Chapter 39 Thunderous Fury Uncovers the Truth
Chapter Thirty-Nine: Thunderous Fury Uncovers the Truth
The next day, at the Golden Palace.
As dawn broke, officials stood solemnly. The golden brick floor reflected the flickering candlelight, enveloping the entire hall in an atmosphere of solemnity and reverence.
Li Qianche, seated high on the dragon throne, remained calm, but his gaze, as cold as a deep winter pool, swept over every official in the palace. Finally, his icy gaze, as if it were a physical object, was firmly fixed on Zhuang Shijie, who stood at the front of the civil officials' line and was still trying to maintain his composure.
"Minister Zhuang," Li Qianche spoke, his voice not loud, yet clearly carrying throughout every corner of the hall, carrying a sense of impending doom, "Recently, I have received some interesting reports concerning military affairs in the southwest, as well as the discipline of our court. I wonder if you have heard of them, my dear minister?"
Zhuang Shijie's heart skipped a beat, and an ominous premonition gripped him instantly. He forced himself to remain calm, stepped forward, bowed, and said in as steady a voice as possible, "Your Majesty, this old minister has been busy rectifying his family's conduct and reflecting on his mistakes behind closed doors recently, and is not well aware of the affairs of the court."
He deliberately mentioned "reflecting on his mistakes behind closed doors" in an attempt to remind the emperor that he was still in a period of "reflection" and that it was inconvenient for him to participate in many things, and also to distance himself from the matter.
"Oh? You don't know?" Li Qianche's lips curled into a faint, yet chillingly cold, smile. "Then I will tell you, my dear minister."
He nodded slightly to Shen Gaoyi beside him. Shen Gaoyi understood and immediately picked up a thick stack of files and several secret letters. His high-pitched voice carried an unquestionable authority as he began to read out, one by one, how Zhuang Shijie and his cronies framed Su Mufeng for treason, how they secretly colluded with the remaining forces in the southwest, and how they attempted to leak the border defenses. The meticulousness of their plan and the malice of their intentions were outrageous!
With each passage read aloud, the expressions of the officials in the hall changed, and whispers rose like a tide. Their gazes toward Zhuang Shijie were filled with shock, disdain, and disbelief.
Who would have thought that this Grand Tutor, who served two dynasties and whose students and friends were all over the country, had been dismissed from his post but was still referred to by his old title, would secretly commit such treasonous acts of colluding with the enemy and framing loyal officials!
As Shen Gaoyi read the announcement, Zhuang Shijie's face gradually turned pale, and cold sweat poured down, soaking his inner court robes.
But he knew all too well that once he confessed, he would be doomed forever. As soon as Shen Gaoyi finished speaking, he suddenly knelt down and banged his head on the ground, his voice shrill and filled with a dying struggle.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, please see the truth!" Zhuang Shijie kowtowed, tears streaming down his face, looking utterly wronged and indignant. "This old minister knows nothing of this! It must be... it must be someone impersonating this old minister and committing atrocities! This old minister was negligent in his oversight and failed to properly manage his subordinates, a crime deserving of death. But I would never dare to admit to the heinous crimes of treason and framing my colleagues! I implore Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly and restore my innocence!"
"Someone is using your name?" Li Qianche sneered, the chill in his laughter making the temperature in the entire Golden Palace drop several degrees. "Zhuang Shijie, this 'someone' you speak of actually possesses such extraordinary abilities, not only able to spy on military secrets but also to secretly communicate with the enemy chieftain in the southwest? And even more so, able to devise such an intricately linked and vicious scheme to frame a court official?"
He slowly rose to his feet, his bright yellow dragon robe gleaming coldly in the candlelight. He descended the steps of the imperial palace, standing before Zhuang Shijie, looking down at him with disdain: "The evidence is irrefutable, as solid as a mountain! How dare you, before me, resort to such clever words and deceit, attempting to escape unscathed? Truly worthy of being... a veteran of two dynasties, your silver tongue and ability to distort the truth have truly impressed me today!"
Zhuang Shijie was overwhelmed by the emperor's palpable pressure and gaze, his whole body trembling uncontrollably, yet he still managed to squeeze out a voice through clenched teeth: "Your Majesty... this old minister... this old minister has truly... been deceived..."
"What do you mean by 'really'?" Li Qianche interrupted him, his last bit of patience gone. He took out a letter from his sleeve, sealed with special sealing wax, with slightly worn edges and dark brown bloodstains, and threw it at Zhuang Shijie!
"Then take a look at this! What is it?!"
The letter landed lightly in front of Zhuang Shijie. The unique mark on the envelope, belonging to his Zhuang family's secret agents, and the coded message he had written himself, which was still clearly visible even when stained with blood, exploded in his mind like a thunderclap!
How...how could this be?! This secret letter, written by his own hand and entrusted to his most trusted confidant to be sent to the southwest, concerning the final step of the operation, should have already been in the hands of the enemy chief in the southwest, or had been destroyed. How...how could it be here?!
"Surprised?" Li Qianche's voice sounded like it came from the deepest hell, carrying a cold mockery. "You want to ask why this letter didn't reach the enemy chieftain in the southwest, but instead came to me?"
He paused, then spoke clearly, each word like a hammer blow to Zhuang Shijie's heart: "Because General Pei Xuan, whom you painstakingly betrayed to the Southwest, intending to use him as a tool to kill you, is not dead! He was seriously wounded and captured, but feigned surrender, enduring humiliation and hardship to gain the enemy leader's trust! This letter, along with numerous pieces of evidence of your Zhuang family's dealings with the Southwest, was personally brought back by him at great personal risk! Zhuang Shijie, what else do you have to say?!"
“Pei… Pei Xuan… He’s not dead?!…” Zhuang Shijie was as if struck by a thunderbolt from the heavens, his eyes wide with horror, and his whole body trembled violently uncontrollably.
He originally thought that even if Pei Xuan didn't die, he would be completely crippled and could no longer pose a threat, so he felt at ease to take the final step.
But to his utter surprise, the military general he had personally pushed into hell became the Yama, the one who crawled back from hell and dragged him into the abyss!
It turns out that the emperor not only knew everything, but also turned the tables on him, taking advantage of his supposedly brilliant plan! All his schemes and calculations were nothing more than a ridiculous farce that the emperor had already seen through and used against him!
"Pfft—" Overwhelmed by anger and rage, coupled with the extreme fear and humiliation of his plan being completely exposed and being manipulated, Zhuang Shijie suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. His body felt as if all the bones had been removed, and he collapsed to the ground, his face ashen.
It's over, it's all over... He not only lost, but he lost so thoroughly and so ridiculously!
Seeing the once powerful and influential Grand Tutor Zhuang now sprawled on the ground like a rag doll, the officials in the hall couldn't help but sigh. A veteran of two dynasties, ultimately succumbing to insatiable greed and a single wrong decision, he met such a disgraceful and irredeemable end—truly tragic and lamentable!
Li Qianche ignored the muddy mess on the ground, turned around, and steadily returned to the dragon throne. His majestic voice resounded throughout the hall: "The wicked minister Zhuang Shijie, as a high-ranking official, instead of repaying the emperor's favor, formed cliques for personal gain, framed loyal officials, colluded with foreign enemies, and leaked military secrets. His crimes are irrefutable and he is utterly unforgivable! He is hereby stripped of all his official titles and ranks, and his family property is confiscated. All members of the Zhuang family involved will be severely punished according to the law, without any leniency! Zhuang Shijie will be imprisoned in the imperial prison and, at a later date... beheaded as a warning to the public, to uphold the law of the land!"
"Your Majesty is wise!" the officials shouted in unison, their voices shaking the rooftops.
After dealing with Zhuang Shijie, Li Qianche turned his gaze to the outside of the hall, his tone softening slightly, but still carrying the majesty of an emperor: "Su Mufeng and Su Jizhi were wrongfully imprisoned, but now that the truth has come to light, they are to be released immediately."
He paused for a moment, then continued, "Su Mufeng is loyal and diligent, and I am deeply ashamed that he has suffered such an injustice. I hereby promote him to the rank of Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, a third-rank official, to preside over the redress of wrongful convictions and to rectify the law."
"Su Jizhi is young and promising, with superb martial arts skills. He has made great contributions in protecting the emperor and has been promoted to the rank of Third Rank Protector of the Imperial Guard, serving as a guard in the palace."
This decree of promotion once again stirred up some ripples in the hall. Having survived this ordeal, the Su family not only had their injustices cleared, but had also received promotions for both members!
Although the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review is not a high-ranking official, his position is still significant; and the Commander of the Imperial Guards is directly responsible for a portion of the palace guards, making his position crucial. His Majesty's move is intriguing.
………………
Inside Yongshou Palace.
Su Su was gazing absently at a newly blooming magnolia tree outside the window when Chunlan walked in with light steps, her face beaming with undisguised joy: "Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Fantastic news! Master and Young Master... they've been released! Moreover, His Majesty has issued an edict, promoting Master to the rank of Third-Rank Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, and Young Master to the rank of Third-Rank Commander of the Imperial Guards!"
Su Su turned around abruptly, her eyes instantly shining brightly. The biggest weight that had been pressing on her heart for days had finally been lifted, and an indescribable joy and relief welled up inside her.
Father and brother are safe! Is this catastrophe for the Su family finally over?!
"Good...that's great..." Her voice choked slightly, and the worries and fears of the past few days turned into a warm current of relief.
However, after the initial joy, a lingering doubt quietly surfaced in his mind. His father and brother's release was only natural. But this promotion… Li Qian had dismissed him, yet he had promoted his father and brother instead?
He has always been most wary of the growing power of maternal relatives. In the past, his father held a leisurely official position with no real power, and his elder brother's rank was deliberately suppressed, just to put the emperor on the throne at ease.
Although he has suffered a great calamity, even if he is reinstated to his original position as a fourth-rank Hanlin Academy Reader and even if he is given some consolation, no one can criticize him.
But he just happened to... promote his father to the third-rank position of Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, and his elder brother was even directly admitted to the central palace guard...
This is not merely a rehabilitation, but an exceptional promotion, a testament to His Majesty's trust.
What did he mean by that? Was it compensation for the Su family's mistreatment? Or... a tiny bit of guilt because he had forced himself on her? Or perhaps, a deeper kind of balance and probing that she hadn't yet figured out?
After all, having experienced the betrayal of a high-ranking official like Zhuang Shijie, should he need to cultivate a new force in the court that he believes is more controllable?
Su Su frowned slightly, her fingers unconsciously twirling the marigold pattern on her cuff. A ruler's heart is like the sea, especially Li Qianche's, which is unfathomable. Behind every move he makes, there may be layers of calculation.
This sudden "favor" and "trust" did not bring her much joy; instead, it made her heartstrings, which had just relaxed, tighten slightly again.
Gazing at the azure sky outside the window, she silently pondered: It was already a great blessing that her father and brother were safe. As for this official position… fortune and misfortune were intertwined. She could only urge her father and brother to be more cautious in their future actions, proceeding step by step with careful planning—that was the way to long-term success. And she herself would have to walk this path within the deep palace with even greater care.
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