It was past midnight. In the secret room at the back of the Earl of Chengyi's estate.
All four windows were sealed tight with thick felt. A single horn lantern sat on the desk, its light barely illuminating the thick stack of ledgers.
Xu Youde closed the last blue-covered ledger, pressed his palms down hard to flatten the curled edges of the cover, rubbed them twice, leaned back against his chair, and let out a long, heavy breath.
The breath was exhaled slowly and lengthily, releasing half a month's worth of pent-up tension in a single sigh.
Xu Wuyou stood at the side of the long desk, his eyes fixed on his father's face, waiting for him to speak.
Xu Youde closed his eyes for a moment, suddenly opened them, and raised a hand to pat the stack of ledgers in front of him.
"It's all here."
Two words, crisp and clean.
Xu Wuyou's shoulders relaxed slightly. "All three lines went through?"
Xu Youde lightly tapped the table with his fist.
"Three hundred thousand taels, not a penny less. Every branch has received the funds."
He stood up, walked to the hidden compartment by the wall, took out a brass key from his sleeve, unlocked it, and placed the stack of ledgers inside one by one, stacking them neatly.
"But just delivering the money, that's an errand boy's job." Xu Youde closed the hidden compartment, locked it, dusted off his hands, and turned around. "Your father hasn't been idle these past two weeks."
Xu Wuyou cupped his fists. "What else has Father done?"
Xu Youde sat back down in his chair, reached over to the corner of the desk, pulled over a thin booklet, flipped to the dog-eared page, and pointed a finger at it.
"The Water Transport Office requisitioned a batch of barges last month, claiming it was for the annual maintenance of the locks along the river, and needed to allocate repair funds from Tongzhou. The memorial was submitted to the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Works approved the estimate, and issued a slip."
Xu Wuyou leaned in for a look.
"The repair funds for this batch of barges totaled forty-six thousand taels, but guess how much was actually spent?"
"How much?"
"Twelve thousand." Xu Youde held up a finger. "The remaining thirty-four thousand taels were split into seventeen small accounts by the Registry Office of the Water Transport Office and deposited separately into draft banks in Tongzhou, Linqing, and Yangzhou. And all of these are affiliated accounts of the Delong Bank."
Xu Wuyou's expression changed. "Is this money also Third Prince Xiao's?"
"Of course not." Xu Youde sneered.
"This money is a private stash gathered for Feng Shaotang by his own maternal uncle."
His finger scrolled down two more lines.
"But the director of the Registry Office is named Qian Shouzheng. This man keeps extremely clean accounts. How clean? He even recorded the exact time each split deposit went into the draft banks in his private ledger, down to the quarter-hour."
"How did Father get his private ledger?"
Xu Youde scoffed.
"Qian Shouzheng's old mother was in the capital for medical treatment. Two prescriptions from the Imperial Academy of Medicine didn't work. Last month, the Xu family's pharmacy changed one ingredient in her medicine, and it worked after three doses."
He flicked the cover of the thin booklet with his fingernail.
"When he came to our door to express his deep gratitude, our people conveniently borrowed his private ledger and made a copy."
Xu Wuyou felt a chill run down his spine.
"That's not all." Xu Youde turned the page. "Zhao Yuanhang, a director in the Bureau of Armaments of the Ministry of War, bought a Duan inkstone for five hundred taels at an antique shop in the capital's West Market last month."
"Bought an inkstone?"
"Bought an inkstone." Xu Youde's tone was unhurried. "But in the hidden compartment of that Duan inkstone's base, there was a piece of paper with a secret code. That was the shift schedule of the garrison commanders along the route when the Xuanfu grain transport passes through Pingxing Pass."
Xu Wuyou's hand unconsciously tightened around the hilt of his sword.
"I had someone keep an eye on Zhao Yuanhang for half a month, and the secret code on that paper has already been deciphered." Xu Youde closed the thin booklet. "Zhao Yuanhang is close to the First Prince's advisors. Once this hidden line is exposed, the relationship between the Bureau of Armaments of the Ministry of War and the First Prince's estate will be impossible to cover up."
He locked the thin booklet into the hidden compartment as well and patted the lock face.
"Shen Tongji's gambling debts, Yang Bingwen's kickback records, Qian Shouzheng's private ledger of split accounts, Zhao Yuanhang's antique shop rendezvous, plus what we already hold... the Xu family's hidden stakes in the Six Ministries have gone a layer deeper."
Xu Wuyou stood up straight.
"Father, this move... Third Prince Xiao probably couldn't imagine it in his wildest dreams. He got the money he wanted, but the bottom of his broken ship has already been pierced through by us."
Xu Youde picked up the bowl of cold tea on the desk, took a gulp, and smacked his lips.
"Of course he couldn't imagine it."
His smile faded. Xu Youde set the tea bowl back on the table and tapped the rim twice with his fingernail.
"However, now that he has the three hundred thousand taels, what Third Prince Xiao will do next is what's important."
Xu Wuyou's expression turned serious. He took out a piece of paper folded in three from his chest and handed it over.
"At a quarter past three this afternoon, the hidden guards reported an incident. They said the Third Prince secretly met with two people at the lake pavilion in his estate."
"Who?"
"One is Pei Ji, the Shaoqing of the Dali Court, and the other is Song Yubai, Song Zhiyuan's nephew."
Xu Youde took the paper, glanced at it, and snorted coldly.
"What else could they talk about? Third Prince Xiao can't wait any longer."
He brought the paper to the lantern's flame. The fire licked the paper, curling and burning it until the ashes crumbled into the brass tray.
"He wants to use the reputation Qinghuan has built in the capital to bait the pure-stream power brokers in the court."
Xu Wuyou chimed in, "Pei Ji oversees criminal justice, and behind Song Yubai stands the Vice Minister of Revenue, Song Zhiyuan. One controls life and death, the other controls money and grain. He wants to hold both ends in his hands."
Xu Youde glanced up at his son.
"You're getting sharper."
Xu Wuyou didn't acknowledge the compliment, frowning. "But what if Pei Ji and the Song family really get pulled over by him, and the pure-stream faction in the court leans toward the Third Prince first? Hiss! That would be disadvantageous for us."
Xu Youde picked up the tea bowl, actually took a sip this time, smacked his lips, leaned back in his chair, and crossed his legs.
"That depends on whether Third Prince Xiao can swallow it."
"What kind of person do you think Song Zhiyuan is?"
Xu Wuyou pondered. "A veteran official in the Ministry of Revenue, steady and reliable, doesn't easily take sides."
"Right. A shrewd man who has squatted in the Ministry of Revenue for twenty years and handled more silver than your father." Xu Youde held up a finger. "He would never bet his life and fortune just because a prince invited his nephew for a cup of tea."
He set the tea bowl down.
"Third Prince Xiao is too impatient."
Xu Wuyou was still uneasy. "So we just watch?"
Xu Youde uncrossed his legs, pushed off the armrests, and stood up.
"Watch? How can we just watch."
He walked over to the chart of capital officials' ranks hanging on the wall, his gaze falling on Song Zhiyuan's name under the "Ministry of Revenue" column.
"Tomorrow morning, after court is dismissed, I will personally go to the Ministry of Revenue to have a cup of tea with Song Zhiyuan."
Xu Wuyou was taken aback. "Father is going personally?"
"Third Prince Xiao can invite people for tea, so why can't I, Xu Youde?" Xu Youde turned back, looking pleased with himself.
"Song Zhiyuan is a smart man. We don't fear smart men; we fear the stupid ones! Smart men can understand what is said and see the situation clearly."
He turned around and patted the rank badge on the chest of his official robe with his right hand.
"Remember, the chips in Third Prince Xiao's hands amount to only two things... money and power."
"The money was raised for him by me, Xu Youde, and I can cut it off at any time. As for power? To this day, he remains an unfavored prince. What can he possibly promise anyone? It is nothing but empty promises."
Xu Youde strode back to the desk and slammed his palm against the locked secret compartment, the wild arrogance in his tone now fully unleashed.
"But what Song Zhiyuan wants, Third Prince Xiao cannot provide."
Xu Wuyou pressed, "What is it?"
Xu Youde stared at him, his gaze deep and resolute.
"A future."
He paused for a breath.
"Song Zhiyuan has been stuck in the Ministry of Revenue for twenty years without budging. Given his seniority, he should have been promoted to the first rank long ago. But with me suppressing him from above and Xu Jie's people flanking him, he cannot move an inch. What he wants is a path upward."
Xu Youde picked up the nearly empty teacup and swirled it in his palm.
"Third Prince Xiao cannot give him this path."
He set the teacup down, his tone brimming with absolute confidence.
"But Qinghuan can."
Xu Wuyou was momentarily at a loss for words.
Xu Youde's mouth curled into a grin.
"Among all the officials in the court, who doesn't want to fish for advantages in the muddy waters of the succession struggle? Song Zhiyuan is a lucky man to have arrived at just the right time."
"If he can manage to board Qinghuan's ship, it will be a blessing the Song family has spent lifetimes cultivating!"
