Chapter Seventy-Eight: A Plan Without Flaw

Di Ying spoke as she rose and began to pace, continuing her explanation.

“As for Zhang Maoqing… I really don’t know what to say about him. He’s a straightforward, stubborn fellow—marching alone into the broker’s guild. Even if His Majesty and Lai Wangcai didn’t deal with him, the officials present at the time, and those who came after, would never let him off. I had no choice but to send Zhao San and Xu Si to pull him into my plan, and drag the Tribunal along for the ride.

As for Wu Desen, though he’s greedy for merit, he’s not flashy. After being snubbed by His Majesty during the case of Wu Jianhui, he’s grown much more cautious, fearing that His Majesty might find his age an eyesore. You know how His Majesty is… but let’s not discuss that.

Back to Wu Desen. He’s half-buried in the earth already, has peculiar habits, and probably wants to keep some things hidden. Based on my calculations, he’d have one of his sons keep an eye on the Censor’s Street. I was rather hoping it would be Wu Junbing. That fellow believes whatever he hears, and passes it on without thinking. Ha! And it really was him.

Didn’t I instruct Zhao San and Xu Si? Whoever they met on Censor’s Street, they were to greet them and memorize their faces. As soon as Zhao San described him to me, I knew it was Wu Junbing.

Now things get interesting. Upon hearing Wu Junbing’s report, Wu Desen would certainly try to make a show before His Majesty, hoping to redeem his standing. So, he’d bring up the broker’s case at the morning court as soon as possible. When he ends up shooting himself in the foot, it’ll be Song Wen’s turn to shine.

Wu Chengsi’s promotion was also within my expectations. He’s a shrewd man, knows when to advance or retreat. His Majesty has always favored him. When his son died unexpectedly—His Majesty’s grand-nephew, no less—and Wu Chengsi played up his grief, His Majesty was bound to compensate him.

As for Lai Wangcai… he’s currently in high favor with His Majesty; I can’t touch him for now. All I did was use this incident to plant a thorn in His Majesty’s heart. Whether it took root, I can’t say. We can only do our best and leave the rest to fate.”

Peng Liang listened, unable to hold back a thumbs-up for his lord. Yet even after, he still had doubts.

“But sir, why didn’t His Majesty ask about those children? Their bodies weren’t among the dead—why didn’t His Majesty inquire? And: now that Wu Yanyi’s death is settled, why didn’t His Majesty ask who killed the others?”

Di Ying was silent for a long time after hearing this. Her fingers slowly curled into fists. After a while, she relaxed and sighed.

“The broker’s business is legitimate. As for the sources… everyone knows there are proper channels and crooked ones. His Majesty is hardly ignorant. She doesn’t pursue it, just as she said: such matters aren’t significant in her eyes. It’s like a leak that can’t be plugged—she has no patience for such things.

And how would she pursue it? Brokers operate the same way everywhere in the realm, and so many officials were present that night—should she punish them all? Besides, the big boss behind the brokers—no matter what she thinks, she knows it’s someone from her own house. How do you expect her to investigate?

Likewise, she won’t care about those children’s whereabouts. Hearing the bodies didn’t include the children, she’d guess they all escaped, or perhaps were secretly taken away by certain officials. As long as they weren’t burned to death on the spot, she won’t concern herself. At most, she’ll ask Song Wen about them later.

I’ve already instructed Song Wen: if His Majesty asks, he should say they all ran off. He was too busy helping them escape the fire, and couldn’t find any after. His Majesty won’t pursue it further. At most, she’ll tell Song Wen: if he encounters any of those children wandering, send them to the ‘Charity Bureau.’

That’s the greatest mercy His Majesty can offer.

As for those killed within the broker’s guild, His Majesty will simply think: they deserved it! Why care how they died? Even if they survived, His Majesty would just order them all executed, lest any reveal the true boss behind the scenes.”

Peng Liang was speechless for a while, then blinked his starry eyes and voiced his last question.

“Sir, do you know who that big boss is?”

Di Ying grinned, as though troubled by a toothache.

“Of course. Not only do I know who it is, I know His Majesty will cover for them and never investigate deeply. That’s precisely why I dared to let you act, and Song Wen take the lead. Otherwise, with murder and arson involved, if the mastermind came forward to impeach me, wouldn’t I end up in jail myself?

I just took advantage of their psychology, trimming a few of their claws in a roundabout way.

Sadly, I can’t afford to offend that person—or His Majesty. Otherwise, I’d have sent troops to raid the brokers, and openly executed them. Alas.”

Di Ying sighed as she spoke, then managed a comforting smile—whether for Peng Liang or herself, it was hard to say.

“Our covert actions serve as a warning to that person. Unable to trace the loss at the broker’s guild or the deaths of their men, they’ll only feel they were too reckless, prompting His Majesty to send a secret warning. After all, who else could pull off such a bold move, and make eighty-eight children vanish overnight?

So, that person quickly halted the expansion of their territory, and even contracted their holdings, shutting down all broker’s guilds and suspending efforts to win over court officials.

In other words, their ambition is curbed, for now at least, forced back into hiding.

Afterwards, the old emperor soon forgot the affair. Thanks to Song Wen’s strong recommendation, Yang Jixuan was appointed as Deputy Magistrate of the Metropolitan Bureau. The other two who helped Yang Jixuan in the lost flower case were also promoted.

Of course, those who tried to target Yang Jixuan met a grim fate. Song Wen and Yang Jixuan joined forces to root them out, and in the end, all were sentenced to execution after autumn.

The Metropolitan Bureau was suddenly much “cleaner.”

…

A month later.

The wind of May, already sweltering, swept across the realm, carrying Tang Tong, a commoner from Yongzhou, to the capital, into the palace, and before His Majesty.

Within the imperial study stood a block of white jade as tall as a man, set at the very center of the hall.