Ji XuanXian’s Suspicions
Starting from what seemed to be an insignificant report by an anonymous person, the investigation revealed more and more astonishing clues.
Lord Qi was exceptionally busy and feeling overwhelmed by the number of clues that he could not determine the veracity of. He had no choice but to ask Ji DaoGong’s eldest son, Ji XuanXian, for assistance. The two worked together to take care of the clues involving Gu HuaiJiang.
“Lord Ji, there are so many clues against Lord Marquis Gu that it’s truly hard to believe. This official cannot believe that Lord Marquis Gu would collude with Western Kun and betray our country.”
The more Lord Qi sorted through clues, the more frustrated he became. As a result, he decided to just take a seat and pour himself a cup of tea to take a break.
Ji XuanXian continued to read through the reports, looking through each page very carefully. Hearing his question, he looked up at Lord Qi, “Why is Lord Qi so certain? My father once said that there are some people whose innocence cannot be seen through their eyes. Only by carefully examining the evidence can we avoid being deceived.”
Lord Qi heard him mention Ji DaoGong and immediately sat up straight, “Old Lord Qi is indeed correct, but…”
He paused for a moment and looked suspiciously at Ji XuanXian, “Could it be that Lord Ji believes that it’s possible that Lord Marquis Gu did indeed collude with the enemy, or did old Lord Ji say something to you?”
Ji XuanXian put down the report and moved his body around a bit, sitting down next to Lord Qi, “Lord Qi, please don’t misunderstand. My father has not asked about the situation in court since getting sick. Naturally, he did not say anything to me. As for me… I also have faith in Marquis Gu’s character as Lord Qi does.”
Lord Qi looked at him with something on his mind. It seemed that he had some suspicions about him saying that Ji DaoGong had not asked about what was happening in court.
After a long pause, he asked: “Since Lord Ji also trusts Lord Marquis Gu’s character, what are we going through all of these messy reports for? It’s clear that these reports are forged, so we shouldn’t bother investigating them. In the end, we can say that we could not find any problems with Marquis Gu. Won’t that be fine?”
Ji XuanXian nodded while thinking about it. It seemed that he was agreeing with his opinion, but looking closer, it seemed that he was not completely agreeing.
Lord Qi frowned suspiciously, as Ji XuanXian said: “I am looking through these reports so carefully not for the sake of finding evidence against Marquis Gu. I know that we won’t be able to find anything at all. I was thinking of looking for some clues on who submitted this forged evidence and the one who submitted the anonymous report. Up to this moment, we still don’t know the truth.”
He glanced at Lord Qi, “Does Lord Qi not know who is framing Marquis Gu? Not only are they framing Marquis Gu, but they are also treating our Imperial Censorate as worthless fools. How can we tolerate that?”
Lord Qi slowly nodded, “This official also feels this way, but no matter how I investigate this report, I couldn’t find a single clue. The ones acting behind the scenes are truly too much, acting without letting a single clue leak through. They are truly too thorough!”
Ji XuanXian smiled and did not refute this.
Lord Qi felt that his smile was a little strange. It looked as if he was hesitating to say something, thus he said: “Lord Ji, is there something that you wish to say but cannot say to me? You and I are of a similar age, and I have worked with old Lord Ji for seven or eight years, thus we know each other quite well. Could it be that you still don’t trust my character?”
Ji XuanXian hastily said: “No, no, no, Lord Qi has misunderstood. There is something that I don’t know how to talk about, and I am afraid that saying it will cause you trouble. I am also worried that Lord Qi will be unhappy to hear it.”
“Hah, if there is something, just say it. Aside from you and me, there are no other people here. No matter what you say, only the heavens, the earth, you, and I will know. I absolutely will not get upset!”
Ji XuanXian hesitated for a moment, “Very well, Lord Qi said that the person working behind the scenes is too much. Lord Qi, please think carefully about it. From the time under the late emperor to now, how many powerful ministers have our Imperial Censorate not investigated?”
Lord Qi thought for a bit, “That’s right, isn’t the former prime minister one of them? Who else could possibly be as powerful as the former prime minister?”
Ji XuanXian smiled, “Unless there are spies in the Imperial Censorate who are spying on us and deliberately trying to muddy the waters to keep us confused, the other possibility is that this person’s influence is greater than the former prime minister’s. It’s so great that we subjects have no way of doing anything?”
Lord Qi immediately leaped up from his seat, a look of shock on his face. Pointing at Ji XuanXian, he was unable to speak for a long time, “You, you are alluding to… You!”
Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly heard the sound of footsteps coming from outside, as a group of palace servants entered with a decree, “In accordance with His Majesty’s decree, middle assistant imperial censor Lord Qi is to visit the imperial study for an audience.”
Lord Qi subconsciously glanced at Ji XuanXian. He finally understood that what Ji XuanXian had alluded to was most likely true…
“This subject greets Your Majesty.”
“Oh, my dear official Qi has come? Please sit. Let’s sit and speak.”
Ning ChengZhi lay on a bed in the inner room. Seeing Lord Qi arrive, he got up and got out of bed. He then politely invited Lord Qi to sit down for a chat.
Lord Qi knew that he was not a ruler who treated his court officials with respect. His politeness today made him feel more certain about Ji XuanXian’s suspicions.
He could not stop the sweat from beading up on his brow. Bowing, he cupped his hands, “Replying to Your Majesty, this subject will answer while standing. If Your Majesty has any orders for this subject, this subject will do everything possible to fulfill them.”
After saying this, he subconsciously looked up and found that the bruises on Ning ChengZhi’s face had gotten much better. Only his cheeks remained slightly swollen and had not fully recovered.
Ning ChengZhi saw that he was being humble and did not continue to insist. He seemed to be in an extremely good mood.
Who knew if he was pleased because his facial injuries had almost completely healed, or if he was pleased with the excuse that he had used to summon Lord Qi.
“We heard that the Imperial Censorate received a major case. Dear official Qi, why have you not come to report to Us?”
Lord Qi hastily said: “This subject was uneasy. This subject does not know which major case Your Majesty is speaking about. Your Majesty, please be more specific.”
“Hm? You’re playing dumb with Us?”
Ning ChengZhi stood up from the bed and causally picked up a brush from the desk. Walking over to the window, he teased the bird inside a golden cage, “Aside from the case involving Marquis gu, is there another official that could be considered as being part of a major case?”
Large beads of sweat started to roll down his face. It was as if Lord Qi’s brow had been licked by flames, but his heart seemed to have been dunked in a tub of frigid water.
He could almost guarantee Ji XuanXian’s suspicions that His Majesty was the one framing Gu HuaiJiang. This seemed to be the truth.
The bird inside the cage flew back and forth from the brush, but the golden cage was only so large. It could not escape and reluctantly let out a few plaintive chirps.
Ning ChengZhi laughed, “This damn bird, only starts chirping after We tease it for a long time. If not for its singing sounding so nice, We would have lost interest in teasing it long ago.”
Lord Qi raised his head and cast a look of pity toward the bird in the cage. He thought to himself that Ning ChengZhi could not even tell the difference between a bird singing and crying, how stupid.
After pausing for a moment, his voice became much calmer than before, “Replying to Your Majesty, the matter involving Lord Marquis shows signs of someone acting maliciously to frame him, and the report was false. That’s why this subject did not report to Your Majesty. This subject is currently preparing to investigate the person responsible for submitting the false reports. If the person responsible for framing a loyal court official is another court official, it will definitely cause harm to Your Majesty’s country. This subject asks Your Majesty to decree for the Imperial Court of Justice to investigate…”
“Bang!”
The brush was forcefully thrown to the ground, interrupting Lord Qi’s statement.
Eunuch Chi stood to the side and inhaled sharply in shock. He subconsciously stepped forward to pick it up but found that the delicate hairs on the brush had become a mess. A brush worth hundreds of taels of gold had been ruined.
He quietly thought to himself that it was a pity. Holding the brush, he raised his head and found that Ning ChengZhi’s face was turning blue, “Impudence, do you know your crime?!”
Thump, thump, the dull sounds came back-to-back, as Lord Qi and Eunuch Chi dropped to their knees in fear at the same time.
Ning ChengZhi glanced at Eunuch Chi with displeasure, and the latter understood that he was not the one being yelled at, thus he hastily stood back up.
Lord Qi knew that he was the one being yelled at. He also understood that this was frustration and embarrassment that was turning into anger, thus he straightened his back, “This subject is muddled. May this subject ask Your Majesty what this subject is guilty of?”
Ning ChengZhi was holding in a lot of anger, as he internally cussed out this middle assistant imperial censor for his stupidity. Those worthless old things in the Imperial Censorate were all so stubborn and unrepentant. As expected of someone who had learned from that infuriating Ji DaoGong.
If not for Ji DaoGong helping out in the ruling against the eldest prince and now being confined to bed with illness, he would have found an excuse to get rid of Ji DaoGong.
Who knew that Lord Qi would be even more lacking in tact. He anxiously paced back and forth, only speaking after a long pause, “What We mean is that you still haven’t carefully investigated Marquis Gu. How can you say that it wasn’t true? Isn’t it possible that it’s true? Colluding with the enemy and betraying the country is a grave crime. You dare to say that he is guiltless after just casually investigating a little? If the end result of the investigation is that Marquis Gu is guilty, Lord Qi, do you want to be buried with him?!”
Marquis Gu could not possibly be guilty.
Lord Qi nearly spat that out. Fortunately, he did not. He forced himself to cup his hands, “Then does Your Majesty have any suggestions?”
Ning ChengZhi’s gaze subconsciously turned to the screen. After looking at it for a while, he finally turned around and said to Lord Qi: “How about this, investigate the two cases at the same and investigate carefully! If Marquis Gu is innocent, uncover the identity of the person who filed the report. If he is guilty, it absolutely must not be tolerated!”
He then looked at the screen once more and then said: “We will do as you asked and send someone from the Imperial Court of Justice to aid the Imperial Censorate. The truth behind this case must be uncovered!”
Lord Qi frowned and did not know why Ning ChengZhi was so angry upon hearing his request for assistance from the Imperial Court of Justice earlier but was now telling him to investigate.
Regardless, with the Imperial Court of Justice helping in the investigation, Gu HuaiJiang would be able to stop carrying the burden on his own.
Lord Qi respectfully complied, and Ning ChengZhi impatiently waved his hand. He then sat back down on the bed, and Lord Qi slowly retreated.
Once he left, there was movement behind the screen, as Yin Shuo walked out.
It was spring, and it was starting to get warmer, but he was gearing a robe with a high collar. Ning ChengZhi looked at him closely, “What are you wearing? Is something wrong with your neck?”
After saying this, he reached out and found that Yin Shuo’s neck was red under the collar. Looking at it, it was clear that he had been choked.
Ning ChengZhi was given a fright, “What happened to you? Did someone try to kill you? Speak, and We will get you justice!”
Yin Shuo simply said: “It was immortal practitioner of medicine Yue Hu.”
“Oh, it was her.”
He had just been saying that he would get justice for Yin Shuo, but upon hearing that it was Yue Hu, he immediately abandoned the promise, “If it was her, don’t make a fuss about it. The people of Immortals Valley, they have always done as they pleased. She is Yu Fu’s senior disciple sister, and she treated Our face. We cannot punish her.”
Whether it was for the reasons that he listed, or if he was considering Yue Hu’s beauty, Yin Shuo understood.
Fortunately, he never planned on doing anything against Yue Hu, thus he said: “Your Majesty, you acted too impulsively in front of Lord Qi, and that just makes you look guilty. You are the emperor. If the ruler wants a subject to die, that subject would have no choice but to die. More importantly, this subject helped provide you with so much evidence of Marquis Gu colluding with the enemy, so why should you feel guilty?”
Ning ChengZhi muttered: “We did not want Marquis Gu to die. Though We do not like that he has a lofty position and wields great influence, it cannot be denied that Eastern Ling’s borders are peaceful because of his protection. We are just using him to threaten Yu Fu. When Yu Fu agrees to become the empress, We will start respecting Marquis Gu as my father-in-law.”
He had always been naive, thinking that establishing a marriage would mean that there would be a strong relationship and that Gu HuaiJiang becoming the emperor’s father-in-law would no longer be a threat. It was just like how he trusted Yin Shuo.
Yin Shuo faintly smiled. It was a cold smile that disappeared before it could fully form.
Ning ChengZhi suddenly said: “Right, why did you just have Us agree to have the Imperial Court of Justice help investigate? Pei Zheng from the Imperial Court of Justice is renowned for his integrity. His name fits his personality. There’s also that incredible investigation department. If this matter is handed to the Imperial Court of Justice to investigate, it’s likely that it will ruin our scheme.”*
“Your Majesty, don’t worry.”
Yin Shuo was confident, “This subject has a better choice from the Imperial Court of Justice than Pei Zheng, and this subject will make a recommendation to Your Majesty. Your Majesty can just find any excuse to transfer Pei Zheng from his current position and then install this person in his position.”
Ning ChengZhi curiously said: “Who is this person you speak of?”
“The former minister from the Board of Rites, Liu Zhen. He is the father of young miss Liu RuYi.”
“Liu RuYi?”
Ning ChengZhi was confused. He had a vague impression of the name Liu RuYi, but he could not remember who that was, “Who is this Liu RuYi?”
Yin Shuo looked at him fixedly, “It’s the one who offended Princess ZhenJiang during the new year’s banquet. It’s the Liu RuYi whom Your Majesty sentenced to death.”
…
“Preposterous! Hah…”
“Father, you need to take care of yourself. The most important thing is for you to not get angry.”
Chen ChuXiu patted Chen GeLao’s back, and the latter violently coughed a few more times, saying with a shaky voice: “His Majesty actually trusts Yin Shuo’s slander, transferring Pei Zheng without even consulting the cabinet. Put simply, he was a promising official, yet this loyal subject was sent to do idle work. On the other hand, the mediocre Liu Zhen has been assigned to the Imperial Court of Justice. How is he worthy of serving in the Imperial Court of Justice?”
Chen GeLao was heartbroken, “So what if we managed to preserve the cabinet? His Majesty is still being led around by Yin Shuo. Where is there any room for us cabinet ministers in his eyes? I am a cabinet minister, but I cannot do anything for my country. I might as well be dead!”
“Father, what nonsense are you saying!”
Chen ChuXiu did not pay any attention to courtesy, thinking to himself that gentle words would not have any effect. As a result, he decided to take a stand and try to accuse Chen GeLao, “You are only concerned with leaving behind a good legacy before you die. You don’t care about Eastern Ling as a country or about the court, do you? You are the biggest impediment to Yin Shuo in the cabinet. If you die, wouldn’t Yin Shuo be overjoyed?”
“Young sir, how can you speak like that to master…”
A servant stepped forward to stop him but was pushed aside by Chen ChuXiu, “Don’t try to stop me. Either way, I will soon be an orphan with nobody to take care of me. Can you not let me say a bit more to vent my frustration? Father, you have always taught me to respect the country and ruler. Now, you have stopped taking care of yourself and beg for death. Can this be considered loyalty?”
Chen GeLao was embarrassed by what he said, and he slowly calmed down. He no longer continued to ask for death.
Chen ChuXiu helplessly sighed and finally stepped forward to help his father up, putting on a gentle tone, “Alright, alright, I know that father is a loyal man. It’s just that the current disastrous situation in court has darkened your worldview. Isn’t that it? It’s fine. We still have hope. There are still many loyal officials in court, like Lord Marquis Gu and Princess ZhenJiang. Aren’t they still doing their best to improve the situation?”
Chen GeLao slowly stood up with a hand on his chest. He looked at Chen ChuXiu with a strange gaze.
After a long pause, he slowly said: “You’ve grown up. Even if father really did die, I can feel at ease.”
Why was it that after all was said and done, he still sought to die?
Chen ChuXiu was extremely anxious. Fortunately, Chen GeLao quickly followed this up, saying: “Don’t worry. Father understands. Although father is weak, I cannot just let this young ruler do as he pleases without doing something. His Majesty might not be old enough and is easily misled by traitors. If I don’t provide assistance, could it be that I should allow that villain Yin Shuo to provide assistance?”
“Until I see that villain lose power and His Majesty repent, this old bag of bones will never fall apart!”
Chen ChuXiu let out a sigh of relief, “It’s good if you can think like this. Who cares if you’re old or not. Look at how old Lord Ji is, yet he is still standing in court!”
Just as he said this, a servant entered to report: “Young sir, a girl has come to see you. She says that she is your friend.”
“MY friend? What is she like?”
The servant thought for a moment, “She was wearing a set of plain clothes, and she came here on foot. It didn’t look like she was a young miss from a prominent family.”
Chen ChuXiu reached an understanding but did not dare be certain. He hastily stood up and said: “Alright, I will go out immediately. Take good care of father.”
*TN: Pei Zheng’s name is the character for upright.
Ji XuanXian’s Suspicions
Starting from what seemed to be an insignificant report by an anonymous person, the investigation revealed more and more astonishing clues.
Lord Qi was exceptionally busy and feeling overwhelmed by the number of clues that he could not determine the veracity of. He had no choice but to ask Ji DaoGong’s eldest son, Ji XuanXian, for assistance. The two worked together to take care of the clues involving Gu HuaiJiang.
“Lord Ji, there are so many clues against Lord Marquis Gu that it’s truly hard to believe. This official cannot believe that Lord Marquis Gu would collude with Western Kun and betray our country.”
The more Lord Qi sorted through clues, the more frustrated he became. As a result, he decided to just take a seat and pour himself a cup of tea to take a break.
Ji XuanXian continued to read through the reports, looking through each page very carefully. Hearing his question, he looked up at Lord Qi, “Why is Lord Qi so certain? My father once said that there are some people whose innocence cannot be seen through their eyes. Only by carefully examining the evidence can we avoid being deceived.”
Lord Qi heard him mention Ji DaoGong and immediately sat up straight, “Old Lord Qi is indeed correct, but…”
He paused for a moment and looked suspiciously at Ji XuanXian, “Could it be that Lord Ji believes that it’s possible that Lord Marquis Gu did indeed collude with the enemy, or did old Lord Ji say something to you?”
Ji XuanXian put down the report and moved his body around a bit, sitting down next to Lord Qi, “Lord Qi, please don’t misunderstand. My father has not asked about the situation in court since getting sick. Naturally, he did not say anything to me. As for me… I also have faith in Marquis Gu’s character as Lord Qi does.”
Lord Qi looked at him with something on his mind. It seemed that he had some suspicions about him saying that Ji DaoGong had not asked about what was happening in court.
After a long pause, he asked: “Since Lord Ji also trusts Lord Marquis Gu’s character, what are we going through all of these messy reports for? It’s clear that these reports are forged, so we shouldn’t bother investigating them. In the end, we can say that we could not find any problems with Marquis Gu. Won’t that be fine?”
Ji XuanXian nodded while thinking about it. It seemed that he was agreeing with his opinion, but looking closer, it seemed that he was not completely agreeing.
Lord Qi frowned suspiciously, as Ji XuanXian said: “I am looking through these reports so carefully not for the sake of finding evidence against Marquis Gu. I know that we won’t be able to find anything at all. I was thinking of looking for some clues on who submitted this forged evidence and the one who submitted the anonymous report. Up to this moment, we still don’t know the truth.”
He glanced at Lord Qi, “Does Lord Qi not know who is framing Marquis Gu? Not only are they framing Marquis Gu, but they are also treating our Imperial Censorate as worthless fools. How can we tolerate that?”
Lord Qi slowly nodded, “This official also feels this way, but no matter how I investigate this report, I couldn’t find a single clue. The ones acting behind the scenes are truly too much, acting without letting a single clue leak through. They are truly too thorough!”
Ji XuanXian smiled and did not refute this.
Lord Qi felt that his smile was a little strange. It looked as if he was hesitating to say something, thus he said: “Lord Ji, is there something that you wish to say but cannot say to me? You and I are of a similar age, and I have worked with old Lord Ji for seven or eight years, thus we know each other quite well. Could it be that you still don’t trust my character?”
Ji XuanXian hastily said: “No, no, no, Lord Qi has misunderstood. There is something that I don’t know how to talk about, and I am afraid that saying it will cause you trouble. I am also worried that Lord Qi will be unhappy to hear it.”
“Hah, if there is something, just say it. Aside from you and me, there are no other people here. No matter what you say, only the heavens, the earth, you, and I will know. I absolutely will not get upset!”
Ji XuanXian hesitated for a moment, “Very well, Lord Qi said that the person working behind the scenes is too much. Lord Qi, please think carefully about it. From the time under the late emperor to now, how many powerful ministers have our Imperial Censorate not investigated?”
Lord Qi thought for a bit, “That’s right, isn’t the former prime minister one of them? Who else could possibly be as powerful as the former prime minister?”
Ji XuanXian smiled, “Unless there are spies in the Imperial Censorate who are spying on us and deliberately trying to muddy the waters to keep us confused, the other possibility is that this person’s influence is greater than the former prime minister’s. It’s so great that we subjects have no way of doing anything?”
Lord Qi immediately leaped up from his seat, a look of shock on his face. Pointing at Ji XuanXian, he was unable to speak for a long time, “You, you are alluding to… You!”
Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly heard the sound of footsteps coming from outside, as a group of palace servants entered with a decree, “In accordance with His Majesty’s decree, middle assistant imperial censor Lord Qi is to visit the imperial study for an audience.”
Lord Qi subconsciously glanced at Ji XuanXian. He finally understood that what Ji XuanXian had alluded to was most likely true…
“This subject greets Your Majesty.”
“Oh, my dear official Qi has come? Please sit. Let’s sit and speak.”
Ning ChengZhi lay on a bed in the inner room. Seeing Lord Qi arrive, he got up and got out of bed. He then politely invited Lord Qi to sit down for a chat.
Lord Qi knew that he was not a ruler who treated his court officials with respect. His politeness today made him feel more certain about Ji XuanXian’s suspicions.
He could not stop the sweat from beading up on his brow. Bowing, he cupped his hands, “Replying to Your Majesty, this subject will answer while standing. If Your Majesty has any orders for this subject, this subject will do everything possible to fulfill them.”
After saying this, he subconsciously looked up and found that the bruises on Ning ChengZhi’s face had gotten much better. Only his cheeks remained slightly swollen and had not fully recovered.
Ning ChengZhi saw that he was being humble and did not continue to insist. He seemed to be in an extremely good mood.
Who knew if he was pleased because his facial injuries had almost completely healed, or if he was pleased with the excuse that he had used to summon Lord Qi.
“We heard that the Imperial Censorate received a major case. Dear official Qi, why have you not come to report to Us?”
Lord Qi hastily said: “This subject was uneasy. This subject does not know which major case Your Majesty is speaking about. Your Majesty, please be more specific.”
“Hm? You’re playing dumb with Us?”
Ning ChengZhi stood up from the bed and causally picked up a brush from the desk. Walking over to the window, he teased the bird inside a golden cage, “Aside from the case involving Marquis gu, is there another official that could be considered as being part of a major case?”
Large beads of sweat started to roll down his face. It was as if Lord Qi’s brow had been licked by flames, but his heart seemed to have been dunked in a tub of frigid water.
He could almost guarantee Ji XuanXian’s suspicions that His Majesty was the one framing Gu HuaiJiang. This seemed to be the truth.
The bird inside the cage flew back and forth from the brush, but the golden cage was only so large. It could not escape and reluctantly let out a few plaintive chirps.
Ning ChengZhi laughed, “This damn bird, only starts chirping after We tease it for a long time. If not for its singing sounding so nice, We would have lost interest in teasing it long ago.”
Lord Qi raised his head and cast a look of pity toward the bird in the cage. He thought to himself that Ning ChengZhi could not even tell the difference between a bird singing and crying, how stupid.
After pausing for a moment, his voice became much calmer than before, “Replying to Your Majesty, the matter involving Lord Marquis shows signs of someone acting maliciously to frame him, and the report was false. That’s why this subject did not report to Your Majesty. This subject is currently preparing to investigate the person responsible for submitting the false reports. If the person responsible for framing a loyal court official is another court official, it will definitely cause harm to Your Majesty’s country. This subject asks Your Majesty to decree for the Imperial Court of Justice to investigate…”
“Bang!”
The brush was forcefully thrown to the ground, interrupting Lord Qi’s statement.
Eunuch Chi stood to the side and inhaled sharply in shock. He subconsciously stepped forward to pick it up but found that the delicate hairs on the brush had become a mess. A brush worth hundreds of taels of gold had been ruined.
He quietly thought to himself that it was a pity. Holding the brush, he raised his head and found that Ning ChengZhi’s face was turning blue, “Impudence, do you know your crime?!”
Thump, thump, the dull sounds came back-to-back, as Lord Qi and Eunuch Chi dropped to their knees in fear at the same time.
Ning ChengZhi glanced at Eunuch Chi with displeasure, and the latter understood that he was not the one being yelled at, thus he hastily stood back up.
Lord Qi knew that he was the one being yelled at. He also understood that this was frustration and embarrassment that was turning into anger, thus he straightened his back, “This subject is muddled. May this subject ask Your Majesty what this subject is guilty of?”
Ning ChengZhi was holding in a lot of anger, as he internally cussed out this middle assistant imperial censor for his stupidity. Those worthless old things in the Imperial Censorate were all so stubborn and unrepentant. As expected of someone who had learned from that infuriating Ji DaoGong.
If not for Ji DaoGong helping out in the ruling against the eldest prince and now being confined to bed with illness, he would have found an excuse to get rid of Ji DaoGong.
Who knew that Lord Qi would be even more lacking in tact. He anxiously paced back and forth, only speaking after a long pause, “What We mean is that you still haven’t carefully investigated Marquis Gu. How can you say that it wasn’t true? Isn’t it possible that it’s true? Colluding with the enemy and betraying the country is a grave crime. You dare to say that he is guiltless after just casually investigating a little? If the end result of the investigation is that Marquis Gu is guilty, Lord Qi, do you want to be buried with him?!”
Marquis Gu could not possibly be guilty.
Lord Qi nearly spat that out. Fortunately, he did not. He forced himself to cup his hands, “Then does Your Majesty have any suggestions?”
Ning ChengZhi’s gaze subconsciously turned to the screen. After looking at it for a while, he finally turned around and said to Lord Qi: “How about this, investigate the two cases at the same and investigate carefully! If Marquis Gu is innocent, uncover the identity of the person who filed the report. If he is guilty, it absolutely must not be tolerated!”
He then looked at the screen once more and then said: “We will do as you asked and send someone from the Imperial Court of Justice to aid the Imperial Censorate. The truth behind this case must be uncovered!”
Lord Qi frowned and did not know why Ning ChengZhi was so angry upon hearing his request for assistance from the Imperial Court of Justice earlier but was now telling him to investigate.
Regardless, with the Imperial Court of Justice helping in the investigation, Gu HuaiJiang would be able to stop carrying the burden on his own.
Lord Qi respectfully complied, and Ning ChengZhi impatiently waved his hand. He then sat back down on the bed, and Lord Qi slowly retreated.
Once he left, there was movement behind the screen, as Yin Shuo walked out.
It was spring, and it was starting to get warmer, but he was gearing a robe with a high collar. Ning ChengZhi looked at him closely, “What are you wearing? Is something wrong with your neck?”
After saying this, he reached out and found that Yin Shuo’s neck was red under the collar. Looking at it, it was clear that he had been choked.
Ning ChengZhi was given a fright, “What happened to you? Did someone try to kill you? Speak, and We will get you justice!”
Yin Shuo simply said: “It was immortal practitioner of medicine Yue Hu.”
“Oh, it was her.”
He had just been saying that he would get justice for Yin Shuo, but upon hearing that it was Yue Hu, he immediately abandoned the promise, “If it was her, don’t make a fuss about it. The people of Immortals Valley, they have always done as they pleased. She is Yu Fu’s senior disciple sister, and she treated Our face. We cannot punish her.”
Whether it was for the reasons that he listed, or if he was considering Yue Hu’s beauty, Yin Shuo understood.
Fortunately, he never planned on doing anything against Yue Hu, thus he said: “Your Majesty, you acted too impulsively in front of Lord Qi, and that just makes you look guilty. You are the emperor. If the ruler wants a subject to die, that subject would have no choice but to die. More importantly, this subject helped provide you with so much evidence of Marquis Gu colluding with the enemy, so why should you feel guilty?”
Ning ChengZhi muttered: “We did not want Marquis Gu to die. Though We do not like that he has a lofty position and wields great influence, it cannot be denied that Eastern Ling’s borders are peaceful because of his protection. We are just using him to threaten Yu Fu. When Yu Fu agrees to become the empress, We will start respecting Marquis Gu as my father-in-law.”
He had always been naive, thinking that establishing a marriage would mean that there would be a strong relationship and that Gu HuaiJiang becoming the emperor’s father-in-law would no longer be a threat. It was just like how he trusted Yin Shuo.
Yin Shuo faintly smiled. It was a cold smile that disappeared before it could fully form.
Ning ChengZhi suddenly said: “Right, why did you just have Us agree to have the Imperial Court of Justice help investigate? Pei Zheng from the Imperial Court of Justice is renowned for his integrity. His name fits his personality. There’s also that incredible investigation department. If this matter is handed to the Imperial Court of Justice to investigate, it’s likely that it will ruin our scheme.”*
“Your Majesty, don’t worry.”
Yin Shuo was confident, “This subject has a better choice from the Imperial Court of Justice than Pei Zheng, and this subject will make a recommendation to Your Majesty. Your Majesty can just find any excuse to transfer Pei Zheng from his current position and then install this person in his position.”
Ning ChengZhi curiously said: “Who is this person you speak of?”
“The former minister from the Board of Rites, Liu Zhen. He is the father of young miss Liu RuYi.”
“Liu RuYi?”
Ning ChengZhi was confused. He had a vague impression of the name Liu RuYi, but he could not remember who that was, “Who is this Liu RuYi?”
Yin Shuo looked at him fixedly, “It’s the one who offended Princess ZhenJiang during the new year’s banquet. It’s the Liu RuYi whom Your Majesty sentenced to death.”
…
“Preposterous! Hah…”
“Father, you need to take care of yourself. The most important thing is for you to not get angry.”
Chen ChuXiu patted Chen GeLao’s back, and the latter violently coughed a few more times, saying with a shaky voice: “His Majesty actually trusts Yin Shuo’s slander, transferring Pei Zheng without even consulting the cabinet. Put simply, he was a promising official, yet this loyal subject was sent to do idle work. On the other hand, the mediocre Liu Zhen has been assigned to the Imperial Court of Justice. How is he worthy of serving in the Imperial Court of Justice?”
Chen GeLao was heartbroken, “So what if we managed to preserve the cabinet? His Majesty is still being led around by Yin Shuo. Where is there any room for us cabinet ministers in his eyes? I am a cabinet minister, but I cannot do anything for my country. I might as well be dead!”
“Father, what nonsense are you saying!”
Chen ChuXiu did not pay any attention to courtesy, thinking to himself that gentle words would not have any effect. As a result, he decided to take a stand and try to accuse Chen GeLao, “You are only concerned with leaving behind a good legacy before you die. You don’t care about Eastern Ling as a country or about the court, do you? You are the biggest impediment to Yin Shuo in the cabinet. If you die, wouldn’t Yin Shuo be overjoyed?”
“Young sir, how can you speak like that to master…”
A servant stepped forward to stop him but was pushed aside by Chen ChuXiu, “Don’t try to stop me. Either way, I will soon be an orphan with nobody to take care of me. Can you not let me say a bit more to vent my frustration? Father, you have always taught me to respect the country and ruler. Now, you have stopped taking care of yourself and beg for death. Can this be considered loyalty?”
Chen GeLao was embarrassed by what he said, and he slowly calmed down. He no longer continued to ask for death.
Chen ChuXiu helplessly sighed and finally stepped forward to help his father up, putting on a gentle tone, “Alright, alright, I know that father is a loyal man. It’s just that the current disastrous situation in court has darkened your worldview. Isn’t that it? It’s fine. We still have hope. There are still many loyal officials in court, like Lord Marquis Gu and Princess ZhenJiang. Aren’t they still doing their best to improve the situation?”
Chen GeLao slowly stood up with a hand on his chest. He looked at Chen ChuXiu with a strange gaze.
After a long pause, he slowly said: “You’ve grown up. Even if father really did die, I can feel at ease.”
Why was it that after all was said and done, he still sought to die?
Chen ChuXiu was extremely anxious. Fortunately, Chen GeLao quickly followed this up, saying: “Don’t worry. Father understands. Although father is weak, I cannot just let this young ruler do as he pleases without doing something. His Majesty might not be old enough and is easily misled by traitors. If I don’t provide assistance, could it be that I should allow that villain Yin Shuo to provide assistance?”
“Until I see that villain lose power and His Majesty repent, this old bag of bones will never fall apart!”
Chen ChuXiu let out a sigh of relief, “It’s good if you can think like this. Who cares if you’re old or not. Look at how old Lord Ji is, yet he is still standing in court!”
Just as he said this, a servant entered to report: “Young sir, a girl has come to see you. She says that she is your friend.”
“MY friend? What is she like?”
The servant thought for a moment, “She was wearing a set of plain clothes, and she came here on foot. It didn’t look like she was a young miss from a prominent family.”
Chen ChuXiu reached an understanding but did not dare be certain. He hastily stood up and said: “Alright, I will go out immediately. Take good care of father.”
*TN: Pei Zheng’s name is the character for upright.
