Green Mountain-Chapter 707 - 563: Acknowledging Wrongdoing but Refusing to Change

First day.

As the rooster crowed, Chen Ji slowly got up.

Looking around at the unfamiliar surroundings, he paused for two seconds before remembering that he had left the Fu You Street Chen Family house last night, leading Xiao Man and the little monk to Shaojiu Alley at Eastern Hua Gate.

This was the new residence gifted by Emperor Ning yesterday, complete with a bed, bedding, tables, and chairs—all brand new items allocated from the Imperial Treasury.

The quilt cover was plain brocade of a rain-blue color, without embroidery. This color was the most exquisite dyeing method in the annual tribute from the Imperial Treasury, unattainable by the ordinary folks.

The table was made of old purple elm wood, with a dark purple close to black hue, no waist, no carvings, even the aprons were omitted, simply joined together with tenon joints.

Noble.

But such nobility was not ostentatious, it was a restrained undercurrent, not noticeable at first glance, but different in every detail upon closer inspection. It was unknown who used to live in this house, now gifted to him.

Chen Ji was about to dress when he found that his official uniform draped over the chair was nowhere to be seen, and there were whispers outside the room.

He opened the door, still in his undergarments, and saw a small courtyard where Xiao Man was ironing his official uniform with a long-handled copper kettle, while the little monk, bleary-eyed, was picking vegetables.

While ironing, Xiao Man complained, "Why have so many beans been plucked off? We're going to live on our own now, we need to be frugal."

The little monk responded helplessly, "You have so many industries in hand, why worry about such trivial matters?"

Xiao Man widened her eyes, "That silver is for important use, how could it be squandered... Master, you're awake."

Leaning against the doorframe, Chen Ji curiously asked, "Why are you up so early today?"

With a smile, Xiao Man answered, "I'm ironing clothes for you. Aunt taught me that before doing great things, one should tidy oneself up first; when you're dressed smartly, others think you're composed and competent, trusting you a bit more in everything."

Chen Ji chuckled and asked, "What else did Aunt say?"

Xiao Man skillfully ran the copper iron along the shoulder line of the bright red official uniform, "Aunt also said clothes are both armor and flags. Dressing well boosts your courage and tells opponents you're serious. Master, doing extraordinary things requires proper attire to show the world you are lawful, not reckless."

Chen Ji laughed, "Such attention to detail?"

The little monk set aside the picked beans, "Master, though the Buddhist Sect talks about covering the body with robes, there are distinctions like tri-clothes, seven-clothes, nine-clothes, ancestral clothes, all bearing the Dharma's solemnity. When the World Honored sat and held the alms bowl, he entered the great city of Shravasti, perfectly dignified, instilling faith in all beings. Straight in form, straight in shadow; correct in appearance, calm inside—that's the reasoning."

Xiao Man lifted the neatly ironed official uniform with both hands, bringing it before Chen Ji and shaking it, letting the morning light unveil the golden-thread Qilin embroidery as if it were coming to life.

"Xiao Man," Chen Ji reached for the uniform, its fabric crisp and retaining the warmth of the iron.

"Hmm?"

"Aunt was right," he slowly donned the official robe, meticulously fastening each button, "one must be solemn these days."

Xiao Man discreetly observed his expression, "Master, I went to Chengtian Gate last night and saw those Imperial Censors still kneeling there, refusing to leave. Aunt mentioned that these Imperial Censors often use death to threaten; now that autumn is here, if a rain falls, someone might catch a cold and die before the Imperial Palace Gate, forcing His Majesty to punish you."

Chen Ji put on the official hat, "Understood."

Xiao Man handed over two notes, "Master, one just came from Brother Pao sent by Er Dao, and the other is from Sister Axia."

"Alright," Chen Ji took the notes, mounted his horse, and rode out.

Xiao Man called after him, "Master, eat before you go!"

Chen Ji mounted the horse, "No, I'm eager to attend to matters."

...

...

The day was gradually breaking, the fronts of government offices bustling with officials arriving for duty.

Outside the Meridian Gate, the palace lanterns burning through the night were extinguished one by one, the pale gray morning light illuminating the twenty-plus Imperial Censors kneeling there ever more distinctly.

The Imperial Censors resembled a row of eggplants wilted by the cold dew, many faces pale, barely able to hold themselves upright, yet stubbornly enduring.

Chen Ji rode his horse, not too fast, not too slow, reaching the edge of the square before the palace gate and pulling the reins. He did not dismount, but sat upright on horseback, gazing silently from a distance.

Wearing his new, sharply ironed official uniform with Qilin embroidery, the bold red of it stood out piercingly; upon hearing hoof beats, the Imperial Censors turned to see him.

Their fatigue vanished, their eyes fired mixed looks of resentment and anger, like arrows targeted at him. Had harsh glares the power to kill, Chen Ji would have been badly wounded.

Chen Ji seemed oblivious and approached the Imperial Palace Gate, dismounted, and knelt at the forefront of the Imperial Censors.

Upon this, it seemed he had led the Imperial Censors to kneel here.

A young Imperial Censor behind him rebuked, "Chen Ji, why do you kneel here? We kneel in silence for the nation's legal principles, how dare you, a lawless renegade, desecrate this!"

At once, curses followed, some even wishing to spit at Chen Ji, though their mouths were dry after a night of kneeling, no saliva left to spit.

Chen Ji paid no heed to them, instead loudly proclaiming to the Imperial Palace Gate, "Your servant, Chen Ji, due to investigating the corruption by the Yang Family yesterday, led to the demise of Yang Zhong. Though Yang Zhong deserved death, I acted rashly..."

The cursing behind him quieted down without knowing when, and dumbfounded, the Imperial Censors stared at his back, puzzled by this mad dog who violently hunted Yang Zhong yesterday, now suddenly so submissive.

Chen Ji continued, "I confess my guilt, guilty of treating laws as nothing, substituting national law with personal justice; guilty of acting harshly, disregarding public opinion. Outrageously killing in the street damaged not only Yang Zhong, but also the face of the Imperial Inspection Office and its advisers. Hence, I come to plead for punishment, asking Your Majesty to mete out penalty."

The Imperial Censors looked at each other, momentarily speechless.

The Jiefan Guard, overseeing the palace restrictions, quickly descended from the Yanchi Building. A moment later, a little eunuch walked out of the palace gate: "By decree of His Majesty, Viscount Wu Xiang, Chen Ji, acting with blatant disregard, has tarnished the dignity of the court. Forty strokes!"

The Imperial Censors were taken aback. Forty strokes?

According to palace regulations, to prevent favoritism and fraud, every ten strokes would require breaking a baton. If the baton did not break, it indicated leniency or private collusion, and the executor would be punished.

Forty strokes, which meant breaking four batons; any one of them would die on the spot outside the Meridian Gate.

At this moment, Chen Ji raised his head and unexpectedly recognized the little eunuch as someone he had encountered before, who had previously guided him to Jiefan Building.

The little eunuch smiled at him: "Lord Chen, His Majesty reminds you that recognizing one's mistakes and correcting them is commendable. Although you have merits, punishment is necessary."

Chen Ji bowed to the ground: "Thank Your Majesty for the imperial grace."

Two Jiefan Guards, each wielding a six-foot-long baton, approached, ready to strike Chen Ji's back, when they heard him say, "Hold on, Xiao Man just ironed my attire today, and it's my only Qilin Embroidery, so please don't ruin it."

After speaking, he took off his embroidered garment and lay back on the ground.

The two Jiefan Guards swung the batons down, each thud making the censors' hearts shudder. Blood seeped through the white undergarment, and two batons snapped with a crack.

The Jiefan Guards replaced them with new batons, and more dull thuds followed, causing the censors to clench their teeth in fear.

With two cracking sounds, the two Jiefan Guards, skilled in execution, completed all forty strokes with the batons broken, not one too many or too few.

Just as one censor wanted to ask about Chen Ji's condition, Chen Ji had already stood up, put on the Qilin Embroidery, buttoned it up one by one, and calmly bowed to the censors: "My lords, please forgive the disturbance."

Leading them, an old imperial censor, suspicious and uncertain, said, "Viscount Chen, refrain from such reckless actions in the future..." 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Chen Ji nodded: "Understood."

He mounted his horse again, as if nothing had happened, and with a shake of the reins, disappeared who-knows-where.

...

...

In front of the Taichang Temple, a clerk burst into the government office like the wind, shouting, "Something happened in front of the Meridian Gate. That Chen Ji went there to confess, and His Majesty decreed forty strokes."

At this moment, Yuan Wang took a few steps forward: "Truly forty strokes?"

The clerk nodded: "Truly, I saw two batons broken when I returned."

Yuan Wang's eyebrows relaxed: "It seems His Majesty also greatly disapproves of his actions yesterday; otherwise, he wouldn't have dealt with him so harshly."

A middle-aged man reminded, "Mr. Shaoqing, Viscount Wu Xiang is an Executive Officer; forty strokes aren't fatal for him."

Yuan Wang shook his head: "That's not entirely correct. Forty strokes, even an Executive Officer in the Innate Realm can't withstand, especially since it's imperial decree, indicating His Majesty won't allow any more recklessness from him."

Yuan Wang and Yang Zhong had always been inseparable. Yesterday he heard that Yang Zhong had been dragged to death by Chen Ji, and he couldn't sleep soundly all night. Just before dawn, he had a brief nap, and in the dream, Chen Ji tied a hemp rope around his neck, dragging him to the market place, with Yang Zhong's blood still on the rope.

Just because he had once said that the Ru Nan Yuan Family wasn't short of silver, and anyone wanting to compete with him for Princess Bai Li, would need at least ten thousand taels of silver.

Now that His Majesty had condemned him, it seemed Chen Ji wouldn't dare act recklessly.

However, just then, the sound of horse hooves thundered in front of the Taichang Temple, and a red figure shot by like a streak of lightning. When Yuan Wang saw the Qilin Embroidery on the approaching person, he turned and fled deeper into the Taichang Temple.

But before he could run two steps, a massive force pulled his collar backward, causing Yuan Wang to fall on his back.

Chen Ji punched Yuan Wang in the abdomen, leaving him curled like a shrimp.

Someone angrily rebuked, "What are you doing? This is the Taichang Temple!"

Chen Ji calmly tied a hemp rope around Yuan Wang's ankle, while saying, "Yuan Wang indulged in drinking and entertaining guests during the nation's mourning period. According to Da Ning Law, exile for three thousand miles to Lingnan."

Yuan Wang remained curled on the ground, the intense pain in his stomach yet to subside, and upon hearing this, he struggled to shout, "Slander!"

Chen Ji deftly tied the hemp securely and sneered: "Lord Yuan, you drank twenty-year-old daughter red from Shaoxing the night before last, didn't you? And the company was that official from the Spring Dawn Pavilion, Lu Xiu, brought over secretly by carriage?"

The color drained from Yuan Wang's face.

Chen Ji stood, gripping the hemp rope, and nonchalantly walked through the group of Taichang Temple officials, dragging Yuan Wang away on his horse. For a moment, no one dared to come forward to stop him.

Outside the Meridian Gate, the censors supported each other to stand up and slowly walked towards the Duan Gate.

The old censor trembled: "Now that His Majesty has punished Chen Ji harshly, it also preserves our Imperial Inspection Office's dignity, letting the world know that the court's authority must not be trampled on..."

Before he could finish, the urgent sound of horse hooves once more came from the Chengtian Gate direction.

The crowd looked in shock, only to see a rider in red, like blood, once again speed into view. It was Chen Ji returning. Behind the horse was clearly dragged the Junior Minister of Taichang Temple, Yuan Wang.

Yuan Wang was dragged until his hair was disheveled, his official robe torn, his face streaked with tears, displaying none of the composure of an official nobleman.

"This..." The old censor trembled all over, pointing at the approaching figure and horse, his throat making a gurgling sound, unable to speak a complete sentence.

The other censors stood frozen in place as well, as Chen Ji almost brushed past them to charge once more to the front of the Meridian Gate, dismounted, and knelt: "I, driven to act recklessly, beseech Your Majesty to mete out punishment."

A moment later, the eunuch Changxiu stepped out from the Meridian Gate again, looking at Chen Ji, who had already voluntarily taken off the Qilin Embroidery, and loudly declared: "By the decree of His Majesty, fifty strokes."

Chen Ji bowed to the ground: "I, Chen Ji, gratefully accept Your Majesty's grace."