Chapter 271

When a prince leaves the capital, the spectacle is naturally grand. The procession sped northward from the city, with plans to journey south from the northernmost point and return to the capital before the year’s end. Though time seemed ample, the distance was considerable, and to make it back before the new year, they could not afford to linger long in any place; their itinerary was exceedingly tight. Yet, there are matters even a prince cannot control. For instance, upon reaching the border city, the Fourth Prince was detained by his imperial uncle, who insisted he stay several more days. Or, as was the case now, he found himself leading his men in a desperate breakout.

Indeed, they were breaking out, for the Fourth Prince had been surrounded by the yamen officers of Jinggu, who barred his exit from the city. His face was darker than the soles of his shoes, his expression so grim it seemed to stretch longer than a flagpole, and his eyes had taken on a murderous gleam. To lay siege to a prince—was this not outright rebellion? Considering all he had witnessed in Jinggu over these past days, he thought that executing only one official supervisor was far too lenient. The materials for the sea defenses had been swapped, the laborers’ wages had been cut by more than half. In his fury, he’d had the corrupt supervisor dragged out and beheaded, ordered the newly built walls torn down, and sent others to seize and sell the supervisor’s estate to make up the workers’ wages. As for the local yamen, the prince had left them untouched for now, intending to consult his father upon his return. Yet, just as he was about to leave the city, he was beset by yamen officers.

Already simmering with rage, the prince now erupted, coldly barking, “No mercy—kill them all,” sealing the fate of these short-sighted officials. Neither his own retinue nor Li Linshan’s men tried to dissuade him. They had already offered courtesy before force; since their good intentions were ignored, these men could only be deemed rebels.

Some yamen officers, upon hearing the words “no mercy,” quickly scattered—they were not ready to die. They had heard the man they were hemming in claim to be the Fourth Prince. If he truly was, not only might their lives be forfeit, but their entire clans could be executed, and no one would dare protest. They had no one to blame but themselves for their blindness and for obstructing a prince. As for those who hadn’t heard, their doom was of their own making.

“Commander Li, bring me the magistrate in chains—I want to see how many heads this man has, that he dares besiege a prince and plot rebellion,” the prince ordered coldly, once his guards had cleared the officers away, his gaze fixed on the direction where the officials cowered.

From all around, common folk who had been eavesdropping suddenly found courage and rushed forth. “My lord! I have been wronged! Please bring justice!” Once the first spoke, others followed, and in no time, more than a hundred people were kneeling before the prince’s horse. His mood darkened further, and his guards closed protectively around him. None could guarantee there wasn’t an assassin among the crowd.

“Your Highness, there is a teahouse nearby. Why not rest there for a while?” Liu Qing, left by Li Linshan to guard the prince, quickly scouted a defensible retreat. It was clear they would not be leaving soon, and since the prince was of noble birth and delicate health, it was wiser to wait in comfort.

“Deputy Commander Liu, lead the way,” the prince agreed, then murmured a few words to his attendant, leaving a guard behind to question the petitioners thoroughly.

The teahouse belonged to an elderly man. Under Liu Qing and his men’s escort, the prince entered, chose a good seat, and summoned the owner to inquire about the local magistrate. Though some distance from the recent commotion, the teahouse had heard rumors. The old man, a veteran of many years, could usually guess the background of his patrons. The noble air of the man before him suggested an extraordinary status. Offending the magistrate, yet seeking to probe further, implied the prince had confidence in his backing—perhaps greater than the magistrate’s own. If not, he would simply leave quietly.

The old man pondered, then asked directly, “Young master, you seem to be of distinguished birth. Forgive my boldness, but may I ask your background? The magistrate here is well-connected; if your influence is lesser, it’s better not to get involved in these muddy waters.”

So the magistrate acted with impunity due to his powerful connections. Yet, the magistrate of Jinggu had only taken office a couple of years ago—the previous one had been so corrupt that even his corpse was flogged, and his powerful backers couldn’t save him or his family from ruin. Could this new one be even better connected? “Do you know who this magistrate’s patron is?” the prince asked as he sipped water passed by his guard, only to choke and spray it out at the old man’s answer.

“It’s said he is a student of the Fourth Prince’s mentor—he can speak on equal footing with the prince himself,” the old man reported the rumor, then saw the elegant young man perform an unseemly spit-take. “Young master?”

The prince gritted his teeth. The good reputation he had painstakingly built in the capital was being ruined by some shameless braggart. As for this so-called mentor, the only man worthy of that title was Lord Wang, who, aside from a few family members, had never taken any students. “It’s nothing,” the prince barked, but his tone was sharp as a blade.

The old man studied the young noble closely. He didn’t seem frightened, but rather infuriated—could he be related to the Fourth Prince? Or close to his mentor? Or… As the last thought crossed his mind, the old man nearly knelt on the spot. The suspicion grew stronger the more he thought about it, but before he could prostrate himself and beg forgiveness, the prince’s guards politely ushered him away.

Before long, Li Linshan dragged the magistrate before the prince. Thrown to the ground, the magistrate leapt up and blustered, “Do you know who I am? I am the magistrate here! My teacher was the Fourth Prince’s tutor, and has done him great service! Ah—” His words were cut off by a swift kick, sending him sprawling.

“Tell me, what is your teacher’s name?” the prince asked coldly, having no memory of this man, nor of any such tutor—if he remembered correctly, his real tutor had long since met his end.

“Who are you?” the magistrate demanded, glancing at the seated figure. A nervous chill crept over him; he had sent men to block this very person. He’d heard someone had executed the sea defense supervisor and sold off his estate—though the excuse was to pay workers’ wages, surely there was profit in it. Here in Jinggu, he was the local tyrant; how could anyone take from his domain without his consent?

Jinggu was close enough to the capital that news of any incident would reach the emperor the very next day. At court, the emperor was enraged and immediately ordered the Censorate to investigate Jinggu, determined to root out everyone involved. Any resistance would merit instant execution. The matter of the sea defenses was to be jointly supervised by three parties: civil officials, military officers, and the Fourth Prince’s men, each monitoring the others. Additionally, imperial merchants would send accountants annually to audit the books, making it impossible for anyone to act improperly.

After venting his fury at court, the emperor summoned Lord Wang to the imperial study, gave him instructions, and sighed with regret—why could the scourge of corruption never be eradicated? Lord Wang was silent; he had no answer.

When Wang Xiujin received the imperial edict, he was nearly dumbfounded. His accountants were already overwhelmed, busy with his own businesses and general stores, plus supporting the Fourth Prince’s construction teams and their subsidiaries. More and more shops were requesting their services, and a few had become regular clients. He truly lacked the manpower to send teams from the north to the south to audit the sea defense accounts. Wasn’t this the Censorate’s job? Why did it fall to him?

No matter how unwilling, Wang Xiujin could not defy an imperial order. He could only accept the task with a pinched nose. No sooner had he sent off the palace messenger than his father’s steward arrived, summoning him to the Censorate. Wang Xiujin suspected there was trouble with sea defense construction. At the Censorate, after hearing his father recount what had happened in Jinggu, Wang Xiujin’s first thought was that nothing was ever peaceful when traveling with the Fourth Prince.

Lord Wang paid no heed to his son’s reaction. He had only summoned him to ask whether he had anything to send to Li Linshan, as he was going to personally investigate the situation in Jinggu.

“There’s nothing that needs sending,” Wang Xiujin replied, shaking his head. He’d already given Li Linshan plenty of silver notes before departure; anything lacking could be bought en route. “Father, may I ask something, though I’m unsure if it’s appropriate?”

Lord Wang glared at his son—there was no need for such formalities with him. “Speak.”

“The sea defenses are our first line against foreign enemies; if anyone dares tamper with them, it is treason. If the motive is not merely greed… could it be the work of foreign spies?” Wang Xiujin had always believed that whether as officials, generals, or even minor bureaucrats, the gravest offense was embezzling from major public works—disregarding national defense and the people’s welfare for personal gain. Even execution of their entire clan would not atone for the harm caused.

Lord Wang’s gaze changed as he looked at his son, then nodded, indicating he understood, and waved him off to take Yachang home.

Yachang, who had been reading an illustrated book, was surprised to see his little father arrive so early. Wang Xiujin picked up his son, saying, “Grandfather is leaving on official business and will be away from the capital for a while. Yachang must stay with me.”

“I want to say goodbye to Grandfather,” Yachang said, hugging his father’s neck.

“Yes, let’s go bid farewell to Grandfather, and then I’ll take you to eat something delicious,” Wang Xiujin replied, wondering whether his mother could manage three children alone at home. After finishing his errands, he decided to visit, bringing snacks for the children.

Before noon, Lord Wang left the capital with his entourage, heading straight for Jinggu. Wang Xiujin, after wandering with his son, returned to his busy affairs. By the time he finished, it was already evening. He made some treats the children loved and first went to the Wang family estate.