Wei Dalang stood in court listening to Emperor Qi's commands, thinking to himself, thankfully his father had made arrangements long ago. Now, even if the Grand Canal Administration turned the entire place upside down, they wouldn't find any trace of them!
Emperor Qi immediately ordered General Su to take fifty thousand Ji Prefecture troops to support Bai Chao'an and the others in Jinling City. He also drafted an imperial decree allowing Bai Chao'an to execute first and report later, provided the evidence was conclusive.
General Su took the tiger tally and the imperial decree that very day and headed towards the Ji Prefecture troops. Fortunately, Ji Prefecture and Jinling City were in the same direction, so no significant time was lost.
In the palace, Emperor Qi was speaking with Prime Minister Bai alone. Facing this elder statesman who had served three dynasties, Emperor Qi felt both respect and fear. If the matter hadn't escalated to this point, he wouldn't have pursued it. After all, one cannot have fish in water that is too pure, and the people of Liangzhe had not suffered undue hardship because of it. The prosperity of the Heavenly Dynasty and universal peace was how he summarized his reign over the past decade. Now, with things in such a state, especially after the floods and earthquakes, Emperor Qi felt his past diligence for the people had been in vain. This caused him some distress.
Prime Minister Bai naturally understood his thoughts, but it was precisely because of this that Prime Minister Bai felt Emperor Qi was not a good emperor. If the former emperor were still alive, how would the Grand Canal Administration dare to be so presumptuous! The matter would likely have been suppressed at its first sign, averting today's crisis.
"Prime Minister Bai, do you think it is Heaven's way of telling me that I am a poor emperor, thus causing these successive disasters as a warning?"
"Your Majesty, the southwestern floods were caused by Nanyue and Jiaoren. The earthquake was a result of the floods. As for who is protecting the corruption within the Grand Canal Administration, you likely know in your heart. Why bear the blame yourself? In my humble opinion, those who commit sins should bear the consequences."
Prime Minister Bai was fully aware of the matters mentioned in General Meng's secret letter. Therefore, Duke Wei's guilt was undeniable. Now, it all depended on Emperor Qi's decision. However, seeing his indecisiveness, it seemed he was reluctant to let go.
Emperor Qi was indeed reluctant. To bring down Duke Wei was not difficult, but the challenge lay in the fact that if he fell, the Ninth Prince would have no chance. This would shift the court's balance in favor of the First Prince, Prince Ke. Emperor Qi was still in his prime, and having too many outstanding sons below him was not a good thing. It posed a significant threat to his throne. Therefore, this was the fundamental reason why he couldn't bring himself to decisively deal with Duke Wei, or rather, the faction of the Ninth Prince.
Unfortunately, Prime Minister Bai rarely acted, but when he did, it was with deadly intent.
"This old minister heard that the reason the Feng family's second branch surrendered the mine was due to a collapse."
"What?"
A mine collapse was not major news, but a collapse in the Feng family's mine was rather peculiar. As far as he could recall, his father had always praised the Feng family's mine management, stating that no such incident had occurred since the founding of the dynasty. How could it have collapsed now? He hastily inquired about the cause.
"Your Majesty, as you know, this old minister's eldest daughter married into the Feng family, so I have more insight into such matters. The mine collapsed not due to the Feng family's fault, but because someone deliberately caused it. Their aim was to seize the Feng family's account books and make them their own. By suppressing the Feng family's influence in Liangzhou, they intended to forcibly acquire the mine for their own use."
His words were few, but each one struck Emperor Qi to the core.
"Has Your Majesty considered where the Feng family's mine is located? And what is closest to it? If someone were to seize that mine and secretly forge weapons, I fear some individuals might harbor rebellious intentions."
On the side of the imperial study hung a map of the Great Jin's mountains and rivers. Emperor Qi looked up and saw the large characters "Qian Prefecture" clearly. Instantly, his internal alarm bells rang. Qian Prefecture, Liangzhou. If the Feng family's mine were used to forge weapons, Qian Prefecture, with its mountains and fog, would be ideal for concealing private troops. And this connection was one he himself had established for the two of them.
Recalling Consort Wei's tantrums during the period of the arranged marriage, Emperor Qi felt as if he had swallowed a fly. He had never considered this possibility. In an instant, he was filled with anger at Duke Wei's scheme. At that time, Consort Wei was solely focused on Princess Qianling, and he had felt a significant threat. He had deliberately arranged for someone to harm her and then chosen an unremarkable granddaughter of Prince Yu to counterbalance her. He hadn't expected that their scheme would inadvertently provide them with an opportunity to be together legitimately. If Prime Minister Bai hadn't pointed it out today, he would still be in the dark.
Seeing the change in his expression, Prime Minister Bai remained indifferent. These words were, in fact, his speculation, or rather, he had deliberately guided Emperor Qi to think this way, all to make him resolute in dealing with Duke Wei. Without directly touching upon his sensitive points, Emperor Qi would not make this decision. And he feared nothing more than a change in imperial power, even if it were his own son whom he had nurtured. Over the years, he had been observing, and the Ninth Prince was indeed not a person fit to bear great responsibility. If he were to ascend the throne, the future of the Great Jin would likely be bleak. Therefore, even if his deliberate "framing" caused the Ninth Prince to be removed from his high position, he would not hesitate.
Emperor Qi fell into profound silence, and Prime Minister Bai did not urge him. After standing for an unknown period, his legs growing numb, Prime Minister Bai finally heard Emperor Qi summon Eunuch Wang.
"Go to the rear palace and inform the Empress that Consort Wei is behaving madly and is unfit to hold a high position. Effective immediately, her golden seal as Consort is revoked, she is demoted to Noble Lady, confined to the Hanzhang Hall, and shall not leave without an imperial decree."
Upon hearing this order, Prime Minister Bai showed no reaction. Eunuch Wang's jaw nearly dropped, but he dared not show any expression.
"Yes, this servant obeys the decree."
As soon as Eunuch Wang left, Emperor Qi let out a long sigh. When he looked at Prime Minister Bai again, his eyes were no longer hesitant. Xiao Yunli, this son, was indeed his favorite and most like him. But if he harbored rebellious intentions, he could not be kept. Consort Wei's current fate was merely a warning. If they remained unrepentant and caused further trouble, he could not be blamed for being ruthless as a father. In the imperial family, there was no shortage of so-called familial affection. If he lost one son, he had many others.
Prime Minister Bai understood that His Majesty was preparing to act. Based on his understanding of Duke Wei, this was likely just the beginning.
That night, after the Empress personally brought people to read the imperial decree, Consort Wei was completely stunned. She didn't know what had happened, why His Majesty would suddenly strike. Logically, the matter with Consort Liu Xian had already passed. Could someone be plotting against her? She then cried out her innocence, and especially upon seeing the Empress's mocking expression, her rebellious spirit was ignited once more.