Chapter 43: The Emperor's Weighing of Scales

Inside the secret chamber of the Xue residence, a teacup was flung fiercely, smashing heavily against the forehead of a man in black. Blood instantly trickled down his face. The man knelt on the ground, offering no resistance.

"Useless trash! More than a hundred men and you still couldn't kill Prince Heng? You are all good for nothing!" roared Xue Kui, the third son of the Xue family.

"Enough, Huai'er. You cannot blame Xue Zhen entirely for this. Whether Prince Heng lives or dies is not the most important thing; the goal has been achieved," said Xue Qing, sitting in the center chair, casting a cold, indifferent glance at the kneeling man. "I did not expect the Third Prince to be so vigilant, sending guards to pursue Prince Heng through the night. I underestimated him. Have the others been taken care of?"

The man in black wiped the blood from his face and replied, "Reporting to the Head of the House, everything has been cleared away."

"Very well. You may leave," Xue Qing said coolly.

"As you command, Master." The man stood, bowed, and retreated from the chamber.

Xue Kui, the eldest son, spoke up: "Father, since Prince Heng is still alive, he will surely report this to the Emperor. What should we do next?"

"This matter was intended to reach the Emperor's ears eventually, so there is no need for concern. The important thing is to point the finger at the Crown Prince and the Zhang family," Xue Qing said slowly.

"But when we struck, we declared our own name. How can we shift the blame to the Crown Prince's faction?"

"Older brother, how can you be so dim-witted?" Xue Huai interjected. "Who would announce their own name during an assassination attempt? And since the Dai family’s business in the capital is inferior to ours, they have no reason to strike first. Naturally, the suspicion will fall upon the Zhang family and the Crown Prince. My only concern is if Prince Heng chooses not to report this to the Emperor. If he suppresses this matter, the Emperor will have no reason to harbor suspicions against the Crown Prince or the Zhang family."

"Rest assured, given Prince Heng's temperament, he will never swallow this bitter pill in silence." As the Minister of Revenue, Xue Qing had served in the court for decades. He was intimately familiar with every high official—their temperaments, their hobbies, their strengths, and their weaknesses. Only by truly understanding one's opponent could one hope to defeat them.

"Father is wise!" Xue Kui flattered.

Xue Qing glanced at his eldest son. "Kui'er, as the eldest son of the Xue family and the future head, you must learn to use your brain more." Xue Qing doted on his eldest son, even though his second and third sons were far more intelligent. However, in the traditional hierarchy, the eldest son and grandson were the rightful heirs, regardless of the talents of others. While some later generations might consider such rules archaic, in that era, they were a rigid system that maintained family unity and prevented internal strife. Such institutions allowed families to endure for centuries, proving their inherent, pragmatic logic.

Just as Xue Qing predicted, the first thing Prince Heng did upon returning to the capital was to enter the palace. Inside the Yangxin Hall, he recounted the events in detail.

Zhao Wuji slammed his teacup onto the floor. "Outrageous! How dare they assassinate a member of the royal family!"

"Your Majesty, I suspect this was not the work of the Xue family. The Zhang and Dai families are the ones with the greatest motive," Prince Heng said, standing to the side.

"Hmph, Fourth Brother, I fear it is not as simple as you think. All three families are suspects. While the Zhang and Dai families certainly have the motive to frame others, I know that old dog Xue Qing too well. He has used the trick of 'catching the prey by pretending to let it go' and 'the thief crying stop thief' for over twenty years. It cannot be ruled out that he is doing the same now." Zhao Wuji stepped down from his dragon throne, pacing the hall.

Prince Heng did not know which specific event the Emperor referred to, but he assumed it concerned the struggle for the throne. He dared not ask. Twenty years ago, Xue Qing and his allies had helped Zhao Wuji ascend the throne, but as time passed, their alliance had dissolved. From the moment Zhao Wuji became Emperor, they had drifted apart, and today, they were enemies.

Prince Heng, Zhao Wuzheng, watching the pacing Emperor, suddenly recalled another matter. "Your Majesty, there is one more thing I wish to report."

Zhao Wuji stopped and looked at him. "What is it?"

"I have consulted with Prince Yan. To truly squeeze those three families out of the capital's salt market, we must increase production."

"What is there to consult about? If I weren't worried about the major families stealing the refining method, I would have forced Prince Yan to hand it over long ago to promote it widely," Zhao Wuji said irritably.

"I understand that, Your Majesty. However, we could provide Prince Yan with more manpower. I request your permission to relocate the commoners from my fief to the coast. I will assist Prince Yan in sun-drying sea salt, and he can refine it into fine salt. This will increase output."

Zhao Wuji pondered this for a moment and asked curiously, "Why relocate the people from your fief? Wouldn't it suffice to have the local coastal people dry the crude salt?"

Prince Heng: ... He was too embarrassed to mention that he had already agreed with Prince Yan on an acquisition price of thirty wen per catty.

Zhao Wuji said excitedly, "Exactly! Let the coastal people dry the salt for me. Not only will I drive them out of the capital, but I will sell the fine salt right in their own territories! Wuzheng, hear my decree: you are ordered to establish the Salt Garrison in the coastal region to oversee the refining process."

Prince Heng, looking as if he had lost a million taels of silver, knelt and kowtowed. "I accept the decree." As he prepared to rise, he asked reluctantly, "Your Majesty, may my people still relocate to the coast?"

Zhao Wuji replied sternly, "Don't be foolish. Since when has it been customary to relocate the commoners of a fief?"

In truth, Prince Heng did not care about the money; he wanted to provide for the soldiers who had fought by his side on the battlefield. Many of those who had retired were disabled, and the court, citing financial constraints, had only provided token compensation, leaving them to fend for themselves.

Prince Heng stood and asked, "Your Majesty, how should the assassination attempt be handled?"

Zhao Wuji returned to his dragon throne, pondered for a moment, and said apologetically, "Fourth Brother, I know this put you at great risk. The person behind this assassination likely aims for more than just the salt trade; it concerns the struggle for imperial power. They seek to destabilize the court. Without concrete evidence, I do not want to see chaos in the government. Investigate this in secret, and we shall decide once we have a lead." As an Emperor, he had to weigh the pros and cons, especially in an era where the royal family ruled alongside the great clans.

"As you command, Your Majesty," Prince Heng replied helplessly.

After discussing further details regarding the Salt Garrison, Prince Heng took his leave.