Han Qian didn’t enter the Prince’s Manor directly through the main gate but instead went through the hidden door in Ningxiang Tower’s back residence and walked into Jinyun Tower.

Jiang Huo and Yuan Guowei, as usual, examined and verified the archives in Jinyun Tower like ordinary clerks. In their words, having followed His Majesty in campaigns north and south in their youth, now that they could finally rest, they naturally wanted to read more books before being buried. Tian Cheng, Gao Shao, and Lin Haizheng were not present—they had gone out on other business. Two other young attendants in blue robes were disciples that Jiang Huo and Yuan Guowei had brought out from the Internal Affairs Bureau. Seeing Han Qian enter, they bowed and called out, “Minister Han has arrived.”

Jiang Huo, Yuan Guowei, and their six disciples had already been placed within the Left Bureau’s Military Section and Investigative Section.

A group of guards was always on duty in the courtyard, ensuring no one could infiltrate Jinyun Tower to steal confidential documents.

Seeing Han Qian arrive, Jiang Huo signaled a young disciple in blue to invite the Third Prince over.

After a short while, Third Prince Yang Yuanpu, Chen De, and Wang Lin approached.

Wang Lin was the Registrar. Any important memorials from the Prince’s Manor were the Registrar’s responsibility to draft.

Although Li Chong was also a Registrar, given Li Chong’s literary cultivation, he might be able to write a proper impeachment memorial, but Yang Yuanpu hadn’t completely restored his trust in the Marquis of Xinchang Manor faction. Today’s memorial naturally wouldn’t be entrusted to Li Chong to draft.

Han Qian invited the Third Prince and Wang Lin to follow him into Jinyun Tower.

“For such a major matter, should we ask Minister Shen and Minister Zheng over to discuss it?” As they ascended into Jinyun Tower, Chen De rubbed his hands and asked the Third Prince.

Within the Prince’s Manor, Zhang Ping controlled internal affairs. As the Prince’s Tutor, Shen Yang was the highest-ranking official in the external administration. Even any improprieties in the Third Prince’s internal administration fell under Shen Yang’s supervisory authority.

Below Shen Yang were Chief Administrator Guo Rong, Marshal Chen De, and Consultant Counselor Zheng Hui.

Guo Rong was a nail the Palace of Tranquility had driven in, so naturally he had to be excluded from everything. But for such a major matter, Chen De felt they should at least involve Shen Yang and Zheng Hui.

“Teacher Han, what do you think?” Yang Yuanpu hesitated and looked toward Han Qian.

“What does Minister Wang think?” Han Qian asked Wang Lin instead.

Wang Lin obviously hadn’t expected Chen De’s question to be kicked to him by Han Qian. He froze momentarily, then realized after careful thought that this question wasn’t easy to answer.

Wang Lin had also been summoned from home early this morning to draft the memorial at the Prince’s Manor. Only then did he learn all the twists and turns of the imperial tomb landslide case, and he could guess Han Qian’s intention in suggesting that Prince of Linjiang’s Manor intervene in this matter.

Although Wang Lin participated in drafting the memorial and knew the secret, as a Registrar he had no decision-making power over the entire matter. So his participation in the secret meant he could refrain from expressing opinions and simply follow orders.

Han Qian throwing this question to him was actually demanding he take a stance.

Wang Lin had been recommended to the Prince’s Manor by Shen Yang. He naturally understood Shen Yang’s character and temperament, and knew that if Shen Yang were invited to participate at this time, he would very likely oppose the Third Prince submitting this memorial.

Because impeaching court officials for misconduct was precisely the responsibility of the Censorate’s Investigating Censors. According to protocol, the Prince’s Manor shouldn’t forcibly meddle in this matter.

And Han Qian’s fundamental intention in suggesting the Third Prince intervene was to move the wealth and goods the Feng family had hidden into the Prince’s Manor when confiscating the Feng clan’s property. The Feng family was cooperating with the Prince’s Manor at this time, and after the Third Prince ascended the throne, he would return this favor to the Feng family and give them a chance for restoration.

Ultimately, this was Han Qian’s consistent style of doing things, but it might not necessarily win Shen Yang’s appreciation.

Chen De wasn’t so meticulous and couldn’t think through these distinctions, but Wang Lin knew that if he now advocated inviting Shen Yang to participate in the secret, he needn’t hope for opportunities to participate in secrets in the future. And once he advocated temporarily concealing this from Shen Yang, his future prospects would be completely bound to the Third Prince’s, and he needn’t think about maintaining a clear and aloof posture anymore.

At this moment, Wang Lin truly felt the enormous pressure that Han Qian, only twenty years old this year, placed upon him.

Under Han Qian’s stare, Wang Lin hesitated for quite a while, licked his somewhat dry lips, and said in a low voice to the Third Prince, “Minister Shen must go to Taowu Market before noon. Perhaps we shouldn’t disturb Minister Shen with this matter for the time being.”

However, after saying this, Wang Lin felt a trace of shame in his heart. After all, Shen Yang had recommended him to the Prince’s Manor. This naturally also made him harbor a trace of resentment toward Han Qian, who had forced him to take a stance.

“I’ll have someone go to the front courtyard to see if Minister Zheng is there,” Han Qian said to the Third Prince in a low voice without glancing at Wang Lin.

Yang Yuanpu nodded. He had also met Scholar Zheng Chang of White Stone a few days ago and confirmed that the Zheng clan was placing their stakes on him. He should give them sufficient attention at this time. He signaled Han Qian to send someone to invite Zheng Hui over.

Zheng Hui was on duty in the front courtyard and arrived at Jinyun Tower shortly after. Han Qian waited for him to sit down before explaining all the preceding events to him in detail.

Seeing the light in Zheng Hui’s pupils flash then dim, Han Qian smiled inwardly, secretly sensing that the Zheng clan was a great Huangzhou family. Though decades of intermittent warfare in Jingxiang had greatly damaged the Zheng clan’s interests, the Zheng clan, with their great family foundation, understood best how fat a piece of meat the Feng family was.

“Is Feng Wenlan truly willing to let our side take the lead in the imperial tomb case? Won’t he secretly contact the Palace of Tranquility or the Crown Prince’s side?” Zheng Hui also quickly realized where the weakness they might not be able to control lay.

If Feng Wenlan openly sought aid from the Palace of Tranquility and the Crown Prince’s faction at this time, he would only die faster. But there was no guarantee Feng Wenlan wouldn’t secretly negotiate with the Palace of Tranquility and the Crown Prince’s faction.

The logic was the same as their secretly seeking aid from Han Qian and the Prince’s Manor.

They could promise to secretly hand over a portion of the resources the Feng family truly controlled to the Prince’s Manor in exchange for a future opportunity to return. Such a promise—they could completely make it again to the Palace of Tranquility and the Xu clan.

The Palace of Tranquility and the Xu clan, upon hearing the news, might even proactively go to the Feng family to conduct secret negotiations, ensuring the Feng family’s resources wouldn’t be obtained by the Third Prince’s side.

“I’ve already sent people to watch the movements at several residences,” Han Qian said. “These next few days, I’ll personally keep watch over this matter in the city.”

“Is it possible for His Highness to protect the Feng family?” Wang Lin suddenly asked at this moment.

Han Qian thought to himself: Wang Lin already has the self-awareness of being His Highness’s direct subordinate? He didn’t directly answer Wang Lin’s question but looked toward Zheng Hui instead.

As Consultant Counselor, analyzing situations like this was precisely Zheng Hui’s job.

Zheng Hui wasn’t stupid. The fact that Han Qian hadn’t brought Feng Wenlan to see His Highness but instead directly suggested His Highness impeach the Feng family, and that Feng Wenlan had been forced to accept this in front of Han Qian, indicated that Han Qian had already made clear that His Highness directly coming forward to protect the Feng family wasn’t an option.

Zheng Hui didn’t know whether Wang Lin hadn’t thought this through, or was deliberately trying to undermine Han Qian’s prestige in His Highness’s mind.

Zheng Hui pondered for a moment and said, “His Highness coming forward to protect the Feng family would yield the greatest benefit, but this may not be His Majesty’s intention. Submitting a memorial impeaching Feng Wenlan for illegally logging the imperial tomb provides flexibility to advance or retreat.”

Han Qian had no intention of getting entangled with Wang Lin. Next, everyone discussed the memorial Wang Lin had drafted.

Although there were many subtleties involved, Han Qian was clear in his heart that many subsequent matters would be under Emperor Tianyou’s control.

Before noon, they finalized the impeachment memorial. Zheng Hui and Chen De accompanied the Third Prince to enter the palace.

As the Prince’s Manor’s Marshal and Consultant Counselor respectively, Chen De and Zheng Hui both held the official rank of Upper Fifth Rank, barely qualifying to accompany the Third Prince into the palace to participate in political discussions.

Han Qian didn’t remain in Jinyun Tower but instead went through the hidden door and returned to Ningxiang Tower’s back residence.

Seeing Yao Xishui and Chun Shisanniang waiting for him in Ningxiang Tower’s back residence, Han Qian said with a laugh, “Your sense of smell is quite sharp—like dogs.”

“His Highness invited Wang Lin into the manor early this morning and spent the entire morning in Jinyun Tower. What were you secretly discussing?” Facing Han Qian’s cold mockery, Yao Xishui asked with an unchanging pretty face.

“Shisanniang is fortunate she didn’t marry into the Kong family, otherwise this time would have been disastrous.” Han Qian sat down, picked up the teapot on the table and shook it, listening to the water slosh. He asked, “You didn’t poison this, did you?”

“Otherwise, how would Shisanniang have been disastrous?” Chun Shisanniang took the teapot, poured a cup of tea and first drank a sip herself before handing it to Han Qian. Then she walked behind Han Qian, her hands gently resting on his shoulders to knead them as she asked.

Looking at the porcelain-white inner wall of the tea cup with a trace of rouge lipstick remaining, Han Qian looked up to see Chun Shisanniang’s seductive eyes looking down, then felt Chun Shisanniang’s high chest brushing against his shoulder seemingly by accident. It stirred heat in his lower abdomen, and he secretly sensed he had been too relaxed lately—his thoughts too easily led astray.

Chun Shisanniang had no bottom line in her actions. Han Qian didn’t want to invite trouble for himself there. He drank a sip of tea, sat up straight, and told Yao Xishui about the many events that had occurred from last night until now: “His Highness’s current lack of trust in Marquis of Xinchang Manor isn’t necessarily a bad thing. You should also be patient and make fewer moves, otherwise your ending won’t be better than the Feng family’s.”

“…” Yao Xishui hadn’t expected the Prince’s Manor’s furtive activities today to involve such a matter. Her cherry lips parted slightly, but she still said nothing for a long while.

“Shisanniang, return to your residence. If General Kong still has a trace of affection for you, he’ll likely make arrangements for you,” Han Qian said to Chun Shisanniang.

As Deputy Commander of the Right Divine Martial Army, Kong Zhou had married Feng Wenlan’s younger sister and had always been regarded as a branch of the Feng family. If Emperor Tianyou truly wanted to move against the Feng family, he couldn’t possibly continue using Kong Zhou by his side to command the Imperial Guard. It would be better to resolve everything together.

Feng Yi and Kong Xirong wouldn’t expose Chun Shisanniang’s true identity previously. In outsiders’ eyes, Chun Shisanniang was still the mistress Kong Zhou dared not directly bring into his residence—and also the best channel for testing whether Feng Wenlan and Kong Zhou’s intentions were wavering.