When Yun Shu heard that her hapless Imperial Father might have just taken a hard fall and worse, lost his temper, she carefully cradled the wine jar full of powdered lime in her arms and stepped inside. Her expression had already shifted, taking on the familiar obedient and sheepish look Emperor Xuanwu knew all too well.
Emperor Xuanwu's headache only worsened at the sight of that face. A low buzzing filled his skull as his brow twitched.
"What mischief have you stirred up this time?"
"This time, it truly wasn't this daughter who caused any trouble."
Yun Shu glanced up at him, casting two quick, sidelong glances before hesitating again. Then, with an awkward cough, she added, "However, if Your Majesty were to favor a certain person so greatly that even hearing a single ill word about him would provoke displeasure, then perhaps… this daughter might have caused a little trouble after all."
Emperor Xuanwu blinked. "What?"
He nearly laughed out of sheer disbelief.
In all the land under heaven, if anyone were to accuse him of favoritism, who else could they possibly mean but his Fifth Daughter, Yun Xiao Wu? And yet here she was, slyly complaining that he was biased toward someone else?
"Ungrateful little thing!"
He shot Yun Shu a glare, but before he could scold her further, her next words gave him pause. This morning, she'd come in mumbling cryptically, and now it was clear she was referring to the Crown Prince.
His expression darkened.
"What has the Crown Prince done now?"
"Father Emperor is wise indeed, to see through it so quickly!"
Yun Shu, finding no visible clues to his true emotions in that stern face, followed her usual routine—first offering a flattering remark, then continuing bluntly:
"This daughter went to the Waterworks Bureau recently and happened to discover that Crown Prince Elder Brother may be selling official posts."
To sell titles and appointments—such a practice had, in certain dynasties past, even been openly approved by emperors and codified with set prices. But in the Tian Sheng Dynasty, it was a clearly defined crime under the imperial law.
Especially under Emperor Xuanwu's reign. Since ascending the throne, he had always found the noble clans distasteful and had worked tirelessly to elevate scholars from humble backgrounds into court positions.
He knew his daughter might be unreliable in trivial matters, but when it came to weighty affairs, she would never speak carelessly.
Hearing the phrase "selling official posts" from Yun Shu's mouth, a chill settled in Emperor Xuanwu's heart. His voice grew colder.
"Explain exactly what happened."
"It's a bit complicated," Yun Shu admitted, scratching her head.
She began from the moment she first visited the Waterworks Bureau and found it empty, then spoke of Tan Fengnian, and finally how she ordered the Dragon Shadow Guard to investigate Tang Bingfu.
She relayed the entire sequence in detail, leaving nothing out.
"…Once this daughter heard the Dragon Shadow Guard mention the sale of official posts, I realized how grave the matter was. I dared not make the decision alone, so I came to seek Your Majesty's judgment."
"Fourteenth year of the Xuanwu reign…"
A few years ago, when he had placed full trust in the Crown Prince and had intended to firmly support him as heir to the throne, the Crown Prince had already committed an act he loathed above all else?
Selling posts.
Did the Crown Prince not understand what such corruption would do? Talented individuals would be pushed aside, while useless parasites filled the ranks. Such rot could collapse the state from within, like a dam crumbling because of an ant's nest beneath.
In the Simulation Life Selection System, the devastating flood that would strike the capital and leave tens of thousands dead in just over a month's time—was it not caused by Tang Bingfu's inaction?
Until today, even though Emperor Xuanwu had steeled himself to depose the Crown Prince, he still carried a measure of guilt. After all, he had once had high hopes for this son. He had once been unable to sleep at night, tossing and turning with worry over how things had turned out.
But now, a sudden realization struck him.
He had placed far too much trust in the Crown Prince.
He did not know this son as well as he thought. The heir he had once taken pride in turned out to be so short-sighted, so foolish.
What had the old men of the Eastern Palace been teaching him all these years?
His hand slammed down on the desk with a loud crack. The force of it startled Yun Shu into a shiver.
Emperor Xuanwu saw the shadow of fear flicker across her face and forcefully swallowed his fury.
"You said earlier—Tang Bingfu used the wrong soil for the dikes?"
"Yes."
Sensing her Imperial Father's rising anger, Yun Shu straightened her posture and became even more serious.
"He used tilled soil. You see, Father Emperor, when this daughter has free time, I enjoy tending to flowers and plants. The Yihe Palace that Your Majesty gifted me has now been completely filled with Zhibei blossoms.
When I first began planting them, I didn't want to disappoint Your Majesty's kindness, so I read many books about horticulture. That's when I learned the difference between tilled and virgin soil.
Tilled soil is soft, well-aerated, and drains well, having been farmed and fertilized over time. It's perfect for planting.
But virgin soil lies deep underground, undisturbed and densely compacted. That's the kind of soil required for constructing dikes. If someone use tilled soil instead, even a minor flood could wash the entire structure away.
When I discovered this at the site and confirmed it with Tan Fengnian, I immediately ordered a thorough investigation."
She shifted the wine jar to one arm and carefully pulled an envelope from her sleeve.
"These are statements from the local farmers. To save time, effort, and—most importantly—silver, Tang Bingfu cut corners. He bought cheap tilled soil from nearby fields instead of transporting virgin soil from farther away.
Out of the twelve thousand taels allocated by the Ministry of Revenue, at least eight thousand were embezzled into his own pocket."
"Despicable wretch!"
Emperor Xuanwu had just finished scanning the testimonies Yun Shu handed him.
His hands trembled with fury. The imperial treasury was already strained. Whenever he proposed new policies, he had to haggle with the Ministry like a common merchant.
And yet Tang Bingfu, this lowly parasite, had the audacity to line his own pockets with the silver meant for vital infrastructure.
He wanted to execute him on the spot.
How many more Tang Bingfus were festering within the Tian Sheng bureaucracy?
"Guards!"
Unable to bear it any longer, Emperor Xuanwu roared, "Bring the Crown Prince and the Waterworks Bureau's Langzhong, Tang Bingfu, to Us immediately!"
Bring them.
That tone—there was no mercy in it.
The guards outside, still jittery from the recent fallout over Yun Chuhuan's scandal, stiffened at once. None dared to delay. They saluted and swiftly departed to carry out the order.