bayedsolid Chapter 174 The Ruthless and Disabled Crown Prince (78)
Chapter 174 The Ruthless and Disabled Crown Prince (78)
"what?"
For a moment, Lu Liruan felt that her brain was completely stuck.
Anyone who didn't know better would think this ledger could multiply.
Ji Shumin looked at Lu Liruan's expression with a hint of amusement: "What? Liruan doesn't believe me?"
It's not that I don't trust you; I'm just wondering how this whole thing has gone through so many twists and turns.
Good heavens, this is Mission Impossible!
"Back then, didn't the Second Prince... bring the Emperor here and say that you were the one who robbed the government silver?" Lu Liruan pursed her lips, not looking at Ji Shumin's leisurely expression, and carefully sorted out the details.
"Ah."
"Then you proved to the Emperor that this matter had nothing to do with you."
"Ah."
"Because of this matter, the Second Prince insisted on being deposed as Crown Prince, which displeased the Emperor. He has been in hiding ever since, and no one knows how to turn things around." Lu Liruan said in order, one point at a time.
“Yes.” Ji Shumin didn’t rush her and patiently answered Lu Liruan’s questions one by one.
"The account books hidden in the Marquis of He'an's mansion were fake. The Second Prince was worried that something might go wrong with you, so he sent Lu Yushi to try and trick me into revealing the secrets of the Marquis of He'an's mansion during my father's birthday banquet."
"Once we find it, we can use what I told Lu Yushi—that I played hide-and-seek there when I was a kid—to throw mud at me, saying I know that hidden place perfectly well, that I was in cahoots with you, and that as an accomplice, I hid the ledger there." Lu Liruan still felt uneasy thinking about it; she almost got caught in a trap.
Based on her experience growing up, Lu Yushi was simply a brainless, sheltered woman, so Lu Liruan didn't consider her in that much of a direction.
However, she overlooked the fact that while Lu Yushi might not understand matters of state, the Second Prince could use her as a pawn!
It was indeed a vicious conspiracy.
"He did this for two reasons: first, to convict you, and second, to drag the Marquis of He'an's mansion into this mess." Lu Liruan could clearly sense their intentions.
“My father is already quite detached from worldly affairs, my two elder brothers never get involved in court politics, and my younger brother is studying far away in the south and is still a child. Why would he be eyeing the Marquis of He’an’s mansion?” This was something Lu Liruan herself couldn’t understand.
“There’s nothing wrong with the Marquis of He’an’s residence.” Ji Shumin took the account book, picked up a clean handkerchief, and gently wiped Lu Liruan’s dusty fingers with his hand.
"Think about who else has the surname Lu?" Ji Shumin asked slowly and deliberately.
The moment Lu Liruan met his gaze, a sudden inspiration struck her: "Your Highness, the Imperial Concubine!"
"Isn't she pretty smart? She understands right away." Ji Shumin praised her generously, and then stroked Lu Liruan's back like a cat.
"They...are they going to deal with the Imperial Concubine?"
"What are you doing, dealing with the Empress Dowager?"
“In the harem, there are only two women who have the power to speak to the Emperor: one is Consort Rong, and the other is the Dowager Consort,” Ji Shumin told her calmly.
"The Emperor is more receptive to the words of the Dowager Consort. This is partly because the Dowager Consort is an elder, and she is involved in past struggles rather than the struggles that are about to begin."
"On the other hand, the Empress Dowager's words are more pleasing to the ear, but the Empress Dowager never says them..." Ji Shumin said meaningfully.
Once Lu Liruan understood one hurdle, the rest became much clearer.
The reason why the Empress Dowager was respected by the Emperor was not only because she had helped him in the past, but also because she was sensible and never got involved in things she shouldn't have, and she kept quiet about things she shouldn't have said.
The more you talk, the more you gradually erode the relationship. Take Consort Rong, for example. She boasted that she could whisper sweet nothings in the Emperor's ear. She was competitive and domineering in the palace. Relying on the Emperor's favor, the more she talked about the Seventh Prince, the less the Emperor liked to listen.
Now we rarely see her anymore.
Since it's uncertain how much influence the Empress Dowager has on the Emperor, it's better to bring down the Empress Dowager and the Marquis of He'an's family first, since they both have an inseparable relationship with Ji Shumin.
The second prince knew perfectly well that no matter which prince the Dowager spoke for, it wouldn't be his turn.
From childhood to adulthood, although Ji Shuqin was not in the palace, he was the eldest son of the emperor, but he never felt that he received the treatment he deserved. It seemed that no one in the palace paid much attention to him.
The Second Prince's pettiness wasn't something he developed overnight. He secretly harbored resentment towards many people and held grudges over many things. For example, at a palace banquet during the Spring Festival, when other princes presented gifts to the Dowager Consort, she praised them all. But when it was his turn, the Dowager Consort said nothing...
Although no one cared, the second prince felt extremely embarrassed at the time.
"What if I hadn't thought of it that day, and hadn't destroyed that fake ledger?" Lu Liruan felt that he couldn't have been unaware of the Marquis of He'an's mansion, since she had learned that everything was part of Ji Shumin's scheme that day.
Sure enough, Ji Shumin shrugged and sighed, "Then we'll have to test General He's ability to lie through his teeth."
"Huh?" Lu Liruan was taken aback.
“Whether we find it or not, whether we see it or not, the people who searched the Marquis of He'an's residence that day were all He Pingyan's men. Once inside, they acted as if they were blind.” Ji Shumin raised an eyebrow.
"Didn't the Second Prince give any prior instructions?"
“It doesn’t matter…” A cold glint flashed across Ji Shumin’s face: “If he had really buried the people in advance that day, or if he had been confused and personally searched the Marquis of He’an’s mansion and found the account book, he wouldn’t be wandering around outside unscathed today.”
"Second Brother is still too timid... He doesn't dare to cause trouble in front of the He family father and son. He doesn't act when he should, and he doesn't act when he should. His head is just a decoration with his neck hanging on it." Ji Shumin's evaluation was as harsh as ever.
Lu Liruan thought to herself that the Second Prince did not dare to make any moves that day, betting that the He family father and son were upright and unyielding, so he sent them to the Marquis of He'an's residence, while he returned to the palace to keep an eye on Ji Shumin.
Otherwise, he must have fallen into Ji Shumin's trap again.
There's no way forward, no way back; all the planning fails, and you keep falling into traps at every turn, until the end...
Lu Liruan looked at Ji Shumin, who seemed to be smiling but not smiling. In the end, she was still being called stupid and clumsy by his sharp and sarcastic words. It was an attack that left no room for criticism.
"Hahaha." Lu Liruan chuckled dryly, then suddenly came back to the same point.
"This has been going on for so long, how did you end up with the ledger?" Lu Liruan hadn't found the answer in her thoughts.
Ji Shumin leaned back loosely, relaxed and casual: "Oh, I did it. The ledgers are naturally with me, they've always been with me from the beginning."
Lu Liruan: ...
what are you talking about?
Who did it?
"You...you." Lu Liruan stammered for a long time, unable to get a straight answer out: "You've been lying from the very beginning?"
"Actually, I wasn't exactly lying." Ji Shumin found it amusing to see her wide-eyed expression and teased her slowly, "When did I ever say I didn't do it?"
That's because nobody even asked you if you did it!
Lu Liruan thought about it, and then she understood Ji Shumin's words: Yes, no one asked him, and he never answered, so it couldn't be considered a lie!
"That day, the Emperor came with the Second Prince..." Lu Liruan tried hard to recall.
"My second brother came to search my secret chamber, but what he found there had nothing to do with the robbery of the official silver." Ji Shumin said calmly, "I have never proven to my father or the court what I did before the robbery, or what those who were involved with me and obeyed my orders did during the robbery. Explaining is the most useless thing. As soon as I start to explain, it will be spread by those with ulterior motives, and I will be accused of a crime and entangled in it endlessly."
Ji Shumin promised never to lie to Lu Liruan again, and he really did. He not only confessed what he had done to her, but also analyzed it and explained it to Lu Liruan in detail.
Lu Liruan recalled carefully that day when the Second Prince searched Ji Shumin's secret room in a fierce manner, he found a major case of embezzlement in the transportation of grain and military supplies during the Western Rong War. The Second Prince lost his composure, and the Emperor's attention was immediately drawn to it.
Don't try to prove yourself; the more you try, the more suspicious you'll become.
Ji Shumin always had a deep understanding of other people's psychology and used it to achieve his goals.
Lu Liruan dared to say that if Ji Shumin kept anxiously proving that he had nothing to do with the robbery, the Emperor, with his suspicious nature, would definitely become even more suspicious of him.
However, after Ji Shumin's actions, coupled with the humiliation and resolute decision of his request to be deposed as crown prince, the emperor's suspicion of him was reduced to its lowest point.
I can't even imagine how much I can gain from this!
The least significant thing was that they came to coax me, saying that I could leave the palace and establish my own residence, and that I could live freely and happily and contact the Marquis of He'an's residence more often, which made me calm down the next day.
"Heh." Lu Liruan gave a forced, insincere smile.
Ji Shumin, quick-witted, hooked the hem of Lu Liruan's clothes and said, "Nothing I do can escape Liruan's eyes..."
You've fooled me; you're just saying nice things now.
"Then why are you taking out the ledger now?" Lu Liruan had a vague idea.
"Li Ruan doesn't think this matter is over, does she?" Ji Shumin glanced at her sideways, his tone a mix of reproach and sarcasm: "The official silver robbery case needs a result; it can't stay unresolved forever..."
"Whoever throws mud at me thinks they can hide away cleanly? There's no such thing as a free lunch."
Ji Shumin made no attempt to hide his vengeful nature.
You can scheme against him, you can attack him, but if you fail, you will have to bear the consequences.
Lu Liruan quite admired this. Why should one swallow one's anger? If someone offends me, I will retaliate! Whoever tolerates it is a coward!
Whether Ji Shumin is insane or not, he will never suffer a loss.
Lu Liruan knew the meaning behind his words. The robbery of official silver was not simply about intercepting silver. There was a complex web of various forces involved. Now, there were many people with ulterior motives who were restless day and night. The domineering man had brought his own troubles with him, and no one could escape!
Officials and businessmen colluded, powerful figures held sway, factions formed, and people engaged in petty scheming—Ji Shumin had no intention of letting any of them go unpunished.
The original storyline did not fully depict Ji Shumin before his ascension to the throne, but it did depict him after his ascension as ruthless and merciless, eliminating people from top to bottom, showing a completely reckless attitude that disregarded all advice and opposition.
He must have had this plan in mind long ago and his decision was unwavering.
Lu Liruan felt that Ji Shumin had shaped her mind into a different form. When she thought about something, she would subconsciously think about the causes and consequences. The more she thought about it, the more she would realize that many things were actually connected, forming a network through various clues and connections.
For example, the investigation into the robbery of government silver will continue, with the Court of Judicial Review in charge, and a new person added to the team is the First Prince.
"How can we get to the bottom of this in a logical and reasonable way?" Lu Liruan asked tentatively.
"Naturally, it should be handed over to the person most suitable to investigate this case."
Who is that person?
It's the eldest prince, Ji Shuqin!
His identity is suitable, and his current situation is surprisingly suitable as well!
He was ignorant of court politics, only obeyed the emperor's orders, did not collude with any forces, and was upright and virtuous. He drifted away from the temple, untouched by worldly affairs.
The Emperor will be even more convinced by what he has found out.
It is estimated that Ji Shumin had already thought of this when he made the initial deal with the Empress. Although he seemed to agree to the Empress's request, in reality, Ji Shumin secretly gained far more than the Empress thought.
LOL, it's more like someone brought you a pillow when you were just dozing off.
No wonder he wasn't angry at all when he mentioned the Empress; he seemed calm and composed. So that's why.
Lu Liruan thought to herself: I knew he wouldn't suddenly become indifferent and calm.
A calm and peaceful mind comes from having obtained what one desires: a satisfying tranquility.
Theoretical knowledge is ultimately superficial. Lu Liruan felt that no matter how many books on military strategy she read, it couldn't compare to the speed and practicality of learning from Ji Shumin.
After all, practical application is the key to true knowledge.
Hilarious! A master of cunning teaching one-on-one.
Ji Shuqin could not refuse the task the emperor gave him, so he frequently visited Ji Shumin's courtyard in the days that followed.
He was indeed unfamiliar with the imperial court, but he was a conscientious worker. Since he had been given the job, he studied it carefully. During the time he worked with the He family father and son, he also admired the upright and strict character of the Minister of Justice and became more attentive to the cases.
So he often came to consult Ji Shumin.
Perhaps... Ji Shumin's attitude towards him softened, which made Ji Shuqin feel somewhat flattered. Every time Lu Liruan saw him, she would feel a faint sense of... sympathy.
“I checked the records in the Dali Temple and found that over the years, my second and seventh brothers have reported that they have condoned many things that should not have been condoned. Why has Father never punished them?”
Ji Shumin knew he was referring to those outsiders who used their power to amass wealth and commit evil deeds.
"Balancing the influence of maternal relatives is naturally something Father Emperor needs to consider," Ji Shumin said calmly.
Ji Shuqin's expression showed disapproval: "If the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review hadn't been so cautious, would none of this have been known?"
"Perhaps." Ji Shumin sighed softly, "Who knows what else they might have that hasn't been uncovered yet? In my current state, I can no longer share Father's burdens. Brother, you must also fulfill your loyalty and filial piety on my behalf!"
Because he hadn't spent much time with his younger brother, Ji Shuqin couldn't tell that such impassioned and inflammatory words were completely out of character for Ji Shumin.
If Lu Liruan were there, she would probably burst out laughing if she heard him say that.
"Min'er, take good care of your health."
After the Third Prince and his wife took turns going mad, shouting and screaming about dying, Ji Shuqin seemed to finally realize that his younger brother might really die at any moment.
He put away his lecturing and instead told Ji Shumin to take good care of himself.
Ji Shumin was very satisfied and happy to have some peace and quiet.