Chapter 137: Wei Wusheng Learns Everything |
The morning court session began once again.
Today, the morale of the assembled officials was clearly different.
As Minister Sun entered through the corridor, he was immediately surrounded by well-wishers.
"Truly worthy of being Young Master Sun Qian! After going to Zhang County for less than a year, he has achieved political harmony and prosperity. The tax revenue has increased several fold in one go," someone eagerly flattered. "With such achievements, he's bound to rise rapidly through the ranks in the future."
"He is upright and honest, not versed in worldly affairs," Minister Sun said with a smile, then turned toward the distant Taiyuan Hall and made a small bowing gesture. "He only knows that the court is facing difficulties now and that we must weather this storm together to repay His Majesty."
"Indeed, such a sincere patriotic heart is truly a model for today's young scholars," the others nodded.
"Yes, this is what it means to truly share the nation's worries."
"Truly worthy of being a leader among the capital's scholars."
The flattery came one after another.
"How can a juren be a leader among scholars?" Sun Yan said with a dismissive wave. "He's still far from that."
"With Young Master Sun Qian's talent, becoming a jinshi is surely within easy reach!"
"Ha ha ha..."
The conversation here was pleasant.
Not far away, the Prince of Wu, Zhao Yi, Ye Changqing, and others wore expressions far less cheerful.
Each of them looked somewhat grim.
Of course, there was no fear whatsoever.
It was purely that they felt the officials were being too bold by acting so openly at this critical juncture.
"Could we use this doubling of salt and iron taxes as an opportunity to investigate corruption in other counties?" Zhao Yi asked in a low voice.
"We can't take things for granted."
Ye Changqing immediately rejected this, saying: "These are all matters plain for everyone to see. If they could be resolved, they would have been resolved long ago."
Really, don't underestimate imperial authority too much.
Never mind a divided dynasty.
Even in unified dynasties, government decrees couldn't get past the county level.
Since this corruption problem is visible to the naked eye, why haven't other emperors investigated it?
Some founding emperors indeed investigated ruthlessly and killed many people, but how many founding emperors are there?
In ancient dynasties, without exception, by the second generation, large numbers of privileged classes would emerge that couldn't be shaken.
If emperors were really that powerful, why would they need to sell official positions to raise money? Why not just collect taxes properly?
Taxes simply couldn't be collected.
Minister Sun's action was essentially selling official positions.
It's just that he was doing it more cleanly, more decently, more impeccably.
"He can say the taxes were saved through tightening the county office's expenses and avoiding wasteful spending. He can also say the taxes are extra donations from patriotic gentry who understand the nation's difficulties. He can even say it's because Zhang County was governed so well that they had a good harvest and all industries flourished, so salt and iron consumption increased—this is an official's achievement."
This explanation from Ye Changqing helped the Prince of Wu and Zhao Yi understand.
Attacking this point would definitely not be advantageous.
On the contrary, it would carry implications of suppression and exclusion, making it seem more like factional politics.
Sun Qian was different from Song Shi'an.
Song Shi'an had both merits and faults.
Sun Qian's was pure merit.
Not rewarding him would be suppressing initiative. In the future, if there's a good year with developing production and economic growth, officials governing regions who submit only the usual tax revenue and maintain a record of neither merit nor fault—that would set a bad precedent.
"Then His Highness the Prince of Jin..." Zhao Yi had an ominous feeling.
The Prince of Wu also looked at Ye Changqing.
"He will definitely enter the game," Ye Changqing answered with certainty.
The reason was simple—it was now the Prince of Jin's turn.
If he didn't contend now, there would be no hope left.
The Prince of Wu's face darkened, but he said nothing.
Not far away, the Prince of Jin and the Prince of Zhongping approached.
"You go ahead."
The Prince of Wu spoke in a stern tone.
Seeing it was the Prince of Jin approaching, Ye Changqing pressed his hand on the Prince of Wu's arm, reminding him: "Your Highness, stay calm."
"I understand."
After the Prince of Wu said this, Zhao Yi and Ye Changqing left first.
The Prince of Jin and the Prince of Zhongping gradually moved closer to the expressionless Prince of Wu who was looking back at them.
A bit fierce.
Finally, the three princes met.
"Zishang, you go ahead."
The Prince of Jin also dismissed his follower, facing the Prince of Wu alone.
King versus king.
Neither spoke, staring at each other for a long time.
Compared to the officials, they had arrived quite late to begin with. During this silent period, the last dawdling officials also walked away and reached the great hall.
Now, only the two of them remained.
"Prince of Jin." After brewing in his heart for a long time, the Prince of Wu began with some accusation in his tone: "Si Prefecture's taxes—the court can only collect 800,000. Yet Minister Sun can collect over two million. Do you think this is right?"
"Perhaps Sun Qian has some other methods," the Prince of Jin said casually.
"He has such methods now. If the Sun clan takes on greater responsibilities in the future, can you suppress them, Prince of Jin?" the Prince of Wu questioned again.
There wasn't a wasted word in his speech.
Since the Prince of Jin wouldn't waste words either, he said: "Ji Yuan, whom Zhao Xiang couldn't defeat, whom Han Yuan couldn't defeat—Song Shi'an went and drove him back. If he takes on greater responsibilities in the future, can you suppress him?"
The two completely locked horns.
As fellow princes with single-character princely titles, neither would back down.
In a true confrontation, neither feared the other.
"But Song Shi'an wants to implement military farming and compete with the aristocratic families for population," the Prince of Wu didn't fall into the trap of his words and continued to rebut. "Give him authority, and he can solve the treasury deficit, fill the granaries, allow Great Yu to prepare for war, and counterattack the false Qi. At that time, won't it be the nation that grows stronger?"
"Can thousand-year-old aristocratic families really be toppled by him?" the Prince of Jin asked in return.
"Yes, it's very difficult. Great Yu moreover has the deepest aristocratic roots among all the states," the Prince of Wu didn't avoid this issue. On the contrary, he proactively proposed a solution: "Then why can't you, Prince of Jin, join me in jointly promoting military farming to strengthen our Wei clan?"
He extended his olive branch.
For the first time, he was willing to turn hostility into friendship.
Willing for brothers to unite and jointly defend the realm.
In his eyes, there even appeared a sincerity rarely seen when dealing with the Prince of Jin.
After a long while, the Prince of Jin revealed a slight smile.
"Is that possible?"
The Prince of Wu seemed to sense feasibility, his tone immediately becoming more eager.
"Zisheng."
Suddenly, the Prince of Jin spoke, calling his courtesy name. As the other froze, he said leisurely: "Since we met just now, you haven't even called me Second Brother once."
You've said "Prince of Jin" three times.
The Prince of Wu's face sank.
Conversely, the Prince of Jin became gentler: "Zisheng, will you treat me well in the future?"
One sentence, straight to the heart.
A powerful minister, no matter what, would find it very difficult to commit regicide.
But a blood brother who also holds power—unless the relationship is truly intimate and marked by fraternal affection and brotherly respect—only two situations would arise:
Kill the brother and consolidate the throne.
Be killed by the brother and lose the throne.
Of course, the Prince of Wu could lie and deceive him by saying he would treat him well.
But since both claimed to wholeheartedly serve their father and wholeheartedly serve Great Yu's realm, if the Prince of Wu was so noble, why not yield the throne to the other and willingly assist the Prince of Jin?
Both were fighting for the throne—who was nobler than whom?
The two stopped speaking.
The Prince of Jin withdrew his final gentleness and walked directly past the Prince of Wu.
With his back to his fourth brother, he strode toward Taiyuan Hall.
………
The court had already begun its morning session.
In Princess Changqing's palace, a maid was styling her hair while saying: "Your Highness, do you know? That Song Jieyuan who returned can now take the examinations."
Although that court session was many days ago, the inner palace couldn't interfere in politics, and princesses couldn't go out freely, so they basically received no information. However, among the maids, their intelligence network could belatedly catch some "news."
"Wasn't he imprisoned?" Princess Changqing asked in confusion.
So the maid told Princess Changqing all the major news from those days.
Including the most interesting bit—how Song Ce's maternal grandfather Cui Ting had cracked open an official's head with his cane.
But the only thing Princess Changqing cared about was...
Song Shi'an had admitted to all the blame for that military rebellion.
Was this something that could be admitted?
Wouldn't it be very dangerous?
She didn't have much of a concept, but she only knew that Wei Wusheng was currently locked up in the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs, completely ignorant of the outside world.
………
A eunuch around thirty years old carried a meal tray toward the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs.
He was one of Chen Bao's adopted sons and had some influence in the palace.
But the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs was too confidential, so it required an important eunuch like him to deliver personally.
On the way, he encountered Princess Changqing, who was carrying a copper pot for boiling soup.
"Your Highness the Princess." The eunuch smiled apologetically: "This servant is carrying the meal and cannot bow to you."
"No need for ceremony, Gonggong." Princess Changqing said quite politely: "I made my brother some red date chicken soup. He caught a slight cold before entering the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs. Could you help deliver it?"
"Your Highness, this is really..."
Before he finished speaking, the princess placed a small gold ingot on the meal tray and showed a pitiful expression: "Please, Gonggong."
He was somewhat troubled, but after looking left and right, he said quietly: "Then please put it down. I need to leave quickly."
"Thank you."
Princess Changqing set down the chicken soup.
The eunuch hurried away.
When he could no longer see the princess, he lifted the pot lid and stirred through the chicken soup with a spoon. Finding no issues, he felt relieved.
After delivering it to the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs, he waited at the entrance until the meal was finished before taking the utensils back.
"There's even chicken soup today."
Though the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs was for interrogating imperial clan members, it still carried some punitive implications, so the food was quite simple—soup was rarely available.
Wei Wusheng drank the hot soup.
He scooped up one of the red dates with his spoon and ate it.
But after chewing twice, he frowned.
He spat it into his hand.
Then he discovered that inside the red date was a small piece of silk.
Opening it, there was actually writing inside?
And it was in Princess Changqing's handwriting—
Song Shi'an has taken all the blame
After reading it, he immediately clutched the silk in his hand, then raised his head. Outside the door, the eunuch still had his back turned, standing guard.
How it was delivered wasn't the key issue now.
This sentence completely shocked him.
What did it mean that Song Shi'an had taken all the blame?
Hadn't they already agreed to place the responsibility on himself!
This made it even harder for him to be released from prison!
Thinking of this, he grew anxious.
But at the same time, the warmth spreading in his heart diluted this unease...
Finally, he revealed a somewhat helpless smile.
This guy actually deceived me.
So he had thought it through early on—he firmly wanted to bind himself together with me.
And I was worried he would become part of the Prince of Wu's faction.
Alas, my perspective was too narrow.
If that's the case, then when Eunuch Chen came that day to say those things, it was His Majesty testing my ambitions?
It doesn't matter.
Wei Wusheng smiled calmly.
Why should people remember hate but forget love?