Chapter 80: You Think I Have No Evidence?
In no time at all, the news that Du Minghuan had already been imprisoned spread throughout the inner and outer courtyards of the Marquis of Guangling’s Mansion.
Led by the Old Madam, dozens of people from top to bottom all came looking for Du Yu.
Du Yu had not yet recovered from the news that Princess Yongjia was at the Xu Family when he heard this terrible news right after, and he nearly fainted on the spot.
Although in the past few days on the Imperial Court everyone was pushing at the wall that was about to collapse, and Du Yu had already prepared himself mentally, this overwhelming momentum still caught him off guard!
Chu Xin had clearly promised to delay things, hadn’t he?
He had said that the Three Judicial Offices wouldn’t review it that quickly, hadn’t he?
Great, now just two days had passed, and Du Minghuan was already in prison!
The Marquis of Guangling’s Mansion had only just gained momentum, and now with this imprisonment, what difference was there from collapsing?
If learning that “He Shi” was fake had filled Du Yu with endless fear, then Du Minghuan’s imprisonment happening so quickly was like a knife directly held to his neck, making Du Yu feel chilled to the bone!
“Who exactly did this? Prince Jingyang’s Mansion or someone else?”
After ordering his wife to go soothe the female family members, he anxiously asked the guards and stewards in the study.
Right now, among those on the Imperial Court who could strike at the Du Family, Yan Bei had to be the first, and he absolutely had the capability!
“But Prince Jingyang has no interaction with these censors who filed accusations, and moreover, just seizing on the He Family case that implicated Princess Yongjia, if Prince Jingyang was willing, it would already be enough to doom the Du Family. He, he has no reason to do this!”
The servants standing half-filling the room looked at each other and gave the same conclusion.
Du Yu looked at them; even though he was at his wits’ end at this moment, he couldn’t deny that what they said made sense.
Yan Bei had only hinted at Princess Yongjia’s case on the Imperial Court, and even the Emperor had no choice but to let the Three Judicial Offices take action, with the Mu Family also expressing their stance. Did he, Prince Jingyang, still need to take such a roundabout way?
It must be someone else!
But if not him, then who could it be?
The Shen Family?
Or… the Chu Family?
Thinking of this, Du Yu’s heart suddenly sank!
If this was the Shen Family hitting them when they were down, that would be one thing, but if it was the Chu Family—that wouldn’t it mean that the Du Family had already been treated as a discarded pawn?
He, burning with anxiety, was thoroughly doused with a basin of cold water!
For the Chu Family to strike such a vicious blow, weren’t they afraid of the Du Family fighting back?
“This is impossible!”
He muttered it twice to himself, then shook his head even more forcefully: “This can’t be the Chu Family’s doing!”
But though he said that, his heart felt increasingly empty. The Chu Family just couldn’t possibly be this ruthless, not that they couldn’t do something this ruthless. Princess Yongjia died at the hands of the Chu Family, and Prince Duan’s death still had suspicions. What was dealing with the Du Family in comparison?
What they directly accused was the Du Family and Shen Family secretly colluding, which violated a major taboo of the Emperor and the Mu Family. At the moment when Yan Bei had already pushed the Du Family to the forefront, would the Emperor still have the patience to investigate whether the Du Family was wronged? Would the mighty Imperial City Department fear there was no one to take over?
Taking advantage of the momentum to throw Du Minghuan into prison would eliminate rivals and also comply with Yan Bei’s intentions. Was there really any need for hesitation?
Du Yu felt weak all over and slumped down, but soon he sprang back up: “Go to the Imperial City Department and summon all those deputy envoys that Father promoted to the marquis’s mansion! Get a few more people; we’re going to the Supreme Court Yamen to see Father!”
The group of people below the threshold immediately scattered to carry out the tasks.
Du Yu also immediately changed clothes and adjusted his headdress, then hurried on horseback to the Supreme Court prison to visit.
The events had happened so suddenly that he still wasn’t entirely clear what had occurred on the Imperial Court. He had to see Du Minghuan, ask about the causes and effects, and then discuss a countermeasure with him.
They had people inside the Supreme Court Yamen. Last time when Zhang Shaode died at Fei Yun Temple, they had covered up some minor flaws afterward. Naturally, having them make it convenient to enter the prison now was no problem.
Upon arriving at the Supreme Court, unexpectedly, as soon as Du Yu stated his purpose, the yamen runners at the gate gave him the cold shoulder!
“The Marquis of Guangling is guilty of serious crimes. The Grand Tutor has ordered that no one is allowed to visit him. Please return home, Heir Apparent, and await news quietly!”
The Supreme Court officials who usually called them brothers were now turning hostile and unrecognizable, acting like impartial clean officials with iron faces. Two sentences and they sent him away.
Du Yu was so angry his face turned ashen. If he hadn’t seen through human nature early on, he would have clashed with them right then.
But he also knew that confronting them head-on now would be of no benefit.
Swallowing his anger and returning to the mansion, just then the people he had sent out and several from the Imperial City Department had returned.
Those deputy envoys who usually followed Du Minghuan everywhere said: “We officials have something to ask the Heir Apparent. Did the Marquis offend the entire Chu censor family? Among those who accused the Marquis on the Imperial Court today, several were students of the late Grand Tutor Chu!”
Hearing this, Du Yu’s throat tightened, and his right foot that was about to step over the threshold instantly shrank back: “Where did you learn this from?”
The crowd slapped their thighs: “Such connections can be found with a casual check at the Ministry of Personnel, not to mention that after today’s events, discussions are everywhere, and officials in the know have spread it. It can’t be wrong!”
Du Yu looked at the circle of people before him, feeling his vision go black, and had to hold onto the door frame to stand steady.
If it was the servants spreading this, he would only believe it half; but this was said by Imperial City Department officials—how could it be false?
Their Imperial City Department was originally the place that grasped news from all directions!
“Heir Apparent…”
Seeing his weak and powerless state, the crowd exchanged glances and cautiously stepped forward to inquire: “If we’ve offended the Chu Family, why not go bow your head and apologize? Or go to Prince Jingyang’s Mansion to beg the Prince for mercy. The Marquis can’t just go down like this!”
Back then when Du Minghuan had just taken over the Imperial City Department, facing a situation where most were Prince Duan’s old subordinates, he had no choice but to win over a group of people. Now that everyone had just tasted the benefits, if the Du Family fell, their own fortunes would naturally end.
“You go back first!”
Du Yu had originally called them to brainstorm good strategies, but now that he confirmed the censors were students of the Chu Family’s old master, he could be sure that the Chu Family was carrying out a plan to silence the Du Family!
If the Chu Family was striking, what use could these Imperial City Department people be?
Whether Yan Bei or the Chu Family, the Du Family couldn’t afford to offend either.
Now it was being attacked from both sides!
Yan Bei wanted to stand up for Princess Yongjia.
And the Chu Family wanted to silence them, kicking the donkey after it had pulled the mill. With Princess Yongjia’s household registration file already destroyed, they planned to eliminate the Du Family as the last source of worry!
Realizing this, Du Yu dazedly lifted his head.
This feeling was so familiar; it was exactly the same as when he and his father had premeditated to eliminate He Hui and Zhang Shaode back then!
At that time, they had thought that as long as Zhang Shaode’s family died, the Du Family would be safe forever. But in just one month, the Du Family had become the target to be eliminated!
Du Minghuan was already in prison; did that mean next they all had to die like the Zhang Family Members to seal their mouths and maintain the Chu Family’s peace, stability, and wealth and honor?
But why?
Clearly, the Chu Family was the main culprit!
It was they who gave the silver, promised official positions, and instructed the Du Family to handle the murder of Princess Yongjia!
The Du Family was just the ones doing the work; why should they become cannon fodder when the enemies came knocking?
“Heir Apparent!”
The door courtyard that had just quieted down suddenly had voices again, and Du Yu sprang up.
“Heir Apparent, just now Xu He also submitted a petition to the Supreme Court. He accused you of coercing him a few days ago to go to the Imperial Clan Court to destroy the household registration file. Now the Supreme Court has sent yamen runners to the mansion, saying they want to take you in for questioning!…”
Every word was deliberately lowered, but it rang deafeningly in his ears!
“Xu He?!”
He could hardly believe it.
How dare Xu He?!
He actually came to join in the fun too?!
This time, the panic on Du Yu’s face exposed to the sunlight had faded, and what emerged from his twisted features was ferocity!
He strode to the door, glared at the still blazing sunlight, and gritted his teeth: “Let the Supreme Court people wait first! Prepare horses, and come with me!”
……
Du Yu spurred his horse and rushed out the gate. Yue Tang in the horse carriage across the street saw the direction and ordered Wei Zhang to drive: “It’s toward the Chu Family. Follow them!”
Huo Yun snorted coldly at the front of the carriage: “That Xu fellow has finally served some purpose this time. Let’s see if Du Yu wants to die or live!”
Yue Tang’s gaze lingered on the lintel of the Marquis of Guangling’s Mansion gate for a moment before she lowered the curtain.
……
When the disturbance suddenly arose on the Imperial Court that morning, Chu Xin was reading in the back garden.
Back then, because no one at Prince Duan’s Mansion could take over the Imperial City Department, all the deputy envoys were ones Prince Duan had cultivated. But to successfully kill Yue Tang, they could only find people from the Imperial City Department most appropriately. After picking and choosing, families like the Dou Family and Guo Family absolutely couldn’t be turned, others weren’t reliable, and only the down-and-out yet opportunistic Du Family had an opening to exploit.
In the end, the Du Family succeeded, Prince Duan died, and the Imperial City Department effectively fell into the Chu Family’s control, so naturally it couldn’t be handed over to others. Thus, they pushed the Du Family up to occupy the Imperial City Department Envoy position, letting him be a puppet for the time being.
But three years later, Yue Tang surprisingly seemed still alive!
The Du Family had taken nearly one hundred thousand taels of silver, yet failed to get the job done—not only did Wei Zhang escape, but Yue Tang was very likely let go too!
How could this not infuriate people?
From realizing that the He Family people very likely died at the hands of Yue Tang’s group, and simultaneously Yan Bei suddenly stirring up the connection between the He and Zhang Families and Yue Tang’s murder, Chu Xin knew the Du Family shouldn’t be kept.
But that night Du Minghuan had come directly to him and even set up an ambush in secret, so Chu Xin could only cope temporarily, telling them to first destroy Yue Tang’s household registration file, and discuss the rest later.
After all, they civil officials weren’t like military ones; in terms of martial prowess, the Du Family was naturally stronger. No need to clash head-on.
Now that the household registration file was confirmed destroyed, when better to strike than now?
It was never possible for them to sit in the Imperial City Department Envoy position forever. Letting Chu Yan raise an adopted son was for him to take over in the future. Though it was a bit early now, upon weighing, it wasn’t impossible to find someone else to hold the position.
And since they had planned ahead early, how could there be no preparations?
The charges against the Du Family had long been fabricated. Previously held back by Yan Bei, fearing resistance if they struck, the fabrication method was made quite cleverly. After all, with lines buried for three years, how could there be imperfections?
Now that Yan Bei was also pressuring the Du Family, that was even better!
Thus, with one night’s planning, they took down the Du Family on the Imperial Court.
Less than a moment after Du Minghuan was imprisoned, someone came specially to the Chu Family to report the details.
Chu Ying was at the Censorate, with others going there to report. Chu Xin listened while feeding the fish by the carp pond, and upon finishing, he smiled faintly: “Reply to my two uncles that in a few days, after the matters are handled, your nephew will host a banquet at home and requests their attendance.”
“Young Master!”
Just as he set down the words, someone came from outside the door, glanced at those present, and pursed his lips.
The official who came to report then cupped his hands and took his leave.
As soon as he left, the newcomer eagerly stepped forward: “Young Master, Du Yu has come to the door, directly demanding to see you!”
A handful of fish food pinched in his hand paused mid-air, and Chu Xin turned back: “Why has he suddenly come here?”
“Just half an hour ago, Xu He accused him! The matter of him breaking into the Imperial Clan Court a few days ago to destroy the household registration file—Xu He brought it to the Imperial Court, and the Emperor ordered the Supreme Court to investigate immediately!”
After this speech, silence fell by the fish pond.
Chu Xin set down the bowl, his face darkening: “He actually ran here!”
In the past few years, whenever Du Minghuan wanted to see him, he would leave an invitation at a fixed place, and then Chu Xin would go meet him.
He had considered that with the Du Family’s current connections, they might guess his identity, but ultimately they wouldn’t dare expose it.
Now Du Yu had come directly to the door—wasn’t this clearly coming to force him to break the window paper?
They were just one step away from dealing with the Du Family, yet such a complication arose!
He said gravely: “Why did Xu He suddenly do this?”
“On his first day in office, Xu He encountered this major incident. He must have weighed both sides and felt he couldn’t afford to offend, and seeing Du Minghuan already imprisoned, he simply went to the Supreme Court to accuse Du Yu!”
Chu Xin’s face grew even more overcast.
So, Du Yu wasn’t just coming to break the window paper with him but was clearly pinning Xu He’s accusation on him too!
“Young Master, Heir Apparent Du is in the front courtyard loudly demanding to see you!”
Just then, another person came from outside.
Chu Xin gritted his teeth: “Bring him to the study!”
The study he mentioned was in a side courtyard behind the main hall of the front courtyard. Du Yu entered, passed through a corridor, and arrived.
Chu Xin had just sat down in the small hall when Du Yu stepped over the threshold. At the same time, all the servants inside and outside the courtyard withdrew.
Du Yu looked around: “It seems Young Master Chu already knows the purpose of my visit.”
Chu Xin was too lazy to beat around the bush with him and said: “You came running here; what do you want from me?”
Du Yu sneered: “What a bridge-burning Young Master Chu! These two consecutive blows today truly caught my Du Family off guard!
“By my reckoning, Young Master struck too slowly. You should either have, like the reborn Princess Yongjia who wiped out He Jianzhong’s entire family without a sound, silently eliminated all us Du Family Members—that would be thorough and clean!
“Yet you left my father and me alive; aren’t you afraid we’ll open our mouths and drag you down?”
Chu Xin shook out his robe and sat down: “I don’t understand what you’re saying. My Chu Family has always had no interaction with your Du Family. What bridge-burning? And what do you mean by me wanting to kill you?”
Du Yu laughed heartily: “You’re treating us as if we have no evidence!
“Very good. That reward money was given to us by you. Young Master is generous; we haven’t even spent that sum yet!
“Suppose we take the remaining family assets to report to the court. Do you think Prince Jingyang could trace the origins of those assets?”
