Chapter Fifteen: Severing the Tail to Survive

After a chaotic surge of agitation came an awkward silence.

Inside the Kunning Palace.

The bedroom door had been closed at some unknown time.

Only four remained in the spacious chamber—Gao Changsheng and three others.

The Empress’s attendants had long since wisely left this dangerous place.

“Gao Changsheng, do you realize that with just what you said earlier, I could order your arrest?” the Empress said with a darkened face, her tone tinged with irritation. “And if you dared to report this to His Majesty, you would be charged with slander.”

Gao Changsheng’s loud and conspiratorial outburst had truly frightened the Empress and the two princes. Despite their immense power, they still feared the consequences of being overheard.

Who could be certain that there were no spies of the Crown Prince within the walls of Kunning Palace?

Good heavens, Gao Changsheng’s shout nearly ruined years of painstaking efforts by the Empress and the two princes.

How could the Empress not be angry?

“Heh!” Gao Changsheng responded with a bitter smile. “Your Majesty’s reprimand is well deserved. But I have no other choice left but this desperate measure!”

His face was still drawn with hardship.

To win the Empress’s faction’s trust, even just to ease the siege against him a little, Gao Changsheng had to appear weak.

In truth, he was indeed weak.

Compared to the Crown Prince and the Empress, he scarcely had the ability to protect himself.

Was that not weakness enough?

“Enough!” The Empress waved her hand impatiently. “I want to know what confidence you have in toppling the Crown Prince.”

At last, the Empress could not resist the temptation of the Crown Prince’s ultimate downfall and softened her stance.

As Gao Changsheng had suspected, to the Empress, he was merely a pebble that might block the two princes’ path to the throne.

The Crown Prince, however, was the mountain blocking that path.

Any chance to bring down the Crown Prince would not be overlooked, even if it meant using Gao Changsheng.

Gao Changsheng only needed to seize this fact and make himself appear valuable enough to be useful—that was the purpose of his venture into the lion’s den.

“I cannot claim certainty, but I can certainly trip up the Crown Prince,” Gao Changsheng said.

“My current mission to the Northern Frontier is under the title of Deputy Commander.”

“I understand that a Deputy Commander assists the commander in strategizing, coordinating logistics, and managing military household registration.”

“All court officials know that the Ministry of Revenue, Ministry of Works, and Ministry of War are all controlled by the Crown Prince.”

The Empress’s expression darkened further.

“Jinyong City lies a thousand miles from the Northern Frontier; all military supplies and equipment must pass through Jinyong City en route to the frontier.”

“Any number of errors can occur during this long process.”

“For example, discrepancies in military household records or mismatches between supplies and accounts must eventually be reported to the court.”

“All those responsible for these matters are closely linked to the Crown Prince.”

“And with the recent setbacks in the war, small mistakes could be blown out of proportion. If the Emperor’s wrath is provoked, the Crown Prince’s guilt could be magnified or diminished at will!”

Gao Changsheng spoke calmly and clearly.

His role as Deputy Commander was the only identity he could present openly, so naturally, he led with it.

If the Empress was not satisfied, he would have to find another way.

“Heh!” Gao Changwen immediately mocked. “Old Six, you’re still too inexperienced!”

“Back then, they didn’t let you be a Deputy Commander, but you insisted on taking the limelight; as expected, you made a fool of yourself.”

Gao Changfei joined in the ridicule.

“The matter of the accounts seems simple, but it’s actually very deep.”

“Do you think problems with military supplies only arise during wartime?”

“What about the daily consumption of provisions, military expenses, equipment, and weapon replacements?”

“Do you think the Crown Prince’s money for bribing officials and rewarding servants came from nowhere? Naturally, it’s all been skimmed from the various departments.”

“But why have the accounts never shown any discrepancies?”

“The reason is simple.”

“For years, there has been a meticulous understanding between the departments and the Crown Prince. The reported allocations and actual expenses always have discrepancies.”

“For instance, in weapons manufacturing, they can claim a batch of defective goods as ‘loss.’”

“Similarly, there are flawless excuses for losses in provisions.”

“Floods, fires, daily operational expenses, and so forth.”

“Human error can be punished, but how can you hold someone accountable for natural disasters?”

Gao Changwen sneered.

“Exactly. Even if you, as Deputy Commander, cross-check the accounts and find faults, the Crown Prince and the departments can still attribute them to normal losses during transport.”

“As long as the majority of supplies reach the front and sustain the soldiers’ daily needs, regardless of victory or defeat, any blame falls on the frontline soldiers.”

“If you think you can drag the Crown Prince down with this, you’re still too naive!”

Gao Changfei’s tone was almost scolding.

The convoluted affairs of the court were enough to make one’s scalp tingle.

Such matters were far beyond what a novice like Gao Changsheng could quickly comprehend.

Indeed, the darkness of war pales in comparison to the darkness of human nature.

Seeing the impatience on the Empress’s face gradually turn to disdain, Gao Changsheng knew that if he did not raise the stakes, his trip would be in vain.

“You two eldest brothers speak rightly,” he said.

“If it were just minor discrepancies, His Majesty would never pay attention.”

“Who cares if there are a few extra or missing grains of rice in a bowl?”

“But if the food itself isn’t delivered, then the ones who would be anxious are not just His Majesty, but all the people of the Great Yong Dynasty!”

Gao Changsheng’s expression suddenly turned cold.

For a moment, a chill seemed to rise within the bedchamber.

Gao Changwen and Gao Changfei couldn’t help but shiver.

“Old Six, what are you planning to do?” Gao Changwen asked, somewhat startled.

He seemed to guess what Gao Changsheng was about to say, yet dared not be certain.

Because this could concern the lives of hundreds of thousands of soldiers at the Northern Frontier, and perhaps the fate of millions across the Great Yong Dynasty.

“Second Brother, no need to worry,” Gao Changsheng said.

“Although I desire to survive, I have no intention of using others’ lives as stepping stones.”

“I simply intend to delay the arrival of the supply convoys at the front.”

“Just imagine, if the battle at the front is raging and supplies fail to arrive on time, how would His Majesty react once he learns of it?”

“Even if the supplies arrive later, what if someone presents accounts showing mismatched numbers to His Majesty?”

“Do you think His Majesty would ignore such matters?”

Gao Changsheng spoke expressionlessly.

Yet inwardly, he was uneasy, watching the Empress’s reaction carefully.

Once he resolved to execute this series of conspiracies, his scheming nature could no longer be concealed.

And the Empress, a ruthless woman who tolerated no mistakes, would never allow Gao Changsheng to live peacefully.

But at this point, Gao Changsheng had no choice but to gamble.

To bet on whether he or the Crown Prince was the greater threat in the Empress’s eyes.

“This plan is indeed clever, but it still has flaws,” the Empress finally spoke after a long moment of thought.

Her sharp eyes made Gao Changsheng’s heart chill.

“To block a supply convoy would require a considerable number of troops.”

“As a Deputy Commander, I doubt you have the authority to mobilize so many soldiers.”

“However, rest assured.”

“I shall order General Dou Yuan to cooperate with you and play along with this performance!”