Chapter 163: The Truth

After leaving Zhaoming Hall, the Minister of Justice and the Left and Right Censors-in-Chief hurried away as if pardoned.

Only Zhang Yuanye, the Chief Justice of the Grand Court, hung back a step, walking alongside Zheng Miao.

Now a third-rank official and a regional governor of a frontier province, Zheng Miao stood on equal footing with Zhang Yuanye.

The Grand Court was considered Zheng Miao's old stomping grounds, so the two naturally had more to say to each other than others.

"Lord Zheng, how foolish of you," Zhang Yuanye said in a low voice. "Why bring up that man out of nowhere? His Majesty is especially wary of him these days."

Zheng Miao replied calmly, "I do not serve in the capital. How could I know what ticks His Majesty off?"

Zhang Yuanye: "..."

If he hadn't said that, it might've been fine, but now he was sure—Zheng Miao had done it on purpose.

Zhang Yuanye hesitated, then asked, "You compared Wen Ren Ming Ke to that... Lord Yue. Aren't you afraid His Majesty will hold a grudge against him?"

Zheng Miao: "I am not afraid."

Zhang Yuanye, a mild-tempered man, humbly sought clarification: "Do tell."

Zheng Miao said, "First, His Majesty already holds a grudge against Wen Ren Ming Ke."

Zheng Miao had long heard how this seventh-rank official, who started as just an Imperial Academy Student, had risen five ranks as if he had divine help.

If His Majesty truly valued Wen Ren Ming Ke's talents, he would have summoned him to the capital after the Xing Tai Shao conspiracy case was resolved, kept him around for consultation, had the Ministry of Personnel give him a thorough review, and then arranged his posting—rather than quietly promoting this young man to the high post of Prefect of Tongzhou, forcing his twenty-something shoulders to bear the crushing weight of governing an entire prefecture.

It was less a promotion than a test from the Emperor, a chance to test his mettle while throwing this newcomer into the tangled web of Tongzhou, to see why three successive prefects had dropped like flies.

If Wen Ren Ming Ke got isolated, got corrupted, or simply died in office like Prefect Qian, it would prove his own incompetence and betraying the Emperor's trust.

But unexpectedly, Wen Ren Ming Ke proved to be a razor-sharp blade. The moment it left its sheath, it wasted no time in exposing Wei Yixian—that hidden abscess and pestilence stirring chaos in government circles.

His Majesty did cherish talent, sure enough, but seeing this blade was so sharp it couldn't be put away without drawing blood, he couldn't help but develop a new layer of suspicion and displeasure:

If Wen Ren Ming Ke had such extraordinary abilities, why bother the court when difficulties arose?

Zheng Miao continued, "Second, His Majesty indeed dislikes that man. Yet the dead are dead, and the living have to keep up appearances. Even if that man failed the imperial grace, he toiled tirelessly in life and didn't even get a proper burial—a fitting retribution. His Majesty has always cared about appearances and doing things by the book. If I say Wen Ren Ming Ke resembles that man, would His Majesty, a ruler as magnanimous as he is, stoop to persecute him over a mere remark from this humble servant? Would that not make him seem petty and not very sage-like?"

Zhang Yuanye: "..."

He wished he hadn't asked for so much detail.

Halfway through, Zhang Yuanye nervously glanced around, making sure no one was eavesdropping, then let out a sigh of relief: "You, still the same temper—daring to say anything. Don't you value your life?"

Zheng Miao dropped another bombshell: "Wen Ren Ming Ke told me to say that."

...

Zheng Miao's words had been euphemistic enough.

When Wen Ren Ming Ke had spoken to him, his words bordered on treason, the kind of talk that gets your whole family executed:

"My actions in Tongzhou have been too bold. The moment I took office, I fired a fifth-rank official, bound to draw His Majesty's attention."

"Some days ago, I put in a request to the capital for a large sum of military funds to cover back pay. This money is critical to Tongzhou's defense, but with this matter out, I fear His Majesty will think me too capable. So I need your help, Lord Zheng, to give me a push."

"When you meet His Majesty, you might mention that I look a bit like Le Wuya."

When he first heard this idea, Zheng Miao could hardly hide his shock.

But Wen Ren Ming Ke's reasoning was quite sound: "As you have said, I do look like Lord Yue. Even if you do not mention it, when I eventually go to the capital to meet His Majesty, I cannot hide my face in court, can I? You are a close friend of Lord Yue's. If you do not report this beforehand, His Majesty might recall it later and get offended, believing you deliberately concealed it. Therefore, it is better to just be upfront about it."

"Besides, I've already given His Majesty plenty of headaches. One more will not hurt."

"The court historians are always in attendance, recording the sovereign's every word and deed. His Majesty may dislike me for being too sharp, but if you mention this, the situation changes entirely."

"If His Majesty were to punish me for resembling the Treacherous Official Le Wuya, would that not make him seem unkind as a ruler, and hung up on that traitor, unable to let go of his hatred?"

"And with a bit of luck, he might even grant me more funds, to show how generous he is."

...

And indeed, as Wen Ren Ming Ke had predicted, despite His Majesty's grim expression, he had dipped his brush and signed off on an additional military allocation.

Twelve characters, worth seventy thousand taels of silver.

At that rate, truly a thousand pieces of gold per word.

Zhang Yuanye dared not ask any more questions, fearing he might overhear more treasonous remarks.

Yet after walking in silence for a while, Zhang Yuanye suddenly spoke: "...Is he really that much like him?"

Zheng Miao replied curtly, "Yes."

Zhang Yuanye forced a faint smile: "Surely Lord Zheng is exaggerating. There are tons of talented people in this world, but I have only ever seen one Lord Yue. If this Prefect Wen Ren truly had that man's brilliance, would he not have stood out in the imperial examinations?"

Zheng Miao wanted to say that the resemblance between Wen Ren Ming Ke and Le Wuya was about way more than just brilliance.

But he chose to keep his mouth shut and did not argue.

The entire Grand Court's current staff had been put together during Le Wuya's tenure.

Including Zhang Yuanye, who was among the last crop of talent Le Wuya had recruited before leaving the Grand Court.

Zhang Yuanye had worked with him for barely a month and was already completely won over.

For a man who secretly looked up to Le Wuya, Zheng Miao saw no need to push the issue. No matter what he said, Zhang Yuanye probably wouldn't believe it anyway.

Since even Wen Ren Ming Ke himself was confident that he would one day work in the capital, when that day comes, Zhang Yuanye could see for himself.

At that thought, a faint smile curled up at the corner of Zheng Miao's mouth.

He suddenly found himself looking forward to the show when Le Wuya arrives in the capital.

...

The prison complex of Tongzhou Prefecture.

Le Wuya sauntered casually into the dark, towering walls.

Even with the sun blazing outside, the light seemed to be swallowed whole as it fell upon the heavy, blackened mud walls of the prison, making the place feel suffocating and eerie.

Once inside, day and night blurred, heat and cold indistinguishable—everywhere one looked, there was nothing but gloom and menace.

Le Wuya halted before a cell door, locking eyes with the man inside.

He had risen to his feet as soon as he heard the footsteps approaching in the distance.

Wei Yixian's spirits were still in good shape, though his hair was a bit disheveled, but it was clear he'd made an effort to keep himself presentable. With no mirror or comb in the cell, he couldn't keep up appearances no matter how much he wanted to.

However, as the loser, Wei Yixian was the picture of grace.

On the day he was taken into custody, he did not fly into a rage or break down crying, but took his loss in stride with remarkable composure.

After being locked up, according to the jailers, he continued to eat and drink like normal, without a single word of complaint about the poor quality of the prison food or the grimy, stinking cell.

That was Wei Yixian's way: if you bet, you pay up.

Had the tables turned and his scheme succeeded, leaving Mu Jiazhi to bear a stain he could never wash off, Wei Yixian wasn't the type to gloat. He'd just pack up his fishing rod and sigh about landing another big one.

Thus, Le Wuya had no reason to get too cocky either.

That would be beneath him.

Wei Yixian bowed respectfully to him: "My lord, you're here. Forgive me for not coming out to greet you."

Le Wuya: "I heard from the jailer that Assistant Prefect Wei wanted to see me."

"Yes. Sorry for making you come all this way."

"I've got a lot on my plate. If you have something to say, speak plainly."

"These past days, sitting in this cell, I've thought long and hard and believe I've largely figured out your methods and arrangements," Wei Yixian said slowly. "There's just one thing that I can't figure out, no matter how I toss and turn. I went ahead and asked you here to enlighten me, for otherwise, even in the deepest level of hell, I fear I wouldn't be able to close my eyes in peace."

Le Wuya said nothing.

Wei Yixian got straight to the point: "When did you know that I wasn't targeting Mu Jiazhi, but you?"

Wei Yixian simply couldn't understand. He had laid out such an elaborate scheme, waiting for Le Wuya to walk into it, yet he had evaded every deadly move with pinpoint precision, and instead turned it around to take him down?

The account deficits, the soldiers' unpaid wages, the lack of unity among men, not enough reliable people.

To him, these were clearly the most urgent matters that needed to be dealt with right away.

One misstep, and he would have been bogged down, unable to move forward.

Why had he been able to bypass these obvious obstacles and direct all his new-broom energy at Wei Yixian himself, stripping him of his position?

Wei Yixian couldn't wrap his head around it, no matter how hard he tried.

He could accept defeat, but not without knowing why.

Yet, he also knew that Prefect Wenren, as the victor, didn't have to answer his questions.

He braced himself for Le Wuya to walk away in a huff.

Thus, when he heard the answer from Le Wuya, he was so stunned he didn't react at first.

"Because while you were scheming, I was laying my own trap. People say Tongzhou is full of Japanese pirates, bandits, and troublemakers, but in my view, most of the chaos in this world originates from the top. When the top is crooked, everything below goes wrong, leading to unrest among the people and turmoil across the realm."

"So, it was either you or Mu Jiazhi. I looked at the two of you, sized you up, and decided you were the one who had to go."

Le Wuya's blunt honesty left Wei Yixian dumbfounded.

Yet, after a moment, he gave a resigned smile: "So that's how it is?"

Le Wuya chuckled: "When you go to the capital, will you take my words to the emperor, tell him your side of the story, and vent your anger?"

"No," Wei Yixian shook his head. "If I just confess, at worst it's beheading. But if I accuse my superior without solid evidence and end up with death by a thousand cuts, being tortured to death bit by bit, that's far worse than a quick beheading."

At this point, he'd ordered Ma Si to kill two people and tried to bribe Zi Yongshou into lying. The witnesses and evidence were all there. What was the point in denying he'd had Zi Yongshou kidnapped?

Moreover, that whole speech about chaos starting at the top—Le Wuya had the guts to say it, but Wei Yixian didn't dare repeat it.

Wei Yixian bowed deeply: "Thank you, my lord, for clearing things up for me."

Le Wuya had no intention of sticking around with this man he'd beaten.

He was swamped with work, not even a moment to spare for cracking melon seeds: "No need for thanks. When you descend into the eighteenth level of hell, jump into the oil cauldron a few extra times with sincerity—that will be thanks enough."

Wei Yixian was speechless.

He was quiet for a beat, then laughed.

Seeing Le Wuya about to turn and leave, Wei Yixian spoke up again: "Prefect Wenren, you've been kind enough to answer my questions, and I have nothing to offer in return. Let me give you some advice, and I ask that you heed it well."

"The Japanese pirates in Tongzhou just won't go away, seemingly numbering in the thousands, but in truth, most of them are local merchants of Dayu. They just use the Japanese name as a front, hiring skilled Japanese raiders to conduct smuggling operations!"

"The emperor has shut down the coasts and banned maritime trade, driving smugglers to take desperate risks for huge profits, and that's what's happened."

"Lord Wenren, you can crack down hard to clear out the pirates and bandits, but behind these Japanese raiders stand countless local elites. With their interests intertwined, how could they yield?"

"Over the years, I've been playing the game, trying to keep the peace between all these groups. I am guilty, but am I the only guilty one?"

"Prefect Qian was certainly not killed by me, but did he truly die from an accidental drowning? You should know, he was on good terms with other prefects, working together to crack down on smuggling and fill the city's treasury!"

"My lord, you have brought me down, but can you bring down the countless merchants and gentry hiding in the dark? Can you overturn the emperor's explicit decree banning maritime trade?"

Le Wuya turned back, quietly gazing at Wei Yixian, whose face was flushed and who was clearly worked up.

He could tell that Wei Yixian meant every word.

In all their dealings, this was the most honest thing Wei Yixian had ever said to him.

"Thank you for the reminder." Le Wuya nodded, lifting his eyes, a faint glint in them. "...Since things have come to this, why not give it a try?"