Transmigration: Space-Aided Rise to Power and Prosperity-Chapter 772 - 608: The Eldest Prince’s Assignment

Gu Chengyu sighed inwardly, unsure whether to say Yin Kun’s earlier comments about him were correct, or if Yin Kun was simply too insensitive to the situation.

"I only need to spread the word that if the tea tax cannot be implemented, the burden on the common folk’s taxes will increase. You see? If the tea merchants openly resist, the people naturally won’t accept it. If they act in secret, I have even less to fear."

Yin Kun looked at Gu Chengyu in shock; this was a master at playing power games.

He stroked his beard, "As you said, if those people act in secret, they’re also hard to guard against, and two fists are no match for four hands. Besides, there’s only a thousand days to be a thief, but no thousand days to guard against one. Even if you’re not afraid, what about your family?"

Gu Chengyu knew Yin Kun was worried about him, and a warmth surged in his heart. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Don’t worry, brother! I am an official of the court, and here, under the Emperor’s feet, these people don’t dare act too recklessly. If they want to trip me up in officialdom, I’ll counter every move."

Yin Kun was still a bit worried; those people would use any means for wealth.

"You still need to be cautious; those people are not easy to deal with." His worry grew with Gu Chengyu’s nonchalant attitude.

"Brother! Wealth comes from risk; in officialdom, one is not in full control of oneself. If one always hesitates, how can one achieve great things?"

Gu Chengyu wasn’t only advising Yin Kun but was also motivating himself.

Yin Kun fell silent; this little apprentice differed from him, and whether this personality was a blessing or a curse remained unknown.

He thought of his apprentice brother He Jisheng, whose character closely resembled Gu Chengyu’s, though He Jisheng was more unscrupulous.

"It’s good as long as you have discretion; the teacher has already retired and can’t help you much. Although your second brother and I can assist you somewhat, our capabilities are ultimately limited."

Yin Kun gave another piece of advice; he and Gu Chengyu had different dispositions; he could only maintain what he had.

Although he didn’t understand Gu Chengyu’s radical approach, Gu Chengyu was always his apprentice brother, and he would help when needed.

"Thank you, brother, for your support. Since meeting you, you’ve cared for me greatly. In the future, I’ll be cautious, avoiding trouble for both our teacher and brothers."

Yin Kun, as an elder brother, had been truly kind and conscientious.

"Alright! As fellow students, there’s no need for such formality. Recently, be careful; the Emperor might appoint a Crown Prince, causing some unrest in the Capital. Your rank is too low; don’t get entangled in the Princes’ struggles. Lie low for a while."

Yin Kun feared Gu Chengyu would become too conspicuous, drawing the Princes into involving him in the whirlpool of succession.

"Is the day of appointing a Crown Prince near? Have the Princes shown any signs?" Gu Chengyu frowned thoughtfully at the words before asking.

"Three months ago, the Eldest Prince took up a task from the Ministry of Justice, ordered by the Emperor to review case files from recent years, but was recently impeached by the Third Prince’s faction."

"Oh? For what reason?" Gu Chengyu found this odd; why would such a task require the Eldest Prince’s personal involvement?

Death sentence cases, once reviewed by the Ministry of Justice, were unlikely to be overturned upon reevaluation.

"Two months ago, a family massacre occurred in Hejian Prefecture, six people in total killed, supposedly by a neighbor, the weapon a knife. The issue is, the weapon was never found, and the neighbor refused to admit it."

"Initially, this case was reviewed by the Ministry of Justice, and the person was set for execution after autumn. However, the Eldest Prince happened to be tasked with the Ministry, and a constable in Hejian Prefecture uncovered other evidence, thinking the matter warranted further investigation."

Yin Kun explained the details in one breath and then picked up his teacup for a sip.

"If there’s something unusual, then gather more evidence and request reexamination by the Ministry. Why was the Eldest Prince impeached?"

"If that were the case, there’d be no significant issue. The trouble is, the offender died in prison, his throat slit with a sharp knife, identical to the murder weapon for that household."

"Oh?" Gu Chengyu raised a brow, intrigued.

"A captured person couldn’t possibly carry a weapon, right? The real killer might be someone else!"

Gu Chengyu pondered that someone must have smuggled the weapon into the prison, causing the man to commit suicide out of guilt?

Yet it made no sense; since execution was imminent, why resort to suicide?

"Who knows, anyway, the Imperial Censors seized the opportunity. They accuse the Eldest Prince of mishandling his Ministry duties, wrongly convicting the innocent, leading to the prisoner’s death while the actual killer roams free."

Yin Kun felt the Eldest Prince was unjustly treated, but he couldn’t ignore his Ministry duties.

Those people were eager for a chance to find fault with the Eldest Prince; wasn’t this the perfect opportunity?

"This seems far-fetched; the Ministry of Justice reviews based on the records. If new leads aren’t promptly reported, leading to erroneous judgments, doesn’t this defy logic?"

Gu Chengyu found it puzzling; how could the Ministry of Justice in the Capital immediately know the case’s progress?

Yin Kun shook his head, "If the Ministry weren’t aware of the new developments, that’d be one thing. Yet Hejian Prefecture had rushed to deliver the fresh evidence to the Ministry; that’s incompetence on the Ministry’s part."

"Then the Ministry can’t shirk responsibility." Gu Chengyu understood; the rapid delivery to the Capital, yet the prisoner died in custody? The timing seemed oddly convenient.

However, normally, for the Ministry, this matter wasn’t considered significant.

Because if the prisoner hadn’t been killed, he’d still be alive in jail.

There’s still time for the case to be reexamined; only, unexpectedly, the prisoner died.

And the trouble was the Eldest Prince was working in the Ministry, and others aimed to seize upon this opportunity to fault the Eldest Prince.

Historically, were there few wrongful convictions? Misjudging a case was quite possible; if unnoticed, wrongs weren’t righted?

Moreover, mutual protection among officials is age-old. Even if the investigators spot an error, there are ways to dismiss wrongful cases.

"Have they found someone to be a scapegoat?"

Gu Chengyu believed at this juncture, the Eldest Prince would want to preserve his reputation, as his hope of becoming Crown Prince remained substantial.

Yin Kun had grown numb to Gu Chengyu’s astuteness, "Naturally, it’s a Chief from the Ministry of Justice, Hejian Prefecture, Civil Servant Department stepping up; the records from Hejian Prefecture reached him, and he forgot to report."

Gu Chengyu shook his head, whether the person took the fall or it was true. Normally meriting only a punishment, now it would cost an official’s hat.

"Is the matter now resolved?" Gu Chengyu didn’t inquire about the Chief’s fate; officialdom is inherently cruel.

"Not yet, it’s still being dragged out! At this critical moment, the Eldest Prince naturally can’t leave the Capital, so he sent people to Hejian Prefecture for a thorough investigation."