Chapter 28: Pulling Others Down

After seeing off the Eastern Depot officials, Li Mu immediately ordered his men to spread the news.

Such a big deal cannot be accomplished by one person alone; it requires the connections of colleagues.

As for the inside information uncovered, it’s enough for me to know—it’s unnecessary to reveal it.

Who knows if this is a eunuch faction’s scheme or the Emperor’s own arrangement?

The Great Yu court is poor; its normal revenue cannot sustain the empire’s operations. Resistance to reform is too great, so we must first secure illicit funds to relieve the emergency.

Compared to raising taxes on the people, targeting a few corrupt officials causes far less damage.

…

“Brother Li, you mean if we pay off the right people, Master Xiang can be released?”

Chen Jichuan asked uncertainly.

He had not yet taken the imperial examinations and had very limited understanding of officialdom; his mind was still relatively naive.

“Of course not!

Master Xiang is a thorn in the eunuch faction’s eye. They worked hard to bring him down—how could they possibly release him so easily?

But that bunch of eunuchs is the greediest; as long as the money is sufficient, keeping him alive won’t be hard.

Alas, Master Xiang was too kind to his fellow villagers.

He acquired tens of thousands of acres of land, far exceeding the court’s tax-exempt limit, which the eunuchs labeled as ill-gotten gains.

If we try to overturn the case, all the peasants registered under those lands will be implicated, and the crime of concealing land is no less serious than corruption.”

Li Mu gently reminded him.

They had been classmates—he didn’t want to see Chen Jichuan head straight into a dead end, stubbornly clinging to the case.

Few officials in the Great Yu court could withstand scrutiny.

Xiang Shihai was no exception; after being imprisoned in the Imperial Prison, he quickly confessed to a long list of crimes.

He didn’t outright call him a grand corruptor—that was to spare his classmate’s face.

“Brother Li, you know this:

Master Xiang’s entire family has been arrested, and their property seized by the Eastern Depot.

If we were back in our hometown in Guanzhong, we could gather funds somehow.

But this is the capital—we brought little money, and we simply can’t raise this sum!”

Chen Jichuan said, looking deeply troubled.

After all, he was still young and too shy to directly ask for a loan.

“Brother Chen, you haven’t entered officialdom yet—you don’t understand the rules.

Master Xiang’s imprisonment isn’t just about him—it’s for the sake of the Pure Stream’s grand campaign against the eunuchs.

He alone took all the charges the eunuchs laid against him and named no one else. Such spirit is truly admirable.

We’re powerless to rescue him, but at least those who benefit should help with the aftermath.

Here’s what I’ll do: tonight, I’ll arrange for you to impersonate a constable and secretly meet Master Xiang in the Imperial Prison.

He’ll tell you then who can help raise this money!”

In truth, Li Mu didn’t want to spell it out—but his classmate was a complete novice in officialdom.

Xiang Shihai had indeed fallen, but precisely because he had fallen, his words carried more weight.

He might not be able to help anyone rise in rank or wealth, but he could certainly drag others down.

He didn’t need to frame anyone; just revealing what he knew would doom a whole crowd.

Official protection often isn’t about upholding class honor—it’s because everyone holds incriminating evidence against each other.

Pulling someone else up is also pulling yourself up.

“Thank you, Brother Li, for your guidance!”

Chen Jichuan said, full of gratitude.

It had been truly hard.

He had run around for days without finding a single lead, nearly getting himself caught in the process.

Now, at Li Mu’s side, he finally had a solution.

Though he couldn’t get his master out, at least he could save his life from the Imperial Prison—that was already lucky.

Especially when the Eastern Depot officials came looking, Li Mu stood up to them to protect him.

He had seen with his own eyes how furious those eunuch thugs looked when they left.

He didn’t know how Li Mu handled the aftermath, but in Chen Jichuan’s eyes, it must have cost dearly.

He then went around tirelessly, lobbying for Master Xiang’s rescue—truly a loyal classmate.

“Enough, Brother Chen—what’s there to thank for?

My status prevents me from appearing at the Imperial Prison; when you see Master Xiang, give him my regards.

Also tell him the eunuch faction will close the case within three days.

If you have powerful connections, use them quickly—there’s still a chance he might be cleared!”

Clearance was impossible.

If anyone had the influence to suppress the eunuch faction, Xiang Shihai wouldn’t be suffering in the Imperial Prison.

The truth often hurts the most; people prefer pretty lies.

One Xiang Shihai wasn’t worth so much effort—what mattered was starting this business well.

Civil officials who had been “hosted” by the secret police were like drowning men—any straw drifting near them, they’d grasp desperately.

As long as you live, there’s hope.

Many famous ministers in history had been demoted or exiled.

Their situations were merely worse—they’d been reduced to complete blanks.

Theoretically, if they survived until the eunuch faction fell and the Pure Stream regained power, they might be pardoned.

If they had good ties with those in power, they could insist the eunuchs had framed them—and a full reversal wasn’t out of the question.

What Li Mu needed to do now was bring hope to these desperate men.

The pressure to raise money was simply too great.

The Eastern Depot’s ransom couldn’t be low—too many people inside were sharing the cut; too little would cause trouble.

Marquis Wu Yang, the boss, could shoulder responsibility—but he also demanded money, asking outright for five hundred thousand taels of silver.

The Battalion Command needed to reserve part of the funds as next year’s budget, and the officials involved in execution also deserved a share.

Without dragging more people down, the performance targets simply couldn’t be met.

Relying solely on friends and relatives—even the closest bonds—had a price.

Those who gave a few taels were old acquaintances; those who spent hundreds were friends; those who spent over a thousand were close confidants.

Those who could spare tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, to rescue someone weren’t his father—they were desperate.

A few officials couldn’t afford that much; but if spread across the entire Pure Stream faction, the burden became manageable.

Colleagues should share hardship—no one should be left to charge ahead alone.

…

At midnight, Chen Jichuan emerged from the Imperial Prison, dazed and hollow-eyed.

It was simply too cruel.

The Imperial Prison was like the eighteen layers of hell.

Tongue-pulling, scissors, iron trees, bronze pillars—every hellish torture device imaginable was present.

Once inside, once-formidable, authoritative officials became meat on the chopping block.

When he saw Xiang Shihai again, he didn’t even recognize him.

“Young Master Chen, the Battalion Commander ordered that tonight, no matter where you need to go, we’ll see you there.

But it’s curfew now—besides our Five City Military Command personnel, the Embroidered Uniform Guard will also patrol.

A carriage is too noisy and will attract trouble; please walk with us a bit longer.”

Hearing the soldier’s words, Chen Jichuan inwardly groaned.

He had just been terrified inside—he was in no state to walk.

“Please lead the way—I need to go to…”

(End of Chapter)