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

Feng Bao's smile froze.

He turned his head sharply, his eyes wide, staring at Li Fan with disbelief.

What...what?

What do you mean by "I ordered it"?

and many more!

That case file was indeed handed to Gao Jin by him personally.

But Feng Bao wanted to use this case to make things difficult for Li Fan, forcing him into a dilemma.

But to his utter surprise, Li Fan not only actually investigated but also arrested the person.

And now, this little bastard has actually shifted the blame onto himself!

"not good!"

From the very beginning, Li Fan knew it was a trap.

But instead of dodging or retreating, he turned the tables and put the trap around his own neck.

No wonder he was so fearless.

No wonder he wasn't flustered at all.

It turned out that he had been waiting for him here all along.

"You...you're talking nonsense!"

Feng Bao suddenly raised his head, pointed at Li Fan's nose, and his voice was trembling.

"When did we ever let you storm the princess's residence? When did we ever let you attack someone?"

"We only asked you to investigate a case! That's all!"

"What do your escapades—breaking into the princess's residence, beating the servants, defeating the guards, and capturing the prince consort—have to do with our family?"

His voice was urgent and fragmented, as if he wanted to sever all ties completely.

Li Fan looked at his exasperated appearance without changing his expression.

"Chief Supervisor Feng, please don't get so agitated."

"I'm just saying that you handed this case file to me yourself."

"You asked me to investigate this case, so I did."

"Once the prince consort was found guilty, I arrested him."

"All of this was done according to your instructions."

His tone was extremely sincere, like that of a subordinate faithfully following orders.

Feng Bao's face turned pale and then red, his mouth opening and closing repeatedly.

He wanted to refute it, but found that he had no way to refute it at all.

Because every word Li Fan said was true.

He simply did as instructed.

As for breaking into the princess's residence, assaulting people, and arresting the prince consort...

That's a matter of methods used during the investigation, not a matter of motives.

You send someone to investigate a case, and the person is found out, then you blame them for investigating too thoroughly?

Does this make sense?

Just then.

Consort Xie spoke.

"Chief Supervisor Feng, what exactly is going on?"

Feng Bao shuddered and quickly turned to Consort Xie.

"Your Majesty, please be the judge! Your Majesty, please be the judge!"

"This case was indeed handed over to Gao Jin for investigation by this servant."

"But I only asked him to investigate the case, I didn't ask him to break into the princess's residence..."

Consort Xie was not moved by his false accusation.

She merely narrowed her phoenix eyes slightly, her tone becoming even sharper:

"So, this case was handed over to Gao Jin by you, Feng Bao."

"You were the one who asked him to investigate."

"Right?"

Feng Bao opened his mouth, as if to say no.

But he gritted his teeth and finally had no choice but to say:

"It was...it was this servant who asked him to investigate."

Consort Xie gave a cold laugh, a laugh as icy as the winter wind.

"Since it was Supervisor Feng who sent Gao in to investigate the case, then Princess Jincheng..."

She turned her head to look at Princess Jincheng kneeling beside her, her tone neither humble nor arrogant:

"What do you mean by accusing Gao Jin?"

Princess Jincheng was stunned.

She didn't react for a moment.

The person investigating the case is Li Fan.

But the person who ordered the investigation was Feng Bao.

If she wants to hold someone accountable, who should she hold accountable?

For a moment, her mind was in complete confusion.

"This, this..."

Seeing this, Feng Bao became even more anxious.

He can't take the blame for this!

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty is wise!"

"Although I sent Gao in to investigate this case, I truly have no idea what he did at the Princess's residence!"

"Everything he did at the princess's residence was entirely his own decision and had nothing to do with this servant!"

His voice was extremely urgent, spittle flying everywhere, as if he wanted to tear his heart out and show it to everyone.

Li Fan knelt beside him, a barely perceptible smile curving his lips.

Then, he finally spoke.

"Your Majesty, although this case was handed over to me by Chief Supervisor Feng."

"But he provided all the evidence, which has fully confirmed that the prince consort committed many evil deeds, such as seizing fertile land, lending money at usurious rates, causing people to die, and oppressing the people."

"As the head of the Eastern Depot, I have uncovered irrefutable evidence of a crime, and naturally I must bring the criminal to justice."

"Isn't this the duty of the Eastern Depot?"

He paused, then his voice suddenly turned serious:

"Moreover, the people are now full of complaints about the prince consort's behavior."

"The common people grit their teeth whenever they mention the Imperial Son-in-Law Commandant."

"The royal family's reputation has been tarnished and repeatedly discredited by the misdeeds of the prince consort alone."

"If this continues, the people will not only be cursing the prince consort, but the entire royal family."

"Your Majesty is wise and compassionate, and loves the people like your own children. If the people are disheartened because of your protection of the imperial son-in-law, that would be the real loss."

These words were spoken with utmost sincerity, each one like a nail driven into the heart of the Chu Emperor.

Princess Jincheng's expression changed completely.

"You're talking nonsense!"

She pointed at Li Fan's nose, her voice sharp and shrill.

"These are all slanders! It's this little eunuch who's talking nonsense!"

"How could the prince consort do such things? He..."

That's enough.

The Emperor of Chu suddenly spoke.

Two words, light and airy, yet like a heavy hammer, struck Princess Jincheng on the head.

Her voice stopped abruptly, and she froze on the spot.

The Chu Emperor closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened them.

Those half-closed eyes shone with a sharp light.

"Gao Jin, do you have any evidence?"

"If there is no evidence, it is slander."

Li Fan respectfully kowtowed, then took out a large stack of files from his sleeve.

"Your Majesty, there is evidence."

"Please take a look, Your Majesty."

He held the case file high above his head with both hands.

A palace maid immediately came down, took the stack of documents from Li Fan's hands, and carefully placed them on the imperial desk.

The Chu Emperor picked up the top one and opened it.

The first page contains a record of the prince consort forcibly seizing fertile land, accompanied by a petition signed in blood by thirty-seven peasant households.

The second page contains the case file of the prince consort who drove his debtors to their deaths by lending money at exorbitant interest rates, along with the coroner's autopsy report and testimonies from neighbors.

The third page contains the investigation record of the prince consort ordering his servants to beat a woman's husband to death, along with the statements of the deceased's family and the on-site investigation report.

Page 4, Page 5, Page 6...

Every page is filled with irrefutable evidence, every point has witnesses and physical evidence, and every incident is shocking.

The Chu Emperor's face gradually darkened.

When we turned to page eight...

"Bang!"

He slammed his hand on the imperial desk with such force that the teacups on it jumped.

"presumptuous!"

The emperor was furious.

Those two words were like a thunderclap, exploding in the empty hall and making everyone tremble.

"Jin Cheng! How dare you discipline your son-in-law?!"