Chapter 59: Dongyang Belongs to the Azure Dragon

"You still refuse to admit your mistake!" Emperor Yuanchang’s anger finally flared up. With a sharp snap, the covered tea bowl slammed heavily onto the desk. The vertical frown lines between his brows deepened, revealing the cold, piercing ferocity of a founding monarch.

Zhao Pu seemed utterly oblivious to the swirling darkness in Emperor Yuanchang’s pupils as he articulated every single word with chilling clarity, "Your grandson has thoroughly interrogated every single craftsman from the Xijing silver mine. There is not the slightest possibility of any slippery fish escaping through the net. I beg Your Imperial Grandfather to examine the facts clearly!"

"The iron mine in Chaoxian has a massive workforce, and the Ministry of Punishments is short-handed. Perhaps some oversights slipped through the cracks."

Before Zhao Pu could finish his sentence, Lin Ping'an was already sweating profusely on his behalf. At a time like this, the absolute last thing one should do was shift the blame onto the Ministry of Punishments. Had he honestly confessed and expressed remorse, the Emperor might have just sent him back to Xijing to capture the culprits and redeem himself through meritorious service. But now, clashing head-on like this was turning a trivial matter into a major crisis—blatantly defying the imperial authority.

"Fine, very good." Emperor Yuanchang let out a cold, humorless laugh. "Now you're even blaming the Ministry of Punishments. Do you want a face-to-face confrontation in the imperial court?"

"Yes. Your grandson has complete confidence in the results of his own trial."

Lin Ping'an felt a sudden wave of darkness sweep over his eyes. Why did he always have to touch upon the most sensitive nerve?

Sure enough, this remark seemed to strike Emperor Yuanchang's absolute taboo. He abruptly rose from his chair, pointed straight at Zhao Pu's nose, and cursed, "Clearly, you were abusing your official position for personal favors out of fear that it would delay the mining progress, yet you still dare to turn around and bite the Ministry of Punishments?"

Lin Ping'an scurried to Emperor Yuanchang's side and gently patted his back to soothe him. "Your Majesty, please calm your wrath. The young Prince is still tender in years; he just needs to be taught slowly."

Emperor Yuanchang instinctively grabbed a memorial folder and hurled it straight at Zhao Pu's head. Having conquered the empire on horseback, he had been an emperor for over twenty years, yet his martial prowess remained undiminished. The folder flew true and struck Zhao Pu squarely on the forehead.

"Get back to your manor and stay locked inside! Tomorrow, the Xijing prefecture will escort the prisoners to the Ministry of Punishments. Didn't you want a confrontation? I grant it to you! Let's see how you manage to clean up this mess!"

Zhao Pu bowed and backed out of the room, not forgetting to add before leaving, "Please restrain your imperial wrath, Grandfather."

Heard in Emperor Yuanchang's ears, those words only served to infuriate him further.

Lin Ping'an hurriedly brewed a fresh cup of Biluochun tea for Emperor Yuanchang, trying to calm his ruffled feathers.

"Your Majesty, your dragon body is of the utmost importance. The young Prince acted solely for the sake of the Princess. Blood is thicker than water; just like the Prince of Han, he values deep affections."

Emperor Yuanchang glanced sideways at the Biluochun, completely devoid of any desire to drink. What truly enraged him was not that Zhao Pu had botched the trial, but that during his recent southern tour, Zhao Pu had displayed the true qualifications of a crown prince, causing several courtiers to quietly cast their approving gazes upon him. Yet now, purely to shield Shen Jifeng, he was willingly letting his brilliance be obscured by dust and handing weapons to his detractors.

Over the years, the two imperial siblings had depended solely on each other for survival; Emperor Yuanchang had witnessed it all. Such genuine affection within the imperial family was exceedingly rare, and initially, it had warmed his aging heart. But now, it felt as revolting as swallowing a fly. A sovereign should never have any fatal weaknesses, and Shen Jifeng wielded far too much influence over Zhao Pu. He needed to devise a scheme to put a stop to it.

Having swallowed a gulp of Biluochun, a plan swiftly formed in Emperor Yuanchang's mind. Youth and beauty—what could possibly be more effective at diverting Zhao Pu's attention than finding him a bride? Besides, he had indeed reached the appropriate age to discuss marriage.

Outside the Xijing silver mine, Registrar Sun held Emperor Yuanchang's imperial decree with a face full of ingratiating smiles, "Princess, this humble official is merely executing the Emperor's command to make arrests. Please do not hold it against me."

Shen Jifeng's small head was filled entirely with utter confusion. Had she just emerged from the depths of the mine shaft, and now her ears were malfunctioning?

"Registrar Sun, who did you just say you were going to escort away?"

"Why, it is none other than our mine's chief metallurgist, Wu Shoucheng."

"Are you certain it's him?" Shen Jifeng still refused to believe it and repeatedly confirmed.

Registrar Sun might not have been exceptionally shrewd as an official, but he possessed an extraordinarily sharp memory. The mine's craftsmen had been escorted back to the prefectural office and thrown into the dungeon by him personally, and the name roster was still lying right on his desk. He had a very distinct impression of this Wu Shouyi.

"Princess, it is that tallest and youngest craftsman, the one with an exceptionally dark complexion—anyone could tell at a glance he is someone who labors in the mines year-round."

Down in the mining site, Winter Sun sneezed violently.

Shen Jifeng led Registrar Sun into the administrative office for tea while her mind raced with suspicions. The real Wu Shouyi had been beaten to death by the miners long ago during the silver mine riot. The Wu Shouyi currently sitting in the dungeon was merely Winter Sun disguised to protect the remaining craftsmen.

Why out of everyone did they have to target Wu Shouyi? The Ministry of Punishments was a den of wolves; once someone stepped inside, they would be stripped to the bone before they could ever hope to walk out.

Emperor Yuanchang's imperial decree explicitly stated that Wu Shouyi was merely to assist with the investigation, without implicating anyone else, which meant the suspicion was pinned entirely on him. Could the real Wu Shouyi have genuinely been connected to the illicit trafficking of iron ore?

Shen Jifeng pulled out the craftsmen's dossiers: Wu Shouyi, twenty-three years old, native of Chaoxian. Seeing the characters "Chaoxian," Shen Jifeng’s pupils constricted slightly. As a local, it was entirely possible he had indeed utilized his connections to collude with the Green Dragon syndicate.

What should she do? If she sent Winter Sun, he wasn't Wu Shouyi at all. If she refused to send him, she dared not disobey her grandfather the Emperor's decree.

If she had to go, she at least could not openly defy the imperial edict. She would let Registrar Sun take Winter Sun away under the guise of Wu Shouyi, while she herself would mount a fast horse and gallop back to the capital ahead of them. At worst, she would personally present herself before her grandfather to plead guilty.

Shen Jifeng whipped her horse into a frenzy, leaving a trail of dust as she soared past, leaving the escorting guards far behind in the distance.

Winter Sun had changed back into a craftsman's tunic, while Golden Hair had dutifully smeared a layer of soot across his face to make him look even more like a smoke-scarred metallurgist.

To save time, Winter Sun, the prime suspect, did not have to trudge all the way to Xijing on two legs; instead, he was bundled into a prison cart.

For the very first time in his life, Winter Sun found the experience rather novel. But after traveling a dozen miles, the novelty wore off completely, leaving him with no strength left to appreciate it. The carriage bounced about so violently that it made him desperately want to vomit, and the cage was a mere three feet wide—far too cramped for his long legs. He vowed that he would definitely demand a hefty wage increase from the Princess for this ordeal.

As dusk began to settle, within the Prince Qi Manor, the personal valet Zhibai listened with an expression of profound distress as his master issued his command.

"The force must be heavy, but it cannot draw blood. It needs to swell up, preferably with a bit of skin scraped off."

Zhibai held up a thick, hardcover edition of the *Zizhi Tongjian*, gestured with it several times in the air, and ultimately lacked the courage to bring it down.

"Young Prince, perhaps you should ask someone else to do it? I simply don't dare."

"There's no one left in the manor except the maids. How could their strength ever compare to yours? You are the only candidate for the job."

"Really?" Zhibai’s eyes lit up with a ray of affirmation. "Then this subordinate is going to strike! Young Prince, you must endure it and absolutely must not punish me later."

Zhao Pu gently tapped the spine of the *Zizhi Tongjian*. "Use this spot right here; it is guaranteed to break the skin. If you don't strike right now, see if I don't punish you!"

Zhibai took a deep breath, raised the heavy historical tome, measured the distance, squeezed his eyes shut, and brought all his strength crashing downward.

With a muffled groan from Zhao Pu, Zhibai hastily opened his eyes. Where the skin had previously been slightly red, a patch of skin about the size of a fingernail had been scraped off, oozing tiny beads of blood, while the surrounding area the size of a chicken egg was swelling up at a visible rate.

"Did I... did I use too much force?" Zhibai asked, his voice trembling on the verge of tears as he fumbled frantically for the medicinal ointment.

Zhao Pu caught his wrist. "This is precisely the effect I wanted. Well done; I'll treat you to extra rations tomorrow."

Shen Jifeng stepped across her threshold beneath the moonlight, and as soon as she lifted her eyes, she caught sight of Zhao Pu with a massive bump crowning his forehead.

"Who did this?"