Chapter 138: Towering Roofs, Demons and Ghouls

Zhao Prince Xian stood frozen, releasing the eunuch's arm.

Not only was he incredulous; behind him, Shu Ao, Chen Rui, and others all wore expressions of doubt.

The Provincial Administration Commission, following leads from maps and records, had traced illicit mining and private coinage to the Yueyang Prince's Mansion.

After Shu Ao's careful planning, he discovered the bandit chieftain was hiding inside the Yueyang Prince's Mansion.

Provincial Governor Zhao Prince Xian, in his broad investigations, had also linked the anomalies in the state garrisons to the Yueyang Prince's Mansion.

With all departmental leads converging and multiple forces gathering, they were poised to find their breakthrough here.

Now, they were told Zhu Zhu Yingyan was dead!?

He was imperial kin—how could he die so mysteriously and so easily!?

Zhao Prince Xian took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

Behind him, Censor Shu Ao suddenly spoke: "Director Zhao, let us go in to pay our respects."

Regardless, we must go inside and see for ourselves.

Whether Zhu Zhu Yingyan is truly dead or faking it, the leads we have confirm the bandits are inside the Yueyang Prince's Mansion—we must go in and investigate.

Zhao Prince Xian understood Shu Ao's meaning and nodded without hesitation.

Regardless of whether the action seemed reckless or improper, in an emergency, he immediately ordered men to restrain the eunuch who had just spoken.

Zhao Prince Xian was about to lead the way inside to "pay respects."

Suddenly, from beside the mansion, came shouts and curses.

Several turned, frowning, to look.

Several burly men had scaled the wall out of the mansion.

They were caught red-handed by soldiers and pinned to the ground like dead dogs.

Moments later, a Battalion Commander hurried forward, bowed to Zhao Prince Xian, and beamed: "Director Zhao, we've pulled several unidentified bandits from inside the mansion!"

"We found letters on their persons!"

He held out a stack of letters with both hands.

The bandits had scaled the wall right under his watch—he couldn't help but rejoice, for this was a major achievement.

But Zhao Prince Xian's expression did not brighten.

He stared at the letters in the Battalion Commander's hands, frowning in silence, refusing to take them.

Zhao Prince Xian had served for years—if he didn't sense something amiss here, he'd been blind all along.

But now, he was not alone.

A hand reached out from beside Zhao Prince Xian and took the letters.

Zhao Prince Xian turned.

Chen Rui nodded, smiling: "Director Zhao, now that we have leads, why hesitate?"

He showed no deference whatsoever.

Censor Shu Ao saw the situation most clearly and opened his mouth, then closed it again.

He understood Zhao Prince Xian's hesitation.

Too easy!

The leads were handed right to us!

That made it impossible to trust them!

And Chen Rui's motives were even simpler—he was the chief civil official; responsibility for military unrest naturally fell lighter on him than on Zhao Prince Xian.

Even if Chen Rui sensed something suspicious, any irregularity could be passed to the Imperial Commissioner for judgment later.

At least it showed he was doing his duty.

Shu Ao, caught between them, could not decide.

As soon as Chen Rui spoke, he unfolded the letters and began reading them aloud before them all.

Zhan En's expression grew tense.

Zhao Prince Xian, seeing the deed done, merely watched coldly.

As Chen Rui skimmed through one letter, his face suddenly lit up with surprise and realization.

He snatched the letters back, ignored Provincial Governor Zhao Prince Xian, and handed them directly to Censor Shu Ao, solemnly saying: "Censor Shu, you should read these first."

Zhao Prince Xian's face darkened, and he roared: "Chen Rui! How dare you!"

Chen Rui, unfazed, stepped between them after handing over the letters.

Facing Zhao Prince Xian's rage, he replied indifferently: "Director Zhao, I'm doing this for your own good—just to avoid suspicion."

Zhao Prince Xian's heart skipped a beat—he sensed something off in Chen Rui's words.

He ignored Chen Rui entirely and looked uneasily at Shu Ao: "Censor Shu, what do the letters say?"

Though an imperial graduate, his ability to read ten lines at a glance was unquestioned.

Shu Ao scanned the letter once and his expression darkened.

Facing Zhao Prince Xian's question, he did not look up, but mused: "The letter says…"

"The Yueyang Prince's Assistant Prince, Zhu Zhu Yingyan, conspired with others to commit an act of treason."

"These people were bandits manipulated by someone who warned Zhu Zhu Yingyan that his identity had been uncovered and urged him to flee immediately—the man would protect him."

"And before fleeing, he should leave behind a scapegoat to take the blame for stealing the man's official seal."

The moment he finished speaking,

Provincial Governor Zhao Prince Xian felt dread surge through him!

He was about to speak when Zhan En, the Regional Military Commissioner, stepped forward, staring at Zhao Prince Xian in shock: "So it's true!?"

Zhan En bowed and urged: "Director Zhao, you should indeed recuse yourself—command here shall be mine."

As Regional Military Commissioner, he naturally had the authority to assume command.

He turned to Chen Rui and proposed: "Director of Civil Affairs, now that we have clear evidence, no need to be polite with the Yueyang Prince's Mansion—search it thoroughly!"

Chen Rui nodded: "Exactly!"

He exhaled deeply—case solved, it seemed.

Zhan En gave the order, and soldiers surged into the mansion.

Chen Rui and Zhan En, in perfect accord, immediately sidelined Provincial Governor Zhao Prince Xian.

Stealing the official seal!

Who else could it be but Zhao Prince Xian?

Earlier, when suppressing river pirates, the Assistant Military Commissioner Ji Ji Ruzhi "coincidentally" withdrew most of Tang Bin's personal guards—leading to what followed.

And that order to withdraw the guards had been issued by the Provincial Governor's office!

All present understood the setup.

Yet precisely because it was such a crude frame-up, Chen Rui and Zhan En leapt at it—enough to close the case: one Assistant Prince, one Provincial Governor.

Were there irregularities?

That was for the officials from Zhili to decide.

At this point, they had already cleared themselves completely.

Soldiers poured into the Yueyang Prince's Mansion; Chen Rui and Zhan En walked in side by side, heads high.

Zhao Prince Xian's lips moved, but he said nothing.

Suddenly, he felt a hand tap his shoulder.

Zhao Prince Xian turned.

Shu Ao spoke slowly: "Just the Chu princely line alone has one Prince, six other princes like Yong'an, 198 generals of the Zhen, Fu, and Fengguo ranks, 604 Assistant Princes, and 447 princesses and noble ladies."

"Not to mention the Bi and Jing princely lines—there are surely hundreds of Assistant Princes, as common as cabbages."

"To close the case over the death of one Assistant Prince? That's an insult to the Imperial Commissioner."

"Chen Rui is short-sighted; Zhan En is foolish. Both want to rush to a conclusion—this scheming won't serve them well."

"Director Zhao, you'd do well to withdraw now and wait for the Imperial Commissioner."

Zhao Prince Xian remained silent.

…

Huguang provincial capital, fifth month, tenth day.

The Yangtze River stretched east to west.

The Han River connected north to south.

Huguang, where the two rivers met, had always been the heartland of the realm, the crossroads of nine provinces.

Wuchang Prefecture, Huguang's provincial capital, had always teemed with merchants, travelers, and all manner of folk at its docks.

Today, the largest dock in Wuchang had been cleared—unrelated people were banished to other docks.

Water had been sprinkled, yellow earth laid down; in front stood officials from the Provincial Administration and Governor's Office, awaiting; beyond them, runners and guards stood motionless, holding ceremonial banners high.

From noon until now, after days of clear skies, Wuchang had begun drizzling again.

The runners naturally grew impatient, but under the stern gaze of their superiors, they held their tongues.

"Didn't the Imperial Commissioner arrive at noon? It's nearly afternoon!" Chen Rui frowned, his face anxious.

Nothing is more agonizing than waiting for judgment.

Though they had pinned the case on the Yueyang Prince's Mansion and the suspect, Provincial Governor Zhao Prince Xian,

His own judgment was still unavoidable.

On Chen Rui's left stood Left Assistant Commissioner Zheng Zheng Yunying; on his right, Left Assistant Secretary Feng Feng Shiyu.

Zheng Zheng Yunying raised his eyes to Chen Rui but said nothing.

This Provincial Administration Commissioner had ignored provincial civil affairs for days—he was completely in the dark.

As the current Provincial Administration Commissioner, second only to Chen Rui, he naturally welcomed Chen Rui's downfall; it might well be an opportunity for him.

Feng Feng Shiyu took up the thread: "Along the route from Nanzhili to Huguang, the prefectures and counties have all suffered some flooding; delays are only natural."

Traveling upstream is slow to begin with, and with boatmen being diverted for flood control, further delays are only to be expected.

Chen Rui remained silent.

He looked up at Du Si, the Huguang Provincial Surveillance Commissioner, and Zhan En, the Regional Military Commissioner, standing not far away.

Their composure was flawless; not a trace of unease showed on their faces.

Chen Rui too drew a deep breath and slightly restrained his emotions.

Left Vice Commissioner Zheng Zheng Yunying, feigning curiosity, asked: "Why haven't Governor Zhao Prince Xian and Censor Shu Ao come to greet the Imperial Envoy?"

Although governors and surveillance censors are also imperial envoys, they differ from those sent by imperial decree to investigate specific cases with special authority.

Even just coming to pay respects would be necessary.

Hearing this, Chen Rui recalled the gathering at Yueyang Prince's mansion several days prior, and a faint smile crept onto his face.

Though he didn't know who was behind it, at least the blame had a clear target.

Someone else bore the guilt, and Chen Rui wouldn't appear incompetent.

He offered a dry sarcasm: "Whoever started this—will he have no descendants? They're fully occupied chasing a major case; naturally, they can't spare the time."

After saying this, Chen Rui finally calmed a little of his anxiety.

Zheng Zheng Yunying understood perfectly but feigned surprise: "Oh?"

Governor Zhao Prince Xian had previously charged ahead recklessly, determined to uncover the truth, and had already angered the entire officialdom.

Now that his own hands were stained, he could only shut himself away.

The men chatted idly, half-heartedly.

The sky gradually darkened; intermittent showers came and went.

Only when the sun had sunk low on the horizon did several imperial envoy ships finally appear on the horizon.

Whether in size or design, the envoy ships stood out like brilliant stars in the night sky, unique among the hundred boats on the Yangtze.

The waiting officials stirred with excitement.

They craned their necks, whispering among themselves.

Chen Rui hurried forward with the officials of the Provincial Administration Commission to greet them.

The Regional Military Commission and the Provincial Surveillance Commission also flanked him on either side.

The three commissions stood in solemn attendance as the foremost, towering pavilion-ship loomed like a fallen sky, firmly anchoring itself at the dock.

The ship's shadow fell over the waiting officials; all looked up.

Several imperial envoys stood on the deck, leaning halfway out, gazing down with cold expressions.

From above, looking down.

The Huguang three-commission officials all shivered.

…

Meanwhile.

Not far from the dock, in an unnamed mansion within the city.

In the deepest chamber of the three-courtyard compound, a tea room occasionally echoed with voices.

Inside the tea room, a middle-aged man with a plump face held a teapot, seated cross-legged before the tea table.

Opposite him sat a young man, nervously scratching his head and fidgeting.

The middle-aged man leisurely poured himself a cup, sipped slowly.

The young man could no longer contain himself: "Uncle Zong, the Imperial Envoy must have entered the city by now! Why aren't you the least bit anxious!?"

The plump man ignored him, sipping his tea again.

Seeing his nephew's panic, he shook his head and reassured him: "The envoy is here to investigate the Zhang Chucheng case—what does that have to do with us?"

"You're acting so frantic, anyone would think you did it."

The young man immediately leapt to his feet, his expression dark: "Uncle, stop setting traps in your words. Even if we rank suspects, you're first in line—not me!"

The plump man smiled faintly: "Then why are you in such a hurry?"

"Didn't Chen Rui, Zhao Prince Xian, Zhan En, and Shu Ao already clear up the matter at Yueyang Prince's mansion a few days ago?"

"The bandits were raised by Yueyang Prince's mansion; Zhao Prince Xian colluded with them on official records—what's it to us?"

The young man fell silent.

You can fool outsiders, but don't fool yourself.

Forget about raising bandits.

Just the act of letting a Supporting Prince die with dignity—there are few in Huguang capable of it.

"Unrelated"? Fool me!

The plump man gestured for him to sit, his expression turning serious: "That matter had nothing to do with me."

"Zhang Chucheng was only investigating minor offenses—clandestine copper casting and arms production. Why would I have reason to strike?"

"Even if he'd traced it to Changsha gentry, Prince Ji bowed his left cheek, then offered his right—what are princely houses before imperial envoys?"

"Strike? I'm not mad!"

Clandestine coinage and arms production had long been a persistent tradition in the Great Ming.

Due to historical problems, central minted copper coins had lost credibility; in remote prefectures, even commoners preferred barter over central coins—Yunnan used sea shells, Sichuan and Guizhou used fennel, silver flowers, salt, and cloth, Jiangxi and Huguang used rice, grain, silver, and cloth, Shanxi and Shaanxi used furs.

Where there's a vacuum, someone fills it.

Central coins had high nominal value but little worth; local clandestine coins had smaller denominations, aiming for low profit margins to capture the market.

Bluntly, garrison officers gathered men to set up furnaces; local assistant commissioners let their sons mint coins.

More subtly, merchants or gentry were used as fronts while the real operators stayed hidden.

Once scaled into an industry, local officials naturally became part of it, then fell into the old pattern of negligence, mutual deception, and concealing truth from the center.

Today, nearly every region had its own currency.

Arms production was even more common—wealthy households always had hidden stockpiles in their cellars.

Why call it a minor offense?

No one has ever been executed or stripped of their princedom for clandestine coinage or arms production!

Prince Qingcheng's Supporting General Zhu Qitao was proof.

He hid arms and raised over a thousand bandits; when exposed, Emperor Shizong merely cut his stipend by one-third.

Since then, punishment for minting or forging arms has been little more than salary deductions or demotions.

If so, why would I ever strike at an imperial envoy!?

The plump man's expression turned bitter, helplessly: "I don't know what kind of idiot dog Zhu Zhu Yingyan is."

"He dares to use our names to conspire and commit such a grave crime!"

"Forcing everyone to clean up his mess—he deserves to die!"

He dared not recall what had happened that day.

Here, his tone finally softened: "But regardless, this matter was done by Zhu Zhu Yingyan."

"We've delivered witnesses and evidence to these men, even added a bonus gift to help the envoys earn merit."

"At this point, it should end—so everyone can save face."

Everyone has what they need.

The Huguang bureaucracy wants stability; we want peace; the envoys have their own demands.

Had Zhao Prince Xian not offended so many, we'd have worried over how to satisfy those eager envoys.

Now, the entire Huguang bureaucracy shares a tacit understanding—it's a win-win, as long as the envoys nod, the matter is closed.

The young man across from him shook his head but said nothing.

He wasn't sure whether his uncle's words were true.

After all, such a crime—even a brother wouldn't admit it; one must clean one's name.

But regardless.

The river bandits were raised by his mansion.

The mine bandits were raised by this uncle of his.

Though they were mobilized under Yueyang Prince's false name, staying completely unsoiled was impossible.

He couldn't fathom how this uncle could be so optimistic.

At that moment, a eunuch hurried in.

The young man couldn't wait: "Has the envoy arrived!?"

The plump man also showed concern.

The eunuch bowed carefully to the young man: "Your Highness is wise—the envoy has arrived."

The two exchanged glances, both grim.

The plump man pressed: "Who are the envoys?"

The eunuch quickly replied: "Assistant Censor Hai Rui, Director of the Clan Office Wu Wu Jinghe..."

Before he finished, the plump man's face changed: "Who!?"

Director of the Clan Office!?

What is the purpose of summoning the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs when the Imperial Commissioner is investigating the case!

The young man also showed a look of fear.

The eunuch repeated it once more.

The stout middle-aged man had clearly heard; he took a deep breath and waved his hand: "Continue."

The eunuch paused to recall, then continued: "Assistant Censor Li Li Zaiting..."

The stout middle-aged man stood up and paced back and forth in the tea room.

Everyone knew that Li Li Zaiting was Zhang Chengcheng's senior brother; now sending him to investigate this case, if he carries resentment, it may prove troublesome.

The eunuch continued his report: "Also, the Duke of Cheng, and Zhu Zhu Xizhong, Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

The stout middle-aged man looked incredulous: "Who!?"

The Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, one of the Three Dukes, a Duke—these dying nobles are being sent as Imperial Commissioners!?!

Why such a massive display!?!

(End of Chapter)