Chapter 382: The Price of Huo He

Since the Eastern Investigation Bureau was established in Tiaotou Hutong of Baoda Fang and the entire hutong was renamed Eastern Bureau Hutong, the once-mighty Jinyiwei gradually found itself under pressure. The Eastern Bureau often interfered in Jinyiwei’s affairs, while Jinyiwei had no control over those of the Eastern Bureau. It was fine for the higher-ranking officials, but lower-ranking Jinyiwei officers like school commanders and standard bearers inevitably had to bow lower when handling tasks, leaving those transferred to the Eastern Bureau constantly being looked down upon.

Yet Mu Ning, who had been appointed as the chief executioner under imperial decree and held a high position in the Eastern Bureau, did not feel his life was any easier. Although the Eastern Bureau had few eunuchs—only six or seven in total, including the supervisor Lu Feng—having to address and smile at them all day long inevitably filled him with resentment.

That day, shedding his official guise, he went to a restaurant on Qianmen Street, rushed up to the third floor to a private room, slammed his six-in-one hat down on the table after closing the door, then sat down and drained the teacup in front of him in one gulp. After gulping down the tea, he grumbled irritably, “If I had known it would be like this, I would never have gone to the Eastern Bureau to become some worthless chief executioner. It’s suffocating!”

“I know you’re in a difficult position, but no one else can handle this task—only you can do it reluctantly,” Yuan Fang said bluntly, knowing full well that Mu Ning, though speaking harshly, would act decisively. “I called you here because of an urgent matter. Zhang Yue sent word that suspicious people were spying around his teacher’s residence, and some even entered the house at night. I sent two teams there. That same night, they spotted the suspects but ended up losing their trail.”

“Lost their trail? How is that possible?” Mu Ning, aware of the Jinyiwei’s skills in tracking and concealment, immediately set aside his earlier complaints. “How many people did you send?”

“Four groups, eight people in total—yet they didn’t catch even a single hair of theirs,” Yuan Fang replied, taking a sip of tea with a grave expression. “Zhang Yue initially thought it might be remnants of the White Lotus Sect, but I didn’t believe it. Now I think it’s very likely. Besides the leader of the White Lotus Sect, who can evade both the state’s surveillance network and the Jinyiwei’s investigations?”

“But if they got inside the house and there was no one guarding Du’s residence at the time, why didn’t she…”

Mu Ning stopped speaking halfway through, suddenly thinking of a possibility. After exchanging a glance with Yuan Fang, seeing the latter nod slightly, he gasped in shock: “What you mean is that they weren’t originally intent on harassing the Du family but wanted to see how we would respond? If the Imperial Guards really went to investigate, they would realize the unusual relationship between the Imperial Guards and Lord Du… You should remember that it was you who instructed me to take decisive action against the White Lotus Sect in Qingzhou, and it was I who provided the backup intelligence! But wasn’t that because you were acting on the emperor’s orders at the time?”
“You know, but others may not. That’s why, even if we don’t know for sure if they’re remnants of the White Lotus Sect or Tang Sair, we can’t afford to be careless. Although I was more cautious this time, sending in unfamiliar faces without any Imperial Guards identification, it doesn’t guarantee they won’t find out. In any case, when you go back, mention this to Lu Feng, saying it’s information from the Imperial Guards—that the remnants of the White Lotus Sect failed in their assassination attempt before and now plan to harm him. It would be a shame not to use the many people he’s recruited for the Eastern Depot.”
Seeing Mu Ning nod and put on his hat to leave, Yuan Fang suddenly called him back: “Though you’re in charge of punishments at the Eastern Depot and not involved in other affairs, since the scale of punishment is in your hands, you must have built some connections over these days. Others may not care, but you need to tell them to keep a close eye on Huang Yan, especially monitoring every move he makes outside the palace. After all, Lu Feng is at odds with him, so even if he finds out, he’ll only be happy, not blame you. Huang Yan has already managed to disappear from the Imperial Guards’ sight four or five times since leaving the palace, and with Meng Xian now in charge of the Changshan Guards, we can’t ignore them.”
“Don’t worry, Lord. I’ve taken it all down.”
As Mu Ning put on his hat and left, Yuan Fang didn’t leave right away but remained seated, sipping the tea that had long lost its flavor. Although this restaurant wasn’t his property, it was almost like it—everyone there was reliable, making it a trustworthy contact point. He had no choice; even the cautious Prince Zhou could be exposed, let alone someone whose power came entirely from the emperor. At that moment, he couldn’t help but gently touch his waist, the emperor’s furious face appearing before his eyes once again.

After a while, that large door was pushed open again. This time, it was a scholar who entered—ordinary in appearance and clothing. Among the numerous candidates competing for imperial examinations everywhere, he seemed utterly insignificant, like a grain of sand in the vast ocean. After closing the door behind him, he bowed deeply; even after straightening up, he remained standing.

“Sit.”

“I dare not.”

Though he came from no prominent background, Yuan Fang had led the Jinyiwei for many years and handled countless secret operations. Having lived such a life for so long, he naturally possessed an indescribable authority. Sitting steadily, he studied the person before him intently for a while before raising his eyebrows and smiling. “There is no official position for you in the Jinyiwei, so calling yourself my subordinate is a mistake. If Miss Fan wants to stay safe, wouldn’t it be better to remain in Nanjing? You must know the reputation of the Jinyiwei is not good.”

“The Crown Prince and the Grand Prince have already been summoned to leave Nanjing. From now on, only some civil and military officials will remain there. Back when the Eastern Palace operated under the Emperor’s close watch, it dared not take any action. Now that the capital has been moved to Beijing, it’s even less likely they’ll focus on the Jiangnan region. Yet, the Prince of Han has been active in Nanjing for many years. Even though he has been exiled to Le’an for over three years, his influence there remains strong. If I were discovered there, my fate would be certain death. In comparison, Beijing is far safer.”

She paused briefly before continuing, “Although the Jinyiwei has a poor reputation, it’s still better than those hypocritical royal relatives who are even more despicable. Since you’ve sent someone to inquire about my situation, you must think I’m still useful. Though I can reveal everything, no one in the world knows the Princess of Yongping better than I do.”

“Good. Since you say so, I really want to see what you’re capable of!” Yuan Fang’s expression turned serious. His previously calm gaze suddenly became sharp and intense. “Above the Jinyiwei is the Eastern Depot, and their personnel are fixed, so I can’t give you an official title. But the secret spies outside the Jinyiwei have always been under my direct control. Since you’ve followed the Princess of Yongping for many years, you must be well aware of their secret communications and seals. I authorize you to establish this network. I’ll provide you with the necessary resources and personnel. However, you naturally can’t use your old name—consider choosing a new one for yourself.”

“The princess once named me Yuqing, and later, when I was with Fan Tong, I was called Fan Xiyan. But those names can no longer be used. Many trees make a forest, and many grains of sand form a tower. Please call me Lin Sha from now on.”

With the master and subordinate roles settled, there were naturally still many matters to discuss. Thus, Lin Sha, dressed as a scholar in green, stayed there for over half an hour before finally getting up to leave. He even closed the door quietly as he went. It wasn’t until he heard faint sounds outside, confirming that the person who had left was indeed gone and there was no other movement around, that Yuan Fang said irritably, “Are you done watching and listening? I’ve already said that minor injury is no big deal. Why must a man be such a fuss?”
As soon as he finished speaking, a partition beside them was silently moved aside, and a person stepped out—Zhang Yue. Glancing back at the spot where he had disappeared, he couldn’t help but marvel, before saying, “Uncle Yuan, I came here naturally because of your injury, but that’s just one thing. What I really want to know is why you angered the emperor in the first place.”
“The emperor’s moods are unpredictable. It’s common for anyone to anger him; I’m not the first.”
Yuan Fang replied indifferently. Seeing Zhang Yue sit down in front of him, clearly unconvinced, he smiled sheepishly and said, “I knew I couldn’t deceive you with such a sharp mind. The emperor ordered me to thoroughly investigate the Prince of Zhou’s rebellion. As you know, I came from Kaifeng, where there are the most spies. A simple search in the Prince of Zhou’s mansion there yielded countless conclusive pieces of evidence. But I knew very well the Prince of Zhou’s character—he certainly didn’t have the courage to rebel. So, out of curiosity, I investigated those who first reported the matter and uncovered many of their misdeeds. I knew Princess Chenliu had helped you a lot. Although I couldn’t go against the emperor on the matter of the Prince of Zhou, I could still deal with those guys. So I reported everything to the emperor, and that’s when he got angry.”
Hearing this, Zhang Yue gasped in shock. He had thought someone was taking advantage of the situation to cause chaos, but given Zhu Di’s baffling attitude, could it be that this was actually the emperor’s doing from the start?
“Since this involved a serious treason case, I submitted my own report. After reading it, the emperor threw away his inkstone and then ordered someone to bring a charcoal basin, throwing the report into it and burning it completely—I watched it burn to ashes.”

At this point, Yuan Fang couldn’t help but gaze thoughtfully at Zhang Yue before suddenly asking, “Zhang Yue, although I’ve never had direct dealings with Du Yishan, I know he’s an upright man with no deceitful intentions. Although people like Yang Shiqi and Shen Minze aren’t as outspoken as him, they too belong to the honest faction. With me clearing away those shady matters for you, you can simply be a gentle and refined gentleman—there’s no need for you to worry about it personally.”

“My father-in-law, Mr. Shiqi, and Mr. Minze are all true scholars, but I still have a whole family to take care of, so I can’t just be carefree. Besides, even though Uncle Yuan is highly trusted, isn’t this situation still dangerous? After all, rulers change, and so do their ministers.”

Thinking of the emperor’s cautionary attitude the previous day, Zhang Yue finally felt deep reflections about his status as a member of an influential family. Coming from a prominent family certainly meant having many advantages from the start, but it also brought countless troubles. It was said that Emperor Yongle, Zhu Di, was the best ruler for his meritorious subjects, yet even someone as important as Zhang Fu couldn’t escape suspicion. If he wasn’t vigilant, one day he might wake up to find everything changed.

Such has always been the price of fame and influence. If Zhang Fu wasn’t even willing to retire early, how much less could he do so at a young age?