Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors
Chapter 121 - 116: Meeting the Emperor!

Chapter 121: Chapter 116: Meeting the Emperor!

"Lord Governor," Magistrate Ning embezzled funds during the supervision of the embankment repairs, leading to a breach during the Dragon Boat Festival flood. You had him beheaded along with two river channel assistants and the river supervisor. Is that correct?"

Sun Fanghua didn’t beat around the bush, getting straight to the point.

Li Hongyun nodded, "That is indeed the case."

Sun Fanghua asked, "I’m a bit puzzled. Lord Governor, why execute them first and report afterward? Wouldn’t it have been better to send these people to the capital and leave their fate to His Majesty?"

Li Hongyun glanced at him, maintaining his composure, "These men caused a great disaster and rightly deserved their punishment. According to the laws of the Great Sheng Dynasty, they should be executed on the spot, in a public display of justice. As Governor, I have that authority."

Sun Fanghua’s face showed a meaningful expression, "Lord Governor, save such official statements for His Majesty.

"I may be slow-witted, but even I could tell you were in a hurry to kill these men to make this case ironclad.

"I’m just curious, how exactly do you plan to handle this case? Not only am I concerned about this, but Mr. Gu in the capital is also very interested."

Li Hongyun knew what was going on in his mind.

It seemed that a different approach had indeed triggered some new aspects of the game!

Previously, Li Hongyun had tried sending Magistrate Ning to the capital, and had also tried executing him after recording a confession, but neither action had triggered this visit from Sun Fanghua; instead, they were both deemed failures.

The reason was simple. After making those choices, whether Sun Fanghua came or not, or whatever he said to Sun Fanghua, it actually had no impact on the outcome of the situation.

Because those choices did not leave him with enough room to maneuver.

But this time, because he had two confessions, what Li Hongyun said to Sun Fanghua would directly affect Gu Qingzhang in the capital.

Sun Fanghua’s visit had, in fact, only one purpose.

It was to test on behalf of Mr. Gu, to see the real stance of Governor Lin Xiangmin and whether he intended to switch sides and break away from the Yan Party.

The embankment was newly repaired and there was hardly any chance of it breaking. Although Mr. Gu’s information network wasn’t as extensive as Elder Yan’s, he was certainly not ignorant, and he probably suspected the Yan Party’s scheming behind the incident.

This was indeed an opportunity to bring down the Yan Party, but the key was whether there was compelling evidence.

If Governor Lin covered for the Yan Party, Gu Qingzhang would have no choice but to retreat; but if Governor Lin switched allegiance, then Gu Qingzhang would be resolved to wage a decisive battle against the Yan Party!

Full of anticipation, Sun Fanghua awaited Governor Lin Xiangmin’s response.

Li Hongyun didn’t say much, but simply took out a confession and handed it over.

Sun Fanghua was taken aback, and his expression changed dramatically as he took the document.

"Lord Governor, this..."

Clearly, the content of the confession was completely unexpected to him.

Sun Fanghua indeed had come to probe for information on behalf of Mr. Gu, but he hadn’t held much hope. Everyone knew that Lin Xiangmin was a staunch member of the Yan Party, and even if the embankment incident likely implicated Elder Yan, Lin Xiangmin was expected to cover for him.

Deciding not to send Magistrate Ning to the capital and instead executing him on the spot certainly reduced the unpredictability of the situation.

Therefore, if Governor Lin Xiangmin insisted that the breach had nothing to do with Elder Yan, then Sun Fanghua would have had no choice but to depart silently.

But now, the confession presented by Governor Lin Xiangmin implicated Elder Yan!

It was clearly written that Elder Yan had secretly instructed Magistrate Ning to destroy the embankment. It even involved the issue of embezzling funds through the sale of land.

Of course, Yan Maoqing was cautious in his dealings and wouldn’t have left any significant loophole, but just this confession alone was enough for Mr. Gu to obtain the trump card to bring down the Yan Party!

Sun Fanghua looked up at Lin Xiangmin, feeling that the matter was completely beyond his expectations.

Could it be that Governor Lin, a diehard Yan Party member, had truly switched allegiance?

Li Hongyun sighed softly, without revealing his true feelings, "The southeast can’t continue to be in such disarray."

He didn’t explain further, knowing that the more he explained, the easier it would be to reveal inconsistencies.

It was better to let Sun Fanghua fill in the blanks himself.

Gradually, an expression of realization appeared on Sun Fanghua’s face.

In his view, Governor Lin’s defection at this time was entirely comprehensible.

On one hand, the Yan Party was on the brink of collapse; the Emperor had long intended to remove Elder Yan from power after so many years of control, and Governor Lin, aboard the sinking ship of the Yan Party, chose to seek salvation by defecting to Mr. Gu.

On the other hand, Governor Lin was concerned about the situation of expelling the outlaws from the southeast, hoping that this action would secure sufficient military resources.

Whether it was out of self-interest or public interest, once the confession was submitted, it would mean that Governor Lin had no place to retreat and had to stand with Gu Qingzhang.

Thinking this through, Sun Fanghua bowed deeply, "Lord Governor, your loyalty to the state commands my respect!

"Since that’s the case, I’ll go and report this matter to Mr. Gu right away, to ensure that your tireless efforts were not in vain!"

Li Hongyun nodded slightly.

However, after Sun Fanghua left, Li Hongyun called over a trusted aide to hand over another confession and a memorial.

"Present this confession to His Majesty."

...

Mist shrouded the air.

As the white fog lifted once again, Li Hongyun found himself no longer in the Governor’s Yamen but had arrived in the palace.

Right now, he was prostrated on the ground, having heard the voice of the emperor from above.

"The Great Sheng Dynasty asks you, regarding the breach of the river embankment during the Dragon Boat Festival in May that caused a great flood and damaged several fields, what really happened?

"Mr. Gu claims that Elder Yan secretly instigated this. What do you have to say?"

Li Hongyun couldn’t help feeling a surge of elation.

Finally, the moment had come!

Being able to see the emperor meant that the choices he made before were correct.

And now, his response would directly determine the success or failure of all the groundwork he had laid.

Li Hongyun knelt on the ground, took a deep breath, and answered, "Your Majesty bears the weight of the Great Sheng Dynasty, ruling the vast country with the finesse of cooking a delicate dish, and must never act impulsively!

"At this moment, it is a tumultuous time, with frequent famines and natural disasters across the provinces and regions, while the situation of suppressing rebels in the southeast is on the brink of a decisive battle. If a sweeping purge were to start now, involving many, it would likely lead to immediate chaos throughout the realm!

"Elder Yan has been in power for many years. Your Majesty surely understands him better than I do. I owe Elder Yan a debt of gratitude and cannot betray such kindness; however, my loyalty to Your Majesty as your subject is paramount.

"Your Majesty has asked about the breach of the river embankment during the Dragon Boat Festival, and I have already clarified in my memorandum. If Your Majesty doubts it, I am willing to resign and await Your Majesty’s judgment in jail, but I humbly request that Your Majesty choose an appropriate time to reinvestigate the matter!"

Having delivered this prepared speech, Li Hongyun knelt on the ground, awaiting the emperor’s reply.

He had done everything he could; if he still failed... then he would have to overturn and rethink all of his judgments thus far.

Fortunately, after a long wait, Li Hongyun heard the emperor’s voice soften considerably.

"Given your statement, it’s clear to see that you are a loyal official who cares deeply for the state. As such, I will refrain from questioning you about the breach during the Dragon Boat Festival for now.

"I heard that the fight against rebels in the southeast is difficult but has resulted in significant victories, achieving consecutive wins. Now, only Puning Port remains to be taken, as military supplies are running low, is that correct?"

Li Hongyun hastily responded, "I am not skilled in border affairs and only managed to scrape by in the southeast, falling short of Your Majesty’s great expectations."

The emperor paused, then spoke again, "Alright, I understand your difficulties. You may return. The southeast cannot be without you, Lin Xiangmin, for even a day. As for the military funds you require, I will discuss it with the Cabinet to ensure that your military needs are met, no matter what."

Li Hongyun quickly kowtowed, "Thank you for Your Majesty’s magnanimous grace!"

...

The fog thickened, and in the next second, Li Hongyun found himself back at the Governor’s Yamen.

Not returning to the start scene meant that Li Hongyun had achieved a stage of success!

"It really worked!

"Just as I had speculated!"

Li Hongyun couldn’t contain his ecstatic joy, the anxiety he had previously felt before the emperor completely vanished.

Now he completely understood why sending Prefect Ning to the capital or submitting the real testimony would have led directly to mission failure.

In simple terms, it was because of that reason: Elder Yan’s faction could not fall now!

Because the emperor was not prepared for that yet.

The reason Yan Maoqing had been able to control court politics for so many years boiled down to the emperor’s trust in him and approval of his money-gathering abilities.

Perhaps the emperor was already considering a change, but he was not yet ready.

If this matter were exposed at the time, then Gu Qingzhang would certainly seize the opportunity for a fierce attack. Then, in the emperor’s eyes, Lin Xiangmin’s action would be seen as a reckless, foolish, and ungrateful move.

Intensifying conflicts before the emperor was prepared to bring down Yan, and turning against Yan Maoqing who had once promoted and valued him, to side with Mr. Gu.

Most crucially, such an act would make the emperor feel that the struggle among court officials was completely beyond his control!

Yan Maoqing’s breach of the embankment, though a grave misstep, was ultimately his way of trying to raise funds for the emperor—it couldn’t be acknowledged publicly, but privately, the emperor would consider Yan Maoqing still loyal.

But what about Gu Qingzhang? Conspiring with high-ranking officials to launch a fierce attack on Yan Maoqing completely upset the original balance within the Cabinet, a force that was now a threat to the emperor.

That’s why the emperor wouldn’t easily let Gu Qingzhang get his way.

Having offended both Yan Maoqing and the emperor, it was natural that the position of governor for Lin Xiangmin would become untenable.

However, if Lin Xiangmin did nothing, the conflict between Yan Maoqing and Gu Qingzhang wouldn’t escalate, and without an attack from Gu Qingzhang, everything would remain the same, making it impossible for Lin Xiangmin to get the opportunity to be summoned to the capital.

So, the solution Li Hongyun finally came up with was to use Gu Qingzhang to stir up the conflict, then appear to stand with Yan Maoqing on the surface, but in reality, he was siding with the emperor.

What he said didn’t directly accuse Elder Yan of being the mastermind behind this event, but in reality, it implied everything.

This way, it caused the emperor and Yan Maoqing to grow suspicious of each other and solidified his persona, making a good impression on the emperor and securing an opportunity to speak with the emperor face-to-face.

Only then could the issue of military funding be smoothly resolved!

Of course, looking back, while this approach might be the best solution for now, it also planted the seeds of a potentially deadly problem.

No wonder Sun Fanghua said that by doing so, Lin Xiangmin had chosen the path with the greatest cost.