“Your Highness, regarding Prince Kang…” Tianyuan sought instructions.

They had expected a fierce power struggle, but Prince Ding’s unexpected move had settled the matter. Now they couldn’t properly meet Prince Kang, missing a golden opportunity.

If they could get Prince Kang to talk, they could learn who was responsible for building the Emperor’s private army and trace the source of the iron used for forging weapons, uprooting many of His Majesty’s hidden forces in one stroke.

“His Majesty acts cautiously. Prince Kang may not know the iron’s source or who’s organizing the private army,” Xiao Huayong shook his head lightly. “Otherwise, he wouldn’t keep Prince Kang in the Court of Imperial Clan and allow visitors.”

Only those who didn’t understand His Majesty would try to fish in troubled waters.

Still, Prince Kang must know something, at least having someone he suspected. Whether true or false, they would need to verify it.

So, not meeting Prince Kang wasn’t a great loss.

Xiao Huayong raised his hand, his thumb gently rubbing along the edge of his index finger: “We need to find a way to replace the Minister of Revenue.”

For His Majesty to drain the treasury for private schemes, moving such large sums of money, the Minister of Revenue must have noticed. This could only mean the Ministry was completely under His Majesty’s control, from the Minister to both Vice Ministers – they must all be His Majesty’s confidants.

Tianyuan knew Minister Dong Biquan’s good days were numbered.

“The autumn grain is coming in. Have our people watch closely. We must catch Dong Biquan’s mistakes!” Xiao Huayong’s expression was controlled, showing no emotion, yet somehow inspiring fear despite his blank face.

“Yes,” Tianyuan immediately withdrew to make arrangements.

September arrived, and autumn deepened. Prince Kang was executed, and Emperor Youning demoted the rest of the Prince’s household to commoners. They weren’t sent to the palace as servants or exiled. Along with this came Prince Ding’s demotion to commoner and punishment to guard the imperial tombs in penance.

Emperor Youning hadn’t charged Xiao Changtai with weapon manufacturing, only citing insolence and disobedience, but everyone understood the meaning – as a father, Emperor Youning was giving his son some dignity, making it clear without words who Prince Kang had been making weapons for.

Since His Majesty knew everything and chose to be lenient after making an example, his subjects naturally couldn’t pursue the matter further.

The incident was seemingly resolved after Emperor Youning dismissed several local officials.

“Why are you worried?” Shen Xihe looked at Bu Shulin, who had been sitting silently opposite her – her first time being so quiet here.

Bu Shulin took a sip of tea and spoke rather harshly: “Father wrote that this year’s military funds were tampered with. A portion of the pension and provisions is missing, and both grain and cloth were substituted with inferior goods.”

The dynasty was especially generous to the military. Elderly retired soldiers were tax-exempt, and those wounded in battle received annual compensation.

Military supplies weren’t given in money but in provisions and equipment, approved by the Ministry of Revenue and delivered by local supply officials to each army unit. Since His Majesty’s ascension, the Northwest had first deducted military supplies from their annual taxes before sending the remainder to the capital.

No one had dared tamper with Northwest military supplies, and Shen Yueshan never embezzled. Sichuan South had the largest army outside the Northwest – a slight adjustment meant huge amounts.

Shen Xihe: “Was there an oversight during the inventory?”

“They came prepared, set a trap. The supplies were counted and sealed. We can’t complain now,” Bu Shulin sighed.

Not being in Sichuan South, she didn’t know the specifics. Now that Sichuan South had accepted the supplies and confirmed them correctly, who would believe them if they complained after the supply officials left?

Making a big issue might even result in counteraccusations.

“Has this been ongoing, or just this year?” Shen Xihe asked.

“There was some in previous years, but it was an unwritten rule, everyone understood and didn’t make trouble,” Bu Shulin said. “This year, for some reason, they’ve become completely shameless!”

Bu Shulin gritted her teeth: “They must think that since Sichuan South has been peaceful without war, they can be disrespectful, thinking we won’t need them.”

“No,” Shen Xihe said after pondering. “The problem isn’t with the supply officials. Go back first, don’t act rashly. I’ll have Brother investigate the military supply situation in other regions.”

“Sister Xihe is so good to me,” Bu Shulin immediately smiled brightly.

Shen Xihe glanced at her: “Three thousand elite armors.”

Bu Shulin: …

“Will you give them or not?” Shen Xihe asked.

“I must ask Father!” She had already been tricked out of three thousand elite armors by Shen Xihe, though the previous two thousand were just talk.

Elite armor was hard to make, otherwise she wouldn’t be so stingy.

Shen Xihe’s eyes shifted: “If not elite armor, have your father gather a cartload of dragon bones for me in Sichuan South.”

“What do you want dragon bones for?” Bu Shulin asked curiously.

Shen Xihe beckoned her closer with a finger. Bu Shulin eagerly leaned in, and she breathed fragrantly: “Secret.”

Bu Shulin: …

Shen Xihe looked at the sky: “My brother will be back soon…”

Bu Shulin immediately got up to leave properly. Shen Yun’an looked at her like a scoundrel and never allowed her near Shen Xihe.

She didn’t know whether to be pleased her male disguise was so successful or angry at Shen Yun’an’s pettiness.

Right now she needed Shen Yun’an’s help, so she wouldn’t anger him.

For the dragon bones needed to develop wound medicine, Shen Xihe took this matter to heart. As soon as Shen Yun’an returned, she immediately informed him. As the Northwest Prince’s heir, Shen Yun’an had his military connections and investigated the military supply situation everywhere within three days.

“Similar to Sichuan South,” Shen Yun’an’s expression was grave. This wasn’t a small matter.

“Adding it all up, that’s enough supplies for an entire army missing!” Shen Xihe smiled lightly. “The guardian stealing from his charge.”

“His Majesty isn’t afraid of alienating the frontier soldiers,” Shen Yun’an sneered.

If they hadn’t known Prince Kang was making weapons for His Majesty, they wouldn’t have suspected His Majesty of embezzlement. Since he was already secretly manufacturing weapons, he must be secretly maintaining troops – otherwise, what use was the weapons?

These years had seen good weather and a full treasury. The Ministry of Revenue couldn’t possibly be shorting frontier military supplies. If they wanted to embezzle, they wouldn’t use such methods – simply adjusting one county’s grain levy would be better than touching military supplies.

“We can’t let this continue,” Shen Xihe frowned. “Now there’s no natural disaster, yet His Majesty is already willful enough to cut military supplies. If war or disaster strikes when the treasury is empty, it will be the root of chaos.”

She looked into Shen Yun’an’s eyes: “We must move against the Minister of Revenue.”

“The Ministry is like an iron bucket, I can’t interfere, but the Imperial Stables Bureau has found some irregularities,” Shen Yun’an told Shen Xihe. “Except for the Northwest, all regions report over a hundred deaths and less than a hundred births in horse breeding!”

Shen Xihe was shocked.

The dynasty’s cavalry was powerful, and horse administration was hugely important. Each region had horse supervisors for breeding. Over a hundred deaths and under a hundred births – something was very wrong here.