Chapter 117: Winning the Favor of the Old Emperor

Du Qi'an, standing behind the Minister of Revenue, twitched the corner of his mouth.

This man named Chu was truly insidious and cunning. It was clearly from him that Chu had demanded money just yesterday; how could he have the audacity to tell the Emperor that he had emptied his own coffers to hire doctors and purchase medicine for the soldiers?

The crucial part was that the Emperor actually believed him.

The elderly Emperor looked at the Minister of War and the Minister of Revenue with displeasure. "Do you think I have grown old and are conspiring to deceive me? I gave the order yesterday to have the military pay for the Capital Garrison brought up to date. Is this how you have fulfilled it?"

The two ministers dropped to their knees with a thud. Heaven was their witness that they were truly aggrieved.

"Your humble servant will dispatch men to handle this immediately."

"We will certainly not delay the soldiers from receiving their cotton-padded coats for the winter."

If they were truly forced to produce the coats right now, they would be unable to do so. They hadn't prepared any for the Capital Garrison when they were readying the supplies for the three armies. In fact, for the past two years, the two ministries had cut off the supply of winter clothing to the Capital Garrison. This, after all, was something the Emperor had tacitly allowed.

The Emperor's expression softened slightly, and his gaze toward Chu Mu grew gentler.

"Minister Chu, your heart is with the soldiers, and you have emptied your own family's treasury for them—this devotion is truly rare. I have always been clear in rewarding and punishing; those who render service shall be rewarded. I hereby grant Minister Chu one thousand gold, ten thousand silver, and one hundred acres of fertile land..."

As the Emperor listed the rewards one by one, Shen Zhao's eyes grew brighter and brighter. Money! Shiny, white silver was beckoning to her. If she had known the Emperor would reward her, she should have made her story sound even more pitiful.

After rewarding Chu Mu, the Emperor once again gave the two ministers a stern reprimand.

"Remember, this time you must make up for all the supplies owed to the Capital Garrison, including the medicinal herbs for the camp. Do you hear me?"

Under the repeated assurances of the two ministers, the Emperor left the morning court with a belly full of anger, having lashed out at many others along the way, most notably those in the faction of the Third Prince.

The officials walked out of the palace hall with long, sour faces. Only Shen Zhao felt refreshed and invigorated.

"Brother Chu, you really have a way with things. I had no idea so much had happened at the Capital Garrison yesterday. It is all my fault for being incompetent; I followed my grandfather back to the city without waiting for you to return to camp. Had I known they were so bold as to act this way, I would have beaten them to a pulp!" Xie Yuheng said, waving his sandbag-sized fists.

Shen Zhao chuckled. "Don't be impatient. The Emperor has authorized me to reorganize the Capital Garrison. We will have plenty of opportunities to deal with them, and we no longer need to worry about their masters behind the scenes."

In the past, Chu Mu had always been cautious. With shallow roots, he had to endure when facing those deeply entrenched forces. Now, with the Emperor backing her, she had nothing to fear. While the Emperor was still in a temper, she needed to seize the time to swiftly settle accounts with those people.

"True, there will be plenty of chances. Heh, Brother Chu, I find myself increasingly unable to see through you. To be honest, Brother Chu, please don't take offense—I used to think you were just a block of elm wood, but now I realize you are a hollow block of elm wood, full of intricate and clever passages inside."

Facing Xie Yuheng's peculiar praise, Shen Zhao was left between laughter and tears. It was the first time she had heard such a novel compliment.

"Ouch... my ear... my ear is going to be twisted off!" A howl erupted from Xie Yuheng, followed by a gentle, refined voice at his side.

"I hope General Chu will forgive the spectacle. Yuheng is fine in every other way, but this mouth of his is truly troublesome."

Shen Zhao looked at the speaker. He wore the official robes of a Senior Secretary of the Court of Judicial Review, so there was no need to guess who he was: Xie Yuheng's older brother, Xie Wenyun. He was tall and elegant, with a gentle, scholarly face that gave one the feeling of a spring breeze. Most importantly, he looked so clean and refined that he was pleasant to behold at first glance. He seemed like he was born to different parents than the chattering, wild-child Xie Yuheng.

"Brother Xie, you are too kind. I like Yuheng’s straightforward nature; he says what is on his mind without all the twists and turns."

Xie Wenyun released his grip on Xie Yuheng's ear and said warmly, "Indeed, Yuheng is simple-minded. I hope that in the future, General Chu will look after him."

Shen Zhao understood that this was Xie Wenyun's acknowledgment of her. Otherwise, he would not have asked her to look after his brother.

Xie Yuheng rubbed his burning ear. "You don't need to tell her that. Brother Chu already looks after me. Don't you have work at the court? Why aren't you going back?"

Xie Yuheng hurried his brother to leave. Since childhood, wherever his brother was, he was merely a footnote. Having finally carved out a place for himself with Brother Chu, he could not let his brother take that away.

Xie Wenyun smiled silently, looked helplessly at his foolish younger brother, and turned to leave with quick strides. He did indeed have many urgent matters to attend to. Returning now would also allow him to report to his mother: this General Chu was worth befriending, and there was no need to worry about Yuheng being exploited.

No sooner had they seen Xie Wenyun off than a voice sounded from behind them.

"General Chu, might we have a word?"

It was Du Qi'an.

As Du Qi'an walked toward them, Xie Yuheng moved closer to Shen Zhao, watching the man approach with vigilance. He whispered, "Brother Chu, this newly appointed Junior Minister of Revenue is not simple. He is the son of the head of the Du clan. To reach such a position at such a young age, he is a man of means and schemes."

Whether he had schemes, she didn't know, but she certainly knew he had money.

"No need to worry. We shall meet force with force; surely the two of us need not fear a mere Junior Minister of Revenue."

Xie Yuheng puffed out his chest. "A man like him? I could take him down with a single punch."

Du Qi'an, having arrived, gave the young Master Xie a strange look. Who was he planning to punch? What was that look in his eyes? Vigilance, disdain, and a hint of provocation. Had he offended him? He had only been in the capital for two days, and this was his first time meeting the young General Xie.

"General Chu, could we step aside?" He had already given a portion of the money to the man surnamed Chu yesterday; he needed a definite answer on when the rest would be returned to the Du family. He couldn't just hand over one hundred thousand taels of silver and hear nothing back.

"What could you possibly have to say that cannot be said in front of me? What are you plotting that requires Brother Chu to step aside with you? Don't even think about it—not even a single step. Speak right here!"

Xie Yuheng stood firmly in front of Shen Zhao. He knew this man named Du was up to no good. Was it because the Minister of Revenue had been reprimanded by the Emperor on account of Brother Chu, and this new Junior Minister was now trying to curry favor by causing trouble for her? If anyone dared to trouble Brother Chu today, he, Xie Yuheng, would be the first to object.

Du Qi'an was baffled by Xie Yuheng's sudden hostility. Were all the young masters in the capital this aggressive and overbearing? However, Du Qi'an was not intimidated.

With a cold face, he said, "This is a private matter between myself and General Chu. It does not concern young Master Xie. A gentleman knows when to listen and when not to; I ask that young Master Xie move aside for a moment."

Xie Yuheng was equally blunt. "Brother Chu's business is my business. Don't think that just because you are from the Du family, I wouldn't dare to beat you. If you dare to play games with Brother Chu, be careful, or I'll beat you until you're picking your teeth up off the floor."

Du Qi'an's face darkened. From which eye did this man named Xie see that he was looking for trouble?