Chapter 219: Shocking! The Esteemed Crown Prince Fakes an Accident on the Street, and Its Because (2 / 2)

There was some mix up with chapter numbering, which I have fixed. You should see correct sequence now. Please comment if you any issue with sequence or any other type.

The Great Xia court remained calm and composed.

This was nothing. In the bureaucracy, forget seven months—if someone wanted to target you, they’d dig up something from seven years ago.

—They immediately realized that the Marquis of Yongchang must have offended someone. Otherwise, no one would have waited seven months to bring this up.

It wasn’t something major…

[Oh!]

[Turns out someone has been secretly embezzling military funds and selling weapons! The Marquis of Yongchang’s adopted son discovered some clues, so they’re using the jingguan incident to create trouble for him.]

The court officials: “…”

Alright, that is a serious matter.

[Wait! Doesn’t that mean the censor is being used as a pawn?]

Both the Marquis of Yongchang and the censor forgot their angry expressions for a moment. Like most officials, they instinctively turned to observe the emperor’s reaction.

—On the golden platform, the emperor’s face remained calm and unreadable.

The Marquis of Yongchang heard the Grand Minister of Ceremonies next to him curse under his breath.

Of course, it wasn’t just the Grand Minister—he also wanted to curse.

With Little Bai Ze keeping watch in the court, who would dare do something so blatantly against the emperor’s bottom line? Taking small bribes might still be excused as supplementing household expenses, but embezzling military funds—how brainless could you be to attempt that?!

“Please, please don’t let it be someone under my command!”

—At this moment, not only was the Marquis of Yongchang silently praying.

[What a bold move… The Assistant Minister of the Ministry of War…]

Shock rippled like waves, crashing in from all directions.

The Assistant Minister of the Ministry of War felt a jolt in his heart but quickly calmed himself. After some thought, he concluded, “It’s not me. I’ve never done such a thing. This must be another one of Little Bai Ze’s exaggerated statements—probably one of my subordinates.”

There was even a faint smile at the corner of his lips.

Like a rock in the sea, he stood firm against the crashing waves, unshaken.

The colleagues around him couldn’t help but secretly sigh: What composure!

[…This son-in-law must’ve eaten a whole bucket of bear guts, daring to meddle with military supplies. Truly audacious.]

The Assistant Minister’s legs nearly gave out. Luckily, a nearby colleague steadied him just in time. Otherwise, if he had caused a scene, it would’ve drawn Xu Yanmiao’s attention—and with that, the realization that his thoughts could be overheard would’ve spelled disaster.

“Are you okay?” the colleague asked softly.

The Assistant Minister swallowed nervously. “I took every precaution, made sure my family was clean and upright, and thought my sons and nephews would never dare do something like this, so I let my guard down. But I forgot to watch out for my son-in-law!”

If the son-in-law committed a crime, it would implicate the whole family!

The son-in-law’s nine familial connections included the father- and mother-in-law.

His colleagues: “…”

So your earlier calm demeanor was only because you thought this had nothing to do with you.

Still, now that they knew who the scapegoat was, everyone else felt relieved.

For a moment, the court was abuzz with private thoughts. Some were calculating how to use this opportunity to eliminate rivals, while others worried about being dragged into the mess and considered how to extricate themselves if they were implicated. Meanwhile—

The likes of Liang Rui, a principled official from the Ministry of Justice, stepped forward with tightly pressed lips and said, “Your Majesty, this humble servant has heard that the Crown Prince is returning to the capital soon. May I ask how he will be received?”

A naïve college student wouldn’t understand the implication, but in the court, plenty of people did:

Your Majesty! Please don’t push this onto the Jinyiwei again—especially since it’s been seven months. If you pin this on them now, it’ll seem suspicious. Better to say the Crown Prince discovered it during his time away.

The old emperor also caught the hint and replied, “This is not a significant matter. There’s no need for a grand reception. I will simply send someone to greet the Crown Prince outside the city.”

When the Crown Prince returned, he was filled with regret.

“How could so many interesting things happen in the capital as soon as I leave?”

Hearing the stories now just wasn’t the same!

His attendant, always serious, replied, “There’s still one ‘lively matter’ waiting for Your Highness to handle.”

The Crown Prince waved his hand with a smile. “No rush, no rush.”

With that, he patiently investigated the Assistant Minister’s son-in-law, digging into every detail. Once he had solid evidence—both witnesses and physical proof—of the illegal sale of military funds and weapons, he waited for the perfect moment.

One morning, after clearing his throat in front of the bronze mirror, the Crown Prince, full of confidence and armed with all the evidence, strode into court to present his case!

Wuhu! Here comes the fun!

[Wuhu! The Crown Prince is back!]

The Crown Prince paused, turning his head to see Xu Yanmiao staring at him with eyes burning with interest. He almost couldn’t maintain his refined and gentle smile.

A sudden sense of unease arose in his heart.@@novelbin@@

[Ugh! I really want to ask him how it feels to be a Crown Prince pulling a petty scam.]

[It’s the first time I’ve seen someone honestly line up to buy salted goose, only to end up punching a thug trying to cut in line—and refusing to let his guards help.]

[Then, when the thug bumped into him, he immediately dropped to the ground, wailing and crying, complaining about being bullied as a cripple… Uh, how does the Crown Prince seem so experienced at this?]

[This is… impressive?]

The Crown Prince coughed. “…Ahem.” He tried to suppress his inner pride, but the corners of his mouth still curved upward.

This expression made his tutors, who were watching, even more incredulous. They huffed, glared, and turned red with anger, from their necks to their ears.

A dignified Crown Prince brawling with street thugs—what kind of behavior was this?!

The old emperor instinctively shouted, “Good!!”

His voice boomed like thunder.

He was secretly delighted: My son hasn’t lost his street smarts from mingling with commoners in the past. He can handle court politics and the bustling streets alike. Excellent—worthy of being my son!

Then he noticed the older scholars and Confucians turning their heads to give him a long, reproachful look.

The old emperor: “…”

Though he had a mischievous streak, he did respect teachers and had taught his son to do the same. So, he immediately picked up a memorial to the throne and pretended to read it. He even rubbed his eyelids, putting on a perfect show of someone straining their eyes from reading too much.

The plotline about embezzling military funds and weapons was inspired by historical accounts of officials under Emperor Wu of Han who dared to pocket his military funds. It proves that, as long as one has the guts, even when the emperor above you is someone like Emperor Wu of Han, such schemes can still happen. ( ಠ_ಠ )

Historical Reference: He Zijing, acting as Grand Steward on behalf of his father, was arrogant, extravagant, and defied the law, misappropriating 19 million coins from the Northern Army treasury. When discovered, he was imprisoned.

— Zizhi Tongjian