After Su Jin urgently dispatched Tan Zhaolin back to the palace, she ordered the Fengxiang Guards to travel slowly on the pretext that the roads were slippery from the rain, dragging out two full days before returning to Yingtian Prefecture.
On this morning, before the mission’s procession even reached Zhengyang Gate, Tiger Guard Commander Shi Fei had already led a column of hundred-household units to form ranks outside the short pavilion.
The Tiger Guards were the only personal guards among the Upper Twelve Guards who received face-to-face orders only from the Emperor. In other words, they only obeyed two types of commands: first, oral commands delivered by the Emperor in person; second, imperial decrees bearing the Emperor’s private seal.
Having the Tiger Guards form ranks at the city gate to receive someone was tantamount to the Son of Heaven personally leaving the city—it was the Great Sui’s highest level of welcoming ceremony.
But Su Jin was worthy of such a welcoming ceremony. She controlled the Ministry of Justice and was a current First Rank Grand Secretariat official. This diplomatic mission had established friendly relations between Annan and the Great Sui, temporarily alleviating troubles in Lingnan.
Besides the Tiger Guards, those who came to greet her also included the Vice Commander and officers of the Jinwu Guards, numerous officials from the Ministry of Rites, the Yingtian Prefect and Vice Prefect, among others. At the hour of chen, a four-horse canopied carriage was seen arriving at the short pavilion. The person who descended from the carriage wore a crane insignia. His handsome features had gained three parts more tranquility through two years of experience—it was precisely the Assistant Grand Secretary and Minister of Revenue Shen Xi.
Seeing that Minister Shen had personally come, officials large and small all knelt to pay their respects.
Shen Xi raised his hand to shade his brow, looking toward the official road leading into the capital, and asked Wu Jizhi: “Didn’t you say they’d arrive soon?”
Wu Jizhi said: “It’s been raining for several days. It only cleared up this morning, so they must have traveled slowly. It should be about now.”
Just as he was speaking, the sound of horse hooves indeed came from the distant road.
The two Fengxiang Guard commanders leading the procession, seeing that a crowd of military guards and generals was already waiting, had one of them ride ahead first to pay respects to Shen Xi. When Su Jin’s carriage arrived, Shi Fei dismounted and called out loudly: “We welcome Minister Su’s return from the diplomatic mission—”
Behind him, the Tiger Guards and Jinwu Guards knelt on one knee, calling out in unison with the assembled ministers: “We welcome Minister Su’s return from the diplomatic mission—”
Shen Xi strode forward, passed by the first carriage, and directly lifted the curtain of the following carriage. When Su Jin descended, he looked her over carefully and smiled: “Your complexion has improved. It seems these two years on the mission were better than your previous time in the palace.”
Su Jin said: “The palace has many trivial matters—not a moment’s rest. In Annan it was actually more leisurely.” Seeing Shen Xi’s pale cheeks, she said, “You’re the one who’s been laboring.”
Shen Xi said: “These past years, every spring Huguang suffers peach blossom floods. Year after year there are refugees and disaster victims. In the third month this year, relief funds and grain were allocated. Now it’s been decided to rebuild the river embankments, but at the beginning of the month, people from the Ministry of Works said the funds weren’t sufficient. I just sent people to Wuchang Prefecture, and last night there was another urgent letter saying a group of refugees refused resettlement and nearly caused a riot, so I stayed up all night.”
Su Jin said: “You needn’t be too anxious. The reasons refugees refuse resettlement are numerous. Whether it’s related to local government officials, the funds and grain themselves, or problems within the refugee population, you should send trustworthy people to investigate clearly before you can prescribe the right remedy. The peach blossom floods are the root problem. Rebuilding the embankments can eliminate the disaster—this is a good thing and cannot be delayed for any reason.”
Shen Xi nodded: “The Imperial Censorate has dispatched investigating censors. The Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Revenue, and Ministry of Works have also sent additional imperial commissioners. There should be a reply in a few more days.”
Up ahead, Liu Chaoming descended from his carriage. Turning back and seeing the two Shen and Su discussing the Huguang flood situation, he said to the military officers and officials kneeling outside the short pavilion: “Everyone, you may rise.”
The assembled officials, fearing to overstep propriety, didn’t dare stand straight after rising, remaining bowed as they withdrew to the side.
Su Jin and Shen Xi didn’t say much more about the Huguang matter. After stepping forward to bow to Liu Chaoming, Su Jin said: “Just now Qingyue and I mentioned the Annan merchant trading case. What a coincidence—when the Ministry of Revenue was checking accounts, they also discovered irregularities. Qingyue gave the evidence to the Ministry of Justice this morning. Vice Minister Wu has written up the warrant and is waiting for my review.”
Wu Jizhi indeed presented a warrant. A clerk hurriedly handed over a brush. Su Jin took it and, while signing her name on the warrant, said: “These two years Shiyu hasn’t been in the capital. I’m very grateful that the Imperial Censorate shouldered the burden for the Ministry of Justice. Now that I’ve returned, for such cases of illegal merchant trading, the Ministry of Justice cannot shirk its responsibility.”
She presented the warrant to Liu Chaoming: “Since this matter is of great importance, County Magistrate Hu should still be taken back to the Ministry of Justice by Shiyu for preliminary trial. If you’re not at ease, Shiyu will order that after the case is closed, all files be transferred to the Imperial Censorate for verification. What does the Minister think?”
Liu Chaoming looked at the warrant Su Jin presented before him, took it in hand, carefully read it from beginning to end, and said flatly: “Since you’re following proper procedures, then do it according to the rules.”
“Thank you, Minister.” Su Jin nodded.
Though Su Jin had openly secured the person, she didn’t dare be careless. She made a gesture for two Fengxiang Guard commanders to help County Magistrate Hu down from the carriage, planning to transfer him to Wu Jizhi and the Jinwu Guards to take back to the Ministry of Justice.
Liu Chaoming watched as the two Fengxiang Guard commanders protected County Magistrate Hu, walking closer step by step. He suddenly raised his hand, as if casually adjusting his sleeve cuff.
Just at this moment, one of the Fengxiang Guard commanders suddenly drew his sword and, with lightning speed, plunged the blade into County Magistrate Hu’s chest.
No one around had time to react. All stared dumbly at this scene. Only Su Jin had been on guard the whole time. Immediately knowing she couldn’t save County Magistrate Hu, she shouted sternly: “Stop him! Don’t let him commit suicide!”
The other Fengxiang Guard commander immediately reacted, kicking his comrade’s wrist and knocking the sword from his hand. But at the same time, the commander who had killed County Magistrate Hu bit down hard on his back molar. Instantly, black blood flowed from the corner of his lips. His whole body fell rigidly backward and made no more sound.
All this happened in the blink of an eye. Even Yao Jiang, the Vice Commander of the Jinwu Guards who was closest to them, only reached his side after the commander had died.
Yao Jiang felt at the dead commander’s neck, then gripped his jaw, forcing his mouth open to examine it carefully before reporting: “He had hidden poison in his back molar long ago. He committed suicide by taking poison.”
At the other end, Shen Xi, who had originally gone to instruct the Tiger Guards to clear the way and depart, returned. Seeing two people had suddenly died here, he asked: “What happened?”
His voice was actually calm and unruffled, but set against the surrounding silence, it made people shudder.
The death of two people wasn’t important—just open cases to investigate two deceased officials. But what was bad about this matter was that these two people had died before the Chief Grand Secretary and before the two Assistant Grand Secretaries. Moreover, one of them was a witness in a major case.
Everyone around was so frightened they bowed their heads and knelt.
Looking at the blood pooled on the ground, Su Jin’s first thought wasn’t how regrettable it was that County Magistrate Hu had died and the lead was broken, but rather that she felt alarmed.
The matter was actually quite clear.
This Fengxiang Guard commander who had stayed by her side and protected her safety for two years was actually Liu Yun’s man.
However, when the court dispatched people to protect the envoy, every single imperial guard had been thoroughly investigated. In other words, before this commander acted today, he hadn’t done a single thing to expose his identity.
Naturally, Su Jin was cautious and careful in her conduct. These two years, the only personal guard she brought with her was Tan Zhaolin. When investigating the case in Annan, she hadn’t told her findings to anyone besides Tan Zhaolin. Even so, this chess piece hidden so deeply still shocked her.
How long had he been laying out this plan? Or rather, how long had they been laying it out?
Among the people kneeling on the ground, finally one person made a move—Yingtian Prefect Yang Zhiwei.
County Magistrate Hu and the Fengxiang Guard commander had died in the suburbs of Yingtian Prefecture. As Minister of Justice, Su Jin hadn’t spoken, so Yang Zhiwei, as Yingtian Prefect, had better take responsibility proactively before the Ministry of Justice held him accountable.
“Minister Liu, Minister Su, Minister Shen.” Yang Zhiwei moved closer to the three, kowtowing again. “This case—your subordinate official will certainly investigate thoroughly.”
Yet the three—Shen, Liu, and Su—just stood there. Their faces seemed to show nothing, as if they weren’t moved at all by these two deaths, and none of them spoke.
Su Jin thought: since Liu Yun had such a deeply planted chess piece, why did he only act now?
As soon as this thought emerged, she immediately understood.
Such chess pieces were extremely rare. Unless the situation was critical, Liu Yun would absolutely be unwilling to sacrifice this Fengxiang Guard commander.
However, matters have two sides. The death of the Fengxiang Guard commander conversely also proved that behind the Annan merchant case, behind that hundred million taels of silver whose whereabouts and use were unknown, there must be hidden an extremely great secret.
The wind carried a bloody smell. Shen Xi and Liu Chaoming simultaneously turned around and, each saying not a word, boarded their respective carriages.
Su Jin was silent for a moment, then threw out one sentence: “Open a case file.” She also walked toward her own carriage.
Yang Zhiwei behind her asked tremblingly: “Minister Su, should—should your subordinate official’s yamen open the case file first, or should the Ministry of Justice directly open it?”
Su Jin’s brow furrowed. She turned back to glance at him, thinking that this person was at least her former superior back in the day, and said one more sentence: “Stand up.”
Yang Zhiwei watched as the three Grand Secretariat Ministers’ carriages passed in a row before his eyes. He grabbed Wu Jizhi’s sleeve: “Vice Minister, what exactly does Minister Su mean? This old man didn’t understand clearly. Can you give me a hint?”
Wu Jizhi glanced at him: “You’re to investigate this matter? Can your yamen handle investigating it? Naturally the Ministry of Justice will open the case file, and Minister Su will personally conduct the investigation.”