Second Trump Card

He had originally thought that the scene outside Wenying Hall had been meant to test his unmatched strength, which was why Sun Shaozong had glossed over the clumsy performance of those three young eunuchs.

But who could have guessed that the scheme behind it ran this deep?!

Sun Shaozong shot Earl Yongyi a speechless look, then secretly glanced at the emperor's expression.

He had more or less guessed Earl Yongyi's true identity, but he did not know whether those words about "dismissal and investigation" had already been approved by the emperor, or whether Earl Yongyi was simply speaking for himself.

If it was the latter, there might still be room for a turnaround.

If it was the former, then nothing he said would matter. He might as well meekly confess and accept punishment, then go home to a leisurely life with his wife, children, and warm bed—after all, with his bargain-bin elder brother looking out for him, life could not be too hard.

"Heh heh."

At that moment, Emperor Guangde chuckled twice and asked evenly, "Sun Shaozong, do you have anything to say in your defense regarding what Earl Yongyi said just now?"

Tch~

Emperor Guangde's tone and expression gave nothing away.

I'll test the waters first!

Sun Shaozong quietly drew a breath, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, I merely wish to ask Earl Yongyi whether his honored surname is Niu."

Other than Niu Jizong, the legitimate grandson of Duke Zhen Guo and current holder of the first-rank earldom, who else would care so deeply about Ambassador Niu's death?

At those words, Earl Yongyi's face darkened further. Without waiting for the emperor's instruction, he snapped viciously, "So what if it is? So what if it is not? You failed in your duty of protection and allowed the special envoy to be assassinated, bringing shame upon the court. Should you not be punished?!"

Sun Shaozong ignored him. Instead, he forced a sorrowful expression onto his face, dropped to one knee, and said, "Since Lord Niu is present, then this humble general has nothing to say."

Though he had only spent a few years in officialdom, and only in the District Inspectorate, he knew that directly shirking responsibility at such a time would only leave his superiors with a worse impression. Thus, he said nothing outright, merely speaking in roundabout fashion and displaying all the grievance bottled up in his heart.

Niu Jizong was no fool. The moment he heard this, he knew Sun Shaozong was implying that he was suppressing him. Just as he was about to expose Sun Shaozong's "vile intentions," Emperor Guangde gave a curious "Eh?" and asked, "Why do you have nothing to say simply because Lord Niu is here?"

At that single "Eh," Sun Shaozong felt his spirits rise!

The emperor clearly had no intention of putting on a coordinated act with Niu Jizong. Otherwise, there would have been no need for him to continue questioning.

"Your Majesty."

With his forehead still lowered to the ground, Sun Shaozong said, "Lord Niu has lost a close relative. That alone is already a tragedy of the human world. How could this humble general then openly speak of Ambassador Niu's faults in front of him? Therefore, this humble general has nothing to say."

Though he kept saying that he had "nothing to say," he had in fact already pinned the responsibility on Niu Yongxin. It was probably three times more cutting than saying everything outright.

Niu Jizong grew even more enraged upon hearing this. Forgetting that he was answering before the emperor, he stamped his feet and cursed, "What a shameless wretch! My brother died while loyally serving the country, yet you dare slander him before this lord! Your heart deserves to be condemned—condemned beyond measure!"

As he spoke, he too dropped to his knees with a thud and wailed, "Your Majesty, the Niu family has been loyal and valiant for generations. Our wholehearted devotion to the country may be witnessed by the sun and moon! This subject cannot tolerate the good name earned by my fathers, grandfathers, uncles, and elders at the cost of their lives being ruined by a petty man's tongue! This subject begs Your Majesty to swiftly execute Sun Shaozong, to set matters right and silence all criticism!"

Damn~

He was clearly trying to kill him to silence him!

And he had deliberately dragged the old Duke Zhen Guo out as leverage.

Sun Shaozong did not believe he could contend with the foremost of the Four Princes and Eight Dukes, so he hurriedly argued, "Since Lord Niu insists that this humble general is a petty man, then this humble general can only..."

"Shut up!"

By now, Niu Jizong had also guessed that his unreliable younger brother must have done something outrageous in Qian Xiang Country and had left Sun Shaozong holding evidence against him.

How could he possibly allow Sun Shaozong to speak freely?

He first roared and cut Sun Shaozong off, then said sternly, "Listening to this petty man's sophistry will only soil Your Majesty's ears! I beg Your Majesty to swiftly issue an edict to execute this scoundrel, clear the name of Duke Zhen Guo Residence, and give my younger brother justice!"

What the hell!

He would not even let him defend himself, and his words even carried the implication of pressuring Emperor Guangde!

What chilled Sun Shaozong most was that, under Niu Jizong's aggressive momentum, Emperor Guangde actually showed a trace of hesitation!

"Your Majesty!"

Seeing that if this dragged on any longer, he might truly be hauled out and beheaded, Sun Shaozong hurriedly pulled a small booklet from his robes and said anxiously, "If it were only this humble general's word, it might amount to nothing! But I have here the recorded testimonies of seventy-three people from the embassy, including five of Lord Niu's personal servants and maids. They are sufficient to prove that, during Ambassador Niu's tenure, he embezzled the embassy's funds and provisions, and..."

Niu Jizong again barked, "Bold Sun Shaozong, you dare fabricate testimony!"

But with his life on the line, how could Sun Shaozong have the leisure to pay him any heed?

Raising the booklet over his head with both hands, he declared loudly, "He also openly sold every position for hired workers and menial laborers within the embassy. The traitor who poisoned this humble officer was likewise recruited by Ambassador Niu personally—there are account books inside as proof. I beg Your Majesty to examine them!"

This was the other trump card Sun Shaozong had prepared besides "using the foreigners to bolster his own importance"!

He had expended no small amount of effort to obtain these testimonies and account books. If he had not established supreme authority within the embassy through investigating the case, he might not have been able to prepare such a thorough record.

By this point, Niu Jizong's heart had already gone cold by half.

He stammered, wanting to stop Sun Shaozong from presenting the booklet, but Palace Overseer Eunuch Dai Quan had already trotted forward, taken it, and briskly delivered it before Emperor Guangde.

Niu Jizong shifted his feet, but in the end he still did not dare stop him. He lowered his head dejectedly, though he continued to glare furiously at Sun Shaozong from the corner of his eye.

Emperor Guangde took the booklet and flipped through it casually. Though the writing was somewhat crude, every matter was laid out with clear logic, no less skillfully than the work of an experienced clerk. He could not help but think even more highly of Sun Shaozong, and he reached a decision regarding the assassination case.

Smack!

He snapped the booklet shut and sneered, "Excellent. What a family full of loyal martyrs. What a wholehearted devotion that could be witnessed by the sun and moon. What a death in loyal service to the country!"

Each of those three "what a"s was colder than the last!

Niu Jizong's face turned ashen. No longer daring to put on airs, he hurriedly knocked his head against the floor three times and said in a trembling voice, "This subject is terrified. This subject failed to discipline his younger brother. This subject..."

"Enough!"

Impatiently, Emperor Guangde tossed the booklet in front of him and said, "For the old Duke Zhen Guo's sake, turn over to the National Treasury the military pay he withheld. As for all this filthy mess, I shall treat it as though it never happened—withdraw."

"Thank you for Your Majesty's great grace! Thank you for Your Majesty's great grace!"

Niu Jizong hurriedly picked up the booklet and withdrew in a bent, frightened posture.

After he vanished through the door, Emperor Guangde's face showed a faint smile. He made a token gesture for Sun Shaozong to rise and said kindly, "Rise. Since you have rendered merit without fault, I shall naturally reward you handsomely! Tell me, what do you want?"

In truth, this was merely a conventional remark.

Generally speaking, upon hearing it, officials would be deeply moved and obediently declare that everything would follow Your Majesty's instructions, that as subjects they would have no objections whatsoever. Then the emperor could present the reward he had prepared in advance, and ruler and subject alike would be pleased and harmonious.

But Sun Shaozong did not follow the usual script this time. The moment he heard those words, he prostrated himself again and said, "Reporting to Your Majesty, this... this subject wishes to transfer to a civilian post!"