Chapter 185 Mad Dog

Chapter 185: Mad Dog

Meanwhile, on the other side, Chen Li came out of the imperial palace, feeling a chill run through him.

Every scolding from the emperor was like a whip lashing his face—no, it was lashing the very foundation of the Chen family.

He boarded his carriage in a daze, his mind in turmoil.

The carriage traveled along the silent streets.

Suddenly, the horse pulling the carriage let out a terrified whinny for no apparent reason and reared up.

Then, as if severely disturbed, it went mad and bolted, dragging the carriage wildly!

"Whoa! Steady! Steady!" The coachman was scared out of his wits, desperately pulling the reins but unable to control it.

With a loud crack, the carriage suddenly overturned and skidded along the ground, the sound of splintering wood piercing the night.

Chen Li, caught off guard, tumbled out of the overturned carriage in a sorry state, his official hat askew, topknot disheveled, and official robe covered in dust.

"Ouch... you bastard! How the hell were you driving?!"

Chen Li, bruised and battered, his old bones nearly broken, his pent-up fear and rage exploded.

His beard quivering with rage, he launched into a tirade at the coachman who was scrambling to his feet.

The terrified coachman dropped to his knees and kowtowed: "Master, forgive me! Master, forgive me! The horse, it suddenly got spooked..."

"Worthless piece of trash!" Chen Li, clutching his sore arm, fumed. "Hurry and get someone! Prepare another carriage! You expect me to walk back?!"

The coachman scrambled up and ran off to find the night patrol or fetch help from the mansion.

Chen Li, helped by the equally frightened servant, managed to stand under the eaves of a street-side building to wait.

He kept muttering curses under his breath about his rotten luck.

As he waited, several dark figures crept closer like stalking leopards.

Chen Li felt a rush of air behind him, but before he could react.

A coarse sack was thrown over his head, and everything went black instantly!

"Mmph! Who?! How dare you!" Chen Li, shocked and furious, struggled violently.

The servant beside him was about to cry for help but was struck silent with a dull thud, collapsing limply to the ground.

The nimble thugs and a vicious dog quietly dragged Chen Li into the nearby dark alley.

Then fists and feet rained down like a hailstorm!

"Thud! Whack! Bang! Bark!" It wasn't a robbery—it was pure vengeance.

Every punch hit flesh, every kick was vicious, aimed at the most painful but non-lethal spots.

At first, Chen Li could let out a few pained grunts and curses, but soon all that came out was wailing and begging.

He had lived a cushioned life—when had he ever suffered like this?

He felt his bones breaking and his organs shifting inside him.

Finally, someone threw a heavy, precise punch right into his aged face.

"Pfft—" Two faint, crisp sounds, and Chen Li suddenly opened his mouth wide, spraying a mix of blood and spittle.

His last two loose, wobbly old teeth finally retired in glory, flying out.

Just as he was about to let out a string of curses, a sharp, searing pain shot through his rear.

Chen Li let out a bloodcurdling scream like a stuck pig, the sound cutting through the silent night air.

"Beast! Let me go!" He flailed his arms wildly, trying to drive off the vicious dog.

The thugs, already beating him vigorously, got a second wind when the dog bit him and swung their clubs with even more ferocity.

Chen Li lay on the ground, his breathing weak, his body covered in wounds and blood.

The searing pain and humiliation overwhelmed him. His vision went dark, and he completely passed out.

The thugs made hand signals to one another.

Just as silently as they had come, they quickly vanished into the maze of alleyways, as if they had never been there.

A long time later, the night patrol of the city garrison, guided by the unconscious servant (who had been found earlier), finally found the unconscious Grand Guardian in the dark alley. They hastily carried him back to his mansion for medical treatment and immediately reported the incident.

The news quickly made its way up to the emperor, who, upon hearing of Chen Li’s miserable ordeal, merely said flatly: "I am aware."

And then, nothing more was heard from him—

Lately, the court had seen a dramatic shift.

The always-smiling, smooth-talking imperial censor Lord Cheng, who always wore a faint grin before uttering a word, had suddenly started making waves.

He was no longer that mild-mannered, smiling censor. Instead, he had transformed into a mad dog, biting with extraordinary frenzy.

And he didn't bite just anyone—he went after the Chen family and their cronies exclusively, attacking like a mad dog with relentless fury.

Moreover, the content of his impeachments ranged widely, from matters of military and state to trivial trifles, covering everything.

Yet he always dug up solid evidence or damning hearsay, making it impossible for the accused to deny.

At that morning's court session, the atmosphere was solemn, and the session was about to end uneventfully—

Cheng Ge suddenly stepped forward, clutching a new Hu Tablet, and spoke in a clear, resonant voice: "Your Majesty! I! Impeach Chen Ke, Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Entertainments!"

The accused, Chen Ke, Chen Li’s grand-nephew, felt his heart drop.

The other officials also perked up their ears, eager to see what new stunt this mad dog censor would pull next.

Cheng Ge’s face was stone-cold. He produced a thick memorial from his sleeve and began enumerating Chen Ke’s crimes:

"I impeach Chen Ke on the first count: In charge of the imperial palace’s food supplies, he embezzled and substituted inferior goods—passing off cheap market pork as tribute meat, deceiving the emperor!"

"On the second count: He let his servants seize thirty mu (about 5 acres) of common farmland in the western part of the city, leaving the people homeless and bitterly resentful!"

"On the third count:" Here, Cheng Ge paused, an odd, unreadable expression flickering across his face.

"On the third count: yesterday, at the third ke of the you hour (around 5:45 PM), Chen Ke, deep in the alleyway off the third lane outside the Vermilion Bird Gate, openly … relieved himself."

"He defiled the imperial palace grounds, disgraced scholarly decency, and corrupt official integrity! I have sworn testimonies from five street vendors along the route as proof!"

All the officials: "..."

A deathly silence fell over the court, followed by a burst of barely suppressed snickers.

Many ministers turned red in the face, their shoulders shaking violently.

This third charge... was too ruthless, practically tearing off Chen Ke's face and stomping it into the ground!

Chen Ke was livid, his face bright red and his whole body trembling as he pointed at Cheng Ge: "You! You're spouting lies! Slander! This is slander!"

Seeing that he still dared to deny it, Cheng Ge immediately raised the testimonies high in his hand.

He raised his voice another notch, his words even more biting and sharp:

"Slander? Lord Chen, are you brave enough to do it but not brave enough to own up?! The testimonies are right here, in black and white, crystal clear.

They say you were facing north at the time, and your urine was very yellow—clearly a sign of excessive liver fire and internal deficiency-heat!

I advise you to cut down on the crooked schemes and drink more cooling herbal tea to clear the heat.

Otherwise, you'll end up with bigger problems. Next time, it won't be yellow urine, but yellow eyes!"

"You! You insolent fool! I'll fight you to the death!"

Chen Ke had never suffered such a humiliation in his life, especially in the solemn and dignified Golden Throne Hall.

He was exposed and ridiculed about the details of his urination in front of His Majesty and all the civil and military officials.

His vision went dark from rage, blood rushed to his head, his rationality snapped, and he forgot all court etiquette.

Flailing his arms wildly, he lunged at Cheng Ge, clearly intending to throw a punch.

Cheng Ge was the man from the Censorate...

the "Mad Dog Leader" and "Spiritual Icon" of their faction.

A bunch of brainless fanboy censors had already been itching for a fight—how could they just stand by and watch one of their own get bullied?