Chapter 45

Chapter 45

A eunuch's voice echoed from outside: "Your Majesty, Lord Zhuo requests an audience."

"Let him in."

Zhuo, cloaked in black, entered silently and knelt before the imperial desk.

As another of the Emperor's guards, Lin Ting couldn't help but compare himself to Zhuo. The latter, clad in black, appeared and vanished like a shadow, the Emperor's most trusted confidant. Lin Ting, by contrast, wore luxurious brocade robes, clocked in and out punctually every day, never worked overtime, and even spent his shifts simply standing before the Emperor, occasionally grinding ink.

Come to think of it, since he started his duties, he hadn't encountered any major incidents.

Was being the Emperor's personal bodyguard truly this easy?

Lost in thought, Lin Ting watched as Lord Zhuo produced a fire striker from his robes and presented it. "This subordinate led the Tianxuan Guard to search the rear courtyard of the Lin Residence and discovered this fire striker hidden in the haystack of the storeroom."

Pei Xingjian took it.

Lin Ting’s mind raced. "The fire in my storeroom was deliberate." Instantly, he recalled the shadow from the previous night: "That shadow was—"

Zhuo bowed. "Based on the footprints left at the scene, the intruder's *qinggong* was unremarkable. However, for some reason, the City Patrol failed to notice anything that night."

The Lin Residence was located close to the palace, practically at the foot of the Imperial City. The City Patrol was responsible for guarding the capital, yet they allowed a thief to brazenly enter an official's residence.

At that moment, Zhuo produced two more fire strikers. "These were found beneath a tree in the front courtyard and near the stables. They had already begun to ignite when discovered, but fortunately, they were extinguished in time, causing no damage."

Lin Ting's heart sank.

If it had been just one fire striker, he could have dismissed it as a thief after his money. But with multiple fire strikers, the arsonist's intentions were clearly far more sinister.

Immediately, he edged closer to Pei Xingjian. "Your Majesty, I've been serving you diligently lately. Please save me."

A sudden wave of chill fragrance wafted over. Pei Xingjian closed his eyes briefly, softening his tone. "Stay in the palace for the next few days."

Lin Ting nodded eagerly.

Pei Xingjian then asked, "What does the City Patrol have to say?"

Zhuo replied, "The City Patrol insists they saw no shadow. However, this subordinate investigated their patrol routes last night—the areas around Lord Lin's residence were all patrolled by the Marquis of Anding's personal guards."

A cold laugh came from above. "Does he take me for a fool?"

Zhuo added, "Our agents are already in position and ready to act at any moment."

Pei Xingjian handed the fire strikers back. "Tomorrow's court assembly."

"Yes."

Only after Zhuo had withdrawn did Lin Ting muse aloud, "Your Majesty, was the Marquis of Anding behind the fire at my residence last night?"

The man seated above remained silent.

Lin Ting was shocked. "What grudge does he have against me?" Suddenly, he shuddered. "Heir Xie?"

A chill ran down his spine. "Is the Marquis of Anding so ruthless? Does he want my life to avenge his son?"

Pei Xingjian shook his head. "The Empress Dowager and the Marquis of Anding have long conspired to seize power. Do you know how my debilitating headaches began?"

Lin Ting guessed, "Was it because of them—?"

Pei Xingjian nodded. "In their plan, my headaches were never supposed to heal. But then, you appeared."

"You disrupted their scheme. At first, they tried to win you over, but they failed."

Lin Ting recalled how, when he first entered the palace, the Empress Dowager had dragged him into the Cining Palace and nearly imprisoned him. In the end, Pei Xingjian had rescued him.

"So at Nanxiang Temple, they poisoned me to kill me."

"When poisoning failed, they set my residence on fire."

For a moment, Lin Ting had to admire his own resilience.

"If you die, I lose my remedy, and naturally, I cease to be a threat to them." Pei Xingjian phrased it delicately, but given the severity of his headaches at the time, he might already have been at death's door.

Lin Ting clenched his fists. "These people are completely lawless."

At the mention of lawlessness, Pei Xingjian gave Lin Ting a deep look.

Lin Ting was puzzled. "What is it?" He had been quite well-behaved lately, hadn't he?

"Nothing," Pei Xingjian said. "Are you willing to stage a little act with me tomorrow?"

Lin Ting nodded immediately. "No problem." He was more than happy to help exact revenge.

...

The next day, during the court assembly, the Taihe Hall was as calm as ever, the Emperor's expression solemn.

The ministers below presented their matters one by one before retreating to their positions. An hour passed, and after the last official finished his report and returned to the ranks, Pei Xingjian scanned the assembly.

"Have all my ministers finished speaking?"

The officials exchanged glances, confusion and unease flickering in their eyes.

Since when had their Emperor been so unusually polite? Normally, court assemblies were something like "Speak if you have business, otherwise get out." What was going on today?

No one dared to answer.

Seeing no further responses, Pei Xingjian said indifferently, "In that case, court is dismissed."

The ministers relaxed. It was just a routine assembly, no different from usual—except for the Emperor's unusually gentle demeanor.

They couldn't help but feel pleased. Who wouldn't prefer a mild and humble Emperor? If nothing else, under such a ruler, they could eat three extra bowls of rice.

As the officials loosened their tense nerves and prepared to leave, a mournful voice suddenly rang out from outside the hall.

"Your Majesty, you must uphold justice for this subject!"

Everyone froze mid-step. What was happening? Hadn't court just been dismissed? Who was causing a commotion now?

Turning around, they saw a familiar yet unfamiliar face—none other than Lord Lin.

At that moment, Lord Lin was kneeling outside the hall beneath the corridor, weeping as if the world had ended, tears streaming down his face. In his grief, he even pounded the ground with his fists, the image of complete devastation.

Lin Ting tried mightily to produce tears but failed. Carefully, he retrieved a piece of onion from his sleeve, wrapped it in his palm, and made a show of wiping his eyes while giving it a firm squeeze.

"Waaahh—my house! You were taken too soon! I let you down—!"

His wails echoed through the hall. Some of the more soft-hearted junior officials, taken in by his act, were on the verge of tears themselves.

Pei Xingjian naturally heard the sobbing outside the hall as well. His eyebrow twitched as he asked Zhao Dehai uncertainly, "Who is that?"

Zhao Dehai squinted and peered for a long moment before also replying uncertainly, "It should be... Lord Lin?" Was this truly the same Lord Lin who had confidently promised to get the job done yesterday, now crying with such genuine emotion?

Pei Xingjian said in frustration, "I only asked him to set the stage, not to sob like the world was ending." As he spoke, shouts broke out from the front:

"Someone, quick! Lord Lin has fainted!"

In an instant, the court erupted into chaos. Ministers rushed forward, jostling each other as they cried out, "Lord Lin, what’s wrong? Lord Lin—"

Pei Xingjian’s heart skipped a beat, and he said in a low voice, "Tianxuan Guard."

Zhao Dehai was startled. "Good heavens, my Lord Lin—"

The moment the Tianxuan Guard helped him up, Lin Ting 'came to' and smiled at the two men beside him. "Thank you, thank you both. You’re real lifesavers."

The two Tianxuan Guards, now blushing from the unexpected praise, retreated.

Lin Ting brushed off the ministers who had rushed toward him. "I’m fine, everyone. Please return—court is still in session."

Only then did the crowd realize they had abandoned their positions during the morning assembly. Breaking into cold sweats, they hurried back inside.

Seeing that he was unharmed, Pei Xingjian let out a relieved sigh and rubbed his temples. "Minister Lin, do you have something to say?"

Lin Ting staggered forward, tears pouring down his face as if they were free.

The surrounding ministers were heartbroken—who dared to bully their Lord Lin like this? They swore to seek justice for him.

Meanwhile, Lin Ting, unable to stop his tears: *Ugh, overdid the onion!*

As he passed by the Marquis of Anding, he deliberately shot him a meaningful look. *Enjoy it now—just wait till I destroy you.*

When he reached the front, he lifted his head, his eyes red and tear-stained as if he had been thoroughly tormented. His face was streaked with tears, his lips pressed into a glossy, cherry-red.

The emperor, checking an improper thought, coughed lightly and waited for the next act.

With a *thud*, Lin Ting collapsed to the floor. "Your Majesty, this official has been wronged!"

"Last night, thieves broke into my residence. Not only did they steal, but they also set fire to my treasury! Now I’m left with nothing!"

As he spoke, he kept glancing at the Marquis of Anding, leaving no doubt what he meant.

The Marquis had sensed trouble the moment he saw Lord Lin, and sure enough—here we are. But having held high court positions for years, he was unfazed without solid proof.

The Marquis of Anding chuckled. "Lord Lin, though we have old grievances, you cannot slander me without proof."

Of the three fire-starting traps planted last night, only one had ignited—the other two had been swiftly discovered by the Tianxuan Guard. The news had nearly made him explode with rage.

Fortunately, they had covered their tracks. No investigation would trace it back to them.

Lin Ting had anticipated this. He glared. "Who said I accused you of setting the fire?"

He pointed directly at the Marquis. "I inquired—last night, your personal troops were patrolling near my residence, yet none noticed a thief operating right under the palace’s nose!"

He had meant to say "the capital," but then reconsidered—a thief near the imperial palace was far more serious.

"The City Patrol not only missed the thief but didn’t even notice when my residence was set ablaze!"

"As the commander of the City Patrol, if you can’t even train competent soldiers, how are you fit to lead?"

The hall fell deathly silent.

The ministers were stunned. The Marquis had taken command of the City Patrol under the late Crown Prince’s decree. Back then, the patrol only guarded a small area near the palace—critical zones in the capital had been under the imperial guards’ control.

It was only after the Marquis rose to power that he gradually chipped away at the imperial guards’ power, confining them to the palace walls.

Now, the ministers began connecting the dots.

For over a decade, the Marquis had commanded the City Patrol. Even when incidents occurred in the capital, no one dared question his leadership. Over time, even he likely believed the patrol was his private army.

The Marquis, caught off guard by this unorthodox attack, stammered, "You—!" but couldn’t form a coherent retort.

Lin Ting dropped to his knees before the emperor. "Your Majesty, this subject believes the Marquis of Anding is unfit to lead the City Patrol."

His sharp accusation struck like thunder.

*A power grab!*

That was the sole thought flashing through everyone’s minds.

The Marquis’ eyes widened in disbelief, gasping for air. "Y-you—!" He couldn’t utter another word.

And yet—he had no rebuttal.

In the past, whenever incidents occurred in the capital, the Emperor, held back by the Empress Dowager’s faction and their entrenched court factions, had let him off the hook. Over time, everyone forgot that in previous reigns, the capital’s security commander would have been suspended immediately pending investigation.

And now, a fire had broken out in the residence of a high-ranking official—

To make matters worse, it was near the imperial palace.

The imperial palace—this now threatened the Emperor’s safety.

There was no room for mercy now.

Pei Xingjian’s gaze darkened as he scanned the eerily silent court. While the ministers struggled to conceal their panic, the man kneeling before him managed to sneak a wink and mouth: *How’d I do?*

The Emperor suddenly smiled and silently replied: *Superb.*