Grand Chapter

These memorials...

The ministers in the grand hall were somewhat perplexed, and even the Emperor's brow was furrowed as he looked at the almost frenzied Zhou Maochun. How was it that after reading these, Zhou Maochun was acting as if he were in the throes of spring madness? Were these memorials not accusations but rather praise? Even so, it shouldn't warrant such agitation.

Zhou Maochun not only shoved these memorials forward but also turned to gather the scattered documents from the floor. "Keep them all, I'll keep them safe. No need to rush, we'll settle scores one by one!" he muttered while collecting them. The faces of the ministers in the hall darkened considerably.

The night deepened. A eunuch cautiously approached, carrying a palace lantern, and placed it upon the writing desk. Four lamps were already arrayed on the desk, illuminating the surroundings as brightly as day. The Emperor, leaning against the Dragon Throne, was reading a small volume when he suddenly chuckled. "Look at this one; this fellow actually named himself Wu Gaide (Wu Deserves It)," he said, pointing to the booklet in his hand. The nearby eunuch quickly leaned in to look, though he dared not truly inspect it, merely going through the motions. "Wu Gaide? Wú gǎidé (I deserve it)? He truly dares to take such a name," the eunuch laughed in a high, soft voice. The Emperor continued reading, occasionally letting out a few laughs, then furrowing his brow. This time, his reading pace was not quick as when reviewing memorials; he read very slowly. A eunuch glanced at the four or five volumes already on the desk, then at the box still brimming full of them. What could these items be that held His Majesty's attention so intensely?

A soft sound at the door preceded the entry of a eunuch in crimson robes. "Your Majesty, it is getting late," Cai Zhong whispered with a smile. The Emperor’s gaze did not leave the booklet; he merely waved his hand. "Sleeping on schedule every night is so tedious. Staying up a bit late once in a while is quite nice," he remarked. Even sleep had become tedious... Cai Zhong was left smiling wryly, unsure whether to laugh or cry.

The lamps in the hall burned until the eastern sky began to pale. The Emperor set down a yellowed volume, and a eunuch beside him immediately offered a hot towel. The Emperor wiped his face, then pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers. "Your Majesty, perhaps you could snatch a short rest? You cannot sustain this pace," Cai Zhong said with deep concern. The Emperor hummed in agreement, glancing at the remaining volumes still at the bottom of the wooden chest. "I will look at these after noon," he said. More to read? What were these things that captivated the Emperor with such spirited interest? The eunuchs were greatly astonished.

Zhou Maochun, having been leaping about the hall, weeping and clamoring to confront his accusers in a legal dispute, had been summarily dismissed by the Emperor. Could these documents be the evidence of crimes committed by those who impeached Zhou Maochun? "Where is Zhou Maochun? Is he truly in the Ministry of Justice prison?" the Emperor asked, wiping his face with the warm towel, as if a thought had just struck him. Cai Zhong sighed with a touch of helplessness when the matter was raised. "Yes, Your Majesty. He wouldn't listen to any persuasion and insisted on staying in the prison," he reported. The Emperor smiled, tossing the hot towel aside. "If he likes to stay there, let him stay. Why stop him?" he said, rising and walking towards the inner chambers.

Cai Zhong's mind raced through several possibilities. The Emperor’s greatest aversion was being blackmailed or coerced. If Zhou Maochun truly held leverage over others, the intelligent course of action would have been to weep over his own injustice and smooth things over, turning a major issue into a minor one. Why stir up such a commotion instead? This implied not just that others were mistaken about him, but that the Emperor himself was mistaken. For a subject, even if the Emperor had truly wronged them, what of it? Were the maxims of "Thunder and rain are both grace from above" merely empty talk? Zhou Maochun had a clear chance to salvage his situation this time, yet he insisted on courting disaster. Cai Zhong shook his head. It seemed this matter was concluded as it was. Simply sparing his life would be the best outcome.

While he was deep in thought, the Emperor, who had walked toward the edge of the heavy curtain, suddenly paused. "Tell the duty officers not to touch these memorials. Hold any newly delivered ones back for now," he instructed. Cai Zhong acknowledged the order with an "Yes, Your Majesty." But the Emperor waved his hand again, as if recalling something. "No need to tell them. Li Tong already knows," he stated. Cai Zhong's heart jumped. Li Tong? "Your Majesty, Lord Li Tong was sent by your decree to guard the city gate..." he said tentatively, managing a forced smile. The Emperor did not turn back, lifting the curtain with one hand. "I sent him to receive people. If the people have been received, what is he still doing there? Does he lack eyes to see, or does he wish to stay there for a lifetime?" he said coolly. The curtain fell, and the sound of footsteps receded. Cai Zhong let out a breath. Understood! It was truly twisting and turning; the Emperor's mind was undeniably difficult to fathom!

"Grandfather, allow this humble servant to attend to your rest..." a eunuch, around thirty years old, said obsequiously, bowing and smiling. Cai Zhong delivered a sharp kick. "Attend to rest? Who do you serve? If you are not worrying about His Majesty's affairs, why are you causing such a stir?" he scolded crossly. "Hurry and invite Lord Li Tong back! Do you think you can handle all this yourself?" The eunuch was utterly confused by the scolding but dared not delay, scrambling and crawling out in a flurry.

At that very moment, the city gates had just been opened. Due to the warming weather, more people were entering the city earlier each day. A carriage rushed forward first, and the driver casually snapped his whip. "You dog-damned loafer! When will you open the gate! If you delay my important business, can you afford the consequences?" the driver cursed. Li Tong barely dodged in time, the lash striking his shoulder. "How dare you! Where is this ruffian? This is Lord Li's..." a young soldier, unable to stomach the insult, shouted angrily. The driver, however, showed no fear and even spat. "Lord Li? I'll hit whoever I please! Don't talk about a mere city gate guard named Li; even Lord Huo of your Five Passes Military Authority would yield three parts of courtesy to my master's carriage!" the driver roared.

Before the driver could finish speaking, an object hurtled towards him, striking him squarely in the face as he failed to evade it—a clump of horse manure, foul-smelling and viscous. "Damn your ancestors!" another voice cursed simultaneously. "Get down and kowtow to Lord Li!" The driver, enraged and startled, frantically wiped his face with his sleeve. He then saw the group charging towards him: at the head was a young master clad in brocade robes and jade embroidery, followed by four attendants, one of whom was still holding the fecal matter aloft. "Insolence! Are you blind to whose carriage this is..." the driver shrieked. Before he could finish, the attendant swung his arm again. The driver ducked low, and with a soft splat, the manure struck the side of the carriage. Seeing the opposition was numerous, aggressive, and intimidating, the driver, a man who knew when to bend with the wind, assessed the situation, raised his whip, spurred his horses, and charged forward. "Bastards, you wait!" he yelled, leaving man and horse behind as they sped away.

Fan Yilin hadn't expected the driver to be so fast. He angrily ordered a chase, but Li Tong quickly stopped him. "Why argue with a mere carriage driver?" he said with a smile. "Indeed, indeed. That carriage belongs to the Wu family, whose head is the Censor-in-Chief," a young soldier said with a worried expression. "A dog relying on its master's power! I just can't stand that sort," Fan Yilin cursed. Aren't you always like that yourself? The surrounding people echoed the sentiment internally but dared not voice it.

Fan Yilin sat down angrily in a nearby awning structure. Li Tong, his expression serene, poured him a cup of tea. "Aren't you angry?" Fan Yilin asked, frustrated. "I am not angry. If I have done wrong, His Majesty will punish me," Li Tong replied. The implication was clear: His Majesty had summoned him to endure this abuse, and it was all within expected bounds. Fan Yilin let out a breath. "Don't worry. Now that Mistress Qi has returned, those troublesome fellows will quiet down soon enough. His Majesty will surely..." He stopped short as a flurry of urgent footsteps pounded down the street. Seven or eight men in official uniforms suddenly appeared, their gazes sweeping over the crowd aggressively. "Who is Li Tong?" the leader, a dark-faced man, shouted, making the chains in his hand rattle loudly. More trouble? The young soldiers immediately stepped aside. "I am," Li Tong stated. "Take him away!" the man commanded with a wave. Seven or eight men instantly surrounded him. Fan Yilin jumped up. "What are you doing? How dare you..." he cried out. "Young Master, someone has accused the City Guard Officer Li Tong of arbitrarily searching people and demanding money. We are here under orders to bring him in for questioning. You had best not obstruct our duties," the leading burly man shouted.

Before Fan Yilin could fully protest, a voice spoke from nearby. "Say, Fan Yilin, what is the reason for you jumping out so anxiously to speak up?" Fan Yilin and the others looked over and saw a young master strolling over in a swaying manner, followed by seven or eight household servants. "This is bad. That is the young master from the Han family, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, whom Lord Li stopped for inspection a few days ago," the young soldiers recognized him, and their faces grew pale again as they retreated further. This was truly disastrous. Did Li Tong have inherent bad luck, or were people deliberately seeking to make his life difficult? In the short time he guarded the city gate, the saying about beating a dog when it's already down had proven true; his own soldiers paid him no heed, and troublemakers arrived daily at the gate. "Speak! Are you two colluding? And what about the ancestral jade pendant that Li Tong took from me?" the Han Young Master yelled. Fan Yilin spat. "Han, what is your character? Ancestral jade pendant? You’d be lucky to possess a common stone!" he retorted.

The Han Young Master's face darkened with rage. In the past, he would have given Fan Yilin a wide berth, but the times had changed! The Han Young Master spat back without courtesy. "Men, take them away. If they have nothing to hide, a trip to the yamen will clear things up," he waved his hand. The scene immediately devolved into chaos. Although Fan Yilin's servants were few, they shared their master's belligerent nature and fearlessly surrounded Fan Yilin and Li Tong, grappling with the seven or eight bailiffs. These bailiffs were, after all, just yamen runners. They knew who Fan Yilin and Li Tong were, so they were careful not to use real force, though their shouts were fierce. A stalemate ensued. The area around the city gate was quickly surrounded by three layers of onlookers—hawkers and peddlers, their wares balanced on shoulder poles, all gathered round.

Seeing that so many people were still unable to apprehend a single Li Tong, the Han Young Master grew impatient. "You little bastard, I see you refuse a respectful offer and demand force..." he cursed, rolling up his sleeves, ready to rush forward himself. Just then, a sound of urgent horse hooves accompanied by the sharp crack of whips clearing the way charged into the scene—seven or eight riders. Seeing the sight, the riders didn't wait for their horses to stop before leaping down. With a few strides, one reached out and grabbed the shoulder of the Han Young Master, then effortlessly flung him to the ground. Caught completely off guard, the Han Young Master landed flat on his back, his cries of pain and curses drowning out all other noise. "You little punk! How dare you have the gall to cause trouble at the city gate!" A shrill voice, choked with fury, rang out. This piercing sound made the Han Young Master’s cursing halt. Dazed, he looked up from the ground at the man before him. "Big Brother! You've arrived just in time." He hastily cried out aggrievedly, "This bastard surnamed Li detained..." Before he could finish, the man in front of him stomped his foot onto his face, silencing the words he was about to utter. The scene fell into a momentary hush. The bailiffs also stopped, staring at this man. This man was none other than the Han family's Eldest Young Master! The Han Eldest Young Master was now sweating profusely on his back. He had rushed here as fast as he could, yet still arrived a step too late!

Last night, he had been on duty at the Ministry of Justice when Zhou Maochun had caused a disturbance all night. When he saw Zhou Maochun loudly insisting on staying in the prison, sweat had immediately broken out on his forehead. The prison was not a place anyone could just decide to inhabit! Zhou Maochun's presence wasn't inherently shocking; they had been prepared for this possibility recently. However, the way Zhou Maochun came suggested the opposite—that he wouldn't actually come at all. This convoluted logic of 'coming/not coming' didn't confuse the Han Eldest Young Master; it instantly sobered him! Something was terribly wrong. The matter of Zhou Maochun's impeachment, which had seemed a sure thing, had changed! He immediately rushed home and confirmed with his father what had happened in the grand hall. Although the military preparations department was also confused about the content of the memorials sent to them, this didn't stop everyone from quickly assessing the shifting situation. Zhou Maochun was untouchable... Therefore, anyone associated with Zhou Maochun’s current affair was also untouchable...

The Han father and son were fortunate that they hadn't submitted their own memorials this time. After careful analysis, they finally felt secure enough to try and sleep as dawn broke. Just as he lay down, the Han Eldest Young Master recalled a minor detail: his irresponsible younger brother had borrowed a few bailiffs to handle a small errand. To the Han Eldest Young Master, this was a negligible matter, but the moment he realized who the subject of this minor affair was, his sleepiness vanished entirely. He rushed out without even bothering to change his clothes. Zhou Maochun was busy demanding to stay in prison; wasn't Li Tong close behind, waiting to serve the Emperor? If one couldn't even see through this shift in political winds, perhaps it was time to leave the capital altogether.

The Han Young Master, still stunned from having his mouth forcefully covered, was even more bewildered when he saw his elder brother, whose expression moments ago suggested he wanted to swallow him whole, stride quickly toward Li Tong, his face instantly softening into a warm, eager smile. "Lord Li, are you unharmed?" he asked with a mixture of concern, apprehension, and anxious attentiveness. The Han Young Master, and even the surrounding bailiffs, stared wide-eyed in astonishment. The Han Eldest Young Master was never this subservient, even when facing his own father! Had this boy taken the wrong medicine?

Fan Yilin and Li Tong were momentarily stunned as well. As scions often regarded as failures, the true eldest sons of these great families usually disdained to even spare them a glance, let alone interact. It was the principle of birds of a feather flocking together. Why was this young master from a lofty circle, whom they had never associated with, suddenly being so... courteous to people from their lower echelon?

While they were still slack-jawed, another wave of horse hooves was heard, accompanied by the swishing sound of whips as the onlookers skillfully parted to make way. "Lord Li!" a soft, sharp, effeminate voice called out. It was the distinct pitch of a eunuch. Then everyone saw that the riders on four or five horses were indeed palace eunuchs. They quickly dismounted, and upon clearly spotting Li Tong, they approached with smiles, hands outstretched to receive him. "Oh, my Lord Li, you made this servant search quite a bit," the eunuch chuckled, taking hold of Li Tong's hand. "Quickly, quickly, we are waiting for you to hand over your shift; we cannot be delayed." As soon as these words were spoken, everyone's mind cleared with a resounding boom! The Han Eldest Young Master began sweating profusely again. He had guessed Li Tong would return to the palace, but he hadn't expected it to be so swift! A wave of cold fear washed over him. It was a blessing he arrived quickly; otherwise, if his brother had managed to get Li Tong thrown into prison, how could that situation have ever been salvaged! Thinking this, he shot a fierce glare back at his younger brother, who was still lying on the ground. "See how I deal with you!" he snarled, turning back to Li Tong with an even more respectful and amicable expression. "My Lord, please attend to your urgent matters first. As for this incident, rest assured, I will give you a full explanation..." "An explanation?" the eunuch nearby overheard, sensing the wrong atmosphere, and immediately raised an eyebrow, asking in his soft voice, "What explanation? What happened?" The Han Eldest Young Master's sweat began to drip steadily. He looked at Li Tong, his heart lodged in his throat.

At that moment, a commotion erupted from the outer area. "It's here, it's here! The one surnamed Li..." Seven or eight more people charged in, led by the carriage driver from before, followed by a young master in richly embroidered robes, equally arrogant. "Li Tong, you dared obstruct my family's carriage! How dare you..." The Young Master Wu shouted loudly as he entered, but his gaze swept the scene and suddenly froze. He saw Li Tong, Fan Yilin, the eunuch standing before Li Tong (who was none other than the grand eunuch Cai Zhong's adopted grandson), the Han Eldest Young Master (who was about to take the post of Minister of Justice), and the Han Young Master lying on the ground with a distinct footprint on his face. Most crucially, he saw the expressions of the eunuch and the Han Eldest Young Master: expressions of humility, appeasement, fear, apprehension, anxiety, and retrospective dread...

"Young Master Wu, what am I doing wrong?" Li Tong asked the charging young master. The Wu Young Master did not hesitate. He raised his foot and kicked the aggressive carriage driver lying before him until he fell prone again. "You showed me no respect! This kind of low-life thug, and you treat him so courteously! He should have been beaten to death on the spot!" he roared angrily.

The entire crowd of onlookers, including the highly adaptable and glib Fan Yilin, were left agape. Well done! As expected of the Censor-in-Chief's son—look at his capacity to observe everything, read faces, adapt quickly, speak smoothly, and turn the tables! Everyone present felt utterly inferior in comparison. What in the world was going on? Even a fool could see that these people had arrived aggressively looking to cause trouble for Lord Li. How had they all suddenly transformed?

Li Tong mounted a horse with the eunuchs and hurried away. Although Li Tong had said nothing, the cold, sinister look the adopted grandson of Cai Zhong had given the Han Young Master and the Wu Young Master as he left sent a chill down their spines. Fan Yilin also swung onto his horse. Mimicking the eunuchs' gesture, he swept his gaze over the remaining men. "I told you so long ago, but you wouldn't believe me..." he said slowly, then snorted and said nothing more, urging his horse away. Fan Yilin, usually garrulous and eager to argue even when in the wrong, issued a mere snort this time, which sent another wave of chilling realization through the crowd. They had figured out Li Tong: he was honest and mild-tempered; offending him might be easily resolved. But Fan Yilin was different—he was a man who held grudges and would invent trouble if none existed! "This is all your fault, you bastard!" The Han Eldest Young Master kicked his younger brother. The Han Young Master, who had just managed to stand up and was rubbing his face, promptly fell back to the ground, hitting his own nose with his hand. Blood immediately gushed out, accompanied by a pathetic, drawn-out wail.

The Wu Young Master was not far behind, delivering a harsh kick to the carriage driver, whose face was pale and trembling. "Tie this vile slave up and make him kneel here before the city gate for three days and three nights!" he commanded.

As the procession of people departed from the city gate, the onlookers dispersed. The few young soldiers were still in a daze. "W-what just happened?" one asked blankly. "What else could happen? Lord Li has been reinstated to his original post," another, quicker-witted, replied. Hearing this, the soldiers' hearts filled with complicated emotions. Reinstated? Back to serving as a close confidant of the Son of Heaven? "So we won't see him again, right?" one murmured. "Obviously," someone else stated. The status of a trusted court official was worlds apart from that of mere city gate soldiers. To see such a figure even once in their lifetime would be difficult; how could they expect to socialize with him? This realization brought a sharp, sour feeling to their chests. In truth, they had a chance to forge a connection. If they had treated Lord Li well while he was stationed here, Lord Li would surely remember them, perhaps mention their names to a higher official—wouldn't that guarantee a bright future? But alas, not only did they fail to seek favor, but they had treated him with indifference and malicious mockery... The few men looked at the now empty street, filled with regret so potent it felt like their intestines were twisting. How could they not have realized it? How could they have dared to act that way? For a fallen man, who would consider if he might rise again? For a fallen man, to curry favor with the powerful, everyone scrambled to deliver a kick. Who would dare, or who would even think of, offending those who were still powerful just to appease someone who had fallen? Looking far ahead was perhaps the hardest thing in life.

Another sound of horse hooves approached. This time, the riders were familiar faces. The young soldiers snapped to attention, waiting for their direct superior officer.

The man in official robes swept his gaze over them, his expression icy. “Where are the others?” the man demanded.

“Where are the other four?” Their contingent had never been complete; it was always three men present, forcing Li Tong to fill in for one of them. Since arriving at the city gate, Li Tong had barely left, only returning when absolutely necessary to change clothes and clean up.

Those above them must surely know about these circumstances; otherwise, how would they dare act this way? It was only with tacit approval from the higher-ups that they could proceed.

But now, these few were the ones left to take the blame for any misfortune… “Tell them not to come again!” As expected, the man didn't wait for a reply, dropping the command, spurring his horse, and riding off. Only then did the junior soldiers dare to lift their heads, exchanging glances with one another.

How was it that everything seemed to have changed overnight? It felt as though the entire bureaucracy of the Capital City had suddenly sprung into frantic activity.

What on earth was happening? At this very moment, Qi Yue was pressing Chang Yuncheng with the very same question.

“What exactly is going on? Why are you keeping it from me?” she exclaimed.

They were sitting in a room just outside the Ministry of Justice prison. Yesterday, the Emperor had dismissed everyone from the main hall.

However, worried that the Emperor might summon someone for questioning, Zhou Maochun had made a scene and forced his way toward the prison. The eunuchs could only detain Qi Yue outside the hall, and she was only permitted to leave the palace once dawn broke and they confirmed the Emperor had either slept or finished his inquiries.

Because Chang Yuncheng hadn't seen Qi Yue emerge, he had waited outside the palace gates. Upon meeting her, Qi Yue learned that Zhou Maochun was insisting on staying in the prison, so she decided to accompany Chang Yuncheng there.

“It wasn’t a deliberate attempt to hide it from you,” Chang Yuncheng said with a smile. “It was just that we weren’t sure if the plan would work out, or how long it would take to execute, so we held off on telling you.” After all, the follow-up effects of treating the wounded soldiers were uncertain.

If the treatment proved effective, excellent; but if it failed or showed no immediate results… “So, my sworn father is taking the initial responsibility, and you are handling these matters, while I am the only one left completely in the dark, sheltered safely at home by my aunt, worried sick about this and that?” Qi Yue said, displeased. Chang Yuncheng smiled again.

“Not at all. I was just about to inform you; you’ve met His Majesty now,” he replied.

Qi Yue snorted softly. Two minor clerks on duty outside the palace gate entered.

“Young Lord Shizi, you haven’t had breakfast yet, have you? Everything has been prepared here.” they stated respectfully.

Chang Yuncheng stood up. “No need.

We are going to the Ministry of Justice prison; we won't eat here,” he said, glancing at Qi Yue as he added, “I’ll take you to taste some of the Capital’s delicious morning delicacies on the way.”

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