EMHTC -Chapter 108 Shocking! The Esteemed Crown Prince Fakes an Accident on the Street, and It’s Because…

Xu Yanmiao found Prince Jin completely unreasonable.

【Wasn’t it a case of me accidentally saving him? How could he repay kindness with animosity and dump such a hot potato on me?】

The secret document was handed to him last night, and the item was submitted during the morning court assembly.

Now still in court, Xu Yanmiao grumbled inwardly but dared not let his expression reveal too much.

Then, he looked up: “???”

【Huh? Did they just discuss some major political matter? Let me think… Nope, nothing important, right?】

【I’m frowning because of that secret document. But why are so many officials also frowning? If one or two were like this, I’d think their families were in trouble, but it can’t be that everyone has family issues, right?】

At that moment, a censor stepped forward. “Your Majesty! This official has a report to submit!”

The court officials: Oh, ho!

In the past, during moments like this, their faces would tense up, fearing the fire might spread to them or wondering whether this was the beginning of a conflict between factions. Should they charge ahead or tread carefully to avoid being caught in the crossfire?

But now…

Let’s see who the unlucky soul is today, being sacrificed to divert Xiao Baize’s attention!

The censor declared, “I wish to impeach the Marquis of Yongchang.”

The officials: Oh, ho!

So the unlucky one is him!

The Marquis of Yongchang’s mustache trembled as he stared blankly in confusion.

Impossible! Lately, he’d been walking on eggshells, returning straight to his mansion after court, and keeping his cool no matter what he encountered. How did he end up being impeached?

The censor continued, “During the war against the Wokou, the Marquis of Yongchang used tens of thousands of enemy corpses to build a massive jingguan. Is this true or not?”

A jingguan refers to a mound created by piling up the bodies of enemy soldiers, covering them with a layer of earth.

It was considered an act of barbaric brutality and was widely condemned.

If this had been in the past, the Marquis of Yongchang would have brushed off such an impeachment with disdain. After all, he had military merits. Would the emperor really hold it against him just because the enemies’ corpses couldn’t rest in peace?

But now…

The Marquis of Yongchang felt guilty and uneasy. “It is true, but I… I only did it to intimidate the enemy…”

The censor mercilessly interrupted him, though his tone remained gentle. “Massacring a city can also intimidate the enemy. Throwing the enemy corpses into their own city could also intimidate them. Why did the Marquis specifically choose to build a jingguan?”

—Of course, the censor was not advocating for massacres. If the Marquis had slaughtered a city, he would have impeached him all the same.

The Marquis of Yongchang looked like a cat caught by the scruff of its neck, his gaze darting around, unable to respond.

The censor’s sharp gaze swept across his face. “Because a jingguan represents a certain ‘refinement within barbarity,’ a restrained brutality. Compared to a city massacre, it serves as a greater show of military prowess, leaving the local population unable to settle in peace. A city massacre intimidates in the short term, but a pile of rotting corpses forming a tower can suppress the spirits of the local people for years.”

In simpler terms: “Don’t talk about intimidation. We all know the truth—it’s just a monument to your vanity and desires.”

The Marquis of Yongchang believed that, when dealing with enemies, brutality was no big deal. Besides, he hadn’t killed civilians—just prisoners of war. Killing prisoners was unethical, sure, but they weren’t people of Da Xia, so who cared?

He could have argued back, perhaps insisting that he built the jingguan solely to maintain long-term intimidation over the Wokou, preventing future rebellions. But given the current sensitive political climate, the Marquis opened his mouth to rebut but swallowed his words. Instead, he muttered gloomily, “The matter of the jingguan was indeed my fault. Da Xia is a nation of propriety, and we should have treated prisoners with benevolence…”

The censor nodded in agreement. “Exactly! A whole fifty thousand prisoners—how could you have killed them all? They were all able-bodied men who could have been sent to dig for gold and silver in the mines, working for decades.”

He shook his head. “The jingguan was far too barbaric.”

The others: “…”

If those prisoners had known that their alternative to death was decades of mining, they might have felt death was the better option.

—Of course, there might have been some who thought that even a miserable life was better than no life at all.

The Marquis of Yongchang let out a long sigh, deeply moved. “You’re absolutely right. I was indeed too barbaric.”

When it came to tormenting someone with words, these scholars were in a league of their own.

Xu Yanmiao watched intently, his expression gradually one of dawning realization.

【If that’s the case, then wouldn’t the best punishment for the Marquis of Yongchang be making him tear down the jingguan, burn the corpses, and clean up that land completely?】

【The ground is soaked with blood, and that patch of soil is all black. Shouldn’t it be dug out? The stench of blood is so strong…】

Xu Lang, why are you starting to think like a censor?

—Don’t learn everything, okay?!

The Marquis of Yongchang’s hand trembled, looking as pitiful as could be. His internal screams were practically written all over his face.

The old emperor’s eyes lit up.

What a brilliant idea! He couldn’t bear to harshly punish his beloved general for the jingguan, but something like this—akin to a city massacre—required a public stance.

And no need to dig up the soil; that land could be used for farming. With blood and flesh as fertilizer, it’d be perfect for crops.

While entertaining these grim thoughts, the old emperor casually said, “Marquis of Yongchang, since you built the jingguan, you’ll be responsible for dismantling it. Any objections?”

The Marquis of Yongchang’s sturdy frame slouched in resignation. “Your Majesty, I have no objections. I still have the strength to clean up the area around the jingguan completely.”

At that moment, Xu Yanmiao’s quiet thoughts came through:

【Moral or not, I don’t care about ethics when it comes to the Wokou. But if the corpses aren’t properly dealt with, they’ll spread disease. That land might later be used for exiled Da Xia citizens.】

【Also, who knows if the plague might travel across the sea to the mainland?】

【I’ll have to see if I can bring this up somehow.】

The Marquis of Yongchang suddenly fell silent.

The other officials also grew quiet.

None of them had thought of this angle before.

Seven months had passed, so… there shouldn’t be… much of a problem… right?

The old emperor pondered for a moment, then decided to send Princess Consort Jin to inspect the situation—after all, wasn’t she highly skilled in medicine? Besides, they couldn’t let her idly sit around; she needed to contribute somehow.

Xu Yanmiao also remembered it had been seven months.

【Wait! Hold on! It’s been seven months, so why is someone only impeaching the Marquis of Yongchang now? Could it be because the information took a long time to travel across the sea?】

The Great Xia court remained calm and composed.

This was nothing. In the bureaucracy, forget seven months—if someone wanted to target you, they’d dig up something from seven years ago.

—They immediately realized that the Marquis of Yongchang must have offended someone. Otherwise, no one would have waited seven months to bring this up.

It wasn’t something major…

【Oh!】

【Turns out someone has been secretly embezzling military funds and selling weapons! The Marquis of Yongchang’s adopted son discovered some clues, so they’re using the jingguan incident to create trouble for him.】

The court officials: “…”

Alright, that is a serious matter.

【Wait! Doesn’t that mean the censor is being used as a pawn?】

Both the Marquis of Yongchang and the censor forgot their angry expressions for a moment. Like most officials, they instinctively turned to observe the emperor’s reaction.

—On the golden platform, the emperor’s face remained calm and unreadable.

The Marquis of Yongchang heard the Grand Minister of Ceremonies next to him curse under his breath.

Of course, it wasn’t just the Grand Minister—he also wanted to curse.

With Xiao Baize keeping watch in the court, who would dare do something so blatantly against the emperor’s bottom line? Taking small bribes might still be excused as supplementing household expenses, but embezzling military funds—how brainless could you be to attempt that?!

“Please, please don’t let it be someone under my command!”

—At this moment, not only was the Marquis of Yongchang silently praying.

【What a bold move… The Assistant Minister of the Ministry of War…】

Shock rippled like waves, crashing in from all directions.

The Assistant Minister of the Ministry of War felt a jolt in his heart but quickly calmed himself. After some thought, he concluded, “It’s not me. I’ve never done such a thing. This must be another one of Xiao Baize’s exaggerated statements—probably one of my subordinates.”

There was even a faint smile at the corner of his lips.

Like a rock in the sea, he stood firm against the crashing waves, unshaken.

The colleagues around him couldn’t help but secretly sigh: What composure!

【…This son-in-law must’ve eaten a whole bucket of bear guts, daring to meddle with military supplies. Truly audacious.】

The Assistant Minister’s legs nearly gave out. Luckily, a nearby colleague steadied him just in time. Otherwise, if he had caused a scene, it would’ve drawn Xu Yanmiao’s attention—and with that, the realization that his thoughts could be overheard would’ve spelled disaster.

“Are you okay?” the colleague asked softly.

The Assistant Minister swallowed nervously. “I took every precaution, made sure my family was clean and upright, and thought my sons and nephews would never dare do something like this, so I let my guard down. But I forgot to watch out for my son-in-law!”

If the son-in-law committed a crime, it would implicate the whole family!

The son-in-law’s nine familial connections included the father- and mother-in-law.

His colleagues: “…”

So your earlier calm demeanor was only because you thought this had nothing to do with you.

Still, now that they knew who the scapegoat was, everyone else felt relieved.

For a moment, the court was abuzz with private thoughts. Some were calculating how to use this opportunity to eliminate rivals, while others worried about being dragged into the mess and considered how to extricate themselves if they were implicated. Meanwhile—

The likes of Liang Rui, a principled official from the Ministry of Justice, stepped forward with tightly pressed lips and said, “Your Majesty, this humble servant has heard that the Crown Prince is returning to the capital soon. May I ask how he will be received?”

A naïve college student wouldn’t understand the implication, but in the court, plenty of people did:

Your Majesty! Please don’t push this onto the Jinyiwei again—especially since it’s been seven months. If you pin this on them now, it’ll seem suspicious. Better to say the Crown Prince discovered it during his time away.

The old emperor also caught the hint and replied, “This is not a significant matter. There’s no need for a grand reception. I will simply send someone to greet the Crown Prince outside the city.”

When the Crown Prince returned, he was filled with regret.

“How could so many interesting things happen in the capital as soon as I leave?”

Hearing the stories now just wasn’t the same!

His attendant, always serious, replied, “There’s still one ‘lively matter’ waiting for Your Highness to handle.”

The Crown Prince waved his hand with a smile. “No rush, no rush.”

With that, he patiently investigated the Assistant Minister’s son-in-law, digging into every detail. Once he had solid evidence—both witnesses and physical proof—of the illegal sale of military funds and weapons, he waited for the perfect moment.

One morning, after clearing his throat in front of the bronze mirror, the Crown Prince, full of confidence and armed with all the evidence, strode into court to present his case!

Wuhu! Here comes the fun!

【Wuhu! The Crown Prince is back!】

The Crown Prince paused, turning his head to see Xu Yanmiao staring at him with eyes burning with interest. He almost couldn’t maintain his refined and gentle smile.

A sudden sense of unease arose in his heart.

【Ugh! I really want to ask him how it feels to be a Crown Prince pulling a petty scam.】

【It’s the first time I’ve seen someone honestly line up to buy salted goose, only to end up punching a thug trying to cut in line—and refusing to let his guards help.】

【Then, when the thug bumped into him, he immediately dropped to the ground, wailing and crying, complaining about being bullied as a cripple… Uh, how does the Crown Prince seem so experienced at this?】

【This is… impressive?】

The Crown Prince coughed. “…Ahem.” He tried to suppress his inner pride, but the corners of his mouth still curved upward.

This expression made his tutors, who were watching, even more incredulous. They huffed, glared, and turned red with anger, from their necks to their ears.

A dignified Crown Prince brawling with street thugs—what kind of behavior was this?!

The old emperor instinctively shouted, “Good!!”

His voice boomed like thunder.

He was secretly delighted: My son hasn’t lost his street smarts from mingling with commoners in the past. He can handle court politics and the bustling streets alike. Excellent—worthy of being my son!

Then he noticed the older scholars and Confucians turning their heads to give him a long, reproachful look.

The old emperor: “…”

Though he had a mischievous streak, he did respect teachers and had taught his son to do the same. So, he immediately picked up a memorial to the throne and pretended to read it. He even rubbed his eyelids, putting on a perfect show of someone straining their eyes from reading too much.