Chapter 223 – Utmost Fairness

Xu Chun returned to the National Duke Manor, and the carriage was immediately intercepted. Outside, they announced, “My Lord, it’s Minister Qin.”

Xu Chun realized that Qin Jie had indeed come. He thought about it for a moment before lifting the curtain and taking a look. Sure enough, he saw Qin Jie dismount from his horse, guarding the entrance of the National Duke Manor with an anxious expression, eager to see him.

He recalled what Brother Nine said about how Qin Jie would be eager to distance himself. Judging from his urgent appearance, it seemed mostly true. If he wanted to plead for leniency on behalf of his subordinate, his attitude would be more forceful, and he might even bring along more people.

Sure enough, when Xu Chun personally got out of the carriage and bowed, Qin Jie immediately stepped forward and took his hand, saying, “My Lord, I’ve finally waited for you.”

Xu Chun smiled and said, “Please, Minister Qin, come inside and sit down.”

The two of them entered the inner study after making polite gestures. Seeing that they were entering the study rather than the reception hall, Qin Jie’s heart settled somewhat, knowing that this meant Xu Chun still held him in regard and hadn’t treated him as an outsider. He hastily said, “I heard that Shi Shangrong acted recklessly and smuggled goods, and My Lord has taken him into custody to punish him. I’m here to take responsibility!”

Qin Jie showed a face full of shame and made a move to kneel down.

Xu Chun quickly extended his hand to stop him, smiling warmly and looking sincere. “Minister Qin, there’s no need for that. I can’t speak for others, but I can vouch for Minister Qin. We’ve been officials together in Jinhai Wei for several years, and I’ve benefited greatly from your care. No matter how outrageous Shi Shangrong may be, you definitely wouldn’t have colluded with him.”

Hearing this, Qin Jie became even more grateful, squeezing out a few hot tears. “I was afraid that My Lord would misunderstand me. Shi Shangrong was indeed my subordinate for many years, and I can’t claim that I had nothing to do with him. Indeed, he did send me quite a bit of foreign goods every year during the festivals, and I didn’t think much of it, assuming they came through normal channels. I’ve since inventoried everything and listed them all, and I’m returning them to My Lord here.”

Xu Chun looked at him sympathetically. “Ignorance is not a sin, and besides, much of this should have been legally purchased through proper channels. There’s no need for you to be so cautious and restrained…”

Qin Jie stood firm and righteous. “It must be returned! Furthermore, I’m just explaining myself. I truly had no idea that he was so bold, daring to deceive and profit from it, and I certainly never instructed them to commit such illegal acts. I’m here today to ask My Lord to also take me into custody for questioning. If there’s real evidence, I’ll willingly accept punishment!”

Xu Chun said, “Why wouldn’t I believe Minister Qin? This incident is also due to my inadequate supervision. If Minister Qin were still around, I doubt Shi Shangrong would have dared to act like this. Now, he harbors resentment, thinking that I’ve wronged the old subordinates of Minister Qin… As for me, I have a clear conscience, but I fear for the other old subordinates of yours…”

Qin Jie immediately stood firm. “That’s absolutely not the case! I’ll personally go to Jinhai Wei and reprimand them all. My Lord has always been fair and impartial, treating everyone equally without discrimination. If anyone dares to slander My Lord again in the future, I’ll be the first to take them into custody and charge them with sowing discord and creating strife between me and My Lord. Furthermore, Shi Shangrong couldn’t have acted alone. There must have been many others who conspired with him. I’ll find out for My Lord and take all of them into custody to be interrogated by you!”

Xu Chun let out a sigh of relief. “That’s excellent. I was planning to visit the Jing’an Earl’s Mansion to apologize to the Earl and Minister Qin. I was also struggling with how to handle the remaining innocent subordinates. With the help of Minister Qin, this matter will be easier to resolve.” He finished with a deep bow. “Minister Qin, you’re a man of great integrity. I thank you in advance, Minister Qin!”

They exchanged a few more pleasantries. Xu Chun then called Sheng Changtian over and discussed the day’s interrogation with Qin Jie. Qin Jie promised to assist in the investigation and vowed to uncover the truth, not letting a single lawbreaker escape.

Afterward, Xu Chun invited Qin Jie to stay for dinner, but Qin Jie naturally excused himself. Xu Chun and Sheng Changtian personally saw him off, and only then did they breathe a long sigh of relief.

Xu Chun felt that his face was stiff from smiling, and his shoulders were tense. As he rubbed his waist and stretched lazily, he said, “This socializing is really exhausting. Fortunately, with his help, the interrogations will be easier. He wants to distance himself, so he’ll work hard and not dare to hide anything. Changtian, you should watch him closely. Use his assistance, but don’t fully trust him.”

Sheng Changtian glared at him. “When you were in the palace, the National Duke Manor was flooded with invitations. Your aunt and I handled them all, and yet you complain about being tired? And the interrogations… Changyun and I conducted them… all night long.” A hint of fatigue appeared on his face.

Xu Chun hurriedly stepped forward with a smile. “Brother Changtian, you’ve worked hard. It’s all my fault. Let’s go have a meal together and relax.”

Sheng Changtian grumbled, “No need. You have court duties and matters to attend to. Go ahead and be busy. Thanks to you, I enjoyed the imperial feast at noon. I’ve never been so honored in my life. Aunt’s face was blooming like a flower.”

Xu Chun chuckled, feeling somewhat embarrassed. He quickly asked about the progress of the interrogations and went to see his mother. Learning that his father, the National Duke, had gone out to inspect the temple garden, he felt relieved. After causing a stir in the manor and picking up some fresh ingredients, he ordered the guards to deliver them back to the palace for his evening meal with Brother Nine. Then, he set off for the military affairs office in the imperial court.

The military affairs office didn’t have an official government building; it was simply a room in Wenyin Hall, near the emperor’s sleeping quarters, designated for military affairs ministers and officials to discuss matters and stay overnight.

It was Xu Chun’s first time there. Upon entering, a young eunuch courteously led him inside. Zhao Yu, the military affairs advisor, was inside, focused on writing something. Seeing Xu Chun, he rose and bowed, greeting him, “Greetings, My Lord.”

Xu Chun had met Zhao Yu when they were both responsible for constructing schools in Minzhou. At that time, Xu Chun was still a prince, but Zhao Yu had always been modest and courteous toward him. Now that Xu Chun had become his superior, Zhao Yu showed no sign of discontent, gracefully performing the formalities with dignity and neither humble nor arrogant. Xu Chun secretly admired him in his heart and returned the courtesy.

Zhao Yu introduced him, “In the main hall, Prince Jianke and General Wu Ying are there, along with Minister Mei Ya. The other secretaries have returned to their respective departments to handle their duties.”

Xu Chun was surprised. “What’s Minister Li doing here?”

Zhao Yu replied, “It should be related to the officials involved in the river breach incident.”

Xu Chun entered the hall and saw the plaque above, which read “Utmost Fairness and Impartiality.” He recognized it as Xie Yi’s handwriting and couldn’t help feeling a sense of solemn vigilance. The romantic thoughts that had been lingering in his mind after his afternoon nap dissipated somewhat.

As he approached, he heard Li Meiyi’s hearty laughter from inside. “I’ve been away from the capital for a long time, witnessing the hardships of the common people. I received the Emperor’s instructions and have been filled with awe and trepidation ever since, not daring to slack off for a moment. I’ve done my best despite my limited abilities, and now that I’ve returned, I didn’t expect the capital to be bustling with activity. The Emperor has initiated a grand plan.”

“But Xu Yuanlin handled this matter poorly.”

Xu Chun walked in a few steps and laughed. “What did Minister Li say about me being muddled?”

Caught speaking ill of Xu Chun behind his back, Li Meiyi’s face didn’t turn red. Calmly, he said, “I was just telling General Wu Ying that Zhuang Zhanzhan’s case should have been dealt with severely to establish authority. Only then could the military affairs office command respect and enforce orders. Yet you publicly argued with those ignorant fools, which was a loss of dignity. Next time, be more experienced. When encountering such situations, you don’t have to step forward yourself.”

He took a sip of tea from the table, closing his eyes to savor it. “For everything else, consult General Wu Ying more often. Duke Fang is well-versed in the art of leveraging power within the bureaucracy.”

Xu Chun approached and first bowed to Xie He and Fang Zijing. Xie He was very humble. “There’s no need for excessive formality. We’re all serving the emperor. You’ve just returned to the capital, and I’m sure you have a lot of family matters to attend to. If you have something important, you don’t necessarily have to come to the military affairs office.”

Seeing the piles of memorials on the desks in front of Xie He and General Wu Ying, which were the ones he had sorted out at noon, Xu Chun felt a slight pang of guilt. However, he only smiled and said, “Thank you, Prince Jianke. Your Highness and the other adults have set a fine example of diligence and dedication to public service. As a junior, I should also be conscientious and diligent in fulfilling my duties. If there’s anything you need me to do, I’ll do my best.”

Xie He nodded. He was indeed a man of few words. “I’ve recently taken on the role of the head of the Imperial Clan Department, and there are several major events involving the imperial clan that need to be handled, including the major event concerning Prince Shun’an. In the coming days, I’ll be coming to the military affairs office less often. I guess it will fall to General Wu Ying and My Lord to handle things here.”

Xu Chun hurriedly asked, “Has Prince Shun’an chosen a date for the funeral?”

Xie He replied, “After the seventh day, I know that you studied together at the Imperial Academy, so there’s a bond between classmates. At that time, you’ll surely have to attend the memorial ceremony, and I’ll rely on you to assist me.”

Xu Chun knew that this was merely a polite remark. The Imperial Clan Department had plenty of people to handle the arrangements, but he still respectfully agreed.

Xie He glanced at the hourglass and said, “The memorials have been reviewed. I still have to arrange the funeral rites at the Imperial Clan Department, so I’ll take my leave. I apologize for troubling everyone.”

Everyone stood up to see him off and then returned to the Hall of Utmost Fairness. Li Meiyi sighed in relief. “He looks to be around the same age as the Emperor, but he’s so old-fashioned. With him around, I didn’t dare speak loudly.”

After saying this, he naturally picked up a slice of honeydew melon from the table and started eating it.

Fang Zijing was speechless. “From what I can see, you came here today just to eat and drink. Prince Jianke has a good temper, but he didn’t kick you out either.”

Li Meiyi grinned. “It’s true that I came to eat and drink, but who can blame me when the fruits, snacks, and tea here in the Hall of Utmost Fairness are far better than anywhere else? I heard they’re all supplied according to the same standards as His Majesty’s Wenyin Hall? Even the night duty is served by eunuchs, and the meals are provided by the imperial kitchen. Ice in summer, charcoal in winter… tsk… Why do I feel like His Majesty’s life isn’t as good as yours? During the cabinet meetings, I’ve never seen His Majesty willing to use ice.”

Indeed, Xu Chun saw that the fruits on the table were chilled with ice underneath. An eunuch had already brought him tea and led him to sit at his desk, placing a plate of fruits and snacks next to it. There were slices of honeydew melon, grapes, crisp peaches, and snow pears, all looking juicy and fresh. No wonder Li Meiyi was enjoying them so much.

Fang Zijing rolled his eyes dramatically and looked at Xu Chun before instructing the eunuch, “Take these memorials over for Lord Linhai to review.”

Xu Chun: “…”

Indeed, the military affairs memorials that he had just handled at noon had made a big round trip and ended up back on his desk. Fang Zijing matter-of-factly instructed, “First, check the opinions of the cabinet. If you agree, just circle it with vermilion ink. If not, put it aside.”

Xu Chun could only comply, reaching out to pick up the top memorial to read. Seeing the densely packed neat script, he couldn’t help but focus on reading it. However, he heard Fang Zijing finally rid himself of the mess and casually grab a bunch of grapes, munching on them while idly chatting with Li Meiyi about his observations during his inspection tour.

Li Meiyi was naturally skilled in rhetoric, and his storytelling was vivid. Xu Chun divided his attention, occasionally glancing at the memorials and occasionally listening to Li Meiyi’s anecdotes, not feeling too bored.

Then, he heard Li Meiyi say, “As soon as I returned to the Censorate, I received many memorials impeaching Lord Linhai. If it weren’t for me suppressing them, Xu Yuanlin, you would have had a tough time. I heard that you’re conducting a thorough investigation into smuggling in the military? No wonder you asked me that question this morning at court.”

Xu Chun hurriedly replied, “Some subordinate officials were found to be hoarding and reselling foreign goods. They are currently under interrogation.”

Li Meiyi frowned. “You’re not adept at interrogations, and it involves the second son of the Jing’an Earl. It’s best to seek assistance from the Ministry of Justice or borrow a couple of experts from the Censorate to help you with the interrogations.”

Xu Chun was delighted. “I was originally planning to ask Minister He for help once he returned to the capital. If the Censorate can send capable officials proficient in interrogations, that would be perfect!”

Li Meiyi gave him a strange look. “He Zhizhou is very busy. How could he spare the time for your petty smuggling case?”

Fang Zijing suddenly laughed for some reason.

Li Meiyi found his laughter odd and looked at him. “General Wu Ying, what are you laughing at?”

Fang Zijing lightly coughed. “Nothing. I was just remembering that yesterday, my son asked me for candied haws. I promised him. Xu Yuanlin, hurry up and review the memorials. Once I’ve checked your work, I can go home early and buy him some candied haws.”