Chapter 381 Scolding! (Thanks to "Cz" for the Silver Alliance)

Minister Sun's aged face showed a look of dejection and dejection as he stared intently at Chief Minister Wang, saying with heartache, "Chuzhou City is gone."

Boom!

A bolt of lightning struck the head of the chief minister.

The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review added with great sorrow, "The Prince of Zhenbei is dead."

Boom!

Two thunderbolts struck the head of the chief minister, leaving him stunned.

Another fourth-rank official exclaimed indignantly, "The Prince of Zhenbei has massacred the city!"

Boom boom boom!

The Prime Minister felt as if he had been struck by a series of thunderbolts, his mind gradually went blank, he had no thoughts left, and he even lost the ability to control his facial expressions.

In the eyes of Minister Sun and others, Chief Minister Wang sat blankly behind the table, his eyes unfocused and his expression vacant, like a lifeless paper figure.

Is Chuzhou City gone?

Is the Prince of Zhenbei dead?

Was Chuzhou City massacred by the Prince of Zhenbei?

Why am I the last to know about such important news?

After a long while, Wang's brain recovered from its malfunction and regained its ability to think; a series of questions automatically surfaced in his mind.

Having weathered many storms in the political arena, Chief Minister Wang took a deep breath, his gaze both sorrowful and sharp. "Tell me in detail, Lord Sun, let's begin."

Minister Sun nodded but didn't speak. Instead, he looked out of the study and called out, "Officer Chen!"

Officer Chen stepped across the threshold and entered the study.

Minister Sun sighed and said, "Let the parties involved speak."

Upon hearing this, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review shook his head and chuckled, "You and I are thinking the same thing."

He immediately left the study and instructed the servants of the Prince's residence to summon the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review who was waiting outside the residence.

After the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review entered the study, Chief Constable Chen saw that Chief Minister Wang was staring at him, nodded slightly, and immediately clasped his hands in a fist salute to the assembled officials, saying:

"Your Excellency, esteemed officials, our journey north has not been peaceful. In the Jiangzhou region, we were ambushed by three fourth-rank barbarian masters. At that time, Yang Jinluo was the only fourth-rank master in our delegation."

The Prime Minister looked on in astonishment, scrutinizing him. "How did you manage to escape the ambush?"

Officer Chen replied:

"Actually, the mission almost perished on the official ship. Xu Yinluo suddenly summoned us to discuss the matter, saying we should change our route to land. He claimed that if we didn't change to land, we would likely be ambushed when we passed Liushitan the next day. After some debate, we chose to listen to Xu Yinluo and take the land route. The next day, Yang Jinluo went alone by boat to test the waters, and sure enough, we were ambushed. The ambushers were Tangshan Jun of the Jiao tribe, a northern Demon Race clan."

Chief Minister Wang nodded slightly. "This man is meticulous and as sharp as a rabbit. When he was chosen as the chief official, most of the officials in the court actually recognized his abilities."

"Unfortunately, we still couldn't avoid their ambush and were eventually found. At that time, three fourth-rank officials surrounded the delegation, and Yang Jinluo was unable to hold them off alone." At this point, Constable Chen showed gratitude.

"In the critical moment, it was Xu Yinluo who stepped forward and single-handedly held off two fourth-rank officials, buying us a chance to escape. It was after that incident that we parted ways with Xu Yinluo, and we didn't reunite until the fall of Chuzhou City."

The Grand Secretary raised his hand to interrupt him and asked, "What was the reason for the barbarian ambush of the delegation? Where did Xu Qi'an go?"

Officer Chen frowned, somewhat uncertainly saying, "It seems to be for the Princess. As for Xu Yinluo, he left the mission and went north alone, splitting up with us."

"It seems?" Chief Minister Wang squinted, his tone slightly questioning.

"This is Xu Yinluo's deduction, not mine," Constable Chen said, clasping his hands in a fist salute.

The chief minister nodded slowly, the doubt in his eyes dissipating, and he seriously considered the reasons why the barbarians had abducted the queen.

Seeing this, Constable Chen continued, "Afterwards, we arrived in Chuzhou City, but due to Que Yongxiu's obstruction, we gained nothing for many days. Until that day..."

Through Constable Chen's account, Chief Minister Wang learned about the earth-shattering battle that took place in Chuzhou City that day.

After a long silence, Chief Minister Wang asked, "Where was Xu Yinluo during this process?"

When he asked this question, his gaze was directed at the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.

The Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review understood immediately and bowed, saying:

"Xu Yinluo infiltrated the northern border alone and, together with Li Miaozhen, the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Sect, found the sole survivor, Governor Zheng. He must have only recently parted ways with Governor Zheng when the great battle broke out in the city."

Chief Minister Wang grunted in acknowledgment and turned his gaze to Constable Chen: "What is Xu Yinluo's speculation about the identity of that mysterious expert?"

"The Grand Secretary values Xu Qi'an's deductions very much. When we mentioned the Princess Consort earlier, as soon as I said it was Xu Yinluo's speculation, he stopped questioning it," Constable Chen replied.

"When that mysterious expert was mentioned, Xu Yinluo sneered and said something."

The officials present, including the chief minister Wang, immediately looked at Chief Constable Chen.

Taking a deep breath, Officer Chen whispered, "Xu Yinluo said: 'All the officials in the imperial court are demons and monsters.'"

These words were undoubtedly disrespectful to the officials present, so Officer Chen lowered his head, not daring to speak again, nor daring to look at the expressions of the Grand Secretary and the other officials.

Xu Qi'an's words implied that he suspected the mysterious expert was a member of the imperial court or connected to a certain figure there. Minister Sun felt a chill run down his spine.

Having navigated the ups and downs of officialdom for many years, he believed he had a clear understanding of the political situation and the people within the court.

But Minister Sun had just gone through the options in his mind: who could "command" such a top expert? He couldn't find a suitable candidate.

Xu Qi'an dared to say this because he was quite confident, but he could only confirm that the mysterious expert was involved with people in the court. He couldn't confirm who it was. The chief minister's eyes flashed, and he suddenly thought of Xu Erlang. Si Mu and he had mutual feelings for each other. Perhaps he could use Xu Erlang to test Xu Qi'an.

"Could it be Wei Yuan?" the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review whispered.

The expressions of Chief Minister Wang and Minister Sun changed slightly, while the other officials, including Constable Chen and the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, looked bewildered.

Wei Yuan was just an ordinary person and didn't understand why the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review would say such a thing.

"That's clearly impossible." The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review then shook his head.

He meant that Wei Yuan had never left the capital and had even attended a small court assembly in the Imperial Study a few days prior. Given the familiarity of the court officials and His Majesty was with Wei Yuan, there was no possibility of someone impersonating him.

Some people can imitate Wei Yuan's face, some can imitate Wei Yuan's features, but no one can imitate Wei Yuan's essence.

"Why hasn't the cabinet received the mission's official documents?" Chief Minister Wang asked, turning to the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.

The latter cupped his hands and said, "The delegation believes that this matter should not be sent out in haste. This will give His Majesty time to consider how to exonerate the Prince of Zhenbei."

The delegation has already met with His Majesty, but I still haven't received any news, which means His Majesty has issued a gag order. Chief Minister Wang chuckled and said:

"In this way, His Majesty will not be at a loss?"

He scoffed at the delegation's rather clumsy response, sighing, "In that case, let's set aside the identity of the mysterious expert for now. What we should consider is what we want to achieve through this matter, and how to handle it."

A sixth-rank official said in a deep voice, "The Prince of Zhenbei has massacred 380,000 people in Chuzhou City. If this matter is not handled properly, we will be recorded in history and infamous for eternity."

Another official added, "Forcing His Majesty to convict the Prince of Zhenbei would not only be worthy of the Confucian classics we have studied, but would also greatly enhance our reputation—a win-win situation."

The last official, expressionless, said, "I do it for no other reason than the principle I hold dear."

These officials must have come to me through Zheng Xinghuai's efforts. Chief Minister Wang let out a sigh of relief and said:

"Quickly go and gather information to verify the details. Once your shift is over, go and join the other gentlemen to go to the palace for an audience with the Emperor."

Just after lunch, led by Chief Minister Wang, the assembled officials headed straight for the north gate of the Imperial Study, where they were stopped by the Imperial Guards.

As if this had been anticipated, checkpoints were set up at the palace gates in advance, prohibiting anyone from entering or leaving. The officials were unsurprisingly kept outside.

"Get out! We want to see you."

"The Prince of Zhenbei is utterly depraved and deserves to die, but his funeral arrangements are still undecided. We must seek justice for the 380,000 people of Chuzhou City."

An official shouted loudly, his voice righteous and awe-inspiring, as if he were the embodiment of justice.

"As a prince, he slaughtered the people; his death is no loss. The Prince of Huai should be demoted to a commoner, his body left to rot in the wilderness, to give the world an explanation."

The crowd was in high spirits, and the hypocrites dressed in official robes of various colors began to storm the checkpoints.

"Presumptuous!"

The commander of the Imperial Guards glared at the assembled officials and shouted, "Anyone who dares to trespass into the palace will be killed without mercy!"

"Pooh!"

The white-haired Provincial Governor Zheng spat a thick wad of phlegm at him, but instead of being afraid, he was furious. "I'll stand right here today, dare to cut me with your sword?"

The commander of the Imperial Guard dodged the spitting phlegm, his scalp tingling.

He really didn't dare to draw his knife and kill someone. Although trespassing into the palace was a capital offense, rules were rules, and reality was reality. There were examples in the past of ministers who, in a fit of anger, stormed into the palace.

The right thing to do is to stop them at all costs, even if it means getting beaten, rather than actually drawing your sword against these old scholars, or the consequences will be dire.

Who are these people in front of me?

The Grand Secretary, Ministers of the Six Ministries, Vice Ministers, members of the prestigious Hanlin Academy, and Supervising Secretaries of the Six Offices—these were the very people described.

Fortunately, the soldiers were strong and healthy, and they could easily hold off these old men. They were spat on, kicked, and slapped, but they didn't back down an inch.

However, what was troublesome was that the more the Imperial Guards refused to budge, the more the civil officials protested. At first, it was just a dozen or so high-ranking officials causing trouble, but gradually, other minor officials from the imperial city's government offices also joined in the fun.

The city gate was in an uproar, with both sides locked in a stalemate.

Just then, an elegant carriage stopped on the street in the distance. The curtain was lifted, and a handsome young man with rosy lips and white teeth stepped out.

"Erlang."

A woman's gentle voice came from inside the carriage. Wang Simu leaned out and whispered, "Although this move will offend His Majesty, it is a golden opportunity for you to truly make a name for yourself. Besides, aren't all the officials gathered at the palace gates thinking the same thing?"

"Speak freely. If you can gain praise from both the court and the public, and even change my father's opinion of you, why shouldn't you rise to prominence in the future?"

Through deliberate dissemination, the story of the Prince of Zhenbei's massacre of the city became common knowledge within the imperial city government.

Upon hearing this, Wang Simu offered Xu Erlang a suggestion, advising him to also get involved.

"Whether your father changes his opinion of me or not is none of my business," Xu Erlang muttered to himself, then said solemnly, "I came here not to make a name for myself, but for my belief in the people."

Wang Simu smiled sweetly, about to speak, when she suddenly heard Xu Erlang stammer, "Big... Big Brother?!"

Miss Wang was startled. She lifted the curtain slightly and followed Xu Erlang's gaze. Not far away, Xu Qi'an, dressed in a silver-robed official's uniform, walked slowly towards her.

"Brother, what are you doing here?" Xu Erlang asked in surprise.

"What are you doing here?" Xu Qi'an asked back, turning his head to give Wang Simu a casual glance.

The latter gave a perfunctory smile and quickly lowered the curtain.

Xu Qi'an took off his sword, slapped Xu Erlang's buttocks, and said angrily, "Xu Cijiu, you're something else. Your elder brother is still a bachelor, troubled by not being able to find a wife, while you've managed to hook up with that young lady from the Wang family."

"What nonsense are you spouting, brother?" Xu Erlang said, somewhat exasperated and embarrassed, his face flushed.

"Miss Wang and I became friends through poetry, discussing the past and present; it was a friendship between gentlemen."

"Is this how you use the term 'the friendship of gentlemen'? It's more like the friendship between Guan Zhong and Bao Shuya, isn't it?" Xu Qi'an thought to himself. "We'll talk about her matter when we get home. What are you doing here?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Erlang's expression turned serious. "I just heard that the delegation returned to the capital, bringing back the remains of the Prince of Zhenbei, as well as the story of his promotion to the second rank and the massacre of a city for his own selfish desires. Brother, tell me, is it true?"

Xu Qi'an abandoned his nonchalant attitude and nodded silently.

Xu Erlang felt a sharp pain in his chest, staggered back two steps, and his eyes instantly reddened.

He initially didn't believe it, but the scene before him, the curses from the civil officials, and his elder brother's words all told him that it was all a bloody truth.

Xu Qi'an patted his younger brother on the shoulder and looked at the assembled officials. "Judging from the attitude of that person in the palace, it seems they don't want to convict the Prince of Zhenbei. The civil officials are skilled with their pens, but their tongues are lacking."

"Brother, please wait here, I'll be right back."

Thirty-eight thousand lives lost, the slaughter of one's own people—such cold-blooded cruelty is rare indeed throughout history. If I cannot speak my mind today, I Xu Xinnian I have wasted nineteen years of studying the classics.

Finally, reaching the edge of the crowd, Xu Xinnian Dantian his strength, his face slightly contorted, and roared, "Get out of the way!"

The noise suddenly stopped, and the scene became quiet.

The civil officials frowned and turned around. It turned out to be Xu Cijiu, a junior official in the Hanlin Academy.

Many people unconsciously recall the scene during the Buddhist School debate, where Xu Cijiu's sharp words angered the Buddhist School monk Jingchen.

The crowd silently parted to make way.

The Prime Minister Wang slightly turned his head and looked at Xu Xinnian with an expressionless face. Although his expression was indifferent, he did not look away, as if he had some expectations for him.

Ignoring the stares of those around him, Xu Xinnian took a deep breath and declared loudly, "I have heard that the Prince of Huai, for his own selfish gain, has slaughtered an entire city and exterminated its inhabitants. This is truly displeasing to him, and that is why I have come here."

Time passed second by second, the sun gradually moved westward, and at the palace gate, only Xu Erlang's voice remained.

This outburst lasted for two whole hours.

Moreover, he was very skilled at cursing. He used classical Chinese to curse, reciting a manifesto on the spot; he quoted classic lines to curse, reciting them fluently; he cursed indirectly; he cursed in vernacular; he cursed in a sarcastic and cryptic way.

The sheer volume of her vocabulary is astonishing, yet she skillfully avoided the sensitive topic of royalty, leaving no room for criticism.

More and more civil officials gathered, from veteran ministers to newly appointed nobles, all looking at Xu Erlang with eyes full of reverence.

This is truly eye-opening!

If the imperial court had a test that examined people's ability to curse, they would gladly Xu Xinnian.

Even after decades of verbal attacks in the court, Chief Minister Wang suddenly had the thought, "If I bring this young man under my command, I will have no rivals in the court's verbal battles."

The Imperial Guards lowered their heads, looking utterly dejected, and prayed in their hearts that this guy would leave soon.

"Lord Xu, please moisten your throat."

A civil official served tea, Xu Xinnian had already moistened his throat several times in the past two hours.

The civil officials willingly served him tea and water, hoping he would continue; if Lord Xu left because of thirst, it would be a huge loss for them.

Xu Xinnian took a sip, handed the teacup back, and was about to continue speaking...

"Shut up, stop swearing, stop swearing!"

At this moment, the old eunuch, accompanied by a group of eunuchs, rushed out in a fit of rage.

"You, you, you are simply outrageous! In the six hundred years since the founding of the Great Feng Dynasty, has anyone ever acted like this, blocking the palace gates and cursing for two hours straight?" The old eunuch was so angry that he jumped up and down.

Xu Xinnian said calmly, "Please do not speak to me, sir. I detest nonsense."

The astute civil official nearly couldn't help but laugh. The Grand Secretary Wang's lips twitched; seemingly unwilling to see Xu Xinnian continue to offend the chief minister close to Emperor Yuanjing, he immediately stepped forward and said in a deep voice:

Would His Majesty be willing to see us?

The old eunuch nodded and said, "His Majesty said that only the Grand Secretary is to be seen; everyone else must leave immediately and is not allowed to gather at the palace gate."

The civil officials were quite excited, their faces beaming with joy. For a moment, their gazes toward Xu Xinnian held a newfound recognition and appreciation that they hadn't shown before.

P. S.: It's the little mare's birthday! There's a splash screen event; sending birthday wishes will increase your birthday points.