The next day, the morning court.
The Xuan Emperor sat high on the dragon throne.
The ministers knelt.
“Your subjects greet Your Majesty! May Your Majesty be in health!”
The Xuan Emperor raised a hand. “Rise. No ceremony.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty!”
The ministers got to their feet, and could not stop themselves from looking toward Ning Chen.
Those who were well informed had known for some time that Ning Chen was back from Wu, and that he had taken men and ransacked Li Hongzhuo’s residence the night before.
Those who were out of the loop stared at Ning Chen in surprise, learning only now that he was back from the mission to Wu.
The Xuan Emperor spoke. “A piece of good news for you all, beloved ministers. The talks with the Wu Kingdom have succeeded!”
The ministers looked at one another.
Was that not what everyone had expected?
Quite a few of them looked sideways at Ning Chen, envious and jealous and hateful about it. The boy had picked up another enormous piece of luck and another great merit.
“Congratulations, Your Majesty! Our felicitations, Your Majesty!”
The ministers cried it out in one voice.
The Xuan Emperor said flatly, “But there is something that has made this emperor very angry… Beloved ministers, you will not yet know that Li Hongzhuo died in Wu.”
Li Hongzhuo was dead?
The whole court, civil and military, boiled over at once.
A censor stepped out and bowed. “Your subject makes bold to ask Your Majesty — how did Lord Li Hongzhuo die?”
The Xuan Emperor gave a cold snort. “Killed by the Prince Regent of Wu.”
The officials began whispering among themselves.
The Wu Prince Regent had killed Li Hongzhuo — so why was His Majesty saying the talks had succeeded?
“Your Majesty, your subject rises to impeach Marquis Ning… The marquis led these talks, and yet he let the President of the Secretariat meet a violent death in a foreign kingdom. The marquis could hardly escape the blame.”
A censor had stepped out.
“Your Majesty, the marquis was head of the embassy and had the duty of protecting it. Instead he let the President of the Secretariat die a stranger’s death in a foreign kingdom. It should never have happened.”
“Your Majesty, the President of the Secretariat was killed and the marquis failed to protect him. That is a grave dereliction and must be severely punished.”
“Your subject seconds it!”
“Your subject seconds it too!”
A whole group of censors leaped out and began attacking Ning Chen.
This time there was some private grudge mixed into it.
The talks had been proposed by Wu itself, so the odds of success were high; whoever had been sent would have pulled them off.
A merit that size was as good as a gift.
But the chance had fallen to Ning Chen, and they felt he had stolen it from them.
The Xuan Emperor watched them coldly. “Do you know what happened? And here you are, hopping up and down about it?”
The words had barely left the Xuan Emperor when Ning Chen came out of the ranks and bowed. “Your Majesty, your subject rises to impeach Li Hongzhuo, President of the Secretariat. It has now been established that Li Hongzhuo was long in league with the Wu Prince Regent, dealing with the enemy and betraying his country.”
The whole court was stunned.
Li Hongzhuo, dealing with the enemy and betraying the country?
Before they could recover, Ning Chen went on. “Your Majesty, your subject also rises to impeach these lords. Li Hongzhuo dealt with the enemy and betrayed his country, and these lords have been hopping up and down to attack your subject. They must be Li Hongzhuo’s accomplices. Your subject asks for a full investigation of them.”
At that, the censors who had just been attacking Ning Chen went white, and cold sweat broke out on their foreheads.
Once that hat was on their heads — dealing with the enemy, betraying the country — they would die badly. It was a crime punishable to the ninth degree of kin.
Shen Min came out of the ranks now and bowed his head. “Your Majesty, your subject also rises to impeach these lords. They have some dark design, and it is entirely possible they are Li Hongzhuo’s accomplices.”
“Your subject went to Wu on Your Majesty’s command. The Wu Prince Regent rebelled and set out to wreck the talks. First he killed Li Hongzhuo, and then he meant to kill the marquis and the rest of us.”
“The Wu Prince Regent came after us with five thousand armored horsemen. The marquis fought to the death to protect us, and at the very last, from a hopeless position, he turned and killed him. That is the only reason your subject is standing before Your Majesty.”
“And it was the marquis who then risked his life to negotiate with the woman emperor of Wu, which is how the talks went on and how they succeeded… so that the two kingdoms will not raise arms against each other again.”
“The woman emperor of Wu has given her word that as long as she sits on the throne she will never send troops against Great Xuan… The marquis brought these talks about with his own life, and that service will stand for a thousand years.”
“And now he is attacked by treacherous little men. May Your Majesty issue an edict and deal with them severely.”
The censors who had attacked Ning Chen were white as paper, and beads of sweat the size of peas stood out on their foreheads.
Ning Chen glanced at the censors and suspected somebody was directing them from behind.
Just then the Minister of Revenue stepped forward. “Your Majesty, there is one thing your subject does not understand. A moment ago the marquis said Lord Li Hongzhuo was in league with the Wu Prince Regent, and now he says Lord Li Hongzhuo was killed by the Wu Prince Regent. Does that not contradict itself?”
The officials nodded, one after another. That did not add up.
The Xuan Emperor looked at Ning Chen.
Ning Chen said, “Your Majesty, your subject has indeed not yet established why the Wu Prince Regent killed Li Hongzhuo.”
“But your subject’s guess comes down to two things. First, they fell out over how something was divided between them. Second, Li Hongzhuo was Great Xuan’s President of the Secretariat, high in rank and heavy in power, and killing him was certain to wreck the talks between the two kingdoms.”
The Minister of Revenue came straight back. “Now I understand the marquis even less. Lord Li Hongzhuo was high in rank and heavy in power, and killing him would certainly wreck the talks… but would killing the marquis not have served better still?”
“Han Zhengqing, you presume. What do you mean by that? Are you wishing the marquis dead?”
Shen Min had stepped out to rebuke him.
Ning Chen narrowed his eyes at Han Zhengqing. The man was the newly appointed Minister of Revenue, and there was nothing between them either way.
Strictly speaking, Ning Chen had done him a favor.
If it had not been for Ning Chen, the last Minister of Revenue would not have been stripped of his post by the Xuan Emperor, and Han Zhengqing would never have had the chance to sit in it.
For Han Zhengqing to jump out and attack him now, somebody was almost certainly directing him.
And whoever was directing Han Zhengqing would be the man behind Li Hongzhuo.
Even the Xuan Emperor frowned at what Han Zhengqing had said, and his face showed his displeasure.
Han Zhengqing turned to Ning Chen and bowed with his hands together. “Let the marquis not be angry. This official only said aloud the question in his own mind, and he is sure the same doubt is in the minds of the other lords.”
Ning Chen looked at him and said coolly, “Lord Han, tell me. Is it easier to kill Li Hongzhuo, a civil official without the strength to truss a chicken, or a man like this marquis, who has crossed and recrossed the battlefield?”
Han Zhengqing’s expression froze.
Ning Chen gave a cold snort. “Lord Shen has just told you the Wu Prince Regent came after us with five thousand armored horsemen… And you can still stand there and ask why he did not kill this marquis? What a stupid question.”
“It is not that the Wu Prince Regent did not want to kill me. He did not have it in him… Is this marquis so easy to kill? He came after us with five thousand armored horsemen, and in the end, from a hopeless position, this marquis turned and killed him.”
“So was it that he did not want to kill me? He simply was not equal to it.”
“Lord Han is Minister of Revenue and has charge of the money and grain of the realm… But judging by this, this marquis has to wonder whether you are equal to the post you hold.”
Han Zhengqing went white, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
He had set out to find fault with Ning Chen, and instead the tables were turned on him.
He stole a glance at the Xuan Emperor and his heart dropped. His Majesty was looking at him with suspicion and distaste.
Now he was in trouble. With His Majesty’s suspicion on him, his seat as Minister of Revenue was no longer steady, and he had to find a way to repair it, fast.
“My lord marquis, this official only asked the doubt in his own mind. He meant nothing against the marquis… Must the marquis press him so hard?”
“If Lord Li Hongzhuo is to be called a man who dealt with the enemy and betrayed his country, there must be hard evidence for it… An empty mouth and white teeth will hardly convince anyone.”
Ning Chen smiled coldly. “By your tone, you seem sure this marquis cannot produce any.”
“Lord Han speaks up again and again for a man who sold his country. It seems you and Li Hongzhuo were the closest of friends?”
Han Zhengqing went ashen. Every word Ning Chen spoke was a knife, and every sentence went straight in… The man was holding a chamber pot of shit over his head and tipping it.
From the look on the Xuan Emperor’s face, if he could not explain himself clearly, his days as Minister of Revenue were about to end.
He was desperate to explain, but Ning Chen gave him no chance to speak at all and got in first. “Lord Han wants evidence. This marquis will give him evidence.”
As he said it, he drew several letters out of his robe.
(End of Chapter 363)