Following Ye Zhao’s lead in enlisting Pei Shian’s help, the Crown Prince and Prince Rong soon sought their own external aid, bringing in their respective "think tanks" to assist.
It had to be said that this significantly lightened the workload.
Ye Zhao stared at a name in the dossier, pausing for a few seconds before murmuring, "...Sun Puhe?"
The name seemed somewhat familiar.
Pei Shian placed a cup of tea on his desk. Hearing this, he said, "I likely read something about him to you yesterday." He asked, "What about him?"
Ye Zhao focused on the text in his hand and did not immediately reply, appearing lost in thought.
After a long moment, he suddenly began rummaging through the documents. The commotion was so loud that the others nearby turned to look at him.
"What are you looking for?" Pei Shian asked, seeing him frowning in silence.
"Did you tell me yesterday that this man served as an official in the Salt Transport Bureau for two years, but was demoted after a blunder? He then switched to a military career, eventually earning merits and rising to the rank of Colonel?"
"Yes," Pei Shian said, puzzled. "Is there a problem with him?"
He knew Ye Zhao would not bring up this person without reason.
Ye Zhao pursed his lips and said nothing for the moment. Seeing this, Pei Shian helped him search for the specific dossier they had reviewed the previous day.
Before long, Pei Shian finally found the record.
Ye Zhao hurriedly took it and flipped it open. *As I thought, something is wrong!*
"Shian, help me find every single record concerning this man!" As Ye Zhao spoke, he began digging through the piles of dossiers and official documents himself.
Pei Shian didn't ask further questions. Anyone could see that Ye Zhao had developed some sort of suspicion regarding this individual.
Soon, the others also began spontaneously pulling out records related to the man.
"What have you discovered?" The group gathered around Ye Zhao’s desk, the Crown Prince leading the way.
Prince Rong had a bad premonition. He cast a discreet glance at Su Jinzhou; after a brief exchange of looks, both remained silent, choosing to watch how things unfolded.
Ye Zhao spread all the information regarding Sun Puhe across the table. He looked up and said, "Your Highness, gentlemen, please look. Among the many records of this man, do you see any contradictions?"
"This is the Yulin Guard's record of his background and character." He tapped a dossier on the left. "This man was the Martial Arts Scholar of the second year of the Zhongxing era. He was orphaned at a young age and raised by his paternal uncle. Coming from a poor family, he passed the provincial exams at twenty-five. By now, he should be in his forties."
"He is described as kind, straightforward, and loyal—a man with an excellent reputation in court who cares deeply for the common people."
Ye Zhao then precisely placed another record before everyone. "But look at this first incident. When he became the Martial Arts Scholar, he should have had a brilliant future. Yet, he was reported for speaking disrespectfully of his superior in private. His character was questioned, and after a series of suppressions and transfers, he was eventually demoted to a minor clerk in the Salt Transport Bureau."
"Does this not seem a bit strange?" Ye Zhao looked at the others.
Prince Rong frowned. "What’s strange about it? He was simply framed by someone."
Ye Zhao nodded unhurriedly, not bothering to argue. Instead, he continued, "Fine, let’s assume that was the case."
He pulled out another file. "The second incident: he spent two years in the Salt Transport Bureau, rising from a clerk to a Commissioner. Then, due to a moment of carelessness, the salt pans under his management lost a thousand catties of refined salt. He was demoted to the very bottom, nearly kicked out of the imperial court entirely."
"The third incident: after being demoted twice, he re-entered the military. In the end, he relied on his merits in suppressing bandits and catching thieves to rise step by step, eventually becoming a Colonel." Ye Zhao exhaled. "His life has truly been a series of highs and lows, quite the roller coaster."
"So what?" Prince Rong’s frown deepened. Alongside his confusion, a hint of irritation surfaced.
What exactly was Ye Zhao trying to say?
"Does Your Highness know? Someone who grows up depending on others from childhood might lack many things, but they never lack caution. Most of them understand how to read people better than anyone else." Ye Zhao looked at Prince Rong. "The fact that he rose from a child with nothing to a Martial Arts Scholar proves he does not lack ambition. Thus, it isn't strange that he could pull himself up after two demotions; it only shows he has a resilient character and great aspirations."
"But if that's the case, don't the reasons for his two demotions seem... laughable?"
As Ye Zhao spoke, his gaze swept across the faces of everyone present.
Su Jinzhou fell into deep thought. What Ye Zhao said was indeed suspicious.
However, it couldn't be taken as absolute truth.
"Fortune and misfortune are unpredictable; if luck is against him, what can be done?" Su Jinzhou sighed.
"To be honest, I don't much believe in luck." Ye Zhao looked at him, hesitating. "Coincidences exist in this world, but for some reason, I feel in my heart that this man... is a bit off."
"Is he related to the illegal sale of official salt?" the Crown Prince asked.
Prince Rong and Su Jinzhou glanced at the Crown Prince, both simultaneously feeling a surge of wariness.
The Crown Prince's motive in saying this was too obvious.
Sun Puhe was not one of his men. If this bucket of dirty water could be dumped on the man, the Crown Prince would be happy to see Prince Rong lose a major general. If he could implicate Prince Rong as well, he would likely be even more delighted.
Ye Zhao was unaware of these internal power plays. He simply pondered honestly, "A Salt Transport Commissioner, a third-rank Colonel... in terms of official rank, they are neither too high nor too low. It’s just right—not enough to attract attention, yet providing ample room to maneuver. It’s practically perfect."
Ye Zhao offered a sincere word of praise before adding, "If he is indeed the mastermind behind this incident, that is."
Of course, that was the prerequisite for his previous assessment.
"Ye Zhao, this is nothing more than your speculation and imagination." Su Jinzhou stood tall and elegant, speaking with calm composure. "Colonel Sun’s character over the years has been witnessed by all. You have no evidence; it is truly inappropriate to suspect him like this."
Ye Zhao sighed. He had no way to refute the other's argument because it was correct.
However, as Ye Zhao looked at the contents recorded in the dossier, he only felt an anomaly, a sense of dissonance. He could not shake the suspicion from his mind.
"Su Jinzhou, but Ye Zhao’s suspicion isn't entirely without merit." Xie Yusong, who had been silent until now, finally spoke. His subsequent words caused the faces of Prince Rong and Su Jinzhou to darken instantly.
He said, "Why not summon Colonel Sun for questioning? When the time comes, the innocent will be proven innocent, and the guilty will be revealed. It would clear him of suspicion and save us energy. The case has seen no progress so far; since we have a direction, we should at least try. What does Prince Rong think?"
*What do I think?*
*I think it’s rubbish!*
"Try" my foot. Who knew what kind of tricks they would pull once the man was actually embroiled in the case? By then, they’d be dumping one bucket of dirty water after another, and Prince Rong’s side would have to waste effort just to fish him out.
Just thinking about it was a headache.
"Merit?" Prince Rong asked with a cold sneer, suppressed anger in his voice. "What merit? Why don't you tell me exactly what makes Colonel Sun suspicious? The illegal sale of official salt likely began ten years ago. He had long since left the Salt Transport Bureau by then; could his reach really be that long?"
"Crown Prince, your study companion’s performance today is lacking. Did he leave his brain at home?"
Instantly, the atmosphere froze, and the scent of gunpowder grew thick.
The Crown Prince’s expression turned cold. "Second Brother, it is best to watch your words. I believe everyone in the capital knows of Yusong’s talent. On the other hand, I wonder why Young Master Su didn't think to advise you before you spoke such nonsense."
The meaning was clear: he was calling Prince Rong brainless and Su Jinzhou negligent in his duties.
Could this be endured?
The answer was, of course, no!
Prince Rong laughed out of sheer anger. "Xie Yusong is certainly loyal to you. He strikes wherever you point. What a truly... faithful study companion."
The words sounded as if he were calling him a faithful dog. Xie Yusong’s expression stiffened, and the Crown Prince’s face darkened immediately. "Is Second Brother acting out of shame and anger? I know he is essentially your father-in-law, but we are merely bringing him in for questioning. Is there any need to be so furious?"
Sun Puhe’s daughter had married Prince Rong as a side-consort two years ago. The Crown Prince was factually correct, but his words carried a veiled accusation—was he trying to shield a criminal?
"Your Highnesses." As the confrontation grew increasingly sharp, a voice suddenly rang out.
Immediately, the Crown Prince and Prince Rong looked away from each other.
"Duke," the two responded one after the other.
Pei Shian acted as if he couldn't see the tension. He simply said in a calm voice, "The weather is getting hotter. Having talked for so long, I imagine you both are thirsty. Have some tea and let us talk slowly."
The confrontational atmosphere dissipated instantly.
Seeing this obvious attempt to smooth things over, Prince Rong and the Crown Prince both fell silent for a moment, then acted as if nothing had happened, dropping the previous subject.
They still had to give face to Pei Shian.
"Yusong, pour me a cup of tea," Pei Shian added.
After a brief stun, Xie Yusong smiled and poured the tea without any sign of resentment.
In terms of seniority and the relationship between their families, Pei Shian viewed Xie Yusong as a nephew.
Everyone present understood that Pei Shian was intentionally checking Xie Yusong. Who didn't know the hidden intent behind his previous suggestion?
But right now, one had to know what should and should not be done. One must never allow personal motives to disrupt official business.
"Ye Zhao, do you still suspect Sun Puhe?" Pei Shian asked.
"Yes." Pulling his thoughts back from the sudden farce, Ye Zhao nodded. He had also just remembered that this Sun Puhe had such a connection to Prince Rong.
"But from a practical standpoint, he has no connection to this matter. If you wish to interrogate him, you have no basis." Pei Shian’s words were very objective and fair.
Ye Zhao leaned back in his chair, lowering his head in thought, running through everything about Sun Puhe in the dossiers over and over again.
He suddenly spoke, his voice low and extremely slow. "If—and I mean if—if I were Sun Puhe, and I wanted to sell such a massive amount of official salt without leaving any trace, what would I do?"
He asked and answered himself, his eyes full of contemplation. "I would first manufacture an 'accident' to successfully infiltrate the Salt Transport Bureau. Then, I would secretly develop a network of people to open a channel for transporting salt in the future. These people wouldn't even need to know the truth; I’d just need a reason for them to be used for my purposes. There are plenty of ways to deceive them—profit, personal favors, there are many methods."
"Then, once the salt is moved out of the Bureau, it passes through Xiaofeng Village and returns to my hands. At this point, my identity as a military officer becomes an excellent cover. Only by moving military supplies can one obtain such a large quantity of salt."
Ye Zhao frowned, speaking softly as he thought. "Why so much salt? Because I need to support people—a lot of people. But where do my people come from?"
He stopped abruptly at this point and suddenly looked up. "I would be both the soldier and the bandit. When I am a bandit, I slaughter the elders and spare the young. When I return as a soldier, I kill the bandits and rescue these orphans. But in reality, the greatest bandit is me, and the most virtuous soldier is also me. Day after day, year after year, for every person I kill, I gain a person. Over time, those children grow into the most loyal blades in my hand."
*Clap, clap, clap...* Ye Zhao lightly applauded, unable to help but praise, "Perfect!"
The others sat in silence. Looking at Ye Zhao’s face full of admiration, the chill that had instinctively risen in their hearts instantly turned into speechlessness.
After saying something so vicious, you’re actually feeling proud of yourself?
"Cough..." Having someone design a sinister plan right in front of him made the Minister of Justice feel rather awkward. He gave a light cough to remind him, "Ye Zhao, these are all your baseless speculations. You are not Colonel Sun, and Colonel Sun would not necessarily do as you imagine."
His imagination ruthlessly terminated, Ye Zhao wilted slightly and sighed. "I was just thinking..."
Perhaps he had watched too many detective dramas, and he couldn't help his mind from wandering.
Fine, it was his fault...
Seeing that Ye Zhao no longer seemed to insist, Prince Rong felt more or less relieved. Sun Puhe was his relative by marriage; throughout history, how many people who raised private armies didn't do so for rebellion?
If things were truly as Ye Zhao imagined, he would undoubtedly be implicated. Being ordered to reflect behind closed doors would be the least of it; he feared the Crown Prince would take the opportunity to kick him while he was down, which would lead to even more trouble.
Thinking this, Prince Rong instinctively turned to look at the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince sensed the gaze and looked back, offering a small smile, as if congratulating him and comforting him that the matter with Sun Puhe had passed.
Prince Rong, feeling thoroughly disgusted, saw his face turn from pale to black. Unable to bear it, he quickly looked away, feeling as if another layer of goosebumps would grow on his skin if he looked for even one more second.
***
