“What other contents were in the letter Han Qian left behind? What matters did he discuss?” Seeing that Yang Yuanpu was merely angry at the moment and hadn’t yet lost his rationality, Shen Yang continued questioning Chen De.
Through the lamplight, Shen Yang examined the bottom surface of the letter, which appeared to be densely filled with an entire page written with a dipped pen. At this moment, he hoped that within this letter, Han Qian might at least have some words to console Yang Yuanpu, so that his feeling of betrayal wouldn’t be too intense and overwhelm his rationality.
Chen De clutched the letter in his hand, extremely hesitant, his pupils showing another layer of incredulous shock, as if something extraordinary was written there.
“What exactly is the content that cannot be read aloud?”
Li Pu was burning with anxiety. He had never shown Chen De much respect. Walking over, he directly snatched the letter away and continued reading in Chen De’s place:
“For matters of suppressing rebellion and punishing crimes, with all you lords deliberating, there are no worries—your humble subject need not concern himself with matters troubling Your Highness. However, regarding the recruitment and attachment of Chuzhou, Your Highness must be wary of Shen Yang and Wang Lin. In earlier years, Wang Lin gained fame through his bold remonstrations with Xu Mingzhen. His character and virtue should be nobler than your humble subject’s, and he should be without thoughts of fame and merit, yet having spent several years with him, observing his character, this is truly not the case. Your humble subject has always been puzzled why Mister Shen Yang, who has always been known for his discernment of people, would recommend him to Your Highness. When the Imperial Mausoleum case broke, the Feng family feared punishment and sought aid from Your Highness. This matter was known only to Your Highness, your humble subject, Jiang Huo, Yuan Guowei, and Shen Yang, Wang Lin, and a few others. Yet the next day, Yin Peng, the Chief Administrator of Chuzhou’s offices, went to the Feng family to entice and shake Feng Wenlan’s resolve, causing complications before and after the Imperial Mausoleum case—the information must have been leaked by someone close to Your Highness. Later, when Junior Supervisor of the Palace Attendants Shen He fell ill in Tanzhou, the cause of his illness was initially known only to Your Highness and your humble subject, Marquis Xinchang, and Shen Yang, Wang Lin, Zhang Ping, and a few others. But various signs indicate that Wang Wenqian, far away in Jinling, learned of this matter very early, which must also have been leaked by someone close to Your Highness. The spies of Chu are cunning and elusive. Your humble subject has secretly observed for a long time and found only Shen Yang and Wang Lin most suspicious, yet could find no concrete evidence. Unable to resolve Your Highness’s worries before departing is truly a matter of regret. Your humble subject’s journey to Jinling this time to take command of the remnant forces of the Ministry of War and Finance from Marquis Xinchang’s hands was done without memorializing Your Highness for permission—not out of arrogance or disrespect to Your Highness, but truly because I dared not, fearing that the slightest carelessness might leak information and cause Your Highness to lose this unique opportunity to recover Jinling and ascend to the throne. Your humble subject acted rashly and presumptuously, filled with trepidation, knowing his sins are grave, and dares not seek Your Highness’s forgiveness, only hoping that Your Highness will draw close to worthy ministers, distance yourself from petty men, and carefully guard against being harmed by treacherous sycophants…”
“A pack of lies, a pack of lies! This dog thief Han Qian speaks nothing but lies! Not only did he abandon Your Highness and flee the city, he also spews nonsense slandering Master Shen and me. I beg Your Highness to investigate clearly!” Hearing this, Wang Lin could no longer control himself. Like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, he prostrated himself before Yang Yuanpu, kowtowing repeatedly with loud thuds, crying out urgently, “This dog thief Han Qian, seeking to escape, is deliberately trying to confuse Your Highness’s perception!”
Yang Yuanpu turned his head at this moment, his gaze sweeping suspiciously back and forth across Shen Yang’s and Wang Lin’s faces.
Shen Yang had not expected that after he spoke for Han Qian, Han Qian would turn around and falsely accuse him before leaving. But his expression was more composed and calm than Wang Lin’s. Kneeling on the ground, he said, “Your subject does not know why Han Qian would do this. Your subject’s heart is sincere—there is absolutely no way I have wronged Your Highness in the slightest. I beg Your Highness to investigate clearly.”
Yang Zhitang, Zheng Yu, Zheng Chang, and the others all stood there dumbfounded, not expecting that not only had Han Qian departed, but he had also created such a huge problem for them to deal with. Could Shen Yang and Wang Lin really be secret agents ordered by Chuzhou, lurking beside His Highness all these years?
Or was it truly as Wang Lin said—this was merely Han Qian deliberately muddying the waters to facilitate his escape?
Yang Zhitang looked toward Zheng Yu and Zheng Chang. They all realized that even if this might all be Han Qian deliberately muddying the waters, they could not take it lightly.
Truthfully, Yang Zhitang, Zheng Yu, and Zheng Chang had not directly participated in many of the secret matters Han Qian mentioned in the letter. They could only look toward Ruan Yan and Yin Peng.
As Chuzhou’s Zhongmen Envoy, Ruan Yan did not involve himself in espionage matters and might not know the details. But Yin Peng, as Chief Administrator of Chuzhou’s offices, was Wang Wenqian’s direct confidant. Han Qian had also clearly written in his letter about Yin Peng secretly contacting the Feng family when the Imperial Mausoleum case broke, which was key to the Feng family’s change in attitude and ultimately led to Emperor Tianyou’s decision to ruthlessly purge the Feng clan. If either Shen Yang or Wang Lin was a secret agent for Chuzhou, they must have had secret contact with Yin Peng.
“Han Qian’s ability to stir up trouble is truly remarkable! If Master Shen Yang and Master Wang Lin were really Chuzhou’s people, how could Prince Tan possibly have achieved today’s glory?” Yin Peng laughed heartily.
Although Yin Peng defended Shen Yang and Wang Lin, Yang Zhitang, Zheng Yu, and Zheng Chang were all old foxes—how could they easily believe his words?
Yang Yuanpu’s pupils examined Yin Peng twice without acknowledging his words, then slowly looked toward Shen Yang’s and Wang Lin’s faces, staring at them like a venomous snake.
Wang Lin forcefully suppressed the shock and panic in his heart, standing there defiantly, as if filled with countless grievances.
The atmosphere in the great hall seemed deadly silent. Yang Zhitang, Zheng Yu, and Zheng Chang looked toward Zhang Ping, Jiang Huo, and Li Pu, seeing their faces all filled with suspicion as they focused on Shen Yang and Wang Lin. They thought to themselves that these men had participated to varying degrees in the Imperial Mausoleum case and Shen He’s death from illness, so at this moment they should be able to discern more clues and should clearly understand that what Han Qian wrote in his letter was not baseless speculation.
No one knew how much time passed before Yang Yuanpu, exhausted in body and spirit, finally waved his hand and said to Shen Yang and Wang Lin, “Mister Shen Yang, Wang Lin—you will escort Lord Ruan and Lord Yin back to their hostel to rest on my behalf.”
“Your Highness, you must not blindly trust this dog thief Han Qian’s slanderous words!” Wang Lin kowtowed in panic, fearing that if he stood up and walked out of the great hall, hundreds or thousands of fierce soldiers would surround him and chop him to pieces.
Shen Yang knew that negotiating with Chuzhou was an inevitable matter. Even with suspicious points about him and Wang Lin, His Highness would not do anything to them for now. But this would also make it more difficult for him to defend himself. For the moment, he could only stand up, bow to Yang Yuanpu, then urge Wang Lin to accompany Ruan Yan and Yin Peng in leaving first.
Seeing Shen Yang appear to have aged several more years in this moment, Jiang Huo looked at the white hair at Shen Yang’s temples, puzzled and confused, truly unable to understand how Han Qian could think Shen Yang had problems.
It was just that the underlying scheming and plotting was too deep and complex, and the many suspicious points Han Qian listed could not be easily dismissed. Jiang Huo didn’t know what to say.
“Your subject has drunk too much wine and needs to return home to rest. I request Your Highness’s permission.” Seeing Yang Zhitang and the others still seated in their places, clearly intending to remain and discuss with His Highness how to clean up the ensuing chaos, Han Daoming realized his status had become very awkward at this moment. He could only stand up and take his leave first to avoid suspicion.
Yang Yuanpu nodded with a gloomy face, allowing Han Daoming to leave. After that, those who knew they weren’t qualified to participate in the most secret deliberations successively took their leave and departed.
As a secondary consort, Princess Qing Yang could publicly attend banquets in private circumstances, but she could not publicly participate in discussing political affairs. At this moment, she returned to the inner residence first.
The vast hall soon held only Yang Yuanpu, Zhang Ping, Jiang Huo, Yang Zhitang, Li Pu, Zheng Yu, Zheng Chang, and Zhang Chao.
At this time the remains of the banquet were cleared away, leaving several long tables arranged in the vast hall.
Yang Yuanpu stared at the letter Han Qian had left upon leaving the city. For nearly the time it takes an incense stick to burn, he said nothing. The silent great hall made everyone feel as if they were sitting quietly in a secluded mountain valley.
With Yang Yuanpu not speaking, Zhang Ping and the others seated below also didn’t know what words would be appropriate to say.
The information contained in Han Qian’s letter was too substantial. On the surface, it pointed out the suspicious aspects of Shen Yang and Wang Lin, reminding them not to be led by the nose by these two during negotiations with Chuzhou. At the same time, Han Qian was also defending his earlier unauthorized journey to Jinling to seize military authority from Li Pu.
Because a traitor had appeared beside His Highness, Han Qian had no choice but to refrain from giving advance notice, much less reveal his complete plans—it wasn’t that Han Qian was arrogant and domineering.
This was the true implied meaning behind Han Qian’s letter.
After another long while, Yang Yuanpu exhaled deeply, as if expelling all the foul air from his chest. He looked toward everyone present and slowly said, “It seems I have indeed misunderstood Master Han in the past. I never imagined that Master Han had unavoidable reasons for taking command of the remnant forces of the Ministry of War and Finance without informing me, nor could I truly appreciate Master Han’s sincere filial heart in mourning for his father. I even thought that if Master Han could agree to the marriage with Wang Wenqian’s daughter, after we captured Jinling, I could naturally and justifiably require Master Han to remain at my side in service—I was wrong, which forced Master Han to leave.”
This segment seemed like self-criticism, yet it made Yang Zhitang, Zheng Yu, Zheng Chang, and the others secretly alarmed to hear it. They hadn’t expected that His Highness had previously also intended to promote a marriage between Han Qian and Wang Wenqian’s daughter, with the calculation that he didn’t want to let Han Qian return to Xuzhou after the war.
Indeed—executing Han Qian after the war would chill the hearts of all ministers under heaven, but letting Han Qian return to Xuzhou would undoubtedly be releasing a tiger back to the mountain. Only keeping him at his side to use while gradually weakening his influence would be safest.
Proposing marriage at this time was meant to prevent Han Qian from using filial duty as an excuse after the war, wasn’t it?
Thinking this way, when Ruan Yan, representing Prince Xin Yang Yuanyan, brought up the marriage between Han Qian and Wang Wenqian’s daughter, it seemed it wasn’t as simple as it appeared on the surface!
Or perhaps when Wang Lin had previously gone to Yangzhou on His Highness’s behalf, he had secretly proposed it?
This guess was reasonable—otherwise, what great significance could Chuzhou’s proposal of this marriage have?
Only who could have thought that Wang Lin himself had problems?
However, had Han Qian’s resolute departure from the city also been because he had seen through His Highness’s intentions and made his decision?
Although Yang Zhitang, Zheng Yu, and Zheng Chang were all people of supreme wisdom and strategy, they didn’t know the details of many matters, so they couldn’t be entirely certain of all these speculations.
However, what Yang Yuanpu truly thought in his heart and what the truth about the marriage matter really was no longer mattered at this moment. That His Highness, compelled by circumstances, was willing to adopt an attitude of bowing his head and admitting fault was ultimately a good thing. At least the situation of negotiating peace with Chuzhou and besieging Jinling would not be destroyed.
In fact, this was also their objective.
Regardless of what had brought Han Qian and Yang Yuanpu to this point, and regardless of whether Han Qian would thereafter simply occupy Xuzhou and never emerge again after returning there, they first had to ensure the capture of Jinling.
Only this way could the interests of each family be guaranteed.
Otherwise, all their scheming would truly become like drawing water with a bamboo basket—a complete waste.
“Master Han perhaps still harbors some misunderstandings about Your Highness,” Zheng Chang said after pondering for a while. “Calculating the time, Master Han’s departure from Fanchang City shouldn’t be too far yet. If I ride out of the city on horseback, I might catch up with Han Qian and explain things on Your Highness’s behalf—even if Master Han is determined to return to Xuzhou, we should at least have someone see him off!”
Even when parting ways, it should be done in a manner that minimized harm to the current situation. Zheng Chang thought it over and realized that only he could really have a conversation with Han Qian. If he caught up, there might still be a possibility of sitting down and properly negotiating terms.
“I must trouble Lord Zheng with everything, and please convey my apologies to Master Han on my behalf.” Yang Yuanpu bowed in salute to Zheng Chang.
Seeing this scene, Zheng Yu and Yang Zhitang had rather complex feelings.
Although Yang Yuanpu had been somewhat too hasty with Han Qian, for someone so young to be able to bend and stretch to this degree was truly quite remarkable.
“What should be done about Master Shen and Master Wang’s matter?” Li Pu asked.
“When I left the palace to establish my household, I was nothing but a weak youth. Many people came to my side through various circumstances, perhaps harboring all sorts of intentions at the time, even being influenced by Anning Palace and Chuzhou—all this is perfectly normal. But I believe that if I am truly destined by Heaven, many people will be able to recognize this point and henceforth cast aside unnecessary thoughts and serve me loyally,” Yang Yuanpu held the letter to the candle flame, ignited it, and tossed it into a bronze basin to the side, watching it burn to ash as he said, “Let all of you lords treat this letter as if it never existed.”
“Your Highness is wise and brilliant!” everyone chorused in praise.
Zhang Ping sighed inwardly. If His Highness had said these words earlier, he would surely have moved everyone’s hearts. But with Han Qian’s departure from the city having occurred first, would these old foxes Yang Zhitang, Li Pu, Zheng Yu, and Zheng Chang truly take these words to heart?