Chapter 330 After the Court Session (I)

A dead silence fell.

After a long, hair-raising silence, the emperor on his throne cleared his throat.

He rose to his feet, gazing down at Wang Su: "Wang Su, regarding the accusations made by Minister Wenren and Minister Xu, besides crying injustice, what else do you have to say?"

Wang Su was like an old dog kicked by his master, trembling in fear, barely able to speak: "Your—Your Majesty—"

"Silence," Xiang Zheng said coldly. "Do you think you haven't disgraced me enough already?"

The entire court was silent, civil and military officials alike frozen in fear, none daring to speak. Only the emperor's calm, disappointed voice echoed through the hall:

"The court has its laws, and the ancestors have their established rules. You, as the Chief Censor, knowingly broke the law—your crime warrants a heavier sentence!"

Wang Su's body went cold, trembling like a leaf.

In front of Le Wuya and Xu Yingrui, he could still talk his way out.

He was far from being cornered.

...But that was only if the emperor would still let him speak in his defense.

"Guards, remove his cap, strip his robes, and take him to the prison to await trial."

The order was obeyed at once.

The moment the words fell, two fully armored guards stepped forward heavily. One pinned Wang Su's arms, while the other yanked off his cap without ceremony.

Wang Su had always been extremely particular about his appearance. Caught off guard, his cap was roughly yanked off, and the brand-new wig went flying with it, leaving his sparse, graying hair to hang down in disarray.

The emperor's verdict was not yet complete: "This case shall be tried jointly by the Three Judicial Offices. It must be investigated to the bottom, justice must be served publicly, and this will serve as a warning to all!"

At this moment, Jie Jitong—the one whose words carried the most weight and who best read the emperor's mind—once again tactfully offered a way out: "Your Majesty, among the Three Judicial Offices, the post of Censorate Chief is vacant. Since Wenren Yue and Xu Yingrui have both filed accusations and are implicated in this case, they should recuse themselves. Would Your Majesty consider appointing another presiding judge to fill the vacancy?"

Times had changed, and Jie Jitong was no longer the straight arrow he once was, having developed a full measure of slickness.

Having offended the emperor, he needed to smooth things over.

This move was exactly what Xiang Zheng wanted: "The presiding judge will be... the Second Prince, Xiang Zhizheng."

Upon hearing this arrangement, Le Wuya's lashes dipped almost imperceptibly, then instantly returned to normal.

Xiang Zheng then turned his eyes to Le Wuya, his face showing warm approval.

"Minister Wenren, you've traveled far and worked hard," he said with a kind tone. "You dared to impeach your superior, took on responsibility boldly, and didn't flinch from the powerful. You truly have the backbone of a censor. I am deeply pleased."

After the praise came the real agenda: "In that case, I'll entrust you with a major task."

Le Wuya: "Your Majesty, just say the word. I'll do my utmost, no matter what."

After all, refusing wouldn't do any good.

"Wang Su has headed the Censorate for many years. If he has indeed been building factions and colluding with the Changmen Guard, his cronies must be deeply rooted both in and out of court. I hereby order you to head up a full investigation into Wang Su's ties with the Changmen Guard. No matter who's involved or what rank they hold, they'll be punished severely, no exceptions! I grant you the imperial banner and tablet, with the power to execute first and report later!"

At these words, the real Wenren Yue in the back row frowned hard.

He was no longer a small fish, and he knew full well how sinister and dangerous this order was.

If Brother Gu really played it straight and dug deep, wouldn't those Changmen Guards who'd taken Wang Su's bribes or done shady things be scared out of their wits?

After all, a cornered dog will leap the wall.

And if Brother Gu slacked off and dragged his feet, then once Wang Su started naming names from prison, he'd be guilty of failing to investigate—also a dead end.

Xiang Zheng stared at Le Wuya without blinking, his eyes like fishhooks: "Minister Wenren, I hope you'll always be as you are today—loyal and true, never letting me down."

—Best never to make even one mistake.

Otherwise, today's Wang Su is tomorrow's you.

Le Wuya seemed not to catch the subtext, keeping up his reputation as Dayu's little Wei Zheng with blunt integrity: "I understand. I won't let Your Majesty down."

A slap must be followed by a sweet treat.

The emperor's tone eased a bit: "Wenren Yue will temporarily take over as Left Censor-in-Chief. If he does well, he can stay in that post, continuing to police the court and clean up discipline for me."

With that, he didn't wait for thanks and swept off: "Court adjourned!"

Seeing the emperor stride off, the officials all breathed a sigh of relief and hastily bowed in unison: "We respectfully bid Your Majesty farewell!"

Wang Su didn't even get to hear the emperor's later warnings and orders for Le Wuya before being dragged off in a flash.

On the jade tiles, besides a wig, a lone shoe was left behind—a testament to his total humiliation.

Le Wuya stood up, brushed the dust off his knees, and turned around calmly, facing the complicated, unreadable looks of the entire court.

He'd been promoted again.

The son of a merchant, who'd bought his office outright—from a seventh-rank County Magistrate to a fourth-rank local Prefect, then to a fourth-rank central official, and now acting Left Censor-in-Chief, with power equal to the second rank.

Even the legendary sword-flying immortals couldn't have risen faster.

Even the fox spirit that steals people's luck couldn't have done better.

But the emperor's subtext was clear to the many sharp cookies in the hall.

This was clearly sending him to his death!

Ordering him to investigate a bunch of Changmen Guards of mixed character and tangled connections—what would the fallout be?

Just thinking about it was terrifying.

The emperor's intent couldn't be clearer:

—Whoever makes me unhappy, I'll make miserable for life.

So most officials' looks held no envy at all, just confusion: "What exactly are you doing, walking into your own death like this?"

Le Wuya ignored those looks and walked out of the hall by himself.

Only Xu Yingrui hesitated, then followed him.

The other officials, having witnessed this big show, had nothing to say and just kept their mouths shut, dispersing in an orderly manner.

Jie Jitong lingered in the back, quietly watching Le Wuya's retreating back. He watched his steady stride, and as he crossed the threshold of Zhaoming Hall, he gave a light, almost boyish hop—a sign of his good mood.

One wonders if he knew that a bottomless abyss lay ahead.

Jie Jitong, intending to offer a word of caution, slightly raised his hand toward him, as if to detain him and offer a hint or two.

But halfway out, his hand dropped back down.

Though he was in the prime of life, by the measure of his heart's years, he might as well already be halfway buried in the earth.

Why should he use this world-weary, polished cynicism to admonish a young man bold enough to ride the tide?

...

Arriving at the Right Side Gate, Xu Yingrui was about to board his carriage when, troubled by matters on his mind and weighed down by sleepless anxiety, he nearly missed his step. Fortunately, a hand reached out from the side to steady his arm: "Brother Xu, watch your step."

Xu Yingrui turned his face: "Thank you, Wen Ren..."

He caught himself, and amended: "Now, should I address you as 'Censor-in-Chief'?"

Le Wuya said cheerfully, "Suit yourself, suit yourself. If you're so inclined, brother, you could even call me 'Uncle,' and I wouldn't mind."

Xu Yingrui: "..." Not funny at all.

Le Wuya pressed on casually, "Brother Xu, give me a ride, won't you? We're both heading back to the Censorate anyway."

"And where is the Censor-in-Chief's carriage?"

"Oh. I sent my boy Huarong back to arrange for my coffin. If I fail, I'll make my martyrdom count." Le Wuya gestured, "I specifically told him not to waste money—just a plain, flimsy coffin will do, but the paint job must be bright and flashy, preferably vermilion. If things go wrong, and the Emperor, to protect his precious darling, cuts my head off in one stroke, I'll come back as a vengeful ghost and tear Wang Su apart."

Having said this, he squinted and laughed, a carefree, devil-may-care laugh: "So, good brother, do me the favor and give me a lift."

In broad daylight, these words made Xu Yingrui's heart pound with alarm. For a long moment, he was speechless, but at last he lifted the carriage curtain: "Brother Wen Ren, please."

Since both were Censorate members, returning together raised no eyebrows.

For a long while on the road, there was silence, broken only by the rumbling of the carriage wheels.

Le Wuya sat with eyes closed, resting easy, at ease and composed, a smile playing at the corners of his lips, his face so animated it was hard to look away.

Xu Yingrui was the first to break the silence: "Brother Wen Ren, this matter... the stakes are far too great."

So great that even now, recalling it, he felt a chill run down his spine and was deeply astonished at where he had found the courage then.

Le Wuya, eyes still closed, said slowly, "Since you know the stakes are so great, brother Xu, why did you get mixed up in it?"

Xu Yingrui blurted out, "It's all because of..."

Halfway through, his gaze met Le Wuya's half-lidded eyes.

That gaze was clear and icy, as if it could see straight through to his soul.

The impulse Xu Yingrui had to shift the blame onto Le Wuya's letter waned considerably.

At first, Xu Yingrui had only gone to review Le Wuya's case files to gain some extra bargaining chips.

It wasn't until he discovered the flaws in the files related to Le Wuya, and realized that Wang Su was truly a master of framing and fabricating charges, that Xu Yingrui completely gave up on wishful thinking.

He confessed the truth: "I don't want to become the next Le Wuya."

Le Wuya, lazy and smiling, leaned his head against the carriage wall: "Smart man."

With things laid out so plainly, Xu Yingrui had little left to hold back: "The Emperor has ordered the Second Prince to oversee this case. What do you reckon His Majesty's aim is?"

"Isn't the Second Prince good enough? The Second Prince isn't the sharpest tool in the shed—he's perfect for this job."

Xu Yingrui shot him a glance.

"What are you looking at me for?" Le Wuya propped his chin on his hand, "Staring at me won't make a brain grow in his head. The Second Prince's strength is that he knows his limits—when faced with a problem, unable to gauge the proper measure, he'll only go to the Emperor for guidance, never daring to hide anything. That's what the Emperor is thinking."

"Then why not the Fourth or Seventh Prince? The Fifth and Sixth Princes are both tangled up with Wang Su and with you, so indeed they can't participate, but among the adult princes, the Fourth and Seventh have both handled cases before."

"The Fourth Prince has a scholar's heart, lost in poetry and ink. What he likes may not be what the Emperor likes. As for the Seventh Prince..."

Le Wuya let out a chuckle: "His mind is too slippery."

"What do you mean by that?"

"He's always been close to the Fifth Prince's faction, throwing money around like confetti, winning over countless young officials? And who at court doesn't know he can't stand his own brother, the Sixth Prince? What if he uses this to settle scores?"

"If he were assigned to it, wouldn't that lay bare the Emperor's own biases all too plainly?"

Hearing Le Wuya analyze so bluntly, dragging every prince into it one by one, Xu Yingrui's expression grew increasingly grim: "This matter... its reach is truly that wide?"

Le Wuya said, "It's nothing more than a few imperial relatives and nobles."

"'Nothing more'? 'Imperial relatives and nobles'? Brother Wen Ren speaks lightly indeed!"

"Light—how light is it?" Le Wuya asked. "Is it as light as three hundred lives?"

He lowered his head, spreading his own palm, and muttered to himself, "Yes, they're all quite light. I personally washed over two hundred corpses, and every one of them was thin. Too thin—hard to wash, with bones stiff and unyielding, digging into my hands until they ached."

Xu Yingrui fell silent.

An emperor, a few imperial relatives and nobles—how much more precious are they than three hundred common folk?

The man before him had already given his answer:

To seek justice for them, no matter how many princes or high officials were dragged in, including himself, he would spare no cost.

Le Wuya closed his eyes again to rest.

After a long while, Xu Yingrui asked another question: "Sir, do you know of Le Wuya?"

Le Wuya raised those violet eyes, stared straight at him for a moment, and nodded.

"I've heard people say you resemble him greatly."

"Yes, I've heard that too."

The carriage arrived before the Censorate.

Xu Yingrui said softly, "If you truly resemble him that much... I regret that when he met his end, I was not there."

But Le Wuya paid it no mind, leaping down from the carriage and extending a hand toward him: "Forget about him—worry about me instead."

"Walking on with me now isn't so bad, is it?"

...

At the Yuan residence, in the training grounds.

Le Qianzhang, though he had arrived as promised and had run through a set of spear forms with Yuan Weiyan, was so distracted that the famed Le Family Spear technique, which shook the world, lost half its power in his hands, his attacks repeatedly deflected.

After the bout, Yuan Weiyan lowered his halberd and stood, his face full of impatience as he complained, "No good! No good! What's got you all broody? Can't you get serious?!"

Le Qianzhang said, "I was thinking about Lord Wenren..."

"What's the point of thinking about him?" Yuan Weiyan waved his hand grandly, his voice booming like a bell. "He chose to jump into that mess himself. I've done my part, done all I could to protect him. So quit stewing over it! Everyone's got their own fate, and I reckon he's having a grand time—he was practically skipping with joy when he left Zhaoming Hall."

"...It's too dangerous."

"Every father cares about his own kid, so what's it to you?"

With that, Yuan Weiyan dropped it, not bothering to deal with him anymore. He picked up his long halberd and strode to the edge of the field.

There, sitting obediently at the side, was none other than Yuan Zijin, who immediately rose and offered his father warm water and a towel, his eyes shining with admiration.

Yuan Weiyan took the towel, wiped his face carelessly, and jerked his chin toward Le Qianzhang, who was still looking glum in the field.

Yuan Zijin, now sharp enough to catch the hint, picked up another cup of warm water and approached, saying respectfully, "General Yue, please."

Le Qianzhang, ever the refined gentleman, nodded gently despite his distraction. "Much appreciated."

Yuan Zijin, having often gossiped about the Le family behind their backs, couldn't help feeling guilty facing the man himself.

And the guilt made him talkative. He scrambled for conversation, saying, "The general's blade is still sharp—you've still got it, just like in your prime."

"Have you seen me practice the Le Family Spear?"

Yuan Weiyan's loud voice rang out from the sidelines: "Yes! I had him learn it on the sly! I tell you, old geezer, your two kids ain't cut out for it anyway. Why not just teach my son outright? Better than letting your Le family's legacy go to waste!"

Le Qianzhang, despite his gloom, was quick with a retort: "The Le Family Spear—by ancestral decree, it's not passed to outsiders. If you've got the skill, watch and learn it on the sly yourself! But I'm afraid you'll just end up a clumsy copy, a laughingstock!"

Hearing him snap at his dad, Yuan Zijin's protective instincts kicked in, and he bared his teeth, ready to fire back: "My master can do the Le Family Spear! I'll get him to teach me!"

Yuan Weiyan's hand, mid-sip of water, froze.

Le Qianzhang's heart tightened. "...Who?"

Unaware of the sudden shift in their expressions, Yuan Zijin puffed out his chest proudly. "My master, of course! Last year, when he celebrated the birthday of our Tongzhou garrison soldiers' grandfather, he performed a segment of the Le Family Spear on stage—it was absolutely splendid! Everyone saw it!"

Le Qianzhang pressed urgently, "Who did he learn it from?"

"No idea—maybe from Young General Pei?" Yuan Zijin scratched his head. "My master and Young General Pei are on excellent terms, so he must have received the true transmission—"

"Crack!"

The teacup in Le Qianzhang's hand shattered on the spot, shards scattering everywhere.

Pei Mingqi?

Pei Mingqi is indeed skilled with the spear, but his family's style leans toward fierce and domineering force—it's a world apart from the agility and finesse of the Le Family Spear!