Eating Cake

Gu Chengyin began to elaborate on his line of thought in detail: The sudden death of Xiao Bichang is an earth-shattering case that has shocked the entire court, led by the Imperial Household Department, jointly investigated by the Censorate and the Ministry of Justice, and overseen by the Cabinet.

A case of this magnitude must have a clear conclusion to give an explanation to the court and the public.

He shifted the topic: However, the corruption of the Left Vice Minister belongs to another category.

According to the laws and official system of Great Luo, official corruption falls under the jurisdiction of the Censorate.

The Censorate has the authority to independently open an investigation, and its memorial of findings can bypass the Cabinet and be submitted directly to His Majesty's desk.

Luo Zhao's eyes lit up; she understood.

Gu Chengyin continued, Moreover, the people from the Censorate are currently at the Ministry of Revenue, interrogating the relevant personnel and verifying documents.

And all the accounting records of the Ministry of Revenue from recent years are entirely in our hands.

I have already mentioned it to Imperial Censor Wang Gangfeng of the Censorate, suggesting that the Censorate and the Crown Heir's Palace share what they have and pool their resources regarding the Left Vice Minister's corruption case.

He stated that he would immediately return to the Censorate to report this upward.

Hearing this, Luo Zhao completely understood Gu Chengyin's scheme.

She looked at Gu Chengyin and said slowly, Are you... trying to drag the Censorate down into the muddy water with us?

Gu Chengyin rolled his eyes at Luo Zhao in exasperation, Your Highness, you shouldn't put it that way.

What do you mean by dragging them down? This is called a joint investigation, a legitimate collaboration based on shared duties and case relevance.

Besides, this is inherently the Censorate's statutory authority and duty.

I merely... happened to provide a few insignificant clues and some convenience, that's all.

Luo Zhao did not speak, but she gave Gu Chengyin a deep look and silently memorized this maneuver, which seemed simple but actually capitalized on rules and timing perfectly.

No matter how formidable hidden conspiracies and tricks were, they were still inferior methods that could not see the light of day.

But acting like Gu Chengyin—utilizing overt rules, authority, evidence, and the current situation to openly and honorably push things in the desired direction—was the higher-level and far more irresistible kingly way.

Seeing that Luo Zhao had taken his words to heart, Gu Chengyin went deeper, Your Highness, currently, the greatest obstacle to taking down Xiao Song and the Xiao clan behind him is His Majesty's attitude.

Including Cui Shifan, if he wants to become the Chief Grand Secretary, then this situation cannot descend into chaos. If it becomes chaotic, it will prove his incompetence.

Someone who cannot even control the situation cannot become the Chief Grand Secretary.

However. Gu Chengyin's tone turned certain as he pointed to the stack of documents: With these things, His Majesty's attitude will no longer be a problem.

In fact, His Majesty will be even more eager to see the Xiao clan uprooted than we are.

He did not explain the specific reasons, but Luo Zhao could already feel the heavy weight of that stack of documents.

Once His Majesty's attitude is resolved, the next issue is how to swallow this massive cake that is the Xiao clan.

How much of the cake we can eat will depend on our own strength and appetite, as well as that of our partners.

Luo Zhao listened quietly. At this moment, she restrained all her aloofness and arrogance.

Like an obedient student listening to the teachings of an esteemed master, she was completely engrossed, afraid of missing a single word.

Even Shangguan Yunying was listening extremely carefully, with a thoughtful light occasionally flashing in her eyes.

Gu Chengyin looked at Luo Zhao and first threw out a realistic question:

Your Highness, I need to ask you a question first.

With the current strength of the Crown Heir's Palace—including your influence in the court, the resources you can mobilize, your reliable manpower, and your capacity to withstand counterattacks and subsequent turmoil—how much of the cake can you eat?

He paused and provided a clear framework of options: If you can swallow it all, the subsequent strategy will be arranged according to the method of taking everything.

If you can only eat fifty percent, then we will plan for fifty percent. We must act according to our capabilities; otherwise, not only will we bite off more than we can chew, but we will also be attacked by everyone.

This question cut straight to the core and was exceptionally cruel.

It forced Luo Zhao to clearly recognize the true power in her hands, rather than relying solely on her status as the Crown Heir and her full heart of ambitions.

Luo Zhao's expression visibly shifted.

She subconsciously raised her eyes and exchanged a glance with Shangguan Yunying beside her.

Shangguan Yunying's eyes also carried a trace of solemnity and assessment.

Both saw a similar answer in each other's eyes.

An answer that was not so inspiring, but much closer to reality.

Luo Zhao lowered her gaze again. She did not look into Gu Chengyin's eyes. Her red lips parted slightly, and her voice was much lower than usual:

One... ten percent?

She spoke a number that even she found somewhat embarrassing.

This was not false modesty, but rather she was very clear about her own situation.

It had not been long since she was established as the Crown Heir. Although she nominally oversaw the state, her actual power and influence were far from stable.

The veteran officials in the court all had their own factions, and her true core forces were still in the process of being cultivated and gathered.

The capabilities of the Crown Heir's Palace were reflected more in handling specific affairs than in court maneuvers and the distribution of interests.

Without the tacit approval and support of Emperor Luo, as well as Gu Chengyin's help, she would find it very difficult to truly shake a Chief Grand Secretary like Xiao Song.

Gu Chengyin was not surprised by this answer. Instead, he nodded and said calmly, Alright, then we will plan for ten percent.

If Luo Zhao truly had the strength to swallow the entire Xiao clan's cake, then the one sitting on the dragon throne and controlling the universe would not be Emperor Luo, but her.

Reality was just like that. Only by acknowledging one's weaknesses could one formulate better strategies.

If the Crown Heir's Palace were to fight alone, Gu Chengyin continued his analysis, his tone as calm as if he were analyzing a military campaign:

Then only eating ten percent of the cake while having to face the entire Xiao clan would absolutely be a losing bargain.

Therefore, as my first step, I sought out the Cui clan.

Gu Chengyin revealed his key layout: The crux of the matter is that the noble families are not an iron monolith.

They have collaborations with each other, but they have their own interests even more so.

The reason Cui Shifan is willing to cooperate with us is that he knows very well that His Majesty will not allow the Xiao clan to be uprooted entirely.

And seizing this opportunity can actually allow him to take a step further. Thus, the Crown Heir's Palace and the Cui clan share a common interest.

This cooperation based on common interests makes us temporary allies.

Gu Chengyin emphasized, This also effectively prevents the Cui clan from feeling the sorrow of a fox mourning the death of a hare, worrying that after the Xiao clan falls, they will be next, which would force them to help the Xiao clan fight against the Crown Heir's Palace.

And even if His Majesty's attitude changes later on, the Cui clan will not be able to turn back. They will have no choice but to follow along and eat the cake.

Gu Chengyin began his specific deduction on eating the cake, as if the massive Xiao clan had already become fish on a chopping block:

According to my preliminary design, of the final cake, the Cui clan will take twenty-five percent plus a Grand Secretary seat.

This will satisfy Cui Shifan, but without letting his power expand to a point where it becomes difficult to control.