Returning to the dead of night a few days ago.
Inside the study of the Count Chengyi Estate, candlelight flickered.
Xu Youde sat in a grand armchair, holding a few pages of yellowed paper in his hands.
This was a copy of the ledger sent back from the capital's waterways by his eldest son, Xu Wuyou.
The steward, Xu Fu, stood by the desk.
Xu Fu kept his head bowed, not even daring to breathe too loudly.
Xu Youde turned to the last page.
His gaze fell upon four words: Final Inspection, Shang Manor.
He stared at these four words for a long time.
Xu Fu took a step forward.
"Master, the eldest young master has made a miraculous achievement this time."
"Once this ledger is exposed, the Ministry of Revenue will likely be turned upside down."
"Should we write a memorial overnight and submit it to the palace first thing tomorrow morning?"
Xu Youde did not reply to his words.
"Go and bring a fire brazier."
Xu Fu froze.
"Master, this is ironclad proof to bring down Shang Qitai."
Xu Youde raised his eyelids.
"I told you to bring a brazier."
Xu Fu dared not persuade him further and turned to leave the study.
Before long, a glowing red charcoal brazier was brought in.
Xu Fu placed the brazier in front of the desk.
Xu Youde stood up and walked over to the brazier.
He pulled a completed memorial from his sleeve, which he had drafted at dusk.
He had originally planned to use the morning assembly tomorrow to tearfully complain to the Emperor about the Waterway Hall being harassed by the Transport Commission.
Xu Youde opened the memorial.
He looked at the dense handwriting on it.
"Xu Fu, do you think it was easy for Wuyou to get this ledger?"
Xu Fu thought for a moment.
"The eldest young master detained people at the docks and sealed the warehouses. He made a huge commotion."
"It is only reasonable that Manager Lu's subordinates handed over the ledger to save their own lives."
Xu Youde shook his head.
"How far are the capital's waterways from the Imperial City?"
"The Imperial City Department's hidden spies are scattered all over, inside and outside the capital."
"Wuyou caused such a massive uproar at the East Bay Docks. Would Shen Lian really not catch wind of it?"
Xu Fu's expression changed.
"Does Master mean that the Imperial City Department had their eyes on this ledger long ago?"
Xu Youde tore off the first page of the memorial in his hand.
The paper fell into the brazier, and flames flared up.
"Shang Qitai has sat in the position of Minister of Revenue for so many years."
"His Majesty knows exactly how much he has embezzled."
"His Majesty has kept him around, treating him like a fattened pig raised in a pen."
"Now that the pig is fat, it is time to slaughter it."
Xu Youde tore off the second page.
"But to slaughter a pig, one needs a knife."
"His Majesty does not want to do it himself; he wants to borrow the hands of our Xu family."
"Wuyou sending the ledger back is equivalent to handing that knife to me."
Xu Fu asked anxiously, "Then if we take the opportunity to pull Shang Qitai from his horse, wouldn't that be a great merit?"
Xu Youde let out a cold laugh.
"Great merit?"
"Shang Qitai's disciples and former subordinates are spread throughout the court and the countryside."
"Water transport, salt, iron, which of these avenues doesn't have his people?"
"If the Xu family truly acts as this pig-slaughtering knife, the moment we stab it in, the pig's blood will splatter all over our entire household."
"When that time comes, Shang Qitai will fall, but the Xu family will also become the target of public criticism."
"Those whose avenues of wealth have been cut off will swallow the Xu family alive."
Xu Youde tore the rest of the memorial into pieces.
He threw the handful into the brazier, the firelight reflecting red on his face.
"His Majesty is testing me."
"To see if I am a dutiful and pure minister, or a power-hungry official eager for quick success."
Xu Fu looked at the memorial turning to ashes, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.
"Then this ledger..."
Xu Youde turned and walked back to the desk.
He picked up the few bloodstained copies.
He walked to the bookshelf, moved a few books aside, and revealed a hidden compartment.
He placed the copies inside and locked it.
Xu Fu bowed in compliance.
"Master is wise."
Xu Youde sat back down in the armchair and closed his eyes.
"Wuyou caused too much trouble on the waterways."
"Shang Qitai will not sit still and await his doom."
"Tomorrow's morning assembly will likely be a tough battle."
...
At the same time, in the study of the Shang Manor.
Minister of Revenue Shang Qitai, draped in an outer coat, sat in the main seat.
Several advisors stood in the study.
The atmosphere was oppressive.
An advisor in gray stepped forward to report.
"My Lord, news just came in."
"Manager Lu of the Guangyi Merchant Firm has been detained by Xu Wuyou at the East Bay Docks."
"The warehouse entrances have been sealed, and the waterway permits have been confiscated."
Shang Qitai rolled two walnuts in his hand.
"What about Tao Boyong from the Transport Commission?"
"Didn't he take people there?"
The gray-clad advisor lowered his head.
"Patrol Officer Tao was suppressed by Xu Wuyou using an imperial envoy document."
"Xu Wuyou forced him to sign and affix his fingerprint, making him take the blame for delaying military supplies."
"Patrol Officer Tao didn't dare to sign, so he took his men and retreated."
The walnuts in Shang Qitai's hand stopped moving.
"Useless trash."
Another advisor in a blue shirt stepped forward.
"My Lord, with Manager Lu detained, our ledger on the waterways..."
Shang Qitai slammed the walnuts onto the table.
"Whose hands is the ledger in?"
The blue-shirted advisor replied, "According to reports, one of Manager Lu's patrolmen was caught by Xu Wuyou's men."
"That patrolman was carrying the list detailing the losses of the northern military rations."
Shang Qitai stood up.
He paced back and forth in the study.
"Xu Wuyou."
"That playboy from the Count Chengyi Estate who only knows how to cockfight and ride horses."
"Where did he get such enormous courage?"
The gray-clad advisor said, "My Lord, that old fox Xu Youde has always been protective of his own."
"For Xu Wuyou to dare make such a scene at the docks, he must have had Xu Youde's backing."
"If that list falls into Xu Youde's hands, he will definitely use it to make an issue at tomorrow's morning assembly."
Shang Qitai stopped his pacing.
He looked out the window at the heavy night.
"Xu Youde wants to make an example out of me?"
"He doesn't even weigh his own worth."
The blue-shirted advisor asked, "My Lord, how should we respond?"
Shang Qitai walked to the desk and spread out a blank memorial.
He picked up a writing brush and dipped it fully in ink.
"Since the Xu family wants to play, this official will play with them to the bitter end."
"Send word to the people in the Censorate."
"At tomorrow's morning court, impeach Xu Wuyou."
"Say that he relied on the power of the Count Chengyi Estate to act tyrannically on the capital's waterways."
"Setting up private tribunals, detaining good citizens, and obstructing water transport."
The gray-clad advisor hesitated a bit.
"My Lord, what about the list of military ration losses..."
Shang Qitai gave a cold snort.
"What can a piece of paper of unknown origin prove?"
"This official manages the world's money and grain; the accounts are numerous."
"If the subordinates have unclean hands and this official was not strict in investigating, it is at most a crime of negligence."
"But Xu Wuyou privately detaining merchant ships and blocking the waterways is a solid crime."
"This official will strike first."
"Muddy the waters."
"Let His Majesty see who exactly is disrupting the court's order."
Shang Qitai's brush moved like dragons and snakes, and a memorial impeaching Xu Wuyou was quickly written.
He handed the memorial to the gray-clad advisor.
"Send it to the Censorate overnight."
"First thing tomorrow morning, I want this memorial to appear on His Majesty's imperial desk."
The gray-clad advisor took the memorial and left in a hurry.
Shang Qitai sat back down in his chair, picked up the two walnuts again, and continued to roll them.
"Ah, Xu Youde."
"You want to step on this official to climb up."
"This official would like to see if you have the life for it."
At dawn, the horizon glowed with a pale white light.
Outside the Imperial City, all the officials gathered.
The officials gathered in twos and threes, conversing in low voices.
Xu Youde, wearing a crimson court uniform, had his hands tucked into his sleeves.
He stood at the edge of the crowd, resting with his eyes closed.
Not far away, Shang Qitai approached, surrounded by a group of officials.
Shang Qitai was also dressed in a scarlet court uniform, the golden pheasant embroidered on his mandarin square looking remarkably lifelike.
The two men met unexpectedly before the palace gates, and the surrounding officials quickly stepped aside to make way.
Xu Youde opened his eyes, watching Shang Qitai draw near.
Shang Qitai came to a halt.
Their eyes met.
Xu Youde was the first to cup his hands in greeting.
"Lord Shang, good morning."
Shang Qitai returned the gesture.
"Earl Xu, good morning."
Xu Youde sized him up.
"You are looking quite well today, Lord Shang."
"It seems you slept excellently last night."
Shang Qitai smoothed his cuffs.
"Thanks to your blessing, Earl Xu, I slept very soundly."
"Though as for you, Earl Xu, there are dark circles under your eyes."
"Could it be that some troubling matter at your estate has disturbed your rest?"
Xu Youde let out a sigh.
"You must be joking, Lord Shang."
"At my age, one simply needs less sleep."
"Coupled with my unworthy son causing trouble on the outside, my heart is indeed a bit unsettled."
Shang Qitai took a step forward.
"You must be speaking of my worthy nephew, Wuyou?"
"I have heard that Wuyou has been throwing his weight around on the capital's waterways lately."
"He doesn't even show any regard for the officials of the Water Transport Bureau."
Xu Youde waved his hands repeatedly.
"My son is stubborn and unruly; I have made a fool of myself before you, Lord Shang."
"I am actually planning to plead guilty before His Majesty today and discipline the boy properly."
Shang Qitai stared directly into Xu Youde's eyes.
"Your profound sense of righteousness is truly admirable, Earl Xu."
"I only hope that Wuyou can understand your painstaking efforts and find his way back from the wrong path soon."
"Lest he sink deeper and drag the entire Chengyi Earldom down with him."
Xu Youde met Shang Qitai's gaze unflinchingly.
"Thank you for the reminder, Lord Shang."
"I shall keep it in mind."
The two men shared a smile.
The palace gates slowly began to open.
The heavy wooden doors let out a long, drawn-out creak. The officials straightened their attire, preparing to enter the court.
Xu Youde stepped to the side.
"After you, Lord Shang."
Shang Qitai did not stand on ceremony and strode forward.
"After you, Earl Xu."
The two men walked shoulder to shoulder through the palace gates.
