"I took care not to startle the snake before striking," said Ah Ku, bowing low. "So I had Tang Bingfu's men transferred away before rescuing the target. He has since been safely relocated."
As he spoke, Ah Ku withdrew a few folded pages from his sleeve and respectfully offered them to Yun Shu.
"According to his statement, the man's name is Tan Fengnian. He was a jinshi in the seventh year of Emperor Xuanwu's reign and has served in the Waterworks Bureau for over three years now.
The entire bureau operates in an incredibly lax manner. Each year, construction on the dams outside the city is perfunctory at best. Though he found it intolerable, his rank was low, and his words carried no weight. Even when he raised objections, no one heeded them. So he resolved to do what little he could within his means.
Recently, he discovered irregularities in the soil used for dam construction. Over the past few days, he made multiple visits to the site, intending to gather evidence to expose Tang Bingfu. But before he could collect everything he needed, today's incident occurred."
The documents in Ah Ku's hands contained a more detailed account from Tan Fengnian.
Yun Shu skimmed through the pages with practiced speed, mentally assembling a clear picture.
"Investigate Tang Bingfu thoroughly."
The Ministry of Revenue allocated no small sum each year for dam construction. If a minor Waterworks official dared to embezzle so much, Yun Shu found it impossible to believe he acted alone.
She silently calculated how much time it would take to visit Xiao Yuanzi and complete the cement formula.
"Three days. Will that be enough?"
"Understood."
When it came to the Dragon Shadow Guard, there was no such thing as negotiating deadlines. The master set the time. No matter how difficult the task, they would accomplish it or die trying. Failure could only mean one thing—lack of ability.
And for the Dragon Shadow Guard, lacking ability was never an option.
Ah Ku cupped his fists in salute and vanished from sight.
Yun Shu returned to her villa and began a meticulous search online for topics like ancient cement-making methods and how to mass-produce cement in a historical era after transmigrating. After extensive research, she settled on a method feasible within the Tian Sheng Dynasty's current resources.
At dawn the next morning, she charged out of her residence and made her way—not directly to the Waterworks Bureau—but to a building two doors down, where she found Xiao Yuanzi.
Her reasoning was perfectly sound.
She was idle anyway. What harm was there in playing with mud next door?
Tang Bingfu, upon learning of her unexpected detour, simply smiled and said, "Her Highness speaks with reason. May Her Highness enjoy herself."
Then he turned around and discreetly sent a letter to the Crown Prince, reporting Yun Shu's apparently harmless antics in exact detail.
"No threat at all?"
The Crown Prince nearly ground his teeth into powder as he read those four words.
"Since the start of this year, Yun Shu entered court at thirteen, rose to become Head of the Grand Merchants' Association, and served as Chief Examiner for the Spring Imperial Examination—earning the respect of countless impoverished scholars. She even replaced Us to host this year's Poetry Gathering. And now Father Emperor has placed her in the Ministry of Works for further training.
And Tang Bingfu still dares to say she is no threat? Must she take Our place entirely before he considers her dangerous?"
"Your Highness, please quell your anger."
The Crown Prince's Preceptor had taken to sighing more and more frequently of late.
"Indeed, His Majesty has grown overly fond and trusting of Princess Sheng An. But that may not necessarily be a bad thing."
"What do you mean by that?" The Crown Prince narrowed his eyes.
"How could this possibly be a good thing?"
"Word has it that during the Poetry Gathering, the Heir of the Marquis of Xuanping, Ji Yongxing, along with heirs of the Wang and Li families, offended Princess Sheng An with their remarks.
When His Majesty heard of it, he declared the three young men lacking in moral character, unfit for important office—even if they pass the court examination. Although their titles weren't officially revoked, with such a statement from the Emperor, they can abandon any hope of ranking well in the palace exams."
Due to the involvement of Emperor Xuanwu himself, no word of what had happened at the Poetry Gathering left Yun Shu's side of the court. The Marquis of Xuanping's household, having lost both face and dignity, also had no desire to let the scandal spread.
The remaining scholars who had been present were clever enough to recognize the silence on both sides. None dared speak out, choosing instead to stay quiet and protect their own prospects.
As a result, the Preceptor only received a vague and censored version of the incident.
Still, he had no intention of probing further. There was only one thing in the whole affair worth his attention.
Yun Shu had utterly severed ties with the Marquis of Xuanping, and the Wang and Li families. Reconciliation was no longer possible.
And for their side, that was excellent news.
As the Crown Prince's expression shifted, clearly processing the implications, the Preceptor allowed a faint smile to form, adding a few more fine lines to his weathered face.
"Your Highness once said Princess Sheng An has won the hearts of many poor scholars. That is true. But in doing so, she has also alienated the powerful aristocratic clans."
"Tell me, in your judgment, how many impoverished scholars would it take to match the influence of a single noble family? A swarm of ants. Could they overturn the heavens?"
The Crown Prince sneered coldly, though his tone faltered with doubt moments later.
"But Preceptor, were you not always opposed to Our maternal grandfather recruiting the noble clans to support Us?"
"That was in the past," the Preceptor said quietly, his sigh barely concealed. "The present circumstances differ greatly from what they once were. Though this official is reluctant to speak so plainly, it is evident that His Majesty's favor toward Your Highness has waned.
In former days, when His Majesty placed his full trust in Your Highness, it was enough merely to win his approval in order to safeguard the future. At that time, this official naturally advised Your Highness to distance yourself from the noble clans, as His Majesty's disdain for them was no secret.
But now…"
Now, Emperor Xuanwu's attitude toward the Crown Prince had visibly shifted.
To put it bluntly, the mirror had cracked. Once fractured, the fissure would only widen.
In such a climate, seeking favor was no longer viable. The only path left was to build strength—enough that even the Emperor could not easily remove him.
With that realization, the Crown Prince's expression turned cold and resolute.
"You are right. We shall send word to Grandfather at once. Have him secure the support of the Marquis of Xuanping, along with the Wang and Li families, as swiftly as possible."
What the Crown Prince plotted behind closed doors, Yun Shu had no inkling of.
She was far too busy being astonished that Xiao Yuanzi had almost succeeded in creating cement. Though he still had a tiny step left to complete, she only needed to give a single reminder. There was no need for her to explain things step by step.
A genius.
Xiao Yuanzi was undoubtedly a true, bona fide genius.
Delighted, Yun Shu declared on the spot, "If this succeeds, This Princess shall personally petition Father Emperor to reward you with a real, official title!"