Chapter 86

You wouldn't want to know.

The sound came from behind the screen.

Under Xu Xuan's relentless pressure, Shen Yao could no longer bear it and finally stepped out.

The situation was a bit awkward. Seeing that things were not going well, Miao Niang quickly slipped away, leaving the two of them alone.

The door closed again.

Shen Yao approached Xu Xuan, met his gaze, and continued, "My presence here has nothing to do with Miao Niang. If you have any anger, come at me directly. Don't make veiled accusations and hurt innocent people."

Xu Xuan remained silent.

Shen Yao then said, "Didn't you want to know why I came here? Well, let me tell you, those two girls you just saw were chosen by me based on Liu Ru's appearance."

Xu Xuan's face turned pale instantly, and she said in disbelief, "How could you do such a thing?"

Compared to the man's suppressed emotions, Shen Yao seemed somewhat aggressive, "I was forced into this by you, Xu Ziwei, you forced me. You were the one who said we should get a divorce, and now you want to get back together. I'm not an object to be manipulated by you."

"But you are my wife. Please get this straight: you were the one who insisted on marrying me, even at the cost of your life."

Xu Xuan retorted, "If it weren't for you, none of this mess would have happened. If this is a crime, Shen Yao, do you dare to say you're innocent?"

Their eyes met, and neither was willing to back down.

Shen Yao shook her head in disappointment, "How did you become like this?"

Xu Xuan looked at her and sneered, "You say I forced you, but weren't you all forcing me too? Why should I suffer all this? Betrayal by my lover, heartlessness by my family, what sins did I commit in my past life to deserve this punishment in this life?"

"Chen Yao, tell me, why is this happening?"

"……I have no idea."

After a long silence, Shen Yao gritted her teeth and turned her face away. She didn't want to face Xu Xuan at that moment. Although she sympathized with him for some things, she knew one thing at a time and was very clear about it.

Xu Xuan suddenly laughed, letting out a soft sneer, "Chen Yao, you don't actually have a heart at all."

"You're right, I had no intention of being affectionate, so how can I talk about feelings and loyalty?"

Shen Yao simply tossed out a sentence and left without looking back.

In the final moments, Xu Xuan's voice rang out again, laced with venomous malice, "You'd better pray I don't catch you, otherwise..."

Otherwise, Shen Yao never heard anything in the end, but it wasn't anything nice anyway.

Miao Niang was waiting for her downstairs, and the two of them went out directly through the back door.

Miao Niang asked, "How is it?"

Shen Yao shook her head, and only after they were safely in the car did she say, "I don't know why, but ever since he learned about that incident, his attitude has suddenly changed drastically. He acts crazy and his behavior is completely unlike his usual self."

Miao Niang sighed, "Alas, I'm afraid that the string in my heart... has finally snapped."

Shen Yao sighed, rubbing her forehead, "Why am I so unlucky?"

*

Xu Xuan also felt unlucky and miserable.

As he stepped out of the Flower Pavilion, the streets were bustling with people, but he felt as cold as ice inside, and he couldn't feel the cool breeze blowing on his face.

He is now extremely depressed.

The officer reported to him, "We did not find Zhang San."

Xu Xuan grunted in response, his voice barely audible, as if he had used all his strength. He lifted his foot and walked away aimlessly. It was only when an officer noticed his extremely pale face that he advised, "If you are not feeling well, Master Xu, why don't you rest here for a while? We will take care of the search."

Xu Xuan wanted to refuse, but suddenly a wave of dizziness hit him, and he couldn't help but squat down with the help of the constables, saying apologetically, "In that case, I'll trouble you."

"You're too kind, Manager Xu."

The officers continued their search along the building, while Xu Xuan sat on the cold stone steps, staring blankly into the distance.

At this moment, his mind was completely blank. All the painful memories of Liu Ru, his parents, his wife, love, hate, and so on had vanished. His brain was as white as a sheet of Xuan paper, without a trace of ink.

Without ink stains, there is no temptation of fame and fortune, no desire for glory to one's ancestors or for securing a position for one's wife and children; everything returns to the most original state of human beings.

Xu Xuan thought she should prefer that kind of ethereal, natural life.

"Ziwei, why are you sitting on the ground? Have you found the person?"

Hearing the voice, Xu Xuan knew it was Deng Yan. He shook his head, stood up, and said, "I've looked at several places but haven't found him. How about yours?"

Deng Yan took out a handkerchief, wiped his face, and said, "It seems we have to apologize to the cabinet."

After wiping his face, he looked up at Xu Xuan and saw that Xu Xuan's face was pale and her forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat.

Are you sick?

He blurted it out.

Xu Xuan was taken aback, staring blankly at him as if asking a silent question.

Deng Yan said helplessly, "I said you look pale, are you not feeling well?"

"No," Xu Xuan vehemently denied. "I was just a little dizzy, but I'm fine now."

To avoid Deng Yan asking further questions, he quickly said, "Since we haven't found Zhang San, we should go back now."

It's not exactly proper for a civil official to do the work of a secret police force, and if someone with ulterior motives seizes on that, they could get into serious trouble.

Deng Yan glanced at the sky and nodded, saying, "That's true, let's go then."

The two walked side by side, followed by dozens of constables.

Noticing the crowd, they took a shortcut, turned past the west entrance of the street, and disappeared into a narrow alley to the north.

Deng Yan pointed and said, "After passing this alley, you'll reach Huaihua Street, where most of the people are peddlers and laborers."

Xu Xuan followed up by asking, "So Zhang San might be hiding there?"

Deng Yan said, "That's possible."

Xu Xuan raised his chin and said, "Then let's search it all."

Deng Yan had the same idea, and the two hit it off immediately, heading towards Huaihua Street in a grand procession.

Unexpectedly, upon arriving at the destination, before he could even put his skills to good use, he saw the Imperial Guards in their flying fish robes everywhere, having already gotten there first.

Xu Xuan was shocked. He pulled an old man aside and asked him what had happened. He learned that the Imperial Guards had been ordered to arrest Han Yu's family. He couldn't help but ask, "Didn't the Han family live in Jiangnan Hutong? When did they move here?"

The old man replied, "I moved here during the Spring Festival, and I haven't even lived here for a few days before I was arrested and sent back. It shows that people should do good deeds and accumulate virtue, and not do anything against their conscience."

The old man sighed and left.

Xu Xuan watched his retreating figure, lost in thought. At that moment, Deng Yan suggested, "Shall we go inside and take a look?"

Xu Xuan frowned. "The Embroidered Uniform Guard has always been domineering and has always maintained a clear separation from us. I think it's best not to provoke them."

Deng Yan was displeased and said disdainfully, "They're just a bunch of butchers, what's there to be afraid of?"

Ignoring Xu Xuan's attempts to stop him, he pushed his way through the crowd and rushed to the front line.

Xu Xuan had no choice but to follow.

Although the two men were dressed in official robes, the Embroidered Uniform Guards were always arrogant and domineering. How could a sixth-rank official be worthy of their attention? Therefore, instead of a bow, they were greeted with a cold embroidered spring knife.

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard is handling a case. All bystanders must leave immediately."

These words were spoken by a lowly clerk to a sixth-rank civil official.

Deng Yan instantly flew into a rage. He pointed at the man's nose and cursed, "Open your dog eyes and look! I am the Chief Clerk of the Ministry of Justice. How dare you be so rude?"

The clerk scoffed, "My sword only recognizes those in red robes, not those in blue."

The red robes were worn by high-ranking officials, and the lower-ranking officials were mocking them for their low rank.

Deng Yan was furious. He was already in a bad mood after failing to capture Zhang San, and now he was being mocked like this. His body's instincts bypassed reason, and he kicked the clerk while he was laughing, sending him flying.

"You bastard, your mouth stinks. I'll kick you to death."

Everyone present was stunned.

The fact that the strong and powerful Imperial Guards were actually dealt with by civil officials caused the crowd to gradually erupt in commotion.

Onlookers and helpers alike quickly surrounded the area.

Seeing that things were not going well, Xu Xuan hurriedly pulled Deng Yan away, but the Imperial Guards had never been bullied like this before, and they immediately surrounded the two of them.

The Imperial Guards threatened, "How dare they! Brothers, seize them and drag them to the imperial prison."

"You dare?" Xu Xuan roared at them. "You have men, but we're not pushovers either."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the constables who had been waiting nearby surrounded him, their swords flashing as they drew their blades, and the tension between the two sides reached a boiling point.

Xu Xuan asked Deng Yan, "What should we do?"

Deng Yan chuckled, "What can we do at a time like this? Fight it out."

He asked, "Brother, do you dare?"

Xu Xuan smiled at him, "What's there to be afraid of?"

Tsk!

Life can be so dramatic sometimes. After an ordinary New Year holiday, two officials from the Ministry of Justice who were on official business got into a fight with the Imperial Guards over a trivial matter.

Both sides used fists and longswords in the attack. Although there were no casualties, the impact was extremely negative.

Officials publicly fighting each other is an eye-opener and a complete disgrace to civility!

When the news reached the cabinet, the two Lius, who were already at odds, immediately had a fight and attacked each other.

The Six Ministries were not idle either. The officials of the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Personnel jointly submitted a memorial to the emperor, impeaching Deng Yan and Xu Xuan for dereliction of duty, interfering in the official business of the Imperial Guards and the Embroidered Uniform Guard without cause, and requesting that the two be demoted.

The Inspectorate, under the direction of the Vice Minister, also submitted a memorial criticizing the Embroidered Uniform Guard for acting absurdly, arresting people without warrants, and for showing contempt for the law.

Because of the case of the demonic book, the factional strife has taken an increasingly bizarre turn.

After the New Year, the emperor, who was already plagued by illness, became even more exhausted. Now, watching his subordinates fighting amongst themselves all day long, he wished he could drive them all away.

But there are always more people to be found. Even if Xu Xuan and Deng Yan are gone, there will be Wang Xuan and Li Yan.

That day, the emperor was so angry that he didn't eat. Instead, he went straight to Yikun Palace, threw a memorial of impeachment in front of the Consort, and said angrily, "Look at what Xu Xuan has done. Now a bunch of people are impeaching him. How do you expect me to protect him?"

The imperial concubine knelt on the ground and kowtowed heavily, saying, "Your Majesty, it is all my fault."

After saying that, she picked up a handkerchief to wipe her tears.

The emperor looked down at her, shook his head in disappointment, and left in silence.

Shortly after, news came from Qixiang Palace that the Emperor had summoned the Crown Prince and entrusted him with the full authority to handle the case of the seditious book and the matters concerning Xu Xuan and Deng Yan.

To everyone's surprise, Wei Luo did not directly protect Xu and Deng, but instead suspended them from their posts and ordered them to stay at home to reflect on their mistakes.

Meanwhile, regarding the troublesome case of the demonic book, he still followed the old practice and scheduled a joint trial by the three judicial departments five days later.

Unlike the previous joint trial where he merely served as a supervisor, this time Wei Luo had the ultimate decision-making power, which meant that the life-or-death struggle now had a referee, causing considerable anxiety for the Prime Minister's faction.

The commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Wang Zhen, was even more terrified; no one was more fearful than him at the moment.

People are most vulnerable under pressure. To protect his life and property, in the bottomless darkness of the imperial prison, he could only intensify his interrogation of Han Yu and his family...

*

Five days later, the joint trial was held again in the main hall of the Ministry of Justice, with Wei Luo seated in the highest position, flanked by the heads of the three judicial departments. To ensure fairness and impartiality, the three cabinet ministers also attended the trial as observers.

Compared to the relaxed demeanor of the Second Grand Secretary, the First Grand Secretary Liu Zhengxin appeared reserved. The two stood below the hall and bowed to Wei Luo at the same time. After the ceremony, Wei Luo instructed his attendants to offer them seats.

With a shout from the chief eunuch Liu Heng, the prisoner Han Yu was brought in.

After the New Year, everyone had gained a few pounds, but Han Yu, who was imprisoned in the Imperial Prison, was emaciated and looked like a skeleton.

People always have to pay the price for their past actions. Han Yu may not be the one who created the demonic book, but he is not innocent either, as he maliciously extorted money from others.

No one sympathizes with him here, because the pursuit of money is always linked to murder. He is pursuing money, but who knows if he has a murder case on his hands?

The process remained the same: Han Yu pleaded his innocence, the judge questioned him, Han Yu denied it... and so on, in a never-ending cycle.

In short, this former local ruffian spent more than two months in the imperial prison, enduring countless tortures, yet still refused to confess.

The bones are indeed hard.

But no matter how tough you are, as long as you have family, you'll always have a soft spot.

Han Yu's daughter, Sister Han, was brought up.

In the courtroom, she said directly to Han Yu, "Father, you should confess quickly. The higher-ups said that as long as you confess, the government will not pursue us."

Han Yu shouted, "I didn't do it, why should I admit it?"

Sister Han retorted, "You privately printed seditious books; weren't all the words on those papers written by you?"

Han Yu nearly fainted, wailing, "My son, you've been blinded by greed! Not only do you not seek justice for your father, but you also frame him! How could you do such an unfilial thing?"

A few cries left Sister Han stunned. Seeing her father crying, she couldn't help but wipe away her own tears. "Dad, I did all this for Mom and my brother's sake. Only if you confess can everyone be safe."

"Silly child, this is a terrible crime, how can you expect me to admit it?"

The two embraced and wept bitterly.

Well, an interrogation quickly turned into a scene of family members shedding tears, and Wei Luo's expression turned somewhat unpleasant.

He coughed a few times and asked Wang Zhen loudly, "Governor Wang, how did you interrogate him? Didn't he say he confessed?"

With so many eyes watching, Wang Zhen felt embarrassed and stood up to reply, "Your Highness, Han Yu is such a treacherous person that he will not confess without torture. I will..."

Before he could finish speaking, Han Yu interrupted him, crying, "How painful it must be to have bamboo skewers driven into your ten fingers! If I really did it, wouldn't I have spoken up?"

He beat his chest and stamped his feet, wailing, "Whoever did this, let me die in their place, let heaven and earth bear witness!"

Sister Han's sobs grew louder, and her attitude changed drastically in an instant. "I take back what I said earlier. I was deceived and that's why I accused Father. In fact, the demonic book wasn't written by Father at all, and this matter has nothing to do with us..."

Upon hearing this, everyone present was stunned.

Immediately, someone stirred up trouble, asking, "You said someone lied to you, who is it? Don't be afraid, His Highness the Crown Prince is here. As long as you tell the truth, he will definitely stand up for you."

Immediately, all eyes in the hall focused on Sister Han, while Sister Han looked at Wei Luo, who was seated above her. Wei Luo silently rolled his eyes and looked at the person who spoke, only to find that he was an imperial censor from the Censorate.

They fear nothing more than a peaceful world.

Helpless, he stated, "In court, if there is any injustice, you may present your case."

The Crown Prince's words, whether genuine or feigned, are always a stabilizing force.

Sister Han kowtowed deeply and said sobbing, "It was Governor Wang. He said that if I confess, I can be exempted from punishment."

Despite being accused, Wang Zhen remained calm and composed. He stood up, bowed to Wei Luo, and explained, "His Majesty has decreed that if Han Yu confesses the truth, his family will be spared from being implicated. I am merely acting on His Majesty's orders."

The system of joint liability means that if one person commits a crime, their relatives, neighbors, and other related persons will also be punished.

In short, they completely absolved themselves of any wrongdoing and left no evidence against them.

The key point is that Wei Luo also knew about the emperor's decree. For two months, the criminals could not be caught, and the emperor was extremely troubled. He just wanted to settle things peacefully, so he issued a special decree.

Of course, it remains to be seen whether Wang Zhen made any suggestions in this matter.

Wei Luo said, "His Majesty's grace is boundless, but the decree is only to dispel the prisoners' worries and find out the truth as soon as possible. This is not a reason for inducing confessions."

He questioned Wang Zhen, "Commander Wang, as a high-ranking official of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, is this how you distort the imperial edict?"

Wang Zhen retorted, "Your Highness, I have not distorted His Majesty's will. As everyone knows, this villain wrote the seditious book. The reason he is delaying confessing is simply because he fears implicating women..."

Wei Luo interrupted him, "Han Yu has not yet confessed, so how can you be sure it was him?"

Before Wang Zhen could answer, a minor official rushed in to report, "Your Highness, Chief Clerk Xu from the Ministry of Justice is requesting an audience outside the gate."

Wei Luo exclaimed in surprise, "Didn't I tell him to stay at home?"

The official said, "They said they caught the suspect in the demonic book."

One stone stirs up a thousand waves.

Everyone present turned pale with shock.

Wei Luo glanced at Wang Zhen and said, "Bring her in."

Two months after the incident involving the demonic book, and after interrogating countless perpetrators, the case finally saw a glimmer of hope.

Zhang San, whose real name is Zhang Dayang, is a middle-aged man with a pointed mouth and monkey-like cheeks. He knelt straight down in the hall.

Xu Xuan bowed to Wei Luo and reported, "Your Highness, I have fulfilled my mission and brought the suspect Zhang San to you."

He kicked Zhang San and shouted, "Confess honestly!"

Zhang San was so frightened that his face turned ashen. Upon hearing this, he kowtowed several times to the ground and cried out, "I beg Your Honor to investigate! I have been wronged! Wronged!"

Xu Xuan glared at him fiercely, then cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness, please allow me to explain. This man is named Zhang Dayang. In November, when he was drinking with Steward Deng, he mentioned the matter of the 'revealing the letter.' Later, the 'demonic book' indeed broke out, but he fled at that time. It was only recently, when he returned to the capital, that Steward Deng and I were able to capture him."

Wei Luo frowned and asked, "Where is Steward Deng?"

"I was slightly injured while apprehending the person and am currently receiving treatment at the clinic."

Wei Luo nodded, then looked down at Zhang San and asked, "What do you have to say?"

The three-eyed man darted around furtively, refusing to divulge any truth, only repeatedly proclaiming his innocence.

They immediately ordered the two men to bring up large wooden clubs and beat the man twenty times, until his skin was torn open and blood was gushing from his legs.

At this point, Zhang San finally revealed the truth: "I learned about the poster incident from a bachelor brother."

A bachelor is a petty hoodlum.

Wei Luo asked, "What's that person's name? Where does he live?"

"He died. He died at home the day after the notices were distributed. I went to see him for a drink that day, and as soon as I entered, I saw his body. He was frozen stiff. I was so scared that I ran away as fast as I could... Waaah, my esteemed officials, this really has nothing to do with me!"

Tears and snot streamed down my face.

Wei Luo asked, "How did the person die? Did the coroner investigate?"

Zhang San shook his head, "I don't know, I didn't dare to ask."

Wei Luo then looked at Xu Xuan, who replied, "Died from alcoholism."

Wei Luo shook his head and sighed, "What a pity."

Unfortunately, just as we got a lead, it went cold again.

Seeing Wei Luo's disappointment, Xu Xuan quickly glanced in the direction of the Grand Secretary. After considering for a moment, he still said, "Your Highness, regarding Zhang San, I have something else to say, but I don't know if I should."

"I don't know if I should say it or not." When you say this, it's like a get-out-of-jail-free card. Everyone will ask why. Wei Luo smiled and said, "Say it."

"Zhang San is on good terms with Steward Li of the Minister of Personnel's household."

This really stirred up a hornet's nest, and the hall erupted in an uproar.

An official from the Ministry of Personnel was unexpectedly implicated, and a storm was brewing.

The Grand Secretary immediately stood up and angrily asked, "Xu Xuan, you said this without any evidence."

Xu Xuan looked directly at him. "Your Excellency, this humble official and Steward Deng personally witnessed Zhang San and Steward Li's interactions. The two of them are keeping a prostitute on West Street, and Zhang San has been staying there for several days."

The prime minister's face was flushed, and he was panting heavily, unable to speak.

Wei Luo then said, "Zhang San, please reply."

Faced with Xu Xuan's accusations, Zhang San hesitated for a few moments before finally nodding heavily.

The second minister jumped up, pointed at the man, and shouted, "Fine, you say it's nothing? Tell me, what's going on between you and Steward Li?"

Now that things have come to this point, Zhang San's actions are no longer a personal matter, but directly involve the political careers of officials.

The seditious book attacks the Second Grand Secretary, who is at odds with the First Grand Secretary, while the First Grand Secretary is on good terms with the Minister of Personnel. Therefore, it can be concluded that the seditious book is highly likely to be part of the First Grand Secretary's faction.

The interrogation is now over.

Han Yu and Zhang San were imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice. Wei Luo returned to report to the emperor and told him the truth. The emperor immediately ordered the Eastern Depot to investigate and also sent a message to the cabinet, asking the Minister of Personnel to reply.

The Minister of Personnel submitted a memorial defending himself, admitting that Steward Li and Zhang San were acquainted only because they were from the same hometown and had frequent business dealings, but he vehemently denied the matter of the seditious book. Finally, citing his own failure to properly discipline Zhang San, he requested to return to his hometown.

While the emperor was still silent after reading it, the secret agents of the Eastern Depot moved with lightning speed and within a few days had thoroughly investigated Zhang San's interpersonal relationships.

One wave subsides, another rises.

When the investigation report came out, the emperor almost overturned the table, because the people who had dealings with Zhang San included not only Steward Li, but also Zhang Bao, the chief eunuch in charge of the Imperial Concubine's palace.

These people, like a spider web, wove a complex and intertwined network of interpersonal relationships, tightly enveloping the emperor.

He could barely breathe.

The case has progressed to this point, leaving everyone exhausted.

If the investigation continues, who knows what else might be uncovered? The emperor is tired and just wants to minimize the damage, quell the incident as soon as possible, and give the people and the historians a plausible conclusion.

Therefore, the emperor concealed Zhang Bao's affair.

One night in February, Zhang Bao of Yikun Palace died suddenly, and his body was quietly carried out of the Forbidden City, unknown to anyone.

Later, when Shen Yao brought Zhao Xian into the palace, the Imperial Concubine kept him to replace Zhang Bao and make him a eunuch in Yikun Palace.

As for the Minister of Personnel, the emperor granted him permission to resign and return to his hometown.

Meanwhile, at the emperor's behest, Wang Zhen forced Han Yu to confess his crimes and executed him by slow slicing; Zhang San, knowing the truth but failing to report it, was exiled three thousand li away to serve in the army.

The case of the demonic book has now come to an end.

What the truth is doesn't matter.

The faction of the second-in-command was dissatisfied with the outcome and turned their anger towards Wang Zhen. They joined forces with the Censorate and officials from the Six Ministries to submit a memorial impeaching Wang Zhen for ten major crimes, including deceiving superiors, flattering the emperor, and disregarding human life.

The emperor was annoyed and exhausted. He felt powerless to fight against so many people. So, not long after the Minister of Personnel retired, Wang Zhen was also forced to resign. The emperor was grateful for Wang Zhen's "merit" in taking the blame and granted him permission to have his son adopted as an heir.