Chapter 926: Chapter 924: This Is the Crown Prince He Chose
Yu Shiqing continued to shake his head, "When Qin Hao left, he had already instructed the Forbidden Army to properly guard Hao Ruhai. Now, no one can get near him. I haven’t seen him myself, but I heard from those who carried him inside that he is breathing out more than he’s breathing in. I’m afraid it’s hopeless."
The Crown Prince’s hand loosened, and in a daze, he plopped back onto the reclining chair.
However, as soon as his buttocks touched the chair, he sprang up again, giving a series of rapid orders, "Quickly send someone to his home, dig three feet to find that thing for me—no, is it there or not? Hurry and report back. Also, Zhixin, quickly prepare a horse for me. I must return to the Crown Prince’s Mansion."
The moment he sat down, he suddenly recalled the thief at the Crown Prince’s Mansion last night. At this moment, his mind, dulled by years of debauchery, suddenly cleared with terrifying clarity.
Surely, last night’s incident isn’t that simple. If the ledgers from Hao Ruhai’s residence were unknowingly stolen and even mixed among the Ministry of Revenue’s records, could it be that the two ledgers at the Crown Prince’s Mansion are also gone without my knowing it...
Either of these ledgers, handed to the Emperor, would be enough to disappoint him greatly.
The Crown Prince dared not imagine what wrath he would face if the Emperor were to learn of this, and what consequences he would endure.
Yu Shiqing didn’t have time to ask for details and hurriedly followed the Crown Prince out.
Many officials at the Ministry of Revenue were already aware that Hao Ruhai had collapsed after hitting a pillar, but were unaware of the specifics. Seeing the Crown Prince without his usual etiquette, rushing out in a panic, each was filled with dread.
Yu Shiqing grabbed Zhixin, who was turning back, and murmured, "Why is His Highness in such a hurry to return to the mansion? Did something happen at the Crown Prince’s Mansion?"
Zhixin was also anxious, leaning close to Yu Shiqing’s ear and whispering, "There were two burglaries last night at the Crown Prince’s Mansion, but they claim nothing was stolen."
Then, shaking off Yu Shiqing, he hurriedly followed the Crown Prince out. He was well aware, however, that the claim of nothing missing would soon dissipate like smoke.
Liu Chengzhi received the ledger from Qin Hao and with just a few pages, his expression changed. Without looking for anyone else, he took Han Yanhui directly into the palace to seek an audience with the Emperor.
While walking, he informed Han Yanhui that these two books came from the Ministry of Revenue via Qin Hao.
Inside the Imperial Study Room, Han Yanhui and Liu Chengzhi knelt on the ground.
Sitting above them was the Emperor, his desk before him holding the two ledgers. He flipped through them quickly, his eyes flickering between narrowed and wide, constantly changing.
This was his eldest legitimate son, the Crown Prince he personally selected and nurtured over the years.
The heir to the Great Xia Dynasty’s throne, treating his empire and his court in this manner. How could he possess even a shred of the quality befitting a Crown Prince? The Emperor had hoped that the Great Xia Dynasty would at least prosper under their father-son reign.
Yet, Jinkun was nothing but a parasite to the nation.
The Emperor closed the ledgers, and amid this tense moment, his expression gradually turned calm. Casually, he asked, "Has anyone else seen the contents of these ledgers?"
The two ministers kneeling sensed a shift, subtly exchanging a glance.
These two were seasoned ministers across two reigns, and previously held some stature before the Emperor. Moreover, over the past decade, with favorable weather and smooth state affairs, it was rare for the Emperor to lose his temper. They hadn’t quite adapted to this recent period of frequent kneeling and confessing.
This old body and back suffered badly these days.
But the two ledgers submitted today were shocking beyond words.
Although the Crown Prince held the position of heir, outsiders were never allowed to interfere with the Ministry of Revenue. Yet, as senior ministers of the court, with such enormous losses from the State Treasury’s silver and resources, they hadn’t noticed or warned anyone and were inevitably tied to inadequate oversight.
A while ago, the major scandal involving Prince Fu was still unresolved. Now, massive embezzlement involving the Crown Prince and Ministry of Revenue was being revealed. This pace seemed intent on ending their official positions, denying them a stable bureaucratic livelihood.
The ledgers were presented by Liu Chengzhi, and he replied, "Your Majesty, Qin Hao took the ledgers, and Hao Ruhai, who managed the treasury, risked his life to snatch them back. Qin Hao read only the first page, then closed it up at once, returned to the Cabinet under the protection of the Forbidden Army, and handed the ledgers to me. As soon as I received them, I requested an audience with Your Majesty. No one else has seen them."
Han Yanhui hadn’t seen the ledger, but he knew what was inside. Furthermore, he would soon learn the specific content recorded in the ledgers and might even see a complete copy of the transcripts.
His concern was that the Emperor’s tone was ambiguous, as if he intended to control the spread of this matter, unwilling for many to know.
However, the Emperor didn’t seem inclined to protect the Crown Prince either.
...
The Crown Prince reacted much faster than Prince Fu. He rode straight to the Crown Prince’s Mansion without dismounting, galloping ahead, causing passing servants to quickly dodge, not out of fear of being trampled by hooves, but out of fear of being implicated for being seen by the Crown Prince at such a time.
He rode directly to the small courtyard behind the rock garden, dismounted, and strode into the courtyard, kicking the door.
The door didn’t give way, causing the Crown Prince’s foot to throb painfully instead.
The watchful servant in the courtyard, still in shock, hurried forward to open the door. Despite his quickness, he still received a lash from the Crown Prince.
Upon entering, the Crown Prince saw the room was as usual and walked straight to the study desk. He felt around the wall and in a place on the bookshelf half a man’s height, a secret compartment popped open.
...inside was empty, nothing at all.
Zhixin and the other servants didn’t dare to enter with him, leaving the Crown Prince without anyone to support him. The tension he’d been holding all the way relaxed when he saw the empty secret compartment, and he collapsed to the ground.
Tan Weixian and others came in upon hearing the noise, and the Crown Prince had already stood up from the floor.
Without consulting Tan Weixian and others, he directly grabbed the whip that had fallen on the floor, venting his frustration by striking randomly at Tan Weixian, Eunuch Li, and others, without caring if he hit anyone or where he struck. He then ran out of the courtyard in a rush, mounted the horse waiting outside, and galloped out of the Crown Prince’s Mansion.
...
The Emperor looked at the Crown Prince kneeling before him, sobbing uncontrollably. Then he looked at Han Yanhui, who was similarly kneeling and deeply bowing his head after being pushed aside by the Crown Prince. His heart was even more filled with disappointment.
The Crown Prince had lost decorum before his ministers; how could he, in the future, govern the court officials?
Moreover, with what the Crown Prince had done, how could the Emperor rest assured handing over the Great Xia Dynasty to him?
Now he was only the Crown Prince, held in check by his Emperor father. Yet he dared to act so recklessly. Once ascended, without such restraint, it wouldn’t be long before the empire was ruined.
The Emperor, feeling somewhat fatigued, said, "You two, withdraw for now."
Although neither Han Yanhui nor the other minister raised their heads, they knew the Emperor was referring to them. However, should they withdraw silently? Or should they, as usual, express gratitude and take their leave?
The two hesitated slightly, only to see Zhang Cunhai’s boots come before them, softly advising, "Gentlemen, please."
The Crown Prince had burst in earlier, kneeling immediately, lamenting in repentance for quite some time.
Hearing Han Yanhui and the others leaving, he pressed his head to the ground regardless, "Imperial Father, your son was wrong. It’s all my fault for misjudging people, led astray by wicked individuals. Your son never intended this. Please forgive your son this time. I will surely amend my ways and distance myself from undesirables..."
The Emperor’s expression immediately changed.
No matter whether the Crown Prince would ascend the throne in the future, or what punishment he was about to face, the Emperor still had to take into account that this was his son. Receiving punishment was one thing, but losing face in front of the ministers was quite another.
Thus, the Emperor had sent the two seasoned ministers away.
Yet, what nonsense was this scoundrel spouting? Such large-scale embezzlement of the State Treasury for personal indulgence, and blaming it entirely on being led astray by others—entirely the fault of others?!