Chapter 9

The banquet was interrupted, and the Palace Guard Command sent men to summon Zhao Zongzheng.

In the corridors, people huddled in groups, buzzing with speculation. No one had expected that at this critical juncture, Pei Shao would step in to shield the Marquis of Wude—not even the Marquis himself.

Once inside the private chamber, the Marquis slumped into a chair, wiping sweat from his brow. Still struggling to process the events, he muttered with annoyance, "I should never have kept that man, Du. At the time, I was afraid of making a scene and drawing attention, thinking that as long as His Majesty didn't pursue it, we could downplay the matter. But look at it now—I should have driven him out of the capital long ago. If he had died on the road, none of this would have happened!"

He then added with a touch of relief, "At least I didn't let Zhao Zongzheng get involved in the Yaozhou affair. Even if he comes, he won't be able to speak of any inner secrets."

Xu Jingqing, who had been silent until now, sat down a step behind him and said expressionlessly, "He may not know the secrets of Yaozhou, but he has handled many thorny issues for you. Otherwise, the cases linked to you over the past two years would have buried the Dali Temple. If any one of them were pulled out, he wouldn't be able to protect himself, let alone speak for you. The two of you conspiring to cover up a case would be enough to land you both in prison."

The Marquis paused. "You mean..."

Xu Jingqing asked, "Have you seen Zhao Zongzheng in the last few days?"

"His Majesty suspended the morning court recently, so I haven't seen much of him." The Marquis shook his head, suddenly struck by the oddity. He had run into Zhao Zongzheng when he went to the palace to request invitations two days ago. Since Zhao had also requested an invitation, he clearly intended to attend. Why, then, was he not here today?

Observing the Marquis's belated realization, Xu Jingqing sneered, "Do you really think Pei Shao was helping you? I fear the man has already been detained by the Palace Guard Command. By now, he may have already signed a confession. Taking you down would be a simple and legitimate matter."

The Marquis shivered upon hearing this. He glanced out the window and noticed, to his horror, countless eyes watching him from both overt and covert posts.

He swallowed hard. He hadn't been particularly afraid a moment ago, but now the reality was sinking in; the situation was likely far beyond his ability to bluff. Agitated, he snapped, "Then tell me, what should we do? The Princess is clearly targeting you. I suspect she is still holding a grudge over how you forced her to leave the capital years ago, and she's using the pretext of suppressing me to get back at you. Minister Xu, you cannot simply stand by!"

Xu Jingqing looked at the Marquis, seemingly contemplating his next words.

At first, he had also thought Cheng Muning was just killing the chicken to scare the monkey, wanting to strip away a Marquis to humiliate him. But to go to such lengths merely to vent anger did not fit Cheng Muning's character; she must have another motive. As for what that motive was—

It depended on what the Princess lacked most right now.

The Marquis was not a bright man, but he possessed an unparalleled talent for accumulating wealth. Even in a desolate, godforsaken place like Yaozhou, he had managed to construct a golden nest for himself. This was why Xu Jingqing had gone to such trouble to bring him to the capital; after all, maneuvering in the imperial court required significant expenditure, and he needed the Marquis.

Since arriving in the capital, the Marquis had not disappointed. The wealth he amassed in a single year equaled the tax revenue of a mid-sized prefecture over two years. While others might not know the exact figures, the Marquis was always flamboyant, parading through the streets decked in gold and silver. Everyone knew he kept over twenty concubines, and it was common knowledge throughout the capital that the Marquis's estate was overflowing with money.

What the Princess needed most right now was precisely money.

Mobilizing grain and borrowing horses would never be as fast as directly confiscating the estate of a corrupt official. Since the Marquis was Xu Jingqing's man, there was no better scapegoat.

However, given the Marquis's miserly nature, if he were to find out now that he was being targeted specifically for his wealth, he would likely panic and cause a scene. If he were to resist arrest later, things would only get worse.

Xu Jingqing said no more. He sighed softly and, with rare patience, offered some comfort: "We are bound by the same interests; how could I not protect you? When the time comes, act according to the situation, and I will ensure everything is handled from the outside."

That was all he could do. The Marquis closed his mouth, trembling with anxiety.

The banquet was, in effect, over. Cheng Muning went to a pavilion behind the mountain to change into lighter attire; the heavy ornaments on her head had made her neck ache.

Yinzhu had been looking distressed since the banquet dispersed. As she handed Cheng Muning a round fan, she asked, "It shouldn't be like this. Why would the Commander of the Palace Guards speak for the Marquis? For the past few days, the Palace Guard Command has fulfilled every request, clearly indicating a tacit understanding. Yet, at the last moment, he throws a wrench in the works. What does this mean?"

Cheng Muning had ordered the Palace Guard Command to retrieve examination papers from the Hanlin Academy in the middle of the night, and Jiang Tanwang had been sharp enough to take note of it and react immediately when policy essays were mentioned today. How could Pei Shao not understand? His responsiveness to the Fuluang Palace over the past few days was indeed an acknowledgment of her methods.

As for why he stopped now, Cheng Muning smiled, her tone indifferent, as if she found nothing surprising in it.

"If everything went exactly as planned, it would be too pedestrian."

Yinzhu looked grave. "Could this ruin our plans?"

"Hmm... it should be fine."

Pei Shao and Xu Jingqing had been fighting in the capital for three years; surely he wanted to take down the Marquis even more than she did. But clearly, he did not want the Palace Guard Command to be pushed into working for her. His final refusal at the banquet made his position clear. It seemed that to build a long-term relationship, some things had to be stated plainly. If she had dragged it out to the end and forced his cooperation through pressure, it would have been counterproductive.

Pei Shao was the type who responded to soft tactics, not hard ones. If he were truly pushed into a corner, he would be quite difficult to coax.

Thinking of this, Cheng Muning did not delay.

The Qionglin Garden had watchtowers at all four corners, and the northern one offered the most expansive view and was heavily guarded by the Imperial Guard. Cheng Muning avoided the main thoroughfares and took a winding path by the lake. As she approached, the lead guard, Wei Lin, saluted her: "Your Highness, the Princess."

The Palace Guard Command was vastly different from when Cheng Muning had left; the personnel had been replaced layer by layer. Cheng Muning did not recognize this man, but judging by his attire, he was a Palace Guard officer, higher in rank than Pei Shao had been back then. She shifted her tone and said politely, "I have matters to discuss with the Commander. Please, General Wei, announce my arrival."

Wei Lin paused; he hadn't told her his name.

"Please wait, Your Highness." Wei Lin turned and said, "Zhou Min."

Zhou Min was an old acquaintance. Whenever Cheng Muning visited the Pei estate years ago, it was Zhou Min who guarded the door. Now, he was looking at her with indignation. Only after Wei Lin urged him twice did he let out a cold snort and reluctantly set off.

Before long, he returned, gritting his teeth: "Your Highness, the Commander will see you."

Hearing this, Wei Lin cleared a path for the guards. "Please, Your Highness."

Cheng Muning smiled and said, "Thank you for your trouble," before instructing Yinzhu to stay behind and proceeding alone. The faint fragrance trailing from her swaying skirt made others hesitant to get too close. As she passed, Wei Lin respectfully lowered his head and stepped back, only daring to glance up once she had walked away.

Ever since the Second Young Master decided to stay in the capital, the Shuo East region had sent many of their own, most of whom were arranged into the Palace Guard Command. Wei Lin had been sent by the Heir Pei two years ago; by then, the Princess had already left the capital, and most of what he knew about her were rumors, mostly from Zhou Min.

Seeing her now, she was quite different from the "venomous-hearted" woman Zhou Min described.

"You were quite out of line today," Wei Lin remarked. "But the Princess is surprisingly good-natured; she didn't seem to hold it against you."

Zhou Min clenched his fists. "What do you know? This is what they call 'a needle hidden in silk'! She uses people until they are drained, then brushes her hands clean and leaves, and in the end, she's ready to slaughter the donkey after the grinding is done..."

Realizing the metaphor was slightly off, he thought for a moment, then let out a heavy sigh: "You don't understand!"

Others only knew the Princess and their master had once been in love; those closer to him might have known the Princess had betrayed him and broken his heart. But Zhou Min had been the one to accompany a severely wounded Pei Shao on the long journey back to the capital from Shuo East, and he was the only one who had heard firsthand how the Princess had been utterly heartless and refused to acknowledge their past.

They say women are cruel, but he thought none could be crueler than this!

Cheng Muning could still feel Zhou Min's resentful gaze even from a distance, which showed just how deeply her words had wounded him back then.

Cheng Muning lowered her eyes. In truth, she hadn't specifically summoned Pei Shao recently because of their past history; she feared that the bitterness in his heart could not be resolved with a few words, and that saying the wrong thing would only worsen the situation. Sigh, some things were better handled slowly.

Arriving at the watchtower, she was met with a cool breeze.

Pei Shao was leaning against the railing, looking down at the central courtyard. He did not turn when he heard her footsteps. Cheng Muning approached slowly and remained silent, following his gaze to the sea of heads below, where individual faces were indistinguishable.

She stood for a moment and sighed softly, "The times are grim. There are monsters and demons on the stage, each with their own agenda."

Pei Shao curled his lips without emotion and said, gazing into the distance, "Is the Princess not one of them?"

"I am different," Cheng Muning turned to look at him. "I am standing before the Commander now with nothing but complete sincerity."

Pei Shao looked at her, a long, lingering gaze.

Sincerity? No, it was calculation.

He knew Cheng Muning too well. She stood there looking lighthearted and indifferent, while she had manipulated everyone thoroughly. Even with people she had never met, like Du Linyi or the Marquis of Wude, she understood the former's scholarly temperament and the latter's shallow stupidity. With just a little guidance, the situation would move in the direction she desired.

And in all these plans, Pei Shao, who would be the one to make the arrests, was of course included.

"The Princess is too modest," Pei Shao composed himself and turned around. "The Marquis of Wude has deep roots. There are seven banks in the capital registered under his wife's name, not to mention his other dealings. The Marquis's treasury holds more silver than the current Ministry of Revenue's ledgers. But wars must be fought, troops must be fed, horses must be purchased, and after the war, prefectures must be rebuilt, grain must be allocated for disaster relief, and refugees must be settled. Even if I were to strip the Marquis's estate bare as the Princess wishes, it would only solve the immediate crisis."

Cheng Muning turned slightly, her gaze following him. "The Marquis's accounts are merely a drop in the bucket. As far as I know, the Marquis of Wude has hidden several private treasuries in Yaozhou, but the mountains are high and the roads are far; they are not easy to find."

Not only were they hard to find, but the Marquis's talent for accumulating wealth was surpassed only by his talent for hiding it. If they couldn't force his mouth open personally, that money would never be easily obtained. However, it was clear that Cheng Muning had great confidence in the Marquis. A sum of money that large, if it were to be safely transported back to the capital without a single piece missing, was not something the Dali Temple could handle; it would require separate personnel.

But she didn't necessarily need to use the Palace Guard Command for this. In the end, she just wanted to use this alliance to create an appearance of being backed by the Pei family, saving herself much trouble for the grand movements she planned next.

The same old tune, completely devoid of anything new.

Pei Shao gave a mocking smile, though it was faint. By the time Cheng Muning looked again, he was sitting expressionlessly on a crude wooden bench nearby, his legs crossed—a posture of negotiation. "It seems the Princess needs me even more than she did back then. So, what does the Princess intend to offer in exchange this time?"

Cheng Muning paused and glanced at him. Every word was laced with thorns, turning their past love into a pure, carnal transaction. And Cheng Muning could not be the one to protest, for she was the one who had started it all.

Pei Shao raised his brows. "How much longer does the Princess intend to stare?"

Cheng Muning regained her composure. Ignoring the insinuation in his words, she said naturally, "I want the entirety of the Marquis of Wude's estate. After it is done, I will help the Commander take control of the Infantry Command. How about that?"

They both knew each other's situation like the back of their hands, so they could strike directly at the vitals.

Although the Imperial Guard was led by the Palace Guard Command, it could not control the entire force. The other half was held by the Imperial Bodyguard Command, which was further divided into the Cavalry Command and the Infantry Command. The commanders of both were veterans from the previous emperor's era, and they were men the late emperor had trusted. With them in place, the Imperial Bodyguard Command had been stable, maintaining a relative balance with the Palace Guard Command. However, four months ago, the Infantry Commander had been dismissed for negligence while drinking, leaving the post vacant—a piece of meat for the wolves to fight over.

Pei Shao certainly did not want to give others the chance to meddle with the Imperial Guard. Yet, Cheng Zheng feared him just as he had feared Xu Jingqing back then. The Palace Guard Command had already been given out and could not be taken back, so how could he grant him the Infantry Command as well? Thus, he had repeatedly stalled, never giving his approval.

If the Infantry Command remained vacant, that would be one thing; the fear was that Xu Jingqing would find a gap to exploit, which would inevitably break the current balance.

This was Pei Shao's greatest hidden threat.

Cheng Muning looked at Pei Shao; Pei Shao looked at his reflection in the tea bowl.

It was clearly a mutually beneficial cooperation, and the development of events was exactly as he wished. Yet he did not look happy; instead, he asked with cold sarcasm, "I thought His Majesty sent the Princess to use her charms. Does His Majesty know the Princess is being this generous?"

"His Majesty lives deep in the palace; he cannot be expected to know everything," Cheng Muning replied with a slight pause and a smile. "Besides, it seems the charms were useless. My fingernails ache from peeling grapes, yet unfortunately, the Commander did not touch a single one."

Pei Shao subconsciously glanced at her fingers, which looked like spring onions, and curled his lips, ignoring her. "And if the Princess breaks her word, what then?"

Cheng Muning knew she had no credibility left with Pei Shao, but she had nothing else to offer him at this moment. So, she thought for a moment and said, "What would you like?"

She did not realize how suggestive the question sounded. Pei Shao looked at her deeply and did not answer. He stood up, called for a guard, and ordered, "Go and ask where Minister Zhao has arrived."