Glory

At this thought, Ye Chongming said, "From what I understand of your niece, in this matter, it won't just be the Yang family who suffers."

Ye Hongchang's pupils contracted sharply. "You mean... the Meng family?"

Ye Chongming gave a slight nod.

"How is that possible?" Ye Hongchang couldn't figure out how this matter could involve the Meng family. "Just wait and see," Ye Chongming said with evident anticipation.

What was sending Meng Chengwei into exile compared to this? Crushing the Meng family, and even their backer Min Fei—that would be truly impressive.

Based on how Ye Yaming had methodically lured Meng Chengwei into her trap step by step, he believed she was very likely using the Yang family incident to ensnare the Meng family as well.

The case of Ma Dafu accusing Yang Hong was of such significance that both the plaintiff and defendant were temporarily detained.

Due to the ledger's involvement, Qi Zhibei, concerned that Ma Dafu might be harmed, had him placed in solitary confinement under the protection of several constables.

Ma Dafu had presented the ledger in front of a crowd of onlookers, making its existence widely known, though no one knew whose names were recorded in it. When Qi Zhibei returned home, Qi Furen and Qi Ji anxiously inquired about the matter.

After reassuring his wife, Qi Zhibei called Qi Ji into his study and asked him, "Is this case against the Yang family Ye Jia's counterattack?"

He had heard his son muttering criticisms of the Yang family at noon but had been preoccupied with other matters and hadn't given it much thought. Now, with the Yang family being accused in such a manner and with such charges, coupled with his son's earlier remarks and the recent conflict between the Yang family and Ye Jia, he couldn't help but speculate.

Qi Ji was different from Lu Guanyi. With both parents alive, even though he had grown up under his grandfather's care, he had been doted on. In the capital, he had befriended Lu Guanyi, who was highly capable, and Qi Ji had essentially become his sidekick, with Lu Guanyi handling any issues that arose with ease.

As a result, Qi Ji was neither particularly shrewd nor deep.

Had Qi Zhibei asked at another time, Qi Ji might have weighed his words carefully to shield Ye Jia somewhat. But with the ledger now in play, Qi Ji was unsure whether this would affect his father's safety or career. Blood being thicker than water, he naturally wouldn't conceal the truth from his father for Ye Jia's sake. He immediately told Qi Zhibei everything Ye Yaming had said to him.

After hearing this, Qi Zhibei fell silent for a long time.

Qi Ji asked nervously, "Father, is there a problem?"

Qi Zhibei nodded. "That ledger records all the silver the Yang family has given to officials over the past five years, up until this New Year. But mine is the only one missing."

Qi Ji's eyes widened. "You mean..."

"Exactly. Someone removed the page with my entries."

This ledger was personally maintained by Yang Hong. Qi Zhibei had compared the handwriting and was certain of it.

The ledger meticulously recorded every instance of silver received by former Prefect Li Zhaoxun, including when, where, and through whom—it was impossible that Yang Hong would have omitted him, the current prefect.

The only explanation was that someone had removed the page containing his records.

The ledger was hand-bound. Having been started five years ago and frequently handled for entries, the pages were quite worn, and the binding thread had frayed. After removing his page, the person likely thought using new thread would be too obvious, so they reused the old thread, trying to restore it to its original state by aligning the section that had been pressed down.

If Qi Zhibei hadn't been vigilant and examined it closely, he might not have noticed the discrepancy."Will this matter affect you?" Qi Ji asked.

He felt resentment towards the Ye family brewing in his heart.

Such a major incident, involving his father's official position, yet the Ye family hadn't informed him beforehand. Instead, they directly presented the account books during the court hearing in front of so many spectators, putting his family in a passive position.

If his father were affected by this matter, he wouldn't necessarily seek revenge against the Ye family, but he would absolutely refuse any future cooperation.

Qi Zhibei noticed his son's emotional state.

He patted his shoulder and said, "The Yang family isn't worth fearing, but the Meng family and Min Fei still hold considerable influence. If they ally with other factions, it wouldn't be difficult for them to remove me from my position as Lin'an Prefect. Additionally, you know that Deputy Prefect Zhao belongs to the Fourth Prince's faction, right?"

"So, rather than harming me, the Ye family is actually helping me. Our family owes them a great debt." As he spoke, he let out a long sigh.

In this world of officialdom, who doesn't have some skeletons in their closet? Absolutely clean and upright officials who never compromise can't go far—one must make some concessions to reality. An official who can maintain seventy to eighty percent integrity is already exceptional, the kind worthy of being recorded in history books.

Precisely because officials aren't completely clean, if someone truly intends to target you, they won't lack for leverage. By bribing some people, fabricating evidence, having censors submit memorials of impeachment, and getting others to echo the accusations—if your backing isn't strong enough and no one protects you—your official position will be in jeopardy.

Although Qi Zhibei had supporters and wouldn't lose his position, the best outcome if someone impeached him would be a lateral transfer after completing his three-year term in Lin'an. The worst scenario would be demotion and transfer elsewhere, with this position being taken over by another faction.

Jiangnan is prosperous—salt, grain, tea, maritime and canal transport... each sector is extremely lucrative. Which faction wouldn't want their own people in this position to reap benefits for their group?

The Crown Prince's faction had exerted tremendous effort to get him appointed here initially.

Now that Ma Dafu presented these account books, with Deputy Prefect Zhao Zheng and officials from the Surveillance Commission present, and given the seriousness of the matter—with Zhao Zheng himself involved—the account books are now jointly guarded by representatives appointed by Qi Zhibei, the Lin'an Prefecture Vice Prefect, and that Surveillance Commission official.

Zhao Zheng belongs to the Fourth Prince's faction and has served consecutive terms, making him very familiar with local affairs. Since Qi Zhibei arrived in Lin'an, he has faced numerous obstructions from Zhao, making it extremely difficult to carry out his duties.

Now with Ma Dafu's account books presented, Qi Zhibei can remove Zhao Zheng from his position.

The new deputy prefect naturally won't be from their faction. But through the power struggles at the higher levels in court, this could at least bring some benefits to the Crown Prince's faction, and the incoming official definitely won't be from the Fourth Prince's faction either.

This means the Ye family's move not only helps him secure his position and remove his adversarial colleague, but also earns him merit in the Crown Prince's eyes. Whether intentional or not, the Ye family has done him a great favor.

Having grown up in an official's family, Qi Ji wasn't completely ignorant. With his father's guidance, he quickly grasped the key points.

He sprang to his feet, his expression shifting rapidly.

His strange demeanor puzzled Qi Zhibei, who asked, "What's wrong with you?"

Qi Ji took a deep breath and leaned closer to his father, his face showing excitement: "Father, do you know who currently leads the Ye family?"

Qi Zhibei raised an eyebrow: "Isn't it Ye Chongming?"Qi Ji nodded and fully disclosed the recent events of the Ye family along with Lu Guanyi's analysis to his father.

Despite Qi Zhibei's years of official service and having witnessed all manner of affairs, he still stared wide-eyed in astonishment: "Are you suggesting that all of this was orchestrated by that Third Miss Ye, who has just reached her coming-of-age ceremony?"