Chapter 245
Rumors were rampant among the common people, catching the Emperor off guard and affecting his mood, which further exacerbated his health. Even during court sessions, his uncontrollable coughing could be heard. When the imperial physicians checked his pulse, they merely attributed it to fatigue and advised him to rest, but with the court gradually slipping out of his control, how could he possibly find the peace needed for recovery?
Moreover, he began to sense that something was amiss, although he couldn’t quite pinpoint it. He felt as though he was under attack by an invisible force, yet couldn’t identify the assailant. Gradually, he became increasingly paranoid.
Thus, instead of finding solace in solitude, the Emperor found himself increasingly prone to bouts of irritability. Despite employing all the tactics of an emperor—promotions, demotions, rewards, and punishments—in an attempt to swiftly regain control of the court, his efforts were only marginally successful and failed to alter the fundamental dynamics. This left the Emperor feeling powerless, akin to an aging and ailing lion being questioned by the pride.
Had it not been for his declining health, perhaps he would have had the patience to effect gradual change, much like when dealing with Yuan Ran in the past. However, it was evident that he no longer possessed the same level of energy and stamina.
The struggle between the Crown Prince’s faction and the Fourth Prince’s faction had become increasingly intense, nearly reaching the surface.
Due to Yuan Ye’s actions against Empress Cheng, which forced the Cheng family back to their original path, there was lingering discontent within the Cheng family. As a result, they were unable to quickly restore their trust and cooperation with the Crown Prince’s faction. Consequently, the Fourth Prince’s faction appeared to have a slight advantage in the court’s power struggles.
However, both factions were unwittingly weakening themselves in the process.
And this subtle manipulation went unnoticed, all thanks to Chu Lishu’s cunning maneuvering.
Chu Lishu underwent another examination of his body, and the results showed that his condition was stabilizing. This brought a sense of relief to everyone. However, Chu Lishu was advised to carry tranquilizing pills with him at all times, to be taken in case of any instability in his mental state.
After a thorough examination by Mu Huichun, it was confirmed that Chu Lishu’s body was gradually recovering. According to Mu Huichun’s estimation, he might fully recover within three months. This timeline was expedited by half a year compared to the original plot. However, given the various changes in the plot, this adjustment seemed to align well with the overall narrative.
Lin Qingyang was concerned that rushing things might compromise safety. Mu Huichun had previously researched methods for accelerating recovery, as well as delaying it, and offered to discuss the latter with Chu Lishu. However, Chu Lishu was well aware of the current situation and saw no reason to delay. Things needed to be expedited rather than prolonged.
Their enemies were not fools; they just hadn’t caught on yet. Giving them time to react would only be detrimental to their own interests. Therefore, the benefits of swift action outweighed the risks of dragging things out, a sentiment echoed by Yue Chen.
Furthermore, the unsettling metaphor of the snake from Yu Suoxi lingered in Chu Lishu’s mind. His desire for a swift recovery wasn’t solely driven by personal motives; more importantly, he wanted to regain the ability to protect others. At present, he felt too vulnerable. When it came down to it, martial prowess was the most direct means of protection.
Upon learning that he had less than three months left to recover, Chu Lishu decided to expedite his plans within two months. He spent the entire night contemplating, and by the time Lin Qingyang came to see him early in the morning, he had already devised the subsequent arrangements.
The entire table was covered with papers filled with meticulously detailed plans. Chu Lishu was about to burn them all—those were the various futures he had plotted, countless calculations made to ensure the safest and most stable route to the final destination.
Lin Qingyang helped him burn down those contemplations, watching as the flames gradually consumed the papers. It was as if he could see the shackles of hatred entwined around Chu Lishu slowly loosening, one by one.
Lin Qingyang turned his head to look at Chu Lishu, noticing his weary expression. He reached out and pulled him close, allowing Chu Lishu to lean on his shoulder. “Soon… very soon, you’ll be able to fulfill your wishes.”
Chu Lishu obediently leaned against Lin Qingyang, his gaze fixed on the fire basin, the flickering flames reflecting in his dark eyes. His tone was resolute. “You have to stay with me.”
“Yeah. I will.”
Yuan Ye and the Cheng family’s plan was only halfway through, and the Ministry of War hadn’t completed its purge yet. Currently, Huo Luo with the limited military power in his hands, was not sufficient to handle any sudden changes. The assassins sent to kill Zhao Cheng hadn’t reported back yet. It would take considerable effort to complete all these tasks within two months.
Both of them were extremely busy, juggling various matters. While Chu Lishu focused on his own plan, Prime Minister Li, also assigned them tasks. Thus, Lin Qingyang ended up handling the tasks assigned to both of them alone. Although Lin Qingyang’s political acumen was not on par with Chu Lishu and Yue Chen’s, he had been trained by Chu Lishu himself. Handling the affairs of the Six Ministries had become second nature to him, thanks to Chu Lishu’s guidance during their initial dealings with the ministries.
This situation conveniently helped deal with Prime Minister Li. He genuinely believed that the tasks he assigned were being handled by both of them, and the results were satisfactory, leaving him fully content. This would prevent Prime Minister Li from harboring any suspicions.
In such a high-pressure environment, where mistakes were not an option, they found themselves exhausted every day, falling asleep in each other’s arms without much thought about anything else. At most, they exchanged a few kisses and caresses before drifting off.
Meanwhile, Chu Lishu’s plan had already begun to unfold.
First and foremost was the Chen Lan Merchant Agency. Initially, Chu Lishu’s support for Chen Lan Merchant Agency was aimed at using it to suppress other families and control the economic lifelines of the Great Zhou. When dealing with the Pei and Wang families, Liu Jingchen had been of great assistance. Of course, while helping others, his own Chen Lan Merchant Agency had also expanded.
Although Chen Lan Merchant Agency had not yet reached the level Chu Lishu envisioned, it was already sufficient for use.
So Chu Lishu had a discussion with Liu Jingchen. From the next day onwards, the Chen Lan Merchant Agency abandoned expansion in other directions, concentrating almost all its efforts on attacking the business associations under the Cheng family’s control using various pretexts. Chu Lishu wanted Liu Jingchen to empty the Cheng family’s coffers within a month. It was a risky move, as it could potentially implicate even Chen Lan Merchant Agency, but Liu Jingchen accepted the challenge confidently. With occasional assistance from Chu Lishu, everything went smoothly from the start.
The Cheng family, who was fully engaged in the struggle for the heir apparent, probably wouldn’t be able to react immediately.
Then it was the turn of the Dai siblings from the Seventy-Two Fort. Yue Chen and Huo Luo were responsible for contacting them, preparing for the upcoming actions against the Ministry of War and securing military power. Every move needed to be strategically deployed to perfectly execute Chu Lishu’s plan.
Soon, they received word that, because of the earlier timeline than originally planned, the Dai siblings hadn’t fully gained control of the Seventy-Two Fort. However, they had become more seasoned, and at least half of the strongholds were under their influence. When faced with matters of mutual interest, even if they weren’t always aligned, they would still fight together.
So, not long after, rumors spread that the people from the Seventy-Two Fort had massacred local officials, who were actually corrupt officials kept for such situations. These officials had intricate ties with the capital, so news quickly reached the court.
The Seventy-Two Fort were already a festering sore in the southwest. The court had attempted to deal with them several times before, but various reasons always led to half-hearted resolutions. This time, daring to directly kill imperial officials signaled more than just ordinary banditry; it hinted at defiance against the court. This could not be tolerated, and troops had to be dispatched immediately.
Furthermore, the Emperor saw this as an opportunity. He believed that winning a decisive battle could help regain some public support. Therefore, he took proactive measures and began mobilizing troops from surrounding areas to attack the Seventy-Two Fort. Each time this happened, an official from the Ministry of War was dispatched to coordinate affairs.
However, several days later, news arrived that the enemy had effortlessly routed the five thousand troops, capturing the official from the Ministry of War in the process. The commanding officers of the defeated troops submitted a memorial to the throne, blaming the Ministry of War official for the failure, claiming that they lacked essential equipment and provisions, such as weapons and rations.
The Emperor, taken aback by the initial defeat, vented his frustration by targeting the Ministry of War. Naturally, the Ministry of War was indignant and dispatched ten thousand troops led by one of their own generals to attack. However, they suffered another crushing defeat.
Frustrated by these failures, the Emperor decided to play his trump card and turned to Huo Luo for help.
Huo Luo’s entry onto the stage was deliberate. Instead of rushing into battle, he targeted the Ministry of War directly. With two consecutive defeats, everyone wanted to uncover the reasons behind the failures. Huo Luo made it clear that unless the root cause was identified, he wouldn’t risk going into battle for fear of being compromised by his own forces. This directly challenged the Ministry of War.
But they didn’t have the confidence to speak out now, so under the investigation of the Imperial Court of Justice Review and the Inspection Court, a shocking event soon came to light.
The Ministry of War was found to have secretly hoarded military weapons, a far more serious charge than dereliction of duty, directly amounting to treason.
Minister Cheng, a senior official of the Ministry, was immediately stripped of his official hat. He was, after all, Yuan Ye’s uncle. His first reaction was that Yuan Ye was taking advantage of the situation to set them up again. Initially, they had thought Yuan Ye was investigating the Ministry’s hoarding of military weapons, but after their reconciliation, they thought the matter had been settled. Now it had resurfaced.
This wasn’t something ordinary people could know, unless they were particularly familiar with the Cheng family’s situation.
So they could only suspect Yuan Ye, all wondering if he had gone mad, to destroy his own support in the court like this.
Meanwhile, Yuan Ye believed they were being reckless, exposing themselves to such vulnerability. The already distrustful parties naturally became even more suspicious.
The Cheng family didn’t trust Yuan Ye and could only turn to the Empress Cheng for help. However, she was still recovering from the trauma and pain of her miscarriage and was in no position to manage their affairs.
Yuan Ye didn’t want to get involved at all. If the investigation reached him and it was believed he had ordered the Cheng family to hoard weapons, wouldn’t that be considered rebellion? Although he had long harbored such intentions, he didn’t want to be caught like this. Watching the frantic Cheng family, Yuan Ye went directly to his maternal grandfather, hoping they would quickly decide to cut ties and save themselves. He didn’t want them to drag him down.
They should all know that this time, the Ministry of War was finished. At least, leaving some foundation behind could allow for gradual development. The Cheng patriarch looked at Yuan Ye with suspicion, unable to determine who was harming them. Or was it all just a coincidence? After all, they never expected that attacking the Seventy-Two Fort would lead to so many problems.
The Cheng patriarch could only reluctantly instruct someone to inform Minister Cheng of the Minister of War that it was time to confess.
As a member of the Cheng family, Minister Cheng was determined not to drag down his clan when it was necessary. He quickly admitted guilt, confessing that his greed led him to seek profits through arms dealing. He emphasized that it was solely his own wrongdoing.
Although he claimed responsibility, every member of the Cheng family within the Ministry of War suffered a severe blow. The previous failure in attacking the Seventy-Two Strongholds was also attributed to their corrupt behavior. The entire Ministry of War would need to be rebuilt.
Now, with the assistance of the Minister of Revenue, Duke Wei Guo who is responsible for managing the affairs of the Ministry of War, things are being taken care of. After all, money is needed for military operations, and Duke Wei Guo has dispatched his capable subordinates to help coordinate. This arrangement finally satisfies Huo Luo.
This time, the Emperor made a decisive move by granting Huo Luo fifty thousand troops to annihilate the Seventy-Two Fort.
With the additional troops and resources that were originally under the jurisdiction of the Huo family in the northern regions, Huo Luo now commands a total of one hundred thousand troops.
With an additional fifty thousand troops stationed in the east at Zhao Cheng, and another hundred thousand troops under the Emperor’s control, once Zhao Cheng falls, Huo Luo will have an overwhelmingly dominant military force. After all, the Emperor’s forces are unlikely to match the battle-hardened troops of the Huo family.
Chu Lishu’s original plan was to achieve his goals without bloodshed, but if the Emperor realizes the situation and decides to fight to the death, then war may become inevitable.
Several days later, Huo Luo set out with Yue Chen. After all, they had to be ready to “rebel” at any moment, serving as a contingency plan. If the rebellion were to be carried out, it couldn’t rely solely on Huo Luo; Yue Chen’s strategic counsel was essential.
【Main Mission 2, Mission 24: Successfully assist the male lead in completing the cleansing of the Ministry of War. Reward: 300 points, total: 2900 points. Plot Progress: 92%.】
Having bid farewell to Huo Luo and Yue Chen, Chu Lishu began the final strike against the Cheng family.
On the other side, the Cheng patriarch recalled the words he had heard when meeting with Minister Cheng earlier. Minister Cheng suspected that everything was a conspiracy. Once they let Yuan Ye know about his background, he collaborated with the Emperor to deal with them. Thinking back, hadn’t several major families been unwittingly eradicated before? Now, if even their Cheng family were to fall, it would be most advantageous for the Emperor. Those who sat on the throne disliked being coerced by powerful families.
The Cheng patriarch didn’t buy into this suspicion because he couldn’t believe that the current Emperor had the power to secretly orchestrate everything. The three major families weren’t that easy to deal with. It was unimaginable that they didn’t perish at the hands of Yuan Ran, only to meet their end under an Emperor they had collectively supported, right?
But when he imagined the fate of the other two families, an inexplicable chill swept over him. The Cheng patriarch till felt lingering fear, but at least they still had a foundation to hold onto.
As soon as the arrangements for the family members were settled, news of trouble emerged from below.
Initially, there were just occasional reports that their businesses couldn’t thrive anymore, that their established networks were being replaced, and that their properties were being sold off at low prices through cunning schemes. At first, they thought it was just individual failures; after all, not every member of the Cheng family could be outstanding. There were bound to be a few who didn’t fare well.
However, it wasn’t until they finished dealing with the matters in the capital that they realized their accounts were bleeding red. It wasn’t until their largest business associations came under attack that they immediately began to react. But it was too late; it was like trying to stop a collapsing building with mere manpower.
In just one month, the Cheng family seemed to be left with nothing but a huge framework. They lacked money and influence. The Cheng family head indeed pleaded with both Yuan Ye and Empress Cheng, and while the Empress realized the gravity of the situation and tried to help, her efforts were futile. Her capabilities were limited, and she inadvertently worsened her health. Yuan Ye also understood that if the Cheng family collapsed, he would lose a significant source of support, so he naturally wanted to help.
However, once he extended his help, the unfortunate consequence would be the loss of his own assets. He couldn’t discern whether the Cheng family was trying to shift their troubles onto him or if someone was genuinely attacking him. Influenced by Jing Rouyin’s instigations, Yuan Ye began to feel inflated, thinking that he could manage without the Cheng family. Consequently, he decisively cut ties with them and focused on self-preservation.
The Cheng patriarch had already investigated and found out that the target against them was the Chen Lan Merchant Agency. Suspecting that Prime Minister Li was behind the scenes orchestrating against them due to Chen Lan Merchant Agency’s extensive network, he felt disappointed that Yuan Ye didn’t offer help. Seeing no way to salvage the situation, he stormed into the Eastern Palace and berated Yuan Ye for his short-sightedness. However, he dared not truly retaliate against Yuan Ye not out of fear, but because he knew that if Yuan Ye ascended the throne in the future, there might still be hope for the Cheng family. Thus, they could only hope for Yuan Ye’s well-being, as they had no other options.
Fortunately, their core members were still intact. As long as they remained unscathed, they could start anew.
The Cheng family planned to leave the capital first, seeking to recuperate and recover.
However, they never anticipated that Yuan Ye would suddenly become the target of retaliatory assassination attempts, leaving clues that pointed directly at the Cheng family, with whom he had recently had conflicts. As a member of the royal family with power in his hands, Yuan Ye couldn’t tolerate such provocation. Believing that unless a strong message was sent, these individuals would not cease their actions, he decided to take action while the Cheng family was leaving by boat. His plan was to set fire to one of their ships and kill a few people as a warning and retaliation.
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