Chapter 71: I Love Gossip Too
Yan Bei took it in hand to look it over, then pressed it under the paperweight on the table.
“Aren’t you going to ask about what happened on the Imperial Court today?”
Yue Tang held A Li, who was full of energy, as he drank water: “I’ve heard about the Chu Family. What about the Mu Family and the Shen Family?”
“I gave a little sweetener to the Shen Family. Shen Yi plans to press his advantage. He’s probably feeling quite pleased right now.
“As for the Mu Family and the Imperial Palace, I’ve already directly pointed to you. Both in terms of sentiment and reason, they can’t fail to state they will strictly investigate. It’s still within expectations.”
Yue Tang nodded: “If the Shen Family doesn’t get involved, the situation can’t get chaotic. If the situation isn’t stirred up, we can’t exploit the gaps either.”
Encouraged, Yan Bei propped up his elbow on the bolster a bit more: “That’s exactly what I was thinking. Before, I was all alone, so making a fuss wouldn’t have been interesting.
“Now that I have you, I’m not afraid of things getting big.”
Yue Tang turned the cup: “If we really make a fuss, the Shen Family is a good pretext. Back then, without the Former Emperor’s imperial edict appointing the empress, and without the later decree letting Empress Dowager Shen hold the seal, the Shen Family couldn’t have risen at all.
“And their power has a time limit too. At this juncture, they must be anxious about what to do afterward.
“But we can’t act too hastily.”
Yan Bei tilted his hand to prop his head: “I’ll listen to you.”
A Li said: “I’ll listen to Mother too.”
Yue Tang rubbed his little head and planted a smacking kiss on his forehead.
Yan Bei was a bit envious.
Cui Xun poked his head out from the hall doorway, glanced at Yan Bei: “Uncle.” Then glanced at Yue Tang: “Aunt?”
Yue Tang froze.
Yan Bei sat up at a loss, stammering: “This is my, my nephew!”
After saying that, he glared over: “Who let you come?”
He sniffed, then said angrily: “You reek of alcohol. Where have you been fooling around? No good! Come! Drag him out and beat him!”
Cui Xun hurriedly stepped through the door, smoothly knelt and kowtowed to him: “Spare me, Uncle! I just came back from the theater delivering a play memorial. I heard some news about the Du Family. I don’t know if I should tell it or not!”
Yue Tang heard the words Du Family and immediately lifted her face from taking a sip of tea: “Speak.”
“Yes, Aunt!”
Yue Tang: ……
Cui Xun nimbly straightened up and sidled over to her side: “Today Uncle brought up the He Family blood case again on the Imperial Court, and mentioned the Princess murdered three years ago.
“The Three Judicial Offices are making such a big move, it’s spread everywhere outside.
“Someone at the theater said Du Yu is looking everywhere today for that notice Uncle had people post on the streets and alleys some days ago.”
Hearing the words notice, both people in the room lifted their heads. Yan Bei swiftly looked toward Yue Tang as he raised his head.
Cui Xun continued to explain: “It’s looking for that Wang Huan on the notice.”
Yue Tang set down the cup, and there was a thud on the tea table.
Yan Bei stood up accordingly: “I really didn’t expect it to turn out like this back then. If I’d known, I never would have done it!”
Cui Xun looked at the two of them: “Uncle, what’s wrong with you? Aunt is so gentle, why are you so afraid?”
Yan Bei said: “Get out!”
“Hold on!”
Yue Tang looked at Cui Xun: “Young Master Cui, do you often go to places like the theater?”
Cui Xun hurriedly said: “Not often. I’m an upright man.”
Yue Tang smiled: “A disciple of the Yanbei Cui Family is of course a proper young master. But next time Young Master Cui hears any gossip outside, please tell it to me too.”
Cui Xun froze: “You like hearing it?”
“I do.” Yue Tang said, “You tell it to me, and I’ll treat you to a meal.”
Yan Bei looked at Cui Xun with his face full of delight and felt even more envious.
……
A Li had indeed obediently fallen asleep in Yue Tang’s arms.
The little one was starting to be naughty, but was mostly still very well-behaved. And loving to play showed his energy had improved—Hua Lin’s treatment was taking effect.
After Yue Tang left, Yan Bei called Gao An over again and gave him some instructions.
Adopting an heir from the imperial clan had strict procedures: first, it had to be imperial clan bloodline.
Moreover, the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Clan Court had to collect lists of children from fallen imperial clan branches, then select age-appropriate ones for the prince’s mansion to choose from.
So the Imperial Clan Court’s household registration files would certainly be children approved by the court.
But a child was still a child. After all the procedures were completed, would it still be the same person? If you didn’t investigate, who would know?
As soon as Yue Tang mentioned going to the Imperial Clan Court to get the child’s household registration file, Yan Bei immediately understood what she meant.
The next day there was no morning court.
Yan Bei went to the Imperial Clan Court under the pretext of inspection. Xu He had already arrived on duty with the Ministry of Personnel’s transfer order.
Pacing the yamen with hands behind his back for a few laps, he stopped in front of the cabinet for Prince Duan’s Mansion’s household registration files and signaled Xu He with his eyes to unlock it.
Xu He tremblingly found the key and opened it. Cui Xun came over, grinning as he hooked his arm: “I hear Lord Xu and Madam have a twisty story…”
All the household registration files in the cabinet were neatly stacked.
Yan Bei quickly found Yue Huan’s name, opened it, took out the hand and footprints from his sleeve, glanced at them swiftly then closed it. He opened it again swiftly and carefully compared them.
Cui Xun at the doorway was still chattering nonstop while hugging Xu He’s arm. The other officials on duty in the yamen saw their demeanor and their gazes were all drawn over.
Yan Bei slowly inhaled, then simply stuffed the household registration file into his sleeve.
Then he looked into the adjacent drawer, where the household registration file with Yue Tang’s name was right beside it.
He calmly swept his wide robe sleeve over the drawer.
“Your Highness…”
By the time Xu He and the arriving Junior Secretary of the Imperial Clan Court reached him, the cabinet had just returned to its original state, and even the lock was fastened.
Yan Bei turned, nodded to the two of them: “Just a routine inspection. No need to make a fuss. Check carefully, see if there’s any discrepancy.”
People had been watching all along the way in. Besides, this was someone they couldn’t afford to offend. The Junior Secretary glanced back at the still securely locked cabinet, then bowed: “Your Highness overstates it.”
Xu He and the Junior Secretary respectfully saw Yan Bei off together. Seeing the Junior Secretary now treating him with three parts more courtesy, Xu He couldn’t suppress his inner pride, and the corners of his mouth lifted three parts higher.
A few days ago, he’d suddenly received the news of his transfer to Junior Secretary of the Imperial Clan Court and had been baffled.
In terms of authority and prospects, staying in the Imperial Secretariat was naturally better.
But Junior Secretary was a fourth-rank position, and this vacancy had been personally designated for him by Prince Jingyang, which meant he still had some value in Prince Jingyang’s hands.
Of course he’d heard about the matters at court.
He wasn’t oblivious to how unusual the events happening to him were.
These days he’d weighed it all and admitted his arm couldn’t twist a thigh. He’d always dreamed of Prince Jingyang pulling him up, and now the dream was reality—there was really no reason to refuse.
So he’d steeled himself to wholeheartedly submit.
And now, just one day into the Imperial Clan Court, the treatment was already different.
In a horse carriage across from the yamen, Du Yu lifted the curtain and saw Xu He striding back inside with head held high, then dropped the curtain and sat a moment before getting out, striding into the Imperial Clan Court gates and straight into Xu He’s office.
“Lord Xu, how imposing.”
Xu He stood up instantly upon seeing him: “Heir Apparent?”
Du Yu sneered: “I thought now that you’ve climbed a high branch, you’d long forgotten someone like me.”
Xu He sensed trouble. He cupped his hands: “I wonder what brings the Heir Apparent specially to the yamen?”
Du Yu tugged the corner of his mouth: “Last time I asked you to get the turtle talisman from Hu Wei, but you didn’t. Now I hear you’ve been promoted to Junior Secretary of the Imperial Clan Court—that’s even better.”
Xu He immediately went on alert: “I don’t know exactly what sworn brother wants to retrieve, but I can help you get it.”
“Something needed for handling a case—how can it pass through your hands casually?” Du Yu sneered as he pulled out an official document from the Imperial City Department. “Are you going to defy orders?”
The Imperial City Department was in their hands—producing a document to intimidate was nothing.
Xu He didn’t want to clash head-on with him. After thinking, he stepped out: “In that case, I’ll take you there.”
That day when Du Yu had urgently sent him for the turtle talisman, he hadn’t thought it serious. When Yan Bei suddenly transferred him to the Imperial Clan Court, he’d still felt calm. But just now Yan Bei had come personally and after instructing him to open Prince Duan’s Mansion’s lock, Du Yu had followed right after!
How could Xu He ignore it?
He’d of course heard about Prince Duan’s Mansion. He’d naturally heard about the disturbance Yan Bei had stirred up at court yesterday. That could be called a follow-up from the He Family blood case, but what about Du Yu?
But the Du Family couldn’t be offended either.
The Imperial Clan Court had tight defenses anyway—take him first. Even if they went, it might not be possible to enter. Even if Du Yu had some scheme, it wouldn’t succeed so easily.
Du Yu’s mind hadn’t stopped either.
With Yan Bei making his move at court, no matter what the Du Family did, they couldn’t oppose his power.
The only way right now was to align with the person behind the mask: first, find a way to track down the real culprit behind the He Family murders; second, cut off that real culprit’s retreat.
After thinking all night, before dawn he’d immediately sent people out to track down that woman named Wang Huan from the prince’s mansion notice.
Yan Bei had never been involved with any woman—this Wang Huan was the first.
Du Yu was convinced that as long as he found this person, there would definitely be clues.
Besides that, the second thing was the Imperial Clan Court’s household registration files.
The night before last, after returning from that house, Du Yu had learned from Du Minghuan’s mouth why that person wanted the Imperial Clan Court’s turtle talisman.
They actually wanted Princess Yongjia’s household registration file!
A dead person’s household registration file!
Three years had passed, and right after this chain of events, they’d suddenly thought of it. It showed they were starting to doubt whether they’d truly achieved their goal back then!
A dead person certainly couldn’t come back to life.
But what if there was that one-in-ten-thousand chance?
Then he could only make sure she couldn’t “come back to life”!
As long as this was done, the Du Family could be safe.
But Du Yu knew it wouldn’t be easy to succeed under everyone’s watchful eyes.
He hadn’t expected that while he was racking his brains, Xu He had actually been transferred to the Imperial Clan Court by Yan Bei!
Wasn’t this heaven helping him?
Along the way, Du Yu clutched the leather pouch at his waist and surveyed the defense deployment on both sides. Sure enough, the sentry posts were tight all along, practically with someone watching every moment.
Until they reached the office, he pulled out the document he’d brought and said to the yamen runner at the door: “I’m here with Lord Xu to check some things.”
Perhaps because of Xu He’s face, the usually cumbersome defense procedures surprisingly let them through quickly after Xu He dawdled and produced the turtle talisman.
Du Yu’s heart relaxed instantly, and he stepped quickly over the threshold.
This was an inner room complex of several connected halls, almost windowless on all four sides, with only narrow vents at the top. And there was only the one door they’d entered.
The hall was filled with densely packed bookshelves, each cabinet divided into drawers of various sizes, and every one locked.
Such an important place should have strict guards, but surprisingly, aside from a batch of yamen runners under the door, the inner room was empty.
Looking back, the few clerks who’d been following them had also been assigned other duties and left!
Du Yu’s heart surged with excitement. He quickly found Prince Duan’s Mansion’s cabinet and stopped. “Open it!”
Xu He looked at the empty surroundings and grew deeply suspicious too, stepping back: “If you really need to access it, you must have a document from the Ministry of Rites! If not, I can’t obey.”
Du Yu had no time for his nonsense and closed in coldly: “Don’t forget you’re already a Du Family man. For the rest of your life, honor or disgrace, you’re bound to the Du Family! You dare not obey?!”
Xu He certainly didn’t dare.
But he dared even less to go against Prince Jingyang’s Mansion!
Not only did he refuse to hand over the key, he even retreated behind several rows of cabinets.
“Come back!”
Du Yu chased a few steps, but further ahead there were people!
And Xu He had already run out the threshold—no way to force him now!
Du Yu was furious inside, but having finally gotten in, he couldn’t let the opportunity pass!
He hurried back to the household registration cabinet, his gaze swiftly searching to Yue Tang’s section, and yanked fiercely at the drawer!
The drawer didn’t budge— this was where the imperial clan stored genealogies; no matter if he had martial arts or not, how could it be pulled open easily?
Du Yu burned with anxiety, looked around, then immediately took down the leather pouch from his waist, uncorked it, and poured water gushing into the drawer seam!
The pouch normally held two jin of wine.
This was Du Yu’s pre-prepared backup plan!
Xu He had retreated to under the door, but seeing him run back through the cabinet gaps, he didn’t dare delay and ran back too.
At the sight, water was already flowing out from the drawer seam under his hand!
He shouted in panic: “What are you doing!” Then without a word rushed forward, shoved Du Yu aside, and fumbled frantically with the key to open the drawer!
But in the half-chi-deep drawer, two case files were already completely soaked!
He reached in with both hands and without a word pulled out the case files.
But it was too late—the not-very-thick paper pages were all stuck together, and with the soaking, the ink words began to blur! Especially the bottom pages with seals and signatures, already thoroughly wet through!
Xu He’s whole body began to tremble. This duty had been personally assigned to him by Prince Jingyang, and it was his first day on the job. He knew the Du Family weren’t good people, but he hadn’t expected them to be this bad!
Prince Jingyang had just spoken at court about investigating Princess Yongjia’s case, and right after, Du Yu had ruined her household registration file—wasn’t this trying to get him killed?!
His hands trembled as he gritted his teeth at Du Yu: “You’re mad!”
Under his furious roar, there was surprisingly no movement at the door.
Du Yu, who had originally seen the dripping case files and laughed out loud, now sensed something off too. He immediately stepped toward the outside: “Sorry, hand shook, didn’t hold steady.
“But the person’s been dead three years—this case file could be burned anyway!
“If anyone pursues it, I came in with you, Lord Xu, so I’ll have to trouble you to take the blame!”
With that, he flicked his sleeve and strode away!
Only Xu He, holding the dripping case files, trembling all over and nearly collapsing, remained in place!
