026 [Still Waters, Slight Ripples]

To the east of the Imperial City, located within the corridor rooms on the east side of the Left Shun Gate, sits the Ministry of Works.

This serves merely as the core office of the Ministry. Beyond it, numerous subordinate branches are scattered throughout the city and its outskirts—such as the Bamboo and Timber Bureau outside Anding Gate, the Firewood and Charcoal Bureau near Fucheng Gate, the Street Department outside Zhengyang Gate, and the Construction and Repair Office in the eastern suburbs.

Compared to the cramped and makeshift quarters of the Special Investigation Bureau, the Ministry of Works appears far more grand in both scale and architectural regulation. However, the officials within this office are all furrowing their brows, heavy with worry.

Ever since Gu Heng was imprisoned in the Jing'an Division, many have speculated that the Emperor would not let the matter rest there. The core issues remained unresolved: the truth behind this summer’s floods needed to be uncovered, and the depleted national treasury needed to be replenished. Clearly, Gu Heng alone could not shoulder such a heavy responsibility.

As expected, only two or three days later, news emerged from the palace that the Emperor intended to conduct a rigorous investigation into the Ministry of Works. Subsequently, the "Office for the Investigation of Corruption in the Ministry of Works" was promptly established. Shen Wang, Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, was appointed as the imperial commissioner. He drafted a large number of skilled personnel from other ministries and departments, organizing the structure in an incredibly short timeframe.

"Brother Deyu, did the Minister give you any instructions just now?"

Under the courtyard corridor, Jia Fan, a Vice Director of the Bureau of Land Reclamation, looked at his blank-faced colleague and leaned in with an expression of concern.

Qi Huan, Vice Director of the Bureau of Waterways, lifted his eyes toward Jia Fan and shook his head. "No instructions."

For the past few days, the officials of the Bureau of Waterways had been in a state of panic. No one knew what Director Gu might have confessed while in the dungeons of the Jing'an Division. Most of them did not believe Gu Heng could withstand the methods of the Jing'an Division. It felt as though a ghost-headed blade were hanging over their necks, and they could only watch helplessly as the executioner spat into his palms, preparing to swing the blade down.

The process of waiting for death was agonizing. As seasoned veterans of the bureaucracy, they would naturally not sit idly by. They worked tirelessly, reviewing account books to ensure no flaws remained, and individually sought out connections to beg for a way to survive. Yet, this time, the Emperor had acted with absolute authority and had specifically commissioned Shen Wang to lead the investigation, clearly intending to "kill the chicken to scare the monkey." Who would dare intercede for these officials of the Bureau of Waterways?

In the end, they could only pin their hopes on Minister Xue Minglun.

Hearing Qi Huan’s listless reply, Jia Fan sighed softly and offered comfort: "Brother Deyu, rest assured. The Minister will certainly not sit by and watch us be bullied."

Recalling the emotionless expression on Xue Minglun’s face just moments ago, Qi Huan gave a self-deprecating smile. "Brother Yutian, there is no need to test me. This time, the trouble is within our Bureau of Waterways; it will not implicate the Bureau of Land Reclamation."

"What are you saying, Brother Deyu?" Jia Fan said sternly. "The four bureaus of the Ministry of Works are branches of the same tree. We have been colleagues for nearly a decade; naturally, I do not wish to see you fall. I came here specifically to offer whatever meager assistance I could."

Qi Huan remained unmoved, but his slightly rapid breathing betrayed his true inner state.

Jia Fan pressed on: "Brother Deyu, just think—would the Minister truly leave us to fend for ourselves? Regardless, you and I are both his subordinates. Even though Director Gu has committed an offense, it cannot lead to widespread ruin. Otherwise, upon whom will the Minister rely to get things done in the future?"

Qi Huan mused, "Are you suggesting that the Minister might take action?"

"Not might—he will." Jia Fan’s tone was certain. He lowered his voice: "But that Vice Minister Shen is coming on aggressively. The Minister cannot openly defy the Emperor’s will, unless the investigators fail to find any evidence. Only then would the Minister have the leverage to suppress Vice Minister Shen."

Qi Huan frowned slightly; this was undoubtedly an empty platitude. He and his colleagues in the Bureau of Waterways certainly hoped the investigators would find no evidence, but the initiative did not lie in their hands.

Jia Fan went further: "Brother Deyu, Vice Minister Shen is the commissioner, but his subordinates are not. If you employ delaying tactics and maintain a firm attitude, how could it be so easy for them to investigate? If they find no evidence, the Minister will have the confidence to shield us from the storm."

Qi Huan’s thoughts raced. He knew well that this fellow Jia Fan was not acting out of kindness; he likely wanted the Bureau of Waterways to stand at the front and draw the investigators' attention. The problem was that he had no better options at the moment. Shen Wang’s team was hand-picked and highly competent; there was no time to pull strings, and Xue Minglun would not act for now. They had to rely on themselves.

Thinking this, Qi Huan did not commit himself, merely cupping his hands. "I appreciate your concern, Brother Yutian."

Jia Fan watched his hurried departure, smiled silently to himself, and turned to walk in the opposite direction.

...

At the third quarter of the Chen hour (around 8:45 AM), dozens of officials from the Investigation Bureau arrived in force at the Ministry of Works. Minister of Works Xue Minglun, with a solemn expression, came out to greet them in person.

Commissioner Shen Wang stepped forward to read the imperial edict. Then, under the awestruck gazes of the Ministry officials, he proceeded with Xue Minglun to the administrative chambers. His subordinates, led by Qi Huan, headed toward the side courtyard of the Bureau of Waterways.

Xue Huai was naturally among them. Even though he tried to keep a low profile, he still drew countless complex gazes along the way—scrutinizing, wary, and even hateful. The reason was simple: before Gu Heng impeached Xue Mingzhang, Xue Huai had been impeaching officials of the Ministry of Works every few days. If not for Xue Minglun repeatedly suppressing the matter, the Ministry officials would likely have attacked him in a pack long ago.

Xue Huai remained calm and steady in his gait. Shen Wang’s words yesterday had shaken him, but he would not let that cloud his judgment or lead to reckless behavior. For him, the priority was to observe the situation and learn the methods of the seasoned investigators. He would not hesitate or shrink when it was his turn to act—habits he had cultivated in his previous life.

By now, he had a general understanding of those around him. Censor Yuan Cheng was a well-known incorruptible official of the Censorate, possessing high moral character and a decisive manner. In his younger years, he had a fiery temper, and his impeachment memorials were famously sharp; he once reduced a Vice Minister to utter shame during a court session. Fang Jiming, a Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, was steady and reserved, possessing a knack for identifying anomalies. He had handled countless complex cases over the years and was a key aide to the Right Vice Minister of Justice. Chen Zhi, an Evaluator of the Court of Judicial Review, appeared to be a simple old man but was actually meticulous and rigorous; he rarely made errors in the cases he reviewed.

As for the various supervising secretaries and the clerks specifically responsible for auditing, Xue Huai was deeply impressed by one man. During the grand court session that day, while the Chief Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial was reading the imperial edict, this man, a supervising secretary from the Ministry of Revenue named Ge Cunyi, had been standing there with his spirit wandering elsewhere—a legendary figure capable of sleeping while standing. Xue Huai had initially thought him a slacker, but he now realized that the man simply disliked pedantry; he had been personally selected by Shen Wang for the investigation bureau for a reason.

A moment later, the group arrived at the courtyard of the Bureau of Waterways. Qi Huan cupped his hands and said, "Colleagues, how do you intend to proceed with the investigation? Pray, enlighten us on the procedure."

The group looked to Xue Huai. As the recording secretary appointed by Shen Wang, he was responsible for conveying the commissioner's arrangements.

"The Commissioner has ordered that the Bureau of Waterways surrender all archives and account books related to river engineering from the past ten years. Furthermore, Vice Director Qi and all officials must submit to questioning by the Investigation Bureau," Xue Huai said, his tone calm and unhurried.

Qi Huan frowned, but he did not show overt resistance. He said in a deep voice, "The archives and ledgers are in the record room. Furthermore, I and all of the Bureau of Waterways are available for your questioning at any time."

The progress seemed smooth, but neither Xue Huai, Yuan Cheng, nor the others felt relieved. This was only the beginning; uncovering the issues would not be so simple.

The investigators began their work according to their pre-arranged duties. Xue Huai took the supervising secretaries and clerks to the record room, while Yuan Cheng and the others began the first round of questioning. The record room of the Bureau of Waterways was vast, consisting of seven rooms across three sides, filled with a sea of documents.

"So many?" A supervising secretary looked at the six large chests placed in the courtyard. He had no energy to marvel at how cooperative the Bureau had been in organizing these files ahead of time; he only knew that he would likely be working sleeplessly for the next half-month.

Zheng Jing, a Director of the Bureau of Waterways, looked at him coldly and said indifferently, "This is less than thirty percent, and these are only the files from the last five years of river work. You want the files from the last ten years? There are at least a dozen more large chests."

The group frowned at this. They did not fear hardship, but the Emperor had given them only a three-month deadline. Just reviewing these files would take a month or two.

"Director Zheng," Xue Huai stepped forward and said calmly, "This case stems from the Yangzhou river engineering corruption scandal. Please provide us with the files from Yangzhou Prefecture first."

Zheng Jing glanced at him sideways and remained silent.

Xue Huai said blandly, "Is Director Zheng unwilling?"

"Do not make false accusations, Compiler Xue." Zheng Jing recalled Qi Huan’s instructions and said, expressionless, "The Investigation Bureau is acting under imperial decree; how would we dare not cooperate? However, the record room is piled high with documents, and I truly do not know where the Yangzhou files are kept. Compiler Xue, please be patient; I will take people to the record room to search for them immediately."

He paused and added with feigned kindness, "By the way, the Bureau of Waterways is cramped, and we have no place for you to rest. If you don't mind, please wait in the courtyard, and I will have someone bring chairs."

His response seemed flawless, but how could Xue Huai not understand the underlying scheme? If he agreed, the scene would devolve into the investigators sitting in the courtyard waiting foolishly, while Zheng Jing and his men searched the record room until the end of time.

In short, they would drag it out as long as possible.