The Martial Doctor

Moreover, the outcome between the Crown Prince and King Qi has yet to be decided. Pei Jian is not alone in this, and he doesn’t need to risk such a major case for the Crown Prince.

It’s important to know that the evidence reported by the eagle document indicates that there are tens of thousands of standard weapons from Beihu, which is not groundless.

Once the court sends an Imperial Envoy to verify this, should the numbers fall short, the crime of deceiving the emperor is no laughing matter.

"Yuanze, what do you think of this case?" Zhao Rui asked in a deep voice, now that he was here, he wanted to know the Crown Prince’s attitude.

"Father, I believe that a high-ranking official should be sent to Dongshan Prefecture to thoroughly investigate this case, and they must set out as soon as possible!" Zhao Yuanze replied.

"Hmm, who do you think should be sent?" Zhao Rui asked. It was certain there needed to be someone sent, but choosing who was a very critical issue.

The Crown Prince was stumped by this question. Although he had acted as regent for a long time, essentially the power still resided in the hands of several fathers like Zhao Rui. The power he could exercise was limited, but the opportunity to act as regent gave him much more influence than King Qi, who held no official position in the court.

Due to his kindness and gentleness, most of the civil officials in the court still supported him, as seen not long ago during the debates when he suddenly disappeared. The ministers were the most anxious.

As the Crown Prince, the Eastern Palace has its officials, and when these officials reach a certain term, they need to be assigned elsewhere, they cannot always remain by the Crown Prince’s side.

After all, without assignments for experience, how can officials progress?

Moreover, the Eastern Palace needs a continual influx of fresh blood. Naturally, the Crown Prince has a batch of loyal officials too, but compared to the wider Da Li Dynasty’s officialdom, it falls short.

Yet, if the Crown Prince were to ascend to the throne, these people would certainly soar to great heights. Any person, no matter how fair and just they are, would choose individuals they are familiar with and trust when needing someone for important matters.

This is human nature.

The current situation presents such an opportunity. If he can take the chance to send one of his own to investigate the case, perhaps they can firmly nail down Marquis Lingyang.

With the demise of Marquis Lingyang, Consort Xue and King Qi will lose their greatest ally, and he won’t have another chance to compete with him for the supreme position.

But since the person who brought forth this case is Pei Jian from the Eastern Palace, sending someone too closely related would be inappropriate and could arouse Zhao Rui’s suspicion.

After all, his father’s skepticism is consistent.

Letting such a great opportunity slip away would be a pity, even if they can’t deal a fatal blow to King Qi, they must at least inflict significant damage, so he stops coveting things he shouldn’t.

"Father, this person must be objective and fair, and possess considerable prestige within the government and the opposition, to be competent for the task!" Zhao Yuanze nodded slightly.

"I asked you for a candidate."

"Father, how about Su Mobai from the Ministry of Personnel?" The Crown Prince Zhao Yuanze thought for a moment and mentioned a name.

Su Mobai, a minister of the Ministry of Personnel, ranks as a high-grade official. In terms of ability, being appointed to such a position means adequate competence. Moreover, Su Mobai is neither a supporter of the Crown Prince nor of King Qi. While the Su Family isn’t a powerful clan, they aren’t insignificant either.

He’s over fifty, with rich experience, and has also served in local governance with notable achievements.

He has another role as a student of the retired Lien Yanru. The resources Lien Yanru had in the Da Li court must have been passed on to him.

It is rumored that Lien aimed to promote Su Mobai to a major ministerial position after his retirement, but the emperor hasn’t agreed, and the matter was left unsettled.

Su Mobai has a daughter, now 25, who was briefly engaged, but her fiancé died before the marriage could happen, leaving her unwed ever since.

Many say she brings bad luck to her husbands, causing her fiancé’s death before they even wed.

This famously talented girl, known as the capital’s premier intellectual, remains unmarried. Zhao Yuanze had considered her.

However, he later dismissed the idea, knowing that a Crown Prince taking as a concubine a woman with a "husband-bringing-bad-luck" reputation would tarnish the royal image.

Additionally, he didn’t need to strengthen his standing through the Su Family; talented or not, she was no different from any other woman for him, especially since she might be trouble due to her prideful nature, should she enter the Eastern Palace.

After Lien’s departure, his faction largely fell apart, although Su Mobai did inherit his immediate following.

Still, Su Mobai is not Lien. He lacks the clout to rally those people, and there are plenty who don’t acknowledge him. Furthermore, he doesn’t take sides in the court, so Su Mobai’s days aren’t easy.

Zhao Yuanze’s suggestion to send him to Dongshan could be seen as placing him beside a perilous fire while also offering him a chance.

Also, presenting Su Mobai, unless Su Mobai completely overturns the case, would naturally mark him with the Crown Prince’s support.

Since when did his son become so astute, managing to present such an opportunity?

"Mr. Su is indeed a reliable person. Very well, I will appoint a deputy, how about Cui Xiang from the Ministry of Justice?"

"Father’s decision is final, I have no objections." Zhao Yuanze bowed and said, knowing Cui Xiang from the Ministry of Justice was clearly a supporter of King Qi.

Although Pei Jian is already over there, Su Mobai remains neutral, sending someone ranked fourth from the Ministry of Justice is a way to balance, after all, this case warrants supervision. If there isn’t someone from King Qi’s camp, it might lack fairness.

Needless to say, his father is safeguarding against him too. Although Su Mubai is neutral, he is still a civil officer, and while Lien didn’t side with anyone while in office, he also didn’t target him. Su Mubai has the potential to be won over.

"There’s no time to waste, I will immediately issue a decree, also sending along an elite battalion from the Yulin Guard. I heard that Pei Jian’s men are also still in the capital?"

"Yes, Mr. Zhuo is still in the capital."

"Then inform them to return together. It would help to brief Mr. Su about the situation in Dongshan on the way." Zhao Rui instructed, "You may take your leave now."

After Zhao Yuanze left Yangxin Hall, the decree was delivered to Su Mobai’s household.

Despite the first month holiday not being over, Su Mobai was busy with social calls these days, though his residence has been much quieter this year.

His respected teacher is about to retire and return home. Even though he holds the rank of a third-grade minister, everyone understands that if he doesn’t choose sides and fails to gain the emperor’s trust, he will likely be marginalized.

The problem is, he can’t choose sides now; whether it’s the Crown Prince or King Qi, making a sudden move is not wise.

Of course, he could choose to be an independent minister, but such a path has the most dismal end.

If the Crown Prince cannot produce a son, his chances of ascending are slim, and once King Qi marries and has a child, considering the emperor’s nature and Da Li’s tradition, the Crown Prince is likely to be deposed.

The court’s struggle is complex and tangled. Were it not for his mentor’s entrustment, he would have considered resigning and retiring before.

He has national matters to worry about, but also a more bothersome family matter, his beloved eldest daughter, Su Yi, now 26 and still unmarried.

If she were unattractive and dull, that would be one thing, but she is exceedingly intelligent, with an astonishing grasp of state affairs. His tenure as a minister has been smooth, and all credit goes to his daughter’s counsel behind the scenes.

Honestly, if Su Yi were male, she could enter the court and perhaps achieve significant offices after passing the civil service exams.

Alas, what a pity.

"Master, have some ginseng soup to restore your energy." A still graceful, attractive woman entered the study with a bowl of ginseng soup.

"Just leave it there, I’ll drink it in a bit." Su Mobai, his mind troubled, wasn’t in the mood to drink soup.

With his teacher leaving, the ministers of his faction face tough times, now looking to him as the leader.

Yet, being the leader is not easy; he too is at a loss, the teacher is in his twilight years, and once retired, there’s no coming back.

The emperor’s condition has improved somewhat in the past six months, but there are rumors of limited time left.

Should he gracefully retire or struggle to stay afloat?

He hasn’t even entered the inner cabinet yet; does he still have a chance to advance further?

Gazing at the large "Serenity" character on the mulberry paper, Su Mubai’s heart was anything but serene...