Ganlu Temple.

"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince requests an audience."

The attendant announced briefly, and Zhao Rui frowned slightly. Recently, he has been practicing self-cultivation and avoiding women, feeling much healthier.

Moreover, after taking the prescription and engaging in some exercise, the effects have truly been remarkable.

He still has several years to live, so maintaining these efforts is necessary, which is why he resists the urge to return to the palace and remains at Ganlu Temple.

Even Consort Xue was turned away when she came to visit him.

Naturally, residing at Ganlu Temple doesn’t mean he’s indifferent to state affairs. Every day, key political matters are written into confidential reports and delivered up the mountain.

He observes every move of the Crown Prince and the court officials.

"Wasn’t it said, not to let him come over without reason? As a Crown Prince overseeing the nation, dealing with so many matters daily, how does he have time to come and pay respects?"

The attendant dared not speak further, knowing the emperor’s thoughts are unpredictable, and saying the wrong thing could lead to punishment.

"Fine, let him come over then." After all, he is the Crown Prince, and denying him this courtesy might arouse suspicion among the court officials.

"Yes."

The Crown Prince, frail in health, couldn’t possibly ride in a sedan chair when entering Ganlu Temple; he had to walk. From the mountain gate up to Hanyuan Hall where Emperor Zhao Rui resided, it was quite a long way, leaving him breathless and sweating profusely.

In truth, he was reluctant to come but had no choice.

"Father..."

"Enough, don’t kneel. Look at your sweaty forehead. I’ve told you to exercise more regularly, yet you indulge in laziness and overeating. At this rate, when you ascend the throne, you might not outlive me!" Zhao Rui raised a hand and spoke.

"Thank you, Father, for your teachings!"

"Speak your mind. Between father and son, there’s no need for such formalities here; this isn’t the Southern Study."

"Father, I received a memorandum from Pei Jian, the Prefect of Dongshan Prefecture, stating that a branch of the Huang Family, exiled to the border of Lanzhou, has privately forged prohibited weapons with intentions of treason!" Crown Prince Zhao Yuanze reached into his sleeve and handed Pei Jian’s memorandum over.

"The Huang Family?" Zhao Rui asked, furrowing his brows, naturally aware of who the Huang Family is.

"Indeed."

Zhao Rui reached out, took it, and opened it, his expression remaining largely unchanged: "Pei Jian is under your purview, correct?"

"He has been under my wing in the past, and his appointment as Prefect of Dongshan was also my recommendation." Zhao Yuanze did not deny this.

"How did the Huang Family come to have such audacity?"

"Father, I also find it strange. However, I trust Pei Jian’s integrity; he wouldn’t lie about something like this. The discovery and evidence were made by the newly appointed Physician Lin Miao."

"How is this related to a physician?"

"The story is quite extensive, and many details in the memorandum are not explicitly stated. But Pei Jian’s letter to me explains the incident in detail..." Zhao Yuanze thoroughly explained the circumstances.

"The Huang Family occupied Lin Miao’s master’s medical clinic and converted it into their family shrine. When Lin Miao returned home to visit his family, he directly seized the Huang Family’s shrine and discovered a large cache of prohibited weapons inside, then secretly reported it to Pei Jian, correct?"

"Yes, in fact, Lin Miao was originally forced to leave home by the Huang Family, so even though the shrine was built by the Huang Family, the land belongs to Sun, and naturally, the buildings on it should also belong to Sun."

"Is this Lin the Physician in the ’Path to Sage-hood’ trial?"

"Yes, but he has fulfilled the conditions required for the trial. This return home is also to pay respects to his late master and to console his master’s spirit in heaven," Zhao Yuanze said. "The Huang Family failed to acquire land deeds and house deeds; after he left, they desecrated his master’s grave, leaving the body exposed in the wilderness, an outrage to both gods and humans!"

Zhao Rui glanced at the Crown Prince.

As an emperor, he naturally harbors suspicions. The Huang Family was once the support for the third son, but in the current situation, the third son has no chance for revival.

There is no necessity for targeting them.

The Crown Prince dispatched Pei Jian to Dongshan Prefecture. Who he is targeting, as the emperor, is quite clear.

His two sons are competing openly and covertly; he sees it clearly. As long as they don’t cross the line, everything is negotiable. After all, he ascended the throne through competition.

If the Crown Prince didn’t dare compete, having many sons would be useless.

The memorandum doesn’t mention anyone else, merely stating the Huang Family’s treacherous intentions, without using the grave accusation of "rebellion."

But even this is enough to condemn the Huang Family to ruin.

The charge of rebellion demands the execution of nine kinships, but treachery is considerably lighter, likely resulting in the beheading of adult males, while minors and women have a chance at survival.

This indicates Pei Jian doesn’t intend to wipe them out completely.

"Handle this matter as you see fit, Crown Prince," Zhao Rui thought for a moment and then directly delegated the authority to Crown Prince Zhao Yuanze.

"Father, according to Da Li’s law, the Huang Family should face execution across three generations. However, given Heaven’s mercy for life, I believe we should only punish the knowing culprits, sparing the innocent, including women and minors, by sending them into servitude. What do you think?"

"Good," Zhao Rui nodded. The Crown Prince’s handling of state affairs was prudent; otherwise, he wouldn’t have pressed him to produce a grandson sooner.

Though the Crown Prince’s abilities are not comparable to his father’s, he is not ineffectual and at least a competent ruler.

"What reward should those who contributed merit receive?" Zhao Yuanze asked.

Dealing with the Huang Family is straightforward: those who deserve execution will be executed, those eligible for a reprieve will be spared. Ultimately, the law provides guidance, but rewards for meritorious service are a matter for the emperor’s discretion, even for the Crown Prince to decide freely.

This falls under the emperor’s authority.

Zhao Rui closed his eyes and pondered for a while. In this case, the greatest contributor should be Physician Lin Miao, since he uncovered the Huang Family’s crimes, protected the evidence, and even reported it at personal risk.

Of course, Pei Jian also contributed, but as the parent official of Dongshan Prefecture, performing these duties is naturally part of his responsibilities.

If it weren’t for Lin Miao’s discovery of the Huang Family’s evidence of guilt, when it erupted afterward, there would be crime instead of merit.

However, Lin Miao has already been awarded the rank of Seventh-Grade Official, and further promotion would elevate him to the Sixth Grade. With such great merit, he should at least become a Sixth Grade Scholar.

If meritorious deeds are not rewarded, it would chill the heart.

"Crown Prince, do you have a plan?"

"Since Lin, as a Seventh-Grade Official, hasn’t been appointed yet, I think we can consider promoting him half a rank to Sixth Grade Scholar. Additionally, we can offer him a position at the Dongshan Medical Bureau?"

"Hmm, how about making him the deputy to the newly appointed Wen Ruyu at Dongshan Prefecture Medical Bureau?"

"Wen Ruyu is Seventh Grade, but he is Sixth Grade. Who will listen to whom then?" Crown Prince Zhao Yuanze asked in surprise.

"Wen Ruyu is the principal officer, so naturally, the principal officer is the one to be obeyed."

"Understood, I will draft the decree immediately!"

...

Lin Miao has finally decided to leave Qingping Town. To avoid alarming the townspeople, he told no one there.

He simply departed quietly.

Unexpectedly, early in the morning, the townspeople gathered at his door to bid him farewell.

He had toppled the Huang Family, restoring a clear sky to Qingping Town. With no more oppression from the Huang Family, the townspeople’s future days would surely be much better.

Lin Miao was the benefactor of everyone in the town.

He received many local mountain goods that he couldn’t refuse, and ultimately had no choice but to accept them. Fortunately, there was a carriage to store them; otherwise, he wouldn’t have known how to carry it all.

At the town’s eastern entrance.

Qiu Ze awaited there with a group of people.

Approximately forty to fifty of them.

"Mr. Qiu, welcome to our ranks."

"With such generous conditions from the owner, I, Qiu Ze, have no reason not to join. From now on, the lives of our brothers are entrusted to the owner!" Qiu Ze cupped his hands and said.

"Rest assured, there won’t be any issues!" Lin Miao laughed heartily.

The team gathered together.

...

Li Hen City.

Very bustling.

At the entrance, people came and went incessantly, and its busyness did not lose out to Dongshan City.

However, those living here weren’t ordinary civilians. From their attire, it was clear they weren’t ordinary people.

The air was mixed with a foul odor, of blood and sweat, even worse than Dongshan City’s slums.

In terms of scale, Li Hen City certainly couldn’t match Dongshan City, occupying about a quarter of its area, yet it accommodated nearly ten thousand people.

This made it larger than some county towns and even more prosperous, although the city streets lacked planning and no one maintained order.

The three major powers each occupied a territory, and the rest survived in the cracks between them, maintaining a relatively balanced situation.

Lin Miao and his group were immediately watched upon entering the city.

Their eyes were filled with a burning desire, audaciously staring at the chests of sisters Lianxin and Liansuo.

Had they not been numerous, they would have charged directly to seize them.

As they moved ahead, they continued to be stared at.

Qiu Ze and the others grasped their weapons tightly, their expressions wary as they surveyed the surroundings. He had been to Li Hen City before but never as nervously as today.

The team stopped on a street, in front of a store.

Looking up, there was a signboard with the words "Lin’s" inscribed on it. Lin Miao got out of the carriage, turned around, took his senior sister’s hand, and helped her down.

"Senior sister, we’ve arrived."

"Where is this place, Owner? I’ve been to Li Hen City before but never heard of this store," Qiu Ze asked curiously.

"Go inside, and you’ll understand." Lin Miao smiled slightly.

Upon entering the store, Mrs. Qiao, busy behind the counter, hastily assigned her tasks to a nearby person upon seeing Lin Miao, and quickly approached: "Mrs. Qiao greets the young master."

"Where is your wife?"

"My wife went to Yingfeng Valley. She will be thrilled to hear you returned," Mrs. Qiao said excitedly.

"I’m tired from the journey, arrange accommodation, and take care of these people who are with me as well." Lin Miao instructed.

"Yes, Young Master." Mrs. Qiao agreed, summoning another person and softly instructing them before sending them off.

"Young Master, Lady, this way please!" Mrs. Qiao led them in front and explained, "Miss Si has already acquired the land at the back for expanding Lin’s, but currently the construction work at Yingfeng Valley is prioritized, so it’s temporarily unattended here with only minor repairs done, the conditions are somewhat poorer..."

"No matter, as long as there’s a place to stay." Lin Miao nodded, acknowledging Si Miaoxue’s swift actions; it seemed Yingfeng Valley had already entered the construction phase.

This time, he made a detour to check it out, as once he returned to Dongshan City, it wouldn’t be as convenient to come out again.