Chapter 120 Cascades: Lost
“Young miss, the people from the yamen has postponed things by another three days!” Fei reported the bad news to Feng Luodi in the inn.
“Young miss, are we still going to wait for it?” By now, even Scarlet and Jet had noticed that something was amiss.
Feng Luodi hesitated for a second before speaking to the three of them. “Pack our things. We are returning to Chang"an right now.”
“But what about Cascades?” Fei frowned.
“I have a plan.” Feng Luodi steeled her heart. “Head to the carriage once you"re done packing your things; we leave immediately.” The three attendants nodded and quickly returned to their rooms.
Feng Luodi walked to a secluded corner of the inn. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I don"t know what your name is, but I know you are a very capable man, to be of such use to Situ. I have a request for you: will you please steal Cascades from the yamen for me? The governor is keeping us here with Cascades, and I worry that things might be happening in Chang"an. I need to get back quickly! Please help me.” Feng Luodi bowed in a random direction, not knowing where the Covert Guard was hiding.
A voice sounded from the shadows. “No need for such formalities, Miss Feng. I am here on the General"s orders to provide help when you need it. Please leave from the Southern Gate and head straight back to Chang"an. I will catch up with the carriage after I"ve obtained Cascades.”
“Thankyou.” Feng Luodi bowed again before returning to her room to pack her things.
The three girls sat in the carriage as Fei drove it along, heading straight out of the Southern Gate of the Wuling Provincial City. It wasn"t long before they reached the main road and started heading straight back to Chang"an. However, they were only allowed an hour of peace before hoofbeats echoed on the road behind them. Scarlet and Jet lifted the veil on the window to check.
“Young miss, this doesn"t look good at all! It"s a bunch of officers from the yamen with swords in their hands!”
Feng Luodi frowned. “Fei, go as fast as you can. Aim to reach the relay station before they catch up to us. I have my father"s badge with me and that should get us some help from the officers at the relay station.”
“I understand, young miss. Steady yourselves now!” Fei nodded and spurred the horses forward. Feng Luodi and the two handmaidens held themselves steady using the walls of the carriage, jolting wildly as the carriage sped along. Despite their best efforts, the pursuers continued to close the gap between them.
“Young miss, what do we do!” Jet and Scarlet gripped onto Feng Luodi tightly in their panic. Feng Luodi pressed her lips together in silence, unable to come up with a solution.
“No need to worry about them, Miss Feng. I will take care of them.” A voice sounded from outside the carriage and a figure dressed in an indigo outfit and mask lifted the veil and pa.s.sed in Cascades. Quickly dropping the veil back into position, the man dashed towards the pursuers.
“Who"s that? He"s so powerful!” Jet was starry-eyed.
“A Covert Guard.” Feng Luodi was conflicted, turning to stare out of the window. The Covert Guard dashed into the pursuers and the next thing they knew, all the officials from the yamen were unhorsed.
“He"s amazing!”
With the help of the Covert Guard, the carriage quickly headed back into Chang"an.
Heading back from the Shanyin Province, Chamberlain Feng quickly conferred with the Minister of the Right.
“Now we have all the evidence we need; even if his Majesty is present, he would not be able to defend himself.”
“It depends if he is willing to confess.”
“Even if he does, his Majesty might not serve out the appropriate punishment.”
“We can only see what his Majesty decides on that day. Let"s just hope he listens to our advice.”
In the thirtieth year of the kingdom, a huge crime was unearthed. The embezzlement case of the Shanyin governor has implicated forty-two officers in court, fifteen of which are Rank Four and above. The mastermind was, shockingly, the Rank Two official the Imperial Treasurer.
The Emperor"s hands trembled as he read the reports, of which included the accounts of the eyewitnesses. He threw all of it onto the floor.
“What do you have to say now, Imperial Treasurer? I"d trusted you with such an important position, and yet you used it for your personal gains! And that"s not it; how dare you attempt to a.s.sa.s.sinate Rank One and Rank Two officials of my court! The penalty for that is death! Nothing can help you!”
“I admit my crimes, your Majesty.” The Imperial Treasurer knelt in the hall, his head to the ground. “I"d betrayed your trust, and I deserve to die a thousand times over for that. But please spare my family, your Majesty; they know nothing of this.”
“Have you thought that it would implicate them when you did all these?” The Emperor raged as he slammed a fist into the table, followed by a series of racking coughs. All officials knelt before him.
“Please contain your anger, your Majesty! Your health is of the utmost importance!”
“Cough! Cough!” The Emperor panted. “I want everyone in this case punished heavily! As for the Imperial Treasurer, make him an example to warn everyone else of this crime!”
The Heir stepped forward, wanting to speak up for the Imperial Treasurer, but the Emperor turned his hawk-like gaze onto him.
“Heir! Why does this book of accounts bare your stamp? And it says to split you half the profits?”
The Minister of the Left looked at the Heir, shocked by the turn of events.
The Heir dropped to his knees. “I am framed, Father! My stamp has previously been lost outside of the palace; I never knew that it would be used for such purposes!”
“Lost?” The Emperor snorted. “You"re telling me that the Heir of the Xuan Kingdom can lose his stamp? Why didn"t you report it?”
The Heir managed to force out an excuse. “You were busy with stately matters, Father. I did not want to trouble you any further.”
The Emperor slammed the table in front of him again. He turned to the Imperial Treasurer. “Imperial Treasurer, did the Heir take part in any of this?”
The Imperial Treasurer kept his head bowed. “He did not, your Majesty. I"d planned all this alone, from the embezzlement of funds to the a.s.sa.s.sination of officials. It was all my doing.”
The Emperor panted, turning his gaze back to the Heir. “Why why, well done! You do have a way of gaining the loyalty of people, don"t you?”
“Father! I am wronged!” The Heir kowtowed. “Although the book of accounts bears my stamp, but it was indeed lost from my possession! Everybody at my residence knows about it!”
The Minister of the Left quickly knelt down as well. “Please investigate the matter further, your Majesty. I"ve just looked through the evidence and it bears no other evidence pointing to the Heir but his lost stamp. Furthermore, the Imperial Treasurer has confirmed that the Heir was not involved in this! It goes against the laws of the kingdom if we indict the Heir merely based on something like a stamp which could be forged!”
The Emperor was silent for a moment, his gaze sweeping across the officials in the hall. He glanced at the Eighth Prince, who was visibly surprised by the turn of events. He looked at the pile of reports in front of him, and back to the Heir who was kneeling on the floor.
“Minister of the Right, Chamberlain Feng, I want the two of you to imprison all involved officials in the Imperial Prison and interrogate every single one of them properly. Follow all protocols.”
“Yes, your Majesty.” The Minister of the Right and Chamberlain Feng bowed.
“As for the Heir,” the Emperor glanced at him, “he is to be punished even if there is not enough evidence against him, solely for the fact that his stamp appeared in the book of accounts. You are hereby grounded from leaving your residence for three months. Use this time to learn how to rule a country! You are not to partic.i.p.ate in any political matters in these three months!”
The Heir was angered by the punishment and looked to speak up for himself, but the Minister of the Left quickly held on to him. The Eighth Prince as disappointed as well but was held back as well by an official that stood behind him.
“Yes, Father.” The Heir spoke grudgingly.
Chamberlain Feng and the Minister of the Right exchanged a look. His Majesty still refuses to punish his sons, huh? Even in such a situation, he is still biased towards his princes. But if we speak any more, we might gain his suspicion instead.
The Emperor waved everyone out of the hall. “You may leave; I am tired.”
“Yes, your Majesty.”
The Minister of the Right and Chamberlain Feng quickly took their leave from the rest of the officials. Situ watched as the Chamberlain departed, as if wanting to speak to him, but he held back his words and merely left without another word.
“My brother, Father does dote on you indeed, doesn"t he? You were spared despite committing such a grave mistake!” The Eighth Prince could not help but gloat at the Heir.
“Are you envious of me, brother? That can"t be helped.” The Heir retorted.
The Eighth Prince laughed. “It"s a pity that Father had entrusted me with more tasks! Unfortunately for you, you can"t partic.i.p.ate in any political activities, can you?”
“You!” The Heir pointed a shaking finger at the Eight Prince.
“My Heir! May we speak in private?” The Minister of the Left quickly approached. The Heir glared at the Eighth Prince before walking to a corner with the Minister.
“That was your stamp on the book of accounts, wasn"t it?” The Minister of the Left was sombre.
The Heir was nonchalant. “Didn"t I say that my stamp was lost? Of course, the one on the book of accounts is real, then.”
“My Heir!” The Minister was pained by the Heir"s doings. “How could you do something like that! No wonder you"d wanted me to take over the case of the embezzlement! What would the Grand Tutor say if he hears of this!”
“He is sick on his bed right now. He wouldn"t know of this.” The Heir waved it away. “Father has only grounded me for three months; it"s no big deal.”
The Minister was at a lost for words at the Heir"s att.i.tude. He took a deep breath. “Don"t you see it, my Heir? After this, his Majesty will never see you as he did before! When you are grounded, the Eighth Prince will have so many chances to…”
“That"s what you"re for, isn"t it? To help me along in my political career!” The Heir interrupted the Minister. “It is getting late already, please return early to your residence, Minister.” The Heir turned and left without another word.
The Minister of the Left watched as the Heir walked away from him, suddenly feeling as if the man before him was strange and unfamiliar, no longer the wise ruler that Jiang Moyin had envisioned.