Chapter 193 Summoned by the Crown Prince

Chapter 193: His Majesty Summons

Cheng Ge rushed as fast as he could, finally squeezing in just in the nick of time, leaning against the palace wall as he gasped for breath.

He barely managed to adjust his attire, filing into the hall with the hundred officials and forcing himself to stand at attention.

The hall was solemn and dignified; he tried to concentrate, but his eyelids were unbearably heavy, and his vision began to blur and sway.

The officials of the Chen faction, stealing glances at Cheng Ge’s unusually grim expression today, felt their hearts pound with unease.

They exchanged covert looks, each seeing shock and uncertainty in the other’s eyes.

They thought to themselves: Could this mad dog Cheng be brewing some major move today, ready to strike them all down in one fell swoop?

The hall fell into an eerie tension, oddly, because of his silence.

Even his colleagues from the Censorate sensed that something was off. After yesterday’s fierce battle, they had planned to press the attack today.

But who would have guessed that ever since entering the hall, Cheng Ge had been hunched over, head bowed, almost motionless—so still it was unsettling.

Some tried to signal him with their eyes, but he didn’t react at all.

On the dragon throne, Zhou Mingqi also wore a dark expression, a layer of gloom knitting his brows.

The lengthy morning court session dragged on in this strange atmosphere.

“Dismissed!” A sharp, piercing voice rang out like heavenly music.

Cheng Ge jolted out of his drowsiness, instinctively glancing left and right.

Seeing no one was paying him special attention, he discreetly raised his sleeve and dabbed away a suspicious trace of moisture at the corner of his mouth.

Several colleagues from the Censorate were about to gather around, concerned, to ask if he was unwell and why he had been so quiet.

Suddenly, the high-pitched voice of Grand Eunuch Fu Quan rang out again, clear across the hall.

“His Majesty decrees: All censors are to proceed to the Imperial Study for deliberation on important matters!”

Tch... More overtime? So annoying! Couldn’t this have been discussed in court?

Cheng Ge grumbled inwardly but dared not show any disrespect.

Mustering full attention, he followed his colleagues toward the Imperial Study.

Cheng Ge, bowing, entered the Imperial Study with his fellow censors. The atmosphere inside was even more oppressive and tense than in the main hall.

Dragon incense burned quietly, yet it could not dispel the heavy air.

Zhou Mingqi sat behind the Imperial Desk, his face as dark as a storm cloud, one hand pressing on an open report—an ominous portent of a coming storm.

Everyone held their breath, silent, standing in strict order of rank.

After a long pause, Zhou Mingqi lifted his eyes, scanning the ministers with heads bowed below.

His voice was low, carrying suppressed anger and exhaustion, breaking the suffocating silence.

“News has come from Yuan Province. The two Imperial Inspectors dispatched earlier had yet to submit their reports when news of their misfortune arrived. The report says... they encountered mountain bandits and tragically perished.”

As his words fell, the study went dead silent. Cheng Ge felt the breaths of his colleagues beside him catch.

Everyone knew that Yuan Province, and indeed the entire Chengsheng Circuit, was a hornet’s nest—whoever went got stung.

Local magnates and officials were deeply entrenched, their power vast. The so-called “mountain bandits” story might fool a three-year-old.

Everyone in this room knew there was foul play involved—clearly, someone had struck them down!

An Imperial Inspector travels on behalf of the Son of Heaven; killing an inspector is tantamount to slapping the emperor’s face and openly challenging the court’s authority. No wonder His Majesty looked so grim!

The officials exchanged glances, their expressions varied—shock, anger, fear, caution—and for a moment, none dared speak first.

This was no longer mere bureaucratic corruption; it was a life-and-death struggle. One wrong word could lead to disaster.

After a long silence, Wu Zhongzi took a deep breath, stepped forward, and bowed.

“Your Majesty, the murder of the Imperial Inspectors is a great loss to the court and a blatant challenge to Heaven’s authority.

However, Yuan Province’s affairs are complex and cannot go unsupervised.

I believe the urgent task is to select new Imperial Inspectors immediately, dispatch them swiftly to stabilize the region, continue the unfinished investigations, and strictly punish the culprits to uphold the law.

Only... the road is long, and bandits are so rampant as to dare attack imperial envoys. To ensure the new inspectors’ safety, we must reinforce them with capable and seasoned guards.”

His words stated his stance clearly while hinting at the grave danger.

All understood: the emperor was hell-bent on investigating Yuan Province, but who would go? How? Could they return unscathed? These were swords dangling over their heads.

Zhou Mingqi was silent for a moment, slowly scanning every face below.

Those his eyes touched felt immense pressure and lowered their heads even further.

“Wu Aiqing speaks truly,” the emperor said, his flat tone, somehow even more chilling. “Then, all of you... who is willing to go?”

The air in the study froze. Where there had been faint sounds, now there was utter dead silence.

Some stared at their boot tips; others’ eyes wandered, avoiding the emperor’s gaze.

Yuan Province was a dragon’s den. Knowing it was a death trap, who would willingly accept this death sentence?

Standing among the crowd, Cheng Ge felt his drowsiness vanish beneath this crushing tension.

He caught sight of several colleagues, usually aggressive, now cowed into silence. Indeed, Yuan Province was a tough nut to crack.

“Your Majesty!” Wu Zhongzi called out again, his voice steady and unwavering, breaking the awkward silence. “Your servant is willing to go.”

At these words, the whole room was shocked! All eyes instantly focused on this veteran censor, nearly fifty, with graying temples.

As Right Censor, Wu Zhongzi held a high position; his duty was to oversee affairs from the capital.

No one expected him to be the first to volunteer, walking straight into that bloody storm.

The faces of the others burned with shame—first shock, then a wave of guilt.

“This humble official is willing to go!”

“Your servant requests the mission!”

………

In an instant, voices of volunteers erupted one after another. The earlier hesitation and cowardice were crushed by Wu Zhongzi’s bold move, igniting everyone’s courage. They stepped forward one by one.

Seeing this, Cheng Ge quietly withdrew the foot he had just started to lift and, mingling with the crowd, gave a quick bow with clasped hands.

Zhou Mingqi's keen eyes swept across the crowd of eager volunteers.

Finally, it passed over everyone and settled on a middle-aged censor with a stern and unyielding expression.

"Li Chong," the emperor said in a tone that left no room for argument, directly calling out that man's name.

"I appoint you as Imperial Inspector. Prepare to leave for Yuanzhou immediately to investigate official conduct, restore order and tighten regulations, and uncover the truth behind the previous censor's murder.

All matters are to be coordinated by Minister Wu in the capital, and the Ministry of War will dispatch elite troops to escort you along the way. Let there be no delays or errors!"

Censor Li Chong, who had been singled out, immediately stepped forward and bowed deeply: "I accept your command! I will do my utmost to repay Your Majesty's trust!"

After this matter was settled, the atmosphere eased slightly. Zhou Mingqi gave a few more instructions, then waved his hand to dismiss everyone.

Cheng Ge, along with the others, bowed and withdrew from the imperial study. He was about to leave the palace and go home for dinner.

Unexpectedly, a young eunuch walked toward him from a distance, his face full of urgency.

"Censor Cheng, please wait! His Highness the Crown Prince requests your presence."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Ge stumbled badly, nearly tripping over his own feet.

Cheng Ge: "!!!" Crap, he was done for!