After failing the imperial examination, he began to wield immense power after entering the palace!

After a while.

The courtiers spoke one after another, their voices growing softer and their expressions increasingly complex.

"This, this is indeed Minister Liu's handwriting."

"Even the brushstrokes, turns, and connecting strokes all match up."

"Furthermore, the ink on this letter looks like it was written at least a month ago, not a recent forgery..."

At that moment, Du Jiang's face turned pale and then flushed.

He didn't believe Cao Mo would leave such obvious evidence and was still making a last-ditch effort:

"Impossible! Minister Liu would never write such a letter! This must be a forgery..."

"Minister Du".

Li Fan interrupted him, his tone suddenly becoming sarcastic, a half-smile playing on his lips:

"May I be so bold as to ask, do you believe that His Majesty lacks the ability to distinguish between truth and falsehood?"

Du Jiang was suddenly stunned, and his expression changed drastically.

That damned eunuch, he's setting a trap for him!

"What nonsense are you spouting, you eunuch!"

Li Fan remained calm and composed, still smiling.

"His Majesty read the letter and believed it to be genuine."

"But Minister Du, you keep saying it's a forgery, you keep saying it's impossible..."

He paused, then his voice suddenly rose:

"Minister Du, are you questioning His Majesty?"

An uproar erupted inside the hall.

The way those courtiers looked at Li Fan changed; it now held a hint of disgust.

How dare that damned eunuch bring up His Majesty?

Du Jiang's face turned a deep purplish-red, the veins on his forehead throbbing, and he blurted out the words instinctively.

"You dog of a eunuch, you're spouting nonsense! When have I ever questioned His Majesty? I merely said that this letter might..."

"What's possible?"

Li Fan interrupted him again, his voice calm, yet it felt like needles pricking Du Jiang:

"Is it possible that His Majesty was deceived? Is it possible that His Majesty cannot distinguish between truth and falsehood?"

"Minister Du, something sounds off about what you're saying."

"However, I think that His Majesty is wise and powerful, and can see through anything. No forgery can escape His Majesty's eyes."

"If His Majesty says it's true, then it must be true."

"Minister Du, you agree, don't you?"

There was a dead silence in the hall.

Those people just thought this little eunuch was disgusting; how could he say such sycophantic things?

This is clearly the work of a treacherous official!

The Chu Emperor's originally nonchalant expression underwent a subtle change after Li Fan's words.

This eunuch certainly knows how to talk.

When Consort Xie heard Li Fan's barrage of flattery, a strange look flashed in her eyes.

It's a real shame that someone with such a sharp tongue isn't a treacherous minister.

Du Jiang stood there, his mouth opening and closing repeatedly, but he couldn't utter a single word.

This eunuch's words are absolutely disgusting!

If he were to say again that the letter was fake, he would be questioning His Majesty.

But if he were to say that the letter was real, Liu Zhengsheng would be guilty of silencing him.

A dilemma, either way leads to death...

Just then.

Zhou Chang stood next to Du Jiang and spoke in a strong and resonant voice:

"Your Majesty! Even if that letter is genuine, it is solely Liu Zhengsheng's fault!"

"But Gao Jin, that little eunuch, yesterday at the Cao residence, arbitrarily imprisoned His Highness Prince Wei in the Ministry of Justice prison."

"The evidence is conclusive and undeniable!"

"Your Majesty, I implore you to expel these outrageous and unruly individuals from the court!"

Consort Xie no longer stood idly by, but slowly spoke:

"Minister Zhou, I'd like to ask you something."

"Gao Jin was investigating the case on His Majesty's orders. He uncovered irrefutable evidence of Cao Mo's collusion with Liu Zhengsheng, clearing Zhang Xuan's name. Isn't that a meritorious deed?"

"You, a vice minister of the Ministry of War, do not appreciate his merits in investigating the case, but instead nitpick over trivial details and insist on targeting him."

"Minister Zhou, are you unable to tolerate a mere eunuch who uncovered the truth, or are you unable to tolerate the truth that has been uncovered in this case?"

Zhou Chang's face stiffened.

His lips trembled twice, but he couldn't utter a word of rebuttal.

Consort Xie's words were both a show of favoritism towards Li Fan and a warning to him.

The case was ordered to be investigated by His Majesty, and the truth is approved by His Majesty. What are you trying to do by relentlessly pursuing Gao Jin?

Seeing that Zhou Chang was speechless after being rebuked, Du Jiang became even more anxious.

He knew that Liu Zhengsheng's letter had already sealed the deal, so he could only try to pull Cao Mo back from the brink of disaster.

"Your Majesty! Perhaps Liu Zhengsheng did write a letter asking Prefect Cao to silence him, but Prefect Cao is an upright man and would never do such a thing."

"But Wu Zheng is merely a minor legal officer; how can his words be taken as reliable?"

"What if he was coerced or bribed into signing? I suspect this testimony is fabricated..."

"Minister Du is right."

This time, Wu Zheng's smile was unusually gentle:

"Confessions are indeed easy to falsify."

"Anyway, Wu Zheng is right outside the palace. This servant dares to ask Your Majesty to summon him into the palace so that we can get to the bottom of things in person."

Du Jiang's heart sank immediately.

Is Wu Zheng outside the palace?

Oh no, since the other party dared to confront him face to face, it means that Wu Zheng has been completely dealt with.

The big thing is bad!

The Chu Emperor grunted indifferently:

"Announce."

Standing at the bottom of the steps, Grandpa Hai immediately shouted in his shrill voice:

"Summon Wu Zheng, the legal officer of the Capital Prefecture, to enter the palace!"

The palace gates were wide open.

Wu Zheng walked in with his head down.

He knelt down in the hall with a thud, his forehead striking the gold bricks heavily, his voice trembling:

"Your Majesty, I, Wu Zheng, pay my respects!"

The Chu Emperor did not look at him, his voice cold:

"Wu Zheng, did you draw this confession yourself?"

Hai Gonggong took the confession down and handed it to Wu Zheng.

Wu Zheng glanced at it, shuddered, and tears and snot streamed down his face:

"Your Majesty, I confess everything! Cao Mo forced me to do all of this!"

"He forced me to go to the Ministry of Justice prison to coerce Zhang Xuan into confessing, saying that if I didn't sign, he wouldn't let my family off the hook!"

"He also ordered me to contact the White Tiger Hall to kill Zhang Xuan's wife and daughters to silence them!"

"This humble subject doesn't want to do this job! But this humble subject has no choice! Cao Mo is the Prefect, and this humble subject is just a lowly legal officer; I dare not disobey!"

"Your Majesty, spare me! Your Majesty, spare me..."

An uproar erupted inside the hall.

Du Jiang's face turned completely pale.

He knew that Cao Mo was truly finished this time.

The evidence is irrefutable, with witnesses and physical evidence all present; there's no way to overturn the verdict.

Li Fan turned his head to look at Du Jiang, a slight smile playing on his lips, but no hint of amusement in his eyes.

"Minister Du, is there anything else you wish to say?"

Du Jiang opened his mouth, but his throat felt like it was blocked by something, and he couldn't say a word.

The Chu Emperor's face was grim, and his voice was so cold it sent chills down one's spine:

"What a Cao Mo! What a Prefect of the Capital! Is this how you betray the Emperor's favor?"

"Little Gao, the Prefect of Jingzhao is a high-ranking official of the third rank. If he uses his official position and power to hire someone to commit murder, how should he be punished according to the laws of the Great Chu?"

Li Fan knelt upright, his voice booming:

"Your Majesty, the Prefect of Jingzhao has used his power to kill someone in the street, violating the ten heinous crimes of injustice and immorality stipulated in the Great Chu Law, which are punishable by eight deliberations without pardon!"

"He shall be sentenced to beheading, stripped of his title and honors, his property confiscated, and his family exiled three thousand li away!"