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Vol 3: Chapter 17 – Enormous Corruption

  Song Chuyi quickly understood the reason for Zhou Weizhao's meeting with her. It wasn't that he had established contact with Ye Jingkuan or Cui Shaoting but rather that he had intercepted a disturbing piece of information.

  "Zhang Tianhe has embezzled 200,000 taels of military funds?!" Even as composed as Song Chuyi was, her eyes widened in shock. "Is he insane? Does he realize what a colossal crime this is? If the northwest troops mutiny..."

  But then she straightened in her seat, horrified as the implications dawned on her. If Grand Secretary Chen's pn succeeded, Zhang Tianhe's embezzlement could easily trigger a mutiny, and the bme could fall squarely on Cui Shaoting and the Cui family. They could accuse them of embezzling military funds, ciming that their actions led to the revolt. After all, Zhang Tianhe couldn't have carried out this level of corruption alone, and every official there would only speak with one voice. Whether the Tatars would take advantage of the chaos wasn't something Lord Chen's faction would concern themselves with.

  Song Chuyi's disgust for Zhang Tianhe grew deeper. Being forced to go along with corruption was one thing, but deliberately filling his own pockets while expecting others to take the fall was vile. As the governor of the northwest, he showed no regard for the lives of his soldiers and citizens. First, he obstructed Cui Shaoting from repairing the Great Wall and fortifying defenses, and now he dared to embezzle military funds. His greed knew no bounds.

  Zhou Weizhao's usually calm expression also showed rare disdain. His eyes, typically impassive, held a glimmer of contempt. "Every year, someone tries to dip into the northwest's military funds. It wasn't until your uncle took over as governor that things settled down these past three years. Now I understand why he finds himself so isoted there. Someone attempting to cut off the income of so many officials is bound to become a target. Those people in the northwest have probably wanted him dead for a long time, and now that his three-year term is ending, the court has yet to reassign him. So, they've banded together to attack him."

  Cui Shaoting's life in the Northwest must be one of constant struggle. She remembered how hard it had been to contact him even from the hunting grounds—his letters had always been carefully worded. Looking back, he likely foresaw his precarious situation.

  Realizing this eased some of her worry. Cui Shaoting wasn't completely in the dark, blissfully unaware, but was instead being cautious and vigint under such constraints.

  She picked up the letter, scanning it again as she pressed down the anger roiling inside. "This is the original letter... with Zhang Tianhe's private seal on it. With this evidence, Zhang Tianhe can't escape. Does Your Highness intend to report him now?"

  If Zhang Tianhe didn't receive a response, he would likely know the message had been intercepted and might retaliate even more ruthlessly—he might even abandon Lord Chen's pn and directly frame Cui Shaoting for embezzling funds to cause a military revolt, ensuring his immediate execution without needing to wait for court approval.

  Zhou Weizhao shook his head. "I've already had someone forge a duplicate letter, which has been sent out. The messenger was one of Zhang Tianhe's close aides. Since he hasn't suspected anything and will take it as authentic, the recipients will also assume it's real. There's no reason for them to doubt it, so don't worry."

  Song Chuyi exhaled, relieved. Although she trusted Zhou Weizhao to be a man of his word and knew he wouldn't exploit Zhang Tianhe's case for personal gain, hearing his response reassured her. She sat quietly for a moment, her mind in turmoil, then looked up and asked, "What does Your Highness think we should do?"

  How could they rescue Cui Shaoting from such a treacherous situation? And how could they act under the watchful eyes of the Chen family?

  Zhou Weizhao looked directly at her, holding her gaze for a long moment before finally smiling. "However you wish to proceed, we'll do it your way."

  Song Chuyi's eyes widened in surprise. Zhou Weizhao seemed able to read others' minds effortlessly, a frightening skill. She lowered her head briefly, then raised it again to meet his eyes, fearless and resolute. "The northwest rotted from within over a decade ago, even before Grand Secretary Chen held his position. I suspect that's why he sent both Zhang Tianhe and my uncle there. Unfortunately, Lord Zhang himself is steeped in corruption. Since so many are eyeing the northwest and using this situation to deceive the Emperor, why not expose them for what they really are?"

  The northwest was a festering wound. If left untreated, it would only rot further until it became beyond repair.

  The Tatar invasion that reached the capital in her past life had shown her how deeply these parasites had infiltrated the system. The greatest threat wasn't external enemies, no matter how powerful, but internal decay. When the wind blew, even a slight gust would topple a house with rotting foundations.

  Zhou Weizhao understood this all too well, which was why he had urged the Crown Prince not to meddle in Yangzhou affairs—doing so would be no different from the likes of Prince Duan and Prince Gong. The money would still evade the Treasury and flow into private pockets.

  "Ye Jingkuan will get back to me within five days at the test. I'll tell him your pn, and he'll naturally pass it on to your uncle." Zhou Weizhao looked at Song Chuyi, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. "Go home and discuss it with your grandfather and uncle, calcute the timing, and act accordingly."

  With what came next, Zhou Weizhao truly couldn't involve himself further. Song Chuyi suddenly felt she owed something to this prince who had repeatedly saved her from peril. She wracked her brain, clenching and unclenching her fists as she considered, and finally spoke softly, "Your Highness must know that the turmoil in the northwest will be far more disruptive than in Yangzhou. Cutting off Zhang Tianhe's and Prince Duan's past sources of profit will also mean halting the trade pact they had secretly promised the Tatars. The Tatars won't let this go easily... Although Your Highness has been granted the title of Crown Prince's heir, your position is not yet secure. His Majesty, in his youth, was a man of action. Perhaps this could be your chance to make a strong impression..."

  Zhou Weizhao seemed taken aback, looking at her for a long moment. Then he broke into a broad grin, revealing two dimples in his cheeks.

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