"The taste is indeed quite good. One wasn't enough to fill me up. Little Seven, after the morning court session ends, I'll go to your estate to eat," the Sixth Prince rubbed his belly. "And I'll try the scallion pancake while I'm at it."
Qu Dubian: "Of course. You're welcome anytime."
The bell chimed, signaling the time for the morning court session.
The officials went to line up at the small side doors of the Meridian Gate, and the group of them also stood up to bid their farewells.
"We should get going."
"Go on, go on."
Some of the officials passing by the small stall bowed from a distance, while others didn't notice and hurried past.
When almost everyone had gone inside and the nearby stalls were preparing to close up, Xi Zixing arrived. Dressed in a neat and formal official uniform, he dropped a few copper coins into Qu Dubian's small money basket.
He gazed deeply at the youth in the wheelchair.
"Stall owner, are you still serving?"
Qu Dubian was slightly taken aback. "Xi Zixing? The bell rang quite a while ago. You won't have time to eat now, will you?"
Xi Zixing: "I've paid the money. After court, I'll come find you to eat."
Qu Dubian: "That works. I'll give you a deluxe combo then."
Seeing no signs of depression or despondency on his face, Xi Zixing smiled faintly, nodded at Ye Xiaoyuan, and hurried into the palace.
Ye Xiaoyuan: "It's quite interesting. Young Master Xi went to the Ministry of Justice to be a Supervising Secretary, a son acting as an inspector for his father. I thought he would enter the Ministry of Personnel."
Qu Dubian thought for a moment. "It's probably due to their family's scholarly tradition."
Yi Shier: "Your Highness, shall we wait here?"
Qu Dubian: "Let's push the stall and sell elsewhere."
The Imperial Court.
Emperor Chongzhao sat upright at the head of the hall, his expression dark and heavy.
Below, the ministers reported the matters required for the grand assembly as usual, seemingly as calm as any other day.
No one took the initiative to bring up the matter of the paper money crying out for justice.
Whoever spoke up at this time would be a reckless fool. Without any evidence, what grounds did they have to raise the issue?
That was until a flurry of hurried footsteps echoed from outside. A eunuch in charge of announcements rushed in, fell to his knees, and cried out, "Reporting to Your Majesty! The Director of the Armory Directorate from the Zhennan Pass Weapons Depot requests an audience! He has an urgent matter to report!"
Emperor Chongzhao's heart skipped a beat, thinking that war had broken out at Zhennan Pass again. He waved his hand and ordered, "Send him in!"
The Director of the Armory Directorate, surnamed Liu, was responsible for the supervision, manufacturing, storage, and maintenance of wartime weapons. He was a respectable official, but when he entered, he was covered in dirt and even had bloodstains on him, looking as if he had just fled from a disaster.
Upon entering, Director Liu fell to his knees and wailed, "This humble subject almost didn't live to see Your Majesty again!"
Grand Tutor Fang was shocked and bewildered. "You are an imperial official, after all. How did you end up in such a state?"
Emperor Chongzhao asked in a deep voice, "Has something happened at Zhennan Pass?"
Director Liu replied, "All is peaceful at Zhennan Pass. This subject is in this state because I was hunted down and nearly assassinated while investigating a case. I only survived and fled back to the capital with all my might because I was determined to expose the true face of a traitor!"
The Second Prince frowned. "Hunted down?" He instructed, "Explain in detail. With all the civil and military officials and His Majesty present here, no one will dare lay a hand on you."
"Yes," Director Liu said. "This subject discovered that General Li Fanyun, who is stationed at Zhennan Pass, actually smuggled and sold weapons during the war between the Great Zhou and Nanning!"
"He secretly transported rusted weapons out of the Zhennan Pass armory. After grinding off the rust and removing the Great Zhou insignias from the blades, he disguised himself as a Nanning arms dealer and sold Great Zhou's own weapons back to Great Zhou to make a personal profit!"
The courtiers broke into an uproar.
"Is what you say true?!"
"Audacious! Without any proof, you dare to spout nonsense in the imperial court right in front of His Majesty!" The Sixth Prince's faction was furious.
This was because Li Fanyun was the Sixth Prince's cousin from his maternal grandfather's side, representing their military power at Zhennan Pass.
Director Liu's words were aimed at directly uprooting the Sixth Prince's foundation. How could they just stand by and watch?
"Reporting to Your Majesty! This person is spouting lies and slandering a good general. His crime is punishable by death!"
Director Liu countered, "This subject is not spouting lies. This subject has evidence."
Trembling, he pulled a long strip of brocade cloth from his robes. Upon opening it, it revealed the evidence he had collected, including the names, origins, and testimonies of witnesses, as well as the retreat routes of the fake Nanning arms dealers, and so on.
Eunuch Yu stepped down and presented the evidence to the throne.
The Sixth Prince's face had already begun to turn pale.
Director Liu explained, "Enemy arms dealers are a common occurrence, usually just to make a windfall. Officials like this subject, who are responsible for wartime weapons, are all aware of this unspoken rule. But, but this is the first time I've ever seen someone do it like this..."
As Emperor Chongzhao flipped through the evidence, his expression grew increasingly grim.
The Sixth Prince's mind raced, and he spoke with fierce severity, "Imperial Father, are we to slander my cousin based solely on this person's one-sided story? This case hasn't even been officially opened. As a provincial official, for him to seek an audience with the Emperor on the day of the grand assembly is already a violation of the official system! The imperial court is not a place for the likes of you to falsely accuse others and shout!"
"Indeed. Moreover, how could a director in charge of weapons be investigating cases? Even if there were irregularities, they should have been reported to the Court of Judicature and Revision for handling!"
The Second Prince chimed in, "Yes, if General Li was seeking personal profit from this, has the Director found where the embezzled silver is hidden? That would be the ironclad proof."
Director Liu stammered, "This, this..."
He stuttered for a long time. Emperor Chongzhao put down the evidence in his hands. "Just as the Second Prince said, have you found concrete proof of the crime?"
"If not, I can only imprison you for now. Rest assured, I will not make things difficult for you; I am merely transferring the case to the Court of Judicature and Revision for processing."
Director Liu said, "I have not tracked down where the illicit funds are hidden. It seems, it seems they are not at Zhennan Pass..."
The Sixth Prince breathed a sigh of relief, becoming even more righteous. "You dare to speak in the imperial court about matters that haven't been fully investigated!" He cupped his hands and said, "Imperial Father, my cousin has rendered outstanding service to the Great Zhou and should not be subjected to the false accusations of a petty man. I implore Imperial Father to investigate clearly."
I need to hurry back and discuss this with Mother and Old Fifth to see how to resolve this matter, he thought. A layer of cold sweat subtly formed on his palms. If this matter were exposed, his maternal grandfather's family would definitely be punished by his Imperial Father.
Why weren't his cousin and the others more careful?
Emperor Chongzhao narrowed his eyes. "The one-sided story of a single person is indeed untrustworthy. This case will be jointly investigated by the Court of Judicature and Revision and the Ministry of Justice to see exactly..."
"Imperial Father!"
The Fifth Prince suddenly stepped forward. "This son has something to say."
Hearing him speak, the Sixth Prince subconsciously sighed in relief. After all, the Fifth Prince had helped him a lot over the years, and he had developed a habit of seeking out his Fifth Brother whenever something happened.
Now that the Fifth Prince had stepped forward, he didn't need to worry about what came next.
Emperor Chongzhao's voice paused. "What else do you have to say?"
The Fifth Prince raised his head and looked at the Sixth Prince, who pursed his lips in the same bossy and arrogant manner he had had since childhood.
He lowered his eyes, lifted the hem of his robe, knelt on the ground, and said with remorse, "The illicit silver that Director Liu failed to find, this son knows where it is."
The corners of the Second Prince's lips curled up slightly.
The good show he had been anticipating for years had finally begun.
At this moment, before the Sixth Prince's faction could react, the Fifth Prince swiftly pulled a letter from his robes and stated in a deep voice, "During the war between Great Zhou and Nanning, Li Fanyun and the Li clan smuggled weapons. All the domestic silver they earned from this entered the capital and went straight into the Sixth Prince's estate!"
"The letter in this son's hand is the proof of the communication between the Li clan and Concubine Lan at that time. It even bears the Sixth Prince's personal seal. It absolutely cannot be forged!"
From the moment the Fifth Prince uttered his second sentence, the Sixth Prince's faction was completely dumbfounded.
The Sixth Prince's mind went entirely blank.
He stood frozen in the imperial court, feeling a pervasive chill seep into his body from the soles of his feet.
Then, trembling all over and his face flushed with blood, he pointed at the Fifth Prince. "Qu Dushen! Qu Dushen!! What nonsense are you spouting?!"
The Sixth Prince kicked the Fifth Prince to the ground. "You bastard!!"
Clutching the letter, the Fifth Prince coughed twice.
Emperor Chongzhao shouted furiously, "Pull them apart!"
The imperial guards immediately separated the two princes.
The Fifth Prince knelt properly again. "Whether what this son says is true or false, Imperial Father will know at a glance."
The letter was presented. Emperor Chongzhao read it from beginning to end, slammed his hand on the table, and glared at the Sixth Prince. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?!"
The Sixth Prince stammered, "This son..."
Emperor Chongzhao demanded, "Old Fifth, aren't you and Little Sixth on very good terms? Why are you handing this letter over today? Furthermore, if you knew about this early on, why didn't you inform Us from the very beginning instead of waiting until now!"
"This son is filled with remorse," the Fifth Prince said in deep anguish. "At the time, I never imagined that Sixth Brother and Consort Lan would do such a thing. Out of consideration for our brotherly bond, I did not expose them. But afterward, whenever I thought about how I failed to stop him, I felt I had let down our ancestors... I have not been able to sleep at night."
"I originally thought to let it go, but when this son saw Director Liu risk his life to deliver the evidence of the Li family's crimes, I was deeply shaken. Only then did I decide to present this letter."
Everyone knew he was acting, and acting quite hypocritically at that. After all, if he truly hadn't wanted to say anything, who would carry that letter on their person?
But often, putting on an act was merely finding a clumsy excuse to allow the grand play on stage to continue.
The Fifth Prince continued, "In the ledgers of the Sixth Prince's estate, many details can be clearly traced. The hundreds of thousands of taels of silver gained from smuggling at Zhennan Pass were mostly used to bribe officials and sell government posts. Every word this son speaks is the truth, and I am willing to guarantee it with my life."
Grand Tutor Fang said profoundly, "Your Highness the Fifth Prince, if the Sixth Prince's actions are true, you are also suspected of covering up and indulging his crimes."
The Fifth Prince kowtowed to Emperor Chongzhao. "This son understands. However, as long as it allows my conscience to rest, this son is willing to accept the punishment."
He turned his head to look at the stiff and cold Sixth Prince. His dark eyes were bottomless and devoid of light, yet his tone was compassionate and sorrowful as he slowly uttered:
"I only hope that Sixth Brother will repent and turn back before it's too late."
The imperial court erupted into noise, sounding like a bustling vegetable market.
The Sixth Prince's gaze met the Fifth Prince's eyes, and he felt as though a cold, dormant scorpion was slowly driving its highly venomous stinger into his flesh.
Emperor Chongzhao looked at the chaotic arguments below, took a deep breath, and said coldly, "This case will be handed over to the Court of Judicature and Revision and the Eastern Depot for investigation. All involved personnel are to be temporarily imprisoned."
Zuo Tianlang hesitated, "The two princes...?"
The Minister of Revenue said with righteous indignation, "In the face of suspected treason, a prince is no different from a commoner."
The miserly old man was somewhat triggered. No one knew better than him how difficult the Great Zhou's treasury had been at that time. He had flicked his abacus beads, haggling over every single copper coin, and Great Zhou had exhausted the strength of the entire nation to win the war between the two countries.
And now they were saying someone had been profiteering from the national crisis?
Bah!
Emperor Chongzhao declared, "The Fifth Prince is confined to his quarters. The Sixth Prince and all related personnel are to be thrown into prison to await trial!"
Smuggling weapons during the critical moment of a war between two nations to earn the hard-won gold and silver of Great Zhou—without severe punishment, there would be no way to answer to the soldiers at Zhennan Pass.
Someone tried to plead for mercy, but Emperor Chongzhao cut them off. "Anyone who pleads for mercy will be imprisoned as well."
The imperial court instantly fell silent.
At a time like this, who would dare to speak?
Emperor Chongzhao pinched his forehead, the veins on his temples throbbing violently. "If there are no other matters, then—"
A calm voice rang out from the back of the civil and military officials. A minor official in green robes cupped his hands and reported, "Reporting to Your Majesty, this humble subject has a matter to present."
"...Speak."
The minor official in green stepped forward and cupped his hands. "Your Majesty."
It was none other than Xi Zixing.
Emperor Chongzhao scrutinized him for a moment. "We remember you."
He glanced at the Minister of Justice, Xi Shiqiu, who remained as unmoving as a mountain.
"What is it? Speak."
Xi Zixing said, "As an official of the Ministry of Justice, this subject knows well that the Ministry oversees penal matters, lawsuits, and justice, and works alongside the Court of Judicature and Revision to investigate the people's conditions, protecting the fairness of Great Zhou's laws and the clarity of our world. However, just yesterday, paper money crying out for justice flew all over the capital. His Highness the Seventh Prince, the Prince of Yong, has rendered great meritorious service to the state and awed the northern borders, yet he returned to the capital injured and blind. We originally thought he was injured on the battlefield, but if there were no hidden circumstances, why would paper money flutter through the air?"
"Yet, as this subject stands in this hall, right up until the court is about to be dismissed, I have not heard a single person from the Ministry of Justice, the Court of Judicature and Revision, or the Censorate mention this matter! The paper money claimed that the one who framed His Highness the Prince of Yong is a member of the imperial family. You all dare not bring it up—is it because you fear offending the powerful and losing your heads?"
Xi Zixing raised his head, his tone resounding. Amidst a wave of astonished gasps, he stated clearly, "If it is not out of fear, then you must be deaf and blind to be so negligent in your duties."
"Therefore, as a Supervising Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, this humble subject must shoulder my responsibilities. I have no authority over the Court of Judicature and Revision or the Censorate, but I do have the right to impeach Lord Xi, the Minister of Justice, for dereliction of duty, negligence, and the crime of knowing but failing to act!"
The supervisory power of a Supervising Secretary of the Ministry of Justice was utilized to its fullest extent.
Many cast sympathetic glances at Xi Shiqiu.
On his very first day in office, his son not only trampled all over the Court of Judicature and Revision and the Censorate but also spat on his own father's head. It was truly a wretched situation.
Regardless of what Xi Shiqiu was thinking inside, his facial expression remained unchanged.
Behind Emperor Chongzhao, Eunuch Yu wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Heavens, is this really the right time to bring this up?
Emperor Chongzhao said, "Based on the words written on paper money, you want to investigate every member of the imperial family?"
Xi Zixing replied, "This humble subject begs Your Majesty to open a case and conduct a thorough investigation!"
