Chapter 181: Lost Huo Guang

After Chen Wenjin and Li Xiangtian withdrew from the court, they could no longer restrain their inner delight.

Chen Wenjin's face was full of smiles, that smile almost splitting to his ears; he slapped Li Xiangtian's shoulder hard and exclaimed excitedly, "Li brother, see? His Majesty still favors us. That old bastard Wei Qing wanted to impeach us, but instead we got a commendation—absolutely ridiculous!"

Saying that, he couldn't help but throw his head back and laugh loudly, the laughter echoing in the corridor.

Li Xiangtian also had a flushed face, his eyes gleaming with pride; he slightly shook his head and said complacently, "Indeed! We were worried we'd falter this time, but His Majesty turned out so wise, seeing through Wei Qing's petty thoughts. From now on, we can hold our heads high in court."

As he spoke, he clasped his hands behind his back and strode forward with big steps, quite pleased with himself.

The two walked along the corridor, and when they met officials with whom they usually had ordinary relations, they no longer restrained themselves as before.

Chen Wenjin's eyes were full of contempt; he slightly lifted his chin, nostrils flared, walking past those officials as if they were insignificant ants.

Li Xiangtian, meanwhile, wore a sneer, deliberately raising his voice to Chen Wenjin: "When we return to the Chancellor's residence, we must celebrate properly, so those who look down on us can see that we are the favorites before His Majesty."

Having said that, the two exchanged a glance and burst out laughing again without restraint.

After being commended by Emperor Liu Ju, Chen Wenjin and Li Xiangtian began openly opposing and refuting Wei Qing and other ministers who disagreed with them in court.

At that day's court assembly, Wei Qing had just mentioned the latest difficulties of the Grand Canal project, proposing to reallocate resources to speed progress, when Chen Wenjin jumped out, a sneer on his face, speaking in a sarcastic tone:

"Chancellor Wei, your idea may be good, but this project is complicated—how could it succeed by your casual reallocation? Are you not eager for achievements, thus proposing such an impractical scheme?"

Li Xiangtian also chimed in, bowing and nodding to Emperor Liu Ju: "Your Majesty, Minister Chen is absolutely right; Chancellor Wei has only recently taken office and may not yet grasp the nuances, so this project should be managed by us who are familiar with the situation."

The two acted in concert, completely disregarding Chancellor Wei Qing.

Usually, the two and their subordinates engaged in graft and corruption, amassing wealth illicitly.

Not only did they collude with suppliers in procurement, purchasing inferior materials at high prices and pocketing huge kickbacks.

At the same time, the quality stone and timber meant for the Grand Canal construction were replaced with substandard goods, causing quality problems in parts of the project.

After the official in charge of project supervision discovered this, he wanted to report it, but Chen Wenjin and Li Xiangtian threatened and lured him, so he could only conceal the matter.

Moreover, they turned their sights to Huo Guang, who was overseeing the city construction far away in Hangzhou, naturally intending not to let off this young man who had openly opposed them before.

After discussion, Li Xiangtian hired several street ruffians, gave them money, and instructed them to forge evidence, claiming they had personally seen Huo Guang embezzle funds.

Subsequently, Chen Wenjin drafted an impeachment memorandum, embellishing Huo Guang's "crimes," and submitted it to Emperor Liu Ju in court.

"Your Majesty, look at Huo Guang—appearing diligent in city building, he actually harbors ill intent and grossly embezzles. This Hangzhou concerns the future development of our Han Empire; his conduct is truly heinous."

Chen Wenjin spoke earnestly, with utmost seriousness.

Meanwhile, Huo Guang in Hangzhou was unaware of this; he devoted himself wholeheartedly to building the new city, daily shuttling between work sites, supervising progress and planning the urban layout.

Yet they did not know that, above in court, Chen Wenjin and Li Xiangtian were weaving a great net to entrap him, hoping to topple him and consolidate their power in court.

Actually, Huo Guang set out for the Hangzhou construction project with a heart full of helplessness and loss.

Once, he was full of vigor in court, offering strategies for many affairs of the Han Empire; that stage of power's center bore his ambitions and ideals.

But now, he has been transferred, sent far to Hangzhou, away from the familiar court struggles; for one who wished to display his talents for the state, this is undoubtedly a heavy blow.

Upon first arriving in Hangzhou, Huo Guang forced himself to stay spirited and threw himself into the new city's construction work.

Each day, as dawn broke, he rose and went to the worksite, discussing building plans with the artisans and supervising progress.

Yet, in the midst of his busyness, that feeling of gloom would surge like a tide upon his heart.

When he walked alone through the still-unformed lanes, seeing the surrounding desolation, he could not help but feel waves of bitterness.

He could not help recalling his past efforts in developing the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal; he had thought he could showcase his talents there and render meritorious service to the Han Empire, but an unexpected turn rendered all his efforts wasted.

At night, Huo Guang sat alone in a makeshift tent, appearing especially forlorn.

He gazed at the mountain of city‑building plans piled on the desk, yet could not summon any interest.

His brush moved unconsciously on the xuan paper, his thoughts already adrift.

Huo Guang often asked himself in his heart: "Must I merely toil here in obscurity, never able to return to court to contribute more strength to the Han Empire's development?"

This uncertainty, together with his bewilderment about the future, made his mood grow ever heavier.

At the same time, he grew more fearful of the Son of Heaven, Emperor Liu Ju.

The inscrutable imperial will found concrete expression here.

Although Huo Guang remained in Hangzhou, full of melancholy, he never abandoned his attention to the court's situation.

Upon hearing that Chen Wenjin and Li Xiangtian grew ever more arrogant in court, openly opposing Wei Qing, engaging in graft, and framing him—after the emperor had suppressed him—he felt indignant.

Huo Guang was never the type to wait passively for doom.

Privately, he first contacted several reliable subordinates in Chang'an, asking them to closely monitor Chen Wenjin and Li Xiangtian's every move, especially any irregularities in procurement and project dispatch.

Meanwhile, Huo Guang himself, through some merchant friends in Hangzhou, inquired about suppliers colluding with Chen Wenjin and Li Xiangtian.

After a painstaking investigation, he finally gathered crucial evidence, including the correspondence in which the two accepted bribes from suppliers, and detailed records of the inferior materials used in the project.

But now Chen Wenjin and Li Xiangtian block the imperial ears; gathering evidence is not easy, and trying to reach the imperial hearing is even harder.

Now, relying solely on his own strength, it is difficult to overthrow the two; he must unite with the upright officials in court.

After much thought, he thought of his maternal uncle Wei Qing; although Wei Qing has recently been suppressed heavily by Chen Wenjin and Li Xiangtian, he still possesses seniority and is also the incumbent Chancellor, retaining some influence in court.

Thus Huo Guang carefully compiled the evidence into a volume, sent a trusted aide on a swift horse to Chang'an, and delivered it to Wei Qing.