The shocking news of the ck of warhorses on the northwest battlefield, the Three Borders Command being sidelined and restrained, and even being forced to accept Governor Zhang Tianhe's treacherous pnts spread rapidly through the court and the public. Most shocking of all was Cui Shaoting's memorial accusing Zhang Tianhe of embezzling military funds and secretly colluding with the Tatar chief. Rumors flew across the capital, predicting imminent conflict in the northwest. Curious onlookers gathered daily outside the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review, eager for updates.

  Under such intense pressure, the three judicial departments moved unusually swiftly, quickly investigating Wang Ying. Though he hanged himself in his prison cell that very night, a substantial number of incriminating letters were still found at his residence. Following these leads, concrete evidence of Wang Ying's collusion with Zhang Tianhe was uncovered.

  The evidence was overwhelming. Meanwhile, the imperial son-in-w Ye Jingkuan, stationed in the northwest, timely sent back a report detailing Zhang Tianhe's extravagant lifestyle, his attempts at bribery, and his close retions with the Tatars. Emperor Jianzhang immediately ordered Ye Jingkuan to confiscate Zhang Tianhe's official seal and escort him back to the capital.

  Despite the storm raging outside, the Chen residence remained eerily unaffected. Lord Chen sat expressionlessly in his huanghuali wood chair, sipping tea, his demeanor exuding an intense coldness.

  Even though Old Lady Chen had spent years at his side, she found herself fearful of his current demeanor. After some hesitation, she nervously asked, "With things blowing up like this, could it...?" She worried if old matters might one day resurface. Zhang Tianhe's case was concerning, too. Even though Minister of Justice Meng Jiming and Justice Feng Yinglong had both received favors from the Chen family and were considered allies of the Crown Prince, who could guarantee that Zhang Tianhe wouldn't try to implicate them to save himself? And would the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review reveal their connections in an attempt at self-preservation?

  Although they had handed Meng Jiming the falsified letters between Wang Ying and Zhang Tianhe, what if Zhang Tianhe still held on to some correspondence? Despite agreeing to burn all letters after reading them, these old foxes never fully erased all evidence. Lord Chen, for example, had kept the letters—had it not been for this recent incident, they would have remained sealed indefinitely.

  Lord Chen, however, was not particurly concerned. He let out a mocking chuckle, a smirk forming at the corner of his mouth. Meng Jiming and Feng Yinglong would never dare expose everything—if they did, they'd lose their lives as well. Those who had waded into these muddy waters were in no position to come out clean.

  As long as Ye Jingkuan hadn't obtained any of those letters from Zhang Tianhe, it didn't matter even if they were found. There were no names or titles in the letters; they were first sent to Fang Xiaoru or one of Lord Chen's other disciples, so who could cim ownership?

  Besides, Zhang Tianhe wasn't foolish. He must know the capital had its networks in pce. If he kept quiet, he might keep his life or even escape; if he said even one wrong word, he'd never make it back to the capital.

  "Don't scare yourself," he said, trying to reassure Old Lady Chen. "What does this have to do with us? We know nothing."

  Those close to Zhang Tianhe would know better than to keep those letters. Even if they couldn't destroy them in time, Meng Jiming and Feng Yinglong would ultimately make sure the letters vanished without a trace.

  At this point, Lord Chen thought it wise to reach out to the Crown Prince and Prince of Commandery—only with their help could he keep Meng Jiming and Feng Yinglong completely under control. His influence was vital to the Crown Prince. If he were to fall, the Crown Prince would also be affected. He was confident the Crown Prince understood this well.

  Old Lady Chen sighed deeply, a mixture of fear and disappointment rising within her. She was both dismayed that the Song and Cui families could fight back and survive and fearful that her family might get dragged into this mess.

  A month ter, Ye Jingkuan escorted Zhang Tianhe back to the capital. The city gates were packed with people eager to witness the spectacle. Furious citizens pelted Zhang Tianhe with rotten eggs and vegetable leaves, outraged that while their sons guarded the borders, he had been embezzling military funds and withholding their resources—an unforgivable crime.

  Lady Yu was utterly terrified, her face wet with tears and snot. Although she was usually bold, this unseen battle within the political sphere had scared her half to death.

  Gripping First Lady Cui's hand, she sobbed for a long while before looking at Old Lady Song and crying out, "How did we get caught up in this? If... if Shaoting really fell for that beauty, the entire Cui family would be doomed..."

  First Lady Cui comforted her, patting her on the shoulder, "But Shaoting didn't, did he? You know his character. Over the years, he hasn't even let a single female mosquito near him. If he accepted that woman, it must have been part of his pn. Besides, had he not accepted her, who knows what traps might have been waiting."

  Old Lady Song, having heard from Song Yan about what happened at the city gate, nodded in agreement. "The princess is right. Cui Shaoting blocked someone else's profits, so it's no surprise he became a target. It's impressive that he stayed clear-headed through all of this. Apart from sending in his memorial, there's nothing more we could have done for him."

  With such cunning, it's no wonder he managed to clean up the mess left by the former governor of Fujian and drive the Japanese pirates back step by step. Old Lady Song only learned about this incident ter when the Jinyiwei conducted their raid, and it left her trembling in fear—this was truly a bloodless method of killing. If not for the meticulous pnning of Old Master Song and Cui Yingshu, and the sharp insight of Cui Shaoting, the Song family might have ended up on the road to the afterlife alongside the Cui family.

  Thanks to the precise coordination, especially Cui Shaoting's clear understanding, their pns did not go to waste. If Cui Shaoting had slightly believed the nonsense from Yang Xuan and that courtesan from Yangzhou, all the subsequent pnning would have been in vain. Now, as Old Lady Song looked at the bleak summer's end in the tense capital, she felt an unexpected sense of relief—she was increasingly thankful that she hadn't indulged the Li family or compromised with them. Otherwise, the Song family might not have survived to see this day, likely already ruined by the Li family's influence.