Chapter 147 She knew that women needed to wield power, but not love…
The Imperial Concubine committed a crime that offended the Emperor. According to regulations, she should have been imprisoned in the Imperial Prison and tried by the Embroidered Uniform Guard. However, because too many court officials were implicated during the interrogation of her personal maid, Emperor Chongming ordered her to be transferred to the Ministry of Justice's Futu Prison, where she was tried by Minister of Justice Zhen Yongming.
After Gao Yu, the former head of the Ministry of Justice, was removed from office, Zhen Yongming took over as Minister of Justice. During his tenure, he was a model official who handled all cases according to the law and never disregarded the law for personal reasons. As a result, he earned the reputation of "Zhen the Upright Official".
But Zhen Yongming knew that the shady cases he had committed for Gao Yu in the past had not been erased, that he had ambitions to become a high-ranking official, and that he was a model official rather than a paragon of virtue.
The gates of the Floating Prison were like a silent, gigantic maw, swallowing all light and sound. In the last snow of March, Zhen Yongming stood before the maw, gazing at the figure approaching gracefully, and in a daze, she recalled that snowy night when she first arrived in the capital.
At that time, he lamented that the snowstorm of the sixteenth year of Chongming had come exceptionally early, little did he know that since that night, the snowstorm in the Dahuang Dynasty had never stopped.
As they drew closer, Zhen Yongming and Feng Tan exchanged a bow. According to the official system, Feng Tan currently served as the Left Vice Minister of Rites, a third-rank official, while Zhen Yongming was the Minister of Justice, a second-rank official. The difference in rank meant vastly different power; the Minister of Justice, as the highest-ranking official in the Ministry of Justice, was responsible for national judicial and penal affairs and was one of the core officials of the court, wielding far more power than Feng Tan. Therefore, it was only natural for Zhen Yongming to receive a bow from Feng Tan.
However, Zhen Yongming was a cautious and meticulous person, and he was also a reserved and refined official. He had done business with Feng Tan and sincerely admired Feng Tan's political skills, so he did not hesitate to bow.
Feng Tan accepted the gift, his posture as straight as bamboo, and smiled, "Lord Zhen, you must have been waiting for me for a long time."
Zhen Yongming stroked his beard and replied, "Lord Feng is exceptionally intelligent; his time will not be long."
“You predicted that I would come to Futu Prison to end her life, and I predicted that you would predict that I would come to Futu Prison to end her life,” Feng Tan said, taking the lantern from the servant behind Zhen Yongming and walking towards the prison gate with him. “If we were officials doing accounts in the Ministry of Revenue, the abacus beads would probably have already hit each other in the face.”
Hearing her teasing, Zhen Yongming couldn't help but laugh and said, "Oh dear, wouldn't that mean beads and account books flying around together, and real and fake accounts all mixed up in a mess?"
The two were old friends and acquaintances who had worked together in the officialdom. They never held back in their conversation. Feng Tan, hearing his uninhibited manner, continued, "Corruption is rampant in officialdom. Without a good system to restrain it, the bold will not be afraid. In this power arena where everyone is involved, whether it's real or fake accounts... they are not afraid of being investigated."
The passageways of the Floating Pagoda Prison were slippery and the air heavy. The chill wasn't just a simple cold, but a kind of dampness that seeped into the very bones. Zhen Yongming was already quite old, well past his sixties and no longer as youthful as he once was. He coughed a few times and changed the subject, saying, "Let's put aside the real and fake accounts for now. This is a miscarriage of justice for Consort Su... We both know who was behind it. Lord Feng, if you go in and kill her, I will have to take responsibility."
Although Zhen Yongming had a friendship with Feng Tan, her purpose for this trip was too obvious, and he did not have the courage to take responsibility.
Feng Tan paused for a moment, turned around and faced Zhen Yongming directly, bowing with his hands clasped in greeting. "Lord Zhen, when we joined forces to bring down Gao Yu, I promised to help you rise to the position of Minister of Justice. Now I wish to invite you to join forces again. After the reform is successful, I will grant you the position of Grand Secretary and the title of Grand Tutor."
Upon returning to court, the young official spoke calmly, yet his words carried a powerful undercurrent, catching Zhen Yongming completely off guard.
A glint of cunning suddenly flashed in Zhen Yongming's eyes. After several years, Feng Tan was no longer the seventh-rank official in charge of criminal investigation who had come to the capital to save people. Now, her ambition and desires surpassed the imperial power, and she spoke treasonous words, trying to overthrow Emperor Chongming!
She knew exactly how to strike at an official's heart. He directly exposed his deepest lust for power, turning it into a blatant bargaining chip for exchanging favors. The bait she offered was aimed right at his Achilles' heel.
The Grand Secretary was given the most prestigious and illustrious title of Grand Tutor, the highest honor in the current bureaucratic system. This was unprecedented in history.
This also means that if one were to join Feng Tan's faction from now on, one would be at odds with His Majesty and Prince Jing, embarking on a path of no return.
Zhen Yongming did not question him. He closed his eyes, thought for a moment, and then performed the official ceremony, saying, "This old man is willing to lead the way for Lord Feng and clear away the obstacles in the reform."
Feng Tan said, "In that case, thank you very much, Lord Zhen."
Zhen Yongming stopped obstructing her and waved for the jailer to take the token and lead the way for Feng Tan.
Feng Tan, lantern in hand, ascended to the thirteenth level of the Floating Prison. In the dark prison, decaying chains hung like congealed waterfalls of blood, casting spiderweb-like shadows on the gray brick walls. The beautiful woman in palace attire on the rack was no longer radiant; from the pain of torture, she let out intermittent, mournful cries like those of a potter.
Hearing the voice of the newcomer, Consort Su raised her head with difficulty. She was not surprised to see Feng Tan. "Are you feeling smug or pleased now?"
Consort Su was not surprised that Feng Tan had found out these things. Her ability to investigate cases was exceptional. It would be foolish of her not to have found out these things after so many incidents.
Feng Tan continued, "In the sixty-second year of Jianming, Feng Hengdao, after getting drunk, was tricked by his wife's maidservant and had intimate relations with her. Afterwards, a daughter was born, named Feng Zirou. The maidservant originally thought that she could use this to rise to the top, but Feng Hengdao hated the mother and daughter to the extreme. The maidservant was very proud and unwilling to be treated coldly, so she took her daughter and left the Feng family for Fuzhou. Afterwards, you changed your name to Su Zirou. In Fuzhou, you suffered all kinds of cold looks. Your temperament was as proud as your mother's, and you also regarded the Feng family as your enemy. After winning the marriage of Emperor Chongming, you took revenge with hatred, which led to the death of Empress Xiaoxian."
Consort Su remained noncommittal. All the gold hairpins in her hair had been torn off and put into the pockets of the executioner. At this moment, her hair was disheveled like straw, and a few strands of hair with blood scabs stuck to her pale face. Her body was covered with crisscrossing whip marks, making her look extremely disheveled.
But her expression remained haughty and aloof. She suddenly laughed as she looked at Feng Tanqing, her laughter a mixture of three parts smugness and three parts malice. "Feng Hengdao deserves to die! Empress Xiaoxian deserves to die! Feng Youming deserves to die even more! Why is it that we are of the same social standing, yet I am reduced to a lowly woman from a poor family, living in misery, while they live a life of luxury and extravagance!"
I had no opportunity to act, but thanks to Feng Youming's fabricated case involving his children, I had the chance. My only regret is not having witnessed your mother and husband being riddled with arrows, and not having seen Feng Hengdao die with resentment!
Feng Tan was aroused, but she tried her best to suppress it, showing no emotion on her face, and said: "If you want revenge, you were born into the wrong mother. You should avenge your mother."
Consort Su choked for a moment, her delicate brows furrowed, she abandoned her imperial demeanor, spat, and her tone, no longer as fierce as before, slowly calmed down, and she sneered: "Don't talk nonsense to me. I know very well who I should retaliate against."
“Hatred born from jealousy,” Feng Tan’s gaze fell on Consort Su’s face, her clear and sharp eyes making one feel as if their very nature had been seen through, “evolving into your self-righteous desire for revenge.”
Consort Su did not deny it, and even laughed triumphantly, which reminded Feng Tan of Xiao Liling.
The two women may seem similar, but they are actually completely different. Xiao Liling ultimately committed all sorts of evil deeds for a man. Su Zirou, on the other hand, is different. She orchestrated the deaths of all the Feng family members she wanted to kill, making her an absolute ruthless person. At the same time, she also established her own foundation in the political arena, where there is no bloodshed.
From her alliance with the King of Chu to her alliance with the King of Jing against Feng Tan after the King of Chu's defeat, what she always wanted to hold onto was power.
She didn't rely on men, but she was able to use her resemblance to the late empress to gain a foothold in the harem and then extend her reach to the imperial court. In this respect, she was much smarter than Xiao Liling.
She knew that women needed to hold power, and that love was irrelevant.
In the three years that Feng Tan had been plotting to bring down Consort Su, she had thoroughly investigated the list of officials, both overt and covert, in Consort Su's possession. She took the list out of her bosom, walked closer, and unfolded it for Consort Su to see, saying, "Consort Su, do you think that the memorials submitted by these people under your command... even if they submit a joint memorial, can they save you from the Floating Pagoda Prison?"
Consort Su's trump card was revealed. Her hands, which were bound by iron chains, suddenly clenched into fists. She looked up at Feng Tan and gritted her teeth, saying, "Lord Feng, you are truly capable."
Feng Tan said, "Hand over their trump cards, and I'll make sure you die a good death."
Consort Su said, "What? His Majesty wants me dead, but you're offering me a way out?"
Feng Tan laughed at her naivety, and with a slight curve of her lips, said, "It's a good death, not immortality."
Consort Su felt a chill run down her spine when she saw her smile. "Or else?"
Feng Tan said, "He will not die a good death."
Consort Su's lips trembled as she leaned forward abruptly, her body only three inches from Feng Tan's face. Her voice was shrill as she said, "You dare?! This is the Ministry of Justice prison! I am the Emperor's Consort! Only the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs can issue an edict to order my execution!"
Feng Tan remained unmoved, observing her insignificant struggles, and looked directly at her suddenly approaching face. "What do I have to be afraid of?"
Sometimes, a loud rebuke is less intimidating than a simple, rhetorical question. Consort Su broke out in a cold sweat. Yes, what was there for her not to dare?!
Feng Tan is a person who single-handedly overturned the officialdom of Da Huang; she is capable of anything!
The stench, thick and heavy, emanating from moldy, aged blood, charred flesh, and desperate sweat, pressed down on Consort Su's chest. She could almost taste the rusty blood. Her lips trembled more and more, and her voice became increasingly shaky. "If I don't confess, what... what will you do?"
Feng Tan wanted her subordinates to work for her. During the past three years of reform, their obstruction made it almost impossible for Feng Tan to make any progress. However, if she were to reveal her trump card to Feng Tan, she would really not be able to survive.
If they don't give it to them, they won't live, but they won't die a good death.
A twisted sense of pleasure suddenly welled up in Consort Su's heart, and the sharp light in her eyes shot into Feng Tan's eyes. "I will not let you have your way. No matter what tortures you inflict, I will not say a word."
Consort Su was not falling for the trap. Her hatred for the Feng family had clearly transcended the pain of physical torture, and Feng Tan suddenly felt that things were becoming tricky.
She had the case under her control, but her interrogation skills were far inferior to... Xiao Yinshi's.
Feng Tan erased the man's image from her mind, turned around, and called out to the entrance of the Dark Prison, "Uncle Meng."
Meng Henabur walked in upon hearing the sound. Feng Tan did not turn around to look at him. His gaze remained fixed on Consort Su's face, which resembled Empress Xiaoxian's. He reached out and stroked the woman's soft skin, saying gently, "Let's ruin her face first."
Feng Tan turned and left, with Consort Su screaming shrilly behind him, "Lord Feng prides himself on being just and upright, yet he would do such a despicable thing!"
Feng Tan stopped in his tracks, turned around to look at her, and said coldly, "I have never had these two virtues."
Her life motto is to seek revenge for every little thing.
A message from the author: Happy National Day!
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