Inside the Jinluan Throne Room, fragrant smoke from the Rui brain incense poured out of the copper crane's beak, spiraling up along the golden pillars carved with coiled dragons, making the great hall feel somewhat stifling.
The officials stood in two rows according to their ranks, their scarlet and cyan official robes weaving into a solemn sea.
After the official from the Court of State Ceremonial finished calling out the formalities, a few inconsequential memorials from various prefectures were reported.
The Emperor merely gave a few casual acknowledgments and ordered the Grand Secretariat to draft the responses.
The great hall fell so silent that you could hear a pin drop.
Shang Qitai stood at the forefront of the civil officials, holding his ivory tablet, his peripheral vision glancing at Xu Youde diagonally behind him.
Shang Qitai was calculating in his heart.
Last night, there was such a huge commotion at the East Bay Pier.
Xu Wuyou detained people, sealed the warehouses, and even intercepted that fatal list of damaged military rations for the northern front.
If that list was presented to the imperial desk, heads would probably roll from top to bottom in the Ministry of Revenue.
But Xu Youde did not enter the palace last night.
Standing in this great hall this morning, he was just as lifeless as ever, not even pulling out a single memorial.
Shang Qitai concluded that Xu Youde did not dare to present that account book.
That account book implicated noble families, the Water Transport Bureau, and the Ministry of Revenue.
If the Xu family became the one to stick their neck out, they would surely be eaten alive by the civil and military officials of the entire court.
Since you, Xu Youde, are hesitating, this official will help block your path and strike first.
Shang Qitai took a deep breath, raised his tablet with both hands, and stepped out of the ranks.
"Your Majesty, I, the Minister of Revenue Shang Qitai, have a memorial to present!"
This shout was extremely loud, echoing throughout the great hall.
The eyes of the officials instantly gathered on him.
The Emperor sat on the dragon throne, leaning slightly forward, his elbows resting on the edge of the imperial desk, looking down at Shang Qitai from a commanding height.
"Minister Shang, speak."
Shang Qitai fell to his knees with a thud, his voice carrying a tone of deep sorrow and indignation.
"I wish to impeach the legitimate eldest son of the Earl of Chengyi, Xu Wuyou!"
"This young man, relying on his noble family background, acts with impunity and complete disregard for the law on the waterways of the capital!"
"Yesterday evening, Xu Wuyou gathered hundreds of gang members from the Shuicheng Hall and publicly intercepted the cargo ships of the Guangyi Merchant Firm at the East Bay Pier."
"He not only privately detained the merchants and sealed off the warehouses, but also forced back the officials from the Water Transport Bureau who went to inspect!"
"Your Majesty, the waterways of the capital are the lifeline of our Great Qian's water transport, crucial for the transfer of money and grain between the north and the south."
"Xu Wuyou, a commoner without official rank or position, dared to set up a private court, use private torture, and trample the court's rules underfoot!"
"If such a playboy bully is allowed to control the pier, over time, merchants will not dare to sail, transport grain will not reach the capital, and the national treasury will inevitably be emptied!"
"I implore Your Majesty to severely punish Xu Wuyou, to rectify the laws of the state and to reassure the people!"
Every word of Shang Qitai's speech leaned towards capital offenses.
Violently seizing ships, setting up a private court, and disrupting the lifeline of water transport.
If any of these charges were proven, it would be enough for Xu Wuyou to be thrown into the Imperial Prison and have a layer of his skin peeled off.
As soon as he finished speaking, someone from the Censorate moved.
A censor in a cyan robe quickly stepped out of the ranks, knelt beside Shang Qitai, and loudly echoed.
"I second the motion!"
"Xu Wuyou has a notorious reputation in the capital."
"He engages in cockfighting and dog racing, bullies men and oppresses women, and now he has gone from bad to worse, extending his dark hands to the water transport!"
"Relying on the power of the Earl of Chengyi's estate, he forcibly collects river protection fees at the pier, and destroys, plunders, and burns at the slightest non-compliance."
"The Guangyi Merchant Firm is a law-abiding business, and only because they refused to pay that blackmail money, they suffered such a vicious attack."
"Even when Tao Boyong, a patrol official of the Water Transport Bureau, stepped forward to mediate, he was pointed at and insulted by Xu Wuyou, who even threatened to shut down the Water Transport Bureau!"
"What is even more outrageous is that a clerk of the Guangyi Merchant Firm was found mysteriously hanged in a warehouse last night!"
"That clerk was severely tortured before he died. This is clearly Xu Wuyou silencing him and treating human life like grass!"
"If such a madman is not severely punished, where is the majesty of the court!"
Following that, three or four more officials stepped out of the ranks one after another, kneeling in a row.
"We second the motion!"
"Xu Wuyou's actions are truly shaking the foundation of the state!"
"We request Your Majesty to issue an edict to arrest Xu Wuyou and hand him over to the Three Judicial Offices for a joint trial!"
The great hall suddenly became noisy.
Voices of impeachment rose and fell, all aimed at Xu Wuyou.
Those officials who did not step out of the ranks all turned their eyes to Xu Youde.
Who in the court did not know that Xu Youde had a notorious temper for protecting his own?
Back then, when Xu Wuyou broke the leg of the son of the Governor of Shuntian Prefecture in a brothel, Xu Youde forcefully marched into Shuntian Prefecture with a stick and forced them to drop the case.
Now that Shang Qitai was leading people to push Xu Wuyou to his death, could Xu Youde still endure it?
Everyone was waiting.
Waiting for this old fox to erupt and attack.
The Emperor sat on the high dragon throne, looking down expressionlessly.
He ignored those impassioned censors and did not look at Shang Qitai kneeling on the ground.
His gaze passed over the overlapping official hats and landed directly on Xu Youde.
Xu Youde still kept his head down, not even swaying his shoulders.
The Emperor sneered in his heart.
Xu Youde, the knife is already at your son's neck.
Shang Qitai wants to push your son to his death and uproot your Xu family's foundation on the waterways.
You hold that account book that can take Shang Qitai's life, how long can you hold it in?
Bring it out.
Hurry up and present that account book.
As long as you present it, I will use your hand to slaughter this fat pig, Shang Qitai.
The Emperor's fingers tapped gently on the imperial desk, the rhythm was slow, but the tapping sound was suffocating.
Standing at the head of the officials, the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, Xu Jie, was currently half-closing his eyes.
He had his hands tucked in his sleeves, his body slightly hunched, and his breathing was long and steady.
His protégé Shang Qitai was turning things upside down below, but he didn't even lift an eyelid, completely staying out of it.
Xu Jie knew the wind direction in the court better than anyone else.
He knew Shang Qitai was corrupt regarding the water transport, and he also knew what the Emperor was waiting for.
But he didn't plan to intervene.
This was a game between the Emperor, the Xu family, and the Shang family. His old bones didn't need to take a bullet at this time.
Seeing that Xu Youde had not made a move for a long time, Shang Qitai became even more certain in his heart.
Xu Youde didn't dare to take out the account book.
That account book implicated too many people, and the Xu family didn't dare to stick their neck out.
Since you don't dare, then don't blame this official for being ruthless.
Shang Qitai straightened his back, his voice rising again, drowning out the surrounding discussions.
"Your Majesty!"
"Xu Wuyou is just a young man in his early twenties. Where did he get the audacity to publicly oppose the government at the pier?"
"There must be someone behind him orchestrating this!"
"The Shuicheng Hall has deep roots on the waterways of the capital. If there were no powerful figures backing them, how could they have grown to this extent today?"
"I suspect that Xu Wuyou's actions were completely orchestrated by someone, intending to control the waterways of the capital, monopolize the transfer of transport grain, and make huge profits from it!"
As soon as these words came out, even the coughing sounds in the great hall stopped.
Everyone held their breath.
Shang Qitai was showing his true colors now.
He not only wanted to kill Xu Wuyou, but he also wanted to direct the fire towards Xu Youde.
Controlling the waterways, monopolizing the transport grain.
If this charge was confirmed, it wouldn't be too much for the entire Earl of Chengyi's estate to be executed.
The officials looked at Xu Youde again.
You should jump out now, shouldn't you?
They are pointing at your nose and accusing you of treason!
The Emperor's fingers stopped tapping on the imperial desk.
He looked at Xu Youde and spoke in a flat tone.
"Earl of Chengyi."
The emperor's voice echoed through the grand hall.
"The Minister of Revenue has impeached your eldest son, and claims that someone is pulling the strings behind him."
"Do you have anything to say in your defense?"
Everyone's breath caught in their throats.
Shang Qitai turned his head, his gaze falling upon Xu Youde.
Xu Jie also opened his eyes a mere sliver.
Xu Youde finally moved.
He stepped out from the ranks of officials at a sluggish pace.
Walking to the center of the hall, he came to a halt beside Shang Qitai.
He did not reach for the memorial tucked inside his sleeve.
Nor did he fly into a cursing rage, glaring and puffing out his beard as he usually did.
Instead, he simply lifted the hem of his scarlet court robe.
With a heavy thud.
His knees crashed hard against the golden floor tiles.
Xu Youde pressed his forehead deeply against the ground. When he spoke, his voice was hoarse, yet it carried an air of absolute resolve.
"Your Majesty, this subject is guilty!"
