Chapter 81

Chapter 81

Emperor Qianyou: "..."

If he couldn't hear Meng Shuping's thoughts, he would have almost believed him. This young man spoke as if it were all true.

The court officials: "Wow!"

Just as they thought there'd be some excitement today, look, here it comes! Hahaha, Vice Director Meng certainly didn't disappoint!

Cai Feng's face turned livid with anger. "Meng Shuping! Don't make baseless accusations! Don't think you can shift the blame onto me to escape your own charges!"

Dong Lide was also stunned by Meng Shuping’s shamelessness. He feigned anger and said, "Hmph, do you have any evidence for what you’re saying? If not, that’s slander! And do you dare deny that you harassed a decent woman?"

Moreover, how dare he accuse him of framing an honest official? He really wanted to ask Meng Shuping which of the two of them seemed more like a treacherous minister!

Meng Shuping replied sincerely, "Yes, I dare."

[Why wouldn’t I dare? My conscience is clear! I even want to ask them if they were behind this. If so, they’re truly ruthless!]

[Sending a female ruffian to harass me is one thing, but to falsely accuse me of harassing her? Is there no justice in this world? My clothes were torn by that female ruffian—I still want to seek compensation!]

"Hah!"

"Hahaha!"

"Ahem, ahem!" Emperor Qianyou barely managed to hold back his laughter. Hahaha, why did things always take such a strange turn when it came to Meng Shuping?

If he hadn’t remembered that they were in the middle of a court session, he might have lost his composure entirely.

Dong Lide was also taken aback. Was such a thing possible? He had only instructed the woman to seduce Meng Shuping, not to be so rough! What were his people doing?

Meng Shuping looked around bewildered at Emperor Qianyou and Minister of Revenue Chen, among others. [What’s wrong with them? This is a court session! Aren’t they the ruler of the nation and important court officials? Can’t they be more serious?]

Cao Jie’s face turned red from suppressing his laughter. Hahaha, as if they wanted to laugh? Shouldn’t they consider how absurd this situation was?

Minister of Revenue Chen immediately stepped forward to refute Dong Lide. "Lord Dong, from what I heard, it was Vice Director Meng who was harassed by a female ruffian!"

The court officials: "Wow, wow!"

Minister of Justice Cao Jie’s tone was equally excited. "Exactly! Lord Dong and Imperial Censor Cai, how can you twist the truth? Clearly, Vice Director Meng was forcibly pinned down by that female ruffian, and his clothes were torn. In my opinion, Vice Director Meng suffered a great shock!"

Hahaha, why does he always miss out on the good stuff? Tell us, quickly, what exactly happened?

The court officials: "Wow, wow, wow!"

Hahahaha, they could laugh about this for a year! And if they remembered correctly, wasn’t it also Vice Director Meng who was drugged and taken away by Prince Ning last time?

Tsk, tsk, there's something about this Vice Director Meng!

Many officials, eager to learn more details, stepped forward with righteous indignation. "Your Majesty, in this bright and just world, right under the Emperor's nose, how could such a thing happen? It’s outrageous! Investigate thoroughly! It must be investigated thoroughly!"

"This old minister's too scared to even leave home! With this old body of mine, if I were harassed by a female ruffian, I wouldn’t be able to run away! I’d have to let her do as she pleases! Terrifying! Truly terrifying!"

Another official, pretending to be worried but actually showing off, said, "Alas, the world is in decline, and people’s hearts are no longer pure! Your Majesty, this old official believes that the female ruffian must be severely punished. Otherwise, if others follow her example, how dare the young men of our families venture outside?"

Other officials wore sour expressions. Fine, fine, we know your family’s young men are handsome and accomplished—no need to show off, alright?

Emperor Qianyou: "..."

Were his officials a bit off? It was understandable for those worried about their young men, but some old guy in his fifties or sixties—why was he worried about himself?

And why were their eyes so bright? It made him suspect they had stepped forward just to enjoy the spectacle.

But he had to admit, he wanted to see it too.

Meng Shuping scowled, feeling deeply frustrated. [Dammit! So who exactly leaked the details of this incident? Was it Jiang Cihe? Or Peng Boshan?]

[Why is he so gossipy? Does he think I’m not embarrassed enough?]

[Gah! So annoying!]

Minister of Revenue Chen was delighted and immediately said, "Your Majesty! Peng Boshan also knows about this matter! I request Your Majesty to allow Peng Boshan to reveal the truth and clear Vice Director Meng’s name!"

Meng Shuping glared angrily at Peng Boshan. [Well, well! So it was him after all! I knew someone was gossiping about this! So it’s him!]

[Peng Boshan, oh Peng Boshan! What grudge do you hold against me? Why are you trying to harm me like this? If you’re so gossipy, don’t blame me for digging up your embarrassing secrets in the future!]

Peng Boshan was baffled. He had interrogated a few people yesterday, but how did Minister of Revenue Chen know about it? Could it be Prince Zhao who told him?

If so, why blame him? Shouldn’t Meng Shuping blame Prince Zhao instead? This Prince Zhao's really throwing him under the bus! If he did it, he should own up to it—how could he let someone else take the blame?

Look how much Vice Director Meng hated him now. Sigh, he would have to explain things clearly to Vice Director Meng later. If he had actually offended someone, that would be one thing, but since he hadn’t, how could he bear this accusation?

Minister of Revenue Chen felt a moment of guilt but quickly composed himself. What was wrong with wanting to clear Vice Director Meng’s name?

To satisfy their curiosity—no, to ensure justice for Vice Director Meng, Peng Boshan would just have to endure it!

Emperor Qianyou asked Peng Boshan in surprise, "Beloved Minister, you also know about this matter? What exactly happened? Speak truthfully."

Peng Boshan carefully chose his words. "Your Majesty, I don’t know much about this matter, but I can recount what I heard."

Emperor Qianyou immediately said, "Granted!"

Thus, Peng Boshan vividly described the incident as he had heard it. He first recounted how Meng Shuping was forced into a "hero saving the beauty" scenario, then moved on to the events in the alley.

"...That woman lured Vice Director Meng into a deserted alley and began to harass him. Vice Director Meng, terrified and pale, pushed her away and tried to run. But the woman wouldn’t give up. She reached out like a claw and tore off Vice Director Meng’s outer robe!"

The court officials: "Whoa!"

Hearing Peng Boshan add so many exaggerated details, Meng Shuping couldn’t help but glare at him. [Although the sequence of events is correct, don’t make it sound so exaggerated! If you’re so creative, why don’t you go write fiction instead? I just didn’t want to lay hands on a woman—it’s not like I’m that weak. Get it right, will you?]

Peng Boshan’s eyes shifted uneasily. Oops, he had gotten too excited and couldn’t resist adding his own interpretations. But soon, he justified himself—what was wrong with trying to garner more sympathy for Vice Director Meng?

He continued his vivid narration: "Vice Director Meng, unable to escape in time, fell to the ground. Just as the woman was about to lay her hands on him, Vice Director Meng cried out for help!"

Peng Boshan imitated the tone of the burly men who had mimicked Meng Shuping: "Help! Harassment! There’s a female ruffian here!"

Meng Shuping was speechless. [What do you mean, 'unable to escape in time'? I tripped over some trash someone had thrown on the ground! How did it become so bizarre in his retelling?]

The court officials: "Pfft!"

"Hahaha!"

"Hahahaha!"

"Tsk, tsk, Vice Director Meng must have been so frightened!"

"In my opinion, that woman was far too audacious! If even an official like Vice Director Meng wasn’t spared, how much worse would it be for an ordinary commoner?"

"And then what? Then what? I say, Peng Boshan, stop keeping us in suspense and speak quickly! I'm dying of suspense here!"

By now, Meng Shuping wished he could just crawl into a hole and disappear. [Ah! Just let me perish! If I had known this would happen, I should've just admitted to the assault! Is Peng Boshan deliberately trying to set me up?]

After stringing everyone along, Peng Boshan finally continued under their eager gazes, "At that moment, Prince Zhao appeared out of nowhere! He shielded Vice Director Meng, who, on the verge of tears, hid behind Prince Zhao and pleaded for help."

Peng Boshan pitched his voice, dramatically imitating Meng Shuping, "My Prince, My Prince, save me!"

"Hahaha! Thank goodness Prince Zhao arrived, or else Vice Director Meng might've fallen prey to that woman!"

"Exactly, exactly! Who would've thought such a vile incident could happen right here in the capital? Sigh, we must be more careful when going out from now on! Never follow a strange woman to a secluded place!"

"You can say that again!"

Meng Shuping remained expressionless, thinking, [He talks as if he witnessed it himself. He wasn't even there—how would he know what expression I had? Peng Boshan is getting way too into this!]

Dong Lide had long been unable to hold back. He snorted, "Peng Boshan, were you actually at the scene? Otherwise, how could you describe the events so vividly? You even know exactly what Vice Director Meng said! And as everyone knows, Prince Zhao and Vice Director Meng are close. I can't help but suspect that this whole story was fabricated by Prince Zhao to cover for him! And you, Peng Boshan, are in on this cover-up, just to suck up to Prince Zhao!"

Hearing this, Peng Boshan immediately objected. With a stern face, he said, "I wasn't at the scene, but there are other witnesses! Not only several of my subordinates but also a few bystanders were present. With so many people, isn't it enough to reconstruct the events accurately? Instead, Lord Dong, why are you so quick to jump down my throat? Could it be, as Vice Director Meng suggested, that you were the one behind this?"

Dong Lide’s heart skipped a beat, but he quickly regained his composure. Putting on an angry front, he retorted, "I was merely voicing my doubts! Don't you dare slander me!"

Peng Boshan smiled faintly. "I, too, am merely voicing my doubts. Why are you so agitated, Lord Dong? Could it be a guilty conscience?"

Meng Shuping felt that Peng Boshan had finally said something sensible. [It must be a guilty conscience! I think he came up with this dirty scheme to bring me down, so that no one would investigate his collusion with other officials and corrupt dealings!]

[How despicable! Truly despicable! To use such low blows against me! Is this how low some officials stoop in political games?]

[Indeed, indeed! The most sophisticated political schemes often employ the simplest methods! But I must say, this method is alarmingly effective! If no one had happened to witness it, I would never have been able to clear my name!]

[Ugh, it's tough being an official, even tougher to be a good official, and toughest of all to be a good official without connections! No wonder so many people form cliques for personal gain! Look, if you don't have backing, when you're framed, there's no one to lend a hand!]

Minister of Revenue Chen and the others thought, "..."

Hey now, that's not how we operate! They would never resort to such crude methods. Even if they wanted to trip someone up, they would use official means—never such underhanded tactics!

However, Meng Shuping’s last point was valid: without connections or allies, and if one lacked political know-how, it was indeed difficult to survive.

Emperor Qianyou scrutinized Dong Lide and Cai Feng. Could it be that the two of them were truly behind this incident?

"Your Majesty!" Zheng Qian’s brow furrowed deeply. "Since Vice Director Meng is innocent, I believe this matter must be thoroughly investigated!"

Several other censors quickly piped up, "Exactly, exactly! Who would devise such a sinister plot to harm him? If the mastermind is let off easily, won't other colleagues face similar persecution in the future?"

"How terrifying! Must we remain constantly vigilant against such traps while serving the court?"

"Didn't Vice Director Meng say it himself? Imperial Censor Cai and Lord Dong were behind this. Now that you mention it, they do have a history of conflict with Vice Director Meng—they're pretty suspicious!"

"Now I get it! One of them must have orchestrated the plot, while the other falsely accused him in court! If not for Your Majesty’s wisdom in giving Meng Shuping a chance to explain, he would have been wrongly imprisoned!"

"With a shrewd ruler like Your Majesty, it is our great fortune!"

Dong Lide’s face darkened. There's no evidence yet, and they’ve already concocted the entire story? Are you kidding me? What, is everything Meng Shuping says suddenly gospel truth?

But the others gave him no chance to refute. "Lord Dong, just admit it honestly. Is it because your son was imprisoned and you were investigated that you hold a grudge against Meng Shuping and sought revenge?"

"Isn't your method far too despicable?"

Others criticized Cai Feng, "Imperial Censor Cai, the power to report rumors was granted by His Majesty to purify the court and uphold the law—not for you to abuse your power for personal gain! What you’ve done is a dereliction of duty, do you understand?"

"Imperial Censor Cai’s actions have tarnished the reputation of us censors! Hmph, don't you dare call yourself a member of the Censorate, or I wouldn't be caught dead associating with you!"

"Cai Feng! You are unworthy of being a censor!"

Cai Feng’s face flushed red. "Don't put words in my mouth! I merely reported what I heard to His Majesty regarding possible misconduct. If he hadn't done anything wrong, how could he have been convicted? Now his name has been cleared, hasn't it?"

But the others had no interest in hearing his explanation. "We implore Your Majesty to issue an order to investigate this matter and uncover the one who framed Meng Shuping!"

Emperor Qianyou also felt the situation was serious and agreed, "Granted!"

Dong Lide’s heart sank. In that case, that woman and her accomplices had to be silenced!