CHAPTER 440: CHAPTER 437: THE TRUTH

"Mr. Li, what should we do about this affair?"

The eunuch relentlessly pursued Li You with questions; what could be done now? How did the situation differ so drastically from what had been agreed upon? Everything he had prepared seemed useless now; was it too late to rush back and ask his godfather?

Godfather.

The eunuch thought of Du Zheng, tears almost falling; this truly tormented the child, wishing for promotion but might accidentally send the child down a dangerous path.

No matter how much the eunuch pondered, his godfather Du Zheng couldn’t miraculously receive these messages; the only lifeline at present was Li You.

Li You said calmly, "Report the complete truth to the Emperor."

The eunuch knew this must be done, but how to report it? In what manner should it be reported?

Li You looked at the eunuch, "Isn’t Lord Eunuch suspicious of Song Xian conspiring rebellion? If you suspect rebellion, you must thoroughly question those around Song Xian and Meng Su, seal and take all the papers from this courtyard for examination, arrange and present all letters and documents related to them to the Emperor. If Lord Eunuch thinks it inappropriate, I can avoid suspicion and ask the local government office for assistance."

The hand hidden in the eunuch’s sleeve felt cold; he initially suspected Song Xian, but after Song Xian spoke, and hearing of the Yang Family Village’s case, how could he continue such thoughts?

Very likely, an upheaval might result in no evidence found; even if the Emperor wishes to see such situations, discovering Song Xian’s loyalty to the court would indicate that both he and Du Dianjian abused their authority to oppress the virtuous.

They easily detained a Military Governor and a Prefect without evidence.

The best result still meant a ruined future.

The eunuch felt unable to cry this time.

Li You said, "Then I’ll step outside, awaiting Lord Eunuch’s news."

The eunuch was eager to kneel immediately, "There’s no need, Mr. Li, no need to avoid suspicion, nor is there any need to call other people from the government office to assist; we have brought enough manpower."

Rather than stirring the pot further, the eunuch chose the first option.

"Mr. Li," the eunuch implored, "otherwise, perhaps... we should reconsider this matter." Simply put, not conduct the search.

Li You looked at the eunuch, "Lord Eunuch spoke of rebellion, I cannot pretend not to hear; if anything is overlooked, I cannot bear the responsibility."

Lord Eunuch’s face turned pale, Li You’s reminder echoed in his ears—did he understand the weight of the word rebellion? Now he knew.

Having instructed Lord Eunuch, Li You turned back into the study.

In front of Song Xian and Meng Su, Li You said, "Regarding what you’ve told me, I dare not make a decision alone and need to report to the Emperor. But if, according to your account, this case cannot be disclosed for now, then what happened today at the Meng Mansion must also remain undisclosed."

Li You said while looking at Song Xian, "Song Jiedu privately came to meet with the Governor of Yuezhou and clashed with people from the Palace Department; some matters must be investigated."

Only by thoroughly investigating both individuals would their speculations about the situation at sea become more credible.

Song Xian and Meng Su exchanged a look, seeing affirmation in each other’s eyes.

No hesitation at all.

Song Xian instructed Chang An, "Hand over everything we brought to Mr. Li and Lord Eunuch."

Meng Su went out and instructed the steward, "Unlock all the rooms in the mansion, bring out all the keys, and have everyone wait in the flower hall."

Only when a household was being searched would such instructions be given; the Meng Family steward was stunned momentarily, but dared not ask, acknowledged, and then went to arrange things with people.

Both Song Xian and Meng Su chose to allow the court’s inspection.

They did not resist, nor would they leave the courtyard.

No arguments, no anger.

Not yet investigated, but the eunuch seemed to foresee the eventual outcome; if there were truly anything wrong, they would not be so calm.

Song Xian took a sip of tea and first asked Li You, "Mr. Li, do you need someone for questioning?"

Li You shook his head, "There’s no need, so long as no one leaves before we have results."

Song Xian looked at Meng Su, "Is there a guest room in the Meng Mansion? The journey from Dai State here has genuinely worn me out."

Meng Su instructed someone to lead the way, Song Xian entered the guest room, lay down on the simple bed, and soon fell into a deep sleep.

Outside, there was a commotion, yet Song Xian slept very peacefully; they had already arranged everything before the matter occurred, even involving the Emperor in the final resolution concerning Prince Lu.

...

As a Prefect, Meng Su naturally had many documents and letters in the study; the eunuch and his men spent an afternoon and an entire night locating those related to Song Xian.

The first few letters mentioned the new spinning wheel followed by the thread business in Zhaozhou.

Though merchants were truly conducting business between the two states, the roads and bridges were being handled by officials from both regions.

Only later did they find letters from Song Xian inquiring about the situation at sea, mentioning Liu Xi’s case and asking Meng Su about illegal sea trade.

As Song Xian and Meng Su said, the Liu Xi case was the starting point, following which Princess Jia’an discovered discrepancies in the accounts, speculating someone purchased thread tassel and transported it to sea, leading to investigations that eventually reached the ocean...

Song Xian and Meng Su met not to conspire in anything else but to investigate a case.

As dawn broke, everything reached a conclusion.

Li You instructed people to swiftly dispatch the documents and letters to the Capital City on horseback; the eunuch had labored all night yet wouldn’t have anyone listening to his hardships and exertions. Instead, only punishment awaited him.

Meng Su proceeded to the government office as usual, as though nothing had ever happened.

Song Xian, however, remained confined within the Meng Mansion.

...

Capital City.

The Emperor gazed at the documents in his hand; the grand hall echoed only with the sound of paper being flipped, not even Du Zheng dared step forward to refill tea.

Finally, the Emperor lifted his head from the documents and then fixed his gaze on Du Zheng.

Du Zheng stiffened his spine and stepped forward.

The Emperor’s icy voice sounded, "Do you believe this?"

Du Zheng glanced at the document unsure of what the Emperor referred to, and merely listened quietly.

The Emperor continued, "Do you believe Daqi still has areas beyond my control?"

Du Zheng first thought of the North, then dismissed his speculation; if Song Xian were rebelling, the Emperor wouldn’t have such an expression, as having anticipated, he wouldn’t be shocked.

Who could it be then?

Were they aiming to investigate Song Xian, but uncovering something else entirely?

The Emperor asked, "If someone were tampering on the sea, who do you think it might be?"

Du Zheng replied, "This servant does not know... The coastal garrison is under the Emperor’s control; if the Emperor has suspicions, it’s best to summon the relevant officials to the Capital City for questioning."

Of course, this is the best method, but... Song Xian’s words left lasting suspicions in the Emperor’s mind, questioning the reliability of those he trusted amongst officials.

Besides the Governor of Hai State, how many others secretly betrayed him? He wanted to investigate, he also wished to know: if Meng Su and Song Xian conducted a private investigation, would the truth eventually reach him?