Cui Yingshu’s expression was extremely ugly. For a full half day, he couldn’t utter a single word—the person who set this trap must first understand Emperor Jianzhang thoroughly enough, and must also have sufficient patience. He might even have planned to use that beauty the Yangzhou prefect gave Cui Shaoting as a hidden chess piece from the very moment the Yangzhou corruption case occurred. He immediately thought of Crown Prince’s Consort Fan Liangdi, who supervised the Yangzhou corruption case and single-handedly escalated it.
But he quickly dismissed this conjecture. Although Madam Cui was exceptionally close to the Empress and the Crown Prince, Zhou Weiqi was equally her nephew. Fan Liangdi had always tried to use this point to win her over. Someone who had been coveting the Cui family’s influence and wanted both the Cui and Song families at her disposal shouldn’t now be thinking of ways to destroy the Cui family, but should be trying to win them over and curry favor like Fan Liangdi, even scheming about marriage alliances between their children. Moreover, no matter how capable Fan Liangdi was, she was still a deep palace woman in the Eastern Palace with the Crown Princess constraining her. To plot and frame a high court official was beyond her capabilities.
Song Chengru thought even more deeply than him. He recalled that in Yangzhou, it seemed Fang Xiaoru was the one who had dug out the Yangzhou prefect from Zhang Yuan’s mouth, and he was also the one who made the Yangzhou corruption case explode into prominence. Connecting this to the fact that the matter was exposed by the Palace Eunuch Bureau, and the relationship between the Palace Eunuch Bureau and Fang Xiaoru and the Crown Prince’s faction—but then he and Cui Yingshu thought along the same lines. The Crown Prince’s faction would absolutely not frantically suppress the Cui and Song families at this time. This would be completely harmful to them without any benefit. As long as the Crown Prince’s faction’s brains weren’t damaged, they wouldn’t do such a thing as destroying allies once they’d served their purpose.
His fingers unconsciously tapped on the table. He suddenly opened his eyes to look at Cui Yingshu, then swept a glance at Song Chuyi with his peripheral vision, asking them heavily, “Tell me, when Yang Xuan submitted this memorial, did he purely think border trade would benefit the frontier, or does he have ulterior motives?”
This was asking whether Yang Xuan was Cui Shaoting’s man, or a stepping stone someone else used to frame Cui Shaoting.
Cui Yingshu didn’t know Yang Xuan very well. He only knew he came from the ranks, grew up mingling with horses in stables since childhood. Cui Shaoting had written several letters praising how well he raised the warhorses. Since putting him in charge of the warhorses, the warhorse casualty rate had dropped sharply.
Now that Song Chengru was asking whether Yang Xuan was acting under someone’s instructions to bait Cui Shaoting, he couldn’t make a definitive judgment either.
Song Jue stood with his hands behind his back, quietly listening to everything, then went through the matter in his mind once more before opening his mouth to ask, “There’s one more point. The urgent matter is to know what exactly uncle is thinking, and whether he has written a memorial seconding Yang Xuan’s proposal. If his memorial has already been sent to the capital…”
Then everyone who seconded the border trade proposal would be branded as traitors who enriched themselves by selling out the country in Emperor Jianzhang’s eyes.
They were preparing to catch how many people in one net—even Chief Minister Chang thought this idea was not bad, a good method to reduce border and treasury pressure. When the time came, Song Chengru, who hadn’t yet caught on, might very well second it too.
Song Chengru came up with a plan. “The urgent matter is to immediately send someone to the northwest to notify Shaoting. This memorial cannot be submitted, and the people around him cannot be trusted!”
Otherwise, once the memorial reached the Cabinet and Emperor Jianzhang’s hands, saying anything would be useless.
Everyone present had already thought of this at the first opportunity, but the problem was that in the current situation where the enemy was hidden and they were exposed, even if they sent someone to the northwest, they might not survive to see Cui Shaoting. Moreover, no one could say clearly what Cui Shaoting’s current situation was.
Song Jue lowered his head and thought carefully for a while, then said decisively, “I’ll go.”
They needed someone completely trustworthy of their own, who also had enough weight to make Cui Shaoting believe them. This candidate to report the news to the northwest was truly hard to select. Cui Yingshu’s profile was far too conspicuous. The other Cui clan members were probably already being watched closely—the opposition had laid such an elaborate trap and achieved this level, they wouldn’t be careless.
But Song Jue also couldn’t go. He was the heir apparent of Earl Changning’s household. Even Song Chuyi herself had people watching her constantly without blinking. Going out once resulted in being followed, let alone Song Jue? Song Chuyi shook her head and expressionlessly told them about being followed today. “I’ve already had people watch them, to see if we can find any clues and follow the vine to touch upon some leads.”
Song Chengru laughed coldly. This time, the coldness and anger truly arose from his heart. “Followed?!”
This meant they had truly calculated the Song family into their scheme as well. Besides shock and fury, Song Chengru felt deep fear. This feeling was like waking up in one’s own bed in the dead of night, only to see someone standing at the bedside holding a knife, with one’s neck in constant danger—the feeling really wasn’t pleasant.
The Cui and Song families’ people temporarily couldn’t be moved. Now even an ordinary Cui or Song household servant going out to buy vegetables would probably be followed by a long string of people. Although Ma Changjiang and the others under Song Chuyi’s command could be used, it wasn’t that no one knew she still held forces in her grasp—like Han Zhi knew. If this was truly related to Han Zhi, then sending her people out would also be sending them to their deaths.
It seemed they had entered a dead-end alley, yet Song Chengru’s mind became increasingly clear instead.
“First wait for the news from Xiao Yi’s people.” He straightened his clothing. “Tomorrow I’ll end my leave and return to court.”
Song Chengru returning to court now was also a good thing. At least from those memorials sent from the northwest, he could discern some patterns. He could also feel out what exactly the Cabinet group meant, and whether they were connected to this matter.
When Song Chuyi returned to her room, Ziyun was already waiting at the courtyard gate, holding a sheep-horn pearl lantern that swayed slightly in the cool summer breeze. Upon seeing Song Chuyi, she stepped forward to meet her, attending her into the room and gently telling her, “Miss, news has arrived.”
Song Chuyi removed the white jade Chiyou ring from her waist and placed it on the table, nodding. “Speak, I’m listening.”
“Just now, the old woman at the west corner gate came to fetch Qing Tao, saying Luo Gui was looking for her. I went out to meet Luo Gui.” Ziyun explained the matter in a few words, then got to the point. “Luo Gui said Ma Changjiang urgently came to his house, saying those people following you circled around the city, entered Lion Tower, and never came out. There were three or four other people who kept tailing our carriage without stopping, until they saw us return home before dispersing.”
The Lion Tower in the north of the city, famous for its excellent food? And they never came out?
“Go to Old Master’s place.” After thinking, she stood up and instructed Ziyun, “Send someone later to notify Luo Gui. Tell him to inform Ma Changjiang that tonight, though it’s hard on them, they must watch every single exit of Lion Tower to death. Don’t let a single corner slip—not one of those people can be allowed to leave!”