Chapter 8 King Xuan Slaps His Face

One of the censors stepped forward to respond.

"The letter that reported Li Mu was an anonymous letter sent by the Drum Academy. According to regulations, the Censorate should immediately go to the Ministry of Revenue to investigate and collect evidence after receiving the anonymous letter."

Once all the physical evidence was complete and verified, a memorial was written and submitted to His Majesty.

The so-called Drum Court was a special structure established by the Great Chu Dynasty to accept grievances from the people or to report on officials in the court.

Anonymous whistleblowing involved secretly dropping anonymous letters into the mailbox outside the Drum Academy. These letters would be collected and sorted daily before being forwarded to the Censorate.

The censor stepped forward and picked up a file.

"Your Highness, please take a look. This is the letter of accusation. It says that in May and June of this year, Li Mu accepted bribes from the Ma and Qiu families, respectively, totaling five thousand taels of silver."

Then they signed off on the substandard silk brocade supplied by the Ma family and the substandard porcelain supplied by the Qiu family, which were then stored as qualified products.

"This is the warehouse registration ledger of the Ministry of Revenue's Warehouse Department. The daily records of warehouse entry and exit are all signed by someone."

Your servants found substandard goods in the warehouse; all of these items were signed for by Li Mu on the date they were put into storage.

"This is Li Mu's daily attendance record when he goes to the Ministry of Revenue. I have already compared it with the warehouse registration book, and it matches."

The censor spoke concisely and clearly.

Shen Cong glanced at the words on the document, then looked up, his narrow eyes fixed on the censor who had spoken.

"Who are you?"

The censor was startled by his cold, emotionless gaze.

Even though the other person was clearly still a teenager, he still didn't dare to look him in the eye.

The censor lowered his eyes, his expression becoming even more respectful.

"Your subject, Censor Zhao Hong."

Beside him stood the highest-ranking official of the Censorate, the Grand Censor, who spoke highly of Zhao Hong.

“Imperial Censor Zhao was only transferred to the Censorate last month. Considering that he is Li Mu’s brother-in-law, I originally wanted him to recuse himself.”

However, Censor Zhao proactively took on the important task, investigated and collected evidence quickly, and worked efficiently, showing great promise.

Shen Cong glanced at the Imperial Censor indifferently.

The Imperial Censor immediately fell silent.

Shen Cong: "Why not avoid it?"

Zhao Hong's heart raced as he quickly considered how to answer in a way that would highlight his talent.

Then he bowed and said, "Your Highness, the so-called governance and punishment should not conceal personal relationships. I am paid by the court and should be loyal to Your Majesty and the Great Chu."

If Li Muzhen has indeed embezzled funds, I will personally bring him to justice.

The Imperial Censor standing nearby nodded repeatedly, his gaze filled with even greater admiration.

They practically had the phrase "the Censorate needs people like this" etched on their faces.

Zhao Hong curled his lips, thinking to himself that Prince Xuan should also think he was very good.

Perhaps this opportunity can be used to promote him.

"He has the heart to sacrifice his own family for the greater good, but he doesn't have the brains to back it up."

"One word: Stupid!"

Zhao Hong's half-open grin froze on his face, making his mouth look crooked and quite comical.

Then he quickly adjusted his facial expression, suppressing his resentment.

"Why does Your Highness speak of me in this way?"

Did Li Mu personally admit to embezzling?

"No criminal will admit to committing a crime."

"Has the handwriting been compared?"

"If it matches the sign-in sheet, it can be considered valid."

Shen Cong rested his forehead on one hand, closed his eyes impatiently, and seemed unwilling to say another word.

Erfeng, who was standing to the side, quickly took out the love poem he had obtained from Song Yi and the calligraphy and painting by Li Mu that he had copied from the Marquis of Anping’s mansion and put them together.

There were also the Ministry of Revenue's sign-in book and the warehouse registration ledger next to it.

Then he looked at Zhao Hong and the Imperial Censor.

"My lords, take a look. Is there anything different about the handwriting here?"

Zhao Hong and the Imperial Censor both stepped forward to compare them carefully.

The Imperial Censor said: "The calligraphy on Xinhe's paintings is flowing and unrestrained, while the handwriting on the Ministry of Revenue's register is round and elegant."

The letter was from eight years ago, while the calligraphy and painting were more recent. Li Mu's handwriting appears unchanged, but... this... this doesn't seem to be written by the same person as the handwriting recorded in the Ministry of Revenue's records.

Zhao Hong frowned.

"Even if the handwriting is different, it doesn't necessarily mean that Li Mu didn't embezzle, does it? Maybe Li Mu is skilled in both handwriting styles."

Shen Cong suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze filled with a cold light.

"Perhaps? Does the Censorate rely on evidence or conjecture when investigating cases?"

Zhao Hong's face stiffened. "I misspoke."

Shen Cong tapped the characters on the painting with one hand.

"Li Mu's grandfather, the first Marquis of Anping, was named Li Chen. When Li Mu wrote, he would omit a stroke from the character 'Chen' to avoid using his grandfather's name."

"Check the attendance book and warehouse register of the Ministry of Revenue. Is there a missing entry for Li Mu in the 'Chen Shi' (7-9 AM) column?"

Zhao Hong and the Imperial Censor both peered over.

On the letter on the left is a line of poetry: "Like a fleeting glimpse of a swan in the world, ink stains the stars and clouds."

The character "辰" also appears in calligraphy and paintings, and both versions of "辰" are indeed missing a horizontal stroke.

However, the character "辰" (Chen) was not missing from the sign-in book and warehouse register of the Ministry of Revenue.

Anyone who has been to school knows that when it comes to the names of elders or respected figures, one must omit the strokes to avoid using them; otherwise, it is considered disrespectful to elders.

There was absolutely no reason for Li Mu to make such an obvious mistake.

The Imperial Censor asked, "Could it be that Li Mu is truly being framed?"

Zhao Hong's face darkened. "Absolutely impossible. Who would report a mere clerk in the Ministry of Revenue's granary department? Unless he really embezzled."

He calculated the time in his mind. By now, Madam should have received the Li family's letter of distress.

Just then, a servant whispered at the door, "Lord Zhao, your family has sent a letter saying it's needed for official business."

Zhao Hong's eyes lit up, and he quickly opened the letter, glanced at its contents, and was secretly delighted.

Things went even more smoothly than he had imagined.

Zhao Hong presented the letter to Shen Cong.

"Your Highness, please take a look. This is a letter of appeal for help written by Li Mu's wife, Madam Song, which was delivered to my home after many twists and turns."

My wife sent someone to deliver the letter, in which Song had confessed on Li Mu's behalf.

Song confessed that Li Mu had embezzled funds and used them to buy calligraphy and paintings. Song then begged her minister to find a way to exonerate Li Mu.

The Imperial Censor gave a thumbs up, "Imperial Censor Zhao put aside his own family for the greater good, and Madam Zhao also demonstrated great righteousness. They are truly admirable."

Zhao Hong sighed, "You flatter me, sir. It's just my duty."

He added, "With this letter, Li Mu's crime of embezzlement is confirmed, and we can directly submit a memorial to His Majesty for a decision."

Shen Cong glanced at the letter pleading for help, then tapped his pale fingers on the table.

"Bring Li Mu in."

Soon, Li Mu was brought up.

He was slender and handsome, and even in his white prison uniform, his scholarly air was undeniable.

Zhao Hong looked grave.

"Li Mu, your wife has already confessed on your behalf, and there is a handwritten letter as proof. What else do you have to say to argue your case?"

Li Mu's thick eyebrows furrowed, his expression indignant.

"Nothing in the world is more filthy than money. I told you not to insult me ​​with such a 'filthy money' label!"

"My heart is filled with nothing but the bright moon and gentle breeze, poetry and songs. Gold and silver are nothing but mud beneath my feet; I wouldn't even take them if they were given to me for free."

“My wife is very close to me and knows me best. She would never write a confession on my behalf to humiliate me.”

Zhao Hong...

A fool raised in a wealthy family!

Isn't the key point that he has already confessed?

With a dark expression, he threw the SOS letter at Li Mu.

"This is a letter written by Mr. Song himself. Read it yourself."

Li Mu picked up the letter, glanced at it, and couldn't help but burst into laughter.