Great Zhou Wensheng

Chapter 203 Jiang Xingzhou's Max-Level Political Maneuvering!
The lanterns of Langya Prince's Mansion are just beginning to illuminate the night.

Inside the ornately decorated main hall, a private banquet of princes was in full swing.

The amber light shimmered in the glass goblet, and delicacies were laid out on the sandalwood table.

Prince Li Chong of Langya, with his wide sleeves and broad belt, sat high in the main seat, while the guests included the Prince of Yue, the Prince of Ji, the Prince of Han, the Prince of Huo, and the Prince of Lu, among other members of the royal family and nobility.

"happy!"

Li Chong downed a cup of wine in one gulp, then slammed the gilded wine vessel heavily on the table, the jade liquid splashing out a few golden glints. "The Emperor has truly lost face this time!"
The entire court, filled with officials of high rank, was involved in the chaos caused by demons and barbarians; evidence of their crimes was everywhere.

The Ministry of Justice and the Censorate probably don't even know which prefecture to send the arrest warrant to!

"Haha~!"

A burst of laughter immediately erupted from the room.

The King of Yue toyed with the Hetian jade cup in his hand, a few smile lines appearing at the corners of his sinister eyes: "To be honest, the Palace Master of Wuxin Palace is truly brilliant! A mere Lantern Festival banquet has made that person in Zichen Palace a laughing stock of the world."

From now on, what prestige will she have left to rule the world?!

“Over the years, the imperial court has hindered us princes at every turn. It’s long overdue for someone to teach them a lesson.”

Prince Ji clapped his hands and laughed, his agate-inlaid nail guards gleaming blood-red in the candlelight. "I heard that at yesterday's morning court, the officials couldn't find any evidence and had no countermeasures. The emperor was so angry that he threw down several memorials!"

Outside the window, the wind and snow howled, but inside the hall, it was warm and cozy.

As the princes toasted each other, their eyes and brows revealed the elation they had suppressed for many years.

That Lantern Festival night, the great calamity instigated by Wuxin Palace Master Fei Wuxin was a disaster for the people, a disgrace for the court, and a complete loss of the emperor's prestige.

But for these feudal lords and nobles, it was like a long-awaited rain after a drought.

"boom--"

With a loud crash, the vermilion gates of the Langya Prince's Mansion burst open!

A biting wind, carrying snowflakes, howled in, and the flickering candlelight instantly shattered the warmth in the hall with its bone-chilling cold.

Zhang Ji, the Left Imperial Censor, wearing a black official robe and with a face as gloomy as iron, strode into the mansion.

Behind him, the Imperial Guards surged in like a black tide, their iron armor gleaming, the clashing of their sword sheaths ringing out.

The thousands of retainers and servants in the Langya Prince's Mansion initially wanted to stop them, but upon seeing the chilling armor of the Imperial Guards, they immediately fell silent and retreated.

This is Luoyang, the capital city, right under the emperor's nose. Who dares to oppose the Imperial Guards?

"Zhang Ji! How dare you!"

Prince Li Chong of Langya slammed his fist on the table and stood up, overturning the golden goblet and spilling the fine wine all over the ground.

His eyes widened in fury, veins bulging on his forehead, and he shouted sternly, "I am a prince personally appointed by the late emperor. How dare you be so presumptuous as to trespass into my palace?!"

The princes in the hall also stood up one after another. Prince Ji pointed angrily at Zhang Ji and shouted, "When did the Censorate dare to be so arrogant? To trespass into the Langya Prince's Mansion without an imperial edict, are you trying to rebel?!"

Zhang Ji's gaze was like a knife as he coldly swept over the princes in the hall. He said in a chilling voice, "I am acting on imperial orders—Prince Li Chong of Langya is suspected of colluding with demons and barbarians, plotting rebellion. The evidence is irrefutable; arrest him immediately!"
If you dare to obstruct—

He slowly raised his hand, and behind him, the Imperial Guards drew their blades half an inch from their sheaths with a "whoosh," their cold light intimidating. "Could it be that you princes are also involved in the Lantern Festival case?"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the kings changed drastically.

The King of Han bowed his head first, flicked his sleeves, and said, "Since this is a case handled by the imperial court, it is inappropriate for me to say more!"

The other kings also stepped aside to make way, and no one dared to utter a sound.

Seeing this, Li Chong laughed in anger, "What a fine 'ironclad evidence'! Zhang Ji, you keep accusing me of treason, where is your evidence?!"

Zhang Ji slowly pulled a secret letter from his sleeve. With a flick of his finger, the letter unfolded, revealing a striking red mark as bright as blood.

"The secret letter personally written by the Prince of Langya, in which he colluded with the traitorous Zhong Fei Wuxin of Wuxin Palace and the Yaoman, intending to plot a rebellion during the Lantern Festival chaos—wouldn't this be considered irrefutable evidence?"

Li Chong stared intently, and his pupils suddenly contracted—the handwriting was exactly the same as his!
"This...this is a secret letter forged by Fei Wuxin!"

Which high-ranking official in the court hasn't fabricated such false evidence?!

He suddenly realized what was happening and roared, "Zhang Ji! How dare you collude with the sorcerer and frame me with false evidence?!"

"Oh?"

A cold smile tugged at the corner of Zhang Ji's mouth, and a chilling glint flashed in his eyes.

"Your Highness was able to recognize at a glance that this was Fei Wuxin's forged testimony? Could it be..."

He slowly took a step forward, his voice suddenly becoming sharp, "You and Fei Wuxin had already colluded beforehand?!"

Li Chong's expression changed drastically, and he staggered backward: "You...you're spouting nonsense!"

"Take it!"

Zhang Ji waved his hand sharply, "Take him to the imperial prison and treat him well!"

With the clanging of their armor, the fierce Imperial Guards pounced on them in an instant.

Prince Li Chong of Langya tried to struggle, but two captains twisted his arms behind his back and locked his neck with a clang.

Crown Prince Li Yiguang's face turned ashen, and the princesses collapsed to the ground, their cries cut off before they could even utter a sound.

The princes and kings in the hall were stunned, watching helplessly as the Prince of Langya was taken away.

The King of Yue's trembling hand could not hold the jade cup, and it shattered on the ground with a "crack"—wasn't it said that those secret letters were all false evidence and not worth fearing at all?

Prince Ji's Adam's apple bobbed, and he was drenched in cold sweat: "This cruel official Zhang Ji... could it be that he intends to... extract a confession through torture?"

He forced out those four words through gritted teeth, feeling a chill run through his body.

Amidst the howling wind and snow, the torches of the Imperial Guards illuminated the Langya Prince's Mansion as if it were daytime.

Zhang Ji stood with his hands behind his back, watching the hundreds of members of the Langya Prince's family being escorted away, and said softly, "Langya Prince, rest assured, the instruments of torture in the imperial prison... will surely remind you of many 'past events'."

Confess sooner rather than later, and you'll be spared a lot of trouble.

The Great Zhou Imperial Prison.

The Heavenly Prison.

At the end of the deep passageway, bronze animal-head lamps emitted a dim, flickering light.

Although this imperial prison was where high-ranking officials such as the Nine Ministers and Prefects were imprisoned, it was still permeated with an inescapable stench of blood.

Prince Li Chong of Langya was suspended by iron chains on the "Phoenix Spreading Wings" rack, the steel shackles digging deeply into his wrist bones.

Crown Prince Li Yiguang was tied to the "Immortal Pointing the Way" wooden stake, his forehead covered in cold sweat.

Zhang Ji, the Left Imperial Censor, slowly wiped a comb, the iron teeth gleaming blue in the firelight.

"Your Highness is a wise man."

He suddenly spoke, his voice echoing in the stone chamber, "As long as you sign a confession and name your accomplices in the Lantern Festival case..."

The iron comb gently scraped across the blue bricks, producing a teeth-grinding sound.

"I hereby pledge the seal of the Censorate to Your Majesty, and I beg Your Majesty to show mercy and spare your life."

Zhang Ji whispered, "The young prince is so young, and the princess is so frail. Can Your Highness really bear to see them suffer?"

A drop of cold sweat fell from Li Chong's chin and hissed into white smoke in the brazier.

"Zhang Ji!"

Li Chong laughed in anger, the iron chains rattling. He suddenly looked up, his eyes bloodshot.

"You know better than anyone that false testimony! I have never colluded with the demons and barbarians, how can you expect me to confess?!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ji slowly raised his eyes, his gaze deep and unfathomable.

"Of course I know you're innocent." He sighed softly, his fingertips lightly tapping the confidential letter on the table. "But does it matter?"

He stood up, paced with his hands behind his back, and the soles of his boots echoed dully on the damp flagstones.

"On the night of the Lantern Festival, barbarians caused chaos, resulting in the deaths and injuries of thousands of civilians and imperial guards, and the court lost face."

His Majesty is furious!

Zhang Ji paused, his tone almost cold and indifferent, "The entire court is outraged and searching for the culprit. The people are filled with resentment and have nowhere to vent their anger."

Someone has to take the blame.

If you are convicted, no one in the entire court will stand up to plead for your Langya Prince's Mansion!

He turned around, looking down at Li Chong with a slight upturn of his lips, but without a trace of a smile.

"Evidence? I have it."

A mole? We have one too.

He gently patted Li Chong's face, "I drew lots and it just so happens that I drew your Langya Prince's Mansion. You're unlucky."

"Anyway——"

Zhang Ji slowly straightened up, his voice light yet chillingly cold, "Someone always has to suffer."

Either your entire Langya Prince's Mansion will be executed, or... you'll give someone away?
"Let someone else suffer for you?" Li Chong's pupils constricted, and his blood seemed to freeze. "You—!"

Zhang Ji stopped looking at him, turned and walked towards the door, leaving behind only a casual remark—"Your Highness, think it over carefully."

Should they sacrifice the Langya Prince's Mansion, or keep quiet?

Prince Li Chong of Langya's face suddenly turned ashen, and the iron chains rattled softly as his body trembled.

"Father."

Prince Li Yiguang's teeth chattered, his voice trembling with tears, "It was Jiang Xingzhou! It must have been him who instigated it!"

My son offended him before, and now he's trying to wipe out my entire Langya Prince's Mansion!

Zhang Ji stood with his hands behind his back, the candlelight casting flickering shadows on his face.

The fact that Jiang Xingzhou had brought him back from Lingnan was already a well-known secret in both the court and among the public.

"father!"

Li Yiguang suddenly broke down, crying out, "Just confess! You must know something!"
My Langya Prince's Mansion had absolutely no involvement in the Lantern Festival case, so why are we the ones suffering?!

He doesn't want to die!

He is still young and has a bright future ahead of him!

Most importantly, he was truly innocent! Why should he be made a scapegoat?

"The traitor Fei Wuxin, I truly have never colluded with him!"

Prince Li Chong of Langya had figured it out. Suddenly, he roared, making the torture chamber vibrate.

His bloodshot eyes were fixed on Zhang Ji: "But there are indeed people in the court involved in this case."

Zhang Ji's pupils contracted sharply, and he took a step forward: "Who is it?"

The chains rattled as Li Chong struggled to lift his blood-stained face: "If I spoke, could my family's lives be spared?"

"nature!"

Zhang Ji declared resolutely, "I guarantee with my life that if you confess, I will immediately send the Prince and his family back to their fiefdom in Langya Commandery!"

A few sparks suddenly burst from the charcoal fire in the brazier, illuminating Li Chong's bitter smile.

He slowly opened his chapped lips and uttered a few names—.

nightfall.

The study of the Duke of Xue's residence.

The water clock struck three times, and the candlelight flickered red.

Zhang Ji, the Left Imperial Censor, hurried over through the night dew, his official boots crushing the frost that had formed on the steps.

Inside the study, Jiang Xingzhou was reading late into the night, the celadon lamplight making his features appear as dark as ink.

"Recruited?"

The book closed softly, and Jiang Xingzhou looked up.

"Hit it!"

Zhang Ji's confession, still bearing the bloody scent of the imperial prison, was burning with intense excitement. "He actually managed to spit out six big fish in one breath—three high-ranking officials with salaries of over two thousand shi, and three vassal kings! Perhaps there were more, but he only knew of these six, who had dealings with Wuxin Gongfei Wuxin!"

The candle wick popped with a "snap".

Jiang Xingzhou tapped the table lightly with his knuckles, then suddenly chuckled softly, "What a coincidence, we've caught a big fish."

A casual move turned into a dragon-slaying scenario.

Zhang Ji's Adam's apple bobbed as he looked at Jiang Xingzhou with a hint of reverence.

It’s amazing!
Jiang Xingzhou randomly guessed, pointing to the Langya Prince's Mansion, and surprisingly, he guessed correctly.

If this major case is solved, it will be a great achievement.

He could almost see the golden fish-shaped pouch of the future Imperial Censor in sight. Even if he didn't become the Imperial Censor, he had a great chance of being appointed as a high-ranking official in a local area in the future.

Suddenly, Jiang Xingzhou leaned forward, the candlelight flashing coldly in his eyes: "Where's the list?"

Zhang Ji spread out a confession on the table, the ink still stained with blood.

Jiang Xingzhou stared at the heavy list in his hand, his fingertips pausing slightly at the vermilion mark, lost in thought.

The night outside the window was dark, casting his long, lonely shadow.

Brother Jiang!

Unable to contain himself, Zhang Ji stepped forward and said, "This list of major cases related to the Lantern Festival is of great importance. How should it be handled?!"
Should we immediately report this to His Majesty and issue an order to arrest them?

Jiang Xingzhou looked up, the candlelight casting varying shades of shadow in his eyes: "No rush."

"Don't touch those three court officials yet!"

He tapped the table lightly with his fingertips, the sandalwood making a dull sound. "Start by taking action against a prince—execute his entire family."

The remaining two feudal lords can be captured later!

"Only one company will be targeted?"

Zhang Ji's pupils contracted sharply, and the sword at his waist struck the corner of the table with a crisp sound. He asked in confusion, "Since all six families are guilty, why not wipe them all out in one fell swoop? Wouldn't that bring even greater merit?"

"The mesh is too fine; the fish will break through."

Write a new confession and have the Prince of Langya sign it!

Jiang Xingzhou suddenly threw the list of confessions into the charcoal brazier.

Flames suddenly shot up and swept across the list.

The paper twisted and curled in the charcoal brazier, reflecting the deep, dark color of his eyes.

He tapped the edge of the table lightly with his fingertips, the sound as deep and cold as a still pool.

"The court officials!"

Jiang Xingzhou sneered, the charcoal fire casting flickering shadows on his face. "If three positions worth two thousand shi suddenly become vacant, we won't be able to fill them, and it will only benefit those lurking jackals."

He picked up the teacup, the water reflecting the fading embers: "Once our own people take over, we'll slowly close the net and fill their vacancies."

Even if we can't take it!
At the very least, they could exchange it with another family for a decent position in the imperial court.

As the charcoal fire gradually died down, unburnt corners of paper remained in the ashes, the names of the feudal lords faintly visible.

"And what about the feudal lords!"

Jiang Xingzhou lightly tapped the map on the table with his fingertip, drawing an arc across the fiefdoms of the vassal states: "If we take down three vassal kings at once, what will the remaining dozens of vassal kings of the Great Zhou think?"

He raised his eyes, his gaze sharp and cold. "They'll think the court is using this as an excuse to weaken the power of the princes and eliminate the regional military governors. If war breaks out, how can we bear the consequences?"

"That's why we only arrested one vassal king and released the King of Langya."

Jiang Xingzhou suddenly poured tea into the charcoal brazier, and with a hiss, white steam rose up. "Only then will the feudal lords think that this is just a Lantern Festival case, and not aimed at reducing the power of the feudal lords! That's why they won't have any disloyal thoughts."

"Let's start with one!"

Jiang Xingzhou's voice was calm and unhurried, yet every word was like a knife: "Let His Majesty see your decisive ability in handling cases, let the court officials see your iron-fisted methods, and let the people see the majesty of the court."

"As for the rest!"

Jiang Xingzhou suddenly smiled and picked up half a piece of unburnt paper from the charcoal ash. "Make one every six months, and submit a new confession every few days."

These six fish can last a long time!

He leaned forward, the candlelight flickering in his eyes: "The faster this Lantern Festival case is solved, the sooner you can put away your knife."

The case will be closed in three to five days?
"Then you, the Left Attendant Censor, should report to the Censorate tomorrow and continue to sit on the sidelines."

A knife hanging in the air is what truly terrifies people; a case dragging on is what truly chills them to the bone and keeps them awake at night.

Once this knife is sheathed, its deterrent effect is gone!
Who knows when we'll be able to draw our swords again?

Zhang Ji's pupils suddenly contracted, and his Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.

He stared at the cold tea on the table, his slightly pale face reflected in the water.

This major Lantern Festival case has dragged on for two or three years, and there are so many benefits to it!
"I have learned a great deal."

His voice was strained, and even his breathing became lighter.

What a brilliant Jiang Jieyuan!

Zhang Ji was secretly alarmed.

He is currently just a scholar who has not yet stepped into the imperial court, but he already possesses top-notch political skills and is adept at making moves in the grand game of the imperial court.

No wonder not a single official in the court dared to easily provoke this "Jiang Jieyuan" who had not yet entered officialdom.

(End of this chapter)