Chapter 295.1: Who Doesn’t Know How To Play the Affection’s Card

Le Cheng Emperor’s unspoken words, everyone all knew, it was nothing more than just the degree of severity, that’s all. Just, at this time, they all had the situation thought in the worst direction. One has to know, at the time, when Imperial Noble Consort died, although it didn’t concern the imperial court, but someone in a violent rage usually will have the words ‘venting out one’s anger’ displayed to the extreme, and Le Cheng Emperor, as the esteemed emperor, further didn’t have any misgivings. The imperial court and inner palace can be said to be filled with the cries of sorrowful geese. The current Jin Qinwang, that was the treasure in Le Cheng Emperor’s palm. If something bad were to happen, especially since he’d even gotten ambushed en route during an assignment, although said to be done by water bandits, but the people that will be implicated absolutely won’t be in the minority, the aftermath naturally will be even more unbearable to imagine. Who knows whether or not, in a moment of anger, he will just remove all the related personnels’ heads.

That’s why, some people’s prior anticipations were truly a bit too beautiful, and also rejoicing a bit too soon.

When they received the urgently issued imperial decree from eight hundred li away, some of the officials of the two prefectures nearly fainted. They still underestimated Jin Qinwang’s place in his Majesty’s heart? Originally, on the matter of the salt administration, a great majority of the people were all far from literally losing their head, but now, great, with Jin Qinwang meeting with mishap, they instead might have their little lives thrown in? Then, all those schemes, what was all that trouble for?

Especially Kaiming Fu’s various officials’ memorandum of apology, having long been submitted up, but because it wasn’t urgently delivered, they instead still haven’t reached the imperial desk. After receiving the imperial decree, they now hoped that someone can have the memorandums blocked———His Majesty is currently furious, the fire on full blast to begin with. If this memorandum goes up, then wasn’t that letting his Majesty gather all the fire towards Kaiming Fu? The people of the cabinet should be clear about the aftermath of passing this memorandum up. Moreover, everyone was more or less all a joint entity of common interest, so should lend a hand, right? Unfortunately, they’d thought too beautifully!

If the inner cabinet didn’t have Li Hong Yuan’s people, then perhaps it really can be as they desire, but Ruan Rui Zhong, this on the surface neutral faction head cabinet minister, inherently worked for Jin Qinwang. After having already received Jin Qinwang secret letter, how could he possibly obstruct? He would only ‘not disdain the matter for being big’. Facing everyone’s obstruction, Ruan Rui Zhong only stated: “The memorandum can only be suppressed temporarily, and sooner or later will all be delivered to his Majesty’s hand. Postponing, can work, and if Jin Qinwang is in good health, then naturally for the best, but if determined that Jin Qinwang…………By that time, the inner cabinet that suppressed the memorandums undoubtedly will similarly suffer purging. Is everyone certain that for the sake of Kaiming Fu’s officials, you’re willing to use your future prospects, as well as your whole family’s life, for a gamble?”

Sure enough, everyone that was blocking all kept silent. Compared with oneself, others, even if having close ties of interest, can only stand to the side. Ruan Rui Zhong was precisely grabbing onto this bit, one fatal blow.

Afterwards, these memorandums naturally were passed up, and just as expected, was like pouring oil over fire. Le Cheng Emperor once again exploded. Although what had happened in Kaiming Fu, he’d already known about, but the specifics weren’t too clear. Begging for forgiveness now? What the hell were you all doing earlier?! Le Cheng Emperor won’t care that the memorandums were held up for a few days on the road. He just knows that while his son’s life and death was unclear, a bunch of people ‘fired after the horse[1]‘ in ‘begging for forgiveness’. This, in his eyes, wasn’t begging for forgiveness anymore, but rather wanting to have themselves cut clean and escape from the blame. If they really have the time to write a memorandum to beg for forgiveness, then how come they just didn’t know to properly protect his son after the incident so as to prevent something from happening again? And when meeting with mishap again, rather than trying to search or save, you instead write a pile of crap here?

Kaiming Fu’s local army has thirty thousand troops, yet in the end, let a hundred bandits sneak into the city and charge into the villa Jin Qinwang was staying in? The hell were each and every one all doing for their salary?!

This was even during peacetime. If encountering the chaos of war, with this kind of thing happening, wasn’t that equal to having the city surrendered to others with both hands? Alright, this logic was a bit forceful. If really encountering the chaos of war, then the gates certainly will be tightly shut, so how could they let a hundred some unclassified people sneak into the city. Besides, in reality, it simply wasn’t some unknown people, but would Le Cheng Emperor go think of these now? He won’t. He will only think of his son, his only son with his most beloved woman. Very obviously, the latter was the key focus.

Kaiming Fu’s Governor-General took the brunt of the force, directly getting stripped of three ranks by Le Cheng Emperor, and this was only temporary. If in the end, it’s determined that Jin Qinwang has already met with mishap, he will definitely be stripped bald. If then discovering something else, for instance the salt administration, or for instance, secretly plotting against Jin Qinwang, then it’ll definitely be an execution of the whole family. The others, aside from the people that didn’t write a memorandum to beg for forgiveness, all got stripped of one or two ranks. And in the end, Inspector General Su solely grew in power. Even the military power was temporarily given to him.

Kaiming Fu’s Governor-General, who had to hand over the military power, that complexion was peerlessly incredible. Inspector General Su was his old rival. The two of them fighting one another long wasn’t just a day or two. Inspector General Su never ‘showed the mountains nor revealed the waters[2]‘, but Kaiming Fu’s Governor-General never dared to underestimate him. He’d considered that on certain matters, he might lose, just he never thought that this defeat would be this brutal. It was possible that he may never crawl up again. Not only so, but at present, he was even reduced to the other party’s subordinate, listening to and obeying the other party’s orders. The memorandums of apology didn’t have this Su old dog’s share, but in other people’s memorandum of apology, he’d taken matters into his own hands, doing something against the rules that would even be met with punishment, but because it was for the sake of saving Jin Qinwang, he instead wasn’t blamed but even praised!

“Inspector General must be very pleased inside, right?” Kaiming Fu’s Governor-General, oh, no, it’s the former Governor-General, said practically through gritted teeth.

“Pleased? What is there to be pleased about? Jin Qinwang’s life and death is currently unknown, so we must go all out in finding Jin Qinwang.” Inspector General Su said with a serious expression, “At this time, we absolutely must not be unclear of the priorities.” These words were seemingly warning the other party, what was presently the final crucial point.

The former Governor-General grew even angrier inside. Even if this old dog taunted him, it was still better than seeing this fake face of his, but that worry and fear was indeed even stronger. However much he wanted to take Li Hong Yuan’s life previously, at this time, was just however much he hoped for the other party to still be safe and sound.

Kaiming Fu dispatched five thousand troops, going downward along the canal, expanding the search area under Inspector General Su’s orders.

Compared to the others, Inspector General Su’s heart wasn’t that peaceful either, just because he detected Jin Qinwang’s unusualness. He wasn’t sure whether or not this was just a play arranged by Jin Qinwang. He didn’t want Li Hong Yuan to die in Kaiming Fu, but it didn’t mean that he just wished for Li Hong Yuan to be alive. Forcing Li Hong Yuan to leave was within his plans, and taking action on the canal was also a part of his plan, but officials and bandits colluding was nevertheless not in his plans. In handling matters, he has always needed to guarantee a hundred percent success. Water bandits were easy to use, but they were not trusted by him. Moreover, there was even the risk of getting caught.

But the problem was, his people still haven’t done anything yet, and not only so, he even completely lost track of them. Were they already dead? Or got caught? The former was still okay, but if the latter………….

However, with such a wide search area, getting found was also sooner or later, but it was also more or less enough for Li Hong Yuan to ‘rest’ for two days.

[1] Belated action, or doing something in hindsight

[2] Idiom meaning hiding the key facts, or concealing one’s true abilities

T/N: Inspector General Su is very worthy of being an old fox, and very worthy of Li Hong Yuan’s attention to say the least. All the backstabbing in the imperial court is very fun to watch. I also really enjoy the author’s roundabout ways at avoiding giving certain characters name, but in my opinion, it’s actually better to just call certain characters by their function or title than a name.