novelAbuy Chapter 040: The Game
Chapter 040: The Game
Zhao Shi looked at Zhao Bocong in silence for a long time, then put the bronze seal into his sleeve.
"You really dare to gamble." He smiled, his wrinkles deepening as he smiled, a hint of satisfaction creeping into his eyes.
Zhao Bocong did not laugh.
He picked up the cover and placed it next to the brush washer in front of him, then pulled a page from the stack of copies of Zhou Sanwei's files.
A confession was handed over from the Dali Temple prison: Kui Shun's red fingerprint, signed before his execution, was pressed in one corner, next to which was Qin Hui's handwritten comment: "Thoroughly investigate this person's involvement." He placed this page under the cover, not tucking it in.
He wanted Qin Hui to investigate and discover this page of confession himself.
Then let him guess for himself where the remaining files are hidden, how many people have copies, and how many eyes are watching him.
"Your Highness, no matter what happens tonight, the seal of the Grand Court of Imperial Sacrifices can only protect you once. Next time he attacks, you will have to face him with your sword."
Liu An escorted Zhao Shi to the door, where the old member of the imperial clan stood under the corridor, watching the sky gradually lighten.
Suddenly, he turned his head and said, "Liu An, the people from Prime Minister Qin's residence have checked the 1,500 copper coins you send home every month."
The messenger who sent the money was one of my men. I had him change two figures to make it appear as three hundred coins.
Qin Hui believed him and didn't investigate further.
"You will send more in the future, send three hundred coins each, and I will have someone take the rest from Xiuzhou to your mother—that way, even if Qin Hui checks the accounts, he won't find any flaws."
Liu An knelt down, his forehead touching the blue bricks, without saying a word.
Zhao Shi patted him on the shoulder, walked out of the back gate of the Prince of Puan's mansion, and disappeared into the rain and mist.
......
Huining Hall.
At this moment, Zhao Bozong was sitting in his seat, which was not far from the throne, in the third seat on the right, and directly opposite was Duke Chong, Zhao Bojiu.
He arrived early; the palace servants were setting out the last cold dish, and the cups and chopsticks on the throne were not yet fully arranged.
Zhao Bozong sat in his seat and pushed the blank secret letter in his sleeve further in.
When Zhao Gou arrived, the entire palace rose to greet him.
Consort Zhang's illness seems to have improved today; her cough is not as severe.
She sat on the phoenix chair to the right of the throne, her gaze lingering on Zhao Bocong for a moment before she nodded slightly, indicating that he could rest assured.
The banquet proceeded according to the established ritual procedures, with a designated announcer calling out the name of each dish as it was served.
Zhao Bozong held his wine cup, responding to the toasts offered at each table, his gaze sweeping across the hall several times.
Qin Hui was not at the banquet.
He wasn't on the guest list for tonight, but Zhao Bozong knew where he was.
The warm pavilion on the east side of Huining Hall was where Zhao Gou privately discussed matters with his important ministers after banquets.
Qin Hui was already in the warm pavilion; he was probably waiting for the banquet to end.
Zhao Bojiu was unusually quiet today.
During the last family dinner, he mentioned Yue Fei's name at the table, which surprised everyone present.
He didn't say a word today, only occasionally raising his glass to gesture to the royal family members opposite him, with a comfortable and measured smile on his face.
Zhao Bozong knew why he was quiet.
Because Qin Hui is going to draw his sword tonight, Zhao Bojiu knows this, perhaps even earlier than he did.
These two brothers, of the same generation, sat at the same banquet table. One knew he was being roasted, while the other waited to see his rival pushed off a cliff.
After several rounds of drinks, the singing and dancing began.
The dancers from the music academy swung their flowing sleeves as they drifted in through the palace gates. The music they played was the prelude to the grand piece "Rainbow Skirt and Feathered Robe," with a slow tempo that flowed through the palace like spring water.
As Zhao Bozong watched the dancers' skirts twirling, his thoughts drifted to what was hidden in his sleeve.
The envelope was empty; the sealing wax on it was genuine, and the signature on it was also genuine, but there was nothing inside.
Qin Hui is going to impeach him tonight for colluding with Yue Fei's old subordinates. He will use this blank secret memorial tonight to force Qin Hui to not dare to take action.
It all depends on who blinks first.
This was a desperate act of self-preservation. He was too weak now, so weak that even though he knew everything, he could only lie low and remain passive.
As the song and dance performance ended, Zhao Gou raised his wine cup. Silence fell over the hall.
"Today is a rehearsal for the birthday banquet of the Prince of Anding." Zhao Gou's voice was not loud, but the hall was quiet enough that every word was spoken clearly.
"The Prince of Anding is advanced in years, and I have ordered the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs to organize a birthday banquet for him to honor the imperial clan. All of you present here today are descendants of the founding emperor, my brothers and sisters. I only wish for harmony among the imperial clan and lasting peace for the nation."
Everyone raised their glasses and said in unison, "May the imperial family be harmonious, and may the nation be forever at peace."
Zhao Bozong finished his wine and, as he put down his cup, his gaze swept over Consort Zhang.
His wife was looking at him, a faint trace of worry in her eyes, but her smile remained warm. Her wrist, holding the teacup, trembled slightly, whether from illness or from knowing what would happen tonight, was unknown.
After the banquet, Zhao Bocong stood up with the others, preparing to leave.
"Prince Puan, please wait."
The voice of Shao Chengzhang, the chief eunuch of the Inner Palace Secretariat, came from behind, neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for Zhao Bocong to hear: "His Majesty invites Your Highness to the warm pavilion for a talk."
Zhao Bocong stopped and turned to bow.
All the members of the royal family in the hall turned their attention to him.
Whether being invited into the warm pavilion by the emperor was an act of favor or a summons for punishment could not be discerned from their expressions.
Zhao Bojiu stood in the crowd, his face still bearing that perfectly measured smile, but Zhao Bozong noticed that the fingers holding his wine glass tightened slightly.
The door to the warm chamber was ajar.
The warm pavilion was much smaller than the side hall, only big enough to fit a rosewood table and a few chairs.
Two cups of tea were placed on the table, one in front of Zhao Gou and the other opposite him.
Qin Hui sat on the chair on the east side, his official robes covered with a purple gauze, his hands folded on his knees, his face as calm as still water.
When he saw Zhao Bozong enter, he bowed slightly, his face expressionless, like the first move in the opening of a game of chess.
He was also watching Zhao Bozong, trying to guess from the other's expression how this game would go.
"The Prince of Pu'an has arrived. Please sit down." Zhao Gou pointed to the empty chair.
Zhao Bozong sat down, took out the envelope from his sleeve, held it with both hands, and placed it on the table.
"I have something to say to Your Majesty. Tonight is the birthday banquet for the Prince of Anding. I am honored to have been granted a seat by Your Majesty and dare not keep anything to myself."
This envelope contains confidential documents from the Imperial Ancestral Temple, relating to an old case from the eleventh year of the Shaoxing reign.
The hall was quiet for a few moments.
Qin Hui's gaze swept across the envelope and landed on the bright red sealing wax seal on its surface.
The main temple.
He knew what those four words meant—the imperial family archives, a document system independent of the three provinces, and the right to seal them without being subject to inspection by the Ministry of Personnel.
This is no ordinary memorial; it is a secret archive of the imperial clan that bypasses the entire Three Departments and Six Ministries and goes directly to the emperor.
Qin Hui's fingers subtly bent inside his sleeve, very lightly, like a zither string being plucked silently.
Zhao Gou opened the envelope, and a thin piece of paper floated out—it was the confession of Kui Shun that Zhao Bozong had previously placed underneath, with Qin Hui's handwritten comments prominently displayed on it.
Zhao Gou glanced at it and frowned slightly.
Then Zhao Gou discovered something: there was only this one page in the cover.
The sealing wax on the envelope was intact, and the seal had just been torn open in front of him. The envelope contained only this one page of the statement.
He turned the envelope upside down, shook it gently, and found it empty.
But he vaguely sensed that the pages inside seemed to have been replaced, and didn't look like they were exactly right.
He couldn't say whether it was too much or too little.
"Prince Pu'an," Zhao Gou's voice remained gentle, "is this the only page in the cover?"
Zhao Bozong knelt down, his back straight, his head bowed at just the right angle, and his voice steady.
"I present this sealed document today, not seeking any argument, but only hoping that Your Majesty will review it, as it is of great importance to the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs. The original document is in Your Majesty's hands; whether it is genuine or not, Your Majesty can decide for yourself."
Instead of answering the question about how many pages were inside the cover, he steered the conversation toward the original document.
Zhao Gou was a smart man; he understood the hidden meaning behind the situation and knew that it was not appropriate to delve into it at this moment.
He put the statement back in the envelope and didn't ask any further questions.
Qin Hui did not move, his face still showing the same calm expression, but his sleeve twitched slightly.
He realized that Zhao Bozong was bluffing.
The envelope was empty, yet Zhao Bozong dared to place the empty envelope in front of the official without any fear on his face, which meant that he really had something in his hands.
Otherwise, how could a sixteen-year-old prince dare to gamble with his own life?
Qin Hui had no idea where the remaining copies of the dossier were hidden.
This is what makes him most uneasy.
Zhao Bocong stood up, bowed to Zhao Gou, and then tilted his head slightly in Qin Hui's direction, his gaze sweeping lightly over Qin Hui's face without lingering for a moment.
Then he turned and walked out of the warm pavilion, his steps neither fast nor slow.
As he passed through the palace gate, the eunuchs guarding the gate lit a lamp for him.
The night wind blew up his sleeves, and he strode into the passageway, only then did the cold sweat slowly rise to his back.