There were several censors at Fan Taihe’s bedside.
Hearing what Fan Taihe said, one of the censors spoke.
“Let Lord Fan set his mind at rest. Lord Zhang and the others have gone to the Ministry of Justice, and Lord Liu and the others have already gone to see His Majesty and beg him to punish Old General Chen severely.”
“At the morning court tomorrow we will certainly impeach Old General Chen.”
“A coarse soldier who knows nothing but his fists. We will make him pay for it this time.”
There was rancor in Fan Taihe’s eyes. “Tomorrow, have men carry this minister to court. This minister will not let the matter rest.”
They were still discussing how to impeach Old General Chen at the morning court when the steward’s voice came from the outer room. “Master, Ning Chen begs an audience.”
Fan Taihe and the rest gave a start in spite of themselves.
Ning Chen was here?
“What has he come for?”
One censor was alarmed. Could it be that beating Lord Fan in the hall of court had not worked off Ning Chen’s anger, and he had come to the house after him?
Fan Taihe laughed coldly. “What else? He has certainly come to plead for Old General Chen.”
“Old General Chen beat this minister to let off his anger for him… Ning Chen coming at a time like this must be to beg this minister’s pardon.”
The other censors nodded, one after another.
“Lord Fan is right. Ning Chen has certainly come to plead for Old General Chen.”
“Ning Chen is only a base commoner now. What is there to be afraid of?”
“Excellent. This is a good chance for us to humiliate him a little.”
There was something sly in Fan Taihe’s eyes. “Let him in.”
The steward answered and turned to go.
A quarter of an hour later the steward brought Ning Chen and Feng Qizheng in.
“Master. Ning Chen is here.”
There was still something sly in Fan Taihe’s eyes. “Have him kneel outside and wait.”
The other censors’ faces filled with pleasure at another man’s misfortune.
Ning Chen had no office and no post now. Let him kneel outside for an hour or two, and that would work off some of their anger.
But before they could enjoy it, Ning Chen paid no attention to the steward trying to stop him, lifted the curtain and walked in.
“Well now… all you experts are here.”
“Let me guess. You are hand in glove plotting how to attack Old General Chen at the morning court tomorrow? Or plotting how to humiliate me?”
The censors froze and glanced at one another, suspecting Ning Chen had heard what they said.
Ning Chen smiled evenly. “Don’t look so surprised. You good-for-nothings without the strength to truss a chicken have no other talents than that.”
The censors glared at him.
Ning Chen had lost his office and was a base commoner, and he still dared insult them.
Fan Taihe said furiously, “Ning Chen. This minister’s residence is not a place for you to throw your weight around.”
The censors chimed in at once.
“Ning Chen. Do you still think you are the glorious Idle Marquis of the Great Xuan?”
“A base commoner, and you dare not kneel when you see us. Do you acknowledge your crime?”
“Ning Chen, you have broken into Lord Fan’s residence, and you dare swagger and look down on everyone in it. By the law you should be beheaded.”
Ning Chen laughed in spite of himself.
“You experts do carry a fine weight of office… Ning here throws his weight around. Does he need to pick the place?”
“You want Ning here to kneel to you… Are you fit for it?”
As he said it Ning Chen strode forward, caught a censor by the head, and slammed it down on the low table beside him.
Thud!!!
The censor gave one scream, his eyes rolled up, and he dropped to the floor in a dead faint.
Ning Chen said mockingly, “A fine constitution. Down and asleep in one.”
The faces of the other censors went white, and they staggered backward.
“Ning Chen. What do you think you are doing?”
“You dare commit violence in Lord Fan’s own residence. This time not even His Majesty can shield you.”
“We will go to His Majesty and accuse you, and nothing will stop us. You have no office and no post now. You are a dead man.”
The censors shouted it, their voices trying to be fierce with nothing at all behind them.
Ning Chen smiled faintly and walked to the bedside.
Fan Taihe’s face filled with terror. “Ning Chen. What do you think you are doing? You are only a base commoner now. If you dare try anything, this minister will impeach you until your entire household goes to the sword.”
With contempt all over his face, Ning Chen reached out and took hold of Fan Taihe’s broken leg.
“Ahh—”
Fan Taihe let out a scream, shaking all over with the pain of it, with the tears coming out of his eyes.
“Ning Chen, don’t do anything rash—”
“Let Lord Fan go at once, or this minister will have you punished according to the law.”
“Breaking into a residence, striking a great officer of the court, several crimes punished together. Are you not afraid to die?”
The censors shouted it, terror all over their faces.
Ning Chen gave a cold laugh, and far from letting go he bore down harder.
The tears ran down Fan Taihe’s face with the pain. “Ning Chen, you… what do you actually want?”
Ning Chen said, laughing, “Nothing at all. I have only come to look in on Lord Fan… Seeing Lord Fan half-dead has put my mind at rest.”
With that he finally let go, drew several sheets of paper out of his robe, and threw them in Fan Taihe’s face.
“First. Stop keeping your teeth in Old General Chen. If His Majesty asks, you say your injuries came from falling down.”
“Second. You are only a nothing, and killing you would not mean much… Tell the man behind you that Ning here has no office and no post now, and let him show his face, so that I can see which sort of immortal he is.”
“Third. If I hear tomorrow that anyone has impeached Old General Chen, these things will find their way in front of His Majesty.”
“Fourth. Lord Fan should look after his injuries. No need to see me out… I had almost forgotten. In the state you are in you could hardly see me out anyway.”
When he had said it, Ning Chen turned and left with Feng Qizheng.
Seeing Ning Chen go, Fan Taihe could not hold back a roar. “You dare commit violence in this minister’s residence. This minister will go to His Majesty and impeach you… Ning Chen, you are a dead man. This minister will have you dead with nowhere left to bury you.”
The censors chimed in one after another, saying that at the morning court tomorrow they would certainly impeach Ning Chen.
When he had grown a little calmer, Fan Taihe picked up the thing Ning Chen had thrown in his face and opened it, and his face went white in an instant, as though five thunderbolts had come down on his head. The world went black in front of him and he very nearly fainted away.
Seeing the terror in Fan Taihe’s eyes and how he shook, the censors looked at one another, curious about what was written on those sheets.
“Lord Fan. Are you all right?”
Fan Taihe came to himself with a start and shouted in a panic, “Quickly. Quickly, call all the others back… The injuries on this minister came from falling down. They have nothing to do with Old General Chen.”
“Hurry… If anyone dares impeach Old General Chen again, this minister will have him dead with nowhere left to bury him.”
“Ning Chen. What was it you threw in Fan Taihe’s face?”
On the road to the Ministry of Justice, Feng Qizheng could not hold in his curiosity.
Ning Chen gave a slight smile. “The evidence of Fan Taihe’s graft and bribe-taking and filling his own purse.”
The evidence had come to him from Silence.
Feng Qizheng was astonished. “The old bastard has ruined you utterly. Why not hand this evidence straight to His Majesty?”
Ning Chen smiled. “Fan Taihe is only a piece on the board. Dealing with him is no use… The one who is really to be feared is the man behind him.”
“The man behind Fan Taihe is hidden very deep, and his methods are ruthless enough… An open spear is easy to dodge and a hidden arrow is hard to guard against. What I want is to find the man. As for Fan Taihe, when the time comes he can be swept up with the grass while I am after the rabbit.”
Feng Qizheng still did not follow. “Then why not use this evidence to force Fan Taihe to say who is behind him?”
(End of Chapter 378)