FBC – Chapter 150 Treachery

The Empress Dowager’s face was dark as iron.

The Emperor was at a loss for words when an inner attendant hurriedly entered.

“Your Majesty, Your Highness the Empress Dowager, Minister Cao of the Ministry of Revenue, Assistant Minister Zuo of the Ministry of War, Assistant Director Jin of the Ministry of Works, and Lord Pei of the Revenue Department urgently request an audience.”

The Emperor was surprised. “Hm? Why are they all here together?”

The Empress Dowager’s expression shifted slightly, and she quickly said, “I also came to discuss an urgent matter with Your Majesty. Let them return for now.”

The Emperor looked at his mother with suspicion.

Old Madam Mu interjected, “What the Empress Dowager wishes to discuss is the same matter those four lords want to report. It is also the reason why the Empress Dowager ordered the imperial guards to surround our Duke’s Estate—smashing doors, beating people, and attempting to seize my daughter-in-law.”

“You speak nonsense! When did I ever issue such an edict?”

“Then someone must have forged your decree. In that case, we must invite the officials in to clarify things face to face.”

“This is a separate matter entirely!”

“It is not. Because the ones the imperial guards were ordered to seize are exactly those four officials.”

The Emperor was stunned. “The imperial guards tried to seize them? How could they dare!”

Old Madam Mu remained composed. “And yet, they did dare. That’s why they must be summoned to the throne room immediately to explain everything.”

The Empress Dowager became anxious. “Your Majesty…”

The Emperor glanced at his mother, unease stirring in his heart. Whatever it was, it clearly involved the Jiang family.

Gu Hua, seeing the Emperor’s hesitation, knew that if the four officials weren’t allowed in to explain, and had to leave the palace instead, their lives would be in danger.

Summoning her courage, she called out loudly, “Your Majesty, please allow me to speak. These four lords have discovered a matter of treason—someone has deceived the throne, tampered with the military supplies meant for the southern border, and tried to embezzle over a million taels from the national treasury, putting Your Majesty in grave peril. They’ve risked their lives to report this!”

The Emperor’s face darkened. “Mind your words.”

Gu Hua responded calmly, “Before setting out, Duke Yong said that thirty thousand sets of winter uniforms had been prepared. These concern the safety of our soldiers on the front lines—how could I not care? Those uniforms were worth eight hundred thousand taels. The silver is a small matter. If the soldiers don’t receive warm clothing, how can they fight? Might they not think it’s Your Majesty and the court withholding supplies? The real culprits want to shift the blame—profiting while making Your Majesty bear the consequences.”

The Emperor was enraged and waved his arm. “Summon them!”

The Empress Dowager cast a poisonous glare at Gu Hua.

Old Madam Mu asked, “Your Majesty, may my daughter-in-law rise to speak?”

The Emperor glanced at Gu Hua and nodded. “Rise.”

Gu Hua thanked him, stood up, and stepped behind Old Madam Mu, standing respectfully.

Soon, the four officials entered—clothes tattered, covered in injuries, supporting one another.

The Emperor was startled and quickly stepped down to examine them.

“What happened? How did you get hurt? Why are you in such a state?”

The four bowed and loudly pleaded for punishment.

“No need for that. Take a seat, quickly. Summon the imperial physician at once!” the Emperor ordered the attendant.

When his eyes met his mother’s, he paused before saying gently, “Mother, you must be tired. Perhaps—”

The Empress Dowager snapped, “I will stay right here and listen! I want to see who dares to slander the Jiang family!”

The Emperor frowned.

Old Madam Mu chuckled. “The four lords haven’t even spoken yet, and the Empress Dowager already says they are slandering the Jiangs? Then the Empress Dowager must know what they’re about to say?”

The Empress Dowager was furious. “How would I know?”

Old Madam Mu pressed on, “The harem must not interfere in court affairs. Has Your Highness forgotten the ancestral teachings?”

“You—!”

The Empress Dowager slammed the table. “My imperial son hasn’t spoken! Who gave you the right to speak?”

Old Madam Mu slowly raised her dragon-headed cane and struck it heavily against the floor.

“That right was given to me by the late Emperor.”

“You—!”

The Emperor quickly intervened, “Mother, Old Madam, since this concerns both the Mu and Jiang families, let’s all sit down and hear it out together.”

The four injured officials exchanged looks—wanting to sit, but afraid to do so amid the tension.

The Emperor looked at them and said, “What happened? Speak.”

Minister Cao of Revenue, Cao Liyu, eyes red, said, “Your Majesty, this minister has failed in his duties. The thirty thousand sets of winter uniforms meant for the southern border were all swapped!”

The Emperor couldn’t believe it. “Swapped? Who dares such treason?”

Assistant Director Jin Guyong of the Ministry of Works explained the whole situation. The Emperor was furious.

“They set fire to the warehouse and even killed a court official?!”

The Empress Dowager exclaimed, “Utter nonsense! There must be some misunderstanding. Your Majesty must not listen to one side only. Summon Jiang Jingchuan and Yuan Zhongying to confront them!”

Zuo Fengtian exploded, shouting, “Your Highness, we were nearly burned to death—saved only by the Silver Spear Guards and Imperial Dragon Battalion. They retrieved the charred uniforms. We were still pursued even after escaping. If it hadn’t been for Duke Yong’s wife rescuing us, we’d be dead! Does Your Highness think we’d risk our lives just to frame them?”

The Empress Dowager was struck speechless.

The Emperor’s face turned grim.

If he really summoned Jiang Jingchuan and Yuan Zhongying, there would be no turning back.

Gu Hua stepped forward and bowed. “Your Majesty, the thirty thousand uniforms have already been recovered. A batch was even sent to the Yuan family’s northern garrison—delivered by the Prince of Ping’an’s personal guards.”

The Emperor looked at the four.

Cao Liyu, Zuo Fengtian, and Jin Guyong all nodded.

Jin Guyong added, “The northern garrison’s winter supplies were handled entirely by Prince Jiang. Normally, they’d need to be registered, but he said the northern cold was too harsh to wait. So that batch was taken away before we even saw it.”

“A misunderstanding. It must be a misunderstanding,” the Empress Dowager said, her face pale.

An inner attendant ran in. “Your Majesty, Prince Ping’an has brought Prince Jiang bound and awaits outside the hall.”

The crowd inside was briefly stunned.

The Empress Dowager grew frantic. “Your Majesty, summon them quickly!”

The Emperor said coldly, “Summon them.”

Prince Ping’an was the Empress Dowager’s older brother.

He entered, leading Prince Jiang in with bare upper body, bound in thorny vines.

Prince Jiang fell to his knees, weeping. “Your Majesty, this minister is guilty.”

The Emperor pressed his fingers to his brow.

Prince Ping’an cast a cold glance at the four officials before finally looking at Old Madam Mu and Gu Hua.

“Your Majesty, Your Highness, my son was deceived. I bear the blame for my failure to oversee him. I’ve brought him here for punishment.”

The Emperor now understood the full picture.

This matter was enormous. If handled by the book, neither the Jiang family nor the Yuan family could escape punishment.

Gu Hua, facing such a situation for the first time, had never imagined people could be so shameless.

Just as the Old Madam had warned—Jiang and Yuan might offer up a scapegoat, and the case would be closed.

But with the three ministers, Pei Yi, and others present—could they really cover it up right in front of everyone?

Gu Hua soon realized she had underestimated the treachery of court politics.

The Emperor looked at Prince Ping’an. “And who deceived him?”

“Yuan Zhongying embezzled supplies and deceived both my son and the other officials. He set fire to the warehouse and tried to silence witnesses.”

Gu Hua’s eyes widened.

Such a massive case—and only Yuan Zhongying was to be punished?

The Emperor roared, “Outrageous! He deserves death!”

Even as Gu Hua rode the carriage home, she still felt dazed.

“Mother, that’s it? No trial? Nearly a million taels in corruption!”

And only Yuan Zhongying was executed?

Old Madam Mu patted her hand. “Anyone who dares target the Mu army won’t get off so easily. But we can’t rush it. Yuan Zhongying is a second son born of a concubine. He’s the most suitable scapegoat.”

Gu Hua was still young—she couldn’t fully grasp the bloodiness and cruelty of court power struggles.

She frowned deeply.

Though she hadn’t expected things to escalate this far, witnessing everything firsthand left her burning with anger and indignation.

“Mother, was Mu An and Gu Wanru involved in this?”

Gu Hua snapped back to focus and nodded.

“Yes.”

She recounted how Mu An had colluded with Prince Jiang to frame the Pei family.

Old Madam Mu’s face turned grim. “A traitor from within is the hardest to guard against.”

“Mother, I don’t understand. Why does Ziyuan still defend Mu An? His character is so poor—greedy, unscrupulous. If this goes on, he’ll bring disaster to our household.”

Old Madam Mu nodded. “I know. But some things Ziyuan must decide for himself. He said he wants to establish a separate branch for Mu An and restore honor to the An family. Once he returns in triumph, I’ll let him do as he pleases.”

“A separate branch?”

“Mu An’s father’s surname was An. Ziyuan has long wished to re-establish the An family line and give it descendants.”

“So that’s it…”

Gu Hua was full of surprise.

But Mu An might be connected to southern spies…

She wasn’t sure whether she should tell the Old Madam or not.