Chapter 566
Qi Family
The old censor fainted, and chaos erupted outside the Meridian Gate.
Changxiu stood amidst the noise, letting out a long sigh of stale air, looking utterly bored and somewhat out of place in the chaotic crowd.
Ignoring the flustered censors, he instead beckoned to a member of the Jie Fan Guard and patiently instructed him: "Split into two teams. One team will raid the Yuan family in the capital, and the other will gather troops at the Mengjin camp in Yuzhou to raid the Yuan family in Runan. Remember to bring all the eligible women from the Yuan family back to the capital; they will all be sent to the Jiaofangsi (Imperial Music Bureau). Lord Yuan is so fond of the Jiaofangsi; when he thinks of his relatives there while he's in Lingnan, he'll surely feel a sense of familiarity..."
At this point, Changxiu pointed to several officials in the crowd: "Look, these gentlemen, Lord Li, Lord Xing, and Lord Zhang, were also drinking with Yuan Wang. Since Lord Chen has started, let's deal with them together. Confiscate their property and exile them as well. The imperial treasury is in dire need of money."
The guards rushed forward and seized the men from Changxiudian. The other officials were so frightened that they fled in panic, leaving the unconscious old censor alone outside the Meridian Gate. They disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Changxiu stood alone in front of the Meridian Gate with her hands tucked into her sleeves, and sighed deeply, "I should read a few more pages of a book... Quick, take the old man to the Imperial Hospital, lest he really die in front of the Meridian Gate."
At this moment, a clear voice rang out from outside Chengtian Gate: "Newspapers for sale! Censor Yang Zhong, along with his father and brothers, embezzled public funds, misappropriated military pay, and sold military equipment privately. Viscount Wu Xiang dragged him to his death in the street!"
Changxiu's eyes lit up, and she beckoned a guard to come forward: "Go, buy one."
……
……
On Chang'an Avenue.
More than ten carriages and dozens of sedan chairs were parked in front of Chengtian Gate. Inside the carriages sat officials and nobles, including cabinet ministers and powerful vice ministers and ministers from various government departments.
These people did not go to the Meridian Gate to join the commotion; they simply waited quietly here for the dust to settle. Joining the commotion was something only minor officials did; if they went along, it would be beneath their dignity.
After leaving the Meridian Gate, Feng hope, the Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies, went straight to a carriage and cried out in a panic, "My lord, save me!"
Yesterday, Jin Zhu said to Chen Ji that those who can establish themselves in the capital have all climbed up by stepping on bones, and Yang Zhong's life cannot scare them.
But Chen Ji didn't believe it; everyone has things they're afraid of.
The officials and nobles in the capital armed themselves to the teeth with rules, which were their weapons. But no one was afraid of a madman who would stop at nothing, because madmen don't follow the rules.
Chen Ji traded ninety strokes of the cane for the reputation of a madman, and the officials and nobles finally became afraid.
The carriage in front of Feng hope was carved with seven white cranes. White cranes were the badges worn on the chests of first-rank officials. The fact that seven of them were carved meant that seven first-rank officials had come from this family. In the entire Ning Dynasty, only the Qi family could ride in this carriage.
The people in the car didn't respond for a long time.
Feng hope gritted his teeth and said, "My lord, I have served the Qi family faithfully for many years..."
Someone in the carriage said casually, "Lord Feng, we all receive salaries from the imperial court and work for the court. How did it become working for my Qi family?"
As they were talking, someone lifted the carriage curtain from the inside. Feng hope peeked inside and saw Qi Xianzhun, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, and Qi Zhenwu, the Left Vice Censor-in-Chief, glancing at him sideways from inside.
Feng hope quickly lowered his head: "This humble official misspoke."
Qi Zhenwu smiled and said, "Lord Feng, although Chen Ji is arrogant, he still has to follow the rules. He killed those two people because he didn't clean up his own mess. If you are upright, you don't need to be afraid of him... Do you have any secrets? If so, you have to tell me so I know how to help you."
Feng hope hesitated for a long time before replying, "No, the Court of State Ceremonial is a clean and honest government office. I am usually incorruptible and have never had any wrongdoing."
Qi Zhenwu slowly suppressed his smile: "That's good. I suppose Chen Ji can't do anything to you."
Before Feng hope could say anything, Qi Zhenwu had already lowered the carriage curtain: "Lord Feng, please go and attend to your business."
After much deliberation, Feng Xi finally gritted his teeth and left.
At this moment, Plum Blossom Ferryman, carrying a cloth bag, passed by the carriage. Inside, Qi Xianzhun gently lifted the curtain with two fingers: "Give me a newspaper."
The servant eagerly pulled out a newspaper and handed it to Qi Xianzhun. Qi Xianzhun lowered the carriage curtain and unfolded the newspaper: "Huh?"
Today's morning paper, on its front page, continues to sing praises of Emperor Ning, listing auspicious omens from various places, such as a dry well in Langfang suddenly springing up, and a white deer with auspicious cloud patterns being captured in Datong a few days ago. In short, it's all about His Majesty's civil and military achievements and the auspicious omens bestowed by heaven.
These are all unremarkable; the common people might believe them, but those who can afford to ride in carriages and sedan chairs would not. But the second edition is strange. The morning paper first mentions the evidence of the Yang family's crimes, and then it says that Viscount Wu Xiang arrested Yuan Wang at dawn today, detailing where Yuan Wang hosted a banquet for guests during the national mourning period, what kind of wine he drank, and which courtesan he invited to accompany him.
Qi Xianzhun frowned, and Qi Zhenwu, sitting opposite him, asked in confusion, "Uncle, why are you puzzled?"
Qi Xianzhun pointed at the newspaper: "How come Yuan Wang's matter is in the newspaper?"
Qi Zhenwu was puzzled: "Such a big thing happened in the capital, and this is a newspaper that Chen Ji himself runs, so it is reasonable for it to appear in the newspaper."
Qi Xianzhun said slowly, "Think about it carefully again. If he wanted to sell this newspaper this morning, he had to write the article last night and then have the craftsmen type it up. In other words, he had already figured out how to punish Yuan Wang last night, from where to drag him away, to where to drag him away, and at what time, all without any discrepancy."
Qi Zhenwu came to his senses: "The King of Hell is calling in."
Qi Xianzhun closed the newspaper, neither pleased nor angry, and said, "Your grandfather quite liked him. He even said in private that it would have been better if this child had been born into my Qi family. But he has the backing of the Qi and Chen families, yet he insists on being His Majesty's scapegoat. Now he's making a big fuss about rescuing a woman who's been sent to the brothel. Where does that leave the Qi family's reputation? The Qi family's reputation is more valuable than a hundred Princess Baili."
Qi Zhenwu leaned forward slightly: "What are your plans, Uncle?"
Qi Xianzhun slowly closed his eyes: "Feng hope accepted money from the Goryeo envoy and persuaded our dynasty to send troops to Goryeo. We know about this, and the eunuch faction naturally knows it too, but the witnesses and physical evidence are all in the hands of my Qi family... If Feng hope doesn't tell the truth to my Qi family, he will no longer be on the same side. Keep an eye on him, Chen Ji will not let him go."
Qi Zhenwu pondered and said, "But Chen Ji is currently enjoying the Emperor's favor."
Qi Xianzhun smiled and said, "Imperial favor? In this vast capital, among the several powerful families, which one hasn't been a tool of that person? But His Majesty can even sacrifice Prince Jing and the Empress, so what else can't he sacrifice?"
As he spoke, he opened his eyes and looked at his nephew: "Choose a suitable weapon to do the work, and let him be arrogant. Wait until the officials are indignant, the scholars criticize him, and the people curse him, until everyone calls him a traitor, then kill this traitor. The court will still be a clear and bright court, and His Majesty will still be a wise and sagacious His Majesty. Go, summon my Qi family to serve as officials, and don't give him a chance to turn things around."
"Yes," Qi Zhenwu said, emerging from the carriage and disappearing without a trace.
……
……
Inside Honglu Temple.
Feng hope locked the door of the study, stuffed a few important documents and a small bag of gold leaves into an inconspicuous blue cloth bundle, and instructed the clerk beside him: "If anyone comes to ask me these next few days, tell them that I went to Langfang on official business and will not be back before the Double Ninth Festival."
The clerk exclaimed in surprise, "Sir, the Double Ninth Festival is still more than ten days away. Why are you going to avoid it for so long? You are a fifth-rank official in the Court of State Ceremonial. Even Viscount Wu Xiang might not dare to do anything to you."
Feng hope slammed the document in his hand on the ground and angrily shouted, "That damned bastard has gone mad! Does he have no regard for rules and etiquette? He dares to exchange a death for a beating in court, what wouldn't he dare to do? If he kills me, he can go and receive fifty strokes of the cane... He might be able to withstand it, but I'll lose my life!"
The clerk bent down and picked up the document: "You are a member of the Qi family, you can seek their protection."
Feng hope sneered: "The Qi family... do you think the Qi family is a savior? Compared to the Qi family, what is Chen Ji?"
The minor official dared not respond.
Feng hope, the Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, narrowed his eyes: "But madmen also have their downsides. No one wants to be friends with a madman, lest they be implicated and burned by him. The Chen family has already cut ties with him, and the Qi family has lost face because of him. Even His Majesty will not give important positions to an uncontrollable madman. He can be arrogant for a while, but he won't be arrogant for long."
The clerk chimed in, "What you say is true, sir... but sir, weren't you going to Changping? Why did you tell everyone you were going to Langfang? He wouldn't have chased you out of the city."
Feng hope had already changed into a worn gray cotton robe behind the screen. Upon hearing this, he turned around abruptly: "You know nothing! I have a long-standing grudge against Chen Ji. When he first arrived in the capital, I placed him at the end of the procession. Later, when he returned from Changping to welcome Princess Liyang, I prevented him from carrying the coffin of the Imperial Guard through Anding Gate. He held a grudge against me then, and now that he's gone mad, how could he let me go? I absolutely cannot let him know where I went."
This Feng hope was formerly the Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial outside Changping Post Station. Now, thanks to the peace talks with the Jing Dynasty, he has been promoted to the position of Junior Minister.
Feng hope opened the door to the study, looked around, and seeing that no one was around, quietly walked towards the back gate of the Court of State Ceremonial.
But as soon as he opened the door, he saw two men standing at the back door.
Feng hope's expression changed, and he took two steps back: "Who are you people?"
The two men clasped their hands in greeting and asked, "We are servants of the Qi family. Where is Lord Feng going? May we escort you?"
Terrified, Feng hope retreated to the Honglu Temple office, stumbled back to his private quarters, and locked the door tightly. (End of Chapter)