Chapter 10: Lord Bai, Truly Far-Sighted and Wise!

Who was Bai Muge? He was the great hero who, together with the Young Prince Tang, secretly plotted and eliminated the chief traitor of the rebel factions—the Southern Guardian King. He was the son of Bai Zhan, the current Minister of Revenue. Since childhood, he and the Young Prince Tang had shared a close bond.

The deputy registrar and the rest of the guards were inwardly vexed and utterly bewildered. Was this guard simply witless, or had a donkey kicked his brains out? How could he dare report such a matter in the imperial library, and in front of so many witnesses, to the Young Prince Tang himself?

Most crucially, after his brazen act of accusation, none of them knew how to respond for a moment.

“Speak! Is this matter true or not?” The Young Prince Tang, Li Chen, barked out again, his voice sending shudders through their bodies as the deputy registrar and the guards hesitated.

The guard who had made the accusation smiled secretly to himself, delighted by Li Chen’s renewed fury. Were it not for the crowd in the imperial library, he would have doubled over with laughter and, gazing heavenward, shouted in triumph: “Your Highness, rest assured—your great vengeance has been exacted by your humble servant!”

“Y-Yes, it is true…” After a long hesitation, the deputy registrar decided it was best to report the matter truthfully to the Young Prince Tang. After all, the crime of deceiving the ruler was not one they could bear. Besides, they could scarcely be blamed for the affair—they too had been compelled by circumstance.

“However, Your Majesty, this matter…is not due to Lord Bai’s corruption, but rather there are hidden reasons behind it!” Since the truth was now admitted, the deputy registrar thought it best to explain everything to the Young Prince Tang, for Bai Muge was not someone to offend lightly. Even Lord Chen Duolong, the dignified Minister of Justice, sought to ingratiate himself with Lord Bai. The rights and wrongs of the matter would be for the Young Prince Tang to judge.

Thus, the deputy registrar recounted the entire process of the house raid to the Young Prince Tang. The other guards chimed in to confirm the account.

Upon hearing this, the Young Prince Tang’s previously furious expression softened, and a smile of relief appeared on his face. “I knew I was right about Old Bai!”

Would Bai Muge stoop to petty corruption during a confiscation? The Young Prince Tang would never believe such foolishness. After all, they had grown up together; if Bai Muge wanted something, he only needed to ask. Why risk his head for such a crime? Moreover, the chief traitor, the Southern Guardian King, had only just been eliminated. Who knew if the remnants of his faction lurking in the shadows had truly been wiped out?

Would Bai Muge be so shortsighted and reckless? Listening to the deputy registrar and the guards, Li Chen was now convinced—the guard who had made the accusation must be a remnant of the Southern Guardian King’s faction! Why else would he be so eager to bring down Bai Muge?

“Old Bai, I didn’t expect that with a single ruse, you could flush out those who had slipped through the net!” Li Chen secretly rejoiced. As he looked at the guard, his gaze turned icy cold.

“Elder Brother!” Just as Li Chen was about to deal with the accusing guard, the princess, Li Shixuan, could no longer contain her displeasure. Her almond-shaped eyes flashed in anger as she glared at the guard and huffed, “That man looks every bit the sly and despicable villain. How dare he slander Lord Bai! Brother, you cannot keep such a person around. Otherwise, he might one day malign other loyal officials before you and turn you into a foolish ruler! Besides, he’s already given his last words.”

Li Chen could not help but smile wryly at her outburst. “My little sister is still so young; she only knows how to shield Old Bai and has not seen the intricacies of the matter!” He raised his hand to calm the indignant Li Shixuan, then turned to the guard and asked, “Whose command were you under before?”

The guard was taken aback, not expecting such a question. Could it be that the Young Prince Tang was about to reward him for his report?

Thinking so, he grew even more pleased and replied solemnly, “Your Majesty, I have always served as an imperial guard, though you may not have noticed me before.”

The Young Prince Tang nodded, satisfied, his heart now certain: this man was indeed one of the Southern Guardian King’s hidden remnants. Li Chen had never seen him before, not even during the attempt on the Southern Guardian King in the imperial library. With his photographic memory since childhood, how could he have forgotten such a face?

“Good!” Li Chen exclaimed. “For your meritorious report on Bai Muge’s corruption, tell me—which other guards are your close associates? I shall reward them all and appoint you as Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guards. From now on, you shall be responsible for my safety!”

The guard was overjoyed. Never had he imagined that his accusation against Bai Muge would not only avenge the Southern Guardian King but also secure him a high position at court. “Your lordship’s spirit truly blesses us from above! I will feast and make offerings in your memory!” he thought, giddy with delight. He immediately revealed the identities of the other Southern Guardian King loyalists among the guards to the Young Prince Tang.

“Summon them here. I wish to see them myself,” Li Chen ordered the eunuch at his side.

“At once, Your Majesty,” the eunuch replied, leading the accusing guard away.

Meanwhile, Li Shixuan, the deputy registrar, and the other guards were stunned. Not only did the Young Prince Tang refrain from punishing the guard, but he also promoted him. They were dumbfounded.

“Brother, you—”

Li Shixuan was fuming. “Lord Bai would never stoop to corruption, and they just explained that it was Lord Bai who wished to purchase the golden robe!”

“Matters of men are not for women to meddle in!” Li Chen snapped at her, his tone stern. Li Shixuan clenched her fists in outrage, looking as though she might strike him to vent her anger. The deputy registrar and the guards all lowered their heads in silence, and a heavy stillness settled over the imperial library, broken only by Li Shixuan’s dissatisfied snorts.

Soon the eunuch returned, bringing the accusing guard and the others he had named into the imperial library.

“We pay our respects to Your Majesty,” they all said, bowing low.

“At ease,” replied Li Chen with a slight smile, noting that all the faces were unfamiliar. He looked again at the accusing guard, now beaming with satisfaction. “These are the ones?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” the guard replied with barely concealed joy. “From now on, I am the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guards by imperial favor! Brothers, we have made it!”

But at that moment, Li Chen’s sleeve flicked sharply as he commanded in a thundering voice, “Guards! Seize these traitorous remnants at once and drag them out for execution!”

“???” Princess Li Shixuan stared in shock.

“???” The accusing guard and his comrades were dumbfounded.

“???” The deputy registrar and the other guards were equally stunned.

Everyone was utterly bewildered. Hadn’t the Young Prince Tang just promised them promotion? How did it suddenly turn to execution? What had happened?

They all felt their minds could not keep pace with the Young Prince Tang’s thinking.

But then Li Chen continued coldly, “If not for Old Bai’s plan, I would not have discovered that you were the Southern Guardian King’s remaining traitors!”

At last, Li Shixuan, the deputy registrar, and the others understood—this had all been Bai Muge’s clever scheme. Anyone who tried to use this matter to inform would most likely be a remnant of the Southern Guardian King’s faction. Who else would wish to destroy a hero like Bai Muge?

“Lord Bai is truly farsighted!”

“We are shamed by comparison…”

“A brilliant plan indeed…”

As they finally comprehended, the deputy registrar and the guards immediately set to work, seizing the accusing guard and his fellows and dragging them away for execution.