The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 2)

Chapter 165 - Retribution

Shen Xiaohai sensed that something was amiss. He had no military command or official position, and his presence at the hunt was solely due to the Emperor's goodwill toward long-standing nobility. Yet, his instincts were always sharp. When Zhang Run began implicating others a while back, he had already noticed something strange—most of the names were associates of Prince Duan. Since he'd once been close to Prince Duan, he had a general sense of who those people were.

This calm before the storm was the most frightening. If the Emperor were to lose his temper over the instability in Prince Duan's household, issuing a scolding or punishment, it would be easier to deal with. But keeping everything silent, not saying a word, made Shen Xiaohai feel that something far more terrible was looming.

Thinking about this, he regretted not having any authority or enough ears and eyes in the right places; he was left guessing from the sidelines, unable to touch the core of the issue. After much thought, he had Shen Qingrang, who was outside, brought in. After examining him for a while, he asked, "How are things with Second Master Song lately? Does he like the ink jade chessboard I had you send over last time?"

He had originally thought that winning over the young Sixth Miss Song would be enough, but now, she was not the same as before. She barely gave Shen Qingrang a glance. In the past, she would have eagerly responded to him, but now, no matter how hard Shen Qingrang tried to please her, he couldn't sway her. With that route closed, he could only try another path. Luckily, Sixth Miss Song's father, Song Yi, seemed fond of Shen Qingrang, frequently calling him over to talk and making it clear he wanted him to spend more time with her.

With this in mind, Shen Xiaohai sternly reminded Shen Qingrang, "You must take care to foster a good relationship with Second Master Song. He treats you with much kindness; you should make an effort to draw closer to him."

In recent years, Shen Qingrang had come to understand his father's concerns more. Duke Ying's family was in an awkward position—technically an old noble house, yet sliding into decline. And to make matters worse, no new talents had emerged in the family. Even Shen Xiaohai, the most ambitious of them all, lacked any real skills, struggling in both civil and military spheres.

He nodded, putting on a more serious expression. "I understand, Father. I'll make a visit to Uncle Song when we return to the capital."

Shen Xiaohai then recalled that Song Yi hadn't joined the hunting trip, which filled him with regret. With Grand Secretary Song and Song Chuyi's influence, they were like an impenetrable wall, revealing nothing. Had Second Master Song come along, he might have been able to glean something from him.

He stood there for a moment, sighing wistfully, feeling uninspired for the rest of the day. It wasn't until evening, when news arrived that the home of Li Rusu, the chief of the Imperial College in the capital, had been raided by the Jinyiwei, that he was struck speechless. He lost his appetite, unable to even look at the emperor's gift of rabbit meat brought from the kitchen.

"How could... how could this happen?" He clenched his fists, feeling as though his very blood had frozen. He couldn't stop himself from trembling slightly. Others might not know, but he did—Li Rusu was an ally of Prince Duan, with a stake in the business beyond the pass. After the incidents with Fang Deng and Xiao Ding, he had withdrawn and erased all evidence, not daring to meddle again. Other than attempting to frame Song Yi two years ago, the Li family had kept a low profile.

So why, out of the blue, did misfortune befall the Li family?

"Go... send someone to inquire..." he said, hurriedly standing up, but then abruptly stopping the man about to leave. "No, no! Don't go, don't go!"

His intuition had been correct; stormy days were indeed on the horizon, and those who had kept clear of trouble before should avoid being dragged in now. The Li family's association with Prince Duan was undeniable. Being implicated meant that Prince Duan was also entangled, and having previously been involved with them, he couldn't afford to touch this matter now.

His heart pounded as he paced around the tent, his determination to form an alliance with the Song family growing stronger. He refused to spend his life watching Duke Ying's house decline to the point of losing its noble title. However, lacking the ability to elevate the family himself, he could only seek out a reliable ally.

The Li family's downfall could only mean that Han Zhi's actions were shockingly swift—swift enough to astonish others.

When Song Jue heard the news, he was slightly taken aback. Ever since the Li family and Song Chuning had schemed to frame Song Yi two years ago, Second Master Li had lost his post, been imprisoned, and the Song and Li families had completely severed ties.

Yet now, to hear of the Li family's involvement with Prince Duan was unexpected. However, the more he thought about it, the more sense it made. The Li family, with its modest roots, had its three members in official positions only because the dowries of their two daughters-in-law were substantial enough to sustain them. And with a capable figure like Song Chuning behind them, it was natural for them to get involved in smuggling operations with Prince Duan beyond the pass.

Zhang Run's latest accusations were brutal, implicating not only Prince Duan's maritime operations but also those beyond the pass. Song Jue furrowed his brows and sighed.

In the end, those who would suffer most were the presiding officials, Song Chengru, Grand Secretary Chen, and Grand Secretary Du, who would have to deal with the fallout.

Recently, Emperor Jianzhang had been concerned about the Crown Prince's overreaching ambitions, but now he would likely feel relieved that the Crown Prince had indeed intervened. Prince Duan's greed had gone too far. In the past, when he requested funds to expand his guards, Emperor Jianzhang, concerned about the frequent pirate activity in Zhangzhou, had granted his requests. But Prince Duan was never satisfied, extending his reach further and even setting his sights on the Maritime Office and smuggling beyond the pass. What was he really after? His ambitions were hardly a secret.

With the Yangzhou corruption case spiraling out of control, this year's spring hunt seemed destined for an untimely end. Song Jue looked up at the sliver of moon hanging in the sky and suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu.

It seemed as though every spring hunt brought trouble. It had been this way for years, and this year was no different. But he couldn't tell if this was only the beginning or if they'd already reached the end.