Denghuangtai

The following evening.

The north gate of Weiyang Palace was wide open, and officials from various departments went home after their shifts. Huayang Street was packed with carriages belonging to the officials.

Yun Zheng sat in the carriage, the constant swaying of the carriage making his head ache. He was about to lean against the carriage wall and close his eyes to rest when a sound from outside caught his attention.

"Have you heard? There's new evidence in the case of the imperial envoy's murder." The man said in a rough voice, his tone mysterious.

"I've heard more than I've heard! Today I saw with my own eyes a man covered in blood come from outside the city. He rushed and crashed into the carriages of many noble families along the way, heading straight for the Pei residence in the Beique Mansion. When he knocked on the Pei family's gate, he shouted, 'Your subordinate has successfully returned to the capital with the evidence, having fulfilled his mission.'"

"Then do you know what the evidence is?" the gruff voice asked again, lowering its tone slightly.

Yun Zheng leaned slightly, moving closer to the direction of the sound.

"Let me tell you, that was evidence that the imperial envoy had uncovered before his death, showing high-ranking officials embezzling military funds. He knew he was doomed, so he hid the evidence and asked General Pei to help him seek justice. The guard was hiding in the shadows when the imperial envoy was murdered and saw the killer's face."

"Brother, your information is incomplete," a new voice countered. "That's not evidence of some high-ranking official embezzling military funds; it's evidence of a group of officials colluding to deceive their superiors and embezzle military funds. General Pei already has their embezzlement ledgers and witnesses..."

Yun Zheng was listening intently when a rough voice rang out, interrupting the speaker.

"You lot, how can you speak so inappropriately? This is Huayang Street, frequented by officials from various departments. If they hear what you're saying, you'll be in trouble!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the people who had been discussing the matter seemed to wake up from a dream, followed by a series of hurried footsteps, indicating that they had all slipped away.

"Yunyin," Yun Zheng said in a clear voice.

The words had barely left his lips when the carriage curtain was lifted, and the chief clerk poked his head in. "My lord, what are your orders?"

"Have you heard what those people said just now?"

"This matter has already spread throughout Chang'an. Someone personally witnessed General Pei going to the Court of Justice to inquire about the possibility of redeeming herself through meritorious service." The registrar raised an eyebrow slightly and lowered his voice, "Do you know who she was inquiring about?"

Stop keeping me in suspense.

"General Pei is asking on behalf of officials who embezzled military funds. This case involves a wide range of people. Some of the participants only embezzled a small portion. In particular, some of them have already turned themselves in to General Pei, confessed their crimes, and are willing to come forward to point out others. General Pei's point is that although these people have violated the law, there is room for leniency. Please ask the Court of Justice to write a petition for them to be treated leniently."

"She meant well."

Yun Zheng sneered, his tone sarcastic.

The registrar was momentarily speechless, and after a long pause, he said awkwardly, "This is probably because of these people who came forward to testify. After all, General Pei was implicated in the death of the imperial envoy, and without these witnesses and the evidence left by the imperial envoy, she would probably be dead."

"Oh."

Yun Zheng scoffed, sneering, "Do you really think she's someone who knows how to repay kindness?"

The registrar was stunned for a moment. He wanted to ask more questions, but when he saw that Yun Zheng had already closed his eyes, he silently closed the curtain.

"Achoo!"

The Court of Justice.

Pei Qingyan suddenly felt an itch in his nose and turned to the side, letting out a loud sneeze.

She rubbed her nose and continued, "Now that rumors are flying, it's your turn to make a move."

Chang'an City was destined to be sleepless tonight. All night long, the barking of dogs echoed through the streets and alleys. Many families had their doors knocked on by the Court of Justice officials in the dead of night, and the heads of the households were taken directly from their bedrooms to the Court of Justice's prison.

However, since most of these people were subordinate officials, they only participated in the grand court assembly on the first and fifteenth of each month, and not in the regular court sessions.

Otherwise, many seats in the Xuanzheng Hall would be empty during the morning court session the following day.

Although the number of attendees at the court assembly did not change much, the officials of the Censorate, who were responsible for supervising all officials, were already poised to act.

As soon as the emperor gave the order, the Grand Censor stepped forward to impeach the Court of Justice, accusing it of acting on a whim and arresting court officials without any evidence, which violated the law.

The Court of Justice had anticipated this and had taken precautions.

On the imperial steps, the emperor sat high, his gaze cold and stern as he watched the two engage in a fierce verbal battle through the tassels of his crown.

That's enough.

Seeing that the two were each expressing their own opinions and it was difficult to determine a winner, the emperor was unwilling to listen any longer and stopped them.

"What is the Minister's opinion on this matter?"

Yun Zheng, who had been summoned, stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, the issue of military pay has caused quite a stir in the capital, with widespread public discussion. If it is not clarified as soon as possible, not only will it be difficult to quell the public's discontent, but it may also cause the people of the country to become suspicious of the court, which would greatly damage the prestige of the nation."

Yun Zheng paused, glanced at the Court of Justice, and said, "Therefore, the Court of Justice's investigation and handling of this matter according to the law is perfectly reasonable. However, dismissing and imprisoning all the officials involved overnight is a rather harsh and inhumane approach, and may discourage the officials. But since things have come to this point, if we release them now, it would be a joke of the law, and the court would lose face. The best course of action now is to order the Court of Justice to concentrate its efforts on a swift trial and resolution, to ascertain the facts of the case as soon as possible, and to announce the results to the world. This will both uphold the authority of the law and reassure the public."

"What does the Grand Commandant think?"

"The Minister of the Imperial Secretariat has a keen insight, which I wholeheartedly agree with. However, the case involves numerous and complex matters, which the Court of Justice alone cannot handle. I request Your Majesty to appoint the Grand Censor to assist the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat in handling the case, so as to expedite the investigation and make a swift decision, and demonstrate the impartiality of the court."

"Yes," the emperor said succinctly.

"Amazing!"