excellent tea.

Then she looked up at him, her gaze calm as still water, but her tone carrying a subtle hint of criticism.

Zhao Huan's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly said that they were not his people.

It was an old acquaintance from Jiangxi who had run into some trouble and asked him to ask Lord Dong for advice.

Dong Chang gently placed the teacup on the table and said that Duan Xi, the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner of Jiangxi, had served as the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner of Jiangxi for more than ten years.

His position is coveted by many, and he's managed to stay in it not only because of his abilities, but also because he knows who he can and cannot mess with.

Dong Chang also said that he had read Xu Jie's resume.

He's been in Jiangxi for several years, consistently achieving above-average performance reviews, never showing off his abilities—this is the kind of person who's the most difficult to deal with.

He showed you all the details you could find out, but he didn't reveal anything you wanted to know.

This transfer to the position of Deputy Provincial Surveillance Commissioner of Jiangxi was ordered directly by the Ministry of Personnel, without going through anyone else.

Zhao Huan lowered his voice and asked, "Does the master mean that Xu Jie has someone backing him?"

Dong Chang said it's uncertain; maybe it is, maybe it isn't.

But regardless of whether it exists or not, now is not the time to take action against it.

When Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui first arrived in the capital, His Majesty summoned them to the East Warm Pavilion and kept them there for a long time. No one knows what they talked about.

At this time, anyone who touches a loyal minister in the local area is walking into the line of fire for His Majesty.

He advised Zhao Huan not to rush to stand up for Duan Xi, since Duan Xi was only being investigated for a few old cases, and he should just cooperate with the investigation.

The land dispute was nothing more than a few acres of land. What should be returned should be returned, and what should be compensated should be compensated. Once the case was settled on the surface, Xu Jie had no reason to continue investigating.

As for the accounts of salt and iron taxes.

That's a matter for Yangzhou. Let Sun Nian handle it properly and prevent the fire from spreading to Jiangxi.

Zhao Huan responded with a "yes," rose to take his leave, and as he walked out of the Dong residence, a spring breeze caressed his face, yet he felt a chill run down his spine.

On the surface, Dong Changfang's words were advising him to protect himself, but there was one sentence he heard most clearly.

"His Majesty summoned Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui to a private audience, and the two stayed in the East Warm Pavilion for a long time."

As a seasoned official who had worked in the Ministry of Works for many years, he knew all too well what this meant.

Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui were loyal ministers personally promoted by His Majesty.

Xu Jie and Lu Zhi were promoted in the same batch of transfer orders, although the Ministry of Personnel's official document did not mention "personally approved by the Emperor".

But it's obvious to anyone with eyes that these four people are in a line.

His Majesty has laid a new net across the land.

Duan Xi thought he was facing two newly appointed local officials.

Little did they know that behind these two people stood the person sitting on the dragon throne.

If he were to stand up for Duan Xi and bring Xu Jie down from his horse...

It turns out that Xu Jie really was backed by the Emperor. In that case, it wasn't just Duan Xi who suffered, but also Zhao Huan, Dong Chang, and everyone else on the whole line.

He returned to his duty room and called over Steward Sun, whispering a few words to him: "Send a message to your cousin Sun Nian, and have him sort out the salt and iron tax accounts for the past three years from beginning to end, make up any deficits that need to be covered, and burn any that need to be burned."

"Tell him this isn't my idea, it's the idea from the capital."

"Also, write back to Lord Duan and tell him that the current situation in the capital is not right, and it is not advisable to forcefully suppress Xu Jie's matter for the time being. Let him cooperate in settling the land case first, and discuss the rest later."

"Then subtly reveal to him that Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui were summoned to a private meeting by His Majesty, so that he knows that he is not the only one playing this game with Xu Jie."

Sun nodded repeatedly, then lowered his voice and asked if Lord Duan should try to influence things at the Ministry of Personnel.

I've heard that the newly appointed Director Wang of the Ministry of Personnel's Performance Evaluation Department is a very difficult person to talk to.

Zhao Huan shook his head and said no, the Ministry of Personnel's Performance Evaluation Department is now Wang Anshi's territory.

He dared to touch even the Fourth Prince's men during the joint trial by the three judicial departments. At this time, submitting materials to the Ministry of Personnel to accuse Xu Jie of wrongdoing was tantamount to handing over his weakness to them.

He pondered for a moment and then sent him to reply to Duan Xi.

He wanted to write a personal reply to Duan Xi, every single word of which was in the letter.

He had to carefully consider the matter repeatedly, making Duan Xi understand the seriousness of the situation while leaving no room for doubt.