The Succession Struggle in the Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 158 A High-Ranking Official from the Imperial Court Personally Steps In

Some of the things He Lizhang just mentioned are not things that are easily accessible to him.

Even if it was spread to Jiangnan by others, thus reaching his knowledge.

However, he couldn't possibly verify the authenticity of such a message, so he couldn't possibly run up to Tu Chengyu and tell him.

Now that he can say these things in front of Tu Chengyu, it means that he must know about these things.

Moreover, the fact that he took such a big risk to say these taboo words to Tu Chengyu must be for some purpose.

Otherwise, he would be too busy gossiping about the Crown Prince in front of Tu Chengyu.

Having confirmed these points, and considering Yang Chun's earlier statement that He Lizhang was the Grand Secretary's protégé, it's highly likely that He Lizhang obtained his information from the Grand Secretary.

Having thought this through, Tu Chengyu stopped speculating and asked directly:
"Prefect He, did the Grand Secretary tell you about these things?"

Faced with Tu Chengyu's questioning, He Lizhang remained silent at first, and only spoke after a while:
"Your Highness's insight is indeed something the Grand Secretary passed on to me."

His straightforward admission surprised Tu Chengyu.

Because in the court, although He Lizhang and the Grand Secretary were both officials in the same court, and the Grand Secretary was also He Lizhang's mentor.

However, passing messages in private is taboo and cannot be done openly.

Especially since these messages involve the emperor's family affairs and the crown prince, they cannot be brought to the forefront.

Such rules of officialdom are surely familiar to someone like He Lizhang, who is able to thrive in the political arena.

However, he was able to admit it directly in front of Tu Chengyu, the Prince of Su.

There must be a reason for this.

Tu Chengyu asked, "You've got some nerve, daring to admit to me that you two were having an affair."

He Lizhang said, "This humble official dares not deceive Your Highness, and besides, these words were specifically sent to me by the Grand Secretary."

His words were brilliant. First, he showed that he was not deceiving anyone, and then he said that the Grand Secretary had specifically asked him to tell Tu Chengyu this.

This explains that they did not engage in any private dealings; they were all doing things openly and honestly.

This meticulous work style is very much like that of a young executive.

Tu Chengyu asked, "You said the Grand Secretary asked you to tell me all this, so why did the Grand Secretary want me to know this?"

This is the most crucial question: why would the Grand Secretary travel so far to send someone to tell a prince these things?

He Lizhang said, "The Grand Secretary would like to request that Your Highness return to the capital as soon as possible and stop investigating the grain fields in Jiangnan."

Upon hearing this, Tu Chengyu thought of many things in an instant.

He asked, "So the Grand Secretary knows that I sent people to investigate the grain fields?"

He Lizhang nodded: "Yes, Your Highness."

Tu Chengyu asked again, "So, do you know?"

He Lizhang seemed reluctant to admit it, but he finally gritted his teeth and confessed: "Your Highness, I understand."

Upon hearing this, Tu Chengyu's anger flared instantly.

He questioned, "Since you know that I sent people to investigate the grain fields, then you should know that three of my men died in your Zhenjiang territory. What do you have to say to me about this?"

He Lizhang must have anticipated that Tu Chengyu would ask about this matter, and he must have already prepared a response.

So when Tu Chengyu asked, he immediately replied, "Your Highness, I did not expect such a thing to happen."

"I thought that others would at most drive away the people sent out by the prince, but I did not expect them to dare to kill people to silence them."

Tu Chengyu has yet to determine who the final culprit is, regarding the three men under his command who were burned to death.

But now, the moment He Lizhang opened his mouth, it was as if he knew who had done it.

However, given that He Lizhang knew about Tu Chengyu's investigation of the farmland long ago, and that the person died in He Lizhang's Zhenjiang Prefecture.

Tu Chengyu wouldn't easily believe what he said. He asked:

"So, the arson case has nothing to do with you?"

He Lizhang immediately replied, "Your Highness, the arson case has nothing to do with me. Besides, both I and the Grand Secretary support the court's investigation into the grain fields, so why would I harm the investigators?"

This was another unexpected remark from Tu Chengyu, who asked:

"You just said that the Grand Secretary wanted me not to investigate the grain fields, but now you say that the Grand Secretary supports it. Why do your words sound contradictory?"

He Lizhang said, "Your Highness, what I said does sound somewhat contradictory, but I am not lying."

Tu Chengyu sneered and said, "I'd like to hear if you're not lying."

He Lizhang said, "Your Highness, the reason why the Grand Secretary has always supported you and now wants you to return to the capital as soon as possible is because times have changed and there is no other way."

“Long ago, before the Emperor ascended the throne, the Emperor Emeritus and the Grand Secretary had already noticed the problems with the grain fields in Jiangnan.”

"I've wanted to send someone to investigate for a long time, but a series of events last year meant that it wasn't until the Emperor ascended the throne that I had the time to send someone to Jiangnan."

"Besides these people, His Majesty also ordered Your Highness to investigate the grain fields."

As he spoke, Tu Chengyu recalled the man he had encountered during his ancestral worship ceremony in Longxing County, who had almost been beaten to death by his clansmen.

He said that he was sent by the emperor to Jiangnan to investigate the grain fields.

Based on this information, what He Lizhang said does make some sense.

While these thoughts were on his mind, Tu Chengyu remained calm and listened to what He Lizhang had to say.

He said, "The Emperor and the Grand Secretary's original intention was to take this opportunity to investigate the grain fields in Jiangnan so that they could have a plan for dealing with them later."

"But who could have predicted that so many things would happen in the court during this period, making the Prime Minister feel that the matters in Jiangnan should be put on hold for the time being."

Tu Chengyu hadn't paid attention to matters of state in court for some time, so he was unaware of what had happened.
That's why the Grand Secretary overturned the strategy he and the Emperor had devised.

Tu Chengyu asked, "Tell me, what exactly happened in the court?"

Without hesitation, He Lizhang said, "Since the Prince left the capital, two major events have occurred in the court."

"One incident was a dragon's reversal in the Sichuan region, which left the people of two counties homeless."

"The second thing is that the Jurchens in the north are somewhat unstable and may invade the border."

"It is because of these two things that the Grand Secretary feels it is not advisable to make a big fuss about this matter in Jiangnan." If what he said about these two things is true, then it is indeed not advisable to touch the interests of the gentry in Jiangnan at this time.

Even now, the dynasty still relies heavily on grain and taxes from the Jiangnan region.

Therefore, when problems arise elsewhere, it is essential to ensure stability in the Jiangnan region.

However, at this moment, Tu Chengyu also had some questions in his mind.

That is, since we need to ensure the stability of Jiangnan, we can't let this hothead of mine cause trouble here.

There was no need for the Grand Secretary to beat around the bush and have He Lizhang come and tell him quietly.

With just a word from the Emperor, Tu Chengyu would obediently return.

However, in reality, Tu Chengyu had been in Jiangnan for so long, and he had written several letters to the Emperor, but he had not received a single reply from the Emperor, nor had he received any imperial decree to return to the capital.

This is a very strange thing. Although Tu Chengyu couldn't see what was behind the strangeness, he still couldn't figure it out.

However, he could guess that the Grand Secretary was more anxious than the Emperor about getting Tu Chengyu back to the capital.

So why was the Grand Secretary so eager to send Tu Chengyu back?

What benefits will Tu Chengyu's return to the capital bring to the Grand Secretary? Or, what negative impact will Tu Chengyu have on the Grand Secretary in Jiangnan?

Thinking of this, Tu Chengyu also thought of what he had done in Jiangnan.

Broadly speaking, Tu Chengyu only did two things in Jiangnan.

One issue is the conflict with the salt merchants, but this matter is unlikely to affect the Grand Secretary.

From the very beginning, the conflict between Tu Chengyu and the salt merchants was common knowledge, and it eventually led to a salt workers' rebellion.

He Lizhang couldn't possibly be unaware of such a commotion, yet he never came to request an audience.

Another thing Tu Chengyu did was to investigate the farmland and the truth behind the arson case.

During the investigation, a county magistrate died, and just as Tu Chengyu had a lead, Prefect He arrived in a hurry.

Therefore, Tu Chengyu guessed that perhaps the investigation into the arson case had touched a nerve with the Prime Minister, which led to the current situation.

Thinking about this, Tu Chengyu felt that he couldn't easily believe what this guy said.

If it were a matter for the imperial court, it would be impossible to allow Tu Chengyu to continue his investigation in Jiangnan, and he would return to the capital without hesitation.

But the current situation is that the Emperor has not sent any message at all.

If only the Grand Secretary is anxious, then Tu Chengyu doesn't need to care so much.

Although Tu Chengyu did not want to comply with the Grand Secretary's wish, he was very curious about the reasons behind it.

So he wanted to probe their true intentions from another angle, and said:
"Three of my men were burned alive, and the murderer has not yet been found. How can I leave so easily?"

This was Tu Chengyu testing them, trying to see how much they wanted him to leave. However, He Lizhang was unaware of Tu Chengyu's thoughts, so he said very seriously:

"Your Highness, please rest assured about the arson case. I will definitely investigate it thoroughly and give Your Highness an explanation."

Tu Chengyu said, "Judging from your tone, it seems you know the real culprit behind the arson?"

He Lizhang said, "Your Highness, I do not know who the real culprit is, but as the prefect of Zhenjiang, I am certain that I can find out the reason for this matter."

Upon hearing this, Tu Chengyu sneered and said, "Since you can find out the truth, why didn't you investigate earlier?"

He Lizhang said, "Earlier, the magistrate of Donghu County ruled the arson case as an accidental fire, so I cannot interfere in the affairs of Donghu County and re-examine the case."

"But now that I've heard what Your Highness said, I realize that someone deliberately set the fire, which is why I wanted to share Your Highness's burden."

He Lizhang spoke perfectly, exonerating himself completely, but Tu Chengyu still didn't believe him.

This person must have known what happened before, but since the arson case didn't involve their interests, they turned a blind eye and let the matter pass.

Now that they need Tu Chengyu's help, they have changed their attitude and want to help Tu Chengyu investigate the case.

But Tu Chengyu wasn't buying it, and said:

"I prefer to do things myself, so I won't trouble you, Prefect He."

He Lizhang immediately said, "Serving the Prince is hardly a trouble. Besides, I have served as an official in Jiangnan for many years, so I should be able to investigate cases more quickly."

Tu Chengyu naturally refused, saying, "Since Prefect He is familiar with the situation in Jiangnan, he can help me investigate the case."

Tu Chengyu made it very clear that there was no way he would be allowed to leave Jiangnan.

Seeing that Tu Chengyu was unmoved, He Lizhang thought for a long time and said, "Your Highness, the Grand Secretary wrote to me saying that the Jiangnan region is really not suitable for any unrest. Therefore, he earnestly requests that Your Highness return to the capital as soon as possible. If Your Highness has any complaints, you can speak up, and the Grand Secretary will give Your Highness an explanation."

He Lizhang's implication was that he was asking Tu Chengyu what conditions he would have to allow him to leave Jiangnan.

Tu Chengyu did not answer his question, but instead asked, "I just want to know, what is the real reason why the Grand Secretary wants me to leave Jiangnan?"

This is a critical problem, because if He Lizhang lies and Tu Chengyu finds out, not only will they fail to achieve their goal, but they may even offend Tu Chengyu.

However, if he doesn't lie, then their true reasons will be exposed to Tu Chengyu.

After much deliberation, He Lizhang seemed to have made up his mind and said:
"Your Highness, the Grand Secretary did not tell me the specific reason, but I dare to say that the Grand Secretary wants Your Highness to leave Jiangnan, perhaps because he is worried that if Your Highness continues to investigate, it will cause a commotion in the court."

Tu Chengyu asked with a smile, "I was merely investigating an arson case, how could it have caused such a stir in the court?"

He Lizhang said, "Because of this matter, the Grand Secretary may lose his position as Grand Secretary."

Tu Chengyu couldn't tell whether He Lizhang was exaggerating or telling the truth.

He asked, "Such a trivial matter could jeopardize the position of the Grand Secretary? Are you joking with me?"

He Lizhang said, "How could I dare to joke about such a thing? These are all true stories."

Tu Chengyu asked curiously, "Then tell me, how did an arson case implicate the position of the Grand Secretary?"

He Lizhang said, "An arson case certainly wouldn't jeopardize the position of the Grand Secretary, but since the new year, because the emperor has just ascended the throne, there has been some turmoil in the court. Some people with ulterior motives have pinned this turmoil on the Grand Secretary and have been impeaching him."

"The impeachment of the Grand Secretary has already caused unease throughout the court. If this arson case also implicates the Grand Secretary, it will surely put him in a difficult position."

Tu Chengyu gleaned two meanings from He Lizhang's words.

First, the arson case could be the final straw that breaks the camel's back, and a very heavy one at that.

Secondly, the investigation into the arson case will eventually involve the prime minister.

Thinking about all this, Tu Chengyu suddenly felt that it was very necessary for him to investigate the arson case thoroughly and see what the prime minister had done.
(End of this chapter)