"Fourth Brother need not shoulder all the blame alone."
Song Shihuan gazed at Song Yanhong before her. The members of the Ping Prince's Mansion were undoubtedly to be dealt with thoroughly, while the Prince Qi's Mansion could still be observed for now.
Keeping Song Yanhong around might prove useful.
With this in mind, Song Shihuan turned to Emperor Yuanyou and spoke again, "Your Majesty, this granddaughter has a way to lessen Fourth Brother's punishment."
"What method do you propose, Ah Huan?" Emperor Yuanyou couldn't help but smile faintly at the sight of Song Shihuan's clever demeanor.
"When Sun You returns to the capital tomorrow, have Fourth Brother publicly strike the grievance drum before the people and present evidence. This way, the commoners will only praise Fourth Brother for his righteousness—perhaps they might even plead for leniency on his behalf."
Song Shihuan's plan was ruthlessly cunning.
She intended to use Song Yanhong's own hands to seal Sun You's crimes, ensuring the Sun Family and Prince Chu's Mansion would be irreparably severed.
And in the end, the only one who emerged with any semblance of honor—Song Yanhong—would still face punishment, albeit a lighter one.
"What does Your Majesty think?"
"I find it excellent. Yanhong, what say you?"
Song Yanhong nodded in agreement. "I shall defer to Ah Huan's suggestion."
When Prince Chu learned of this in Consort Hui's palace, he flew into a rage.
"Mother, has that child Yanhong lost his mind?" Prince Chu's eyes burned red like a cornered beast. "What good does the Sun Family's downfall bring to Prince Chu's Mansion? The mansion... the mansion will also be implicated!"
"Mother asks you just one thing—did Sun You embezzle the grain during this escort mission?"
Consort Hui trembled uncontrollably, her mind filled with Song Yanhong's plea for Emperor Yuanyou to investigate the grain shipments to the northern frontier.
When Prince Chu remained silent, Consort Hui collapsed, drained of all strength.
"It's over."
First, the abduction of Song Shihuan had already provoked the Emperor's wrath, and now embezzlement of grain...
"My child, how could you be so foolish?"
......
That night, in the Qin Prince's Mansion.
"Father, what are you reading so intently?" Song Shihuan tiptoed into the study and, upon seeing the historical text in Song Yu's hands, curved her almond-shaped eyes into crescents.
"Reading history. In fact, this is the first book I've ever truly studied." Recalling how he had forced himself to read last year just to impress Ah Huan with his erudition, Song Yu chuckled softly. "All thanks to you."
"History serves as a mirror to understand the past and guide the future. It's an excellent choice."
Song Yu set the book aside. "Ah Huan, centuries ago, there was a law prohibiting officials from visiting brothels, though it was later abolished. I intend to petition for its reinstatement. What do you think?"
Brothels were dens of chaos, and frequent visits by officials inevitably bred corruption beneath the veil of power.
The recent abduction case was proof enough.
Song Shihuan looked at Song Yu, now a far cry from the man she had first met last year, and her smile deepened.
Truthfully, her father was now the most suitable among the princes to ascend the throne—possessing both decisive authority and unwavering trust in his allies, tempered by genuine compassion.
"Most women in brothels come from humble backgrounds, forced into that life by circumstance. If officials are barred from visiting, fewer women would be trapped in such misery—perhaps many could live peaceful lives instead." Song Shihuan smiled. "I support you, Father."
"Yet this petition will anger many officials whose interests are affected."
"Since when have I feared their discontent?"
Song Yu's gaze radiated the unshakable confidence of a ruler. "If a minister serves his sovereign for personal gain, he might as well resign and farm sweet potatoes."
Pfft—
Song Shihuan burst into laughter.
She could hardly wait to see the officials' outrage when her father eventually took the throne.
......
The next day.
As Sun You galloped toward the capital gates, he was intercepted by Shen Xiao, who had been lying in wait.
"Commander Shen, I have urgent business at Prince Chu's Mansion."
Sun You, still unaware of recent events, didn't know Prince Chu had already been confined within the palace.
"Lord Sun, His Majesty's orders are clear—you are to be taken into custody the moment you return."
With that, Shen Xiao signaled his men to drag Sun You from his carriage. Deliberately, they took the route past the grievance drum.
Boom—boom—boom—
The drum's thunderous beats struck Sun You like blows to his heart, filling him with dread.
"My lord, it seems the Fourth Imperial Grandson is striking the drum."
"Is that so?"
Sun You watched eagerly. Could it be that Song Yanhong was fighting to save the Sun Family?
But the next moment, Song Yanhong's voice sent him plummeting into despair.
"I, the Fourth Imperial Grandson Song Yanhong, hereby accuse my maternal family, the Sun Family, of seven crimes. I implore the Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review to investigate!"
In an instant, Sun You's blood ran cold.
"Impossible... This can't be..."
The Sun Family and Prince Chu's Mansion were inseparable—what good would destroying the Sun Family do for the prince?
Yet Song Yanhong continued:
"Furthermore, I urge the Chief Minister to dispatch officials to the northern frontier at once to verify whether the grain allocated by the Ministry of Revenue truly reached the people!"
This final statement drained all color from Sun You's face.
"Fourth Imperial Grandson, my family is innocent of these crimes—you know this! Has someone coerced you into this?"
"Sun You, every accusation I've made is backed by irrefutable evidence."
Meeting Sun You's gaze, Song Yanhong's eyes were icy.
"Your entire household now languishes in the imperial prison. As the Sun Family's head and the mastermind behind these crimes, how dare you feign ignorance!"
The surrounding crowd, stirred by Song Yanhong's words, erupted in support, hurling curses at Sun You.
"Slander! This is blatant slander! I demand an audience with His Majesty—I must plead my case before the Emperor!"
Trembling so violently he could barely speak, Sun You clung to his last shred of rationality: the Sun Family was innocent.
Shen Xiao scoffed. "Very well. Let us escort Lord Sun to the palace."
Behind them, Song Yanhong let the drumstick fall heavily from his grip.
For the first time, he had acted according to his own conscience.
......
The Purple Palace Hall.
"Your Majesty, this subject... this subject is truly wronged! I knew nothing of the Du Family's crimes—had I known, I would have dealt with them myself!"
Kneeling on the floor, Sun You wept so pitifully that Emperor Yuanyou felt nauseated.
"The Fourth Imperial Grandson is young—perhaps someone manipulated him into accusing my family! The Sun Family harbors no treasonous intentions!"
"And what of the grain sent to the northern frontier?" Emperor Yuanyou's voice was frigid.
"The journey from the capital to the frontier is long, and some grain was inevitably lost or damaged. But I swear on my life—I did everything to ensure the people received their due share!"
As Sun You finished, a frantic announcement echoed from outside the hall:
"Urgent report from the northern frontier—"
