Chapter 55 Easily drawing him into a strange and bizarre situation…

"Whoosh—"

Cold water was poured over my head.

The peddler shuddered suddenly; a sharp pain in his eyelids forced him to open his eyes.

Yes… His cloudy eyes bulged out in terror. Yes, it was the leader of Qing Lüwei.

At this moment, there was no one else in the dark room except for him and Ji Chengnin.

The dim candlelight shone on Ji Chengning's face, and although he was a living person, he looked extremely ghostly.

"My lord," he said hoarsely, "I know everything I've said, please, my lord, spare me..."

“You just said that the person who gave you the questions mentioned the Nine Hills Palace,” Ji Chengnin interrupted, his tone unreadable. “What does that person look like? What are their distinguishing features?”

Water with added salt was poured into the wound, causing the toy vendor's face to contort in pain. He felt as if every breath was a slow, agonizing torture. He hurriedly said, "That person was tall and slender, very fair-skinned, and, oh right, he had a small mole on his eyebrow." He heard Ji Chengnin give an ambiguous "hmm," "And, and, his voice was exceptionally soft, so soft it didn't sound like a man's!"

Ji Chengnin remained expressionless. "How many people like you are there?"

The exam paper vendor wept uncontrollably, saying, "As far as I know, there are thirty-five more, but I've only seen seven of them!"

Ji Chengnin's eyes lit up, but his face showed no change in emotion. "Tell me everything you know, such as the appearance and address of these people," he said, bowing his head. "If you have nothing to hide, I may consider sparing your life."

Perhaps because it hurt so much, the peddler could detect a hint of gentleness in Ji Chengnin's voice.

This increasingly chilled him to the bone.

He nodded frantically, blood streaming down his chin. "Yes, yes, I will tell you everything I know!"

Two quarters of an hour later, the crowd, whose eyes had been burning with impatience, finally received their superior's order again—start the arrests based on the list!

Everyone was eager to make a contribution, and their momentum was like that of tigers and wolves, wishing they could immediately arrest the criminals and take them back to prison.

Qing Lü Wei was incredibly efficient, writing down every detail of the confession, which made Ji Chengning feel increasingly uneasy as he read through it.

The nineteen people who were arrested were interrogated separately. Seven of them mentioned the Nine Hills Palace. Clearly, the person in charge was either not careful enough or did not care at all that their identity would be exposed.

Feeling emboldened and fearless.

Ji Chengnin worked through the night to compile the interrogation results into a concise memorial, making two copies. One copy was respectfully sent to the palace, and the other... he fiddled with the papers in his hand.

It made a rustling sound.

Tonight is destined to be lively.

Because it wasn't just the guards in Qingluwei who were interrogating prisoners with great fervor that couldn't sleep; there were also officials and nobles whose own relatives had been imprisoned.

The news that Lord Ji led his guards to inspect the examination hall and arrested not only more than a hundred cheating candidates, but also the chief examiner spread like wildfire, like a boulder carrying a thousand pounds of weight rolling down a mountain and crashing into the water.

The government and the public were terrified.

Before dawn the next day, memorials impeaching Ji Chengning had piled up in the Inner Palace Bureau. They were all delivered to the Inner Palace Bureau overnight, which made things difficult for the eunuchs in the Inner Palace Bureau. They were so sleepy that they could not lift their heads while sorting through the documents.

The head eunuch casually picked up a memorial, which clearly stated that Ji Chengnin was arrogant and lawless and deserved to be killed to appease the people. He couldn't help but click his tongue.

Murder is most bloodless and most dignified when it comes to those high-ranking officials in the halls of power.

Dawn was breaking.

Li Wensheng picked up his pen, hovering it above the paper, about to fall but not quite.

“What I said to you today,” Ji Chengnin’s voice seemed to still echo in my ears, “I ask you to keep it a secret for now.”

Li Wensheng nodded and said, "Of course."

To be fair, Young Master Ji was hardly his beloved disciple, so there were very few private conversations between the teacher and student. When Li Wensheng glanced at the face in front of him, he suddenly realized that the latter had grown into a handsome young man.

Those times of throwing tantrums and acting like spoiled brats seem like they happened in a past life.

Ji Chengning has a striking bone structure, with particularly well-defined brow and nose bones, making him appear exceptionally handsome and resolute.

Li Wensheng almost felt a jolt of energy.

Ji Chengnin is flamboyant and acts solely on his likes and dislikes. Such a person is not suited for officialdom. With such a fierce, reckless, and impulsive nature, he would surely achieve great things if placed on the Northwest battlefield.

But it is precisely because of this nature that he dares to do things that ordinary people would avoid.

Regardless of the consequences, we went forward without hesitation.

Li Wensheng stared at him for a moment, then suddenly bowed down.

He took it very seriously.

"I hope that Lord Ji can set things right and give justice to the scholars of the world. I thank you in advance."

Ji Chengning didn't react for two seconds.

Then he suddenly realized what Li Wensheng was doing, his pupils dilated, and he lunged at Li Wensheng!

He almost had half his body pressed against the ground before he could barely lower his head to Mr. Li's level.

He lowered his head so quickly that he bumped into Li Wensheng's shoulder without restraint.

With a muffled thud, Li Wensheng didn't react much, but the young marquis suffered, feeling dizzy and disoriented from the impact, wishing he could just lie down on the spot.

“Teacher,” Ji Chengnin rubbed his head with one hand and reached out to support Li Wensheng’s arm with the other. His nose stung from the pain, and his voice was muffled. “Teacher, you’re making me feel terrible.”

For a rare moment, Ji Chengning was only moved for two seconds before helping Li Wensheng up. He immediately lost his composure and said with a grin, "I've heard that you have countless rare books in your family. What I borrowed last time was just a drop in the ocean."

"Pick whatever you like," Li Wensheng said, without any reluctance.

Ji Chengnin was surprised by Mr. Li's generosity and, taking advantage of the situation, blinked his peach-petal-like eyes, "I heard that you have a younger brother, who is very handsome..."

Before the word "beautiful" could be uttered, Mr. Li had already quickly gotten up, opened the door, and stood by the door smiling at Ji Chengning, as if he were seeing the guest off.

"clatter."

A drop of ink drips from the tip of the pen.

Li Wensheng put down his pen.

The east is gradually brightening.

At the second quarter of the hour of Mao (5-7 AM), at Hanyuan Hall.

The emperor sat at the head of the table, looking down at his officials who were arguing incessantly about whether Ji Chengning had violated the law.

"In my opinion," the Vice Minister of Rites stepped forward and said respectfully, "it is true that the candidates who cheated on the exams were wrong, but Ji Chengning's methods were vicious. He dared to use His Majesty's personal guards to arrest people in broad daylight. Moreover, those students' academic titles have not yet been revoked, yet Ji Chengning detained them, treating the law as a mere scrap of paper. This is truly outrageous!"

"Your Majesty, I think what you say is very true. Today, Ji Chengning is so eager to make a name for himself that he dares to arrest students who already have academic titles. Will he be arresting people in the palace tomorrow? Your Majesty, the matter of cheating should indeed be investigated thoroughly, but I think Ji Chengning should be punished first."

"Yes, I think so too."

“If Ji Chengning is not punished, it will surely cause panic among the people.”

The echoes of agreement were incessant.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhanying's eyes turned red. He had been seriously ill and had become so thin that he was almost unrecognizable. His deep-set eyes swept over the person who had echoed him with hatred, as if he wanted to devour their flesh.

He was about to step forward when he felt a weight on his arm.

His eyes moved slowly.

His colleagues shook their heads at him.

Before the words were finished, Lu Jixiu, the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, as the ancients said, ‘If you focus on the small things and forget the big things, it will surely cause harm later.’ Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. Although it was inappropriate to treat Chief of the Guard lightly, it was a helpless measure to find out the truth. Moreover, it was just an interrogation, and no torture was used. You gentlemen are exaggerating.”

"If Ji Chengning is unwilling to do even small things, how can he accomplish great things?" The speaker glanced at Lu Jixiu and suddenly smiled strangely. "Ji Chengning was once a student of the Imperial Academy. No wonder Lord Lu is so protective of him. After all, young Master Ji can be considered your outstanding student."

Ji Lin spoke calmly, "Speaking of kinship, none can compare to Lord Ye's close relationship with his nephew. As far as I know, your nephew is still in Qingluwei Prison, no wonder you are in such a hurry."

The speaker's face immediately turned bright red, and he said angrily, "Hmph, who doesn't know that Lord Ji dotes on his younger brother? Your argument with the ministers today is nothing more than destroying the law for personal gain. Lord Ji, you can't distinguish between public and private matters!"

Ji Lin said calmly, "Saints are detached from emotions, but I am not a saint. Naturally, I have selfish motives. And it's not just me. Aren't all of you jumping around because you have relatives or friends in the Qinglu Guard prison?"

"you!"

The emperor raised his hand.

The official surnamed Ye glared at Ji Lin fiercely, then had no choice but to shut up and bow his head, saying, "Your subject has been impolite."

The emperor remained silent.

He raised his eyes and swept them over the officials who were holding their breath and awaiting the imperial judgment.

They were all scheming and harboring their own ulterior motives.

Although Ji Chengnin had already revealed his plan, the commotion it caused far exceeded the emperor's expectations.

Was he doing it on purpose?

The emperor thought coldly.

He deliberately stirred up public opinion, making it impossible for the matter to be quietly covered up, manipulating public opinion so that even the emperor had no choice but to comply with his wishes.

However, as he glanced at the eager, fearful, and greedy faces, the emperor couldn't help but let out a cold laugh.

The Emperor said in a deep voice, "Although Ji Chengnin's actions have been cruel, this matter is of great importance. Only by doing so can we quell the unrest. I might as well make things clear today: no matter who is involved in the cheating of the imperial examinations, the law of the land is supreme, and I will not show any leniency!"

The dust has settled.

After speaking, the Grand Secretary of the Hanlin Academy was the first to kneel down, exclaiming, "Your Majesty is wise!"

Immediately, most of the people in Hanyuan Hall knelt down, their faces filled with fear and despair. "Your Majesty is wise—"

The officials who had been governing just moments before shut up in frustration and had no choice but to echo their sentiments.

His face, however, looked extremely pale.

Even His Majesty has said so, this matter certainly cannot be resolved peacefully as before! Someone gritted their teeth, Ji Chengnin, Ji Chengnin truly... deserves to die!

After the court session ended, the emperor read through the memorial sent by Ji Chengning several times before saying, "Summon Ji Chengning to the palace."

His tone was flat, neither pleased nor angry.

Qin Min hurriedly ordered someone to leave the palace to summon him.

An official from the Nine Hills Palace leaked the question. The emperor closed his eyes to rest, but his mind was racing. This matter concerned the inner palace. If it was thoroughly investigated, it would implicate many people. If it was not thoroughly investigated, things had already come to this point, and public opinion was a powerful force. Even the emperor had to carefully consider this for the sake of his reputation for thousands of years to come.

Ji Chengnin arrived very quickly.

This was the first time the emperor and his subject had met since he threatened to resign.

The young man bowed deeply, his clear voice echoing in the imperial study, "Your subject greets Your Majesty, may Your Majesty be well."

The emperor snapped out of his daze and noticed that Ji Chengnin had been kneeling not far away at some point.

He waved his hand, "Get up."

Ji Chengnin stood up and stood there with his head down.

He was tall and slender, and even with his head down, his back remained perfectly straight, like a sword that had been forged through countless trials.

The emperor couldn't help but narrow his eyes.

If this had happened in the past, Ji Chengnin would have already rushed forward and started fawning over him, calling him "Your Majesty" this and "Your Majesty" that.

He didn't like Ji Chengnin's appearance.

He has no shortage of honest and upright officials, nor does he intend to have any more.

He spoke calmly, "Minister Ji, I have read your memorial, and it seems to involve the Nine Hills Palace?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Ji Chengnin was also very careful with his wording in his memorial, after all, his reach was not long enough to extend into the palace, and he could not continue the investigation without the emperor's permission.

Whether to continue the investigation was up to the emperor.

Ji Chengnin's heartbeat quickened.

Therefore, he had done everything in his power to make the emperor see that the matter of corruption was of great importance, and that all the scholars in the country were watching His Majesty's actions, trying to put pressure on the emperor through this.

He knew this was a heinous act.

He knew that even so, he was powerless to stop the emperor from suppressing the cheating in the imperial examinations despite public opinion.

This feeling of being completely controlled by others made him extremely uncomfortable.

Even if he were fortunate enough to rise to the highest position in the court and wield immense power, he would still be startled by Ji Chengnin.

What am I thinking?

"So what do you think we should do?"

Ji Chengnin took a deep breath.

The emperor assumed he was just nervous, and a hint of satisfaction flashed in his eyes.

He composed himself and replied, "Your Majesty said in the morning court that anyone involved in fraud must be severely punished. I was initially uneasy, but after hearing Your Majesty's words, I realized that I should not prioritize my own safety over important matters. I believe that a thorough investigation should be conducted."

It was clearly Ji Chengnin who wanted to investigate thoroughly, but it was presented as his idea.

The emperor looked at Ji Chengnin with a half-smile.

The latter still kept his head down.

He couldn't see Ji Chengnin's expression.

The latter is the same.

But Ji Chengnin could feel the emperor's cold gaze falling on the back of his neck.

Tighten it little by little.

"If I were to keep this memorial in the palace and not issue it, what would you do?" the emperor asked with great interest.

Ji Chengning said, "Whatever Your Majesty does, I will have no objection."

The emperor laughed.

He discovered that the child had really grown up and was becoming more and more like the Marquis of Yongning.

It's becoming more and more like the Marquis of Yongning, the one who turned away without hesitation during their last meeting.

His gaze shifted downwards, landing on the young man's taut lips.

The emperor looked away.

“You are right,” the emperor’s voice came from above after a long pause, “a thorough investigation is warranted.”

Before Ji Chengnin could express his gratitude, the emperor continued, "However, the Nine Hills Palace is different from the outside of the palace. If you act rashly, you may make a big mistake. You don't need to worry about what happens after that."

Ji Chengnin suddenly looked up, "Your Majesty!"

The faces of the emperor and his minister faced each other from afar.

One image shows composure, the other shows loss of composure.

The emperor reveled in Ji Chengnin's loss of composure.

With a hint of pleasure at regaining control, he looked at the sharp blade before him, which was both useful and occasionally gave its master a headache, and said, "You haven't seen your aunt for a long time. The Imperial Concubine misses you very much."

Ji Chengnin swallowed back what he wanted to say.

The emperor, looking down on him with awe, commanded in an unquestionable tone, "Go, go see your aunt."

"……yes."

...

It was already night when Ji Chengning returned to his residence.

He had been busy with official business lately, sleeping only two hours a day for several days in a row. It was rare for him to be able to rest early today, but he couldn't fall asleep while lying in bed.

He was perfectly lucid, but his body was exhausted. He tossed and turned in bed for half an hour, but he couldn't fall asleep.

By midnight, a light drizzle was falling.

The rain falls on the eaves, its sound like the ringing of jade.

Ji Chengning covered his eyes with his hand in frustration.

The faint, fishy smell lingered around my nose, but it was quickly replaced by another rich, sweet fragrance.

Is A Luo lighting incense?

Ji Chengning thought to himself.

He immediately felt a surge of energy.

wrong.

This scent is clearly from that night…!

He turned around abruptly, but a cold hand covered his eyes first.

Gently and lightly sweep your palm downwards.

He was easily drawn into a strange, bizarre, and captivating dream world, where he was both controlled and incredibly enchanting.

“Cheng Ning”.

The demon, or rather, the dream demon, sighed softly.

His breath brushed against the back of his neck with a sticky sensation.

-----------------------

Author's note: Here it comes.

Goodnight, my wife.