Chapter 74

Pan Shijian looked at his son with a sympathetic gaze. It wasn't sympathy for his injuries, but for his intelligence. He had to admit that his son's loss to Song Li was well-deserved. In the past, he didn't know much about Song Li, and most of his impressions came from hearsay. But after this incident, he understood clearly. The entire event had been under Song Li's control from the start. Perhaps the conflict with Pan Shaofeng was a coincidence, but every step afterward was a carefully laid trap.

He humiliated Pan Shaofeng and then let him come back to cause trouble. The purpose was to escalate the situation and use Song Xinghai's hands to thoroughly investigate the economic issues of the Pan family. On the surface, it seemed like a conflict between two rich kids, but Song Li never saw Pan Shaofeng as a real opponent. His target was Pan Fuyin!

Once Pan Fuyin fell, Song Li would naturally win the battle against Pan Shaofeng, and at the same time, help his father eliminate a formidable political rival! This was Song Li's ultimate goal. Although it was hard to believe that a sixteen-year-old could be so shrewd, Pan Shijian firmly believed it. He admitted that Song Li had done a great job, and if he were in the same situation, he would have done the same.

"Shaofeng, you're too naive. The situation has become very serious. It's not something you can resolve by kowtowing to Song Li and begging for mercy," Pan Shijian said with a bitter smile. "What they really want to do is to target me."

"How is that possible? You mean Song Li's ultimate goal is to target you?" Pan Shaofeng still couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe that a former nobody could become so powerful.

"Son, think carefully about how the events have unfolded. Every step we took was within their expectations, and they had prepared countermeasures. All our efforts have been in vain," Pan Shijian said earnestly. "No matter how this turns out, I hope you learn to be more mature. The Song Li you used to look down on has grown into a terrifying presence. He's even younger than you by five or six years. Haven't you realized this yet? Wake up, son. Stop living a carefree life and grow up, okay?"

Pan Shaofeng remained silent. Whether he accepted it or not, he had been thoroughly defeated by Song Li, and he didn't know if he would ever have the chance to rise again.

"Father, are we just going to sit here and wait to be destroyed?" Pan Shaofeng still had a glimmer of hope.

"I need to prepare well. The inspectors will soon start investigating me, and I can't let them find more evidence," Pan Shijian said solemnly. "I hope Prince Zhong can stand up for me in this situation. If he does, there might still be a chance."

It wasn't that Pan Shijian was pessimistic; he knew his own actions all too well. During his tenure as the Governor of the Imperial Capital, he had committed every evil deed a corrupt official could. Selling offices, accepting bribes, embezzlement, land grabbing, and even abducting women to be his concubines. Although he thought he had covered his tracks well, once the inspectors got involved, they could find any information they needed. To put it simply, if they wanted to, they could even find out how many times Pan Fuyin wet the bed as a child.

He had been living a comfortable life for years, not because he was good at covering his tracks, but because he had powerful backing, and no one dared to investigate him.

But this time, he had truly hit a wall.

Song Xinghai, in his political career, had always stayed in the shadows, unnoticed and unappreciated, so he had no political allies. When such a person gained power, the biggest advantage was the lack of political entanglements. Since he had no good relations with anyone, he didn't have to give anyone face.

With control over the three special agencies and the support of the Emperor, he could target anyone he wanted.

Pan Fuyin knew that once the inspectors started investigating him, they would find his problems. For the crimes he had committed, even spending the rest of his life in prison would be too lenient.

He still harbored a bit of hope, thinking that if he denied the golden carriage was his and kept his son hidden, there would be no solid evidence. According to the laws of the Holy Lion Empire, officials of the third rank or higher could not be investigated without concrete evidence.

However, this hope was quickly shattered.

News came from the Ministry of Justice that the son of Minister Pang, along with several other rich kids, had filed a lawsuit against Pan Shijian and his son. They accused Pan Shaofeng of driving recklessly in the market and causing deaths, and also accused Pan Fuyin of covering up and attempting to destroy evidence, as well as illegally attacking witnesses like Pang Da who were protecting the scene. Hundreds of people signed to testify that the driver of the golden carriage was Pan Shaofeng.

Upon hearing this news, Pan Shijian's shoulders slumped. He knew that the other side had cut off all his escape routes. The sword was already out of the scabbard, and he couldn't avoid it.

This was a fatal blow, the last straw that broke the camel's back, completely shattering Pan Fuyin's psychological defenses.

He didn't know if this move was planned by Song Li or Song Xinghai. The layout was like a chess game, and this final move was precise and ruthless, leaving him no room to resist.

Now, the incident was causing a stir in the Imperial Capital. With the case filed in the Ministry of Justice and ironclad evidence, he had no way to argue. Since the golden carriage was confirmed to belong to Pan Shaofeng, he, as the father, could not escape responsibility. The inspectors could use this as a pretext to investigate him. If they investigated thoroughly, would any official be found innocent?

In fact, Pan Shijian's concerns were not unfounded.

The inspectors' investigative abilities were astonishing. In a short time, they had thoroughly uncovered Pan Shijian's crimes during his tenure as the Governor of the Imperial Capital. The results were shocking, even to Song Xinghai, who had not expected Pan Fuyin to be so疯狂, committing so many heinous crimes and embezzling so much wealth.

Song Xinghai brought two thick files to the palace to meet the Emperor.

The Emperor received him in the Imperial Study, a private space. The fact that Song Xinghai was allowed here demonstrated the Emperor's trust.

Song Xinghai performed the proper court etiquette and presented the two thick files to the Emperor, briefly explaining the situation.

Emperor Song Xingtian nodded and skimmed through the files. Song Xinghai expected the Emperor to be furious at Pan Shijian's actions, but he only smiled faintly and said, "Pan Shijian is a capable man. Capable men usually have their flaws."

Song Xinghai was stunned. He thought to himself, "With what Pan Shijian has done, calling it 'having flaws' is an understatement. He would need eighteen heads to be enough for the chopping block."

"Sixth Brother, do you think that a national parasite like Pan Shijian should be immediately executed and his family stripped of their titles?" Emperor Song Xingtian saw through Song Xinghai's confusion.

"Indeed, that is what I think. A high-ranking official like Pan Shijian, who does not serve the country or the people, but instead engages in corruption and tyranny, is a danger to the Holy Lion Empire. Your Majesty, remember that a long dike can be destroyed by an ant's hole," Song Xinghai said frankly.

"Sixth Brother, Pan Shijian has been serving under my watch. Do you think I am unaware of his actions?" Emperor Song Xingtian said calmly.

"Does Your Majesty have other plans?"

"Everyone's position is different, and so are their perspectives. As the head of the Inspectorate, your duty is to oversee the officials, so when you see a corrupt official like Pan Shijian, your first thought is to eliminate him quickly," the Emperor paused and continued, "From my perspective, the first consideration is not the law, but political interests. You know that Pan Shijian is under Prince Zhong. As long as Prince Zhong stands, it will be difficult to move Pan Shijian. I just dealt with Huang Tingxuan, and if I deal with Pan Shijian soon after, the backlash from Prince Zhong will be significant. If we engage in a direct confrontation with Prince Zhong, we do not have a sure victory. Even if we kill a thousand enemies, we will lose eight hundred. This is not a good deal."

Song Xinghai fell silent. From the Emperor's perspective, his concerns were valid.

"Are we just going to let Pan Shijian get away with it?" This was a result Song Xinghai could not accept.

"I must say, you and your son have done a great job!" This was the first time the Emperor showed any pleasure. "Because of Prince Zhong, we cannot severely punish Pan Shijian this time, but your collaboration has given us the critical evidence against him. As long as the files are in my hands, I can deal with him whenever I want. Pan Shijian's head is just temporarily on his neck; he will not escape his fate."

Song Xinghai finally breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that the Emperor did not want to let Pan Shijian off, but he was concerned about the recent actions against Huang Tingxuan. If he dealt with Pan Shijian again, it would be too heavy a blow, and he feared Prince Zhong would react violently. The Emperor did not have a sure victory, so to keep Prince Zhong off guard, he had to delay dealing with Pan Shijian.

"Your Majesty's consideration is thorough, and my understanding is far from yours," Song Xinghai flattered the Emperor.

"Hehe, it's not that I am thorough, but that the situation is more powerful than people. A leader must avoid acting on impulse. One must always control the big picture and maintain balance," Emperor Song Xingtian said, as if giving advice. Seeing Song Xinghai nod in agreement, he continued, "Although we cannot deal with Pan Shijian this time, he cannot remain the Governor of the Imperial Capital. What I need to do now is wait."

"Wait for what?" Song Xinghai couldn't help but ask.

"Wait for Prince Zhong to come and negotiate with me," Emperor Song Xingtian's lips curved into a mysterious smile. "These two files are the bargaining chips. I can choose not to deal with Pan Shijian to maintain the balance of power with Prince Zhong, but the condition is that he must give up the position of Governor of the Imperial Capital."