Chapter 92

As usual, he entered the palace for an audience with the Emperor. However, unlike previous occasions, this time Jiang Yi met with the Emperor alone. His expression was calm, but the words he spoke were as shocking as a tidal wave.
A single statement, that Chancellor Jian and Prince of Jiangxia were on unusually close terms, was enough to force the Emperor to take the matter seriously.
Jiang Yi had discovered this several years ago, but it was only recently that he confirmed Prince of Jiangxia was plotting something. The Emperor frowned deeply and urged Jiang Yi to elaborate.
Jiang Yi began by recounting how, years ago, he had discovered tribute goods from the South Sea in the residence of the Marquis of Dingbei. Gradually, he brought the hidden dealings of the Jian family to light. Over the years, he had meticulously remembered every detail, no matter how minor, and now he laid out each irregularity one by one.
He spoke of how, since Princess Ming's arrival in the capital, she had deliberately spread rumors about her relationship with Jian Yuyan, making it known throughout the city. He also mentioned Wei Xiongjie, who had been accompanying Princess Ming recently, and his frequent interactions with Chancellor Jian.
The Emperor's expression grew increasingly grave as he listened. Being in a position of power, he was naturally suspicious. A single point of suspicion was enough to capture his attention, let alone a multitude of them. Moreover, Jiang Yi was a trusted minister personally promoted by the Emperor. Initially impressed by Jiang Yi's talent and youth, the Emperor had come to regard him as one of his most trusted officials over the years. Although Jiang Yi was on good terms with the Crown Prince, and outsiders automatically associated him with the Crown Prince's faction, in reality, it was the Emperor himself who valued Jiang Yi the most.
Had such earth-shattering news come from anyone else, the emperor might have remained skeptical. But since it was Jiang Yi who spoke, the emperor already believed most of it, especially since it concerned the Prince of Jiangxia, a thorn in his side for many years.
After a long silence, the emperor fixed his gaze on Jiang Yi and said in a low voice, “I know your temperament. You would not have come to me without solid evidence. So, what else do you know?”
“I also know that this information was deliberately leaked by Princess Ming,” Jiang Yi replied.
“What do you mean by that?” the emperor exclaimed in shock, motioning for Jiang Yi to sit.
“Back when I went to Hangzhou to escort Princess Ming to the capital, I spent some time with her. After she arrived in the capital, her behavior became unusual, which made me suspicious…”
Jiang Yi then laid out all the inconsistencies he had noticed in Yan Yiming's actions. The more the emperor listened, the more confused he became. “Princess Ming is the biological daughter of the Prince of Jiangxia. Why would she reveal such flaws? Could it be that, despite growing up under Jiangxia's care, she covets my throne?”
This was a question Jiang Yi could not answer. He simply smiled and said, “I do not know what Princess Ming truly desires. But it is better to be safe than sorry. The fact remains that the Prince of Jiangxia has long disrespected Your Majesty’s authority, and Chancellor Jian has maintained a close relationship with him for years. I urge Your Majesty to consider this carefully.”
Jiang Yi did not know what she truly wanted, but he would always remember what A’Ming had once said to him during a casual conversation: “His Majesty cares deeply for the nation and its people. The realm is at peace, and the common folk live in prosperity, this is a great blessing for all.” How could someone who spoke such words be compared to a rebel like the Prince of Jiangxia?
The emperor nodded. Regardless of Princess Ming's motives, the most pressing matter was still Chancellor Jian. If the chancellor had indeed conspired with the Prince of Jiangxia all these years, and given that Jian Yuyan had grown up as the crown prince's study companion since childhood, the mere thought sent chills down his spine.
“So, according to you, where should we begin?”
“I believe we must not alert the enemy before they reveal themselves. First, we should reinforce the military presence in Jiangnan to guard against any potential threats. Second, we should investigate discreetly while appearing to act normally.”
The Jiangnan region had more soldiers than capable generals, making it outwardly strong but inwardly weak. Strengthening its defenses had already been part of the emperor's recent plans.
However, if Chancellor Jian had been scheming for decades, uncovering the truth would be extremely difficult.
“The clues are scattered, but Your Majesty could focus on investigating one person thoroughly.”
“Who?”
Jiang Yi smiled, his handsome face remaining calm as he uttered a name:
“Jian Yuyan, the eldest son of the Jian family.”
Chancellor Jian had been entrenched in the court for over twenty years, making any investigation challenging. Still, if one was determined to dig, traces of evidence would eventually surface.
Once the seed of suspicion was planted, it would inevitably give rise to tangled vines of doubt.
Without alerting the court, the emperor secretly launched an investigation. Instead of targeting Chancellor Jian directly, he began with others Jiang Yi had mentioned, such as the Marquis of Dingbei, who had nearly become Jian's in-law. Above all, he focused on investigating Jian Yuyan's background.
The emperor had not paid much attention to Jian Yuyan initially, but within half a month, many suspicious details emerged.
For instance, it turned out that Jian Yuyan was not actually Chancellor Jian's biological son.
Jian Yuyan was not actually the biological son of Chancellor Jian and his wife, but rather the child of Chancellor Jian’s younger sister and a man who had been adopted as a godson by the Jian family. For unknown reasons, both of his biological parents passed away shortly after his birth. Overnight, everyone who knew the truth vanished, except for a few trusted old servants who had served the Jian family for many years.
The emperor began to realize that this matter was far from ordinary and immediately ordered further investigation. However, no additional facts could be uncovered.
The identity of the man, Jian Yuyan’s biological father, remained a mystery.
Raising a nephew as one’s own son was not inherently unusual, but the Jian family had gone so far as to silence all those who knew the truth, which was enough to arouse the emperor’s suspicion.
What exactly was the Jian family trying to conceal?
What hidden secrets lay behind Jian Yuyan’s identity?
Previously, the emperor had never doubted the Jian family and thus never noticed anything amiss. But now, by quietly launching a thorough investigation while Chancellor Jian and his associates were unprepared, the emperor had indeed uncovered quite a few things.
Various signs increasingly convinced the emperor that Chancellor Jian, after lurking in the shadows for so many years, was not as loyal and virtuous as he appeared on the surface.
For years, Chancellor Jian had secretly supported the crown prince. When he sent Jian Yuyan to the palace as a study companion, the emperor had turned a blind eye. But now, with Chancellor Jian showing signs of unrest, what about the crown prince?
Was he kept in the dark, or was he involved, just like Chancellor Jian and the Prince of Jiangxia?
The emperor was deeply suspicious, and even his own son could not escape his doubts. Jiang Yi, observing this, reminded the crown prince after leaving the palace, “His Majesty has been displeased with Chancellor Jian recently. Please avoid getting too close to him.”
Given the crown prince’s close relationship with the Jian family, Jiang Yi knew that directly telling Nan Gongxuan about the Jian family’s rebellious intentions would not be fully believed. Instead, he framed it as pressure from the emperor. Nan Gongxuan did not suspect anything and directly asked him why.
“His Majesty recently discovered that Chancellor Jian and the Prince of Jiangxia have been in close contact privately.”
Nan Gongxuan was stunned, finding it hard to believe.
But since it was his father’s suspicion, he recalled the emperor’s unusual demeanor in recent days and finally understood what was happening. Still, he found it difficult to accept.
Jiang Yi smiled faintly, unsurprised. At the right moment, he brought up the crown prince’s past private affair with Jian Yu’er and then said, “Your Highness once had feelings for Miss Jian, and even the empress approved. Yet, the marriage never came to pass. Aside from…”
Here, Jiang Yi paused before continuing, “Aside from the influence of the crown princess, does Your Highness recall Chancellor Jian’s actions at the time?”
Nan Gongxuan thought back to those days. He had been close to Jian Yu’er and had even discussed it with his mother. The empress had summoned Jian Yu’er to the palace, but the matter was eventually dropped.
He had always assumed it was because of A’Ming, but now, recalling it, Nan Gongxuan suddenly remembered something: Jian Yu’er had once wept in front of him, saying that Chancellor Jian forbade her from getting close to him, citing his unwillingness to let her marry into the imperial family.
Now thinking back, could it really have been such a simple reason?
Jiang Yi stopped there, for the Crown Prince was no fool who couldn’t distinguish right from wrong. Although the Emperor was suspicious of the Crown Prince, Jiang Yi, having known him for many years, understood that the Crown Prince was also kept in the dark.
After over a month of investigation, Chancellor Jian had yet to reveal any flaws, but the Marquis of Dingbei had indeed been implicated.
The Marquis of Dingbei, who also held the position of third-rank Guard General, commanded the 100,000-strong Imperial Guard in the capital of Jinling. Yet, despite his high position, he was found to have ties to the previous dynasty, the Dowager of the Dingbei household, the current matriarch, was actually the daughter of the previous dynasty’s Duke of Loyalty and Righteousness.
The Emperor’s brush fell with a “thud” onto the desk, his shock palpable.
If the Prince of Jiangxia had kept the Emperor awake at night, the mere mention of the previous dynasty was enough to jolt him from his dreams.
The Emperor erupted in fury at court.
Before Jiang Yi could even enter the palace, the Emperor, in his rage, had already ordered the Dingbei residence to be surrounded, giving no one time to react.
In the autumn of the 54th year of Chenxia, the third-rank Guard General Dingbei, implicated in connections with the previous dynasty, was sent to the imperial prison along with his entire clan of over a hundred people. No one dared to plead a single word on his behalf.
No ruler, regardless of the era, could tolerate even the slightest association with the previous dynasty.
A few days later, a rebellion broke out in Nanping, far to the south of Jinling. In his fury, the Emperor dispatched forces to suppress it and ordered the distant General of the Northwest, Shao Jingyu, to return to the capital to report on his duties, take command of the hundreds of thousands of troops in Jiangnan, and assume the role of Guard General to oversee the Imperial Guard.
The two points Jiang Yi had raised with the Emperor a month earlier had now been fully implemented.
Jiang Yi had a clear understanding of the situation, but Chancellor Jian was filled with terror and panic. The Emperor’s actions had given them no time to react; by the time he heard the news, the Marquis of Dingbei had already been seized and imprisoned, his fate unknown.
Chancellor Jian was both shocked and angered by the Emperor’s autocratic behavior, but what pained him even more was the loss of the 100,000-strong Imperial Guard, now entirely in the hands of another. Such a loss felt like having one of his own legs severed.
If the new General had been someone he could trust and ally with, there might have been hope. But the Emperor had given no opportunity to the court officials, directly summoning Shao Jingyu back to the capital.
Shao Jingyu had severed ties with the Shao family years ago and, due to the incident involving Yu’er, had become hostile toward Jian. The Emperor had shown Shao favor, making Jian increasingly uneasy. He couldn’t fathom why the Emperor had suddenly uncovered this matter, was it a chance discovery, or was it a step-by-step excavation that would eventually lead the fire to his own doorstep?
Whether it was Chancellor Jian, Wei Xiongjie, or others, they all spent these days in constant fear, losing sleep at the slightest disturbance. Only Yan Yiming watched as Chancellor Jian’s affairs unraveled step by step, feeling increasingly hopeful about returning home.
Wei Xiongjie advised her to keep a low profile recently, but Yan Yiming shook her head dismissively. Staying low-key at such a time would only draw attention to any flaws. Unable to persuade her, Wei Xiongjie had no choice but to let her continue her unrestrained ways. After dealing with Wei Xiongjie and the others, Yan Yiming let out a long sigh and sat alone in the maple grove, gazing at the fallen leaves covering the ground.
Someone approached slowly from behind. Little A was about to speak when the person behind her called out softly, “A’Ming,” his voice clear and gentle, as familiar and natural as it had been many years ago.
Yan Yiming responded instinctively before suddenly realizing and turning her head sharply. Jiang Yi stood quietly among the maple trees, watching her.
Clad in white robes with dark hair, his strikingly handsome face wore a gentle smile.