Author’s note: The computer had some problem – the cursor kept jumping to one desktop icon no matter how many times I clicked, and when I opened the browser it would automatically drift to the bottom. I killed viruses many times but it was useless, delaying me from 10:30 until now. Sorry, sorry, here’s the update!

It had been merely three months, yet the capital was once again in a state of panic. Previously, when Imperial Academy Chancellor Li Ruqi’s household was raided, the Yangzhou corruption case afterward had caused an uproar and stirred up quite a commotion. Now, three months later, it was the turn of Chief Censor Wang Ying’s household from the Censorate. In front of the Wang mansion on Yonghe Alley in the western district, Imperial Guards equipped with embroidered spring sabers went in and out. Many common people on the street gathered around to watch the excitement, watching as young ladies and young masters who had once lived in luxury were driven out one by one, strung together like livestock. Everyone craned their necks, pointing and commenting.

Fang Xiaoyu caught a glimpse of Fang Linglong among that crowd. He closed his eyes somewhat unbearably and ordered the sedan bearers to go even faster—what was one daughter worth? He couldn’t risk the entire Fang family’s safety to save a daughter who had already married out.

When he returned home, Madam Fang had just heard from servants outside that the Wang family had met with disaster. She was so anxious that she was completely at a loss, her feet barely touching the ground. Upon seeing Fang Xiaoyu, she rushed forward, begging him to save their daughter. “The Wang family was perfectly fine—how did the Imperial Guards suddenly raid their home?! Our daughter is still inside!”

The shock and anger in Fang Xiaoyu’s heart had not yet subsided. Impatiently, he pushed her away with one hand and pointed at her, harshly rebuking her, “Shut up! During morning court today, Wang Ying committed a grave offense—framing court officials and colluding with the Northwest Governor-General in corruption. He’s already been sent to the Ministry of Justice prison. You’d better smarten up. At this time, if we can avoid being tainted by the Wang family’s affairs, then don’t get involved!”

Madam Fang was immediately stunned. She clutched her own collar, looking at Fang Xiaoyu in disbelief. She had thousands of words she wanted to curse out loud, but thinking of their son who had not yet married, she had to forcibly stop herself from moving.

Yes, she couldn’t, she couldn’t. Even though she knew that Wang Ying had clearly participated in this matter together with her own husband, how could she tell others? She couldn’t sacrifice this entire household for the sake of her daughter. She couldn’t…

Fang Xiaoyu waited until evening. After sorting through his chaotic thoughts, he couldn’t wait to rush to Elder Chen’s residence.

The Chen mansion had long since tightly closed its gates. The few gatekeepers on night duty had changed from their usual lazy attitude and stood in neat formation, no longer daring to joke around carelessly. He still entered the mansion silently through the side gate. Upon reaching Elder Chen’s study, he couldn’t help but ask, “Teacher, what happened?!”

What happened?! Elder Chen looked at him grimly and irritably shouted in anger, “What happened?! Why don’t you tell me what happened?! Weren’t you the one who confidently swore that Wang Ying had personally transcribed the memorial Cui Shaoting sent recommending mutual trade? How is it that when the moment came, Cui Shaoting’s memorial turned into an impeachment of Zhang Tianhe?!”

Cui Shaoting’s move was truly ruthless—with one punch he had knocked even this old fox senseless. Even now he still hadn’t fully recovered from the shock, completely unable to figure out why a seemingly flawless plan had developed a flaw—there wasn’t a single piece of news from the northwest side. There was an informant who never left Cui Shaoting’s side, and there was also Yang Xuan, yet neither of these two people had sent back any news of anything amiss.

Yet it was precisely under these circumstances, when no one had noticed anything and everyone thought Cui Shaoting was certainly doomed, that Cui Shaoting had actually changed the content of the memorial. No, no, no—it wasn’t that. This matter must not be simple.

In other words, Cui Shaoting had always been wary of that woman sent by the Yangzhou prefect, and didn’t even trust Yang Xuan, whom he had personally promoted and could be called a confidant? But under conditions where the Tartars were harassing the border and he was running himself ragged, how had he managed to distinguish all these things? No one from the capital had sent messages to the northwest either…

How had he managed to send this fatal memorial back to the capital? Clearly, in the memorial they had intercepted in the northwest, Cui Shaoting had indeed clearly recommended mutual trade, and it was identical to the memorial Wang Ying later transcribed…

And who had helped him switch the memorial—replacing the one that was supposed to be Cui Shaoting’s death warrant with one that became Wang Ying’s death warrant?

Only now did he hate himself for being too concerned with protecting himself, for deliberately appearing uninvolved at this critical moment and not taking another look at the memorial that was submitted.

But now it was too late to say anything. Everything was too late.

The only thing he could do was destroy all correspondence with Zhang Tianhe, eliminate everything related to Zhang Tianhe, and completely extricate himself from this matter.

Fang Xiaoyu was questioned until he couldn’t say a single word. After a long while, he stammered out a defense, “I personally saw the memorial that Wang Ying transcribed, and I even copied a version to bring back for you to review, Teacher. It was truly identical to what came out from the northwest side. But as for who exactly switched it, and where that fatal memorial recommending mutual trade that was switched out is now, I also don’t know…”

After speaking, he mustered his courage to ask, “Teacher, what should we do now?”

Cui Shaoting had unhesitatingly dragged Zhang Tianhe out. Now the three judicial offices were conducting a joint trial, and they would certainly investigate Zhang Tianhe thoroughly. They had so many correspondence letters and account books in Zhang Tianhe’s hands. Even the military funds Zhang Tianhe had embezzled this time—they had also received a share…

The more he thought about it, the more afraid he became. By the end, he was almost trembling as he looked at Elder Chen. “If Meng Jiming and the others investigate and discover…”

“Useless thing!” Elder Chen glanced at him with disappointment. “Now is not the time for you to think about these things. Instead of wasting time on this, you’d be better off making a few more trips to Meng Jiming’s house!”

He was actually extremely irritated inside as well, but his reason clearly told him that now was not the time to be agitated.

He looked at Fang Xiaoyu, whose wide eyes showed panic, and reminded him word by word, “If you don’t want to die, if you don’t want to end up the same as Wang Ying, then properly remind this in-law relative of yours what he should do.”

Fang Xiaoyu suddenly shivered with cold. Wang Ying was his daughter’s father-in-law, his grandson’s maternal grandfather, and moreover, his close friend of many years. But at the same time, he also knew how realistic Elder Chen’s words were. Wang Ying could not be saved. To prevent him from saying things he shouldn’t say under the severe torture of the Imperial Guards and the Ministry of Justice and Court of Judicial Review, he truly could not continue to exist.

After all, those who had already fallen in were certainly doomed to die, but those like them who had not yet been implicated still needed to live well. When comparing one close friend, one daughter against the lives of the entire household and their future prospects, which was more important and which less—anyone could calculate this account with their eyes closed.