Chapter 74

Chapter 74

Fortunately, his summons to the palace this time didn't keep him waiting long. After the eunuch who escorted him in announced his arrival, Emperor Qianyou immediately called him into the main hall.

Meng Shuping limped his way into the hall, grumbling indignantly all the while, [Is there no humanity left? No moral compass? Making a half-crippled man, who should be bedridden, travel all this way to see him—does his conscience not ache at all?]

[I'm genuinely baffled. Why does he keep summoning me here? What if other ministers think I'm a favored official, grow jealous, and plot my demise? Wouldn't that make me both wronged and utterly miserable?]

Minister of Justice Cao Jie and Minister of Revenue Chen, among others, thought to themselves: *Rest assured, no one is jealous of you. With the way you constantly stir up trouble and get reported, others can only sympathize with you. How could anyone possibly want to harm you? You're truly overthinking things!*

*And even if someone did, it would be because you constantly offend people on your own. What does that have to do with us ministers? Don't go unfairly blaming others, alright?*

Hearing Meng Shuping's complaints again, Emperor Qianyou wasn't surprised in the least. But when he saw Meng Shuping's condition, he was utterly stunned.

Meng Shuping's arm was in a sling around his neck, he walked with a noticeable limp, and his face bore several scrapes. He awkwardly extended his hand to salute Emperor Qianyou, "Greetings, Your Majesty."

Emperor Qianyou quickly said, "Rise, rise. Beloved Minister Meng, how did you come to be in such a state? Are you alright?"

Meng Shuping let out a theatrical, pained hiss, avoiding eye contact with everyone else out of a guilty conscience. "It's nothing, nothing. Just a hairline fracture, a mild concussion, and multiple soft tissue contusions. As long as I rest at home and lie down for a few more days, there shouldn't be any lasting effects. Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty."

[If he truly cared, he'd let me recuperate at home properly. I finally get some time off, and he calls me here just to get a look at me? What's so interesting about me?]

Jiang Cihe chuckled. If he hadn't been with Meng Shuping at the doctor's office yesterday and recognized the familiar tone, he might have almost believed him.

Though Meng Shuping's injuries were real, they certainly looked more severe now.

Emperor Qianyou: "..."

Even if he didn't quite grasp Meng Shuping's full meaning, he couldn't shake the feeling that the situation was serious. And why did he sense that Meng Shuping was being sarcastic?

He hadn't expected Meng Shuping to be so badly injured. The thought of summoning him to the palace while he was recuperating made Emperor Qianyou feel a rare pang of guilt.

He coughed awkwardly and said with concern, "Since Beloved Minister Meng is injured, there's no need to stand. Please have a seat."

Meng Shuping struggled to extend his hand again in salute. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Then he turned and slowly made his way to a chair to sit down. [Well, at least he has some conscience. But seriously, why did he call me here? He wouldn't be expecting me to work, would he? How utterly heartless can he be?]

Just then, he noticed an unfamiliar face in the room and discreetly observed Dong Lide. [Huh? Who's this? Why is he here too?]

Seeing his confusion, Jiang Cihe introduced Dong Lide to him. "Vice Director Meng, this is the father of Young Master Dong from yesterday. He's here to see His Majesty about his son being imprisoned."

Meng Shuping immediately grew displeased. [What? He couldn't be here to make false accusations, could he? I haven't even had the chance to badmouth him yet, and he dares to get ahead of me while I'm on sick leave? How utterly shameless!]

Cao Jie and the others were speechless. *Submitting a report is submitting a report—what does he mean by "making false accusations"? It makes it sound like Meng Shuping is some villainous minister. Who describes themselves that way? And how is someone else reporting something "shameless"?*

Hearing Meng Shuping's words, Dong Lide was taken aback. He immediately looked at Meng Shuping but saw that his lips hadn't moved. He glanced at the others but saw no unusual expressions on their faces. Just as he was trying to figure it out, he heard Meng Shuping's voice again.

[I'm already in such a bad state. Is His Majesty really going to hold me accountable? He should think clearly. On one side, you have someone who works for him and solves his problems; on the other, you have someone who exploits him and tarnishes his reputation. Anyone with a bit of sense would know which side to take.]

[Besides, I'm clearly in the right here. If he blames me because of some distant relative, wouldn't that be disappointing? If this continues, how can the loyalty of the court ministers be guaranteed?]

Dong Lide immediately grew indignant. *Who's exploiting the Emperor? Who's tarnishing the Emperor's reputation? You young man, don't spout such nonsense!*

Emperor Qianyou: "..."

The way Meng Shuping put it, if he didn't side with Meng Shuping, he'd be completely unreasonable. And if he recalled correctly, he hadn't even made up his mind yet. Why did Meng Shuping assume he was going to hold him accountable?

Dong Lide had thought that summoning Meng Shuping would help clarify matters. He never expected Meng Shuping to appear before Emperor Qianyou in such a state. His heart sank—Meng Shuping's condition seemed to confirm his son's assault on an imperial official.

*This kid is utterly malicious!*

He immediately spoke up. "Your Majesty, I questioned my son yesterday. He said he only threw one punch and didn't even connect. How could he have possibly caused such severe injuries?"

He eyed Meng Shuping suspiciously. "Could Vice Director Meng be faking his injuries?"

Meng Shuping stared fixedly at the floor, not daring to meet Dong Lide's eyes, but his words were sharp. "You wouldn't be trying to dodge paying the medical expenses, would you?"

[Surely not? He's a member of the royal family—how could he be so irresponsible? I'm not criticizing him, but if he can't afford it, why didn't he keep his son under control? Now his son injures someone on horseback, and he says he can't pay? What was he doing all this time?]

Minister of Revenue Chen chimed in gleefully, "Exactly, exactly! Lord Dong, your family can't possibly be so broke that you can't cover such a small amount, can you? Even if you can't, we won't laugh at you, ha ha ha, but you can't accuse others of faking illness just because you can't pay up!"

Minister of Justice Cao Jie added, egging it on, "Yeah, if he had the nerve to injure someone on horseback, why doesn't he have the nerve to pay up?"

Dong Lide retorted angrily, "Who says I can't pay the medical expenses? My family hasn't fallen to such depths!"

Meng Shuping muttered disdainfully, "If you can pay, why haven't you offered? It must be that you can't."

[Maybe their family fortune has been squandered, and they're barely keeping up appearances. Otherwise, who with any ability would act like a wastrel? This Dong fellow doesn't seem capable—just a worthless spendthrift!]

Dong Lide snorted coldly. "Hmph, you think I can't pay? Look at what I'm wearing—this outfit alone costs more than your annual salary!"

Meng Shuping glanced over. "Oh."

[If you have money but won't pay, then you're rich but heartless? How can someone so rotten have the nerve to complain to the Emperor?]

[And it's not that I'm criticizing him, but does he even know how many people's livelihoods his son destroyed yesterday with his horseback antics? Those small vendors work hard all month and barely make ends meet. Then these wastrels come along and ruin everything. How tragic is that? How can he have the face to brag about how expensive his clothes are?]

[I must remind the Emperor—the money they use is ill-gotten gains exploited from the common people. His son should be punished!]

Dong Lide stiffened and immediately exclaimed, "Your Majesty!"

Meng Shuping jumped at the sound. [Whoa! Why's he shouting so loud? He nearly deafened me!]

Emperor Qianyou was also startled and said displeased, "Why are you making such a racket?"

Dong Lide quickly lowered his voice. "Your Majesty, please be reasonable. My son truly didn't touch him. Even if he did, one slight touch couldn't have caused such severe injuries, could it? Perhaps Vice Director Meng is exaggerating his condition to extort more money?"

Emperor Qianyou pondered. Given Meng Shuping's character, it was entirely possible. After all, Meng Shuping had previously hit him up for rewards and consolation gifts.

He looked at Meng Shuping. "Beloved Minister Meng, what do you have to say?"

Meng Shuping agreed readily. "Yes, yes, his son really didn't hit me. Actually, it was my body that accidentally collided with his fist, which made me lose my balance and fall. How about I pay his son some medical expenses instead?"

[Twisting facts? I can do that too. See, my version sounds much more sincere than his, doesn't it?]

"Pfft! Ha ha ha!" The others couldn't hold back their laughter. This Vice Director Meng was hilarious!

Emperor Qianyou's lips also twitched upward involuntarily. This kid—must he be so mischievous?

Dong Lide was fuming, his face flushed red. "You! You're being utterly unreasonable!"

"Huh?" Meng Shuping feigned confusion. "Weren't you the one who started it?"

[What? He can do it, but I can't? How hypocritical of him! If he's going to complain anyway, I might as well tell the truth.]

Summoning his courage, he said in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, did you hear? Even Lord Dong admits his son intended to strike me. It's not that I'm targeting his son, but how dare a commoner like him raise a hand against an imperial official? Does he not have any respect for you at all?"

As if feeling that Emperor Qianyou wasn't angry enough, Meng Shuping continued to fan the flames, "Moreover, his son even said that I should mind my own business—even if he beat someone to death, it's none of my business. If I dared to say even one more word in front of Your Majesty, he would have my official position revoked! Therefore, I have reason to suspect that Lord Dong is colluding with a high-ranking official in the court to control the government!"

Dong Lide glared furiously at Meng Shuping, "You're talking rubbish!"

He then turned to Emperor Qianyou, "Your Majesty, I did no such thing!"

Well!

The Minister of Revenue and others, who had been watching the spectacle from the sidelines, suddenly found the fire spreading to them. They quickly spoke up, "Your Majesty, please see clearly—I have no ties whatsoever to Lord Dong!"

"Exactly, exactly! I've never had any personal dealings with Lord Dong. Even when we meet, it's only for official business!"

"Your Majesty, I don't even know where Lord Dong lives—how could I possibly collude with him?"

"Your Majesty, Vice Director Meng makes a very good point. Since Lord Dong's son spoke in such a manner, he must have some backing. I implore Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly to clear our names!"

Emperor Qianyou's face darkened. Although he knew Meng Shuping's words might be exaggerated, there could still be some truth to them. Could it be that the Dong family was truly this arrogant?