Green Mountain-Chapter 700 - 556: Trial Before the Imperial Court

Chen Ji sat quietly, waiting for dawn, until the sound of a rooster crowing echoed.

The Chen family on Fuyou Street bustled with activity; maids carried copper basins through the corridor, drivers groomed manes in front of the stables, and the sound of water and whispers dampened the blue stone slabs.

Chen Ji finally awaited this moment. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

He stood up, smoothed the creases in his large red official uniform, and instructed Wu Yun, "You stay home and rest. Whether the princess can be rescued will be decided today."

Wu Yun meowed, "Good luck with swift results!"

Chen Ji laughed and said, "That's not how the saying goes; it should be 'victory upon setting out.'"

Wu Yun dismissively added, "Then achieve no victory upon setting out, and use swift results!"

Chen Ji patted Wu Yun's head, "Makes sense, I'm off."

He didn't call for a horse or take a carriage, choosing to walk alone into the gradually brightening streets.

A ruffian at the Red Gate slung a cloth package over his shoulder, selling the Capital Morning News to passersby with a crisp voice, "Morning News! Last night, the Gang Leader of the Cao Guild, Han Tong, was captured and brought to justice!"

Since the Capital Morning News introduced sections on life's events and economics, the flowery and poetic creations from Wenyuan Bookstore no longer sold, reverting to classical doctrines and storytelling.

Currently, there's only one newspaper office in the capital, with no others.

A sedan chair covered with white muslin stopped in front of the ruffian. A withered hand extended from the curtain, taking the newspaper and suddenly asking, "Is there any mention of the Marquis of Wuxiang in the paper?"

The newsboy was momentarily stunned, "Guest, he was not mentioned."

The sedan curtain dropped again, and there was no further movement.

Chen Ji's footsteps remained steady as he approached a steaming wonton stall ahead. Several men in short jackets leaned in quietly, "Have you heard? Han Tong was taken down by the Eunuch Party; many people in the Eight Great Hutongs saw it firsthand."

"Nonsense! The Eight Great Hutongs have long been sealed; nowadays, only the Imperial Music Bureau dares to sell prisoners, and they don't even dare to perform drama. Doctor Liu from the Ministry of Industry had secretly hired an official to sing just a few days ago, but was accused by his own maid to the authorities, and his whole family was exiled to Lingnan that night."

"Why did the maid accuse her master?"

"He took advantage of her but didn't give her a proper status, leaving her with no way out..."

The news of the Cao Guild leader's arrest spread overnight, becoming known throughout the city.

When Chen Ji arrived at the Imperial Palace Gate, the area outside was already crowded with officials in red and blue robes, murmuring among themselves.

As he approached, the murmurs paused for a moment, then resumed, with words like "collusion," "Eunuch Party," and "disgrace" occasionally reaching his ears.

Chen Ji ignored them, keeping his gaze fixed on the vermillion Imperial Palace Gate, its golden studs, and beast heads gripping rings.

Not until Official Chen descended from the carriage did the uproar diminish, but today he said nothing to Chen Ji, leisurely passing by and standing at the front of the officials.

At that moment, the sound of chains scraping the ground was heard.

The officials turned to see the Spy Department escorting a stumbling Han Tong, and at the same time, a eunuch's sharp announcement rang out from Yanchi Building: "Summon, Minister of Rites Qi Xun, Minister of Revenue Chen Luchi, Minister of War Hu Chengda, Minister of Personnel Zhang Zhuo... Marquis of Wuxiang, Chen Ji!"

The eunuch recited dozens of titles and names before drawing out in a long tone: "Audience with the Emperor!"

The Imperial Palace Gate opened at its center with three openings, flanked by two side gates known colloquially as "Three Bright and Five Hidden."

Entering the palace, civil servants used the left side gate, while military officials, Jiefan Guards, and spies used the right side gate; only the Emperor and Princes could pass through the central opening.

As the officials prepared to pass through the Imperial Palace Gate, Official Chen suddenly turned to Chen Ji, saying lightly, "Some always say that civil officials and military officials don't get along, and factionalism harms the country. Yet the palace rules clearly remind us of the difference between civil and military, which require separate paths. Civil officials should obediently use the left gate, and military officials the right gate, otherwise they risk imperial punishment or exile... Chen Ji, will you use the left gate or the right gate?"

Everyone looked towards Chen Ji.

Official Chen's seemingly light words carried a weighty decision.

The next moment, Chen Ji headed for the right gate, while Official Chen lowered his eyes and leisurely entered the left gate.

...

...

In front of Renshou Palace, Han Tong was held near the Filial Piety and Brotherly Love Stele by the Spy Department.

Jin Zhu and Heavenly Horse stood on either side to prevent Han Tong from suddenly acting violently. Bai Long kept his hands tucked in his sleeves as he rested quietly; the long unseen Meng Ji, dressed in an official uniform today, stood silently, devoid of past madness.

Cabinet ministers and assistant officials waited outside Renshou Palace for the Emperor's edict, until Wu Xiu stepped out over the threshold and loudly declared, "His Majesty has decreed that any official connected to the Cao Guild should report now for lenient treatment."

The officials looked at each other, but no one responded.

After a long while, Wu Xiu's gaze scanned the officials' faces one by one, then he said to Meng Ji, "Interrogate!"

The Heavenly Horse pressed Han Tong to kneel on the ground, while Meng Ji sat cross-legged across from him and took a piece of yellow talisman paper from his bosom.

In the next moment, Meng Ji used his thumb's fingernail to cut his brow and used the fresh blood from his brow to write and draw on the talisman paper, finally wrapping a lock of Han Tong's hair with it and swallowing it.

In an instant, Meng Ji's pupils rolled upward, leaving only the whites of his eyes visible.

Contrary to usual, this time tears of blood flowed from the corners of Meng Ji's eyes. The cost of interrogating Han Tong was greater than imagined.

Meng Ji started straightforwardly: "Where is the account book of the Cao Guild?"

Han Tong replied: "Behind the Buddha statue in Funing Temple in Chongnan Fang, Imperial Capital."

Wu Xiu signaled to the Jiefan Guard, and immediately ten Jiefan Guards received orders and went off; this time, it was to interrogate publicly and search on the spot.

Blood also flowed from Meng Ji's nose, yet he calmly continued to ask, "Speak of your treasonous acts one by one."

Han Tong answered: "On Chen Lizhi's instructions, selected two troops of Five Mad Soldiers to assassinate Marquis Chen Ji at the Xiangshan Spring Hunt..."

All the officials suddenly looked at Chen Ji, but Chen Ji's expression remained calm, as if not surprised.

Aunt Ping had previously told him that after Tomb Dog obtained twelve volumes of ancient texts from the western suburbs of Changsha Prefecture, he fled to Jinling, where he released the summary of the first three volumes to distract pursuers and escaped with the remaining nine volumes to Yangzhou, where a Hidden Python Sect Executive Officer intercepted him. Since then, the whereabouts of the nine volumes have been unknown.

Those nine volumes included records on the ritual sacrifice method to support the Five Mad Soldiers. From that moment on, Chen Ji knew the remaining nine volumes were likely in Han Tong's hands.

And the surrounding kill during the Xiangshan Spring Hunt couldn't be without Han Tong's craftiness. Those Death Soldiers who besieged him all came from the porters.

Blood had already stained the chest patch on Meng Ji's robe, yet he remained seated steadily, in a determined demeanor, continuing to pressure: "Besides assassinating court nobles, has the Cao Guild committed any other crimes that harm the country and its people?"

Han Tong's eyeballs trembled under his eyelids, as if resisting some invisible force, but eventually spoke hoarsely: "Yes."

Blood began to seep from all seven orifices of Meng Ji: "Speak!"

Han Tong's voice was hollow, word by word, yet turned all the officials' expressions pale before Renshou Palace: "In the 7th Year of Jianing, to monopolize the Beijing-Hangzhou canal transport, sunk nine competing merchant ships at Xuzhou segment, drowning 147 ship workers, merchants, and family members, bribed the River Patrol Imperial Censor Yang Zhong, faked it as a reef accident."

"In the 9th Year of Jianing, colluded with Cao Biao and Wang Yaoxian, privately trafficked banned iron, sulfur with the Jing Dynasty, exchanged for mink fur and ginseng, smuggled into the Imperial Capital using official ships, over five years, trafficked altogether 38,000 jin of iron, 5,000 jin of sulfur."

"In the 11th Year of Jianing, together with Warehouse Director Zhou Bing stole official grain, to cover up deficits, set fire to burn Tongzhou's West Warehouse, destroyed 80,000 shi of stored grain, and falsely accused Warehouse Envoy, resulting in execution of their entire family."

"In the 11th Year of Jianing, together with Yancao Chief Zhang Wei, mixed gravel and moldy rice into court's relief grain for the Lianghuai flooding, deducted 40,000 shi of grain and rice, sold it on the black market."

Someone suddenly gritted their teeth and said: "I know of this matter, that year I served as Assistant Governor of Yangzhou, over a thousand disaster victims froze or starved to death post-winter!"

Beside him, Bai Long suddenly looked at him sharply and shouted: "Intentionally interrupting the interrogation, take him away, twenty imperial lashings!"

But Bai Long spoke too late, Han Tong was interrupted by the earlier voice, his entire body's veins protruded, his teeth clattering.

Meng Ji suddenly spewed a mouthful of blood, both he and Han Tong remained silent for a long time, seeming to struggle, until a breath later, Meng Ji inhaled sharply: "Speak!"

Han Tong tilted his head back, a confession burst from his throat: "In the 14th Year of Jianing..."

The faces of the officials grew increasingly grim, Han Tong reported in public more than twenty incidents, more than twenty names, leaving no room for maneuver.

The range of involvement, from the officials in the Imperial Capital to the South's lower clerks, from noble families to humble nine-grade households.

He just finished speaking about the 14th Year of Jianing, there's still 18 years left unsaid. If Han Tong continues to speak, the blade His Majesty strikes at Cao Yun, it might mean a mass confiscation and exile of thousands. Across a thousand years of the Ning Dynasty, only the Grand Ancestor's Blue Zheng rebellion case could compare.

Not letting Han Tong continue, a Minister of the Ministry of Rites suddenly knelt, faced Renshou Palace and shouted loudly: "Please, Your Majesty, discern clearly, this person's deceptive words confuse the public, falsely accuses court officials!"

Han Tong's confession ended abruptly at the 14th Year of Jianing, interrupted by this kneeling.

Renshou Palace's bells of Three Mountains rang, Wu Xiu quickly stepped into the palace, Emperor Ning sat behind a veil, on the throne, casually said: "Exile him to Lingnan."

Wu Xiu returned out of Renshou Palace, waved to the Jiefan Guard, and they immediately dragged the loudly shouting official out of the palace ban.

This official didn't even call out a single 'Untruthed.'

The bells of Three Mountains rang again within Renshou Palace, Wu Xiu entered for a moment, and when he emerged again, he declared loudly: "By His Majesty's oral decree, the Cao Guild's case involves many. The Minister of Personnel Zhang Zhuo is ordered from this day to work with the Three Judicial Departments, Jiefan Guard to thoroughly investigate all related personnel over thirty years, ensuring no errors."

Zhang Zhuo bowed: "I, obey the decree."

Wu Xiu continued: "Marquis Chen Ji's capture of gang leader Han Tong is meritorious, his loyalty is commendable. Bestow the title of Duke Zhongyong Wuxiang, increase annual salary by 200 shi."

Murmurs arose in the crowd, it's been so little time, Chen Ji is promoted again.

Not allowing them to think further, Wu Xiu continued: "Bestow upon Duke Wu Xiang the Imperial Walking Teeth Card, with this card, he may enter the Imperial Palace post-locking through West Gate to report matters. Grant one hundred gold taels, thousand silver taels, a residence outside East Gate, ten fine horses from the Imperial Stables."

A continuous stream of rewards quickly followed, officials exchanged looks, Chen Ji resides at Fu You Street Chen Family, what was the purpose of granting a residence outside East Gate by His Majesty.

At this moment, Meng Ji, who had been quiet for a while, suddenly inhaled long like a flickering light: "Han Tong, what is your relationship with Princess Bai Li!"