Is This Man Mad?
“Men, drag this cunning, lowborn wretch out and execute him at once.”
Emperor Hongjia was already full of pent-up anger with nowhere to vent it. At this moment, Cheng Zhi had conveniently become the blade upon which he could let it fall.
Cheng Zhi collapsed limply to the floor, knocking his head down repeatedly with loud thuds. He was so frightened that even his voice was shaking. “Spare me, Your Majesty, spare me. This commoner truly did not know it was a false seal. This commoner has been wronged.”
The Jinlin Guards came in to seize him.
Xu Mengshan said, “Your Majesty, this man is at fault, but Vice Minister Su cannot escape blame either. He failed to distinguish the false seal from the real one and handed the silver over to this man. That is a grave act of negligence.”
Emperor Hongjia’s face turned stern. “Vice Minister Su, what explanation do you have?”
Su Ruhe’s gaze was pure and clear. His expression remained respectful and obedient. “Replying to Your Majesty, this minister indeed did not inspect the seal carefully. This minister is willing to accept punishment.”
Xu Mengshan’s heart ached for that sum of silver, and he glared down at Cheng Zhi. “Where is that money now?”
Sweat poured continuously down Cheng Zhi’s face. He fought desperately to wrench himself free from the Jinlin Guards’ grip and sprawled on the ground, shaking like chaff in the wind A vivid simile for full-body trembling so violent and uncontrolled that it resembles the rapid, fine shaking motion of sifting grain husk. Equivalent vibe in English is “shaking like a leaf in the wind.” I am so sorry but I just could not get it out of my mind that I cannot treat this serious matter so seriously, lmaoooo . “Th-this commoner handed it over to Prince Li. This commoner has been wronged. Your Majesty, show mercy, Your Majesty.”
Lu Ronghuai said, “You stole This Prince’s seal, used it to swindle money away, and then dare to say the money is with this Prince. Cheng Zhi, it seems you truly will not shed tears until you see the coffin.”
Su Ruhe stepped forward and spoke mildly, “Your Majesty, this minister can recover that silver.”
Emperor Hongjia said, “Oh? What method does Minister Su have?”
Su Ruhe replied, “At the time, this minister feared the funds might go missing, so this minister made marks on all the banknotes. A single examination and the truth will be known.”
In an instant, Cheng Zhi’s face went white as a ghost.
Lu Ronghuai cast a sidelong glance and saw that even the Crown Prince had lost the color in his face. At once, the corners of his mouth lifted. “Father Emperor, hand this man over to your son for questioning. Your son has no shortage of methods for prying open his mouth and making him reveal the true whereabouts of the silver, thereby returning your son’s innocence.”
Emperor Hongjia nodded.
More clearly than anyone else, Cheng Zhi knew Lu Ronghuai’s methods. If he truly fell into Lu Ronghuai’s hands, it would be better to die at once.
“Men, take him to the Ministry of Punishments prison. This Prince will arrive shortly.” Lu Ronghuai flexed his long knuckles and gave the order in a light tone.
Having received the emperor’s permission, the Jinlin Guards stepped forward to drag Cheng Zhi away.
Cheng Zhi suddenly went mad and crawled toward the Crown Prince. He seized the hem of the Crown Prince’s robe in one desperate clutch, as though he had grasped the last straw that could save his life.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince, I beg you to save me, save me.”
“You!” The Crown Prince turned deathly alarmed. Grinding his teeth, he wished he could kick Cheng Zhi to death on the spot. “Let go! This Crown Prince does not know you!”
How could Cheng Zhi release him? He clung tightly to the Crown Prince’s leg. “Your Highness the Crown Prince, it was you who ordered this little man to frame Prince Li. How can you tear down the bridge after crossing the river and leave me to die?”
“Silence! Do not spout nonsense. This Crown Prince has never seen you before.” The Crown Prince’s face turned black as ink. Red with anger, he kicked at him, and the two of them became hopelessly entangled there.
Within the great hall, all the officials watched this farce in silence.
Everyone present had heard Cheng Zhi’s words clearly. Those aligned with the Crown Prince felt their hearts run cold. Even Xu Mengshan had not anticipated that his pursuit of the silver’s whereabouts would ultimately lead all the way to the Crown Prince.
Emperor Hongjia struck the arm of the dragon throne in anger and shouted, “Jinlin Guards, separate them.”
The Jinlin Guards rushed forward at once and hauled the Crown Prince and Cheng Zhi apart from either side.
The Crown Prince dropped to his knees with a thud and cried out, tears streaming down his face, “Father Emperor, this son has been wronged. Father Emperor, do not listen to slanderous words.”
Emperor Hongjia rose to his feet. Looking down upon the gathered court officials, his voice turned icy. “One by one, all of you say you have been wronged. Today, Zhen means to see clearly whether any of you truly have.”
Cheng Zhi was a spineless coward who feared death and chased profit. He could betray Lu Ronghuai, and now, to save his life, he would not hesitate to implicate everyone without exception.
He handed over the letters exchanged with Guan Wei, adviser to the Crown Prince. Following the clues provided by Su Ruhe, the Jinlin Guards also discovered the marked banknotes inside the Crown Prince’s palace.
With ironclad proof piled mountain-high, the Crown Prince’s defense turned pale and powerless. He could only watch helplessly as every piece of damning evidence was laid before Emperor Hongjia.
Emperor Hongjia flew into thunderous rage.
The Crown Prince was ice-cold from head to foot. Suddenly, he saw Duke Liu.
He looked toward Duke Liu with pleading eyes and said in a humbled voice, “Grandfather, you must save me.”
Duke Liu smiled faintly and leisurely turned his head away. “What is Your Highness saying? This old minister cannot help Your Highness.”
The Crown Prince’s heart turned cold completely.
He glared with bitter hatred at Duke Liu’s back and did not even hear Emperor Hongjia’s question.
Only when Eunuch Yuan Sheng reminded him, “Your Highness the Crown Prince, His Majesty is questioning you,” did he suddenly recover his senses.
He looked toward Emperor Hongjia in panic and misery. “Father Emperor, this son—”
Emperor Hongjia cut him off coldly. “There is no need to speak further. Zhen is bitterly disappointed in you. Men, commit the Crown Prince to Tianlao and await further disposition.”
“Father Emperor!” the Crown Prince shrieked in utter disbelief.
The Jinlin Guards stepped forward expressionlessly and made a gesture of invitation.
“All of this was Grandfather’s idea. Father Emperor, it was he who told this son to do it. Father Emperor!”
Duke Liu closed his eyes.
Since Duke Liu himself would not intervene, no one else in the hall dared stand out and speak for the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince was taken away. Upon hearing the news, the Empress rushed over and knelt outside Qianzheng Hall, crying and begging for an audience.
Emperor Hongjia did not see her. His gaze fell upon Duke Liu.
“Since the Crown Prince was a child, he has always been carefully instructed by Duke Liu. Zhen never imagined that you would teach Zhen’s son into such a state.”
“To harm his own brothers, to stop at no means, to raise him into a man so selfish and narrow of mind, Duke Liu, you truly are Zhen’s good subject.”
“In all the things the Crown Prince has done, Duke Liu must have played no small part, must he not?”
After Emperor Hongjia finished speaking, Duke Liu opened his eyes. He met the emperor’s gaze directly and said at ease, “Does Your Majesty have evidence?”
“If Your Majesty can produce evidence, then this old minister has nothing to say.”
Ye Qi inserted a timely remark. “Your Majesty, every entry in those account books can be checked. No matter how stubbornly Duke Liu refuses, it will avail him nothing.”
Meeting Duke Liu’s gaze, Emperor Hongjia pressed his lips together, the corners drawn downward, making his whole face look even older and more grave.
“Very well. Duke Liu wants evidence, then Zhen shall give you evidence. Yuan Sheng.”
Eunuch Yuan Sheng stepped forward at once, his eyes full of pity as he looked at Duke Liu. “Duke Liu, Zhang Ze has already confessed the full truth in prison. You had best make your confession quickly.”
Duke Liu smiled. “Zhang Ze was already sentenced by imperial command to be beheaded. With the dead unable to testify, this old minister has served in office for many years and offended no few people. Those who want this old minister’s life are too numerous to count. If Your Majesty intends to convict this old minister on such grounds alone, is Your Majesty not afraid of chilling the hearts of all subjects under Heaven?”
“Indeed, Zhen will not chill the hearts of all the realm’s scholars and officials.” Emperor Hongjia slowly descended the steps and stopped before Duke Liu.
“Zhen forgot to tell Duke Liu. Zhang Ze is still alive.”
At those words from Emperor Hongjia, the final trace of a smile on Duke Liu’s face vanished into the deep folds at the corners of his mouth.
Seeing that everyone wore expressions of confusion and bafflement, Eunuch Yuan Sheng explained softly, “His Majesty never executed Zhang Ze. The men beheaded that day were several death-row prisoners. His Majesty arranged matters thus in order to lure out the great fish behind the Ping Cheng corruption case.”
Now, that great fish had finally broken the surface of the water.
This session of morning court did not end until the si hour.
Because Su Ruhe had provided the clue hidden on the banknotes, his merit offset his fault, and the emperor did not punish him.
As he slowly made his way out, he thumped his legs while no one was looking and twisted his face in agony.
His legs were horribly numb.
Supporting himself against the wall, he finally made it with difficulty to the palace gate. By now, the quicker officials had already boarded their carriages and departed one after another. After taking two breaths, he was just about to head toward his own carriage when he lifted his head and saw Nie Siran standing beside it.
Nie Siran had clearly been waiting to intercept him. The moment he saw Su Ruhe emerge, he calmly revealed a smile.
Su Ruhe: “...”
This was absurd. He had chased him all the way to the palace gate just to block him here. Had this man gone mad?
Su Ruhe dearly wished to turn on his heel and leave. Yet today his legs were so numb, and his carriage was right before him, along with the soft seat cushion inside it. He could not possibly give up that seat cushion just because of that scoundrel Nie Siran.
With a blank face, Su Ruhe dragged himself over.
The servant, seeing him approach, quickly set down the footstool and moved to help him into the carriage.
Nie Siran stood to one side watching. The little Vice Minister ignored him, turned his head, and lifted his foot onto the stool to climb up. Yet as he raised his leg, his calf suddenly cramped. His foot gave way, and he pitched backward from the stool.
Before the servant had even reacted, Nie Siran strode forward and caught Su Ruhe as he fell back.
Su Ruhe’s back pressed tightly against Nie Siran. The summer robe was thin. Fortunately, the official robes had two extra gauze layers, which eased the awkwardness slightly.
“Is the little Vice Minister throwing himself into my arms?” Nie Siran asked, holding back a smile.
For a brief instant, Su Ruhe’s expression contorted in an instant. He shoved Nie Siran away with both hands, ignored the still-cramping leg, and scrambled up into the carriage by any means necessary.
“Home!” he shouted out to the stunned servant outside.
The servant hurriedly circled to the other side, leapt onto the carriage board, and reached for the whip.
In no more than a blink, Nie Siran, relying on his long legs and height, slipped into the carriage as well.
“Eh...” The servant stared blankly.
No sound came from inside the carriage for some time. The servant stared at the curtain with wide eyes, hesitating over whether he ought to ask after the situation. Then, suddenly, Lu Ronghuai approached with his hands clasped behind his back.
“Where is your Su gongzi?” he asked.
The servant, dazed, pointed at the carriage curtain.
Lu Ronghuai nodded, tapped off the ground with the point of his foot, and mounted the carriage. He lifted the curtain and bent to enter, only for his narrow eyes suddenly to narrow further.
He looked at the two men inside, pressed together in the corner. Nie Siran had Su Ruhe encircled before him, the two of them one reclined and one kneeling, in a rather intriguing posture.
Amusement flashed across his eyes.
“Has This Prince disturbed the two of you in the midst of your elegant pleasures?”
Su Ruhe: “...”
Nie Siran: “Do you need something?”
Lu Ronghuai smiled. “Certainly. Today Vice Minister Su rendered This Prince a great service, so this Prince has specially come to invite him to the residence for the midday meal.”
Nie Siran refused him outright. “He is not going. He already has an engagement with this one.”
Su Ruhe wriggled out of Nie Siran’s hold and crawled out from the corner. Regaining his composure, he nodded and said, “I am going. Your Highness may as well ride in this official’s carriage with this official, and we may go together.”
Lu Ronghuai looked at him, then at Nie Siran behind him, and raised his brows with ill intent. “This Prince has no objection. The only question is whether the two of you would find it inconvenient.”
Grinding his teeth, Su Ruhe emphasized it again. “Your Highness, this official is not familiar with Young Master Nie.”
“Oh, in that case, then fine. Young Master Nie, why are you still not getting down?” Lu Ronghuai looked toward a certain someone.
Nie Siran adjusted his robes and sat there with complete composure, his posture as natural as if he belonged there.
“As it happens, I too wish to see Ah-Yuan. It has been several days since we met, and I have missed him very much.”
Now it was Lu Ronghuai’s turn to grind his teeth. “What Ah-Yuan are you calling? My wife is not familiar with you either.”
✧ A Word from the Author ✧
Lu dog: Nie Siran, shameless.
Little bird (Su Ruhe): Nie Siran, shameless.
Nie Siran: The two of you seem to be using a very novel way of praising someone.
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