Chapter 210: Silent Standoff

Chapter 210: Silent Confrontation

Cheng Ge scratched the back of his head, his face flushed with embarrassment, and hurriedly placed the broken pieces of the divination stick container on the nearby table.

"I lost my grip. I'm truly sorry, Master..." he said, instinctively reaching for his money pouch.

The old monk sighed, his gaze sweeping over the uniformly unfavorable bamboo slips.

"Forget it, wealth is but an external thing... Think of this container as taking that calamity on for you, benefactor."

Cheng Ge: "..." Then give me back my offering money.

The monk pressed his palms together and said, "Today's divination, though not entirely complete, has revealed Heaven's will. I hope, benefactor... remain calm and let nature take its course."

The words were tactful, but the meaning was clear: stop making trouble, accept your fate, young man.

Cheng Ge felt deeply ashamed, especially the phrase "let nature take its course," which now sounded particularly grating.

He felt he hadn't come to seek guidance from the divination slips, but rather to humiliate himself and commit vandalism.

"Thank you for your guidance, Master... I... take my leave." He almost fled in disgrace.

Under the inscrutable gazes behind him, he quickly rushed out of the main hall.

As if staying a moment longer, all the Buddhas and deities in the hall would start laughing at him.

Only after rushing out of the temple gate and returning to the ancient plum tree, did the cold wind blow against his burning face.

Cheng Ge let out a long sigh, but the stifling feeling in his heart didn't ease; instead, it only heightened his sense of absurdity and frustration.

He came for a marriage fortune, got a bunch of worst‑luck slips, and ended up smashing the monk's means of making a living...

Was he cursed not only in his official career, but also in love... Was heaven punishing him yet again?

He looked up at the leaden sky, feeling that his future—no, his love life—was utterly bleak.

Cheng Ge stood outside the cold mountain gate of Jizhao Temple, looking at his palm as if it still held remnants of the divination stick container.

Recalling the glaring bad fortune slips scattered all over the ground, an unprecedented sense of grievance and absurdity surged to his head.

It seemed the whole world was against him! He couldn't resign from his post, and couldn't dodge the homosexual advances.

Now even when seeking a fortune, the Bodhisattva seemed eager to slap the words "This Road is Blocked" right on his face.

This capital, this imperial palace—truly his nemesis!

If he stayed any longer, not to mention preserving his chastity, he might even lose his life here.

No! He absolutely could not just sit idly by! Yuanzhou, he must go to Yuanzhou! Immediately! Right now!

A what-the-hell recklessness surged from deep inside him.

Cheng Ge spun around and strode towards the carriage, saying to Lü Rou and Funiang who were waiting there, "Back to the residence!"

………

Cheng Ge knelt stiffly on the cold, golden-bricked floor, his back taut like a drawn bowstring.

His head was bowed deeply, his forehead nearly touching the ground.

It wasn't the first time he had knelt like this to plead, but this time his posture carried an unprecedented determination and all‑or‑nothing resolve.

Behind the imperial desk, Zhou Mingqi looked expressionless at the kneeling minister below, his fingers absently stroking a cool jade paperweight.

The air seemed frozen, with only the curling smoke from the gilded incense burner indicating the passage of time.

"Your Majesty," Cheng Ge's voice broke the silence, muffled as he kept his head lowered, but each word was clear, striking the quiet hall.

"The governance of Yuanzhou is corrupt, taxes are unclear, the people are destitute, and even an imperial censor was murdered—each of these is a grave illness afflicting the dynasty! Whenever I think of this, I feel as if thorns were pricking my back; I cannot eat or sleep in peace!"

He slightly raised his head, his gaze burning as he looked directly into the unfathomable eyes above the throne, his tone growing more impassioned.

"I know Your Majesty is considerate, fearing that my lingering poison hasn't been purged and I can't bear the hardship.

But I have received Your Majesty's grace and unworthily hold the position of imperial censor; impeaching officials and cleaning up the administration is my duty!

If I shrink back out of concern for my own body and allow villains to run rampant and state funds to be drained,

then what face do I have to show in court, and what face do I have to collect the court's salary?!"

Zhou Mingqi's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, his voice steady and calm, but carrying an undeniable pressure.

"The matter of Yuanzhou, I have my own judgment. There are many capable ministers in the court, not just you. Your body has not yet recovered; you should rest well and not be so obstinate."

"Your Majesty!" Cheng Ge's voice suddenly rose, with a hint of grief and indignation that made his voice tremble.

He kowtowed again, striking the floor heavily, a soft thud echoing in the hall.

He abruptly raised his head, his eyes somewhat reddened, whether from emotion or physical strain.

"If Your Majesty still thinks I am unfit for this task, or doubts my loyalty, then... I will kneel here until Your Majesty grants permission, or until I drop dead from exhaustion!

I would rather die while faithfully serving Your Majesty than live at ease in the capital, while watching the corrupt governance of Yuanzhou erode the very foundation of the state!"

These words were extremely harsh—a barely veiled threat of suicide.

Eunuch Fuquan, standing nearby, was terrified and dared not breathe loudly.

Zhou Mingqi's gaze turned completely cold, like ice quenched in frigid water.

He stared at Cheng Ge, and the air in the hall seemed to chill sharply from the emperor's anger.

Cheng Ge stared back without wavering, though his palms were cold and sweaty; he knew there was no turning back.

After a long moment, Zhou Mingqi suddenly let out a very soft, cold laugh.

The laugh betrayed no emotion, but it made Cheng Ge's heart clench.

And just as expected—

Cheng Ge was once again escorted out of the imperial study by the guards, this time all the way to the palace gate before they let him go.

Cheng Ge straightened his wrinkled official robe, but his face showed little sign of embarrassment.

He looked up at the tightly shut vermilion gate, a more determined light blazing in his eyes.

If one attempt fails, then two! If two fail, I'll come every day! He didn't believe Zhou Mingqi could keep having him thrown out forever!

From day two on, Cheng Ge appeared like clockwork outside the hall where the emperor handled daily affairs.

He hitched up his robes, smoothed his sash, and dropped to his knees with a thud on the cold stone bricks, loudly declaring, "I, your servant Cheng Ge, beg Your Majesty to let me go inspect Yuanzhou!"

At first, the guards and eunuchs tried to persuade him to leave, but Cheng Ge set his jaw stubbornly and said, "If I cannot see His Majesty, I'll kneel here and never get up."

After this happened a few times, the guards got the hint from their superiors that as long as he didn't storm the palace or cause a big ruckus, they could pretend not to see him and let him kneel.

News quickly spread. At first, most of his colleagues thought Cheng Ge had lost his mind to dare pressure the monarch in such a self-destructive manner.

But for several consecutive days, regardless of wind or increasing cold, the figure in the crimson official robe appeared punctually, kneeling upright outside the hall.

His face grew more haggard by the day, but his eyes grew only more determined. This almost obsessive sincerity actually moved some people.

Especially several colleagues in the Censorate, who were well aware of the abuses in Yuanzhou and understood the dangers of the inspection.

Seeing that Cheng Ge was willing to risk the emperor's wrath to fight for this opportunity, they couldn't help but admire him.

First, one or two censors, while reporting on affairs, casually mentioned that Censor Cheng was young and promising, and his intentions were commendable.

Gradually, memorials asking the emperor to support Cheng Ge's patriotic ambitions began to quietly pile up.

Even many of Cheng Ge's die-hard fans followed his example, kneeling for hours, petitioning to be sent to inspect Yuanzhou.

However, they ultimately did not receive the same good treatment as Cheng Ge. Not only were they dragged away by guards, but they also got a severe beating on their rear ends.

Cheng Ge seemed oblivious to all this; he just kept kneeling day after day.

Fortunately, the knee pads made by Lü Rou were thick enough, so he wasn't injured, but it was still uncomfortable.