Chapter 951: Chapter 949: Settled
Xing Yuyue glared at Duke An for a long time, then sat down dejectedly and said through gritted teeth, "Bring the item, and I’ll have someone go back to fetch the military book right away."
...
While Duke An was exchanging verbal jabs with Xing Bin outside the mansion gates, Zheng Pengfei had already slipped away from the followers, changed his clothes, and quietly returned to the Jiang Family’s courtyard.
Jiang Yifan was waiting in the dark in his room for news. By the starlight through the open window, Jiang Yifan saw Zheng Pengfei’s figure flash into the courtyard like a ghost and silently slip into the room.
Even though it was his own courtyard, the opening and closing of the door did not make the slightest sound.
Jiang Yifan sat still but chuckled softly, "Did big brother meet Shi Yu? That’s why you could enter the room without any precautions."
Hearing Jiang Yifan’s voice, Zheng Pengfei’s steps became normal as he walked over to the table, sat down, and took the teacup Jiang Yifan handed him in the dark, saying, "Yes, I saw Shi Yu. I took another roundabout way to get here."
After gulping down a cup of tea, Zheng Pengfei asked, "Can that person get out of the city? I noticed his Qinggong isn’t very good. The soldiers guarding the city are not to be trifled with; we better not let him really get caught."
"Don’t worry, big brother, there’s someone to assist him. Also, the guards from Duke An’s Mansion are covering for him, so he’ll definitely get out. However, he has to get a little hurt to put many people’s minds at ease."
As Jiang Yifan spoke, he raised his teacup towards Zheng Pengfei and said, "After this, the matter of stealing the Ministry of Revenue’s ledgers will no longer involve you, big brother. I toast you with tea instead of wine to celebrate."
...
The night’s incident wasn’t too big, but it wasn’t too small either. Duke An never intended to hide it from the emperor, which is why he could speak so decisively to Xing Yuyue.
However, the emperor didn’t ask Duke An; he asked Jinrong.
After the morning court session, just as Jinrong was leaving the main hall, he was stopped by a little eunuch and invited into the Imperial Study Room.
The emperor was reviewing memorials, and after Jinrong saluted, seeing that the emperor didn’t acknowledge him, he had to stand aside and wait quietly.
The emperor finished reading the memorial in his hand, then looked up at Jinrong, "What happened last night?" His expression was calm, showing no emotion.
Jinrong hesitated for a moment and asked, "Is Imperial Father asking about the affair at Grand Tutor Xing’s mansion?"
The emperor put down the brush dipped in vermilion and asked in return, "What do you think? You wouldn’t say you don’t know about this, would you?" If Jinrong couldn’t even manage the movements of his subordinates, how could he guard such a vast territory?
"Well," Jinrong stole a glance at the emperor and said, "Jiang Yifan consulted me, and I didn’t oppose it."
"You didn’t oppose it?"
"Well, I thought it would be unfair for our people to suffer wrongs unjustly." Jinrong steeled his heart and elaborated a bit.
The emperor’s face finally showed some emotion as he frowned and said, "What’s going on?" He seemed somewhat satisfied with Jinrong’s answer.
Jinrong glanced around the room, feeling a bit embarrassed.
Zhang Cunhai, receiving a signal from the emperor, waved his hand to dismiss the palace maids and eunuchs, then stood in place with his head lowered submissively.
"It’s like this. On that day, Grand Tutor Xing publicly accused Ye Xinyan in court, and she found out. Unwilling to swallow the insult quietly, she coincidentally had a Jianghu friend of Jiang Yifan’s leaving soon. She asked him to do her a favor before departing..."
"...things got out of hand, and he didn’t dare stay in the capital. Using his claws, he escaped the city by night."
After Jinrong’s explanation, the emperor looked at him without speaking.
Jinrong, sneaking several glances at the emperor, had no choice but to kneel and say, "This person was a master I hired through someone at the time due to pressing circumstances. I was wrong, and I will be more cautious in the future."
The emperor finally let out a cold snort, saying, "The expert you hired was just so-so. In a mere confrontation with the Xing family guards and city gate officials, he got injured. If not for intervention by the people from Duke An’s Mansion, he probably would have been captured. How would you handle that outcome?"
Jinrong let out a breath in relief and begrudgingly defended, "These men excel at Qinggong, but they’re not skilled in combat. With so many attacking him, he couldn’t hold his ground."
The emperor wanted to appear profound but couldn’t help himself and commented, "Even his Qinggong is lackluster, which shows your lack of caution. I already heard about what happened. He was wreaking havoc at the Xing Mansion; if he had encountered Lih Mian, he would have been caught in just a few moves."
Jinrong pursed his lips without uttering a word, as if he was rendered speechless.
Ye Xinyan’s cunning idea indeed gave Zheng Pengfei an opportunity.
With such a sneaky thief capable of breaking into rooms undetected in the capital, it’s no wonder many people would feel uneasy. Such mistakes made it easier to accept—a Jianghu thief who was discovered during a failed heist, injured while escaping, rather than a shadowy master whose every move hits the mark.
Moreover, it was with Duke An’s mansion guards intentionally allowing the breach that he escaped the city. A thief caught, injured, and identified reassures more than a phantom robber.
"Also, Ye Xinyan is simply outrageous! For personal grievances, she resorted to such reckless actions! How has Duke An educated his descendants?" The emperor frowned.
The emperor must not be planning to pin faults on Ye Xinyan and Duke An, right?
Jinrong grew anxious and quickly replied, "Imperial Father, Ye Xinyan is just a woman, and it’s unfair to hold her to high standards. If the Grand Tutor hadn’t slandered her publicly, she wouldn’t have been so petty, correct? Besides, all Ye Xinyan did was have someone steal a few of the Grand Tutor’s garments to embarrass him. It’s the Grand Tutor’s vanity that blew this out of proportion."
Seeing the emperor remain unmoved, he continued, "The Grand Tutor is old. If people learn of this, the old man might not be able to withstand it..."
The emperor finally showed hesitation.
Jinrong pressed on, "Imperial Father should also consider Ye Xinyan’s virtues. This time, Ye Xinyan sent a large number of new farming tools to Yuanzhou, alongside oxen, lending them out to farmers free of charge. It will certainly enhance farming efficiency. Even if she refuses to suffer a loss, in the grand scheme of things, she outshines many of the nation’s top officials."
The emperor glared at Jinrong for quite a while. Despite agreeing with him, he did not openly endorse him, instead asking, "The Grand Tutor went to the Duke’s Mansion and spoke with Duke An for most of the day; do you know what consensus they reached?"
Duke An was even more challenging than his granddaughter. Xing Yuyue and Duke An had been at odds for decades. Now, Duke An held something Xing Yuyue didn’t want exposed. This couldn’t end easily.
The outcome of the showdown between two old foxes was uncertain.
"Well," Jinrong laughed sheepishly, "I’m curious too, but since they spoke with no one else present, I can’t inquire. I dare say Duke An won’t lose out."
The emperor, seeing Jinrong not just brushing him off, lost interest in him. If he wanted to know, he could just have Lih Mian investigate—no need to waste his time with Jinrong here.
In recent days, favorable news from Yuanzhou lifted the emperor’s spirits. He waved his hand dismissively, as if shooing a fly, and silently sent Jinrong out of the Imperial Study Room.
Today was merely about teaching Jinrong a lesson. Since the goal was accomplished, and Jinrong promised to act more cautiously in the future, the matter was laid to rest.
Jinrong left the Imperial Study Room, fully at ease.