Chapter 44
When the bigwigs clash, the little folks get caught in the crossfire. Xue Cong could not have been more grateful right now that he had gotten out of this mess earlier by being tied up with another assignment — it was Commander Ma who had personally led the team to arrest Cui Su.
He told himself firmly that from now on, he would definitely check the almanac before stepping out the door.
The Five Wards Military Office was stuck doing all sorts of menial chores. The capital was crawling with officials, and anyone with a bit of authority could order the office around. To survive in such a tight spot, its staff had to know every detail about the noble and official households, and respond flexibly to every situation.
For example, if two powerful high-ranking families got into a fight, and neither could be offended, the Five Wards Military Office would play dumb and delay taking action until one side clearly gained the upper hand, then show up just to go through the motions.
The Cui family only held an empty earldom title. Cui Mian was a third-rank official with no real power, and the rest of the men in the family were only seventh-rank. Not a single person in the entire household had any real clout in the imperial court.
It was said that the Second Miss of the Cui family's main branch had moved into Prince Wei's residence. Anyone who knew a thing or two about the political situation understood that Second Miss Cui was nothing more than a pawn in the power struggle between several princes. The talk about her being favored by Empress Dowager Chen was all just a show for outsiders. Only the Cui family and Second Miss Cui herself took it seriously. When real trouble came, the backing from Empress Dowager Chen and Prince Wei was nothing but a hollow gesture.
So when the Xin family clashed with the Cui family, the choice was obvious. The Xin family had Princess Kang as a connection, and Xin Chong, a deputy minister of the Ministry of Personnel, on their side. There was no question which side the military office would take.
After they took Cui Su into custody, the Xin family asked to hold him for one more day. Seeing how badly Xin Jixing had been beaten, Commander Ma fully understood their anger. He only made it clear that Cui Su could not be beaten to death or maimed, agreed to pick him up the next day from the Xin residence, and then led his men away.
When Princess Kang's people came again to report that Second Miss Cui had led a group of people to break into the Xin residence to rescue their man, Commander Ma could not help but sigh. He thought the Cui boy was a reckless fool, and his sister was just as silly. The main branch of the Cui family had completely burned all their bridges. It was already a great act of mercy on Princess Kang's part to let them stay in Yingcheng.
This time, when he was sent out on duty, Commander Ma told him to just do whatever the Xin family wanted.
When Xue Cong arrived, he saw not only a Prince Wei residence carriage parked outside the Xin residence, but also a carriage that had come straight from the palace. And when he spotted Xin Jixing tied up and gagged right in front of the Xin family's main gate, he knew things were going to go very wrong.
If he turned around and left right now, he would offend Princess Kang and the entire Xin family. So he could only bite the bullet and wait, hoping in his heart that Prince Wei's residence and Empress Dowager Chen were just putting on a big show with no real bite, and that after Princess Kang and the Xin family said a few nice words, the whole thing would blow over.
But things did not go at all as he had hoped. Princess Kang was no soft touch, and that Second Miss Cui was even more fierce and unyielding. Without even showing her face or saying a word, the guards of Prince Wei's residence charged forward to clear the way for her.
What was even more unexpected was that there was not only Second Miss Cui in the carriage, but also Chief Eunuch Qian He from the Funing Palace.
Most people might not know, but the Five Wards Military Office kept detailed records of all major and minor events in the two imperial cities of Yancheng and Yingcheng. They knew very well that this Qian He was no ordinary man. Twenty years ago, he had been the infamous tyrant of Yancheng, starting fights no one else dared to start, and sticking his nose into no affair that was off-limits. If his family had not fallen into disgrace and he had not entered the palace to become a eunuch, he would definitely be a prominent figure today.
Who would have thought that after twenty years as a eunuch, his fierce, unruly edge had not faded at all.
Qian He alone was enough to give anyone a headache, and on top of that there was Prince Wei's chief aide, who was as treacherous as a smiling tiger. After the incident where he had accused Prince Duan and Prince Kang in the imperial court, everyone in Yingcheng knew that Prince Wei's chief aide could turn even the smallest trivial matter into a huge, unsolvable crime.
Xue Cong was completely certain now that compared to Princess Kang and the Xin family, Second Miss Cui's side was far more impossible to provoke.
He stepped forward respectfully and said, "This lowly official is Xue Cong. I must tell you that our Commander Ma was deceived earlier."
The chief aide broke into a warm, friendly smile. "So it's Deputy Commander Xue. In that case, I hope Deputy Commander Xue will re-examine the facts of this case. Xin Jixing was the one who insulted and provoked Young Master Cui Su first, so Young Master Cui Su's actions to defend himself were completely justified. If Commander Ma had handled this properly earlier, he would have just given the young man a dressing down and the matter would have been closed. Instead, he abused his power to favor the Xin family, arresting our man first, and then allowing the Xin family to detain him and set up an illegal torture chamber. This is no longer a small matter. Of course, none of this is Deputy Commander Xue's fault. But since you are here now, please do us a favor and escort the ringleader Xin Jixing to the Ministry of Justice. I will personally go there later to give a full account of the situation."
Xue Cong's heart was more bitter than Coptis herb. This Chief Aide Song was never going to let him off easily. Right now, he had to take a clear stand and pick a side.
He glanced at Qian He in the carriage, then at Cui Lanyin standing behind him. Alright, he decided, he would bet that these two had far more power behind them.
Xue Cong called out to the bailiffs behind him, "Arrest Xin Jixing."
From inside the residence, Princess Kang, Xin Chong, and his sons all shouted in unison, "Who dares!"
From inside the carriage, Qian He and Cui Lanyin spoke at exactly the same time: "This old man dares!" and "I dare!"
After saying that, Qian He laughed heartily. "The Second Miss and I are of the exact same mind."
Cui Lanyin said, "It's all thanks to the good upbringing of the Empress Dowager."
Qian He nodded repeatedly. "That's the truth. Everyone in our Funing Palace has this kind of straightforward, unyielding temper."
Xue Cong did not dare to waste any more time. He personally walked over to untie the gagged and bound Xin Jixing from the gate, then his bailiffs took over and escorted the man away, heading for the Ministry of Justice.
Inside the residence, Princess Kang pushed Xin Jitang out to block their path, but the chief aide stepped forward to bar the way. "There's no rush. Princess Kang interfered with the official duties of the Five Wards Military Office, and the Xin family set up an illegal torture chamber. This is the crime of forming a faction to exclude dissenters. We will sort all that out later, and then you will also be on your way to the Ministry of Justice. It will only be a matter of minutes apart, so there is no need to be in such a hurry."
Xue Cong yelled at his bailiffs to hurry up and leave, but Second Miss Cui stopped him. "Lord Xue, if you run into any trouble later, you can go to Prince Wei's residence to find Chief Aide Song."
Chief Aide Song smiled and replied, "I have noted that down, Second Miss."
This was Second Miss Cui's promise: if the Xin family sought revenge on him later, Prince Wei's residence would protect him.
Xue Cong turned to bow to the inside of the carriage. "Thank you, Second Miss. I will be at your service whenever you need me." After that, he personally followed at the rear of the group escorting Xin Jixing away.
Qian He said approvingly, "Second Miss is handling things more and more properly now."
Inside the residence, Princess Kang and Xin Chong had both missed a heartbeat when they heard the chief aide say "forming a faction to exclude dissenters". Emperor Xuanning hated this crime more than anything else. If word of this reached his ears, they would never be able to explain themselves, no matter how innocent they were.
What was more, Prince Kang had already been punished recently with a salary cut, and banned from attending court meetings and participating in discussions at the Ministry of Revenue. If this new charge was added on top of that, there was no telling what kind of punishment Emperor Xuanning would hand down.
Princess Kang had been able to mobilize fifty guards today only because a couple of days ago, Prince Kang had gone to his country estate to relax, taking all his most trusted personal attendants with him, leaving Princess Kang in full charge of the palace.
Prince Wei's chief aide was far more than a smooth talker. Last time, it was him who had gone to the Imperial Clan Court and exposed the wrongdoings of Prince Kang and Prince Duan in the imperial court. Both Prince Duan and Prince Kang had suffered greatly, and the entire situation had spiraled completely out of their control.
Now this chief aide had appeared again, slapping such a serious charge on them right from the start, with Qian He standing by in the carriage to back them up, showing every intention of fighting this to the very end. Even Xin Chong, who had seen decades of ups and downs in officialdom, was getting scared. Xin Chong pulled Princess Kang aside and said, "Let's swallow our anger for now. Let's give in and apologize, shall we?"
Princess Kang was not willing to back down at all. "That Second Miss Cui has been deliberately picking on us. She plans to open a pastry shop and a restaurant near the Imperial Examination Hall, which is clearly meant to steal business from our Shunzhai Zhai. Jixing was so angry that he went to confront the Cui family about it. Now she is still making such a big fuss over this. If we give in now, she will only push her luck even further later on."
"Your Highness Prince Wei's major affairs come first. Once things are settled, you can make up for anything later," Xin Chong urged. "The Prince is in a difficult spot right now, we must not add to his troubles."
"Then we just let Xin Jixing be taken away like this?"
"Put them off for now. All Xin Jixing did was get into a brawl. With you and I putting in a good word, the Ministry of Justice won't treat him harshly anyway."
"But if I bow my head this time, how am I supposed to hold my head up in Yingcheng? I'll have no face left to show anyone."
Xin Chong leaned in and whispered a plan to her. Princess Kang nodded bitterly, "The humiliation I suffer today, I will repay a hundredfold, a thousandfold."
Seeing that Princess Kang had understood, Xin Chong opened the door and walked out. He bowed respectfully from a distance to Qian He first, "Greetings, Eunuch Qian."
When Qian He did not even spare him a glance, he could only force a dry smile and turn to the chief aide, "Lord Song, it was this old man's negligence earlier. After looking into it clearly, my reckless son acted on his own. The whole business of seizing people was arranged by him through Commander Ma. This old man and his sister knew nothing about it. Now I have already escorted him to the Ministry of Justice. He will surely suffer a lot for his actions later. How about we let this matter rest?"
"Is that so? Then Lord Xin is quite the negligent head of household. If you are so lax in running your own family, I'm afraid there must be oversights in your official duties too. This matter will have to be verified by the Ministry of War."
Xin Chong had not expected Prince Wei's chief aide to be so difficult to deal with. No matter what he said, the man could always pin some kind of blame on him.
"Lord Song, let's be merciful where mercy is due..."
After repeated concessions that still met with no leniency, Princess Kang's temper finally snapped. She could no longer hold back and rushed out from behind the door, shouting toward the carriage, "Second Miss Cui, how can you be so overbearing? With such a shameless, ruffianly reputation hanging over you, which family would ever dare to arrange a marriage for you? I suggest you stop while you are ahead, or you will really end up unwed for life."
Qian He shifted to the side to make space, and Cui Lanyin came over to sit beside him. "What's wrong with being overbearing? At least it lets me watch you bow your head, doesn't it? Besides, others can call me shameless and ruffianly, but you, Princess, have no right to. How dare someone who sells pastries across from the Imperial Examination Hall point fingers at others' reputations? Your skin is so thick, Princess, I'm almost blushing on your behalf."
The alley where the Xins lived had three households. The Xins lived in the middle. Long before Prince Wei's people arrived at the Xin residence, the other two families had hidden behind their doors or on the upper floors of their homes, watching the commotion.
All of them were the type who loved nothing more than to see a big drama unfold. The two families not only watched themselves, but also notified the neighbors up and down the lane. Quite a few people who had followed Prince Wei's entourage to see what was going on had also gathered at the alley entrance. By now, the entire area around the Xin residence was packed with people staring at the scene.
After Cui Lanyin spoke those words, many in the crowd burst into laughter. People had long grown tired of watching Princess Kang and the Xin family secretly making money through that underhanded business while putting on a facade of being lofty and pure.
Having her most shameful secret exposed in public by Cui Lanyin, Princess Kang felt as if the sky was about to fall. She had not feared the news getting out before, because as long as she held power, anyone who disliked it would have to swallow their grievances.
But this matter absolutely could not reach the ears of Empress Dowager Li and Emperor Xuanning. The two of them would never tolerate anything that stained the royal family's dignity.
Princess Kang's arrogance instantly deflated. She finally lowered her head, "I spoke out of line just now. I apologize to Second Miss Cui. From now on, we will not interfere with each other, is that acceptable?" Accustomed to being high and mighty, she could not bring herself to say any more submissive words.
"That depends on you," Cui Lanyin did not leave any room for compromise. "If you don't make a move, I won't. But if you dare to plot against me, I won't hesitate to wipe you out completely."
Cui Lanyin would never have had the confidence to flaunt Prince Wei's name so boldly in the past, nor would she have made the promise to protect Xue Cong earlier.
That day, she had accompanied Prince Wei to pay respects to Consort Yao. Afraid that Prince Wei would start saying things like "in the end, everyone is alone when they come and go," she had chattered nonstop after the incense was lit.
Finally, Prince Wei pulled her aside and said to Consort Yao's memorial tablet, "With this little girl by my side, Mother Concern, you can rest assured."
That was when Cui Lanyin gained her confidence. In front of Prince Wei, she could be more unrestrained. Even if she made a mistake, Prince Wei would make her meditate in seclusion as punishment on one hand, and stand up for her on the other. She could use Prince Wei's prestige to act as she pleased.
Earlier, she had been hesitant and overcautious, worried that she would disrupt Prince Wei's plans. But now that she had come all the way here, she naturally could not let Prince Wei's residence lose face.
The onlookers around all gasped in shock. This Second Miss Cui was truly domineering, and it was no act. Empress Dowager Chen and Prince Wei really doted on her.
Madam Xin stepped out from behind the door with a pale face and handed over a hundred taels of gold. Xin Jitang quickly took it, and walked up to the carriage trembling all over, "This is for Young Master Cui to buy medicine and nourishments. I hope you will not find it too mean."
Qian He glared at him, "Do you take our Second Miss for a beggar? The Fu Ning Palace and Prince Wei's residence have unlimited silver for her to spend. Would she be short of this pittance? Get lost!"
Cui Lanyin made up her mind then and there that she must team up with Qian He more often in the future. He was truly excellent at boosting her prestige.
On the way back, Cui Lanyin said, "Uncle Qian, from now on whenever you have something to handle, call for me. You can sit back in the high seat, and let me go forward to deal with things for you."
Qian He only caught the address she used at the beginning, "What did you call me, Second Miss?"
"Uncle Qian," Cui Lanyin replied. "I know you are related to the Empress Dowager, of the same generation as my granduncle, and you are a few years older than my father. It is only right that I call you Uncle Qian."
Qian He's voice trembled, "Second Miss, you don't despise me for being an eunuch... I... I..."
