Chapter 42: Probing the Feudal Princes' Power

Deep in the night, as stillness blanketed the surroundings, moonlight filtered through the carved wooden window lattice, casting a soft interplay of light and shadow across the study. Li Chuan was organizing that day's investigative records when he suddenly heard the gentle sound of footsteps approaching from outside. Turning his head, he saw the Princess walking in slowly. A trace of fatigue shadowed her face, yet her gaze burned with a heightened determination.

"Your Highness, why are you still not resting at such a late hour?" Li Chuan rose to his feet, offering a slight bow.

The Princess waved her hand, signaling him to sit. She walked over to the window, fell silent for a moment, and then spoke softly, "Li Chuan, do you know that this internal restructuring is not merely about purging corruption, but concerns the very survival of the royal house?"

Li Chuan froze in surprise. "What does Your Highness mean by this?"

The Princess turned around, gazing at him with complex eyes. "Since the passing of the late Emperor, the court has been engulfed in turbulence. Although His Majesty inherited the grand mandate, he has never been able to truly steady the court. Today, feudal princes across various regions hold heavy military power in their own hands, and the imperial court's control over the provinces grows weaker by the day. Particularly the princes of the Southern Borders—they have begun blatantly expanding their influence, even daring to covet the imperial throne."

Her tone carried a profound sense of helplessness and anxiety. "And the Bureau of Internal Affairs in my hands, originally the financial bedrock of the royal family, has long been hollowed out and devoured by a swarm of greedy petty men. If we fail to reform it now, the royal house will completely lose its economic pillar. By then, even if His Majesty wishes to save the situation, it will be beyond redemption."

Hearing this, Li Chuan felt a shock rippling through his heart, and he could not help asking, "Your Highness, is there truly no one else in the court who realizes this?"

The Princess let out a cold laugh. "Realizes it? So what? Most of those courtiers care only for their own interests; they would gladly welcome the downfall of the royal house so they can seize the opportunity to carve up power. As for His Majesty, he is gravely ill and long past the point of managing state affairs. Nowadays, those truly willing to serve the royal family are few and far between."

She sighed and continued, "Li Chuan, you may not know this, but in this restructuring of the Bureau of Internal Affairs, I must not only confront those corrupt parasites, but also guard against the interference of feudal princes and powerful nobles in the court. They all hope for my failure, for only then will the royal family lose its final hope entirely."

Upon hearing this, Li Chuan felt a heavy weight pressing upon his heart. He had always believed that assisting the Princess with the internal restructuring was merely a matter of clearing out corruption, never imagining it was entwined with such intricate power struggles.

"Why is Your Highness only telling me this now?" Li Chuan asked in a low voice.

The Princess managed a reluctant, bitter smile. "I did not wish to drag you into this. After all, you are neither an official of the court nor a member of the royal family; this storm should never have concerned you."

"Your Highness!" Li Chuan suddenly stood up, his eyes burning with intensity as he looked at her. "Since I have already joined this reform, there is no turning back. Your Highness need not exclude me; I am willing to share your burdens!"

The Princess was stunned, clearly not expecting him to be so resolute.

"Li Chuan, this is not merely a matter of internal administration. In the future, we may face the threats of feudal princes, or even obstruction within the imperial court," she said, her tone carrying a deeper complexity. "Are you truly willing to take such a risk?"

"I am!" Li Chuan answered without the slightest hesitation. "Your Highness, I come from humble beginnings and always believed my life would be spent merely chasing a livelihood. To now be blessed with the chance to serve Your Highness is the greatest honor imaginable. If I can help Your Highness overcome these troubles, then my life as Li Chuan will not have been lived in vain."

A flash of deep emotion crossed the Princess's eyes, and she gently nodded. "Very well! Since that is your wish, I shall conceal nothing more from you. From this day forward, you are my most trusted aide. We must defend the final hope of the royal house!"

The two sat facing each other, systematically piecing together the situation facing the Princess. Li Chuan discovered that the influence of the Southern Border princes had deeply infiltrated the Bureau of Internal Affairs; some officials were even secretly colluding with the Southern princes, channeling vast sums of funds into their hands through falsified accounts.

"We have already obtained the names of some of these officials, but the evidence is insufficient to act just yet," the Princess said with a furrowed brow. "We must find more conclusive proof, or else those ministers in the court who support the princes will inevitably launch a counterattack."

"Rest assured, Your Highness, I will investigate personally," Li Chuan declared immediately. "Since these people dared to embezzle, they will undoubtedly have left traces behind."

"Li Chuan, this matter is of the utmost importance. You must proceed with caution," the Princess warned. "Should there be any danger, I would rather abandon the reform than see anything happen to you."

Li Chuan smiled faintly. "Rest assured, Your Highness, I know what I am doing."

Early the next morning, Li Chuan led a few capable guards to quietly slip out of the city, heading toward the sphere of influence controlled by the Southern princes. Disguised as ordinary merchants and using the pretext of investigating accounts, they set out to secretly gather evidence.

A few days later, Li Chuan discovered a covert transportation route. While appearing to be an ordinary trade path on the surface, it was actually a crucial channel utilized by the officials of the Bureau of Internal Affairs to funnel funds to the princes.

"Your Highness, I have already secured partial evidence regarding this transport line," Li Chuan reported to the Princess upon his return. "However, to fully establish their guilt, we need to delve deeper into the investigation."

The Princess nodded. "Very well, you shall have sole command over this operation. But remember, do not startle the snake in the grass."

Meanwhile, the princes of the Southern Borders seemed to have sensed the royal house's rectification movement. They dispatched secret agents to infiltrate the Bureau of Internal Affairs in an attempt to probe the Princess's plans.

"Li Chuan, our opponents have begun to strike back," the Princess said with a grave expression as she shared the news of the spies. "If we fail to secure the evidence swiftly, it will be difficult for us to carry on."

"Your Highness, this only proves that our actions have touched upon their vital interests," Li Chuan said, his gaze resolute. "Please rest assured, Your Highness; I will do everything in my power to win this victory for the royal family!"

That night, the Princess and Li Chuan worked tirelessly through the night in the study. As dawn approached, the Princess suddenly spoke softly, "Li Chuan, you have worked hard during this time. Without you, I might have found myself completely helpless long ago."

"You are too kind, Your Highness," Li Chuan smiled. "It is my honor to serve you."

Looking at him, a trace of softness melted into the Princess's eyes. "Li Chuan, do you know? Within these deep palace walls, I have never met anyone like you who so sincerely looks out for my interests."

A slight ripple stirred in Li Chuan's heart, but he quickly regained his composure. "Your Highness, your subordinate is merely fulfilling his duty."

The Princess said no more, but her gaze lingered on Li Chuan for a long time, as if she had found a long-lost sense of security and reliance in him.

As day broke, the faint morning light filtered through the study window lattice, spilling over the dossiers on the desk. The Princess leaned slightly against the back of her chair, having gone several nights without a proper rest. Her tightly pressed lips betrayed her inner anxiety, while Li Chuan beside her remained wholly absorbed in organizing the evidence, seemingly immune to the exhaustion of an all-nighter.

"Li Chuan," the Princess called softly, her voice tinged with hoarseness, "there is something I have always wanted to ask you."

Li Chuan raised his head, pausing his brush. "Please speak, Your Highness."

"Why are you willing to exert yourself so tirelessly to help me?" The Princess's eyes locked onto his, as if trying to peer through his eyes into his very soul. "Do you know what this means? Should we fail, you will have no way out, and our enemies will certainly show no mercy."

Li Chuan fell silent for a moment before offering a faint smile. "Your Highness, I am willing to do this not for any other reason, but simply because I trust you. The realm is in chaos, and the common people suffer; you are the only one truly willing to look out for their well-being. I, Li Chuan, am merely a man of grass and reeds, but to be able to serve Your Highness and contribute a meager shred of effort to this world—even death would bring no regrets."

The corners of the Princess's eyes grew slightly warm, but she forced back her emotion and nodded slowly. "Li Chuan, it is because of your assistance that I have been able to hold on until now."

Three days later, Li Chuan once again disguised himself as a peddler, slipping into the territory of the Southern princes alongside two capable subordinates. Their target was a secret warehouse hidden deep within the mountains, storing the arms and provisions that the princes had secretly transported via the Bureau of Internal Affairs.

The mountain paths were steep and treacherous. Li Chuan carefully concealed himself among the bushes, observing the movements around the warehouse. Security was tight; the guards wore heavy armor and brandished fine weapons, clearly elite troops who had undergone rigorous training.

"Chief, those guards look like the prince's personal guards," a subordinate whispered. "If we act rashly, escaping unscathed will be difficult."

Li Chuan nodded. "There is no need to rush. Let us first figure out their transport routes and troop deployment before making any plans."

That night, taking advantage of the darkness, they crept close to the perimeter of the warehouse, using the cover of the dense forest to approach the sentry patrols. Li Chuan noticed that every two hours, a convoy of carts departed from the warehouse and headed north. Although the guards' patrol routes appeared meticulous, there was a single blind spot—a steep, unguarded footpath located on the northeast corner of the warehouse.

"A golden opportunity!" Li Chuan whispered to his subordinates. "When the next convoy departs, we will slip in among them and see what exactly they are transporting."

The following night, Li Chuan and his men executed their plan, infiltrating the convoy disguised as ordinary laborers and setting off with them. Along the way, they remained silent and patient, carefully observing the convoy's route.

Hours later, the convoy came to a halt inside a secluded mountain stronghold. This was clearly an important stronghold for the princes; the camp was not only piled high with military equipment and grain, but also teemed with soldiers undergoing drills.

"So this is where they are gathering their troops, waiting for the right moment to revolt!" Li Chuan thought, inwardly startled. "It seems the Princess was right; the feudal princes are indeed plotting rebellion."

Just as Li Chuan prepared to slip away, he inadvertently overheard a conversation between two guards.

"Have you heard? A few of those spies sent by the imperial court recently were caught."

"Hah, those fools thought they could deceive our lord's eyes just by disguising themselves as ordinary merchants?" another mocked. "Still, our lord gave orders not to kill them yet; we're to keep them alive to hand over to that merchant to 'satisfy accounts,' so as not to ruin their transaction."

"A merchant?" Li Chuan's heart tightened. "It seems the mastermind the Princess mentioned earlier truly is in collusion with these princes."

A few days later, Li Chuan returned quietly to the capital with the gathered intelligence, immediately reporting his findings to the Princess.

"Your Highness, according to my investigation, that merchant has close ties to the Southern princes. Through the secret warehouse and the mountain stronghold, they have been converting the funds of the Bureau of Internal Affairs into armaments and grain, attempting to mass troops in the Southern Borders." Li Chuan unfurled a map on the table, pointing to several key locations marked upon it. "These places are their supply depots. Once these supplies are cut off, the princes' plans will collapse."

The Princess's brows locked together, a flash of resolute determination crossing her eyes. "Li Chuan, this operation must be decisive. If they catch wind of it, they will undoubtedly be driven to desperate measures."

"Your subordinate understands," Li Chuan nodded. "However, this action might alert the merchant. Should we lay out our preparations in advance to prevent him from making a desperate move?"

The Princess smiled faintly, a sharp glint in her eyes. "Rest assured, I have already arranged for men from the Bureau of Internal Affairs to monitor his movements in secret. If he dares to act rashly, he will have no way of escape!"

Deep in the night, the candlelight in the study flickered unsteadily. The Princess stood alone by the window, gazing at the starry sky, her thoughts swirling. Over the past few days, she had distinctly felt that her reliance and trust in Li Chuan had transcended the bounds of a mere superior-subordinate relationship.

"Li Chuan..." she murmured softly, a complex wave of emotion washing over her heart. "You are an extraordinary person, perhaps... far more important than I ever imagined."

At that moment, Li Chuan knocked and entered the study. "Your Highness, your subordinate has a matter he wishes to consult you about."

The Princess turned around, masking the tenderness in her eyes with a faint smile. "What is it?"

"Your Highness seems burdened with worries. Is there something your subordinate has failed to do properly?" concern laced Li Chuan's tone.

The Princess paused slightly before shaking her head. "You have done exceedingly well. I was merely thinking that this path is far too arduous and might end up implicating you."

Li Chuan spoke with solemn earnestness. "Your Highness, since I chose to follow you, I have prepared myself to face every challenge. As long as Your Highness does not give up, your subordinate will never retreat!"

Hearing this, a touch of deep emotion surfaced in the Princess's eyes. "Li Chuan, I shall remember your words."

The two exchanged a warm smile, and the atmosphere in the study grew that much more comforting.