The date for Prince Zhennan’s departure for Taiyuan was moved forward again. Previously, Emperor Jianzhang had seemed willing to let him drag things out and wait to travel together with the demoted Prince Gong, but now that Prince Gong was dead, his assignment had rapidly been put back on the agenda.

The documents and seals from the Ministry of Personnel had already been issued. Just as Prince Zhennan was about to depart, he received a summons from the palace.

Princess Zhennan was quite worried: “At this critical juncture, surely nothing else has happened?”

Ever since Prince Gong had been kidnapped without warning, the Imperial Guard had been acting like bandits. She had heard that in recent days many officials had already been imprisoned. Princess Zhennan’s heart had been unsettled and uneasy throughout.

Prince Zhennan was far more composed than his wife. He clearly understood the current situation. Prince Gong had chosen this path himself. Emperor Jianzhang’s previous difficulties and protection, all his painstaking good intentions, had been fed to the dogs. For the Crown Grandson’s side, this was actually a good thing. He grasped his wife’s hand and patted it soothingly: “Nothing serious. What comes next will only be good things.”

At least on Emperor Jianzhang’s side, what awaited their faction would only be good things.

In fact, Prince Zhennan had guessed correctly. When Emperor Jianzhang summoned him, it was indeed about Taiyuan: “Gold mining has been discovered in Taiyuan and has been going on for four or five years. In these four or five years, not a single official in that Jin region system reported this matter upward. Clearly they are incompetent and benighted to the extreme! What use are such officials?”

Prince Zhennan understood, his bright eyes looking at Emperor Jianzhang as he deeply bowed his head: “His Highness Prince Gong is young. Presumably he was instigated by those beneath him and was momentarily confused.”

Emperor Jianzhang snorted coldly: “If he weren’t confused, he wouldn’t have such bad luck.” Having said this, he finally brought up the real matter: “Zhengsong, when you go this time, thoroughly clean out this batch of parasitic worms for me!”

Prince Zhennan thus received another assignment—to inspect Taiyuan together with Vice Minister of Personnel Zheng Qinghe. Previously, the appointment and evaluation of officials in princely territories had mostly been decided by the princes themselves. Now that Prince Gong had disappeared, naturally this evaluation matter had to be taken over by the Ministry of Personnel.

Zheng Qinghe was also an understanding person. Privately, he sighed to his elder brother Zheng Sansi: “Isn’t this just purging Taiyuan? If His Highness Prince Gong returns, this will be an assignment that offends people.” His brow furrowed in distress, not knowing what to do.

But Zheng Sansi was a clever man. He had always lived up to his name “Sansi” [three thoughts]. He reached out and knocked his younger brother on the head: “The Imperial Guard has nearly dug three feet into the ground, and the Ministry of Justice has led people to turn the imperial mausoleum area completely upside down—yet there’s no sign of Prince Gong. When he’ll return is still uncertain. You should first worry about your own assignment!”

Do as His Majesty says—worrying about this and that, how foolish!

Grand Secretary Du was so worried he nearly vomited blood. He was different from Song Chengru and the others—he had once been Prince Gong’s teacher. Now that Prince Gong had pulled this stunt, he was so distressed he’d been tossing and turning all night in his study, his hair and beard nearly turned completely white from worry.

Bai Dong came to see him late at night. Seeing his teacher’s room still lit deep into the night, with his clothes and cap all properly arranged, he knew his teacher had probably been frightened and worried all night. Sighing, he looked at him: “Teacher, His Highness Prince Gong playing this hand…”

Grand Secretary Du understood Prince Gong’s background better than anyone else. The officials the Imperial Guard had recently arrested were without exception all the pawns Prince Gong had planted in the court—and he had voluntarily revealed them to Emperor Jianzhang.

On the day of the incident, when he was in the Grand Secretariat, he felt as if he’d been struck by a heavy blow. Looking at Emperor Jianzhang’s inscrutable expression, he felt all the blood in his body rush to his head, nearly unable to stand, about to faint.

Having served as Grand Secretary for so many years, he had seen quite a few storms and waves. But no matter what, he’d never nearly been overturned by the waves before. Yet now he had almost capsized in the gutter!

Emperor Jianzhang had immediately asked him: “Does this matter have anything to do with you?”

The Imperial Guard was waiting just outside the door. The Imperial Guards and palace troops were all standing in a row along the corridor. His cold sweat nearly poured out as he hastily shook his head: “If this old subject knew even the slightest bit about this matter, may heaven strike me with five thunderbolts!”

Heaven could bear witness—he was truly wronged unto death! After Madam Du accidentally fell into Crown Princess Lu’s trap, which in turn entrapped Prince Gong and Princess Gong, how could Prince Gong still trust him? Not to mention such a matter of life and death—he hadn’t received even the slightest hint beforehand!

But thinking this way, his cold sweat couldn’t help but flow even more. That Prince Gong could make such a decision—what exactly was he trying to do?!

In the end, he sheepishly told Emperor Jianzhang about all the connections Prince Gong had established in the court over these years—if he didn’t speak now, he could wait to die together with Prince Gong. He didn’t have that level of devotion.

Thinking of this, Grand Secretary Du’s cold sweat dripped even more profusely. His face ashen, he looked at Bai Dong: “He’s trying to kill me!”

As Prince Gong’s teacher, Grand Secretary Du had always been dedicated and responsible. Knowing Prince Gong had ambitions, and that the Crown Prince’s health had always been extremely poor, he had fully deployed his heart full of political schemes, teaching Prince Gong everything he should and shouldn’t have taught him. Precisely because of this, he understood Prince Gong’s current thinking all too well.

He had fled to plot treason, angering Emperor Jianzhang. How could Emperor Jianzhang still keep around this lackey of Prince Gong?!

Bai Dong’s face also turned deathly pale, so pale it nearly rivaled the large swaths of moonlight pouring onto the ground tonight. His fingers trembled, then his lips: “Teacher, now we can neither advance nor retreat.”

Prince Gong’s move of pulling the rug out from under them had completely caught him off guard.

Grand Secretary Du clenched his fists, feeling even his fingers aching. Lowering his voice, he looked at Bai Dong: “Go inquire…”

As he spoke, he stopped again. Where could he inquire now? To avoid suspicion, he had already handed over all of Prince Gong’s people to Emperor Jianzhang. Now those people were all in prison…

His gaze vacant, he sat down in his chair, wheezing with difficulty for a while, then frowned and told Bai Dong to behave properly: “Forget it. Don’t do anything. At this critical moment, we cannot do anything.”

But when he returned to his room to speak with Madam Du, he didn’t say this: “The formal betrothal ceremony will happen after the New Year. The two families should naturally interact more. We’ll be in-laws in the future, won’t we?”

Madam Du deeply understood Grand Secretary Du’s temperament and her husband’s current predicament. She was now even more worried than her husband, practically as startled as a bird frightened by the twang of a bow. Hearing this, she looked at Grand Secretary Du somewhat hesitantly: “The Song family may not necessarily have information… Even if they do, they may not necessarily be willing to reveal it to us…”

At this time, whether they had information or not, it was still better to ask.