Chapter 59

When the Cao Residence was surrounded, the female family members of the Cao family were terrified. It took several reprimands from the matriarch, Madam Cao, to forcibly suppress the crowd, who were like birds startled by the twang of a bow. She politely had someone invite the Platoon Commander in from outside, signaling for a generous tip.

A moment later, a sturdy man strode into the main hall. Madam Cao stood up and gave a half-curtsy, "So it's Commander Xu... Commander, why have you surrounded my Cao Residence?"

Seeing it was Commander Xu, Madam Cao felt much more at ease. This Commander Xu had a good relationship with her husband and probably wouldn't make things difficult for them.

Commander Xu cupped his hands and said, "Madam Cao, do not panic! Lord Cao has been implicated in a corruption case. The capital has sent an imperial envoy, and now they need to search the residence. It's mostly just to check the account books. Once they've checked and found nothing, we will withdraw!"

"The higher-ups have instructed that the female family members must not be disturbed. I have already ordered my men to be on their best behavior. Please rest assured, Madam Cao! This subordinate is also acting under orders, so please don't take offense!"

Hearing the words 'search the residence', Madam Cao's heart skipped a beat, and her hand tightened around the silk handkerchief she was holding. She felt a bit better after hearing the rest of his words. She asked, "May I ask, Commander Xu, which official is the imperial envoy? How is it that we heard no word of this?"

Once she knew who it was, she could try to smooth things over.

Upon hearing this, Commander Xu cupped his hands towards the empty air, "It is the Prince of Rui."

The current dynasty had only two princes. One was the Imperial Clan Prince, who had long since retired from political affairs and only managed the imperial clan. The other was the Prince of Rui, the current Emperor's own younger brother, who had long enjoyed a virtuous reputation and had recently entered the Grand Secretariat, his influence soaring. Hearing it was the Prince of Rui, Madam Cao's heart was in her throat again, "Are there... any other officials?"

"Of course. Accompanying him are Censor Wu, Censor Liu..." Before Commander Xu could finish, a maid came running in from outside, looking extremely anxious. "It's terrible, Madam! It's terrible, Madam!"

"Silence!" Madam Cao immediately barked. "What is all this shouting about?!"

The maid barely managed to stop in her tracks and said, "Madam! Someone has come to the gate, claiming to be a page to the Prince of Rui, ordered to assist with the search!"

Madam Cao instantly looked at Commander Xu, but he acted as if he had heard nothing. Madam Cao thought to herself that no matter what, she could not afford to offend the Prince of Rui's page, otherwise, even innocence would turn into guilt. She forced a calm expression, "Since we have a guest, why haven't you quickly welcomed him in? What is there to be so flustered about? Commander Xu, we have troubled you this time!"

Commander Xu said, "You are too kind, Madam. This subordinate will take his leave first!"

"Ruyi, see Commander Xu out." Madam Cao called out, and her personal maid, Ruyi, stepped forward to lead Commander Xu out. Once they were in a secluded spot, she stuffed a thick scented pouch into Commander Xu's hand, "Commander, this is from our Madam for you and the brothers outside to have some tea. Please accept it."

Commander Xu took it and subconsciously squeezed it. Seeing that it was a solid stack inside, he cupped his hands in thanks, "Madam Cao is too kind! This subordinate thanks Madam on behalf of my brothers!"

Seeing that he had accepted it, Ruyi was greatly relieved—if he takes it, it's fine. Taking it means it's not a major issue. If it were a matter of life and death, would these old foxes dare to take this money? They'd all be afraid of getting burned.

When Ruyi returned, she happened to see three androgynous-looking youths enter together. The one in the lead was especially handsome, with red lips and white teeth, and a smile on his face that instantly made one feel favorable towards him. Seeing the youth smile at her, Ruyi subconsciously smiled back, then curtsied and returned to Madam Cao's side.

The youth entered and gave only a casual curtsy, yet he spoke in a soft and gentle voice, "Are you Madam Cao? This slave serves by the Prince's side. My name is Mian Li. As this is a grave matter, to prove Lord Cao's innocence, the inner quarters must also be searched. The Prince feared that the brutes outside would not know their etiquette and might disturb the female family members, so he specially ordered us to come. Please rest assured, Madam."

Madam Cao hadn't recognized him at first, but as soon as Mian Li spoke, she heard the peculiarity in his voice and instantly understood his status. Seeing Mian Li's rather gentle tone, she figured that this bunch of eunuchs were the best at seeing which way the wind blew. If it weren't for the Prince of Rui's intentions, why would they be so polite?

With this thought, her expression became much more composed, "We have troubled you, sir, for making this trip for us womenfolk. You have worked hard."

"You are too kind, Madam Cao." Mian Li smiled, appearing even more handsome. "Madam, it is getting late today, and this slave must hurry back to report. Why don't we get started now?"

Madam Cao immediately nodded, "Yes, we will follow all of your arrangements."

Madam Cao had originally thought this was just a formality, that they would just look around and be done with it. She never expected Mian Li to say, "Please have the Eldest Young Miss temporarily move to the main courtyard to rest. As for the other female family members, they are to remain in their own rooms for the time being and not wander about. There will be female guards watching the courtyard gates. If anyone moves about freely, then you cannot blame this slave."

"Of course, Madam may send a maid to follow and watch, so she can report back to you at any time and ease your worries."

Madam Cao paused, "What is the meaning of this?"

"The Prince said that the inner quarters must also be searched." Mian Li smiled, "We will start with the Eldest Young Miss's courtyard. To avoid offending the young miss, we are asking her to move to your side first."

After speaking, Mian Li seemed to remember something and called out, "Someone, come."

Four women with dignified appearances and their hair in palace-style buns entered from outside. They were all dressed in identical dark green jackets, and their movements as they curtsied were as smooth as flowing water and moving clouds, a pleasing sight to behold. Mian Li seemed to be in a good mood, "These four are female officials from the palace. They originally served the Empress Dowager but were later gifted to the Prince to attend him. This slave thought that a woman's reputation is paramount, so we won't let those men into the young miss's courtyard. We will just have these four female officials lead the palace maids in for a look."

Madam Cao naturally couldn't find any words to refuse. They were female officials from the palace, who had served the Empress Dowager. How could she possibly say anything was wrong?

"Ruyue, you go and keep an eye on things." Madam Cao wasn't overly polite with Mian Li. These were life-and-death matters. Sometimes, one wasn't afraid of being searched, but of someone planting something that wasn't there. Of course, she had to send someone trustworthy to watch.

Before long, the Eldest Young Miss arrived at the main courtyard with graceful steps. Before Madam Cao could speak, two female officials approached the Eldest Young Miss and bowed slightly. "Eldest Young Miss, please follow us to the side room."

The Eldest Young Miss was already terrified. Hearing this, she looked at the First Madam, "Mother?!"

This daughter was Madam Cao's legitimate, eldest daughter, doted on since birth. Seeing this, Madam Cao's heart ached. She asked in a low voice, "Sir, may this humble woman accompany her?"

Mian Li nodded. Madam Cao then followed them into the side room and came out shortly after. The Eldest Young Miss Cao had tears in her eyes, and Madam Cao constantly comforted her, yet she showed no dissatisfaction—the entire residence had been surrounded, so what was a respectful body search by two female officials?

Besides, they were ranked female officials from the palace. If one were to be technical, she might even have to curtsy to them.

A female official came in and nodded at Mian Li. Mian Li smiled and said, "Then let's search the courtyard."

The female official immediately complied and went out. Madam Cao watched Mian Li, who was sitting in a lower seat calmly drinking tea, and inevitably felt some anxiety. Perhaps her gaze lingered for too long, as Mian Li looked up at her and said with another smile, "Don't panic, Madam. It's just a formality."

Madam Cao knew it too. In her own daughter's courtyard, even if her father was truly corrupt and taking bribes, would he hide the ledgers and money there?

Mian Li didn't leave, so Madam Cao had no choice but to sit with him. After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a maid came running over again, shouting and screaming, "Madam, it's terrible! Madam, it's terrible!"

Madam Cao felt as if she was about to lose all her old face. She glanced at the slightly surprised Mian Li and shouted, "Shut up! What is it? Speak properly!"

The maid said anxiously, "Madam, you must go and see! The people from the palace are setting a fire in the Eldest Young Miss's courtyard!"

Madam Cao instantly looked at Mian Li and heard him say in a slow, measured tone, "It's not setting a fire, it's using smoke to check for drafts. Madam Cao, please remain seated. This is for the sake of Lord Cao's innocence!"

Madam Cao had no choice but to stay seated. A short while later, a maid came to report again, saying that the palace servants were turning over cabinets and chests in the Eldest Young Miss's room, and the sound of things being moved could be heard from outside. Madam Cao looked at Mian Li, not daring to say anything, only comforting herself that one courtyard was nothing. Even if it were burned to the ground, so be it. Were they really short on that bit of silver? The right thing to do was to send these people away quickly.

After half an hour, a female official came to report that the search of the Eldest Young Miss's courtyard was complete. A maid also whispered in the First Madam's ear that the female officials were meticulous, returning everything to its original place after searching, just as it was before. Only then did the First Madam breathe a sigh of relief. After asking whose courtyard was next, she proactively called the person over to be detained and sent people to search.

The search continued until dusk, and only then were the seven or eight courtyards where the female family members lived completely searched. Nothing was found. Madam Cao breathed a sigh of relief and said, "It is already late today, and you, sir, and the female officials have been busy all day. This humble woman feels uneasy. Why don't I invite you, sir, and the female officials to have a simple meal before you leave?"

"Thank you, Madam." Mian Li accepted at once, and Madam Cao immediately had someone make arrangements.

So it really was just a formality. Madam Cao was greatly relieved. After the meal, Mian Li and the others took their leave to rest, but they still left female guards on duty at the Cao Residence. The once-lively Cao Residence was now so quiet you could hear a pin drop, a deathly silence.

Madam Cao couldn't even leave her own courtyard. She forced herself not to go to the study—so what if they searched carefully? If it were that easy to find things, their Cao family would have been finished long ago.

That night, Lord Cao was having a meal in the government office. He was calm and composed. The Prince of Rui had only shown his face once at the beginning and then disappeared. He heard from the office runners that the Prince of Rui had gone out for some fun. Lord Cao thought of Censor Wu, who was checking the accounts—that was the person to be truly careful of!

He thought of his home. His Cao family had been operating in Huainan for over a hundred years. How could this group of censors possibly find anything? He too felt that it was nothing to worry about and felt even more at ease.

The next day, just as Madam Cao woke up, she saw thick smoke billowing outside. She was so frightened she clutched her quilt tightly and asked in terror, "Is the garden on fire?"

Ruyi came to report, "Madam, it is not. It's that group of eunuchs with men setting smoke in the garden. They say they're checking for secret rooms and hidden passages."

Madam Cao hesitated for a moment, then nodded, "Then let them be... Do not say things like 'eunuchs' in the future. If those people hear you, be careful with your life!"

Only then did Ruyi hold her tongue. Madam Cao thought that since the accounting room and study had already been thoroughly searched yesterday, today only the garden, the main courtyard, and the master's residence at the front were left. If nothing was found, the people surrounding the residence would probably retreat by tomorrow at the latest. She actually felt a bit of grim satisfaction—Search! Search thoroughly! Only after a thorough search can my husband's innocence be proven! In the future, no one will dare to make baseless accusations again!

She claimed to be ill with a splitting headache and only went out after an hour. The maid Ruyue came over, her face extremely grim, "Madam, that group of people is going too far!"

Madam Cao didn't take it to heart, "How are they going too far? Selling official posts and titles is no small crime. It's good that they investigate clearly."

Ruyue said, "That's not it. You'll know when you go and see! They've practically torn the house apart!"

Madam Cao paused, then hurriedly got up and walked outside. For some reason, there were no female guards at the entrance of her courtyard. She hesitated for a moment before walking out. Soon, she arrived at the east side garden. She saw that the rockery had been toppled, and a dozen strong men were digging something. Madam Cao's face turned pale, and she quickly shouted, "Stop!"

Standing to the side was a very stern-looking old official who frowned upon hearing her. "Who let her out! Take her back!"

Madam Cao saw two palace attendants step forward to grab her, and she rebuked, "I am a titled lady of the imperial court! Who dares to be disrespectful to me!"

The two palace attendants gave her a strange look and simply said, "Will Madam walk on her own, or shall we escort Madam?"

Only then did Madam Cao remember that these were ranked female officials. They had probably seen many like her. She could only turn and leave unwillingly. She deliberately took a longer route and saw a scene of utter devastation. The flowers and trees in the garden had been chopped down, and that was not all. The ground was pitted with holes and muddy pits everywhere. Looking further into the distance, she blinked in astonishment, looked again carefully, and pointed at the sky ahead, "That... that..."

A palace attendant looked at her with a pure and kind expression, "What is Madam pointing at?"

Madam Cao's voice was as faint as a thread, "Where is Changming Courtyard?"

The palace attendant's eyes were innocent, "Reporting to Madam, it has been dismantled."

"By the Prince's order, all cabinets and shelves must be moved. All cellars and secret rooms must be inspected. Even the floor tiles must be tapped one by one with a long pole." The two palace attendants smiled, their lips curving to the exact same degree, as if they were twins. "There was a cabinet in Changming Courtyard that could not be moved. After breaking it open, a secret passage was discovered. In order to investigate the passage, the courtyard was dismantled."

The two palace attendants thought to themselves that the Prince was indeed clever. This method was good. By following the Prince's method, all secret passages, hidden rooms, and concealed compartments were discovered.

Madam Cao nodded like a ghost and walked back on unsteady feet. When she passed the kitchen, she even saw a guard shaking eggs one by one... At this sight, Madam Cao fainted.

A long time later, Madam Cao woke up. She sat up abruptly and shouted, "Ruyi, Ruyue!"

Unexpectedly, the one who came in was yesterday's handsome young eunuch, Mian Li. His lips were curved in a smile, and he looked as gentle as water. Madam Cao was stunned, "Sir?"

Mian Li smiled, "Madam is awake?"

His next sentence was: "Take her away."

Several female guards rushed in and tied up Madam Cao.

......

Ji Weiqiu casually opened an account book. He couldn't understand this thing anyway. He said, "Has everything been checked?"

Mian Li said, "Yes, it has all been found. A total of two secret passages, four secret rooms, and twelve hidden compartments were found in the Cao Residence. All items have been inventoried, and the gentlemen are currently working through the night to check the accounts... Your Highness, the wealth of the Cao family is truly staggering."

Ji Weiqiu joked, "You didn't make a mistake, did you? Don't mistake their ancestral fortune for illicit funds."

"If Lord Wu were to hear Your Highness say that, he would surely argue with you," Mian Li said with a smile, but his tone was somewhat cold. "The Cao family has only been prosperous for a few decades. Before that, they were merely a scholarly family. How could such a family leave behind an ancestral fortune of several hundred thousand taels of gold?"

Ji Weiqiu sighed, "So it really is him... I thought Cao Zhiyu was framed."

After all, this matter seemed strange no matter how one looked at it. Who among those who could sell official posts and titles was not acting with impunity? How could a single memorial be sent to the Grand Secretariat?

It was just that the investigation was a bit too fast. Something still didn't feel quite right.

This matter went far too smoothly. Although his method of ransacking the house was a bit unscrupulous, it shouldn't have been this efficient, right? Hundreds of thousands of taels of gold, tsk tsk. Add a little more, and he could have had the Cao family negotiate a truce with the Tujue. It would be enough for them to buy a princedom among the Tujue.

Ji Weiqiu paused, suddenly feeling a sense of foreboding. He didn't show it on his face and said, "Then let the several accountants check it thoroughly. Strive to get the results by tomorrow so we can return to the capital and close the case."

Mian Li responded, "Yes."

Ji Weiqiu was just about to go wash up when he suddenly heard that there was a visitor, said to be from the Zou Clan of Huainan. Ji Weiqiu understood. He had Zou San called over before letting the person in. The visitor was an old man in his seventies, followed by two middle-aged men in their forties or fifties, all dressed in Confucian robes. After the greetings, Ji Weiqiu asked, "For what purpose has the venerable Lord Zou come?"

The venerable Lord Zou had served in the Grand Secretariat during the Late Emperor's reign, so Ji Weiqiu had to be polite to him. The venerable Lord Zou glanced at Zou San who was standing to the side and said, "I have long heard that the Prince is straightforward. To visit so late at night is truly my impertinence... My Zou Clan has long been secretly collecting evidence of Cao Zhiyu's corruption and bribery. Unfortunately, Cao Zhiyu has a deep background and is meticulous in his dealings, so we have never been able to find an opportunity. Now that the Prince is in charge, my Zou Clan presents this evidence to the Prince, hoping that the Prince will find it useful."

Ji Weiqiu understood instantly. They were here to take credit for Zou San's work—and, of course, partly to distance themselves from Cao Zhiyu. Otherwise, why come now, not earlier or later? If they had truly wanted to expose the Cao family all along, Zou San was right beside him, and the Zou family's accountant was also there. Couldn't they have just passed it through them?

Ji Weiqiu said with a faint smile, "I thought my place would be very lively today."

He had always thought his place would be bustling today, just as it had been when he was about to depart from Yanjing. Unexpectedly, not a single person had come, and only now had the Zou Clan arrived.

The venerable Lord Zou just smiled, "With the Prince here, who would dare to cause a disturbance? This old man is merely taking advantage of San'er's acquaintance with the Prince to be so bold as to pay a visit."

Ji Weiqiu understood. "Zou San, see the venerable Lord Zou out."

Zou San responded with a 'yes' and went to see the venerable Lord Zou out. As soon as he was out the door, his chirpy voice could be heard, "Third Grand-Uncle, why did you come? ... Hehe, First Uncle, Second Uncle... I told you His Highness is easy to talk to! What are you panicking about! Let's go, let's go, let's stop by that place on the way. Let me tell you, His Highness brought some fine wine. I'll go get two jugs for you. That's imperial palace wine, His Highness had to beg the Emperor for a long time before it was bestowed..."

"Not good? Nothing's not good. His Highness told me a long time ago to help myself. He said something about being busy with official duties and not being able to socialize everywhere... We're family, don't be so polite!"

Ji Weiqiu sneered: 'Silly dog!'

......

Another day passed.

Before Lord Cao had even had his breakfast, he was brought before Ji Weiqiu. Mian Li had already returned and was in attendance at Ji Weiqiu's side. On the other side were the two Censors, Wu and Liu.

Censor Wu had a solemn expression, but his eyes were glaring fiercely at Lord Cao. Censor Liu, on the other hand, had a helpless look on his face; it was unclear what he was thinking. Seeing this, Lord Cao bowed and said, "This subordinate pays his respects to the Prince. May I ask for what important matter the Prince has summoned this subordinate?"

Ji Weiqiu said, "Cao Zhiyu, do you plead guilty?"

Lord Cao said, "This subordinate does not know what crime he has to plead guilty to. I ask the Prince to make it clear."

Mian Li took a step forward and took out a piece of paper filled with densely packed small characters from his sleeve. He announced loudly, "On the Gengshen day of the Jiaxu month, at three quarters past the Mao hour, smoke was used to check for drafts in the rockery of the Cao Residence's east garden. A cellar was discovered, containing thirty-five thousand taels of gold, three chests of jewelry, and one chest of copper coins, of unknown origin. Inspectors: Censor Wu Lin, Accountant Wenren Zhou."

Lord Cao's expression changed, and he hurriedly said, "Your Highness, please allow me to explain. This money and property are indeed not on the account books. This is my family's ancestral fortune! My great-grandfather hid this money and property in the rockery, saying that unless the family was facing ruin, it must never be used. That is why it is not on the account books!"

Ji Weiqiu nodded, "So that's how it is. It seems Lord Cao's family is quite wealthy, generation after generation of magnates."

One tael of gold was worth ten taels of silver. Although the exchange rate fluctuated sometimes, it was generally around that amount. Just this one cellar contained more than he, the Prince of Rui, had.

Lord Cao said without a change in expression, "Your Highness overpraises me. My Cao family is also a scholarly family, and every generation has had its own property, which is how this fortune was accumulated."

Ji Weiqiu ignored him and had Mian Li continue, "On the Gengshen day of the Jiaxu month, at one quarter past the Chen hour, two hidden compartments were found behind a cabinet in the study on the east side of Xiaoxiang Courtyard. One contained a box of property deeds, and the other contained an account book recording the business dealings of properties under the name of Madam Cao Wang, with many hidden and unreported transactions. Investigators: Mian Li, Accountants Zhang Nongqin and Xu Liuyun. Does Lord Cao have anything to say about this?"

Lord Cao said indignantly, "It must be my wife, Wang, that ignorant woman... Your Highness, this is a matter of my inner household. Does it also need to be reported to the imperial court?"

Ji Weiqiu said with a half-smile, "Although you are kneeling, you can still see that densely written piece of paper... If the evidence were not conclusive, would I have summoned you here? Lord Cao, it would be better to plead guilty quickly, to avoid implicating your wife and daughter."

Hearing this, Lord Cao suddenly looked up and stared fiercely at the paper in Mian Li's hand. Mian Li smiled and turned the paper around so he could see it clearly. As Lord Cao read line by line, Mian Li said mockingly, "Lord Cao, your reach is quite long, isn't it... You can even sell the position of a Platoon Commander? Do you know what the penalty for that crime is?"

In that instant, it was as if all the life force had been drained from Lord Cao. He said dejectedly, "...This subordinate pleads guilty... This subordinate is willing to cooperate with the Prince and expose the person behind this, only asking that the Prince, on account of this, spare my wife and daughter..."

Ji Weiqiu gave a faint response, relaxed and composed, as if everything was under control... 'Like hell it is! Are the garrison troops in this place brainless?! How dare they get involved in this?! Huh?! How am I supposed to arrest their leader in front of thousands of soldiers?! Huh?!'

'Won't they really think that since they're going to die anyway, they might as well kill a prince like me to have some company on the road to the Yellow Springs?!'

'Life in danger!'

......

Ji Su looked at the message that had arrived by carrier pigeon. It was from Ji Weiqiu, with a short line written on it: 'Evidence against Cao Zhiyu is conclusive, he will be escorted back to the capital immediately. Hope you are well, brother. Do not worry. Returning soon.'

His brows twitched slightly, and he was quite surprised, "So fast?"

By his calculation, the fastest a carrier pigeon could return from Huainan was two days, which meant they had found the evidence on the second day of their arrival? And the evidence was conclusive? Could it be that Cao Zhiyu had confessed?

Eunuch Qingxi could hardly contain his joy, "This slave does not know. The express horse is still on the way. In this old slave's opinion, perhaps His Highness was blessed with Your Majesty's draconic aura and received divine assistance, which is why everything went so smoothly!"

Ji Su glanced at him faintly, and Eunuch Qingxi quickly slapped his own mouth, "This old slave spoke too much!"

He then smiled and said, "His Little Highness is not one to act recklessly. Why doesn't Your Majesty start thinking about how to reward His Little Highness? He has worked so hard on this trip. If he is not generously rewarded upon his return, His Little Highness will surely cause Your Majesty no end of trouble!"

Ji Su said flatly, "He wouldn't dare."

Author's Note:

Certain local powers: [Wanted to save him but gave up] He's insane! What kind of imperial envoy searches for evidence by directly ransacking a house?! Why don't you just say you're here to demolish the house?! [Oh, forget it, he's the Prince of Rui, he can demolish anyone's house he wants] Damn it, the evidence was found too quickly and it's too solid, he was nailed instantly. How are we supposed to save him?! Just let Cao Zhiyu die!