Crown Prince of the Empire, I quit!

That day, an urgent, encrypted report arrived at the Imperial Study. Qin Ming unfolded it. It was a handwritten report from the commander of the "Tingfeng Guard," detailing the bizarre obstacles and "accidents" encountered during the Jiangnan investigation. He concluded with a blunt statement: "Your Majesty, the waters of Jiangnan are as muddy as ink, and the resistance is immense. It's beyond the capacity of local forces alone. I'm afraid... there are eyes at court, leaking information, and giving them a leg up."

Qin Ming put down the secret report, his expression as calm as ever, but the air in the imperial study instantly dropped to freezing point. His fingertips gently tapped the dragon table, making a regular, cold tapping sound.

Does the government have eyes?

He was not surprised at all.

To be able to operate such a vast network of interests without sufficient protection within the court would be a miracle. The previous crackdowns on the Ministry of Revenue and the Grand Canal likely only eliminated peripheral minions; the true core remains hidden, perhaps even... lurking within the Forbidden City.

"Call the Privy Councilor and the Chief Censor." Qin Ming ordered calmly.

A moment later, two people hurried over.

Qin Ming pushed the secret report in front of the two of them without saying a word.

After reading it, the two men's faces suddenly changed, and cold sweat instantly soaked their backs. The Privy Councilor suddenly knelt down and said: "I have failed to supervise! I will die!"

The Chief Censor also turned pale: "Your Majesty...this matter..."

"Get up." Qin Ming interrupted them, "I don't want to hear apologies. I want results."

He glanced at the two of them and said, "The Jiangnan incident will be temporarily suspended. All overt inspectors will be withdrawn within three days. Announce to the public that the new grain transport regulations are operating smoothly and the 'Performance Evaluation Law' is being implemented smoothly."

The two were stunned, not knowing what was going on.

"They are repairing the plank road in public while secretly attacking Chencang." Qin Ming's voice was icy. "The public investigation ends here. From this moment on, all investigations are to be kept top secret. The Tingfeng Guard will be independently responsible and report directly to me. The Privy Council and the Censorate will provide all necessary cooperation, but they must not handle any specific matters, and must not leave any paperwork behind."

He paused, a trace of extreme coldness flashing in his eyes. "Keep a close eye on all officials in Beijing who have recently had paperwork or personnel exchanges with Jiangnan, regardless of rank. Especially those in the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Works, and even the Cabinet. I want to see who has such a long hand."

"Your Majesty is wise!" The two instantly understood the emperor's intention—to retreat in order to advance, paralyze the enemy, and at the same time, to strike directly at Huanglong and uncover the traitor within the court! This was a step far more dangerous than investigating the corruption in Jiangnan. If the news leaked, it would undoubtedly cause a huge upheaval in the court!

"Go. This matter is known to heaven and earth, you two know it, and I know it. If even a little bit of it is leaked..." Qin Ming did not continue, but his cold eyes said it all.

"We will remember this carefully! We will never dare to leak it!" The two men kowtowed heavily and retreated, their steps a little unsteady.

The direction of the investigation suddenly reversed. The vast state machinery ceased functioning in the open, and in the darkest shadows, a hunt for the heart of the empire itself quietly began.

The Tingfeng Guards were highly concentrated, like the keenest hounds, silently sniffing out unusual auras within the various government offices of the capital. All official documents sent to and from Jiangnan were secretly transcribed and verified, and the itineraries, interactions, and even the movements of servants of the relevant officials were monitored.

As time goes by, pressure accumulates silently.

Finally, late one night, a top-secret intelligence was delivered to the palace.

"Your Majesty," the commander of the Tingfeng Guards appeared in the imperial study like a ghost. "We've uncovered something. Three days ago, Zheng Yuan, the rotating secretary of the cabinet, and a trusted old servant in his household, under the guise of shopping, secretly met with a merchant with a Jiangnan accent at the Qingfeng Teahouse in the south of the city. After a brief conversation, the merchant handed over a box of tea, which the servant took home. We secretly examined the tea box and found a secret letter hidden in a private folk code, which we are currently deciphering. However... the letter was made of the imperially produced 'Songyan tribute paper'."

Cabinet Secretary! Imperial Paper!

Qin Ming's eyes flashed with cold light!

The Zhongshu Sheren held a low official position, but played a crucial role, drafting, copying, and delivering cabinet documents, giving them access to numerous core secrets. Furthermore, imperial paper could only be used with permission!

"Zheng Yuan..." Qin Ming whispered the name in a cold voice, "His background."

"Zheng Yuan, a native of Yongzhou, was a Jinshi (Jinshi) graduate. He was originally in the Hanlin Academy, but was transferred to the Cabinet three years ago as a Zhongshu Sheren. His mentor... was the current Vice Minister, Wenyuan Pavilion Grand Secretary, Li Jingtang."

Second Assistant, Li Jingtang!

Qin Ming's fingers clenched violently! Li Jingtang, a veteran of two dynasties, with students and former officials throughout the government and the country, and known as a leader of the clean stream, usually cautious in his words and actions, was actually involved in this?!

"How about deciphering the secret letter?"

"The code is complicated, it will take another two hours."

"I can't wait two hours." Qin Ming stood up suddenly, "Catch him!"

"Your Majesty, are you waiting for the secret letter..."

"No need to wait." Qin Ming's voice was firm. "A secretary of the Central Secretariat used the imperial edict to secretly communicate with Jiangnan. His crime is obvious! Immediately arrest Zheng Yuan and his servants! Seal off his duty room and residence and search them for me! Dig deep to find the evidence!"

"Then... Li Cifu..."

"Keep him under surveillance! Without my order, he is not allowed to leave the house, and no one is allowed to come in contact with him! But don't touch him for now." Qin Ming's eyes flashed coldly. He wanted to see how the big fish behind would react if he touched Zheng Yuan, the small fish!

"Yes!" Commander Tingfengwei accepted the order and disappeared into the darkness in an instant.

That night, the residence of Zheng Yuan, a secretary in the inner chambers, was silently surrounded. Zheng Yuan himself was dragged from his concubine's bed, gagged, hooded, and taken directly to the imperial prison. His trusted servants, the accountant, and anyone who might have known about the situation were secretly detained. His duty room in the inner chambers was sealed off overnight under the pretext of a "fire investigation," and experts from the Tingfeng Guards infiltrated and conducted a thorough search.

A silent storm targeting the center of the empire suddenly descended in the dead of night.

The night was as dark as ink, shrouding the hushed imperial city. The residence of Zheng Yuan, the Cabinet Secretary, was silently cordoned off like an iron barrel. The glow of torches flickered in the darkness, illuminating the cold visors of the Tingfeng Guards. Inside, there were no cries or struggles, only the muffled clatter of footsteps and the gentle rustling of objects. Zheng Yuan was dragged from his warm embrace, gagged and hooded, like an animal to be slaughtered, and disappeared into a secret passage leading to the Imperial Prison. His trusted servants, the accountant, and even the most influential officials in the palace were similarly treated and secretly detained. Meanwhile, the Cabinet's duty room was quietly sealed off under the pretext of a "water leak investigation." Experts of the Tingfeng Guards sneaked in like ghosts, conducting a meticulous search, leaving no corner untouched.

The news was strictly blocked, but the invisible tension in the air was like a tightening noose, making some people unable to sleep or eat.