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Chapter 66 Li Miaoyi Arrives in Beijing!

The jailers behind Shen Yan all stared at him in disbelief.

They were shocked; Shen Yan showed absolutely no respect to the Imperial Guards.

These are the Embroidered Uniform Guards!

The prison guards were terrified at the mere mention of it, and dared not disobey the orders of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Thinking back to the scene of Shen Yan's actions yesterday, it all seemed normal now.

They were all speculating about Shen Yan's strength.

Shen Yan easily made the Imperial Guards retreat.

They didn't think it was out of fear of Shen Yan's background; this Jinyiwei (Imperial Guard) with his dark skin was least afraid of background or identity.

Shen Yan ignored the jailers' chatter and returned to his cell to continue drinking.

The group of prison guards, still beaming with excitement, were left behind.

"Lord Shen has truly lived up to expectations this time!"

"It's been a long time since the prison has been this assertive."

"If only Lord Shen had become a prison guard sooner."

……

Shen Yan naturally heard the discussions among the prison guards behind him, but he was not so optimistic.

Shen Yan felt that Yan Biao's matter was not going to be over so easily, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard would definitely come again.

He sent a jailer to inform the Ministry of Justice and also sent someone to notify Shen Rong.

The Ministry of Justice didn't seem to react much. Shen Yan worked in the prison all day, but Fang Jingxing didn't send anyone to inquire about Yan Biao's matter.

Shen Rong sent someone to tell Shen Yan not to be troubled, as they had a plan for dealing with Yan Biao.

Shen Yan didn't have much to say about this.

That's how these powerful families do things—they take a roundabout approach, never getting to the very last moment.

We will never know their purpose or who is behind it.

The news that Yan Fan's nephew had murdered the entire family quickly spread throughout the teahouses and restaurants of Bianjing.

When the powerful and wealthy oppress the people, it is most likely to ignite public anger.

Upon hearing of this horrifying event, the students in the academy also joined in.

In the circles of intellectuals, opposing Yan's faction was a righteous act.

Moreover, speaking out for the people not only allows one to vent their feelings, but also makes it easier to catch the eye of important figures.

If one can get help from an important person, it will be of great benefit to one's future academic examinations or official career; it is not impossible to rise to the top in one step.

Shen Yan overheard these remarks while drinking at a tavern.

He couldn't help but shake his head, realizing that this was most likely the work of Qingliu and Xun Gui's family.

With the help of several parties, the matter quickly swept through Bianjing.

It also easily reached the ears of Emperor Xuanwu.

The Imperial Palace, the Western Garden.

The fire inside the hall was burning brightly, and even in the dead of winter, it still brought a sense of warmth.

Today is the day that Emperor Xuanwu has set for the year-end meeting.

He sat alone behind the tent, looking down at the assembled officials.

Seated outside the tent were Wang Xi, the Director of Ceremonial Affairs; Yan Fan, the Right Chancellor; Zeng Shihong, the Left Chancellor; and the ministers of the Six Ministries.

The Great Zhou Dynasty has suffered from major disasters every year in recent years, causing hardship for the people and resulting in low tax revenue.

However, Emperor Xuanwu continued his large-scale construction projects, intending to build the Wanshou Palace as a place for him to practice Taoism and refine elixirs.

It was almost repaired, but then lightning struck from the sky, turning a small part of it to ashes.

Today's discussion naturally revolves around Emperor Xuanwu's desire to rebuild the Wanshou Palace.

The annual tax revenue of the Zhou Dynasty was only 30 million taels of silver, while the Wanshou Palace alone cost 3 million taels.

It was partially destroyed, and it would cost another million taels of silver to rebuild it.

But the officials in Bianjing hadn't received their salaries for a long time, so where would they get extra money?

As Emperor Xuanwu's most favored minister, Yan Fan naturally knew how to please him.

"Your Majesty, the Wanshou Palace certainly needs repair. Last year, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Works spent more than three million taels of silver. If we tell them not to spend so extravagantly this year, the money will naturally come in."

Upon hearing that Yan Fan had taken action against the Ministry of Works, Zeng Shihong naturally became quite blunt in his words.

He retorted, "The extra money spent by the Ministry of Works was all used to build ships for the Ministry of Revenue, so this expense should rightfully be attributed to the Ministry of Revenue."

Yan Fan said calmly, "That ship was built for trade with vassal states, and it was returned to the Ministry of Works after the cargo was delivered. Lord Zeng, don't slander people with baseless accusations."

Zeng Shihong sneered, "Does Lord Yan need further slander?! Recently, the rumors in Bianjing have been rampant that Lord Yan's own nephew dared to commit the massacre of his entire family in broad daylight."

Upon hearing this, Yan Fan immediately stood up from his chair and knelt down on the ground.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me. It was my fault for failing to discipline my children properly. I deserve to die."

Emperor Xuanwu listened to their argument without making a sound, remaining calm like an observer.

Only after Yan Fan knelt down did he speak:

"Minister Yan, there's no need for this. You already reported this matter to the palace yesterday. With so many clansmen, it's normal for one or two scoundrels to emerge. The Ministry of Justice should handle it according to the law!"

Feng Xiu replied, "Yes, Your Majesty. The Ministry of Justice will certainly handle this matter impartially."

Emperor Xuanwu knew in his heart that Yan Fan was his money treasury; without him, there would be no money.

He's still waiting to build the Longevity Palace, how could they bear to deal with him now?

Yan Fan understood his own position; how could he not know the rumors circulating in Bianjing?

He sneered inwardly, "They think they can get me with this?

Zeng Shihong saw that Emperor Xuanwu dismissed the matter with a single, casual remark, showing no intention of pursuing it further.

All the methods he had prepared were rendered useless, and he secretly resented them.

"Yan Fan is so favored by the emperor that we have been unable to bring him down even after several attempts."

He had originally prepared evidence of Yan Fan's embezzlement and bribery, but Emperor Xuanwu's words forced him to give up.

Having served as an official for decades, how could he not understand the meaning behind Emperor Xuanwu's words?

This was a message to the court officials that today they would only discuss matters of money, and that he had no interest in hearing about murder cases or wrongful convictions; whoever was responsible for handling them should be contacted.

……

finally.

Emperor Xuanwu got his wish, and Yan Fan set aside the money for the construction of Wanshou Palace for him, which naturally made him very happy.

As the meeting was about to adjourn, Emperor Xuanwu praised his ministers.

"Clouds are in the blue sky, water is in the bottle. Some of you are clouds, some are water, all of you are loyal subjects."

Although Yan Fan has escaped a calamity for the time being, he feels increasingly anxious.

Having been Zeng Shihong's adversary for decades, he knew Zeng Shihong all too well.

I understand that once he takes action, he won't just end things so hastily.

They also knew that Zeng Shihong did this for his grandson Li Xuanye.

As the legitimate son and grandson of the Great Zhou Dynasty, no one was more suitable than him to inherit the grand ceremony.

Zeng Shihong is trying to gain more power for himself.

Among all the officials, only Yan Fan's power was worth vying for.

The rest were either already under his command or belonged to the forces of other princes.

Yan Fan's power belonged solely to the Emperor and was not biased towards anyone else.

……

……

Bianjing, Princess Anping's residence.

A woman in white stood blankly in front of the mansion; the gilded characters on the plaque had long since lost their color.

The once magnificent princess's residence has long since fallen into disrepair.

This courtyard has been vacant for more than a decade, and it is unknown why Emperor Xuanwu did not bestow it upon anyone else during those years.

Just leave it empty like this.

The woman in white was Li Miaoyi; her face, hidden beneath the veil, carried a faint sadness.

Li Miaoyi leaped and tumbled into the mansion.

The neglected house was overgrown with weeds.

She looked at everything before her, which felt both familiar and strange.

"The furnishings haven't changed in over a decade."

Familiar images resurfaced in my mind.