Chapter 327: At Court (1)

Chapter 327: At Court (1)

Wang Su's heart gave a sudden lurch, and he immediately turned his head back.

The pale daylight reflected off the red walls and vermilion tiles, the layered palace walls looking nothing but stern and imposing.

The exhaustion from a sleepless night left the back of Wang Su's head feeling dull and numb.

The palace path, ordinarily not so long, seemed like it would never end today.

Only when he reached the gates of Zhaoming Hall did Wang Su, unable to take it anymore, turn back for another look.

He didn't see Le Wuya's ghostly, shadow-like gaze trailing him, but he nearly stumbled over Jie Jitong, who was right beside him.

Jie Jitong sidestepped in surprise and muttered, "Lord Wang, be careful."

Under the startled look from the eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial next to him, Wang Su's face went pale as he stepped into Zhaoming Hall.

At the top of the crimson steps, Xiang Zheng sat in serene stillness.

His illness had started with a minor chill as summer turned to autumn.

Just from catching a bit of cold wind, he'd been stuck in bed for over ten days, with high fevers that kept coming back and wouldn't let up.

He felt the onset of old age with unmistakable clarity.

Back in the day, how could a mere gust of wind have done this to him?

He'd trained in riding and archery since he was a kid, building up a tough body, and had once known the prime of youth, full of energy and vitality.

Now, lying in bed, hit by chills and fever, his limbs heavy and tired, he felt like a dying dog—and that was a bitter pill to swallow.

But this anxiety, which sharpened with every passing year, was instantly calmed the moment he saw the civil and military officials filing into court in an orderly manner, shouting their greetings.

Clearly, power was a hell of a tonic.

As for Wang Su's brief slip-up at the front, it no longer seemed so hateful or annoying.

Wang Su's mind was completely on Le Wuya, and for once, he missed His Majesty's subtle moods.

He'd figured the other guy would strike the moment he walked in, and he'd already rehearsed his response in his head.

But to his surprise, Le Wuya stayed perfectly calm, eyes lowered, eerily quiet.

Even when Xue Jie called out loudly, "Speak up if you have something; otherwise, dismiss," and officials stepped forward one by one to report, Le Wuya still stood firm in his spot, showing no sign of stepping up.

Even Xu Yingrui, standing next to him, was a bit taken aback.

The officials figured that after His Majesty's illness, he probably didn't have the energy for big matters, so they were all looking to suck up.

So they all chose to report only the good news and hide the bad.

According to them, the world was booming, and everything under heaven was peaceful and happy.

How could Xiang Zheng not see right through these people?

Watching them grovel so nervously, he was pleased at first, but his energy just couldn't hold up.

After listening to the same old flattery for so long, he just felt tired.

Feeling tired, his eyes started to wander.

And Le Wuya, even just standing there without moving or saying a word, was way too eye-catching.

Xiang Zheng's eyes were drawn to his young, straight-backed figure, lingering for a long time, before finally resting on his lips, full and flushed with life.

Le Wuya's sickly, pale look slowly merged with this face, then gradually pulled apart.

With a strange, hard-to-name feeling of envy, Xiang Zheng clenched his fist without showing it.

After Du Tonghe wrapped up a long-winded speech full of fancy nonsense, Xiang Zheng called on Le Wuya directly: "Ming Ke, when did you get back from Dansui?"

Le Wuya stepped out and replied, "By Your Majesty's kind question, I only got back yesterday."

Xiang Zheng waved him over warmly: "Come, kneel up front and report. Let me get a good look at you."

Le Wuya walked briskly, passing in front of a bunch of Second-Rank Officials under everyone's eyes, and knelt with a sweep of his sleeves below the throne, right next to Wang Su.

Xiang Zheng asked pleasantly, "So how did things go in Dansui?"

Le Wuya lowered his eyes: "Thanks to Your Majesty's immense good fortune, your servant didn't fail his mission and came back safe."

He subtly hinted he didn't want to get into it in public, spouting the same bland, safe platitudes as everyone else.

And Xiang Zheng loved nothing more than watching people squirm.

"Very well." Not knowing what was coming, Xiang Zheng, almost on instinct, pressed on with a warm smile, "So how bad was the disaster, exactly? Were the local officials on the ball with relief? Any complaints?"

Le Wuya lifted his eyes a little.

...You're the one who made me say this.

Don't blame me later for not bringing this up in private and for calling you out in public.

"Yes, there is something."

"Your servant has a report to make. I wish to impeach the Left Censor-in-Chief, Wang Su, for colluding with corrupt gentry, slaughtering the people, murdering a censor, and deceiving Your Majesty. I beg Your Majesty to decide!"

Xiang Zheng was speechless.

The whole court went dead silent, not a single stir—just glances darting around, undercurrents churning beneath the surface.

Yuan Weiyan raised an eyebrow and shot a sideways look at Le Wuya.

Meanwhile, Le Qianzhang's face changed completely, staring with deep worry at Le Wuya's straight but lonely back.

Wang Su half-closed his eyes.

So it's come to this.

But he was something else—the saggy flesh on his face twitched a couple of times before settling back into a calm, unreadable look.

Le Wuya announced in a clear voice: "Crime number one: colluding with corrupt gentry. In Dansui County, there's the Xiaolianzi Mountain mine. With the veins almost tapped out, the Mining Inspector, Niu Sanqi, lied to his superiors and bullied his underlings, treating the miners like dirt and bleeding them dry, which stirred up a ton of public anger. A miner named Li Ahu, unable to take the abuse anymore, killed Niu Sanqi with a shovel. To cover up the miners' revolt and the fact that the mine was played out, the county magistrate's aide, Zhou Wenhuan, sent a letter asking for advice. Wang Su, to shut the whole thing down, told Zhou Wenhuan to use the mine's explosives to blow up the mountain twice, faking an earthquake, and killing three hundred miners to shut everyone up!"

When he heard "three hundred miners," Xu Yingrui's head shot up, shock written all over his face.

"Crime number two: slaughtering the people. Over three hundred living souls—Your Majesty's subjects—became wronged ghosts in an instant. His cruelty is worse than tigers and wolves!"

"Crime number three: plotting to murder a censor. When your servant was sent by imperial order to investigate, Wang Su tried to have me killed, telling Zhou Wenhuan to assassinate me secretly in Dansui. The people with me were all framed and almost thrown in jail. If it weren't for Your Majesty's blessings and protection, I'd have been done for!" "Crime number four: deceiving Your Majesty. Wang Su, as the top censor, has blocked Your Majesty's ears and eyes, rigged the channels of remonstrance, pretending to be loyal and careful in front of Your Majesty while pulling shady tricks behind the scenes. Up top, he lies to his ruler; down below, he crushes the people, wrecking the nation's laws and tarnishing the good name of the censors. His crimes are serious—rarely seen in the hundreds of years since Dayu was founded!"

Le Wuya listed each charge, his words landing with weight, but all it earned him was a cold sneer from Wang Su.

Wang Su stepped forward calmly, clasped his hands in salute, and said, "Your Majesty, this old minister has a petition to present."

Xiang Zheng had never expected such a sudden turn, nor had he expected Le Wuya to be so insolent and unbridled.

He fixed a cold gaze on Le Wuya, his mind racing:

Is this directed at Wang Su, or at me?

Who's pulling his strings?

Is it Xiaoliu?

He waved a hand at Wang Su: "Speak."

Wang Su knew the emperor would have his back and immediately counterattacked: "Your Majesty, this old minister kneels here today, sweat soaking through his robes—not from fear of execution, but from grief that the court's discipline has been so flagrantly trampled! What Wen Ren Yue has alleged is shocking, but on closer inspection, it's nothing but fabricated slander!"

"As for this so-called massacre of the people, it's pure nonsense! The landslide in Dansui was a natural disaster, yet Wen Ren Yue, seeking political merit, has twisted a natural disaster into man-made wrongdoing, forcing a far-fetched connection—his motives are damnable! What proof do you have?"

Le Wuya: "I have witnesses."

"Who?"

Le Wuya: "There are fifty-seven depositions. Fifty-three come from the officers and soldiers of the Xiaolianzi Mountain mining garrison, all testifying that Zhou Wenhuan ordered them to imprison the miners and kill off the survivors after the explosion; two statements come from two clerks from the Dansui county yamen, stating that Zhou Wenhuan instructed them to silence the clerk who knew too much, A Shun, and plant the explosives; another two statements come from two miners who fled elsewhere after enduring unbearable abuse, their whip scars perfectly matching Niu Sanqi's custom coin-studded whip, which proves Niu Sanqi's brutality. Zhou Wenhuan directly implicates Wang Su as the one who ordered him to commit these crimes. The timeline is clear, the accounts corroborate each other, and all are supported by corroborating evidence. I have brought everything to the capital, sealed with wax, and entrusted it to my subordinate Wang Cheng yesterday for safekeeping at the Grand Court."

Wang Su was floored.

Cool as he was, he couldn't stop a curse from forming in his mind.

He had assumed there would be at most four or five turncoats.

What the hell did Zhou Wenchang do in Dansui? How could he have let fifty-three soldiers all flip and testify?

What use was he?

Fifty-three living witnesses were impossible to refute, so Wang Su could only grab at the last thread and argue: "Absurd! If I had truly committed such heinous acts, why would I have used a lowly county magistrate's aide?"

"Zhou Wenhuan wasn't acting for himself—he was acting for his elder brother Zhou Wenchang. Zhou Wenchang was a former member of the Censorate, the bangyan (second-place graduate) of the ninth year of Tianding, later transferred to a post outside the capital. Zhou Wenhuan ran errands for his brother, and through this connection, established ties with Wang Su. They exchanged letters for years—they were thick as thieves."

Wang Su quickly read the emperor's mood, ignoring Le Wuya and turning to profess his loyalty: "Your Majesty, this old minister has headed the Censorate, impeaching countless officials, and has made more than a few enemies. Zhou Wenchang, the brother of that Zhou Wenhuan, did indeed serve in the Censorate, but was removed from the censor ranks for being mediocre. His younger brother likely harbored resentment over this, colluded with Wen Ren Yue, fabricated statements, and slandered this old minister! This is political maneuvering—an attempt to use Your Majesty's hand to wipe out their rivals!"

Confronting the self-assured Wang Su, Le Wuya cocked his head slightly: "Lord Wang."

Wang Su frowned at him: "What is it?"

Le Wuya asked with mock humility: "Why don't you say it was Zhou Wenchang's doing?"

"By your reasoning, if Zhou Wenchang were bitter and resentful, and thus colluded with me, wouldn't that be more plausible? Why do you insist it was Zhou Wenhuan who was behind it, rather than his elder brother Zhou Wenchang?"

A chill went down Wang Su's spine.

This man was something else!

He knew full well that the mastermind was Zhou Wenchang, and Zhou Wenhuan was just a useful thug for the dirty work Zhou Wenchang couldn't do himself.

But his instinct was to keep Zhou Wenchang out of it, to avoid stirring up more trouble, so he'd gone along with his own logic—only to walk right into another trap.

Luckily, he was quick on his feet and shot back: "Quit your blathering! Since you have come forward to accuse me, you must have prepared your evidence thoroughly and primed your witnesses well. How do I know Zhou Wenchang didn't refuse to play along, and since you couldn't fake evidence against him, you settled for Zhou Wenhuan?"

The implication was that Le Wuya had coerced, bribed, or tortured people into testifying.

Le Wuya brushed off his jab: "Your Majesty, Zhou Wenchang, for failing to keep his brother in line, has been imprisoned along with Zhou Wenhuan, awaiting judgment. All witnesses are held in the Dansui county jail in the custody of the Sixth Prince. None of them show any signs of torture. I humbly beg Your Majesty to see for yourself."

"Immediately transport all prisoners to the capital and have the Three Judicial Offices hold a joint trial." After giving the order, Xiang Zheng turned his cold gaze on Le Wuya: "But Zhou Wenhuan's accusation against Wang Su—can it rely on a single man's word? Do you have hard evidence?"

Le Wuya: "I have a letter as proof."

At the mention of the word "letter," Wang Su's heart skipped a beat.

But he quickly pulled himself together.

That letter wasn't in his handwriting.

Even if the Zhou brothers had kept copies, what could they possibly—

Le Wuya produced a sealed letter from his sleeve: "After Zhou Wenhuan was captured, I had him write to his superior, pretending to be sick, hoping to lure out a confession. The letter was encrypted with the 'Instructions to Sons' code, and the last character had a four-petal peach blossom seal stamped on it. After it was sent, I copied the original, sealed it with wax, and sent it to a relay station in a neighboring county, then picked it up. The station's official seal and dates are clearly visible—this can't be a forgery made later."

He held the letter high above his head with both hands: "I humbly request Your Majesty's inspection."

Every official in the hall who had come from the Changmen Guard went pale at the mention of the "Instructions to Sons."

Everyone knew what that code was for.

And it took a bold fool like Wen Ren Yue to dare say such a thing in front of the emperor!

Though Wang Su kept his head bowed and eyes lowered, cold sweat was already beading on his forehead.

He suspected Le Wuya had put some kind of hex on people.

Were the Zhou brothers out of their minds?

How could they have spilled everything like that?!

He'd thought he'd been extremely careful, even adding an extra seal as a safeguard—how could Zhou Wenhuan have given that away too?

The root of it was that Wang Su was used to treating people like pawns.

He'd underestimated how ruthless Zhou Wenchang could be and how loyal Zhou Wenhuan was.

Xiang Zheng's face was grim. After Xue Jie confirmed they were genuine, he took the two letters.

The relay station's official seal was unmistakable, and the dates were clear—there was no way they were forged later.

He unfolded the letter and scanned it.

He knew the code, so he read it easily.

The outgoing letter read: "To His Excellency Wang, Censor-in-Chief: After Wen Ren Yue arrived in Dansui, he conveniently fell ill. Should we still proceed as planned and have him die in Dansui?"

The reply read: "The one above has ordered—drag it out, don't let him die."

Xiang Zheng's gaze paused on the phrase "the one above has ordered," then he shot Wang Su an icy glare.

Wang Su dared not raise his head, his teeth clenched as he fought back the cold dread rising in him.

Xiang Zheng still couldn't figure out Le Wuya's true intentions and wanted to protect Wang Su for now.

He closed the letters: "This handwriting doesn't match your usual style, Minister Wang."

Hearing the address "Lord Wang," Wang Su picked up on the favor in the imperial tone, and his shoulders eased slightly: "Your Majesty sees clearly!"

But at that moment, a voice sounded from behind Le Wuya: "Your Majesty, in past years, the rebel Le willfully engaged in fraud, forging more than a hundred and twenty documents to collude with the Jing tribe, many of which bore handwriting vastly different from his usual script. At the time, I raised some objections—if the handwriting did not match, how could it be concluded that they were the rebel Le's doing?"

Wang Su turned in alarm and saw that the speaker was none other than Zhang Yuanye, the Grand Court Chief.

Zhang Yuanye had stepped forward, mustering all his courage, his legs shaking nonstop.

Yet he persisted: "At that time... Lord Wang sternly rebuked me, saying, 'Handwriting can be imitated by anyone—how can it serve as proof? What truly matters is whether the style of action and the depth of scheming stem from the same mind!'"

"Today's matter—the encryption method, the seal protocol, the thoroughness of execution—matches exactly what Lord Wang analyzed when adjudicating the rebel Le case back then."

"Thus, I venture to ask Lord Wang: do those words from years past still hold true today?"