He no longer wanted to enter the study, nor did he have time to retrieve the rare edition Qi Boyuan had requested.

But whether there was a rare edition or not no longer mattered.

Before leaving the Liu residence, Liu Chaoming instructed An’ran, “Immediately investigate who knew that Su Shiyu came to the Liu residence today.”

An’ran understood—this was about silencing witnesses.

For three consecutive days, Su Jin did not appear at court sessions. She had always kept everyone informed of her affairs, so her sudden disappearance caused an uproar both inside and outside the court.

A prominent first-rank assistant minister of the cabinet and Minister of Justice had vanished without a trace. From the Three Judicial Offices at the top to the Yingtian Prefecture offices and the Five Cities Military Commission at the bottom, everyone sent people to search. In just a few days, the entire capital had been practically turned upside down, yet not a single clue was found.

The last lead stopped on the second day of September, when Su Jin had met with Marquis Wenyuan and ordered a horse prepared to return to her residence.

“The people from the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Revenue say they must see the person alive or the corpse dead. These past days, they’ve already dispatched guards to probe the waters with poles in the Yunji River, Jinshui River, and Huai River searching for her. But this is also just for show, for My Lord. Actually, everyone knows the truth—that day, after Marquis Wenyuan bade farewell to Lord Su, he went to find you, My Lord. You both returned to your respective residences, and you didn’t return to the palace until evening. If we say Lord Su’s disappearance has nothing to do with you, privately none of them believe it. But without concrete evidence, they don’t dare storm the Liu residence with men. Once they fail to retrieve anyone from the rivers, they’ll probably think of ways to search the residences of various officials.”

After Yan Xiu finished discussing matters with the Six Ministries at Yan Ding Hall, he returned and reported this.

Liu Chaoming didn’t respond. Qian Yueqian, who was also in the hall, asked, “What about the Ministry of Rites, Ministry of War, and the other offices?”

“With such a major incident, the Ministry of Rites and Ministry of Works are only helping search for the person and staying out of everything else. Minister Zeng from the Ministry of Personnel has always had friction with Lord Su, so he’s too lazy to even search. As for the Ministry of War—now that Lord Su has disappeared and Lords Shen and Zhai have gone to Wuchang Prefecture, their top-ranking person is Vice Minister He of the Ministry of War. After finishing deliberations today, he went to the Ministry of Justice to find Wu Jizhi. There will probably be action today.”

Qian Yueqian frowned. “Su Shiyu’s people move so swiftly.”

In less than ten days, they were already planning to search the Chief Minister’s residence.

“They’re also trying to send messages out. These past days, they’ve dispatched quite a few people to leave the capital, heading both north and south. Fortunately, Minister Zhou of the Office of Transmission had already made arrangements. As soon as people left the city, they were intercepted. Dozens of urgent dispatches for Lord Shen and His Majesty have been sent back to the Imperial Censorate. This subordinate has read them—they all request their urgent return to the capital.”

Yan Xiu continued with some concern, “But information can be blocked temporarily, not indefinitely. Especially military urgent dispatches from the Ministry of War and various regional military commissions—even if the Office of Transmission notices, they can’t control them. Only Vice Minister Chen of the Ministry of War can intercept them. But there’s also Vice Minister He at the Ministry of War. If this continues, one day our defenses will fail. If they discover that the messages they sent out receive no response and make a fuss to Minister Gong, that won’t be good. Minister Gong has been enfeoffed as a first-rank Duke. If he’s determined to search for the person and write to His Majesty and Lord Shen, once we obstruct him, it will be like protesting too much.”

Unexpectedly, hearing this, Liu Chaoming said, “He Xian and Wu Jizhi have already discovered that information in the capital is being blocked.”

Yan Xiu was startled, not understanding what he meant.

Qian Yueqian explained, “The military has a method not shared with outsiders. For example, if I want to send a message from Yingtian Prefecture to Jinan Prefecture, then along this route from Yingtian to Jinan, there’s City A fifty li from Yingtian, City B one hundred li away, City C two hundred li away. I’ll first dispatch three people to deliver messages to these three places. Normally, City A should respond in one or two days, City B in three or four days, City C within ten days. Therefore, if no message comes back, it means the people I sent out were intercepted.

“Naturally, once messages are intercepted, they don’t make a fuss but continue sending people out to see who’s intercepting the messages, then track them layer by layer upward to root out the mastermind. This is the operating method within Da Sui’s Ministry of War and regional military commissions. There’s also a specialized set of personnel deployment rules. It’s usually only used during wartime, and not everyone knows how to operate it. But as Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, He Xian does know.”

Yan Xiu said in surprise, “So what Lord Liu and Lord Qian mean is that today when Lord He went to the Ministry of Justice, it wasn’t simply to find ways to search for Lord Su, but because he discovered messages couldn’t get out. He’s already discovered this matter involves Vice Minister Chen and perhaps even Lord Liu, and plans to move against us?”

Qian Yueqian made an acknowledging sound. “Don’t forget—they still have His Majesty’s secret edict in their hands.”

Liu Chaoming suddenly asked, “How is the search for ‘evidence’ in the Annan merchant case going?”

Yan Xiu replied, “In response, My Lord, the ‘evidence’ is almost complete. Before Lord Su ‘disappeared,’ she had already traced the one hundred million taels of silver flowing into Dadan territory. Several lords from the Ministry of Revenue, Ministry of War, and Ministry of Justice are also investigating this matter, which happens to align with the ‘evidence’ we have on hand. However, since we must use this case to accuse Lord Su, having evidence alone isn’t enough. We also need to find witnesses, otherwise it will be difficult to convince people. Two years ago, when the Seventh Prince investigated Lord Su’s background, he invited Lord Su’s younger sister, Miss Su Wan, to the capital. Miss Su stayed in the capital for only a few days before being sent away. Although this subordinate has already sent people to search, Lord Su’s influence in the capital is too great. It will probably take some time.”

Liu Chaoming thought for a moment and said, “Delay the matter of accusing Su Shiyu for now.”

He stood up. “Qian Yueqian, you go to the Ministry of Justice to find Vice Minister Fang. These next two days, dispatch personnel to watch Wu Jizhi. With Zhai Di not in the capital, the person Su Shiyu trusts most is him. Only he knows where the secret edict is. When he retrieves the secret edict, have people apprehend him and burn the edict.”

“Yan Xiu, bring guards and city patrol officials. Follow this official to Marquis Wenyuan’s residence.”

After Qi Boyuan entered the palace on the second of September, he was unable to leave the capital the next day as planned. When Wu Jizhi and others discovered that Su Jin hadn’t come to the court session and learned that she had hurried back to her residence because of Qi Boyuan, they sent people to intercept Marquis Wenyuan who had reached Zhengyang Gate.

Yan Xiu followed Liu Chaoming onto the carriage, still puzzled in his heart, not knowing why they needed to rush to Marquis Wenyuan’s residence at this time.

However, when the group reached the residence, he understood completely.

Before the residence gate stood two rows of soldiers in formation—people from the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of War. The residence gate stood wide open. Inside, there seemed to be the noise of arguing. Listening carefully, it sounded like servants from within the residence were disputing with someone.

The official standing guard outside was a division chief from the Ministry of Justice. Seeing Liu Chaoming and Yan Xiu arrive, his face turned white, and he hastily brought people forward to pay respects.

Liu Chaoming’s face showed anger. Without acknowledging the kneeling officials, he brushed his sleeve and strode into the residence.

Inside the marquis’s residence, two clerks from the Ministry of Justice were putting a neck cangue on Qi Boyuan. Standing beside them, aside from Director Liu from the Ministry of Justice, was Vice Minister He Xian from the Ministry of War.

The servant who had been arguing earlier was being restrained on the ground. Seeing Liu Chaoming arrive, he crawled forward on his knees and said, “Chief Minister, my master is at least a second-rank marquis. Looking across the entire capital, no one dares disrespect him. Yet today, these people want to take my master back to the palace for questioning on ‘trumped-up’ charges. Where is the justice in this?”

Director Liu from the Ministry of Justice said, “All the civil and military officials know that Lord Su suddenly disappeared after meeting with Marquis Wenyuan. We’re only inviting the Marquis back to the palace to ask a few questions. How does this constitute ‘trumped-up’ charges?”

“If you want to ask a few questions, can’t you ask at the marquis’s residence? Must you make such a show of force and bring so many officials to apprehend someone?” the servant said angrily.

He looked at Liu Chaoming again. “My Lord doesn’t know—the Marquis, knowing that Lord Su disappeared after meeting with him, has been blaming himself for days on end, constantly trying to help find her.”

He crawled forward several steps, retrieved a statement from the desk, and presented it to Liu Chaoming. “My Lord, please look. This is testimony written by my master. It records every word he and Lord Su spoke on the second of September. The Marquis was already planning to enter the palace to help search for her, but they insist on ‘inviting’ the Marquis away in this manner!”

Liu Chaoming took the statement and looked at it. His heart paused—the entire document was filled with the two characters “Liu Yun.”

His jade token, his past with her.

So that day, this was what she had privately discussed with Marquis Wenyuan.

He handed the statement to Yan Xiu, glanced at the cangue on Qi Boyuan’s neck, and said concisely, “Remove it.”

“Lord Liu,” He Xian said, producing an order jointly signed by officials of fourth rank and above from the Six Ministries and the Court of Judicial Review. “Yesterday at the Yan Ding Hall deliberations, it was decided that this subordinate would oversee the search for Lord Su. This subordinate is merely inviting Marquis Wenyuan back to the palace to ask a few questions. Surely Lord Liu won’t obstruct this?”

Glancing at the clerk holding the copper key, unsure whether to open the cangue, he added, “Furthermore, with Lord Su’s disappearance, Marquis Wenyuan is naturally under suspicion. Wearing a cangue to enter the palace isn’t excessive. My Lord can rest assured—once this subordinate has finished questioning, within three days, we will certainly return Marquis Wenyuan safely to his residence.”

Liu Chaoming’s face remained expressionless. How could he not know what He Xian and the others had in mind?

Suspecting Marquis Wenyuan was false; suspecting him, the Chief Minister of the Cabinet and Left Censor-in-Chief, was the truth.

Taking Marquis Wenyuan away was merely a pretext. The purpose was to use Marquis Wenyuan to implicate Liu Yun by name. As long as they obtained testimony stamped with the seal of a second-rank marquis—whether the testimony was true or false—the Ministry of Justice would have sufficient reason to impeach the Chief Minister of the Cabinet.

As long as they could firmly pin Su Jin’s disappearance on Liu Yun, their faction would still have a chance to breathe, still have the strength to continue fighting.

However, Liu Yun was decisive and ruthless in action. How could he leave such an opportunity for his opponents?

“Taking Marquis Wenyuan away is acceptable,” Liu Chaoming said coolly. “But not today.”

As his words fell, his voice and expression turned cold. “Yan Xiu, order men to apprehend Vice Minister He Xian of the Ministry of War.”

“Yes!”

In an instant, several armored guards filed in, surrounding the main hall of the marquis’s residence completely. The leader was actually Wei Jiang, Vice Commander of the Brocade Guard.

Two guards received the order and stepped forward to restrain He Xian on the ground. Director Liu from the Ministry of Justice raised his hand to block them. “May I ask Lord Liu, on what charge would you arrest a dignified third-rank vice minister of the Ministry of War?”

Liu Chaoming looked at him expressionlessly. After a long while, he uttered five words: “The Annan merchant case.”

He Xian’s expression changed. “You’re slandering! The Annan merchant case was clearly your and the Tenth Prince’s doing!”

“Lord He, don’t slander Lord Liu!” Yan Xiu shouted. He then produced from his bosom an order, several secret dispatches, and the urgent letter sent from the Ministry of War at the beginning of the month to Qiongzhou to investigate the silver flowing into Dadan. “The evidence and documents are all here. Our Imperial Censorate has already investigated that the one hundred million taels of silver flowing from Annan into Da Sui were transferred by a tea merchant from Qiongzhou to Dadan. The letter recently sent from the Ministry of War to Qiongzhou was confirmed to be written in Lord He’s own hand, which proves that Lord He is connected to this one hundred million taels of silver.”

He Xian said, “That letter was precisely written by this official at the Ministry of Justice’s request using military correspondence to investigate the case. It wasn’t a crime. If Lord Liu has the ability to intercept the letter, didn’t he have time to read it carefully?”

Director Liu said, “Exactly. Moreover, this case was originally being investigated by our Ministry of Justice. Even if Lord Su is temporarily absent from the palace, as long as she hasn’t transferred this case to the Imperial Censorate for a single day, the Imperial Censorate shouldn’t interfere excessively. Even if an investigation is needed, it should only examine procedural compliance. Since the two lords’ procedures are so proper, why not openly read the letter aloud for everyone to hear, and let everyone see whether this letter is evidence of Lord He’s guilt?”

Yan Xiu was about to speak when Liu Chaoming raised his hand to stop him, saying coolly, “This military dispatch indeed cannot prove that Vice Minister He is the guilty party. Therefore, this official is only first inviting him back to the Imperial Censorate for questioning.”

He glanced to the side and gave the order once more: “Apprehend him.”

This time, it was Wei Jiang of the Brocade Guard who personally stepped forward to seize He Xian.

Director Liu moved to block He Xian. “Lord Liu, Lord Yan, Lord Wei—Lord He is a ministry official, a dignified third-rank vice minister. Even if we must apprehend someone, it should be decided by the Cabinet and the Seven Ministers. Of the Cabinet’s three assistant ministers, neither Lord Su nor Lord Shen have spoken, let alone the Seven Ministers. Furthermore, the Imperial Censorate is apprehending someone—what right does Lord Wei, a commander of the imperial guard, have to interfere?!”

Merely a director, obstructing their path again and again.

Did he think they truly had no way to deal with them?

Liu Chaoming’s gaze and voice instantly turned icy. “When the Son of Heaven breaks the law, he is treated the same as commoners—let alone a mere third-rank vice minister.”

With a sweep of his sleeve, each word fell like ice: “Obstructing the Three Judicial Offices from handling a case—what is the crime?”

Yan Xiu replied, “In response, My Lord, the light penalty is flogging; the heavy penalty is capital punishment.”

“Execute him.”

These two words fell like solid ice striking the ground, making a bone-chilling sound. In the next moment, Wei Jiang’s hand touched the sword hilt at his waist. A flash of blade light passed, and Director Liu’s head instantly rolled to the ground.

Scalding blood splattered all over He Xian.

Eyes wide open, he stared blankly at the head that had rolled to his feet. As he realized one fact, he couldn’t help but tremble all over—Liu Yun hadn’t come to reason with them or investigate the case at all. He had come to take their lives.

To Liu Yun, at this point, their faction only differed in whether they deserved to die, how they would die, and what purpose their deaths would serve. There was no longer any question of how to contend or how to struggle.

Because for both sides, this was a dead end.

He Xian’s body went weak, and he collapsed to sit on the ground. The officials who had come with him, both great and small, like him, all knelt trembling on the ground like criminals awaiting judgment.

Without Liu Chaoming giving further orders, the guards had already placed cangues on this group and led them out one by one, then cleaned the bloodstained floor of the marquis’s residence main hall.

Liu Chaoming took the copper key from a clerk, personally unlocked Qi Boyuan’s cangue, dismissed everyone, and respectfully bowed. “This student should have come to thank his teacher at the beginning of the month. Delaying until today was truly unavoidable.”

Qi Boyuan was already approaching seventy years of age. The ordeal just now had left his complexion utterly haggard. He sat down to the side and, after recovering for a long while, said, “This old man originally didn’t want to get involved in these storms. But ultimately, I couldn’t bear to see you defeated and end up a white-haired person sending off a black-haired one.”

Liu Chaoming was silent for a moment, then asked, “May I ask Teacher, did you learn of this student’s plan from the Fourth Prince?”

Qi Boyuan didn’t answer, but Liu Yun already had his answer in his heart.

He asked again, “Since the Fourth Prince could move you to act, Teacher, he must have made you a promise. What did he promise you?”

However, when this question was asked, there was still only vast silence with no response.

Liu Chaoming therefore stopped pressing and only said, “The capital is too dangerous. Because of this matter, Teacher has been drawn into the situation and will inevitably be affected. Tomorrow, this student will personally order people to escort Teacher to Hangzhou.”

Having said this, he bowed and turned to leave the residence.

At the hour of you, with no evening glow in the sky and the sound of desolate winds everywhere, dark layers of clouds rolled at the horizon, a thick mass of blackness.

Qi Boyuan raised his eyes to look. Liu Yun walked alone in this wind, beneath these dark clouds.

The capital was about to change.