Chapter 605 - 383: Keeping a Very Friendly Distance
Ling Yunhe returned to his own residence—a small house, not the Ling Family’s grand mansion in the Capital City.
He had purchased this house himself. Other than his personal attendant, the staff were not Ling Family servants; they were new hires he had made in the Capital City.
He went into his study and had his attendant stand guard outside. Only then did he pull a thin booklet from his robes. It contained evidence of the person who had bribed Ling the Third, along with the fabricated ledgers they had created together.
This information was important, but it wasn’t the most crucial part. The booklet also held a fatal clue. He had obtained the evidence but hadn’t told the Ling Family, choosing to hide it away privately.
He wasn’t sure that if he presented this to the Ling Family, they wouldn’t destroy the evidence to protect Ling the Third.
Ling Yunhe’s figure receded into the shadows cast by the lamp, leaving only a faint, blurry silhouette.
He knew that Ming Fei and the Empress Dowager were on bad terms. Gu’en Houfu, which backed the Empress Dowager, had always harbored malice toward Ming Fei. On top of that, he had just received news upon returning to the Capital City that An Xiaoyi had been sent back, and Gu’en Houfu would surely blame Ming Fei for it.
His third uncle had backstabbed Ming Fei. If he wanted to save the Ling Family, he had to offer a gesture of sincerity.
Ling Yunhe took a deep breath. ’This is my only chance to save the Ling Family and myself. I have to be ruthless. I can’t afford to be soft-hearted.’
Remembering his third aunt’s curses before he returned to the Capital City, the turmoil in Ling Yunhe’s eyes swirled before finally settling into a cold stillness.
His mind made up, Ling Yunhe carefully wrapped the evidence. He didn’t sleep all night. As dawn broke, he went to wait outside the Marquis Wenxin’s Mansion.
Song Nanzhen stepped out into the early morning light. Just as he was about to board his sedan chair, he heard someone call out, "Marquis, please wait."
Song Nanzhen waved his hand, and the sedan chair was lowered to the ground. He turned his head to look at the man, but after a moment’s thought, he didn’t recognize him. After serving as a minister for so long, Song Nanzhen was no longer the man he once was; he had acquired the dignified air of one of the Six Ministers.
"What business do you have with me?" Song Nanzhen asked. Hearing the man address him as "Marquis" rather than "Minister," he knew it must be a private matter.
Ling Yunhe offered him the carefully wrapped package he had been holding, then bowed deeply. "This humble commoner, Ling Yunhe, has taken the liberty of disturbing you, Marquis, but I have been forced by circumstances. You will understand why after you have seen this. I dare not delay you on your important business, so I will take my leave now."
At these cryptic words, Song Nanzhen’s brow furrowed. Ling Yunhe... His expression suddenly tensed. ’Isn’t Ling Yunhe the merchant my daughter’s shop is partnered with?’
Watching Ling Yunhe’s retreating back, Song Nanzhen had a faint sense of foreboding. He lowered the sedan curtain. "Proceed."
The bearers lifted the sedan again and set off toward the Imperial Palace. Though the Emperor was not in the Capital City and there was no formal morning court, the Six Ministers and other high-ranking officials still had to meet with the Left and Right Ministers every day, so no time could be wasted.
Song Nanzhen unwrapped the package. It was a thin booklet. He casually flipped it open, but after glancing at a few pages, his expression turned grave. A moment later, his face contorted.
One might question his other skills at the Ministry of Revenue, but when it came to reading ledgers, he was now as good as any veteran bookkeeper.
Song Nanzhen’s hands trembled slightly. Tao Xinde... Others might not know who that was, but he did.
Ever since the Empress Dowager started making trouble for his daughter, he had been secretly investigating Gu’en Houfu. He knew Tao Xinde was the brother of Duchess Gu En’s sister-in-law.
Zhaozhao had partnered with the Ling Family to open her shop, and now it turned out that Tao Xinde had bribed Ling the Third!
Song Nanzhen’s heart pounded with rage. He read on, seeing the records of how Tao Xinde had ordered Ling the Third to adulterate the products at Baozhuang Building in an attempt to ruin its reputation and drag his daughter through the mud. Unable to contain his fury, he slammed his fist against the sedan window.
The sedan bearers jumped in fright but dared not ask what was wrong. They simply quickened their pace.
Song Nanzhen pressed his lips together, forcibly suppressing his rage. If his time in the Six Ministries had taught him anything, it was how to be an official.
He tucked the evidence safely inside his official robes and began to consider how to handle this. His daughter had been targeted. He couldn’t just let this go. As a father, he had to get justice for his child.
’Tao Xinde!’
’So what if he’s connected to Gu’en Houfu? The Empress Dowager’s faction is targeting my daughter, trying to destroy her life’s work and sully her name. They shouldn’t blame me for being merciless.’
By the time Song Nanzhen entered the offices of the Six Ministries, his expression had returned to normal. He first met with the Left and Right Ministers. After learning there was no urgent business for the day, he took a leisurely stroll over to the Ministry of Industry.
Fu Shiyin, the Minister of the Ministry of Industry, was stewing over a problem when he saw Song Nanzhen arrive. He immediately stood and smiled. "What favorable wind has blown Mr. Song over? Come in, have a seat."
There was a pecking order among the Six Ministries, and the Ministry of Revenue was undoubtedly the most influential. The fact that Song Nanzhen had managed to gain a firm foothold there in such a short time, and had thoroughly reorganized it through his own abilities rather than relying on his connection to Ming Fei, was enough to make no one dare underestimate him.
’Anyone who looked down on him was taken down by that old fox. He has the face of an honest man but uses all sorts of dirty tricks. Best not to offend him. Best not to offend.’
’Ming Fei has enjoyed enduring favor in the palace and successfully gave birth to the Eldest Prince. Truly, like father, like daughter.’
Song Nanzhen offered a simple, good-natured smile. "Things were slow today, so I went out for a walk. Before I knew it, I’d wandered over to your doorstep, my friend. I thought I’d come beg a cup of tea."
Fu Shiyin didn’t believe a word of it. He didn’t know about the other government offices, but the Ministry of Revenue was certainly swamped. The Emperor himself had issued a decree for them to prepare provisions and fodder in advance, which hinted at a possible war.
How could Song Nanzhen not be busy?
’For him to come strolling over at a critical time like this... something big must be going on!’
Fu Shiyin’s internal alarm bells went off. He had held his position as Minister of the Ministry of Industry for many years by laying low and acting with extreme caution.
Besides, he was on good terms with Jiang Lun, who was related to the Song Family by marriage. Because of that connection, he hadn’t jumped on the bandwagon to make trouble for Song Nanzhen when he first became Minister of Revenue.
After all, he was a decent fellow.
Furthermore, when the Emperor had gifted Song Nanzhen his mansion, the Ministry of Industry had been tasked with its renovation. Renovating mansions for the nobility was typically a complicated headache, but the Song Family, despite being new to their status and having the backing of a daughter like Ming Fei, had been the easiest to work with.
After that, Fu Shiyin had sized him up: the new Marquis Wenxin was an easy man to get along with.
But then he witnessed Song Nanzhen’s swift and decisive methods in whipping the Ministry of Revenue into shape and figured he might need to get his eyes checked.
And so, Fu Shiyin had always maintained a very friendly, yet cautious, distance from Song Nanzhen.
After having tea brought in, Fu Shiyin made small talk with Song Nanzhen. The conversation eventually turned to the Taihu rock still missing from the rear garden of the Marquis Wenxin’s Mansion, and Fu Shiyin suddenly felt a pang of guilt.
The Emperor’s conferral of the Marquis Wenxin title had been sudden, so the mansion’s renovation had also been rushed. Items like decorative rocks for gardens and rockeries had to be shipped from afar and would naturally take time. Every great noble house needed an impressive centerpiece stone for its garden; it was a matter of prestige.
At the time, the Ministry of Industry had a suitable stone on hand. Fu Shiyin had originally intended to have it sent to the Marquis Wenxin’s Mansion, but then Gu’en Houfu came and demanded it.