Denghuangtai

Late at night, the Minister of Justice sat alone in his study, Pei Qingyan's words echoing in his mind: "Even if the person behind you can control everything, you are nothing more than a pawn, and one day you might be discarded. When that happens, the lives of your entire clan will still be in danger."

The Minister of Justice sighed deeply, feeling frustrated but finding no solace.

Having served as an official for decades, how could he not understand the principles that Pei Qingyan understood?

However, in the turbulent world of officialdom, there are some things that he cannot avoid simply by understanding them.

He didn't want to be a pawn in someone else's game, but unfortunately, he came from a poor family and, without relying on others, he had no chance to rise above others.

When you're caught up in something, you're not in control of your own destiny.

He may be willing to risk his life, but his entire clan is innocent and should be given a way out.

As the court official was pondering this, he suddenly heard a slight noise near the window.

He went forward and opened the window. "Who is it?"

Pei Qingyan removed his face mask and emerged from the shadows.

The court official stared at her in astonishment, his expression shifting several times. "What are you doing here?"

"There are things we need to discuss."

"What is it?"

"Is the Court of Justice sure you want me to stand here and speak to you?"

The court official was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening and hurriedly moved aside from the window.

Pei Qingyan smiled, turned around and walked to the door, then pushed it open and entered. After entering, he sat down as if he were a stranger and poured himself a cup of tea.

"What brings you here so late at night, General?"

"Please do me one more favor."

"Impossible." The Minister of Justice refused without hesitation.

"Think about it again, don't rush to refuse." Pei Qingyan took a sip of tea. "The Minister of Justice is here alone so late at night, he must have something on his mind and be unable to sleep."

The court official, having his thoughts exposed, momentarily forgot to deny it.

Pei Qingyan continued, "I suspect that what could cause the Minister of Justice such worry and distress are two things: one is your future, and the other is your life. I am here today to help you resolve your worries."

"you?"

The court official spoke with suspicion and disdain.

In the past, he might have believed that Pei Qingyan had the means and ability to help him, but now, Pei Qingyan himself is in trouble, how can he help others?

"Has the Court of Justice ever heard the proverb, 'Even a starved camel is bigger than a horse'?"

Pei Qingyan said unhurriedly, "The Pei family has been generals for generations. Even though I am the only one left now, I still have many relatives and friends who care about me. If someone is willing to help me out of this predicament, I will be eternally grateful and will repay them in the future."

She paused, then looked up at the Imperial Censor's eyes, a cold smile playing on her lips. "But if you wait until I'm free and then try to ask me for help, it won't be so easy. After all, helping someone requires a certain degree of consideration."

The Minister of Justice stood silently to one side, his brow furrowed, as if he were pondering something.

After a long silence, he asked slowly, "General Pei, do you truly have a way to protect the lives of my entire clan? Do you know who is behind me...?"

"We've known each other for a while now, so as not to ruin his plans, I should at least ask him to do me a favor."

The Minister of Justice still had reservations and wanted to ask more questions, but Pei Qingyan stopped him by raising his hand.

Do you think you're so important that losing you would cause the person behind you to lose everything?

Of course not.

The Minister of Justice knew perfectly well that he didn't hold that position; otherwise, why would he have been assigned to a job that could cost him his head?

Just a scapegoat.

With this in mind, the Minister of Justice had an idea.

"General Pei, how would you like me to help?"

"I remember that according to the laws of this dynasty, officials of the rank of two thousand shi or above, or those involved in major cases, can be arrested and interrogated based on hearsay without the need for concrete evidence."

Pei Qingyan put down his teacup. "I would like to ask you to arrest and interrogate the Grand Minister of Agriculture, the transport official, the prefect of Linhe County, and all those who handled the military funds of the northern region."

The Imperial Censor stared wide-eyed, unable to believe his ears. "General Pei, are you planning to turn the entire political landscape of Dazhao upside down?"

Even someone with the courage of a leopard wouldn't dare to do that!

"Given my current situation, it's a pipe dream to escape without taking risky measures."

The Minister of Justice's chest heaved as he whispered, "But have you thought about how this will end?"

The process of handling military pay was complicated. It required the Grand Minister of Agriculture to start by calculating the military registers, and after the emperor issued the edict, the Ministry of Personnel would register them in red ink. Two copies of the account book were sent to the Grand Minister of Agriculture and the Grand Marshal.

The steps are all interconnected and extremely meticulous.

Afterwards, the Grand Minister of Agriculture was in charge of the "Records of Income and Expenditure of Money and Grain" and was responsible for distributing the funds. Although the Grand Marshal did not handle the funds directly, he was still required to record them in the register. Every transaction along the way was marked with a seal.

The involvement will implicate at least a dozen or more officials.

If they were all taken down, it would surely cause a stir in the government and the public. If someone were to overturn the verdict and cry innocence, the situation would be difficult to resolve.

Even after the other party was cleared of suspicion, they were still resented.

"Why not select some low-ranking officials, arrest them, and interrogate them? I guarantee that within a day, I can get them to sign and affix their seals," the Court of Justice suggested.

"Would someone of low rank dare to plot against an imperial envoy?"

"This..." The court official was speechless, at a loss for what to do.

"Do as I say. Start with the officials in the capital. Arrest and interrogate the Grand Minister of Agriculture and his subordinates, as well as the chief clerks and registrars in charge of registration at the Secretariat and the Grand Marshal's office. Use the account books as evidence and have your men make copies of them."

"The Grand Minister of Agriculture is one of the Nine Ministers, isn't he...?"

"He's in charge of finances, and the military pay was embezzled. Even if he wasn't the mastermind, he's still guilty of inadequate oversight. Arrest him, don't let him go. If he feels wronged, he should find evidence to prove his innocence."

"That's just a rumor?"

Rumors, also known as hearsay, are rumors circulating in the streets. To ensure the arrest of everyone without any mishaps, these rumors must be relatively true and reliable, and able to withstand scrutiny from others.

"I'll handle this. You just need to get involved and arrest them as soon as you hear about it."