"Bai, my minister."
"Your humble servant is here!"
"This memorial is well organized. It shows that you are not only meticulous but also insightful. Convey my decree: you are appointed Imperial Envoy, bestowed with the Lingxiao Sword. Seeing this sword is like seeing the Emperor. You are to depart for Jinling immediately, gather official grain, and deliver it to the southwest to relieve the disaster victims!"
"Your humble servant obeys!"
As this order was given, the faces of the officials who had just been clamoring turned quite interesting.
On one hand, they were relieved to have avoided this arduous task. On the other hand, they feared that after Bai Chao'an successfully handled this matter, his official career would flourish, leaving them with pale and embarrassed faces.
Bai Chao'an, however, did not object to this assignment, as it was also part of their plan.
Upon returning to the Bai manor after the court session, Madam Bai, Lin Shi, had already prepared all his luggage, ready for his departure the next day.
"Going this time might alert the Duke of Wei's faction. You must be careful in the inner quarters, especially at banquets related to Consort Wei. Avoid them if possible, lest they target you."
"Rest assured, my lord. There are few in this capital who can make me stumble. Moreover, I have now won the favor of Princess Fulin. With her support, Consort Wei cannot do anything to me."
Lin Shi's actions had been planned long ago. She was adept at navigating between factions. Coupled with the powerful influence of both her husband's and her maiden family, gaining the favor of superiors was effortless.
"That's good. After I leave, Father will return to court. With him holding the reins, I doubt others will dare to provoke the Bai family."
Prime Minister Bai's influence was not easily shaken, so his involvement was more effective than any imperial pardon.
Lin Shi also knew her father-in-law's formidable power, so her heart was at ease.
Then, remembering something, she instructed, "When you go, see that child Shanwei. Since he will be adopted into our branch of the family upon his return, you should cultivate a good relationship with him."
"Madam, rest assured. Even if you didn't say it, I would."
Feng Jinyao had taken Qiao Shanwei with her when she left. They were all aware of this.
Initially, they thought she was taking him to broaden his horizons. However, the news from Prince Ding's manor indicated that he had gone to the southwest.
Bai Chao'an had to admit that he admired this.
At such a young age, he possessed such courage. He was indeed a descendant of their Bai family, more spirited than himself and his third and fourth brothers.
He therefore placed even greater hopes on him.
At this moment, the Bai family had not yet received news of his success in flood control. When everyone heard about it, even the usually stoic Prime Minister Bai showed a rare look of relief.
Of course, this was a story for later.
The next day, Bai Chao'an, accompanied by a detachment of the Imperial Guards sent by the Emperor, set off for Jiangnan.
The Imperial Guards were led by General Meng, a trusted confidant of Emperor Qi. This was partly to protect the Imperial Envoy's safety and partly as a form of surveillance.
After all, the Bai and Wen families were connected through the Feng family. If Bai Chao'an colluded with Wen Zhonghe, it would not be good for Emperor Qi to be unaware in the capital.
Therefore, Bai Chao'an clearly understood General Meng's role, which was ostensibly protection but in reality, supervision.
However, he was not unaware of Emperor Qi's suspicious nature, so he did not care.
With General Meng present, it would be even faster to report the corruption case of the Grand Canal Administration to Emperor Qi, which was all the better.
The news of Feng Jia and Wen Zhonghe was not kept from the Wen family who had traveled from afar.
Upon hearing about the floods and earthquakes in the southwest, Madam Wen was so frightened that she almost fainted on the spot. Trembling, she asked her husband how he was, fearing that something might have happened to him.
Feng Jinxu immediately comforted the anxious Madam Wen.
"Mother-in-law, please rest assured. Father-in-law is not in grave danger. He is likely busy with the reconstruction of Shuzhou, which is why he cannot send a letter to report his safety."
"Really? You're not lying to me? Or are you just saying pleasantries to avoid making me worry?"
Her mind immediately went to the worst-case scenarios, and tears streamed down her face.
"If I had known this, I would not have left Shuzhou that day. Now, there is no one by my husband's side to care for him."
Madam Wen was also anxious and asked repeatedly.
"Eldest brother, is Father truly alright? Please don't lie."
"Madam, we have been married for so many years. When have you ever seen me lie?"
This was true. Seeing this, Madam Wen was somewhat reassured and said,
"Mother, don't worry. Since Eldest brother says he is fine, he is fine. Father has served as an official in Shuzhou for so many years and is deeply loved by the people. Naturally, he will be protected by heaven and will overcome misfortune."
Madam Wen nodded immediately upon hearing her daughter's words.
"Yes, yes! You are right! My husband will surely overcome misfortune."
She then clasped her hands together and began to pray to the deities in the heavens.
Although Meng Jie'er and Hui Ge'er were anxious, they did not have clairvoyance or telepathy, so they could only listen to their brother-in-law.
Feng Yunluo, who had been sleeping soundly beside them, suddenly began to cry, her little mouth smacking, clearly indicating she was hungry.
Her crying drew the attention of Madam Wen and the others.
In an instant, it diluted much of the recent sorrow.
At the Duke of Wei's manor, there was a sense of impending crisis.
Young Master Wei was restless. As soon as he heard that Bai Chao'an had been appointed Imperial Envoy and was heading to Jinling, he feared that Liang Quanbin would not be able to stop him.
He said anxiously,
"Father, why don't I kill Bai Chao'an halfway? That way, he won't find any clues on his journey and delay our important matters!"
"Foolish! He is accompanied by the Emperor's most trusted General Meng. Do you think he is a mere decoration? If your incompetent subordinates are caught by him and reveal our secrets, wouldn't that be handing them evidence to be manipulated?"
Young Master Wei dared not act rashly after being reprimanded by the Duke of Wei.
Compared to his father, he was indeed lacking.
He was even inferior to his own son.
Therefore, he did not dare to act presumptuously in front of the Duke of Wei.
"Then what should we do now?"
"Prepare for both eventualities. First, sever all connections related to the Grand Canal Administration and prepare evidence to shift the blame onto Liang Quanbin and the deceased Supervisor Cao. Second, link the clue from Tongyuan Pawnshop to the Li family. This way, even if they investigate this place, Prince Ke will shield us."
The Li family was the maiden family of Princess Ke, with a complex network of relatives, making them the easiest to exploit.
The Duke of Wei had been planning this from the beginning, fearing that if the truth were ever revealed, he had already found scapegoats.
Poor Liang Quanbin was still lying in bed with severe injuries, contemplating how to capture the "culprit" Huo Chong, unaware that he had already become a discarded pawn and was on the verge of losing his life.
After lying in bed for many days, Liang Quanbin's injuries had improved somewhat.
However, it was still a long way before he could move freely. Therefore, most of the outside news was conveyed through the Cao family and Feng Jinlin.