Chapter 003

Chapter 003

This response was clearly beyond Li Ying's expectations. She was taken aback. In her sixteen years of life, she had been pampered and never faced such defiance from a minister. After a moment's thought, she stammered, "I know my request is abrupt, but I don't want to be a wandering spirit anymore. I want to reincarnate, so I need to find the person who killed me. Can you please help me?"

Her sincerity only earned her Cui Xun's cold reply: "What does that have to do with me?"

Feeling embarrassed, Li Ying twisted her hands and said, "If you help me, I will repay you."

Cui Xun let out a light laugh. "What can you possibly offer in return?"

"I..." Li Ying was at a loss for words. She was just a wandering spirit with nothing to offer Cui Xun.

She lowered her head, biting her lip, unsure how to persuade him. Seeing this, Cui Xun showed no interest in continuing the conversation and dismissed her with a wave of his hand. "Leave. I have no interest in helping a ghost."

Li Ying did not want to leave. Cui Xun was the only living person who could see her, and he was also a Fourth Rank Junior Minister in the Prosecutor's Office. Without him, she had no idea whom else to turn to. Feeling lost, she whispered, "But I don't know who else to ask..."

Cui Xun seemed to find her words amusing. "Did you not inquire about my character before coming here?"

Li Ying was stunned. Of course, she knew what kind of person Cui Xun was. Known as Lotus Scholar, he was as beautiful as a lotus flower. He had become her mother's intimate guest through his good looks, and people often spoke ill of him, describing him as a despicable man who held grudges and was a complete villain.

Even if he was such a wicked person, who else could she turn to now? She was terrified of loneliness and did not want to stay in the lotus pond or be trapped in eternal darkness any longer.

Cui Xun seemed unwilling to waste more time on her and said, "I am going to the Prosecutor's Office to interrogate a case. If you want to follow, come along, but most likely, you'll change your mind soon."

-

Li Ying did not fully understand the meaning behind Cui Xun's words but followed him step by step to the Prosecutor's Office located in Yining Ward. Cui Xun went straight to the prison cells, and Li Ying trailed behind him, unseen by anyone except Cui Xun.

As soon as they entered the prison cells, Li Ying was startled by the wails and screams echoing from all directions. The cells were filled with numerous braziers, each holding various torture instruments that glowed red-hot like a summer day. The guards inside were shirtless, but when Cui Xun stepped in, he wrapped himself tighter in his heavy black cloak, his face pale like a demon emerging from hell. The guards bowed respectfully, "Greetings, Junior Minister."

Cui Xun ignored them and walked straight to the innermost cell, still wrapped in his black cloak. Li Ying, regaining her composure, covered her ears and hurriedly followed him into the inner cell.

Upon entering, the strong smell of blood made her cover her nose and nearly vomit. Then, the sight of a bloody figure hanging from the torture rack caused her to stumble backward. No, it was hardly recognizable as a human; the body was covered in wounds, barely alive, ribs exposed, and legs broken and bound at an unnatural angle. Li Ying, raised in the palace and always pampered, had never seen such a horrifying scene. She fell to the ground, covering her eyes, unable to look away.

Cui Xun seemed to anticipate her reaction and paid no attention to her. Instead, he extended his thin, bony wrist from his black cloak and slowly moved the heated torture tools—tongs, needles, and branding irons—in the brazier, seemingly considering which one would be most effective. The guards dared not breathe loudly. After a moment, Cui Xun selected a red-hot branding iron and, without emotion, looked at the smoke rising from it. He then approached the prisoner and calmly asked, "Tell me once more, is Hanyang Prince planning a rebellion?"

The prisoner, half-dead from torture, managed to open his bloodied eyes. His teeth had been pulled out with tongs, leaving his mouth bleeding. "Cui Xun... I am a descendant of the Taiyuan Wang clan and served as Chief Secretary of Hanyang Prince's household. You arrested me without an imperial decree, intending to force a confession. Are you not afraid of being punished by the Emperor?"

Cui Xun replied indifferently, "I will ask you one last time. Is Hanyang Prince planning a rebellion?"

Chief Secretary Wang laughed bitterly. "Hanyang Prince has no intention of rebelling. It is you who falsely accuse officials and use cruel torture. You will surely meet a terrible end!"

Losing patience, Cui Xun pressed the red-hot branding iron onto the prisoner's chest, which was already exposed to the bone. The prisoner let out a horrific scream and fainted.

Sitting on the ground, Li Ying covered her ears, trembling. Cui Xun casually tossed the branding iron aside and instructed the guards, "Bring salt water to wake him up."

After giving the order, he glanced in Li Ying's direction. She had disappeared, presumably frightened away.

This was within Cui Xun's expectations.

Chief Secretary Wang was revived by the salt water. In agony, he coughed violently, spitting blood that splattered on Cui Xun. The guards quickly handed him a handkerchief, and Cui Xun wiped his blood-stained hands, disgusted. One guard hurriedly said, "Junior Minister Cui, the prisoner is dying..."

Chief Secretary Wang, having endured severe torture, was barely breathing. Cui Xun meticulously wiped his hands with the handkerchief, not looking up. "If he dies, he has a son, doesn't he?"

At these words, the dying Chief Secretary Wang widened his eyes and mumbled angrily, "Cui Xun, you will meet a terrible end..."

Cui Xun chuckled lightly. "How I die is none of your concern."

He slowly approached Chief Secretary Wang, examining his mutilated face, and whispered in his ear, "Wang Liang, six years ago, you were under Pei Guanyue's command, right? You must know about the incident at Wild Goose Landing Ridge. Tell me everything, and I won't harm your son."

Upon hearing Cui Xun's words, Chief Secretary Wang's pupils dilated, and his teeth began to chatter in fear. "Wild Goose Landing Ridge... Wild Goose Landing Ridge... So that's why you're here..."

He rambled incoherently, and Cui Xun leaned closer to hear his mumbling. However, Chief Secretary Wang only repeated "Wild Goose Landing Ridge" a few times before falling silent.

A guard rushed forward, lifted Chief Secretary Wang's head, and checked his pulse. "Junior Minister Cui, he... he died of fright..."

Cui Xun clenched his fists under his crimson sleeve, looking indifferently at the dead Chief Secretary Wang. "Dispose of him. Feed him to the dogs."

-

After that day, Li Ying, terrified by Cui Xun's brutal methods, never came to seek his help again. However, two days later, the Empress Dowager summoned Cui Xun to the palace.

In Penglai Palace, the phoenix-headed incense burner emitted fragrant smoke. Behind the pearl curtains, the Empress Dowager lay on a couch, supporting her head and closing her eyes. She often suffered from headaches, and the incense was meant to alleviate her pain.

Kneeling on the dark wooden floor, Cui Xun remained upright despite beads of sweat forming on his forehead. The Empress Dowager seemed to deliberately make him wait, and after a long silence, she finally spoke, "Cui Xun, your audacity grows."

Cui Xun bowed his head. "I admit my fault."

The Empress Dowager scoffed. "Admitting fault? You took advantage of Wang Liang's visit to Chang'an and had him captured by the Prosecutor's Office agents. You tortured him to death and discarded his body in the wilderness. Do you know that the Wang family found only a mutilated corpse? They are demanding justice from the Emperor."

Cui Xun remained silent, saying only, "I admit my fault."

"You certainly do!" Anger tinged the Empress Dowager's voice. "Though Wang Liang was only the Chief Secretary of Hanyang Prince, he is still a descendant of the Taiyuan Wang clan. How dare you!"

Cui Xun lowered his gaze. "Hanyang Prince harbors resentment against the Empress Dowager and plans to gather allies to rebel. I acted in the Empress Dowager's best interest by capturing Wang Liang to extract evidence against Hanyang Prince. Unfortunately, Wang Liang could not withstand the torture and died."

The Empress Dowager responded coldly, "Cui Xun, Cui Wangshu, do you think I am senile? Do you believe I do not know what position Wang Liang held six years ago?"

Cui Xun pursed his lips, his expression remaining calm. He touched his forehead to the ground and mechanically said, "I admit my fault."

The Empress Dowager laughed coldly again. "There is no need for your apologies. Since you became a Junior Minister in the Prosecutor's Office, such incidents have occurred before. Now that the Emperor is ruling, the noble clans hold great power. I must give an account to the Emperor and the Taiyuan Wang clan. Kneel outside the Purple Hall until the court session ends."

Though this punishment was insignificant, it was highly humiliating. The Purple Hall was where court sessions were held, meaning Cui Xun would lose face in front of all officials. Despite this, he neither defended himself nor begged for mercy, merely bowing silently. "I accept the decree."

As he tried to rise, the Empress Dowager, still supporting her head with her eyes closed, said meaningfully, "Cui Xun, some things are settled. Forget them, or you will harm others and yourself."

Cui Xun's expression changed slightly but quickly returned to its usual calmness. He bowed and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Empress Dowager."

With that, he dragged his stiff, injured leg and limped out of the hall.

Behind him, the Empress Dowager slowly opened her eyes, watching his slender back through the swaying pearl curtains. After a long while, she sighed and closed her eyes again.

-

During the morning court session, Chang'an was blanketed in thick snow overnight. Outside the Purple Hall, the snow had accumulated deeply. According to Great Zhou regulations, officials of the Fifth Rank and above must attend daily morning sessions. As the officials entered the hall in groups, they were surprised to find someone kneeling outside.

The man’s eyes were downcast, his crimson official robe drenched by the snowflakes, clinging tightly to his body, making his figure appear even more slender. Snowflakes settled on his long, raven-like lashes, melting into cold droplets that mingled with the sweat beading on his forehead, sliding down his nose. Strands of hair hung from beneath his official cap, damp and clinging to his pale, jade-like face. His hands, hanging outside his sleeves, were already frozen red, and his already bloodless face had turned deathly pale. It seemed he had been kneeling for a long time, his body trembling slightly, yet his back remained ramrod straight. Alone in the pristine snow, he knelt there, his silhouette appearing particularly solitary.

After the officials were stunned, they began whispering among themselves: "Isn’t that Cui Xun? What’s going on?"

"I heard he beat Wang Liang to death, and the Empress Dowager ordered him to kneel outside The Purple Hall until all officials have dispersed."

Lu Siye, who had shown great disdain for Cui Xun at the New Year’s Eve banquet, said angrily, "If it were anyone else, being made to kneel before all officials might still be considered a punishment; someone with any sense of shame might even commit suicide out of humiliation. But what does Cui Xun care about shame? What kind of punishment is this for him?"

"Indeed! He killed Chief Secretary Wang, and yet he doesn’t even get dismissed from office. Just kneeling, how kind the Empress Dowager is to him!"

"Sigh, poor Chief Secretary Wang. I heard that when his body was found, it was almost gnawed to pieces by wild dogs."

Lu Siye clenched his fists: "Heaven’s justice will prevail. Cui Xun will surely fall one day! When that happens, we must dismember him a thousand times to appease the spirits of the wronged!"