CHAPTER 288: CHAPTER 288: COUNTERATTACK (PART 4)

Xiqiu did not know what kind of treatment the Ministry of Revenue official received inside, but the treatment of the First Master and Tong Shen Zhi was not much better.

As soon as they arrived at the mansion’s entrance, Manager Lai, who had been standing guard there daily, dashed out and sent someone to the inner courtyard to inform Xiqiu and the Lady. Upon hearing the news of the First Master and Tong Shen Zhi’s return, everyone rushed out to greet them. Tong Xiyan threw himself into the First Master’s arms, crying, while Tong Xiyu clutched the First Master’s sleeve and sobbed softly. Tong Minzhi stood nearby, looking at the First Master with a face full of hope, while the two concubines stood aside, wiping their tears desperately.

The First Master and Tong Shen Zhi’s eyes also turned slightly red.

Fortunately, both were uninjured. It seemed that no torture was applied.

For a whole six days, separated by life and death, seeing each other again, Xiqiu too burst into tears. She did not know exactly when these people became family to her. Even if there had been friction between them before, those became unimportant in the face of life and death separation.

The First Master and Tong Shen Zhi were both full of beards, disheveled and dirty, and had lost a significant amount of weight. Still, Nanny Fang stood by, feeling sour in her heart because the Lady was not able to stand there, weeping and shouting, "Stop crying, the First Master and the Young Master have been exhausted for so many days. Better to help them wash up and eat something first."

Only then did everyone remember that neither of them had eaten or slept well for several days and nights. So they all dispersed, Tong Shen Zhi was helped by his attendants back to the outer courtyard, and the First Master was assisted to the East Cross Courtyard by the two concubines. Xiqiu ordered the kitchen to prepare some light dishes to be sent over. After the First Master had finished his meal, Xiqiu stopped Tong Xiyan, Tong Xiyu, and Tong Minzhi, saying, "Father probably hasn’t rested well for days. Let him rest first, and then we can visit."

The three, although wishing to speak with the First Master, agreed that Xiqiu made sense and had no objections as they returned to their rooms.

That night, Xiqiu also had a peaceful sleep. As for the Second Master’s matter, she could only ask the First Master about it the next day!

Early the next day, the family still gathered in Madam Xia’s courtyard in the East Cross Courtyard. The Second Lady also hurried over with the help of her maid. After everyone was seated, the First Master, after a night’s rest, looked much better, but it seemed as though he had aged several years in just a few days, with more wrinkles around his eyes. He sighed softly. The Second Lady couldn’t help but ask eagerly, "Brother, what about my Master’s situation? Is he healthy now, did he suffer any torture?"

The First Master shook his head and said, "We were not kept in the same prison cell, I haven’t seen Second Brother, but Sister-in-law, you don’t need to worry too much. The new Emperor has just ascended the throne, winning over people’s hearts is crucial. From what I see, he will only dismiss and investigate the members of the former Third Prince’s Faction, at most exiling them or conscripting them into the army. Unless there is a grave mistake, he won’t likely start a massacre."

"Exile, conscription?" The Second Lady’s expression remained grim, "But the Third Prince is already dead, my Master was just a bit too close in official circles, and His Majesty..." Her words trailed off as the First Master waved her off, his face weary, "Politics are something you don’t understand, and you need not worry too much about Second Brother’s safety. I’ll think of a way to see if I can visit him first, and then make further plans."

The Second Lady didn’t understand, but Xiqiu did. Just as she suspected, even though the Second Prince had just taken the throne, wanting to tear these people to pieces, it was impossible to start a bloodbath in such circumstances. Anyway, there was time. First, give them a warning, and slowly eliminate Xiao Qing later.

The First Master said much, but the Second Lady, not seeing the Second Master, was still worried. In the afternoon, Xiqiu again sent the First Master out. For several consecutive days, the First Master and Tong Shen Zhi were busy running errands outside. During this period, Tong Xiyang returned once. It turned out that Count Wujin was also imprisoned, but fortunately only for one night before being released. Upon returning, the Count fell ill, and Tong Xiyang only heard about the First Master and Tong Shen Zhi’s situation two days ago and came back to check.

Xiqiu had nothing much to say to her. Seeing that the household affairs were now handled by Xiqiu, Tong Xiyang felt sour in her heart, but after having a quick lunch, she left in haste without waiting for the First Master and Tong Shen Zhi, returning to the Marquis Mansion.

For half a month, chaos reigned in the Capital, with all kinds of discussions, but the most talked-about event was the enfeoffment ceremony on the new Emperor’s second day of enthronement. Empress Gui’an was enfeoffed as Empress Dowager, the concubines in the harem were enfeoffed according to rank. The new Emperor had no legitimate wife since all the concubines from the Second Prince Mansion were either dead or scattered. Therefore, the harem is currently vacant, prompting ministers to submit memorials urging the new Emperor to select talented women to fill the harem, ensuring the continuation of the Imperial Family. However, having lost his legitimate wife six months ago and killed his brother six months after, the current period of mourning for his father would certainly attract criticism if he were to hastily issue an edict for selection.

Nevertheless, not selecting concubines was not an option. The newly appointed cabinet ministers decided to delay the selection for three months.

Then there were the rewards for meritorious officials. The most conspicuous one was Fourth Master Xiao from the Xuanning Marquis Mansion. From a former street thug and libertine, he had transformed alongside Lu Wenzhong, originally from the Five Cities Military Department, and Han Cheng, Deputy Commander of the Inner Imperial Guard, becoming the Left, Central, and Right Governors of the Five Armies Commander’s Mansion. Fourth Master Xiao was further granted the rank of Third Class General and gifted an estate and ten thousand taels of silver.

From a man of no rank, idly indulged in pleasures, to a prominent Left Governor, such dramatic changes are surely difficult to adapt to immediately. Regardless of whether one adapts or not, the massive plaque of the Left Governor’s Mansion had already been hung outside the Imperial City, on the gate of the Sixth Prince Mansion which was mistakenly injured and detained during the battle. It’s said that many commoners went to visit and venerate, while parents pointed to their children to admonish, "Look at Fourth Master Xiao, even in play he showed skill, and serendipitously caught a massive pie."

The ordinary people surely didn’t know that this time, the Second Prince’s successful comeback to seize the throne was largely due to Fourth Master Xiao’s protection over the past half year. He gathered military supplies by marauding merchant ships and secretly recruiting troops, eventually leading the army back to help him ascend the throne. Fourth Master Xiao’s contributions were unparalleled.

With the political situation settling down, His Majesty began to cleanse the government, replacing many officials from the Six Ministries, Left and Right Vice Ministers, to Assistant Ministers. During this, something interesting happened - Jiang Shilin, the third place in the seventeenth year of Emperor Dezong, became a veritable parachute officer, directly replacing the Second Master’s position, sitting as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.

Meanwhile, the Second Master, along with the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Minister of Rites, and seventeen other officials who were closest to the Third Prince, were charged with various crimes, leading to dismissals, exiles, or imprisonments. The Second Master was sentenced to two thousand miles of exile to Lingnan.

Xiqiu didn’t know the Second Master’s crimes, but the First Master and Tong Shen Zhi, upon learning of them, didn’t return to the mansion for two days. On the third day, they went out again and finally came back with the Second Master.

It turned out that the First Master had not held office in the Capital for many years, naturally having few colleagues. Tong Shen Zhi was still studying in the Hanlin Academy and thus had little influence. The First Master went to find former colleagues who had once been on good terms with the Second Master and had been spared from imprisonment, but they all politely refused. The First Master couldn’t bear to see the Second Master truly exiled to Lingnan. Out of options, he went to the Xuanning Marquis Mansion.