Hadn’t Chu Yunshen already pointed out the token was fake?

Why was he asking Su Ming to verify its authenticity now?

Su Ming didn’t refuse him. He told Chu Yunshen without even looking at the token, “Your Highness, this token is fake. It is all fake.”

Was it all fake?

Chu Yunshen’s voice sounded somewhat profound as he pondered.

“Sir Su, let’s go.”

Now that Chu Yunshen had heard what he came for, he did not linger. He put away the token before he stood up unhurriedly.

All of them returned to the justice department with Su Ming under Xiaowu’s care.

On their way back, they heard a lot of gossip.

“Have you heard? The salt prices in Jin City have risen like crazy. Even the salt prices in the neighboring cities have increased, so I am sure it will happen in the capital before long.”

“How can that be? I heard it happened because some of the princes were trying to take advantage of the situation. Would they dare to pull the same stunt in the capital, right under His Majesty’s watch?”

“What do you mean by some? Only one prince was involved! I heard that the princes are vying for power.”

……

“Master, shall I go make them stop gossiping?” Xiaowu asked Chu Yunshen from outside the horse carriage.

Why was news about this spreading like wildfire in the capital? It seemed as though everyone learned about it overnight.

Xiaowu had clearly led some secret guards to kill the news at Prince Jing’s request.

He also did his utmost to suppress news about the complaint filed by the county magistrate’s assistant. How did it end up becoming an open secret after they came back from Jin City?

The sudden turn of events in the capital made Xiaowu suspicious. Su Ming worriedly sat in the horse carriage with Chu Yunshen.

“Don’t bother. Just go back.”

Chu Yunshen glanced at Su Ming thoughtfully.

Since an investigation was underway, they shouldn’t linger.

They had just sat down in the justice department main hall before Xiaowu had received an order from Chu Yunshen about how to deal with Su Ming when Yuan Qing’s shrill voice came from outside.

“Prince Jing, please receive the edict!”

Yuan Qing had already walked into the main hall as he announced the emperor’s edict.

“I humbly accept the decree.”

Yun Qing didn’t even look at Chu Yunshen as he knelt on the ground. Instead, he put on a fake smile and said to Su Ming, “Sir Su, since you are here too, you can come back to the palace with us. It would save me an extra trip.”

Chu Yunshen had only just come back to the capital with Su Ming, but people in the palace had already learned of this.

The speed at which they acquired the news this time was simply too fast. It felt as though someone had been waiting for a long time and was ready every step of the way as they waited for them to walk into a trap.

Xiaowu wanted to say something, but Chu Yunshen looked at him and made him stop.

Now Su Ming would get what he wanted.

He patted his green rope gently before he stood up slowly and followed Chu Yunshen into the palace with determination.

He seemed as though he was a resolute hero ready for death.

A man was already kneeling at the center of the imperial study when Chu Yunshen arrived while Chu Jinshuo stood by the side.

Chu Hongzhen sat on the main seat and seemed furious. From the looks of it, he was clearly agitated.

“Greetings, Father.”

Chu Yunshen walked up to Chu Hongzhen looking dead straight as he knelt and paid his respects. However, Chu Hongzhen didn’t permit him to stand right away.

“How could I possibly have any peace now that this has happened?”

He threw a document on the table unrecommended Chu Yunshen before he turned to Chu Jinshuo standing by the side.

“Jinshuo, tell me what happened.”

“Father, I don’t know either.” Chu Jinshuo looked at Chu Hongzhen innocently. “I heard some gossip, but I wasn’t capable enough to handle it, so I reported the matter to Brother Yunshen.”

“In that case, tell me what is going on, Yunshen.”

“I investigated the matter and finally found Sir Su today…”

Initially, Chu Yunshen wanted to hand his father the secret correspondence and conspirators’ name list, but Chu Hongzhen ignored him deliberately. Before Chu Yunshen finished answering his question, he turned to look at Chu Yelin as he knelt at the center.

Chu Yunshen sneered in his heart and turned to look at the seventh prince as well.

Chu Yelin turned to glance at Su Ming kneeling on the ground before he straightened his robes and said confidently, “Father, I have made a discovery.”

Chu Yelin failed to realize Su Ming’s face turning visibly pale the moment Chu Jinshuo touched a jade Buddha hanging from his waist.

However, Chu Yunshen saw it all. He pursed his lips gently as he looked at Chu Yelin doing his best to put on an act.

Sadly, his seventh little brother continued thinking that things were still well within his grasp!

“Yuan Qing, bring it over.”

Yuan Qing took the secret correspondence and accounts from Chu Yelin and handed them to Chu Hongzhen before he retreated to the side without making a sound. Yuan Qing was worried that Chu Hongzhen might throw his temper at him in a minute.

Chu Yunshen could not help laughing when he saw how cautious Yuan Qing was.

His father was certainly brilliant at making everyone submit and bow to him meekly.

“Father, here are the results of my investigation of Sir Su, along with the evidence for the salt embezzlement case.”

Chu Yelin looked at the eighth prince with the corner of his eye as he knelt with Chu Yunshen. Chu Jinshuo even put on an innocent look and seemed indignant when he heard what Chu Yelin had to say.

“If you take a close look, you can see that the secret correspondence was written in Brother Jinshuo’s hand and stamped with his personal seal.”

“Yelin, are you absolutely sure?”

After glancing at the seal, Chu Hongzhen suddenly looked at the smug Chu Yelin. It was clear from his tone that he was annoyed.

Chu Yelin didn’t understand why his father suddenly became angry. Since he was confident of the evidence he had in hand, he continued, “Father, this is absolutely true. Sir Su served as the middleman, so he knows best.”

Chu Yelin spoke confidently as he pointed at Su Ming earnestly and said to Chu Hongzhen, “It is common knowledge that Sir Su works for Brother Jinshuo as deputy minister of revenue, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that he ended up helping Brother Jinshuo do this.”

The moment he finished his sentence, Chu Yelin glanced at Chu Yunshen kneeling beside him and cupped his fists as he said, “I am certain that Brother Yunshen will investigate this with fairness.”

Chu Yunshen looked at Chu Hongzhen as he laughed angrily without saying a word.

“Brother Yelin, how could you slander me?”

Chu Yunshen had yet to respond when the only other man standing in the imperial study other than Yuan Qing could no longer suppress himself.

The moment Chu Jinshuo heard Chu Yelin’s report, he looked at him in disbelief before he turned to speak to Chu Hongzhen miserably, “Father, on account that we are brothers, I have kept tolerating his actions. I didn’t think that Brother Yelin would frame me for such a major crime…”

Chu Hongzhen sneered before he comforted the eighth prince, “Jinshuo, let your brother finish what he has to say.”

Chu Yelin thought he had gained his father’s trust, so he swiftly said, “Brother Jinshuo, you are being unreasonable here when you were clearly the one who embezzled money…”

“Brother Yelin, what makes you so sure it was me?”

Chu Jinshuo suddenly said wickedly, “What if you were the one who did it?”

Chu Yunshen pursed his lips slightly as he watched from the sidelines. Chu Yelin was too anxious. Despite Chu Jinshuo’s clear goading, Chu Yelin did not catch on.

In reality, Chu Yunshen was keenly aware of how capable Chu Yelin usually was. Chu Yelin genuinely thought everything was under his control this time and also botched up because an investigation was underway.

He sighed in his heart.

“Brother Yelin, you should think again.”

Chu Jinshuo looked at Chu Yelin as he knelt in the center and laughed coldly in his heart.

He had already told Su Ming to mess with the evidence, so he was naturally fearless.

However, Chu Yelin was unperturbed by his sinister voice.

“You should save your worry for yourself, Brother Jinshuo!”

Their argument did not escape Chu Yunshen’s ears. no one noticed the emotion concealed in his eyes.

Chu Yunshen could almost envision their beloved father exploding along with his ridicule.

Sure enough, Chu Hongzhen had already gone through the secret correspondence a few times while they argued.

His cold laughter had turned into sternness. He suddenly slammed the table furiously with a bang before he tossed the secret correspondence Chu Yelin had submitted onto his head and said, “Yelin, take a hard look at this and tell me who’s seal it is? How dare you? How could you lie to me?”

Chu Yelin dodged the secret correspondence Chu Hongzhen hurled at him. For a moment, he was dumbstruck by his father’s sudden fury. He even felt a little giddy. “Father, are you sure? The one who committed the crime behind your back was Brother Jinshuo and not me!”

“How dare you continue blaming your eighth little brother for this? Just take a look for yourself!”

Since the letters were very light to begin with, they floated to the fine marble tile on the ground gently when Chu Hongzhen tossed them.

Chu Yelin hurriedly picked up one of the letters and instantly looked shocked when he saw its contents.

He refused to give up and picked up the other correspondences and checked every single one of them carefully several times as he muttered, “This is impossible…”

“What do you mean it’s impossible? Are you saying this is Jinshuo’s seal?”

Chu Hongzhen didn’t stop that and sounded even fiercer, “Jinshuo has always been a sensible child. How could you slander him for your crimes?”

“This was not what it looked like previously…”

Chu Yunshen looked at Chu Yelin coldly as he looked at the letters at a loss. was he hoping that Chu Hongzhen would investigate the matter and clear his name?

Even if the evidence was against the eighth prince, the emperor would take Chu Jinshuo’s side. Moreover, the seal showing up on the letters was probably doctored to Chu Yelin’s now.

Wasn’t it clear whom their father liked the most?

Did he think that he could implicate Chu Jinshuo by doing this?

Based on Chu Yunshen’s understanding of Chu Hongzhen, he already had an inkling of what he would do next.

Chu Hongzhen furiously looked at his unaccomplished son, Chu Yunshen, and said sternly, “Since you are in charge of the case, tell me what you have learned. I heard that you even went to Jin City. Tell me what this unfilial son has done!”

The moment Chu Yunshen heard this, he couldn’t help wanting to laugh coldly. Sure enough, the emperor knew everything.

He found Chu Hongzhen’s nonchalant questions sheer mockery.

“Father, Jin City’s county magistrate was murdered when I got there. I only managed to find token at the crime scene.”