The Return of the Seventh Young Lady-Chapter 110 - 109

Chapter 109

The Throne Room, Royal Palace

In the early morning, officials hurried to the royal palace as if there were urgent matters to attend to. The faces of the virtuous officials were visibly tired and weary, a result of their relentless efforts to gather evidence to petition the Emperor to investigate the rumors that had surfaced.

“Master Zhao, you don’t look well. Stop wasting your time on things that won’t yield any benefit and take some rest,” one of Shin Wang’s allies couldn’t resist sneering at the other party.

Master Zhao, or Zhao Chundi, the head of the Ministry of Justice appointed by the previous Emperor, was a loyal and brave virtuous official who would interfere with any matter he deemed inappropriate and re-investigate to uncover the truth. Even with the current Emperor, if His Majesty made any questionable decisions, Master Zhao would fearlessly argue against his superior, unafraid of the consequences.

He was considered an old official who caused a lot of annoyance for many in the royal court. If possible, no one wanted to provoke him, as his faction was known for having similar unyielding natures, like mad dogs that wouldn’t let go once they bit down...

“Hmph! Whether it yields benefit or not, we shall see,”

Zhao Chundi snorted and gave a cold glance at his opponent before turning to his position to await the Emperor’s arrival.

The official aligned with Shin Wang watched the old man’s retreating figure for a long time with cold eyes before returning to his place, contemplating quietly.

Could it be that Zhao Chundi had found some evidence?

No!

Impossible!

All this time, Shin Wang had people monitoring these virtuous officials and found that they hadn’t been able to uncover any substantial evidence. Therefore, it was impossible for Zhao Chundi to have any evidence in hand.

He must be bluffing...

Soon, the eunuch’s loud announcement echoed, signaling the arrival of the sovereign. The figure cladded in golden dragon-robed appeared, walking gracefully to the throne without haste.

“The Emperor has arrived!”

“Long live His Majesty. May His Majesty live ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand, ten thousand years.”

Chen Feng Yue glanced at the officials kneeling before him in the throne room as if unintentional, he then signaled with a slight wave of his hand for them to rise.

“You may rise.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,”

More than a hundred officials chorused, then stood up straight, their heads slightly bowed as per court etiquette of meeting the Emperor. Soon, the morning court session began with an official stepping forward to report on issues in various parts of the region.

Discussions about solutions and the development of the realm in this morning session proceeded smoothly between the Emperor and the officials. It seemed the session was coming to an end as no other officials stepped forward to report.

However, suddenly, an official who had remained silent throughout the session stepped forward to present his report before the Emperor with a resolute demeanor. This caught the attention of all the officials in the throne room. Some maintained a neutral expression, others looked surprised, and many more appeared tenses.

That official was none other than Zhao Chundi!

“Your Majesty, the evidence Your Majesty requested last time, I am now ready to present,”

Zhao Chundi reported with a calm voice. Despite feeling the hostile gazes of enemies surrounding him at the back, he was not afraid. His wrinkled hand reached into his sleeve and pulled out some documents, which he handed to the personal eunuch of the Emperor.

The eunuch took the documents and presented them to the Emperor. Zhao Chundi then began to explain the matter in detail for His Majesty to consider alongside the evidence he had just provided.

“Your Majesty, two days ago, after Your Majesty commanded me to investigate and gather evidence to decide whether to open an investigation into Shin Wang and the Mu family, I found that the Mu family had previously engaged in a business venture with several merchants. This venture did not go smoothly and resulted in losses, ultimately leading to the business’s closure and the Mu family incurring a debt of several hundreds of thousands of taels to the Fengkong Repository.”

“Due to this, the Mu family faced severe financial difficulties. Many officials have reported that Deputy Chancellor Mu discussed borrowing money to repay this debt, and these officials can testify to this. However, despite gathering loans from fellow officials, they could not cover the entire debt. Yet the very next day, it was discovered that the Mu family had settled the debt of several hundreds of thousands of taels almost instantly. Moreover, they had enough money left over to host lavish banquets and spend extravagantly...an astonishing occurrence indeed.”

While Zhao Chundi was presenting his report, Mu Cui Ming, who had been maintaining a low profile, suddenly became the focus of attention from the surrounding officials. His face turned red with embarrassment, feeling as if he had been stripped naked in public.

Despite cursing the old official Zhao Chundi fiercely in his mind, Mu Cui Ming could do nothing but bow his head and endure the public humiliation due to the other’s high status and power.

“A noble family that has just moved to settle in the capital, how could they have such financial power if not through corruption? What else could it be?” Zhao Chundi’s voice was firm, expressing his suspicion.

Mu Cui Ming nearly collapsed upon hearing this. He quickly stepped forward, kneeling before the Emperor to refute the claim.

“Your Majesty, my family has never engaged in any corruption. Please grant us justice, Your Majesty!”

“Corruption or not, an investigation will reveal the truth,” Zhao Chundi retorted coldly before continuing his report to the Emperor.

“Your Majesty, due to this matter, I have been deeply troubled. I finally ordered an investigation and discovered that on the morning Deputy Chancellor Mu paid off his debt at Fengkong Repository, he had met someone at Emerald Lake. There are villagers who can testify to this. Furthermore, several people saw a boat in the lake that morning, which was identified as Shin Wang’s boat!”

“Master Zhao, even if Deputy Chancellor Mu did go to Emerald Lake, it doesn’t necessarily mean he met Shin Wang. He could have just been out for a boat ride,”

One of Shin Wang’s allies immediately argued. With the matter beginning to implicate Shin Wang, they could no longer remain silent.

Zhao Chundi shot a glance at the official and replied coldly, “Out for a boat ride on a foggy morning like that? Not hitting another boat and capsizing would be a blessing!”

The official and Mu Cui Ming, who was kneeling and listening, were left speechless by this direct rebuke. It was fitting that everyone said Zhao Chundi was a mad dog that wouldn’t let go once he bit down!

While Shin Wang’s supporters began to grow restless, no one noticed the faint smile playing at the corners of Chen Feng Yue’s lips. Although he maintained a stern demeanor, his eyes sparkled with amusement as if he were watching an entertaining drama.

Apart from the person on the throne, there was another individual who had not spoken a word from the beginning, watching the farce unfold with apparent interest. This person was none other than Mu Gongzhen...

“Your Majesty, there are several witnesses who saw Shin Wang and Deputy Chancellor Mu meeting. Additionally, a few days ago, people saw Shin Wang and the Mu family’s eldest young miss at the Feng Yi Restaurant, appearing to have arranged a meeting. If it were just a normal friendly meeting, there would be no issue. However, with the bribery involved, I believe this matter warrants an investigation, Your Majesty!”

“Please, Your Majesty, investigate this matter!”

Zhao Chundi’s allies and the virtuous officials all knelt down, their voices resounding throughout the hall, creating a tense atmosphere. Shin Wang’s supporters clenched their teeth, desperately trying to find a way out of the situation.

“Your Majesty, though Master Zhao’s words seem to form a connection, it is insufficient to make a judgment based solely on words. Please, Your Majesty, reconsider!”

One of Shin Wang’s supporters immediately stepped forward to argue, kneeling and pleading desperately. Following him, the rest of Shin Wang’s faction also knelt and echoed the plea.

“Please, Your Majesty, reconsider!”

“Whether it’s mere words or not, I believe Your Majesty understands. The evidence I’ve presented is what corroborates my earlier statements,” Zhao Chundi responded with a firm demeanor, unflinching under the hostile gazes directed at him.

“May I be so bold as to ask what evidence Master Zhao has presented to Your Majesty?”

Chancellor Gu, who had remained silent thus far, seeming to position himself as neutral, finally spoke up. His expression was calm and unreadable.

Chen Feng Yue glanced at Chancellor Gu before lowering his gaze to the evidence in his hand. His dark eyes flashed briefly. If he hadn’t known that Chancellor Gu was actually an agent of the Empress Dowager, he might have been fooled into thinking that Chancellor Gu was truly neutral and uninvolved with Shin Wang.

Though Chancellor Gu had always remained silent, Chen Feng Yue had noticed his stern and somber expression appearing occasionally, which had become more pronounced as the situation worsened and as Shin Wang was increasingly cornered by Zhao Chundi. Being an agent of the Empress Dowager, Chancellor Gu’s allegiance was essentially aligned with Shin Wang’s, so he was compelled to act...

“This question...Zhen shall let Master Zhao answer instead of me,”

Chen Feng Yue responded in an even tone, his face emotionless and unreadable. He continued to examine the documents in his hand unhurriedly.

Upon hearing the Emperor’s command, Zhao Chundi promptly explained the evidence for everyone in the throne room to understand. "Thank you, Your Majesty. The evidence I have submitted consists of three pieces. The first piece is a loan agreement between Fengkong Repository and the Mu family, detailing the loan amount clearly. This document supports the truth that the Mu family was indeed in debt, as I previously stated."

"The second piece is a report from over twenty witnesses. These witnesses are ordinary villagers living around Emerald Lake. Their testimonies recount seeing Deputy Chancellor Mu at the lake and observing Shin Wang’s boat in the water. These reports cover various times and perspectives, but they all agree on one thing: Deputy Chancellor Mu did indeed travel to Emerald Lake and met with Shin Wang, Your Majesty."

"And the third piece of evidence is a collection of reports from patrons of the Feng Yi Restaurant regarding a scheduled meeting between Shin Wang and the eldest young miss of the Mu family, along with the guest register provided by the restaurant owner. This serves as proof of the meeting between Shin Wang and the eldest young miss of the Mu family, as I mentioned earlier."

"These three pieces of evidence alone sufficiently support my previous claims. If more details are needed, an investigation will be required. This matter concerns the dignity of the royal court and the honor of the royal family. I humbly request Your Majesty to conduct an investigation!"

"Please, Your Majesty, conduct an investigation!"

The officials on Zhao Chundi’s side echoed their plea to the Emperor in unison once again before silence descended upon the throne room. No one dared to speak, awaiting the sovereign’s command.

Chen Feng Yue glanced over the officials before him, saying nothing for a long time, creating a tense atmosphere that made many unconsciously hold their breath.

Chancellor Gu, who had been standing with his head bowed, now wore a troubled expression. He hadn’t anticipated Zhao Chundi presenting evidence supporting his claims of collusion instead of just bribery. If the evidence solely pointed to bribery, they could argue it was a smear campaign, or whatever.

However, Zhao Chundi used the evidence to support the claim that Shin Wang and the Mu family were building a relationship, unappropriated for the royalty and officials. This suggested that it was not just a case of bribery, but indicated that Shin Wang and the Mu family were conspiring, which the Emperor would never tolerate.

This issue seemed to be escalating...

“Do you truly wish for Zhen to investigate the financial routes of Shin Wang and the Mu family? You all should understand well that the honor of the royal family is not something to be easily disrespected,” Chen Feng Yue stated coldly, exuding an icy aura that made the officials sweat profusely.

“If no wrongdoing is found, Zhen expects you to dare take full responsibility for the consequences of your accusations...”

Although Chen Feng Yue’s words were threatening and reluctant, he effectively agreed to the virtuous officials’ request. Their eyes lit up with hope, despite their initial fear of his power and authority.

"Your Majesty is wise! If nothing is found, I will personally accept the consequences for defaming the royal family!"

Zhao Chundi, fearing nothing and unwavering in his conviction, prostrated himself before the sovereign, pledging his promise firmly.

Chen Feng Yue said nothing further, merely casting a fleeting glance at Mu Gongzhen as if unintentionally. In that brief moment, they seemed to communicate silently, a knowing look passing between them before a cryptic smile flickered at the corner of the Emperor’s mouth.

Not long after the conclusion was reached, Chen Feng Yue assigned Zhao Chundi and three other high-ranking officials the task of investigating the financial transactions of the Mu family and Shin Wang. With that, the morning court session came to an end.

Zhao Chundi’s faction, eager to carry out their assigned duties, promptly began the investigation. Meanwhile, Shin Wang’s faction wore expressions of extreme concern. On their way back, they arranged a meeting to discuss how to address this crisis immediately.

The person with the most troubled expression that morning was none other than Mu Cui Ming himself!

If the bribery accusations were to be revealed, Shin Wang would likely be able to escape unscathed, but as the Deputy Chancellor, Mu Cui Ming would certainly not!

This was clearly a disaster...

Overwhelmed with stress and fear, Mu Cui Ming, who was on the verge of collapsing, hurried back to his residence. Upon arrival, he fainted. After regaining consciousness, he pondered possible ways to save himself. However, no matter how hard he thought, he couldn’t come up with a solution.

In the end, with no other options and feeling desperate, Mu Cui Ming had to swallow his pride and instruct Servant Tao to summon his eldest son, Mu Gongzhen, whom he greatly disliked, for a discussion. He couldn’t believe his son would remain indifferent to such a serious matter.

Because if the Mu family were to fall, Mu Gongzhen would also suffer the consequences!

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