CHAPTER 447: CHAPTER 444: REUSING OLD TRICKS

Meng Su’s expression briefly showed a hint of tension in his eyes, and although he quickly returned to normal, Prefect Zhao saw it clearly.

Just as expected.

It seemed that Prefect Zhao had finally blown away some of the fog in front of him, and the things hidden behind were about to reveal their true form.

Prefect Zhao was not going to let it go; he stared at Meng Su: "Are you aware of the smuggling operations at sea by the County Magistrate of Xiangshan? I thought you were a clear-headed person, but it seems you have also followed these people down a foolish path."

Meng Su immediately said, "I wouldn’t do such a thing."

"I think you wouldn’t either," Prefect Zhao seemed to see Meng Su for the first time, "you should now summon the frontier generals; I will question them personally."

After saying this, Prefect Zhao felt something was not right and stood up: "Where are all the ships of Yuezhou? Have they gone to sea in recent days? I will personally go to inspect with my people. In our area governed by Mingzhou, large ships have been seen heading toward Yuezhou. As the Prefect of Mingzhou, I must investigate thoroughly before reporting to the court."

When Prefect Zhao finished speaking and was about to leave, Meng Su remained silent for a long time before saying, "The day is already late, Lord Zhao. If you want to investigate, it would be better to do so early tomorrow morning!"

"I cannot stay away for too long," Prefect Zhao said, "you should know the rules."

Meng Su still said nothing.

Prefect Zhao immediately lost his temper: "Fine, if you refuse to let anyone take me there, I’ll go myself."

"Lord Zhao," Meng Su also said firmly, "this is Yuezhou, and you have no authority to interfere in matters of Yuezhou, so please return! I will handle the official matters of Yuezhou myself, and even if there is any mishap, I will take full responsibility."

"Absurd," Prefect Zhao looked at Meng Su in disappointment, "I never thought you would become like this."

Meng Su ordered his subordinates, "Escort Lord Zhao."

Prefect Zhao gave a cold laugh: "I used to think you would accomplish something, yet despite your petition to the court to establish the Maritime Trade Commissioner, I also submitted reports alongside..."

As Prefect Zhao spoke, he waved his sleeve, at that moment, Meng Su’s eyes flashed with some apology, but ultimately, he did not keep Prefect Zhao.

Prefect Zhao seemed eager to return to Mingzhou to submit a report, and he left Yuezhou with his men.

After Prefect Zhao left, Meng Su exited the government office and walked straight to a courtyard in the city. Upon opening the gate, he saw Chang An guarding there.

Meng Su nodded to Chang An and immediately stepped into the courtyard.

All of this was clearly observed by a spy following behind, who, fearing being discovered, did not stay long and hastily left the alley, circling the city twice to ensure no one saw him. Then he changed clothes and left the city.

As night fell, Prefect Zhao and the spy entered a manor, one after the other.

The steward by Prince Lu’s side sat in the study, listening to Prefect Zhao and the spy talk.

Prefect Zhao said, "The ship should have been sent out by Meng Su. When I mentioned the ships, Meng Su tried to cover it up and then refused to let me inspect them, evidently because the ships were damaged when facing off against Li Tao and hadn’t been repaired in time."

The spy said, "After Lord Zhao left, Meng Su went to a residence, and I saw that it was Chang An, who is by Song Xian’s side, open the door."

Chang An is a guard by Song Xian, always staying by his side. Now that Chang An is in Yuezhou, it means most likely Song Xian is here too.

Everything seemed clear; the steward did not dare delay and immediately sent someone to bring the news to Prince Lu. Perhaps the Prince’s guess was right. The actions of Meng Su and Song Xian may not be just for Li Tao.

This discovery was monumental; the steward felt fear, and currently, only the Prince could resolve Song Xian.

The steward ordered, "Keep an eye on Meng Su and Song Xian’s every move. Now that we know they’re the ones causing trouble, send people to hide in the fishing villages along the coast of Yuezhou. I don’t care what method you use, whether instructing the spy or sending swimmers, find those ships and confirm if they’re damaged. If these ships set sail again, we must know immediately."

Having arranged this, the steward left the manor because, after learning of such an enormous secret, he rushed straight back to Prince Lu without so much as catching his breath.

"Has something happened?" Prince Lu looked at the steward’s pale face, "Have you found out who it is?"

The steward didn’t even take a breath before reporting, "It’s Song Xian, Song Xian and Meng Su are in cahoots."

Prince Lu did not show any surprised expression: "I see."

The steward was dumbfounded, looking up to carefully observe Prince Lu. The Prince had already withdrawn the usual nonchalant demeanor and no longer had the cheerful smile on his face, but instead became incredibly serious.

The steward’s heart skipped a beat; the last time he saw Prince Lu like this was when the late emperor passed away, and the current Emperor ascended the throne.

That time, Prince Lu’s scheme failed.

According to Prince Lu’s plan, he would estrange the current Emperor from Prince Guangyang, allowing the Emperor to remove Prince Guangyang himself, and then reveal the truth to the late emperor. The late emperor, seeing the true nature of the current Emperor and realizing that this son was not a sincere person, would definitely choose a new Crown Prince for Daqi.

However, the late emperor fell ill rapidly and never recovered, almost never regaining consciousness while bedridden.

Under such circumstances, it was impossible to reverse the situation.

All of Prince Lu’s painstaking arrangements came to nothing, leaving him to watch helplessly as the current Emperor ascended the throne.

Since then, Prince Lu quietly arranged everything now, amassing troops at sea while feigning naivety before the Emperor.

Attempt one failed, but the second attempt could still be made. The position was worth the effort.

Over the years, Prince Lu maintained a smiling demeanor even in front of confidants. This evening, however, his tone seemed indifferent, yet he appeared deeply serious.

"Your Highness," the steward said, "what should we do?"

Prince Lu said, "Li Tao failed to do his job well, killing a man named Liu Xi. This man’s cousin had a good relationship with Xie Shao Yuan, and Song Xian may have discovered the matter through the Liu Family and somehow suspected me. But in such a short time, they lack sufficient evidence, so they lured Li Tao on the sea."

The steward confirmed his suspicions.

Prince Lu continued, "There has been no news from the Capital City, indicating that the Emperor should not be aware of this matter yet; otherwise, Meng Su and Song Xian wouldn’t be so cautious."

As for why they haven’t reported it to the court, perhaps because this matter wasn’t thoroughly investigated, or perhaps...

Prince Lu sneered; Song Xian wished to make significant contributions, and involving him would require patience and solid evidence.

"Fortunately, it’s Song Xian," Prince Lu said calmly, "Song Xian doesn’t know that due to Prince Guangyang’s matter, the Emperor has always harbored suspicion towards him, and I have also previously instructed people to keep reminding the Emperor that Song Xian isn’t trustworthy."

"Even if Song Xian is formidable, how does he compare to the former Prince Guangyang? If Song Xian were to gain a foothold in the North for three to five years, perhaps I would be rendered helpless, but now it’s different... The methods used to estrange Prince Guangyang from the Emperor can still be effective once again."

"Prince Guangyang... Encountering me was their fate, and just when a descendent managed to escape, I must personally reunite their family now."