Chapter 66: Settling for Second Best

"What kind of murder case could possibly be so severe that even the Empress Dowager cannot protect Zhao Siwen?"

"If it were merely the murder of an ordinary person, I doubt it would even scratch the surface of Zhao Siwen's worries!"

"But if it wasn't an ordinary person, how could a murder happen by such coincidence, and moreover, become entangled with Zhao Siwen..."

The old tutor could not help but press on.

Just as Ning Chen was about to speak, a sudden surge of heat rose up his throat. He covered his mouth and fell into a violent fit of coughing.

When he lowered his hand, his palm was smeared with dark, clotted blood.

Ning Chen's heart sank involuntarily. "Tutor, it seems your life-prolonging pill has... has had no effect at all..."

The old tutor's expression changed drastically. With immense anxiety, he grabbed Ning Chen's blood-stained hand and examined it closely.

A moment later, he actually chuckled.

He stood up and walked toward the table to pour some water, speaking as he walked: "Rest assured, that old eccentric said that as long as you cough up the dark blood, your little life will be able to hold out for quite a bit longer..."

Ning Chen felt no joy; instead, he furrowed his brow. Looking at the old tutor's limping legs, he asked with a heavy heart, "Tutor, your... your legs..."

The old tutor slowly returned to the bedside with a cup of water and sat down. While personally feeding Ning Chen water, he smiled and explained, "It's nothing. Just chronic rheumatism, an old ailment. It can't be cured..."

Seeing that Ning Chen had finished the water, the old tutor could not help but ask again: "Quickly tell me, what on earth is this murder case you mentioned..."

Before he could finish, Ning Chen abruptly interrupted, "Tutor, these legs of yours were caused by searching for this life-prolonging pill for me, weren't they..."

The old tutor froze, his gaze instantly turning deeply complex.

Feeling a warm surge rise to his throat, just as he was about to speak, he too began to cough:

"N-No, it has nothing to do with that!"

"Hurry up and tell me, what kind of murder case is it..."

Ning Chen gazed fixedly at the old tutor. The softest part of his heart had already been pierced by something, and his vision instantly blurred.

He knew very well that the more the old tutor claimed it had nothing to do with it, the more it proved that his legs had definitely been injured while seeking medicine for him.

Yet since the old man refused to admit it, Ning Chen chose not to expose the truth.

For an elder like this, honoring his good intentions was far more important than merely thanking him!

Pulling his emotions together, Ning Chen said slowly, "The Marquis of Ning'an!"

Hearing this, the old tutor was struck dumb with astonishment. "What? The Marquis of Ning'an?"

"Could it be that you intend to use the life of the Marquis of Ning'an to deal with Zhao Siwen?"

"H-Have you lost your mind..."

Ning Chen smiled. "Tutor, do not be anxious..."

Meanwhile.

The Empress Dowager looked through the piles of case files submitted by the Minister of Punishments, her brows furrowing deeply.

She slowly laid down the memorials, her expression as cold as still water. "This Dowager understands. Go summon Zhao Siwen to my presence!"

Before long, Zhao Siwen hurried in.

"Your humble servant pays respects to the Empress Dowager. I know not what instructions Your Ladyship has, but your servant shall surely—"

Just as Zhao Siwen was speaking, the Empress Dowager suddenly hurled a memorial straight at his face. "Take a look at these yourself. What are all of these?"

Zhao Siwen started violently, hurriedly and nervously picking up the memorials to examine them one by one.

Yet the more he read, the uglier his expression became, until finally, he was drenched in cold sweat and his face turned ashen.

He hurriedly dropped to his knees, kowtowing heavily and crying out in grievance, "Your Ladyship, I am wronged! None of these cases have anything to do with your humble servant!"

"Your servant knew nothing of them..."

Before he could finish, the Empress Dowager interrupted in a cold, stern voice: "What? You still dare to brazenly lie before this Dowager?"

"These numerous cases of corruption and bribery, these successive instances of trampling upon human lives—if they were not committed by you, were they committed by this Dowager?"

"I tell you the truth, those plaintiffs are all waiting right outside the gates of the Ministry of Punishments!"

Zhao Siwen jolted. "The Ministry of Punishments? The Prime Minister..."

"Your Ladyship, this must be the handiwork of Prime Minister Song Guozhong! He has always been at odds with me. Last time, when that little emperor wanted me dead, he was the only one who did not plead on my behalf!"

"Yes, it must be him..."

Once more, the Empress Dowager cut him off sharply: "Enough!"

"The petty conflicts between you two are none of my concern!"

"If you do not want him to plot against you, you should clean up your own mess and not leave others a handle to grasp!"

At this, the Empress Dowager flew into a rage, seizing the teacup from the table and smashing it fiercely against Zhao Siwen's head, drawing blood.

"Fool!"

"It seems this Dowager previously overestimated you!"

"You actually still have the nerve to bring up that little good-for-nothing wanting to kill you last time!"

"Do you have any idea where those five million taels came from last time? It came from the profits of that Jade Jade Wine!"

"You fool, didn't you contribute quite a fair share of silver back and forth?"

"Do you realize that all the silver you spent ultimately became the capital that little good-for-nothing used to deal with you..."

Hearing this, Zhao Siwen collapsed onto the floor, his face a bruised mess of black and blue.

Never had he imagined that he had actually been financing the little emperor's campaign against himself!

"Dammable! It was all the machinations of that useless little emperor!"

Zhao Siwen said through gritted teeth. He immediately straightened up into a kneeling position and looked at the Empress Dowager. "Your Ladyship, rest assured, your humble servant will find another opportunity to help you drive that little good-for-nothing off the throne..."

The Empress Dowager let out a cold snort. "Shut your dog's mouth!"

"My affairs require no worry from you!"

Hearing this, Zhao Siwen's heart sank once more, and his entire body froze in place. He knew full well that these words from the Empress Dowager meant he no longer held the pivotal position in her heart that he once did.

The Empress Dowager slowly rose to her feet. "Zhao Siwen, listen well to this Dowager. Considering the many tasks you have performed for me over the years and the meritorious service you have rendered, I can suppress these current cases for you!"

"But in the future, if you continue to act without foresight and fail to clean up your own mess, this Dowager will never protect you again!"

"Get out!"

Upon returning to the main office of the Ministry of Revenue, he stared blankly at the bottle of Jade Jade Wine displayed on his desk, freezing in his tracks.

In an instant, the scene of the day he laid eyes on those five million taels flashed back into his mind.

He remembered how he had dropped to his knees and begged for mercy, how he had been frightened to the point of wetting his trousers...

Suddenly, as if driven mad, he lunged forward, smashing the bottle fiercely against the ground, and cursed furiously: "Utter humiliation! Unprecedented humiliation..."

"Ning Chen, you useless little emperor, just you wait! If I do not drag you down from the dragon throne, this old man shall not be considered a man..."

At that very moment.

The sound of hurried footsteps approached, and without even knocking, someone pushed the door open and barged in.

"Who is there? Have you no sense of propriety? This official is already plagued with enough vexation—"

Before Zhao Siwen could finish roaring, he saw Gao Xiu, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, with a pale face, panting heavily and drenched in sweat, drop to his knees. The man immediately wailed and cried, "My lord, save me! My lord..."

Zhao Siwen was stunned and scolded angrily, "What is it now?"

"Didn't we agree that the matter of your son entering the Ministry of Revenue would be discussed after the little emperor abdicates..."

Before he could finish, Gao Xiu had already crawled forward, tightly grabbing Zhao Siwen's legs, crying out:

"My lord, your humble servant no longer expects him to enter the Ministry of Revenue; I only beg that you save his life..."

"I implore you, my lord! Your servant has only this one son. If he is gone, the incense of our family lineage will be cut off, and there will be no meaning left in my life..."

Zhao Siwen furrowed his brows tightly and pressed, "What on earth has happened?"

Gao Xiu wept and cried, "My lord, m-my son Gao Wenbin was just at the Miaoyin Brothel and a-accidentally killed Huang Sihai!"

"Wang Sihai?" Zhao Siwen paused. "Who is he?"

Gao Xiu stuttered and stammered, "T-This Wang Sihai, known as Master Wang, is t-the y-younger brother of the Marquis of Ning'an's concubine—no, his brother-in-law..."

"What?" Zhao Siwen froze as if struck by a bolt from the blue, staring at Gao Xiu in stunned disbelief. "You say your son killed the brother-in-law of the Marquis of Ning'an?"

"T-This..."

Meanwhile, inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

The old tutor had already listened to Ning Chen's detailed explanation.

He stroked his beard and looked at Ning Chen with undisguised admiration. "A formidable youth! Truly a formidable youth!"

"Your Majesty, this old minister truly did not expect that you merely caught a glimpse of the Marquis of Ning'an's brother-in-law once at the Miaoyin Brothel, yet you were already plotting against him!"

"I know the Marquis of Ning'an very well. Although he is advanced in years, he has rendered countless military merits and shares the bloodline of the royal family!"

"Though he was stripped of his title of Prince and reduced to a Marquis due to his fiery temper, he is an unyielding veteran with an exalted status among the Great Ning royal lineage!"

"Furthermore, he is notoriously devoted, having married only one wife his entire life, and he is fiercely protective of his family!"

"That brother-in-law of his is also a notorious dissolute rake in the capital; had the Marquis not shielded him, he would have died countless times over!"

"Who could have imagined? Truly, who could have foreseen this!"

"Your Majesty, that you were able to calculate to such an extent—not only have you rid the common folk of a scourge with this move, but you have also directly shifted the conflict onto the Marquis of Ning'an!"

"Brilliant! Truly brilliant..."

Ning Chen smiled and said, "It is all thanks to your teachings!"

The old tutor rolled his eyes at Ning Chen and retorted ungraciously, "This old minister could never teach such a shrewd and ruthless scheme!"

Ning Chen scratched his head with an embarrassed chuckle. "There was no other way. To blow the matter wide open and bring down Zhao Siwen, this was the only path!"

The old tutor suddenly seemed to recall something, and asked with lingering doubt, "However, the one who committed the murder is Gao Wenbin, the son of the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. I fear Zhao Siwen, too, stands in awe of the Marquis of Ning'an and will not dare to protect him..."

Ning Chen smiled. "Of course Zhao Siwen wouldn't dare protect him!"

"In a matter like this, Zhao Siwen would avoid it like the plague; how could he possibly exert himself to protect Gao Xiu's son, Gao Wenbin?"

"It's just a pity that Zhao Siwen has committed too many evils; despite taking eight wives, he still couldn't produce a son!"

"Otherwise, why would I have had to settle for second best and scheme to use Gao Wenbin instead!"

"Still, father and son Gao Xiu and Gao Wenbin will achieve the exact effect I desire, and the results will only prove even better..."