Zhao Deshun hurried forward to receive the ledger and immediately presented it to the Emperor.
The Crown Prince froze, as though his blood had turned to ice. He suddenly recalled Ji Huai’an’s solemn assurance that “all evidence has been destroyed.” Rage surged to his head. That damned dog—he had dared to keep a copy behind his back!
The Crown Prince cried out urgently: “Father, this is merely a handwritten duplicate. How can it be trusted? It may well be forged…”
“Elder Brother, you are mistaken.” Baili Jun turned toward him, her voice calm yet piercing. “Ji Huai’an was only a lieutenant of the Imperial Guard. Without someone behind him, how could he access the Ministry of Revenue’s secret records? Moreover, this ledger was hidden in a secret compartment of his study—proof of its importance.”
She paused. “I must ask—why is my brother so nervous? Could it be…”
“You slander me!” The Crown Prince’s head snapped up, veins bulging at his temple. Realizing he had overreacted, he quickly turned back to the throne. “Father, I only meant…”
Behind the Dragon Desk, the Emperor remained silent, slowly turning page after page of the ledger.
The hall fell into deathly quiet, broken only by the rustle of paper.
The records of grain dispatches from Yuanqi Year 22 to 26 were shocking.
For the northern frontier alone, the discrepancy between recorded and received grain reached seventy-eight *shi* of grain. And every transfer location was marked the same: Quanzhou.
“Quanzhou?” Emperor Yongming suddenly gave a cold laugh. “Can Quanzhou’s granaries hold so much?”
The ministers shivered. Several officials aligned with the Crown Prince felt their legs weaken, nearly collapsing. Everyone knew—the Crown Prince’s mother, Consort Su, came from the great Su clan of Quanzhou. And the prefect of Quanzhou, Su Mingyuan, was none other than the Crown Prince’s maternal uncle, Consort Su’s elder brother, and the second son of the Su clan patriarch.
“Your Majesty!” Lord Lin, Deputy Minister of Works, suddenly stepped forward. “Two years ago, Quanzhou built eighteen new granaries—three times more than Fuzhou.” He shrank back into the ranks, as if he had spent all his courage.
Next, Minister Qian of Revenue stumbled forward, kneeling at the imperial steps. “Your servant is guilty! When General Xiao reported shortages at the frontier granaries last year, it was true…”
He glanced at the Crown Prince’s dark glare, but forced himself to continue. “At the time, the Ministry of War replied that the frontier had exaggerated and was embezzling pay. But now it seems…”
The Crown Prince’s temples throbbed. He understood—these courtiers, who usually bowed to him as heir apparent, were now scrambling to distance themselves.
“Father!” The Crown Prince struck his head against the cold tiles. “This is surely a deliberate frame-up! I swear upon my life!”
The hall erupted like cold water splashed into boiling oil.
“His Highness’s sincerity is clear to Heaven and Earth!”
“Someone seeks to frame the heir, to shake the foundation of the realm! Your Majesty must see clearly!”
“Your Majesty! The ledger is here, black and white. Can words of ‘life as guarantee’ restore the blood and hunger of the frontier soldiers?”
“If the heir errs, justice must be done. Otherwise, how can the people be convinced? How can the soldiers’ hearts be calmed?”
The Crown Prince’s faction shouted themselves hoarse in defense.
Other factions seized the chance to strike, demanding strict investigation and punishment.
Neutral officials kept their heads down, silent, afraid to be dragged into this war.
In an instant, the court was bristling with tension—arguments, accusations, and impeachments tangled together into chaos.
Emperor Yongming, seated upon the Dragon Throne, swept his gaze across the ministers’ varied faces but did not immediately intervene.
As the uproar grew, the Crown Prince’s eyes flicked toward the collapsed Sun Yun’guang. A sudden thought struck him. If he kept insisting the ledger was forged, it would only sound weak and invite his father’s suspicion. He needed to muddy the waters completely.
The Crown Prince straightened, voice hoarse: “Father, if this ledger is true, then I am guilty beyond redemption. But I suspect…”
He raised his hand, pointing at Sun Yun’guang. “…that behind Sun Yun’guang and Ji Huai’an, there must be another master.”
The hall fell silent, all eyes turning to him.
Baili Jun’s brows lifted slightly. She had expected him to cling to denial, not to bite back.
A desperate gleam flashed in the Crown Prince’s eyes. “Father, Sun Yun’guang is only one of four deputy generals in the northern army. Another, Deputy General Zheng Bin, oversees grain dispatches. And this man…”
He paused deliberately. “…I happen to know, has long been closely acquainted with Third Brother.”
At once, every gaze shifted from the Crown Prince to the Third Prince.
Prince Baili Jing was famed for his refinement and courtesy. Now his face paled, a flicker of anger flashing in his eyes before he forced it down, his hand tightening within his sleeve. His faction stirred uneasily.
“Deputy Zheng is a court official. His dealings with the Third Prince were purely official!”
“The Third Prince inspected the frontier by imperial command. Contact with generals was his duty. What fault is there?”
The Crown Prince sneered. “Official business? Then why does Zheng Bin send northern specialties to my brother’s residence every year, yet never to Father or any other prince? Is that ‘official duty’ as well?”
The Third Prince’s faction faltered, scrambling for a response.
At that moment, Lord Li, Deputy Minister of War, stepped forward. His tone was steady, as if stating a simple fact. “I did hear that when the Third Prince inspected the frontier, he summoned generals, including Deputy Zheng. As for gifts of local produce, I am too lowly to know.”
His words seemed neutral, but in truth, they confirmed the Third Prince’s official contact with Zheng Bin—while subtly questioning how the Crown Prince “just happened” to know of private gifts.
The waters ran deep indeed.
The Third Prince no longer held back. He strode forward, bowing to the throne, voice tight with suppressed fury. “Father, I inspected the frontier under imperial command. My contact with generals was to assess defenses and report truthfully. Deputy Zheng, being in charge of grain, was questioned on his duties. What fault is there? As for local gifts, they were mere courtesies. My household has recorded them all, ready for Your Majesty’s inspection. For Crown Prince Brother to seize upon such trifles to frame me—it chills my heart!” He lifted his head, meeting the Crown Prince’s gaze squarely, unflinching.
Baili Jun watched coldly, amused at this dogfight. She had long known the northern deputies each harbored their own loyalties.
Sun Yun’guang belonged to the Crown Prince. Zheng Bin had already leaned toward the Third Prince. Then what of the most senior, seemingly neutral Deputy Zhou Zizhong? Whose man was he?
Baili Jun etched the name firmly into her mind.