Since that night, Xiao Shan had handed all matters over to Zong Qing. According to his own words, he didn't know how to investigate cases, so naturally, Zong Qing had to do the legwork.

 

He would wait for Zong Qing to finish the investigation and give him the results.

 

Zong Qing also understood that Xiao Shan didn't want to get too involved in these matters.

 

The Emperor needed the results to come from Zong Qing's mouth, and Xiao Shan's involvement could easily lead to complications.

 

Xiao Shan was well aware that as long as Zong Qing remained a loyal official, he would report the matters of Liangzhou truthfully. The issue with Liu Jingxuan would have minimal impact on the Crown Prince.

 

Zong Qing found himself increasingly unable to see through Xiao Shan. From their interactions over the past few days, it was clear that Xiao Shan was not truly foolish or incompetent. On the contrary, he had a certain cleverness but didn't apply it in the right direction.

 

His methods were overly extreme, unwilling to suffer even the slightest loss, and he had a carefree attitude, with little ambition for power, status, or beauties.

 

Even Zong Qing, a loyal official, could see clearly that being born into the royal family and as a prince, everyone's eyes would be on the throne. Yet, Xiao Shan was different. Apart from being on good terms with the Crown Prince, he never sought connections with powerful officials and had a lukewarm relationship with his maternal family. He was also willful and reckless. Scholars disapproved of him, and in the court, who hadn't read a few books? This meant that Xiao Shan did not have the favor of the scholarly community.

 

However, on second thought, this might not be an unwise choice.

 

The Emperor favored the Crown Prince, and as long as the Crown Prince ascended the throne smoothly, Xiao Shan would become the most favored and trusted prince of the new Emperor. The time of prosperity he would enjoy then would far exceed the uncertain success he might achieve through current struggles.

 

Perhaps truly clever people were those like Xiao Shan, who had few desires.

 

Although the Emperor often criticized Xiao Shan for being foolish and unlearned, he trusted Xiao Shan and was most tolerant of him. Over the years, apart from Xiao Shan, Zong Qing had neither heard of nor seen anyone else who dared to be so unruly and audacious in front of the Emperor.

 

Thinking about this, Zong Qing shook his head and silently laughed at himself. He had a pile of his own matters to deal with, yet here he was, pondering someone else's affairs. He wondered why he was concerning himself with such idle thoughts.

 

***

 

According to Xiao Shan's thinking, Zong Qing would inform him once everything was sorted out.

 

After all, he knew Zong Qing's meticulous nature.

 

During this time, he could completely relax and take Xie Zhui around for some sightseeing. Aside from the troublesome matters, Liangzhou was a place rich in local customs and had many spots worth visiting.

 

Xiao Shan's plan was good, but Zong Qing didn't follow the expected course.

 

Whenever there was even a slight progress in the case, Zong Qing would come to report it to Xiao Shan.

 

At first, Xiao Shan tried to persuade him kindly, saying it was completely unnecessary to do so.

 

But Zong Qing righteously refused his kind offer, firmly stating, "The Emperor has ordered me and Your Highness to investigate the case together. Even if Your Highness does not investigate, you still have the responsibility to supervise. I dare not act arbitrarily."

 

Xiao Shan couldn't help but wonder if Zong Qing thought he was too idle and was deliberately doing this out of spite. Then he reconsidered, knowing that Zong Qing had a reputation as a loyal official and was unlikely to do something so childish.

 

It was a simple division of responsibilities, but Zong Qing insisted on making it unnecessarily complicated.

 

Especially after learning of Xiao Shan's plans, Zong Qing was even more direct in his advice: "Your Highness should not go out at this time. The heads of several major businesses are currently detained, and although there are reasons for this, the situation outside remains chaotic. There is still a certain risk for Your Highness and the prince consort to go out. It would be better to wait until everything has settled before going out."

 

Zong Qing not only said this to Xiao Shan but also to Xie Zhui.

 

Xie Zhui believed he could protect Xiao Shan, but he still felt there was a certain risk, and thus lost interest in touring Liangzhou City.

 

Since Xie Zhui was adamant about not going out, Xiao Shan couldn't force him, nor could he leave him behind and go out alone.

 

As a result, Xiao Shan's daily routine now included listening to Zong Qing's reports.

 

One day, he would hear about how Zong Qing interrogated Liu Jingxuan. The next day, it would be about questioning the merchants, and later, how he interrogated the beauties.

 

In short, Zong Qing was busy every day.

 

Regarding Liu Jingxuan, there was no need to say much. The interrogation was swift and precise.

 

The merchants, however, were all cunning and deceitful. The matter of wearing unauthorized attire was evident to everyone, so they admitted to that. But other charges, such as colluding with officials to get things done, they outright denied, let alone admitting to murder. They even uniformly claimed that Liu Jingxuan had solicited bribes from them and that it was Liu Jingxuan who, fearing exposure, committed the murders. As for how the murders were carried out, they claimed ignorance.

 

In short, according to these merchants, Liu Jingxuan was a corrupt official, and they had evidence of how much money he had embezzled.

 

Because of this, Zong Qing had been investigating for several days without significant progress.

 

Even with the use of punishment, these people stubbornly refused to admit to anything, pushing all the blame onto Liu Jingxuan. They claimed they were innocent and that their collusion with officials was due to Liu Jingxuan's coercion.

 

They were just ordinary merchants; how could they possibly contend with officials?

 

That day, Zong Qing reported to Xiao Shan again, saying there had been no progress. He had separated the merchants and interrogated them individually, even pretending that someone had confessed, but still couldn't get them to talk.

 

Seeing Zong Qing deep in thought and without a trace of worry, Xiao Shan couldn't help but ask, "Lord Zong, if they don't confess, do you have any other methods to make them talk?"

 

Zong Qing quickly replied, "I have already interrogated Liu San. His testimony doesn't differ much from Liu Jingxuan's and has even implicated some issues in the subordinate counties of Liangzhou. With Liu San's testimony, I can interrogate those problematic county magistrates. By applying severe punishment to these people, someone is bound to confess."

 

"Are you not worried about the trouble? Are you planning to stay in Liangzhou for a year or more?" Xiao Shan couldn't help but mutter after hearing this. He didn't want to stay here any longer; he wanted to return to the capital as soon as possible. So, he continued with a stern face, "Lord Zong, I think if we can't get them to talk here, we should raid their homes."

 

Zong Qing was taken aback, thinking Xiao Shan seemed a bit agitated. How did this go from investigating a case to raiding homes?

 

Xiao Shan continued, "They are already wearing unauthorized attire, so I suspect their homes are not clean either. It makes sense that they would have other unauthorized items."

 

After saying this, he gave a cold laugh, "Even within a family, different branches can have hidden agendas, let alone these four families. With intermarriage and shared interests, there are bound to be conflicts. When disaster strikes, they will each fend for themselves. After raiding their homes, pick the one with the least offenses and smallest crimes, let him see his family, and make him think about the future of his descendants. I refuse to believe we can't get them to talk."

 

Zong Qing: "..."

 

He had separated the four for interrogation, partly to divide them, and now it seemed Xiao Shan's extreme methods might be more effective.

 

"If there are issues in the lower counties, then uproot the problems from the top. This will be much more efficient. As for those guild leaders like President Zhao and President Wang, their families are not necessarily united, and not everyone is as heartless as they are. Investigate the younger generation, the wives, concubines, and servants in their households, their mistresses, and those involved with them in the pleasure quarters. There are bound to be people who dislike them, have grudges, or want to escape their control. Dividing them from within is far better than letting them unite."

 

Zong Qing was stunned. He had always conducted investigations straightforwardly, pursuing whoever had issues with unwavering determination until the truth was uncovered, though it often took a long time. Now, hearing Xiao Shan suggest these less-than-honorable methods, he felt his long-held beliefs were being fiercely challenged.

 

Xiao Shan didn't care whether Zong Qing's feelings were hurt. What he wanted most was for Zong Qing to quickly get to the bottom of these matters.

 

After expressing his thoughts, Xiao Shan dismissed him. In the following days, Zong Qing finally stopped coming to disturb him.

 

After a period of intense effort, the head of the Yue family was the first to break.

 

With this precedent, no matter how much the others cursed, it couldn't stop the flow, and obtaining confessions became much easier.

 

The relationships among these people were indeed as fragile as Xiao Shan had described. When the chain of interests broke, each of them thought only of how to protect their own family.

 

A long-neglected dike may appear solid on the surface, but once a small breach started leaking, its collapse was only a matter of moments.

 

Zong Qing uncovered a lot of information about how this group pulled officials into their schemes, controlled them, and tied their interests together.

 

Their methods were nothing more than catering to individual preferences.

 

For those who liked beauties, they sent beauties. They raised many beautiful women and handsome gers, even hiring people to teach them poetry, songs, and even train their temperaments, making them both eloquent and capable of acting pitifully to win favor.

 

They never touched these beauties themselves; they were all sent to those high-ranking officials.

 

For those who desired fame, they provided it. With their extensive network, they handled matters for such officials, making things seem easily achievable and fostering a sense of dependency.

 

For those who wanted a reputation for integrity, they praised them, presenting them with accolades like the "Umbrella of the People*" and ensuring their superiors heard only the most commendable words. For those who enjoyed poetry and literary pursuits, they arranged for talented scholars and beautiful companions. They even managed to acquire poems and paintings by the talented Fourth Prince, Xiao Yi, to impress the literati.

*or People’s Umbrella: is a ceremonial umbrella given to local officials to praise their virtuous governance. In feudal society, when a local official was about to leave office, the local people would often present this umbrella as a token of their appreciation and to express their reluctance to see the official go. The umbrella symbolized the official's protective and benevolent role, akin to a large umbrella sheltering the people.

 

Money, beauties, fame—there was always something to entice people. Once they were tempted, dealing with them became much easier.

 

They weren't afraid of people like Liu Jingxuan because he was hypocritical and his weaknesses were too obvious.

 

So, at first, Liu Jingxuan's refusals were seen by them as insignificant, even prompting them to place bets on when he would eventually succumb.

 

The only thing they didn't anticipate was that Liu Jingxuan's heart, though mostly black, still had a hint of red. It was this small bit of integrity that ultimately brought them all down.

 

With the collapse of their network, these merchants quickly confessed the names of the officials they had colluded with.

 

Zong Qing was shocked as he reviewed the information. Except for a few extremely impoverished counties, almost no one in Liangzhou had escaped their influence, and there were even officials from other provinces involved.

 

It could be said that the names of more than half of the officials in Jiangnan appeared in this matter.

 

The extent of their involvement varied.

 

Once this report was submitted, a major reshuffle of Jiangnan officials would be inevitable. Coupled with the corrupt merchants, the stench of blood in Liangzhou would linger for many years, and incoming officials would carry a sense of fear in their hearts.

 

Fear can be a good thing, for it prevents excessive actions and teaches one how to wield their power responsibly.

 

Xiao Shan looked on with a calm expression. In this world, where there is white, there is black. Where there is darkness, there is light.

 

Cause and effect are inevitable. Sooner or later, no one can escape it.

 

With the matters in Liangzhou concluded, Xiao Shan informed Zong Qing that they would set off for the capital.

 

This time, they traveled by land. Water routes seemed to be forever out of favor with Xiao Shan.

 

On the day they departed, they escorted many criminal officials, forming a long and impressive procession. Many locals came to the streets to see them off.

 

In truth, most of them didn't even know what Xiao Shan or Zong Qing looked like.

 

But they knew that because of the imperial envoys, Liangzhou had changed.

 

Xiao Shan and Xie Zhui sat in the carriage, and as the curtain was inadvertently lifted by the wind, they saw Jin Gui among the crowd.

 

Jin Gui stood there, watching the moving carriages and the procession, his gaze suddenly becoming resolute.

 

Many things in this world cannot be judged by hearsay alone. The most important thing is to see the results with one's own eyes.

 

He once thought that there was no justice in this world and that all officials were like Liu Jingxuan.

 

He once believed that even Xiao Shan, as a prince, was just one of those villains. But he was wrong.

 

There are still upright people and honest officials in this world.

 

Before they had completely left Liangzhou City, Xiao Shan had someone convey a message to Zong Qing.

 

Not long after, Zong Qing dismounted from his sedan chair and addressed the people of Liangzhou City, saying, "The Emperor is wise. If you want to express your gratitude, thank the Emperor."

 

As the townspeople knelt and fervently praised the Emperor's wisdom, the procession slowly departed.