Undercurrents in the imperial court are beginning to emerge.
Under the prosperous reign of Emperor Dajing, although the glazed tiles of the Golden Palace reflected the bright sunlight, the air inside was subtly stagnant. Shen Qingci had served as prime minister for many years, reforming the bureaucracy and pacifying the borders, winning the hearts of the emperor and the people. As his power grew, he also quietly stung the eyes of some.
The Imperial Censor Zhao Kang was one of the most glaring among them. A veteran official left over from the previous emperor, he relied on his seniority and experience as a three-dynasty veteran, yet he was always overshadowed by Shen Qingci—in terms of political achievements, he lacked any strategies for governing the country; in terms of prestige, he was less than one ten-thousandth of Shen Qingci. His accumulating jealousy had long since brewed a poisonous vine in his heart, secretly binding a group of officials who also harbored resentment towards Shen Qingci, forming a clandestine group. They had been lying in wait for a long time, only to find a handle that could bring Shen Qingci down in one fell swoop.
The agenda for the court assembly that day was to discuss the improvement of the canal transport system in Jiangnan. As the ministers were expressing their opinions, Zhao Kang suddenly stepped forward, bowed, and said in a deliberately solemn voice, "Your Majesty, I have a matter to report!"
The emperor raised his eyes: "Minister Zhao, please speak freely."
Zhao Kang glanced at Shen Qingci standing at the front, a sinister glint in his eyes, and said loudly, "Your Majesty, the Prime Minister's son, Shen Nianqing, has been bullying others at the academy, even physically assaulting a classmate, leaving him seriously injured and bedridden! Such arrogant behavior is due to the Prime Minister's neglect of discipline and indulgence of his son. If this continues, it will corrupt the court and chill the hearts of the people. I implore Your Majesty to uphold justice for the people!"
Upon hearing this, the hall fell silent. The officials all turned their heads, their gazes shifting back and forth between Shen Qingci and Zhao Kang, a silent tension and probing filling the air.
The emperor frowned slightly and looked at Shen Qingci: "Prime Minister Shen, is this matter true?"
Shen Qingci's heart skipped a beat. He knew his son Nianqing's character well. Under his and Su Yunqing's tutelage since childhood, Nianqing was gentle, humble, and respectful of his teachers. He would never do anything to bully others. Zhao Kang's actions were clearly not what they seemed; he wanted to use the matter of his son's offspring to attack him. He composed himself, stepped forward, and said in a steady and firm tone, "Your Majesty, I dare to swear on my life that my son Nianqing has never done such a thing! Nianqing has always been well-behaved in the academy and got along well with his classmates. The teachers and classmates can all testify to this. Lord Zhao's sudden attack has not yielded any evidence. I suspect that this matter is a deliberate frame-up, intended to sow discord between the emperor and his subjects. I implore Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly!"
"Your Majesty, I have evidence!" Zhao Kang immediately retorted, his voice rising several decibels. "Three classmates from the academy witnessed it firsthand, and a teacher even privately tried to dissuade me, but dared not speak out for fear of the Prime Minister's power. I have already summoned them outside the palace; Your Majesty can ask them any questions!"
The emperor pondered for a moment and said, "In that case, summon the academy teacher and his three classmates to the palace."
Soon, an elderly scholar with white hair and three young men were led to the center of the hall. The scholar was the headmaster of the academy where Nianqing studied. Known for his uprightness, he stepped forward, bowed, and before the emperor could ask any questions, spoke first: "Your Majesty, Young Master Shen is a model of talent in the academy. Not only is he exceptionally learned, but he is also humble and polite. He has never had any disputes with his classmates. How could there be any beating? What Lord Zhao said is completely unfounded!"
The three young men echoed his sentiments, with one of them saying loudly, "Your Majesty, we spend every day with Young Master Shen. He treats us like brothers and often explains difficult problems to us. How could he bully his classmates? Someone must be maliciously spreading rumors and wronging Young Master Shen!"
Zhao Kang's expression changed drastically; he hadn't expected his carefully chosen "witness" to turn against him. In desperation, he shouted, "You...you've been coerced and bribed by Prime Minister Shen to dare distort the truth here!"
Upon hearing this, the headmaster was so angry that his beard trembled: "Lord Zhao, you are mistaken! I have been teaching and educating people for decades and have never seen such a distortion of the truth! Young Master Shen is of upright character, and I guarantee with my integrity that this is absolutely not true! Lord Zhao, are you trying to slander me and the students by making unfounded accusations?"
Shen Qingci glanced coldly at Zhao Kang, her tone laced with sarcasm: "Lord Zhao, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want. His Majesty is wise, and all the officials in the hall are present. How can you be allowed to slander others at will? You keep saying you have evidence, but now the witnesses' testimonies contradict yours. What else do you have to say?"
The emperor's face darkened, and his sharp gaze fell upon Zhao Kang: "Zhao Kang, as the Grand Censor, you should be impeaching treacherous officials and rectifying corruption, yet you impeached the prime minister's son without any evidence, attempting to frame a high-ranking official. Considering your long service under three reigns, I will not hold this offense against you. But if there is a next time, and you wantonly slander others without evidence, I will not let you off lightly! Step down!"
Zhao Kang's face turned pale and then red. He was unwilling but dared not argue any further. He could only glare at Shen Qingci and retreat back to the ranks of the court officials.
As the court session ended, Shen Qingci walked out of the Golden Palace, his gaze heavy as he looked at a dark cloud drifting across the sky. He knew that Zhao Kang's attack was just the beginning; the undercurrents beneath the court were already surging, and the road ahead would likely become increasingly difficult.
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