Chapter 209 Recognition
The Imperial Palace, the Imperial Study.
Pei Yan paced anxiously behind the imperial desk as the rumors intensified! Wei Zikai made no progress whatsoever!
He even began to suspect whether Wei Zikai was disloyal!
Just then, an announcement came from outside the hall: "Your Majesty! General Wei requests an audience! He says he has important matters to report!"
Pei Yan paused, then shouted, "Summon them!"
Wei Zikai practically ran in, then knelt down with a thud, raising the three "confessions" high in the air:
"Your Majesty! Your humble general has lived up to your mission! After several days and nights without rest, venturing deep into the heart of the enemy's lair, we have outwitted and outmaneuvered these treacherous villains! Finally... finally, we have uncovered the source of the rumors and slander against Your Majesty! And we have brought the ringleaders and key accomplices to justice! This is their confession! Please review it, Your Majesty!"
Pei Yan suddenly turned around: "Oh?! Quick! Bring it here!"
Eunuch Desheng quickly stepped forward, took the three confessions stained with faint blood, and respectfully presented them to Pei Yan.
Pei Yan eagerly unfolded the book and scanned it quickly.
Wei Zikai took a deep breath and began to speak according to the carefully prepared script:
"The chief culprit is Liu Fu, a former supervisor of the previous dynasty. Because he harbors resentment towards the previous dynasty, he is deeply bitter about His Majesty's efforts to eliminate corrupt practices, reform the government, and establish a new dynasty! The second culprit is Scholar Zhang, who has repeatedly failed the imperial examinations. His resentment has accumulated and he has nowhere to vent his grievances! These two colluded, and Liu Fu found Scholar Zhang, who then wrote the malicious words that he was unworthy of his position!"
He paused, his voice growing even more indignant:
"However, these two men knew they were too insignificant to spread rumors, so they sought out the itinerant peddler Wang San! This scoundrel is greedy by nature and blinded by money! Liu Fu and Scholar Zhang offered him a large sum of money, and Wang San willingly became his henchman, using his ability to travel the streets and alleys to spread the rumors everywhere! The three of them colluded, which is why the rumors spread like a plague, causing panic in the capital! This is a confession signed and sealed by the three of them, irrefutable evidence! Please review it, Your Majesty!"
After Wei Zikai finished speaking, his heart was pounding wildly in his chest.
He dared not look up at the face of the person behind the imperial desk.
"Oh…"
A low laugh suddenly broke the silence.
It wasn't a sneer, nor a mocking laugh, but a low chuckle with a hint of appreciation.
Wei Zikai froze, almost thinking he had misheard.
"Hahaha...Good! Well done, Wei Zikai! I've certainly broadened my horizons today!"
Wei Zikai suddenly raised his head, his face filled with astonishment.
"I never knew that my General Wei had such a clever and shrewd mind?"
Pei Yan stopped laughing, leaned forward slightly, and looked at Wei Zikai, a playful smile on his lips. "You know how to find a few ready-made scapegoats to fool me, to fool the world... What's even more remarkable is that you've also figured out what I truly want..."
"To quell public opinion, to make an example of someone, to reassure the people... let those who are restless and gossiping in private see what happens when they slander the emperor! As for this chicken... does it matter if it was the first one to lay the egg? It doesn't matter. What matters is that I want to see the 'culprit' brought to justice! I want to see that my majesty cannot be desecrated! You... did a good job."
Upon hearing this, Wei Zikai was overjoyed!
It really works!
The emperor not only didn't blame him for "deceiving the emperor," but instead... he approved of him!
The enormous pie hit him so hard he was dizzy and his voice trembled with excitement: "Your Majesty... Your Majesty is wise! This humble general was only doing his best to share Your Majesty's burdens! Your Majesty sees through everything, and this humble general's little thoughts really... really cannot escape Your Majesty's all-seeing eye!"
“Hmph,” Pei Yan snorted softly, but there was a clear hint of satisfaction in his snort.
He picked up the confession and slowly flipped through it.
Suddenly, his finger touched the names "Liu Fu" and "Peddler Wang San," and the smile on his face faded slightly.
"but…"
This single "however" instantly made Wei Zikai's heart, which had just settled back into his stomach, leap into his throat again!
"Minister Wei, this Liu Fu... I remember him. He's a remnant of the previous dynasty, no doubt. When he was sent to guard the imperial tombs, it's said he couldn't even scrape together five taels of silver for his personal savings, he was in a very sorry state. You're saying he... bribed a well-informed peddler who roams the streets with a large sum of money?"
Pei Yan leaned forward slightly:
"What could he possibly offer to bribe him? A penniless old eunuch, a down-on-his-luck, pedantic scholar... Could the hefty profits they promised really sway a shrewd peddler who's seen it all, someone who's seen it all, to make him risk his life to spread such a rumor that would exterminate his entire family? Hmm?"
Wei Zikai's expression froze instantly!
He was so focused on fabricating motives and connections that he completely overlooked the most fatal logical flaw—money!
Where would a eunuch and a poor scholar get the money to bribe the key executor, the peddler?!
The air in the imperial study seemed to freeze.
"What? Can't you think of a reasonable explanation, Wei Qing?"
Pei Yan's voice carried a hint of teasing, like a cat playing with a mouse.
Wei Zikai suddenly woke up:
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, please calm your anger! It was my negligence! I deserve to die! Please give me another chance! I... I will investigate immediately! I will definitely make up for this oversight! I will give Your Majesty a watertight explanation!"
"Investigate?" Pei Yan chuckled softly, seemingly enjoying watching Wei Zikai's terrified and disheveled state. "By the time you've investigated, this rumor will probably have spread all the way to Jiangnan."
He set down the confession, leaned back into the large dragon throne, and casually tapped the armrest with his fingers, his tone regaining its former air of complete control:
"Although the loopholes are obvious, I think your approach is very good."
Wei Zikai abruptly raised his head, his eyes filled with disbelief and bewilderment. Very good? Full of flaws and you call that very good?
Pei Yan looked at his dazed expression, a hint of barely perceptible contempt flashing in his eyes, and slowly spoke, as if offering guidance:
“A penniless and powerless old eunuch and a poor scholar naturally cannot bribe a mercenary peddler. But… what about a wealthy merchant who harbors resentment towards the court?”
He paused, admiring the sudden glint in Wei Zikai's eyes, a light as if grasping at a straw, and continued:
“A merchant… well, for example, Qian Mancang, who had half of his family fortune confiscated by my decree for price gouging and hoarding grain? This person must harbor resentment towards me. He has money, motives, and even the intention to disrupt the market with rumors, fish in troubled waters, and even take revenge on the court!”
"Think about it for me. How did Qian Mancang secretly contact the old eunuch Liu Fu, who harbored resentment towards the previous dynasty? How did he find the resentful scholar Zhang? And how did he finally use the large sum of money that would drive the peddler Wang San to take the risk to weave this web of rumors? Hmm?"
With each word he spoke, Wei Zikai's eyes shone even brighter!
The emperor not only did not punish him for deception, but instead taught him how to make his lies more believable!
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