SWDnovel Chapter 90 The Power Vacuum
Chapter 90 The Power Vacuum
"Oh dear, it's no big deal." Ninth Prince Yin Tang held a wine cup, leaned back in his chair, and smiled knowingly, his tone carrying a hint of teasing.
"You've practically dug up their ancestral graves. From governors to viceroys, provincial governors, provincial judges, and circuit intendants, you've impeached every official in the province whose name you can recall."
When memorials reached the Emperor, they almost always resulted in complete dismissal, removal from office, and investigation.
"Fourteenth Brother, I never knew you were so ruthless!"
These words sounded like a joke, but Yin'e could tell that they weren't.
Beneath Lao Jiu's tone lay an overwhelming sense of dissatisfaction that he couldn't suppress.
Hubei and Hunan were the stronghold of the Eighth Prince's faction. Although not all the officials there were their people, most of them were promoted through the Eighth Prince's connections.
The annual tributes, the information they provided, and their local connections were all crucial to the Eighth Prince's faction.
The fourteenth prince's trip to Huguang turned the chessboard upside down, and the network of relationships he had painstakingly built over the years vanished overnight.
While Lao Jiu said "he's ruthless," he was actually thinking, "Do you even know what kind of mess you've made?"
Yin'e quickly chimed in, his tone tinged with reproach: "Yes, Fourteenth Brother, why didn't you write to us to discuss this? Now we're in such a passive position."
"The Eighth Brother was holding the line for us in court, the Ninth Brother was protecting us in front, and we were worrying about you from behind. And what did you do? You chopped them all down, one by one."
He put it very cleverly.
On the surface, he was blaming the fourteenth prince, but in reality, he was speaking up for the ninth prince and letting the fourteenth prince know the seriousness of the matter.
At the same time, he positioned himself as "of one mind with Brother Ba and Brother Jiu," making it seem like he was also a core member of the gang.
The fourteenth prince, Yinzhen, held his wine cup, and the smile on his face froze for a moment.
The expression on his face changed from relaxed to serious, and then from serious to somewhat aggrieved.
"Eighth Brother, let me explain. As you know, although I am an imperial envoy carrying the emperor's orders, I am not alone."
He paused, his gaze shifting from the eighth prince's face to the ninth prince's face, and then to Yin'e's face.
"Father Emperor sent Tulichen as my deputy. Who is Tulichen? He is the most trusted imperial guard by Father Emperor. He has been by Father Emperor's side for more than ten years. His eyes are sharper than an eagle's and his ears are sharper than a dog's."
With him by my side, every move I make and every word I say will be relayed back to Father Emperor's ears.
He picked up his wine glass, took a big gulp, put it down, and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand: "I really don't want to touch Liu Dianheng."
But the evidence against him—the ledgers of bribery, the list of cheaters, and the correspondence with the candidates—was laid bare on the case, and I couldn't hide it from him no matter what.
Tulichen was watching right there. If I had pretended not to see it, his secret report would have been delivered to Father Emperor's desk that very night.
His tone grew increasingly urgent: "Eighth Brother, Ninth Brother, Tenth Brother, what do you think I can do?"
If I don't touch Liu Dianheng, it's tantamount to protecting him; if I protect him, Father Emperor will suspect me, suspect you, and suspect the entire Eighth Prince's faction.
At that point, forget about protecting him; we'll be in deep trouble ourselves.
Lao Ba leaned back in his chair, twirling his wine glass in his hand, without saying a word.
After the fourteenth brother finished speaking, he put down his wine glass, sat up straight, and reached out to pat the fourteenth brother on the shoulder.
"Fourteenth brother, is your eighth brother the kind of unreasonable person? You've already had a hard time running errands outside, and I can understand your situation of being caught in the middle."
"It's truly remarkable that you managed to escape unscathed and handle the task so well."
He paused, picked up his wine glass, and raised it to the fourteenth brother: "It's all in the past, Eighth Brother doesn't blame you. We brothers haven't seen each other for months, no one can leave today, let's drink until we drop."
The fourteenth brother's eyes reddened slightly. He picked up his wine glass, clinked it with the eighth brother's, tilted his head back, and downed it in one gulp.
Old Nine also picked up his wine glass, hiding the sourness on his face, and clinked glasses with Old Fourteen.
The group chatted for a while longer, and the atmosphere gradually relaxed from the tension.
The fourteenth brother recounted the local customs and traditions of Huguang, the amusing incidents he encountered on his journey, and the tearful scenes of officials under investigation in court. He spoke with great enthusiasm, making the ninth brother laugh heartily.
Steward Hu, the head steward of the Eighth Prince's residence, walked in from outside, bowing and smiling broadly: "Eighth Prince, the banquet is ready. When would you like to take your seat?"
Lao Ba stood up, straightened his clothes, and waved to everyone: "Let's go to the main hall. We won't leave until we're drunk tonight."
The group followed Lao Ba out of the study, through the covered corridor, and toward the main hall.
A large round table was placed in the main hall, covered with a dark red tablecloth and filled with dishes.
The group took their seats. The Eighth Prince sat in the main seat, the Ninth Prince to his left, the Fourteenth Prince to his right, and Yin'e sat next to the Fourteenth Prince.
Butler Hu stepped forward, broke the mud seal on the wine jar, and poured a full cup for everyone.
"Come on," Lao Ba picked up his wine glass, his gaze sweeping over the three men's faces. "The first glass is to toast our brothers' long-awaited reunion."
The four men clinked glasses and drank it all in one gulp. Yin'e put down his wine cup, picked up a piece of food, and chewed it slowly.
He could sense that there was genuine affection between the four of them.
We grew up together, studied together, rode horses together, and secretly drank and cursed our master in a corner of the palace.
Those years were real, and those days of laughter, commotion, and shared punishments were not fake either.
But being born into an imperial family, some things are destined to be more important than brotherhood.
For that chair, for that dragon throne, even the best of relationships can turn into scheming, and even the closest of brothers can become rivals.
After drinking for a while, Lao Jiu's alcohol kicked in, and he became more talkative.
He put down his wine glass, leaned back in his chair, and glanced at the faces of the group of people. His tone suddenly became serious.
"Brother Ba, the officialdom in Huguang has been almost completely overturned, and a power vacuum has been created. I think we need to start making plans in advance."
The Crown Prince's side is already making moves; we can't fall behind.
Yin'e paused for a moment, his hand holding the wine cup hovering in mid-air, before slowly lowering it.
His heart skipped a beat.
Hubei and Hunan provinces are the heart of the nation. They are a thoroughfare connecting nine provinces and a vital link between north and south.
Whoever controls Huguang controls half of the country's grain routes, canal transport, and military resources.
The Eighth Prince had cultivated his influence in the court for many years, relying on his connections and wealth.
The Crown Prince's stable position in the court relied on his status as the heir apparent and Emperor Kangxi's favor.
However, their local roots are not very deep.
Those vacancies in Hubei and Hunan were like a piece of fat meat that everyone wanted to take a bite out of.
As soon as Lao Jiu finished speaking, Lao Ba frowned.
"The Crown Prince? He's already making a move?"
"That's right." The Ninth Prince nodded. "My people found out that the Crown Prince's people have been frequently going in and out of the Ministry of Personnel these past few days, drinking and eating with several vice ministers and senior officials, and inquiring about vacancies."
The Crown Prince's side even declared, "Huguang belongs to the imperial court, not to any one person," implying that they also wanted a share.