Prime Minister.

Chapter 41041 [Singing, Recitation, Acting, and Martial Arts]

When the emperor is angry, blood can flow like a river.

Despite being at the center of the storm and facing the emperor's oppressive aura, Xue Huai remained remarkably calm at this moment.

The words Shen Wang had spoken to him privately when he left the investigation office earlier that day flashed through his mind.

"There is no doubt that publicly exposing the corruption of the Ministry of Works in court this time will be very risky. Although I understand the Emperor's thoughts, I cannot guarantee that His Majesty will definitely side with us."

"There are two possibilities regarding this matter. One is that His Majesty is determined to deal with those corrupt officials. The other is that while His Majesty is doing so, he will hold a grudge against us officials who are in charge of investigating the case, because we did not consider His Majesty's feelings and did not try our best to minimize the impact of this matter on the court."

"Although both thunder and rain are expressions of imperial favor, you are still very young and should not have been drawn into the vortex of the court so early. However, I hope you understand that His Majesty's personal transfer of you to the Investigation Department is undoubtedly to see if you are as loyal as you were two years ago."

"This is a very valuable opportunity for you, but it also carries great danger."

"The choice is yours to make."

Shen Wang analyzed the cause and effect very clearly. He could do this on his own without Xue Huai's involvement. However, if Xue Huai wanted to climb the ranks in the officialdom, the best way was to make a deep impression on the emperor as soon as possible.

Xue Huai didn't hesitate much; he knew what choice he had to make.

Before leaving, Shen Wang said one last thing: "Since you have chosen this path, I will not stand by and watch you fall into danger. Don't worry, I will help you eliminate the hidden dangers."

Back to the present, Xue Huai breathed a slight sigh of relief when the emperor released that memorial.

Since the emperor was furious, it meant that the matter would not be easily resolved.

Minister of Works Xue Minglun had already realized the danger. He stepped forward tremblingly, almost ashamed, and said, "Your Majesty, I have failed in my duty to govern, which has led to this major case of a den of vipers. I deserve to die!"

The emperor stood on the steps of the palace, offering no response to Xue Minglun's statement.

As Shen Wang had said before, the Ministry of Works under Xue Minglun's leadership had become like this, and it could not be covered up by a simple "oversight".
But the emperor did not immediately punish Xue Minglun; he was clearly waiting for another person's explanation.

Just then, a figure suddenly left his position and, under the watchful eyes of the entire court, knelt down and rushed forward.

Xue Huai was nearby. He watched as the arrogant and tyrannical Prince of Dai slid a long way across the smooth ground before collapsing to his knees and saying in utter panic, "Father, your son is guilty!"

If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, Xue Huai would have found it hard to believe that the person in front of him was actually the Prince of Dai.

He estimated the distance and realized that if the Prince of Dai hadn't worn knee pads beforehand, he would have definitely chafed his skin by kneeling and slipping. He was quite a ruthless person.

The emperor naturally showed no pity for the Prince of Dai's petty actions. He coldly looked at his son kneeling at his feet and said indifferently, "What crime have you committed?"

The Prince of Dai raised his head, his eyes red, and said guiltily, "Father, I heard from Chief Secretary Xu Hui that the Ministry of Works' Land Reclamation Department was going to sell a batch of wasteland, many of which were near the capital. So I asked Xu Hui to contact the relevant officials to see if we could buy those wastelands."

"is it?"

The emperor's tone was somber, with a hint of sarcasm.

Large tears welled up in the Prince of Dai's eyes as he hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, I instructed Xu Hui that he must not encroach upon the interests of the court. He patted his chest and promised, but who knew that such a despicable scheme was involved? I only just learned the truth from what Editor Xue said! If I had known the whole story earlier, even if I had the greatest courage, I would not have dared to tolerate Xu Hui and his ilk's reckless behavior."

The emperor looked down and saw the Prince of Dai's face, which bore a resemblance to Consort Liu. A strong sense of unease suddenly arose in his heart.

He fell in love with Consort Liu at first sight, but in order to secure his position as Crown Prince and inherit the throne, he had to make another woman his principal wife, who later became Empress.

The Empress is quite virtuous and has managed the harem very well over the years. In addition, she has given birth to two princes for him, one of whom is now the Crown Prince. Naturally, the Emperor cannot easily change the positions of the harem members.

Consort Liu had no complaints about this. Instead, she advised him to cherish the Empress. The Emperor inevitably felt a little guilty. In addition, the Prince of Dai was almost killed when he was young, so the Emperor naturally favored him.

However, the actions of the Prince of Dai's Mansion this time were truly absurd, and they were exposed in front of all the officials. As long as the emperor wanted to maintain the stability of the court, he could not let this matter pass easily.

With this thought in mind, the emperor glanced at Xue Huai, who was standing tall and solemn not far away.

This is indeed a good knife, but it's a bit too sharp...

The Emperor remained silent, and the Prince of Dai grew increasingly panicked. With a sob in his voice, he said, "Father, although I was not the mastermind behind this, I have still committed the crime of negligence. I beg you to punish me severely! As a prince of the imperial family, I should have set an example for my subjects, but I failed to notice the actions of the officials in my palace in time. I deserve to die!"

His words spread throughout the palace, and Xue Minglun's feelings were the most complicated.

This was originally his prepared statement, but the Prince of Dai used it first.

But what could he do? Who told him that his legs weren't as agile as the young Prince Dai's?
The Emperor lowered his eyes and looked at the Prince of Dai, saying, "Why does the Prince of Dai's residence need to buy so much wasteland? Can't the assets I've given you support a prince's residence?"

Upon hearing this question, the Prince of Dai was not frightened, but felt even more grateful to Jiang Li.

Fortunately, his cousin had thought of a solution for him in advance.

He continued, choking back tears, "Father, please forgive me. I have several servants in my household who are skilled at growing flowers and plants, and the demand for these flowers and plants in the capital has always been high. Xu Hui suggested to me that since the Ministry of Works is going to sell those wastelands, why don't the Prince's Mansion buy them and plant flowers and plants? That way, the Prince's Mansion can make a profit."

"You have not answered my question."

The emperor, of course, was not so easily fooled. He said coldly, "I'm asking why you would compete with the people for profit?" This accusation was quite heavy, and the Prince of Dai felt he couldn't bear it, so he immediately retorted, "Father, how dare I compete with the people for profit? The reason I did this was not because I was greedy, but actually..."

Seeing that he hesitated to speak, the emperor's voice grew even colder and harsher: "If you don't tell the truth, I won't spare you!"

The Prince of Dai raised his head, his face streaked with tears and filled with filial piety: "Father has devoted himself to the affairs of state for so many years, never letting up for a moment. I see it all and it pains me to see it. To this day, Father doesn't even have a summer palace. I know I am not capable of anything great, so I want to earn some money so that I can build a palace in the future, so that Father and Mother will have a place to relax!"

"Father, I truly have no ill intentions!"

As soon as these words came out, the whole hall was silent.

The emperor's expression was complicated; he had not expected the Prince of Dai to harbor such thoughts.

On the east side of the throne, Crown Prince Jiang Xuan lowered his head and brows, a fleeting hint of mockery in his eyes.

Xue Huai, who was still standing in the same spot, sighed inwardly. No wonder Princess Yun'an was so confident in persuading the Prince of Dai. It turned out that she had already thought of a way out for the Prince of Dai.

Given his panic, the Prince of Dai would certainly not refuse Jiang Li's suggestion. In this way, he could avoid this crisis at the lowest cost. And with the Prince of Dai taking the initiative to confess his guilt, the biggest obstacle in front of Shen Wang would disappear.

Even princes and nobles could not escape punishment, so how could the other officials involved dare to resist?
Xue Huai silently reminded himself that none of the people who could get involved in this complex political situation were simple-minded. Even the Prince of Dai, who seemed to be led by Jiang Li, had at least some impressive acting skills.

A moment later, the emperor lightly kicked the Prince of Dai in the shoulder and angrily shouted, "You scoundrel!"

The Prince of Dai fell to one side, then quickly knelt down to confess his guilt, knowing that he had escaped unscathed this time.

At this moment, the Grand Secretary Ning Hengzhi, who had been silent all along, spoke up: "Your Majesty, although the Prince of Dai is responsible for his lax management of his subordinates, his filial piety towards Your Majesty is touching. I hope Your Majesty will consider his pure and innocent heart and perhaps pardon his crime this time."

This step was offered at just the right time.

Crown Prince Jiang Xuan and several princes followed closely behind, all pleading on behalf of the Prince of Dai. Suddenly, a harmonious scene of brotherly love and respect among the imperial family appeared in the hall.

The cabinet ministers also chimed in with their agreement.

The Emperor glanced at the Prince of Dai with disgust, then spoke: "The investigation into the Ministry of Works' corruption case involves the Prince of Dai's residence purchasing official land. Since the Prince of Dai is implicated in this malpractice, the blame lies with his lax management of his subordinates, and he will be spared severe punishment for now. He is hereby ordered to confine himself to his residence for six months to reflect on his transgressions, copy one hundred chapters each of the Classic of Filial Piety and the Legal Code, and recite them daily to restore his pure and virtuous nature. All his land will be returned to the government, and his salary will be halved for one year to atone for his sins."

"The officials and staff of the Prince's Palace are rife with treachery and corruption, which is the root of all the trouble. Chief Secretary Xu Hui and others, who knew about the corruption but failed to report it, have neglected their duties and allowed others to become corrupt. They have been handed over to the Ministry of Justice for trial and will be punished according to the Great Yan Law for their embezzlement. Those who should be exiled will be exiled, and those who should be hanged will be hanged. Their family property will be confiscated and put into public possession. All the guards and clerks in charge of the Prince's Palace will be dismissed from their posts and will never be employed again."

The Prince of Dai bowed deeply and said, "Your subject obeys the decree!"

All the officials shouted in unison, "Your Majesty is wise!"

Xue Huai also bowed in greeting, his heart completely calm, as he had long expected this outcome.

The Emperor's gaze swept over Shen Wang and Xue Huai, then he said wearily, "Regarding the case of corruption in the Ministry of Works, I hereby order Imperial Envoy Shen Wang to draft a case file and submit it as soon as possible. No official involved shall be let off lightly! Court adjourned."

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

The officials shouted again, but no one dared to object.

Even the most favored prince had to pay the price, let alone others?

With this, the case was finally settled.

Shen Wang and Xue Huai exchanged a glance, and both could see the relief in each other's eyes.

But they couldn't relax immediately.

After the court assembly ended, the officials left the Hall of Supreme Harmony in turn, while the Crown Prince, senior cabinet ministers, and ministers of the six ministries were summoned to the Imperial Study by the Emperor, clearly to make a final judgment on the Ministry of Works case.

"Minister Shen, Compiler Xue, please wait!"

A senior eunuch hurried across the palace square and approached the two men, saying, "His Majesty has decreed that you two must come to the Imperial Study immediately."

Shen Wang bowed respectfully and said, "Your subject obeys the decree."

Xue Huai was the same.

Once the chief eunuch was a little further away, Shen Wang lowered his voice and instructed, "Don't worry, just adapt to the situation."

Xue Huai understood the meaning of his mentor's words. Although the case had been settled and the officials involved would pay the price, the aftershocks were far from over.

For them, the upcoming trip to the Imperial Study will be the real test.

Bathed in the cool winter sunlight, Xue Huai nodded and said softly, "Teacher, don't worry, I will handle this carefully."

Shen Wang smiled slightly and said no more.

Under the complex gazes of many officials, the master and apprentice calmly turned and walked away.

(End of this chapter)