Senior Fan and Qi Zongbi shared little to no personal ties in or out of the court. Senior Fan's unwavering loyalty to the imperial family made him Qi Zongbi's natural adversary. Despite this, Senior Fan still spoke those words. On one hand, it was a testament to his high regard for Su Yi; on the other, it was because... he was a truly discerning man.
Su Yi raised his head, looked around, and, seeing no one else nearby, straightened his posture and headed toward the Zhang residence's main gate.
Not long after knocking on the door, a servant came to open it. Upon seeing Su Yi, the servant showed no surprise, only bowing respectfully and ushering him in.
Su Yi nodded silently, realizing that someone had notified the residence in advance of his arrival.
The servant led Su Yi through the residence, all the way to the study in the inner hall. Pushing the door open, Su Yi found Zhang Li already waiting inside.
"Assistant Minister Zhang," Su Yi greeted Zhang Li with a cupped fist salute. "You worked hard today."
Zhang Li's mouth bore a visible bruise, seemingly treated only with a quick application of ointment. The faint scent of medicine lingered in the study.
Zhang Li returned the gesture with a forced smile and said, "Thank you for your concern, Grand Tutor. Now that you’ve achieved your goal today, might I trouble you to hand over the ledger to me?"
"You're quite direct, Minister Zhang," Su Yi replied with a faint smile as he seated himself in a chair opposite Zhang Li, separated by a table. "If someone were to see your eagerness, it might not bode well for you."
Zhang Li frowned and opened his mouth, seemingly about to retort, but after a moment, he smiled and said, "Grand Tutor Su, let’s not play coy. Something as critical as this—concerning life and death—is best kept in one’s own hands."
Su Yi's gaze turned icy. "So, Minister Zhang, you do understand that this ledger concerns life and death. Then you must also know what the crime is for privately trading official salt and iron with Northern Qiang, don’t you?"
Cold sweat immediately formed on Zhang Li’s forehead. His expression grew tense, and his speech became stammered. "I... I..."
"Why aren't you speaking? Do you truly not know, or do you not dare to say?" Su Yi leaned forward, closing in on Zhang Li. "Then let me tell you—your family assets will be confiscated, and three generations of your clan will be executed!"
"Grand Tutor Su, have mercy!" Zhang Li dropped to his knees with a loud thud, bowing repeatedly until his head hit the floor with an audible thump. "The lives of more than fifty people in my household rest in your hands, my lord. I beg you to show leniency!"
"Minister Zhang, please rise," Su Yi said lightly but made no move to help him up. "Since I am here today, it means I do not intend to make this public—for now. However, the ledger is best kept with me."
"Grand Tutor Su..." Blood had begun to ooze from Zhang Li’s forehead, but he looked up at Su Yi upon hearing this. "You..."
Su Yi stood up and helped Zhang Li to his feet. "Minister Zhang, please get up. I am unworthy of such a grand gesture. Minister Qi's return to the capital is only a matter of time. When that happens, I will need to rely on your support."
Zhang Li's eyes widened, his lips moved as if to speak, but in the end, he said nothing and simply stood up silently.
Su Yi brushed off nonexistent dust from Zhang Li's knees in a show of concern. Zhang Li tried to stop him, then returned to his seat and sat down again. Su Yi, unfazed, smiled and sat down as well.
"It seems we can continue our discussion," Su Yi said to Zhang Li with a smile.
Zhang Li remained silent for a long while before letting out a deep sigh. "The court officials all pride themselves on understanding the intricacies of the court, yet in the end, they have underestimated you, Grand Tutor Su."
Su Yi shook his head gently and said, "When someone must be the butcher, another must become the fish. This is the kind of choice I will continue to make."
"There is still one matter I do not understand," Zhang Li said after some thought.
Su Yi gestured courteously. "Please speak, Minister Zhang."
Zhang Li cleared his throat. "General Qi Yanzhu, the Strategist General, is stationed far away on the northeastern border. When did you manage to bring him under your fold, Grand Tutor Su?"
Su Yi smiled faintly. "Minister Zhang, you have misunderstood. General Qi and I are complete strangers."
Zhang Li was taken aback. "Then why?"
Su Yi couldn't help but chuckle. "Do you think I recommended General Qi simply to build a faction and form a faction for my own gain?"
Zhang Li lowered his head, not daring to reply, but the expression on his face clearly displayed his disbelief.
Su Yi shook his head with a bitter smile but did not wish to elaborate further. Instead, he said, "General Qi's ability to establish himself firmly on the northeastern border proves his talent as a commander. This is one reason for choosing him to take over Liangzhou Prefecture. As for the other reason... Do you know why General Qi was sent to the border three years ago, Minister Zhang?"
Zhang Li suddenly raised his head, his eyes shining. "So... it was all along..."
"I didn’t know about this initially," Su Yi said, waving his hand. "It was only when I recommended him to His Majesty that Eunuch Yue revealed the details to me. Three years ago, General Qi achieved a great victory against Northern Qiang outside the Northern border.
"Upon returning to the capital, he should have been rewarded. At the time, Marshal Ying was also nearing retirement age, and it was expected he would step down and pass on his position. The late Emperor had intended for General Qi to succeed him...
"Somehow, things took a turn. General Qi was accused in court of mistreating his soldiers and embezzling funds. In the end, he was exiled to guard the northeastern borderlands against the Oirats and was left with the hollow title of Strategist General."
"It was Marshal Ying..." Zhang Li said in a grave tone. "I’ve heard about this matter before, but without evidence, it never amounted to anything more than teatime gossip."
Su Yi let out a cold laugh. "Heh... Marshal Ying, is advanced in age and ambition—truly a blessing for our Grand Ruen Dynasty. He resorted to every possible means to suppress his colleagues in order to secure his position. If not for the late Emperor's intervention back then, it wouldn’t have been as simple as a border reassignment. General Qi might not even have survived."
"Ha..." Zhang Li sighed toward the heavens. "Grand Tutor Su, you are... truly a master of calculation. What comes around goes around—it's all cause and effect. Marshal Ying was destined to suffer the moment he met you."
"He brought it upon himself," Su Yi said, narrowing his eyes slightly as if deep in thought. "As the Commander of the Three Armies, he let Qi Zongbi seize military power from under his nose. How can he dream of leaving a legacy in the annals of history with such incompetence. The late Emperor must have been blind to appoint this man as Marshal!"
Zhang Li coughed into his sleeve, softly reminding him, "Grand Tutor Su... mind your words."
Su Yi realized he had become too agitated and quickly calmed himself. "Ahem—let’s leave it at that. Minister Zhang, take good care of yourself. The court cannot do without pillars of the nation like you. I’ll take my leave."
Zhang Li stood and cupped his hands, saying, "I shall do my utmost to assist Grand Tutor Su."
Zhang Li escorted Su Yi all the way to the gate. Su Yi stopped and said, "Minister Zhang, no need to see me further. I bid you farewell." With that, he left the Zhang residence without looking back.
Zhang Li watched the young man’s figure grow smaller in the distance, his expression dazed. Suddenly, he gritted his teeth and shouted, "Grand Tutor Su—what exactly are you trying to achieve?"
The young man’s figure paused momentarily, then continued walking forward. A single light sentence filled with resolve, floated back from afar.
"This court is sick... I will cure it."