WangXian Forever Book 10

Chapter 37: Accusations

Wei Ying draws in a sharp breath.

"Those are very serious accusations. If you don't have any proof, then that puts your life in danger."

"I've been looking for proof. That's why I'm still here, searching for it. But I don't know who to trust anymore, so that's why I have to be careful." Tang Pei stares hard back at him.

"Then why are you telling us?" Wei Ying's gaze is equally challenging. "You've never met us before today, so why are you trusting us to keep you alive?"

"You're the neutral party. Whatever happens here, it will not affect you much. You will do whatever you came here to do, and go back. But while you're here, I am appealing to you for help. The problem has become too grave and urgent for me to handle by myself now." Sincerity shines from his dark eyes, a firm belief in what he's saying to them.

"Okay, start from the beginning. Be honest, and then we'll decide what to do. What made you suspicious about the First Prince?" Wei Ying folds his arms over his chest, fully aware of Lan Zhan standing alert and ready at his back, poised to take Tang Pei down if he tries anything.

Tang Pei takes sighs deeply before speaking.

"I am about to tell you state secrets, in depth workings of the government, and sensitive information. I need your discretion in all matters."

"You have it. But if anything pertains to Cheng Maoji, then I reserve the right to tell his widow. As long as we're being honest with each other."

"I have a feeling that what we are about to discuss includes his involvement. You see, Cheng Maoji was our fixer. He had a natural charisma that made everyone he talked to, trust him. He could wriggle out of an escalating fight and make everyone laugh as he walked away, he was that good.

"It helped that he and our Gracious Emperor were the best of friends. What better cover than an old acquaintance to mask secret meetings and covert operations that had to be kept under the public radar?"

"So they really were friends?" Wei Ying rubs his nose thoughtfully.

"Absolutely. They were taught together in school, and Cheng Maoji became our Gracious Emperor's best friend and confidante. The best of friendships, the truest of bonds are begun whilst learning together. Theirs was no exception." Tang Pei recalls fondly.

That was certainly true. Wei Ying reaches for Lan Zhan's hand, thinking the same about themselves. Sure, they ended up married, partners for life, but hadn't the first step been friendship, even if it wasn't clear at the time? Lan Zhan squeezes his hand, and Wei Ying knows they're on the same page. To know that someone else shares the same views, finds the same things funny, to be able to have long conversations full of interesting insights and points, to be part of even a platonic connection was a rare occurrence for anyone, especially for a member of the Royal family. Otherwise, it was a lonely life filled with nothing but duty.

"Cheng Maoji began working with His Highness four decades ago, and his loyalty was unquestionable. They regularly had tea together, or shared a meal in the evening when the Emperor was free. Sometimes, they even invited me." Tang Pei looks fond with the memories.

"What did you talk about, when you were together?"

"Many things. The Emperor and I shared a love of the same music, while Cheng Maoji and the Emperor often had a go at their own poetry, testing each other with riddles and having a good laugh trying to best each other. But just over three months ago, Cheng Maoji called for an emergency meeting. The Emperor told me about it afterwards and asked if I knew anyone I could trust with my life. There had to be no doubts at all about their character, and their reputation must be a guarantee that they would not succumb to bribery. I only know one person like that, so I recommended my brother for this top secret mission.

"Cheng Maoji had discovered that someone was making counterfeit coins from hardened clay, making them look like they were made out of metal. He had bought replicas to show us, and honestly? I was impressed. He put two coins in front of us and demanded we pick out the fake. I guessed wrong but the Emperor was spot on."

"Counterfeit coins?"

"Yes. It would have been fine if it was a solitary incident, but the scale of the problem was far greater than any of us could predict."

"Why would that present a problem, though?"

"Whoever was supplying the fake money intended to flood the market with the worthless coins, taking the real coins and using them for something else. The problem is, if the price of goods becomes higher and higher, and people can still afford to buy them, it artificially raises inflation creating an imbalance. Basically, they want to destabilise our economy, an indirect hit to the government. It's a stealth war, and if Cheng Maoji hadn't discovered what he did when he did, we would have already lost.

"Who was making the fake money? Did you find out?" This is getting more complicated, Wei Ying thinks wistfully.

"Cheng Maoji traced the fake funds all the way back to the Bandit groups that were gathering in numbers, back to the East in Haixun. Cheng Maoji's face was becoming too easily recognizable, and so we sent my brother. He managed to infiltrate one of these gangs, and he regularly reported back to us, but I haven't heard anything from him in over ten weeks. To tell you the truth, I fear for my brother's life."

"How were you communicating?" Wei Ying can't explain it, but he's beginning to get a bad feeling about this. "Who was he reporting back to?"

"My brother sent letters to both the Emperor and Cheng Maoji at the beginning, but then I'm not sure why, it became a single communication thread between Cheng Maoji and Tang Rei. Our Gracious Emperor had two coins made, but they weren't normal. Inverted coins would be a better way to describe what they looked like. The idea was that wax had to be melted into it, and then while it's hot, press any communication parchment into it. The wax is dyed and by doing this, it creates an original stamp detailing the images carved inside the coin.. The authenticity of the missive cannot be denied."

"Hold on," Wei Ying clutches at Lan Zhan's arm suddenly. "Didn't Feng Li Pao mention Haixun? And it borders Yunmeng...it's not a far leap to think of Tang Pei's brother being the one that gave us this, is it?" Wei Ying pulls out the split coin that was hidden in his robes all those months ago. "Then that means whoever gave us this was your brother?" He turns to Tang Pei.

Tang Pei's eyes narrow as recognition flares strongly on his face when he sees the coin stamp. And then he's in shock when he says, "What do you mean, WAS?"