Chapter 612
Rehabilitation
With his hands bound by iron shackles and filled with countless questions, Chen Ji followed Wu Xiu through the long, dark tunnel.
He watched the figure in the black python robe walk straight ahead, the golden python on the robe resembling a dragon with four claws. The sea beneath the golden python swirled with rocks and treasures, symbolizing a person of the highest rank.
In that story from the Lantern Festival thirty-one years ago, Wu Xiu was the most useless fifth son, a child who would wet his pants in fear if caught by the palace guards.
And now, that little boy who used to wet his pants has grown up.
Before leaving the Ministry of Justice prison, Wu Xiu suddenly stopped and looked back.
Chen Ji saw the prison warden push open the cell door, and light shone through the crack in the door onto Wu Xiu's back, obscuring the expression on Wu Xiu's face in shadow: "Young man, be careful."
The traces remain unclear.
Wu Xiu smiled, turned around, and stepped out of the prison gate.
Outside the gate was the backyard of the Ministry of Justice. Passing through the backyard and around a screen wall, a sudden clamor rushed towards us.
Countless voices buzzed, like a pot of boiling water, bubbling and churning.
The sounds were a jumble of spitting, stomping, coughing, children crying, and adults scolding; nothing could be clearly heard, everything was mixed together.
Chen Ji paused for a moment.
Wu Xiu said without turning her head, "The joint trial by the three judicial departments is always so lively, you'll get used to it."
Chen Ji did not answer.
After passing the screen wall, the view suddenly opened up before us.
The courtyard in front of the Ministry of Justice was packed with people. There were at least three or four hundred people, crowding from the courtyard gate all the way to the steps of the main hall.
There were porters in short tunics, scholars in long gowns, young wives carrying baskets, and peddlers carrying shoulder poles. Some people were tiptoeing forward, while others were clinging to the shoulders of the person in front of them.
"They're out! They're out!"
"Is that Wu Xiu wearing the python robe?"
"The Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, the head of the eunuch faction!"
"Why is he wearing a python robe? Shouldn't he be wearing prison clothes?"
"What do you know? They haven't been convicted yet."
"How did they get arrested if they weren't convicted?"
The sounds surged in from all directions like a tide. Some pushed forward, trying to get a better look. Some pointed and whispered, some simply yelled and cursed.
Wu Xiu continued walking, seemingly oblivious, as if she hadn't heard anything.
After Wu Xiu walked past, the crowd's eyes fell on Chen Ji again.
"That's the remnant?"
"Yes, the one who went to the Jiaofangsi to buy Princess Baili."
"Where is Princess Baili?"
"I heard they ran away with the Grand Canal Gang."
"That's hilarious! They spent so much money, and the person just ran away!"
The Ministry of Justice deliberately arranged for the two men to walk through the crowd, enduring insults, which was tantamount to being paraded through the streets. The crowd parted in front of them, and then closed in behind them after they crossed the threshold of the Ministry of Justice's main hall.
The Minister of Justice slammed his gavel: "Silence!"
Two rows of yamen runners slammed their water and fire sticks on the ground, and the people outside the threshold immediately quieted down.
Only Wu Xiu stood side by side with Chen Ji, and whispered to Chen Ji, "His Majesty's clapper is called 'Suppressing Mountains and Rivers,' the prince's is called 'Suppressing the Temple,' the official's clapper is called 'Striking the Court,' the military general's is called 'Startling the Tiger's Gall,' and the storyteller's is called 'Awakening Wood.' Isn't that interesting?"
Chen Ji was surprised that the other party still had the mind to chat even after arriving here.
For some reason, he saw the shadow of an old friend in Wu Xiu, but for a moment he couldn't remember who the person resembled.
Wu Xiu coughed and reminded them, "Court is now in session."
Chen Ji looked up and saw three official desks placed side by side in front of him. The Minister of Justice, the Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review, and the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief were sitting there, while Chen Lizun could only stand to the side like a yamen runner, without even a chair.
The Minister of Justice asked loudly, "Who is there in the hall?"
Wu Xiu raised his head and said, "I am Wu Xiu, the Grand Master of Ceremonial."
Chen Ji calmly replied, "Viscount Wu Xiang, Chen Ji."
The Minister of Justice's gaze fell on Wu Xiu, and he said in a deep voice, "Wu Xiu, do you know your crime?"
With his hands behind his back, Wu Xiu arrogantly asked, "What crime have I committed?"
The Minister of Justice announced loudly, "Criminal Wu Xiu, do you know Lin Chaoqing, a spy from the Jing Dynasty's Military Intelligence Bureau?"
Wu Xiu casually replied, "I recognize him. He was castrated in his early years and entered the Imperial Horse Administration. Later, he was transferred to the Jinling Jiefan Guard and rose from a junior officer to a commander."
The Minister of Justice asked again, "How did this person become the Commander of the Capital's Jie Fan Guard?"
Wu Xiu replied frankly, "I transferred this person from Luoyang to the capital and promoted him to Commander of the Jiefan Guard, in charge of the inner palace. The promotion documents and approval documents are all sealed in the Jiefan Tower."
The Minister of Justice and the Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review exchanged a glance. They had originally thought that Wu Xiu would try every means to shirk responsibility after Lin Chaoqing's incident, but they did not expect him to admit it so easily.
As a result, the backup plans they had prepared could not be used.
The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review pondered for a moment: "Let me ask you, when you transferred this person, did you know that he was a spy for the Jing Dynasty?"
The main hall of the Ministry of Justice fell silent.
A large crowd gathered outside the courtroom to hear the trial. Today, Wu Xiu was to be convicted. Even with testimonies and witnesses in hand, the three judicial departments had to be extremely careful in their probing. The Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review's question directly implicated Wu Xiu in collusion with the Jing Dynasty. Once Wu Xiu denied it, they would reveal their cards one by one to secure his conviction.
Everyone looked at Wu Xiu, even Chen Ji turned his gaze to her. He knew that Wu Xiu had no connection with Lin Chaoqing, otherwise why would the Jing Dynasty's military intelligence department be unable to obtain the Ning Dynasty's firearms formula?
However, at that moment, Wu Xiu paused for a moment and then said, "I know."
The crowd outside the hall suddenly erupted in shouts: "Castrate the dog!"
"The eunuch faction is ruining the country!"
"You scoundrel!"
"Don't die!"
The Minister of Justice and the Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review looked at each other in bewilderment.
They had prepared numerous fabricated charges and never expected Wu Xiu to confess. As a result, they were momentarily at a loss for what to ask next.
Wu Xiu suddenly smiled and said, "Gentlemen, shall we continue with the questions?"
The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review quickly leaned forward and asked urgently, "When did you learn of his identity?"
Wu Xiu softened his voice, carefully choosing his words: "In the spring of the thirteenth year of the Jianing era, I accompanied His Majesty on his southern tour and happened to meet Lin Chaoqing. At that time, he was just a centurion of the Jiefan Guard."
The Minister of Justice frowned and asked, "How did you know he was a spy for the Jing Dynasty?"
Wu Xiu grinned and said, "He offered a thousand taels of gold, hoping I could bribe Wang Bao, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial."
The Minister of Justice paused, realizing the situation was spiraling out of control. They had only intended to frame Wu Xiu, so how had they gotten involved with Wang Bao? "Why bribe Wang Bao?"
Wu Xiu thought for a moment: "Bribe Wang Bao and frame Qing Wentao, the general of the border army in Guyuan."
Chen Ji suddenly looked at Wu Xiu.
Now that Si Cao Ding Lin Chaoqing has escaped, there is no possibility of redressing Qing Wentao's injustice from back then, and even the lights have been turned off.
But today, Wu Xiu brought up the old matter again, actually wanting to use his own life and fortune to clear Qing Wentao's name.
Wait a minute, is this a deal between the Directorate of Ceremonial and the Lantern Bureau? The Directorate of Ceremonial paid such a high price, what does it want from the Lantern Bureau in return?
No, it wasn't just Deng Huo who wanted to exonerate Qing Wentao; the border troops of Guyuan also wanted to.
The crowd outside the hall fell silent for a moment, then erupted in a fierce chorus of curses: "I knew General Wentao was framed! General Wentao is a thorn in the side of the Jing Dynasty's Tiance Army. Back then, the court said he was colluding with the Jing Dynasty, and there were suspicious points everywhere!"
"You scoundrel, you've actually framed General Wentao!"
The Minister of Justice slammed his gavel: "Silence! Wu Xiu, do you know what you're saying? I'm asking you to talk about your own affairs, why are you dragging Qing Wentao into this?"
The Minister of Justice learned of the Qing Wentao case.
That year, he was already a fifth-rank official in the Ministry of Justice. When Qing Wentao was convicted, it was a joint trial by the three judicial departments. Qing Wentao knelt in the spot where Wu Xiu was standing.
The key point is that he was in charge of the evidence investigation, document organization, and case file finalization in the Qing Wentao case. If the Qing Wentao case is overturned, he will be the first to be implicated.
Wu Xiu looked slightly puzzled: "Does Your Excellency not wish to exonerate General Wen Tao?"
The Minister of Justice was deeply troubled and remained silent for a long time.
A moment later, Zheng Zhixian, the Minister of Justice, asked in a ferocious voice, "How did you frame Qing Wentao?"
Wu Xiu thought for a moment: "Forged documents between Qing Wentao and Jing Chao's spies on the enemy. The first letter leaked the defense of the Guyuan border army, and the second letter leaked the arrival time of the Guyuan border army's grain and fodder, causing Jing Chao's spies to ambush in Tianshui County in advance and burn 1,200 shi of grain and fodder in the chaos."
At this point, he chuckled and said, "Clearly, there isn't a single word on either letter that belongs to Qing Wentao, yet someone, in order to gain merit, convicted Qing Wentao based solely on two forged letters... Oh, I found rubbings of these two letters at the post station in the capital. I originally intended to destroy them, but I didn't expect them to come in handy."
Wu Xiu took a thin envelope from her sleeve and threw it on the floor.
The Minister of Justice slumped back, slumped, and said, "Why...why did you take the blame? When Qing Wentao had his accident, you were just a minor official in the palace. You had no right to get involved in such a big matter, and you didn't have the opportunity to contact Wang Bao."
Wu Xiu said "Oh," and then asked, "Why is Your Excellency so reluctant to exonerate General Wentao? Could it be that you are also a colleague of mine in the Military Intelligence Bureau?"
The Minister of Justice was speechless: "You..."
At this moment, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review whispered a reminder from the side: "Your Excellency, the overall situation is of utmost importance. Since Wu Xiu has publicly admitted to this matter, it is better to avoid any unforeseen complications. Quickly convict him and imprison him to prevent further trouble. As for your merits and demerits, we will report to the Grand Secretary later."
The Minister of Justice pondered for a moment, then immediately raised his gavel: "The culprit, Wu Xiu, has confessed without hesitation..."
"Wait a minute," Wu Xiu said with a smile, his hands behind his back. "I haven't finished yet. After colluding with the Jing Dynasty for so many years, it would be a waste of your talents to do only this one thing."
The Minister of Justice paused in mid-air, his hand holding the gavel, and frowned: "What else is there?"
Wu Xiu recalled: "Last winter, the Liu family plotted a rebellion. I instigated Lin Chaoqing of the Jiefan Guard to frame Wen Yunmo, a concubine of Prince Jing, in order to frame Prince Jing for treason."
The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review and the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief changed their expressions. The case of Prince Jing's treason lacked evidence and the testimony of Consort Yun. They had pieced together some dubious evidence to convict Prince Jing.
Chen Ji stared blankly at Wu Xiu beside him.
That's their real goal.
The anniversary of Prince Jing's death is approaching. Some people cannot bear to see their elder brother, who taught them to read and write, suffer injustice and humiliation. They also cannot bear to see the person who pulled out his hairpin to exchange for mutton buns not even have a grave or tombstone. Furthermore, they cannot bear to see that person recorded in history as a traitor.
They were to exonerate Prince Jing in front of everyone during the joint trial by the three judicial departments.
Prince Jing, through his own death, dragged down the Three Judicial Offices that had been hindering Emperor Ning for many years.
When Chen Ji looked at Wu Xiu, Wu Xiu turned his head and winked at him, a smile in her eyes.
Chen Ji suddenly remembered who the other person resembled: somewhat like Prince Jing, and somewhat like Feng Wenzheng.
For some reason, he felt as if the other person was standing under the lanterns that filled the streets on the Lantern Festival that day—rabbit lanterns, lotus lanterns, carp lanterns, and revolving lanterns, one after another, hanging from one end of the street to the other.
Standing amidst the fireworks, a fireball was launched, and with a bang, it exploded into a flower—red, green, and gold—illuminating the sky.
Several stilt walkers, dressed in theatrical costumes and with painted faces, walked steadily over their heads. Behind them followed lion dancers, the lion's head swaying and its eyes blinking.
This time, however, the other person was no longer the child who would wet their pants in fear. (End of Chapter)