Volume 1, Chapter 23: Disposition (1)

Shen Jianheng clutched his chest and kicked Shen Gang. "You—you wretched slave! To think that this Prince valued you so highly! How dare you hide such a shameless act from me!"

Shen Gang sprawled on the ground, his face streaming with tears and snot. "Your Highness, have mercy!"

Shen Ran watched this farce with cold eyes.

Shen Jianheng stomped his feet and beat his chest. "Xingci, it is all because this old uncle is muddle-headed! I had no idea such a person existed within my own estate, and to think it has even disturbed you—I am ashamed, truly ashamed!"

After a moment of silence, Shen Ran chuckled softly. "In that case, this was truly not your intention, Imperial Uncle?"

Shen Jianheng denied it vehemently. "Of course not! How could I possibly spend such a vast sum of money to buy a woman from a brothel?"

The smile on Shen Ran’s face vanished instantly.

He tapped a finger lightly against the table and said slowly, "Deceiving superiors and shielding subordinates, stealing from one’s master to sell off assets—the Great Zhou cannot tolerate such treacherous servants. Li Jiuxiao!"

Li Jiuxiao stepped forward immediately. "Your Majesty."

Shen Ran said indifferently, "Go, lock up his entire family. Execute the men by flogging and sell the women into slavery."

At these words, bloodshot veins instantly burst into Shen Gang’s eyes. He strained his neck and gasped for air. "Your Majesty! Your Highness! This matter was done by me alone! It has nothing to do with my family, Your Highness!"

Prince Cheng, Shen Jianheng, wiped his eyes. "Xingci, this dog of a slave certainly deserves to die, and I am equally incensed by his betrayal. But he has served me for many years; there is no need to implicate his family."

"Imperial Uncle is kind-hearted, but my eyes cannot tolerate even a grain of sand," Shen Ran said nonchalantly. "If we do not punish this strictly today, and the other servants in your estate take advantage of your good nature to follow suit, what would become of the order?"

He glanced at Li Jiuxiao. "Go!"

Li Jiuxiao acknowledged the order and turned to leave.

Shen Gang’s eyes were filled with terror. He crawled forward on his knees. "I beg Your Highness to save my family!"

Shen Jianheng remained silent. The servants of the Prince’s estate signed away their lives with death contracts; their fates were entirely in his hands. He was not worried that Shen Gang would expose him, but if he were too ruthless now, the man might act out of desperation, and it would chill the hearts of his other servants.

"Wait." Shen Jianheng coughed and said tremulously, "Xingci, I am old now and not what I once was. I cannot bear to witness such slaughter. For the sake of our uncle-nephew bond, could you give me some face?"

Shen Ran sighed. "It is not that I refuse to give you face, Imperial Uncle, but this servant is truly detestable. The daughter of Zhao Shoude was of a very fierce temperament; after being bought, she could not bear the humiliation and has already taken her own life."

This was entirely unexpected. Shen Jianheng was momentarily stunned, but since it came from Shen Ran’s own mouth, he could not openly question it.

Taking advantage of his bewilderment, Shen Ran added, "Furthermore, a monarch’s word is final—"

Shen Jianheng coughed again. "Xingci, I have thought it over. We are family, bound by blood. If you truly need help, even if I have no money, I will sell everything I own rather than see you in difficulty. How about this? I will tighten my belt and raise two hundred thousand taels of silver for you."

Shen Ran smiled. "Truly, we are family. In this court, only you, Imperial Uncle, can think of my needs so considerately. However..."

At that "however," Shen Jianheng’s heart plummeted again.

Shen Ran looked troubled. "It is hard to put into words, but could you help me once more and bring it up to three hundred thousand taels?"

Hearing this, Shen Jianheng’s heart settled slightly. Three hundred thousand taels was a heavy blow, but it was still within his limits. He gritted his teeth. "Very well! Three hundred thousand taels it is!"

Shen Ran laughed languidly and looked down at the kneeling Shen Gang. "Since my Imperial Uncle has pleaded for you, I will spare you this time. Why don't you thank him?"

Shen Gang cried out, "This slave thanks His Majesty and Your Highness!"

Shen Jianheng put on a stern face and scolded coldly, "Do not thank me. I merely cannot bear to see the innocent suffer. Given what you have done, no punishment would be too severe!"

Shen Gang repeatedly kowtowed, crying, "This slave deserves to die."

Shen Ran smoothed his sleeves. "Very well. Since he is your man, Imperial Uncle, you shall deal with him."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Supported by a maid, Shen Jianheng sat back in his chair, trembling. "Although this dog of a slave is wicked and deserves death, please forgive this old man for a blunt remark. I have something in my heart that I must say!"

Shen Ran smiled. "Speak your mind, Imperial Uncle."

Shen Jianheng wept. "Though my abilities may be mediocre, I have served the late Emperor and Your Majesty with loyalty, never harboring a second thought. I have only ever hoped for harmony within our family, and heaven is my witness. I am over fifty years old now; what have I done to earn your suspicion, to the point that you have sent people to monitor me?"

"I have had a hot temper since I was young—the late Emperor knew this well. If Your Majesty does not explain this today, I would rather dash my head against the wall and join the late Emperor in the afterlife to prove my innocence, rather than live under suspicion and surveillance, unable to sleep in peace!"

Shen Ran looked puzzled. "Imperial Uncle, please rise. I have always trusted you. Why would I ever send people to monitor you? What makes you say this?"

It would not be easy to pin the label of "driving his own uncle to suicide" on him and face the censure of the officials.

Shen Jianheng’s tears flowed freely. "If you did not send people to watch me, how could you have known that Shen Gang bought that woman’s first night before he had even returned to the estate?"

"So that is what this is about."

"You have truly misunderstood me, Imperial Uncle." Shen Ran glanced at Zhao Yuanzhuo and said gently, "This young man is the youngest son of Zhao Shoude. He is currently serving as a guard by my side. He was concerned for his elder sister, so he asked for leave to leave the palace. It was he who discovered the matter regarding Shen Gang and reported it to me."

Shen Jianheng asked, "The identities of guests are a secret of 'Heavenly Pavilion.' This dog of a slave would not be stupid enough to reveal his background. How did this boy discover it?"

Zhao Yuanzhuo suddenly spoke up. "I could not bear to see my sister humiliated, so I confronted them. In the scuffle, I accidentally discovered the waist token of Prince Cheng’s estate, which is why I reported it to His Majesty."

With a few words, he took all the responsibility upon himself.

Shen Jianheng coughed violently, as if in disbelief. "Once someone enters the Ministry of Rites, their life is no longer their own, and auctions have been a tradition since ancient times. Since this boy is now a royal guard, how could he disregard the rules and act so recklessly? If it were just Shen Gang, perhaps it would be fine, but if it were someone else, would he act with such impunity as well?"

"What does this conduct do to your authority, Your Majesty? What does it do to the dignity of our Great Zhou?"

As he finished speaking, Shen Jianheng plopped to his knees. "Your Majesty, Shen Gang is indeed at fault, but you must not allow such lawless and reckless people to remain by your side! They must be punished severely!"