The imperial edict arrived as dusk was approaching, and the timing of its delivery left everyone in the Zhu Family except Zhu Bowen utterly bewildered.
When the imperial envoy finished reading the decree, the entire household was stunned. They all knew Zhi Er was capable, but what did it mean for the Emperor to order the Minister of Revenue—a high-ranking official like the old master—to cooperate with Zhi Er? No, wait—the edict actually mentioned the entire Ministry of Revenue!
Lai Fu, who had personally come to deliver the decree, handed it to Zhu Bowen and gave him a meaningful glance during the exchange.
Understanding the hint, Zhu Bowen raised his voice and asked, "It’s already so late—has Your Excellency had your meal?"
"How could I have had the time? Naturally, carrying out His Majesty’s duties takes precedence."
"While serving the Emperor is important, filling one’s stomach matters too. Since it’s mealtime, why not stay and have a bite before returning?"
"How could we impose? Though it’s late, we’ll manage with some cold tea and leftovers when we get back."
"It won’t take much time. Steward, quickly prepare a table."
Lai Fu glanced back at his entourage and asked, "Then… shall we have a meal here?"
The four imperial guards and two palace attendants had no objections. When delivering edicts to prominent families—unless it involved confiscations or exiles—there was usually some benefit to be gained. The Zhu Family had never been stingy. If not for the ambiguous nature of today’s decree, which left its implications unclear, this opportunity wouldn’t have fallen to them. A feast here was a welcome bonus.
"In that case, we shall trouble you," Lai Fu replied with a smile, his eyes sweeping over the crowd as if by chance.
Zhu Bowen raised the edcript slightly and said, "This old minister must first visit the Hall of Clear Mirrors…"
"I’ve long heard the Zhu Family possesses a Hall of Clear Mirrors dedicated to imperial gifts. Might I have the honor of seeing it?"
"The Zhu Family has nothing to hide. Please, Your Excellency Lai Fu."
The two left the front courtyard one after the other. Zhu Haocheng, who had by then grasped the situation despite remaining in the dark about the specifics, quickly took charge. He sent the women and maids to the rear courtyard and arranged for the feast to be set up in the side hall.
After settling everyone, he approached his younger brother and asked in a hushed, irritated tone, "What has Zhi Er done to anger the Emperor?"
Zhu Haodong frowned deeply, disliking his elder brother’s tone, which implied Zhi Er had brought trouble upon the family. "If she had angered the Emperor, would His Majesty order Father to cooperate with her?"
"Don’t pretend you didn’t notice—the Emperor’s attitude is off!"
"So what? Does that mean Zhi Er is no longer our niece?" Zhu Haodong retorted under his breath. When there was talk of her inheritance, his brother never hesitated to call her "our dear niece," but now, at the first sign of uncertainty, he was already speculating wildly. If things took a turn for the worse, he’d probably discard her without a second thought.
Their father was right: his elder brother wasn’t a bad person, but he was a true bureaucrat—his first instinct in any crisis was self-preservation, to extricate himself unscathed. Seeing this side of him now was deeply unappealing.
Not wanting to argue further, Zhu Haodong went to his mother’s side. He could tell she was also frightened, likely worried sick about Zhi Er.
Meanwhile, the two men did not go to the Hall of Clear Mirrors but instead headed to the study.
Zhu Bowen stationed guards outside the door and, only after closing it, carefully unrolled the edict to read it thoroughly. What his sons had noticed, he had seen as well—he simply couldn’t fathom where the Emperor’s apparent displeasure with Zhi Er had come from."To make a long story short, Lord Zhu, I ask you, have you met the person by the Eldest Miss Hua's side?" Lai Fu inquired cautiously. The Heir had too many identities, and he didn't know which one Lord Zhu was aware of.
Zhu Bowen nodded. "I have."
"Good. Then I must trouble Lord Zhu to convey some words to him." Lai Fu stepped closer and lowered his voice. "Haoyue is unwilling to enter the palace and may seek an opportunity to ask for his help. The Emperor still suspects his motives for detaining Haoyue. Additionally, the Emperor is waiting for him to admit his mistake, and because of this, he has also formed a negative opinion of the Eldest Miss."
Lai Fu paused, his voice dropping even lower. "When you see him, Lord Zhu, it would be best to advise him. It's merely a matter of yielding—stubbornness benefits no one."
"I will certainly convey this."
Lai Fu let out a soft sigh. "Lord Zhu need not worry too much. The Emperor issued this decree not out of pure anger. The Eldest Miss is to earn silver for the Emperor, which naturally involves the Ministry of Revenue. Moreover, with your support, she can manage things more easily."
"I understand." Though Zhu Bowen was alarmed by the palace secrets he had just heard, he felt somewhat reassured knowing the Chief Steward was on their side. Who could understand the Emperor better than the Chief Steward?
"Miss Shaoyao must return to the palace quickly. I've noticed the Emperor's temper has been particularly fierce lately, which may not bode well. If anything were to happen to the Emperor, Miss Shaoyao would be the first to suffer. There is another important matter." Lai Fu dipped his finger in tea and wrote the character for "four" on the tea table. "This one has been frequently entering the palace these past two days, and the Emperor has received him each time, even dining with him yesterday."
Thinking of the long-vacant crown prince position, Zhu Bowen's expression darkened. Could the Emperor have already made a decision? No, it couldn't be—it was too early to tell. The treatment of the Eldest Prince in the past was far more favorable, yet he never ascended to that position for years.
"I suspect the Emperor intends to pit the Fourth Prince against the Sixth Prince. We must be cautious."
Zhu Bowen was puzzled. "The Sixth Prince? Why would he be involved?"
"You didn't know?" Lai Fu continued without waiting for an answer. "The Sixth Prince has been fostered at the Hua family for over half a year. He is currently traveling abroad with the Hua family's cousin and the Sixth Young Master. Recently, the Eldest Miss made a condition to the Emperor, requesting that the Sixth Prince remain by her side."
Making such a condition was almost an explicit declaration that the Hua family had aligned with the Sixth Prince. Given the Zhu family's close ties and marriage alliance with the Hua family, they were now firmly seen as supporters of the Sixth Prince. Zhu Bowen held no ill will toward the Sixth Prince—the Zhu, Hua, and Sun families had been longtime friends for generations. However...
Thinking of the current situation between the Sun and Hua families, Zhu Bowen felt a headache coming on. If he had known he would have to worry so much about these two families in his old age, he should have beaten those two thoroughly when they were young!
"I cannot stay away for too long, lest someone grow suspicious." Lai Fu tucked his hands into his sleeves. Perhaps from years of bowing and scraping, he appeared slightly hunched.
Zhu Bowen hurried a step ahead to open the door. "On behalf of my troublesome granddaughter, I thank you, Steward."
"The Eldest Miss is not troublesome—she is too capable." Lai Fu stepped over the threshold. "So capable that she has drawn attention."
Zhu Bowen sighed silently. If not for her capability, the Hua family would have collapsed long ago. Truly, it was a case of "the same factor leading to both success and failure."Under the corridor, Zhiniang was waiting there. Seeing the two emerge, she stepped forward and curtsied to Lai Fu, presenting several pouches with both hands—one noticeably larger than the others.
Lai Fu understood implicitly and made no pretence of declining. With these in hand, he could plausibly explain his presence at the Mirror Hall earlier. After all, who would ever complain about having too much silver?
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