Translator: Dj2203
Editor: Dj2203
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After reviewing several recent robbery and brawl incidents in the capital, Lu Huan had a feeling that something was amiss with these cases.
If we look at the cases that Dali Temple has already closed, these cases should have nothing in common. They were just a few rioters who suddenly started a disturbance at different times and in different places. Who could predict where the next one will happen? If there could be any countermeasure, it was only to remind the people to pay attention to their safety.
Seemingly unrelated, one detail caught Lu Huan’s attention: in two of the cases, the perpetrators, according to the records of the Dali Temple, came from impoverished families, yet the crimes were committed in the western part of the inner city.
There were two major markets in the capital city, namely the East Market and the West Market.
Because of the canal that ran through the West Market, it had always had a lot of trade with foreign merchants. Over time, almost all the items sold in the West Market had become rare and exotic animals, gold and silver treasures, and other such items that were priced exorbitantly and could only be bought by people in the imperial palace and high-ranking officials.
The main street running through the East Market was the place where the city’s residents shopped, traded, held lantern festivals, and gathered in lively atmosphere.
Land in the west was also very expensive, and only the residences of high-ranking officials of the imperial court were located there. Previously, Lu Huan was in the Ning Wang mansion, but due to the decline of the Ning Wang mansion, the mansion was only located in the relatively remote east side.
In other words, most ordinary people bought good quality, inexpensive goods in the outer city. Even those who had some money and were considered somewhat wealthy in the capital would only go to the East Market to purchase supplies. After all, the people coming and going in the west were mostly sons of high-ranking officials, and if they accidentally bumped into someone, they wouldn’t have their lives to pay for it.
Therefore, it was quite strange that these two criminals, who were clearly destitute, had committed crimes in the West Market.
What were they doing in the West Market on the day they committed the crime?
Lu Huan secretly sent two of his men to investigate. However, they didn’t investigate the accounts of the owners of the taverns and brothels around the West Market on the day the incidents occurred. The Dali Temple should have already investigated those, which was why they were able to arrest the perpetrators. And these people were easily bribed; questioning them again would be a waste of time. Instead, he had them investigate all the people who entered and left the West Market on the days of the incidents.
The West Market had a large flow of people and its jurisdiction was not very strict, making it extremely difficult to investigate and requiring the cooperation of the Ministry of Revenue. Therefore, it took Lu Huan two days to obtain the case files. He instructed his subordinates to select people who were in the West Market on the days of the several incidents. This screening process narrowed down the number of people, resulting in 198 individuals being identified from tens of thousands of passersby.
Among these 198 people, several caught Lu Huan’s attention.
Among them was a merchant from the Western Regions, wearing a pointed hat and long robe, with a sharp nose and high eyes. He had brought timber and carpets to the capital two months prior and had visited the capital several times, but had not made any transactions in the past two months.
Lu Huan went to the Ministry of War’s residence. People from the Western Regions must have a travel document to enter Yan territory, and they must undergo an assessment by the stationed soldiers. Those deemed prone to causing trouble are not easily allowed into Yan territory. Therefore, the Ministry of War should have received this merchant’s assessment.
The Minister of War hurriedly led him to the storeroom, where two subordinates spent a considerable amount of time searching through a mountain of customs documents to find the assessment record of this foreign merchant. The assessment from the northern soldiers was that he was hot-tempered, but had eyes like a hawk and an extremely keen eye for detail.
….
The Minister of War knew that Lu Huan had been secretly investigating this matter recently. Seeing him close the copy of the travel document, he turned around and closed the door, asking him, “Your Highness, how is it?”
“I’m afraid this matter is not as simple as the Dali Temple assessed,” Lu Huan said.
After this investigation, he had a completely different idea about the recent crimes committed by bandits in the capital.
He frowned and said to the Minister of War, “Those two merchants who had never been to the West Market before, yet defiled and murdered two women there, should just be scapegoats.”
The Minister of War, upon hearing this, said, “Crimes committed under the emperor’s nose are different from those committed in prefectures and counties. Those handling these cases are already risking their lives. Moreover, the Empress Dowager was recently offended, and the Emperor was furious, ordering a swift investigation and the arrest of the perpetrators. If anyone dares to cover it up, it would be a crime of deceiving the emperor. The situation is tense; who would dare to be so audacious?!”
Lu Huan glanced at the Minister of War.
Although the Minister of War asked a question, he had already figured it out in his mind.
This matter has caused quite a stir in the capital, and was currently being investigated by the Fifth Prince and the Court of Judicial Review. The Court of Judicial Review had already apprehended all the perpetrators and reported the case to the court, but in reality, they only found a scapegoat. The Emperor, believing the matter was resolved, was temporarily pleased and thought the Court of Judicial Review had been very efficient.
However, a deeper investigation would surely reveal that the wrong person was arrested, and that someone was protecting that merchant. The Emperor was already in his forties, and although he had neglected state affairs, he was not stupid; otherwise, he wouldn’t be in this position. It was only a matter of time before he discovered this. And even if he hadn’t discovered it after half a month, someone would definitely bring it to his attention, making him realize it.
In the end, either the Dali Temple made a mistake by arresting the wrong person, or the Dali Temple was bribed to protect that foreign merchant and frame innocent people.
The Fifth Prince was also partly to blame.
In his fury, the Emperor would likely dismiss the Fifth Prince from his post at the Court of Judicial Review and confine him to his quarters.
But if things were really that simple, that would be strange.
Lu Huan said, “I investigated this foreign merchant and found that he has not had any transactions in the capital in the past two months. His relationships are very clean, and it is almost impossible to find out who he is working for. The only thing is that he happened to pass by the Crown Prince’s residence last year on the Crown Prince’s birthday, and he carried rare treasures in to celebrate the Crown Prince’s birthday. If we have to investigate, then the only relationship we have is with the Crown Prince.”
If he could find out this layer, the Emperor could find out too.
The Minister of War said, “Do you mean that the Crown Prince conspired with this foreign merchant to frame the Fifth Prince? But the Crown Prince is not that cunning. If this was not done by the Prime Minister, it seems more like a ruse by the Fifth Prince to frame himself in order to bring down the Crown Prince.”
“Your guess is correct, but there is a lack of evidence at present. No one can be sure who this foreign merchant is working for or who he works for. It is not impossible that he belongs to one of the other people in the palace.”
The Minister of War said, “The Second Prince has always been low-key and doesn’t interact much with others. The Third Prince, though indulging in pleasure and debauchery, is equally enigmatic. It’s not impossible to say it’s one of these two. But now—”
The Minister of War, suddenly jolted awake, realized that Lu Huan was the one who had attracted the most attention. If, as they predicted, the Emperor began investigating, and this merchant suddenly accused Lu Huan, things would get very serious! It was quite possible. Although the Crown Prince was the only one directly connected to the merchant, among the princes, only Lu Huan held a wealthy merchant status outside the palace. It was plausible to fabricate a connection between the merchant and Lu Huan in the northern border region.
When the time came, no matter who this merchant was working for— or whether the merchant insisted he was working for someone else—that prince will be seen as someone who used a borrowed knife to kill, framed the crown prince, and shifted the blame onto the fifth prince.
Then it was anyone’s guess who the emperor will believe.
Upon reflection, the Minister of War broke out in a cold sweat and said, “I never imagined that a mere case of bandits in the capital could lead to so much. There isn’t much evidence available, and we can’t find out who devised this scheme.”
Upon closer examination, he realized that the Crown Prince, the Second Prince, the Third Prince, and the Fifth Prince were all possibilities. If he and General Zhenyuan hadn’t known Lu Huan’s character, he probably would have thought Lu Huan was the most suspicious. After all, by killing two birds with one stone, he could drag the Crown Prince and the Fifth Prince into the mess, leaving him as the most prestigious person in the capital. In that case, he would be the biggest beneficiary.
He thought that way, and he was afraid the emperor would think the same way in the future.
Although there was no evidence that this was directed at Lu Huan, he calculated that he’d been back in the capital for over four months. Aside from the Crown Prince and Empress’s failed attempt to plant spies around him during the concubine selection, the other princes had likely also tried to infiltrate his residence. However, his residence was guarded by a contingent of Imperial Guards returning from the northern border, making it impossible for spies to slip in. Four months had passed, and those hiding in the shadows, initially hesitant to act, were now bound to begin making their move.
Lu Huan was thoroughly fed up with all this fighting and infighting, finding it utterly boring, but since the enemy had come, he naturally had to defend against them.
He said to the Minister of War, “Let’s not worry about who devised this plan for now, just focus on breaking the deadlock.”
He instructed the Minister of War to propose several measures the following day at court in the Golden Palace: to divide the East and West Markets into more clearly defined areas for easier management, and to implement a curfew on a trial basis. After sunset, the Court of Judicial Review would lead the effort, with each of the Six Ministries sending personnel to patrol the capital. If anyone was caught committing a suspicious crime during the curfew, they would be punished ranging from being flogged to being beheaded.
Aside from the previous crimes committed by bandits, there had been quite a few occasional crimes in the capital. This measure could reduce the crime rate to some extent.
If this measure proved feasible after being tested in the capital, it could be extended to other prefectures.
After the Minister of War proposed this measure in the Golden Palace, some officials agreed, believing that it would greatly maintain public order, while others strongly criticized it, arguing that the curfew would affect people’s livelihoods. The debate had not yet reached a conclusion.
Leaving that aside for the time being, Lu Huan asked Grand Commandant Yun the next day to take a few officials to the West Market to discuss matters— or rather, to pretend to discuss matters.
Grand Commandant Yun and the Prime Minister were political enemies. Once Grand Commandant Yun went there, the Prime Minister would definitely try every means to find out what he and those officials were plotting.
The heavy responsibility of breaking this deadlock fell on the shoulders of the prime minister, the only one in the prince’s faction who was still relatively clear-headed.
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