Ink Burns

Chapter 237 Hearing of Old Friends Again
Xue Xiao's question was a wake-up call.

His birth mother was killed by his stepmother, so how could he observe mourning for his stepmother? Since he did not observe mourning, his appearance in the Qian Yuan Hall as a second-class Jinshi and a third-rank official was naturally not a major overstepping of his authority.

However, whether a matter is considered major or minor still requires the emperor's decision.

Emperor Yongping slightly raised his wide sleeves, and Eunuch Wu, head down, jogged to the foot of the throne and presented the testimony book to Emperor Yongping with both hands.

As Emperor Yongping was reviewing the documents, Xue Xiao spoke again: "The facts confessed by the Marquis of Guanbei are not limited to this. The 30,000 taels of silver buried under the Su family's camp outside Yumen Pass in the Duzhou dike breach case were done by the Chang family, who were then the deputy envoys under the Su family! It is also true that Guan'anzhai colluded with the Jiangnan officials to launder money through paintings!"

"Over the past ten years, Chang Lin has allowed his son and relatives to bully men and women, engage in monopolistic practices, and seize 109 cases of illegal land use, involving 47 deaths and more than 10,000 taels of silver! Chang Lin and his cronies have deceived their superiors, exploited the people for personal gain, and used public funds to enrich their cronies!"

“Every single item belongs to the Chang family, and the Marquis of Guanbei has acknowledged it! His signature and seal are there afterward, leaving no room for denial!”

When the words "Yumen Pass" were mentioned, Cui Bainian, who was in the first row of military officers, suddenly raised his eyes. His deep-set eyes glanced sharply behind him, as alert as an eagle eyeing a wolf. After hearing the words, "Every single thing that should belong to the Chang family, the Marquis of Guanbei acknowledges it," he slowly exhaled a long breath: Chang Lin and Jing An are ultimately the same kind of people. They have a kind of foolish righteousness that makes them take responsibility for their own actions. They are tough and would never betray "their own people."

Although it's foolish, as the beneficiary, I find this trait quite useful.

Cui Bainian relaxed his back, concealed his sharp gaze, lowered his head and resumed his calm and relaxed demeanor.

Cui Bainian was not involved in the matter. In the Qian Yuan Hall, there were other important civil and military officials who debated the classics for the Chang family, with Yuan Wenying still at the head. Cui Bainian was not in the capital for most of the year. Jing'an liked to gather important officials to the Yin Chun Tower to discuss matters. When the trio was not complete, Yuan Wenying usually filled in. Therefore, Yuan Wenying and Chang Lin had some incestuous relationship.

“A signature and fingerprint cannot be denied!” Yuan Wenying retorted loudly, “However—as Lord He said, can testimonies obtained through torture be valid?! Wouldn’t the world then be full of miscarriages of justice—wrong—”

"If I were to say that the Censorate never tortured Lord Chang, how would Vice Minister Yuan respond!" Xue Xiao interrupted Yuan Wenying sharply. After a pause, he smiled, his deep-set eyes filled with amusement and malice: "How about Lord Yuan makes a bet with me? If Lord Chang is completely unharmed, you take off your clothes and walk around the Forbidden City three times, how about that?"

Bullshit!

Yuan Wenying almost blurted it out, but managed to hold back the words that were already on the tip of her tongue.

If a rabid dog bites you, you don't have to bite back!
Yuan Wenying took a deep breath and angrily rebuked, "You brat, you're ridiculous and have no manners whatsoever!"

Standing upright again, he looked at Emperor Yongping with righteous indignation, his wide sleeves fluttering as he pointed a single finger at Xue Xiao: "Whether the Marquis of Guanbei is guilty or not is not the point for now. The Censorate has declared that it did not use any private torture. So, is it false that Lord He just said that the Marquis of Guanbei 'has lost the strength of his legs and cannot walk, and his throat is swollen beyond description'?!"

"Whether it's true or false... we'll know immediately when the Emperor summons Chang Lin, the Marquis of Guanbei, to an audience!" He Qingshu, the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, replied immediately.

Empress Yongping, wearing a twelve-tasseled crown, had a calm and unreadable expression. After a moment, she lowered her gaze, raised her hand, and gestured for the emperor to comply.

Wu Dajian walked briskly to the outside of the palace and issued a summons.

In the imperial court, hundreds of civil and military officials all lowered their heads and dared not speak.

I knew conflict would come, but I didn't expect it to come so quickly.

The struggle between the central imperial power and the officialdom of Jiangnan, the old grudges between Xue Xiao and the Chang and Cui families, and the new hatred between the Censorate and its officials are all intertwined.
It's on the table!
Yuan Wenying glanced back and happened to receive a slightly downward glance from He Qingshu.

Although He Qingshu rose to power through Jing'an, he was a decent person. As the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, he helped "Qingfeng" handle a lot of dirty work. Because of Jing'an, he married a woman from a poor family as a decoration to quell rumors. Naturally, he dared not have any children. It is said that she came from a poor background, and her parents died when she fled. She also had no clan to rely on. Such a lonely person with no descendants, no ancestral hall, and no parents is the most reliable.

Yuan Wenying received an affirmative reply and, feeling smug, tucked his hands into his sleeves and casually placed them on his stomach. He glanced sideways at Xue Xiao and said, "Scholar Xue, if the Marquis of Guanbei had even the slightest scratch, would your testimony still be valid?"

Xue Xiao's lips curled slightly: "If your naked parade in the streets counts, then whether this testimony is true or false, and whether it is valid or not, is entirely up to you."

Yuan Wenying sneered and bowed his hand to Emperor Yongping, advising, "Once the Marquis of Guanbei attends court, it will be clear whether the Censorate has used torture to extract confessions. At that time, I hope Your Majesty will exercise your power impartially and not disappoint the ministers."

This means that if Chang Lin is severely punished upon his arrival, then his testimony will be invalid, and the Duzhou dike breach case, the Guan'anzhai collusion with Jiangnan officials and merchants case, and all the Chang family's crimes will be wiped clean. Not only that, but the Censorate will also be investigated for the crimes of privately imprisoning high-ranking officials and abusing their power!
Yuan Wenying looked at Xiao Po behind Xue Xiao with a half-smile: This short-legged cat has been hiding behind the mad dog and bullying others for some time now; it's time for him to come out and take the blame.

Chang Linren arrived quickly; in less than half an incense stick's time, the sound of the imperial guards' steady footsteps could be heard as they entered.

Two guards, one on each side, dragged Chang Lin inside. His legs were like two limp noodles, dragging limply on the ground. He seemed to be weak from the waist up, but his chest cavity above his waist had also obviously collapsed. His neck was hanging low. Because he was going to meet the emperor, he had changed into a clean and upright casual robe, but his whole body was like a lump of dead flesh wrapped up in the casual robe, lifeless and limp.

The imperial guard shrugged, and Chang Lin's face appeared among the civil and military officials.

His once broad and square jaw was now emaciated and sunken deep. His eyes were bloodshot and his gaze was unfocused. He opened his mouth, but could not speak due to a hematoma in his throat.

Chang Lin was unable to walk, speak, or see, but undeniably, the Censorate was not wrong: there were no signs of torture on Chang Lin's exposed skin, and there was not even a trace of blood on his body—the Censorate had indeed not used torture, at least not cruel torture that caused injury! Yuan Wenying frowned slightly. Seeing Chang Lin's condition, he felt a strange sense of familiarity, but in this situation, he had no time to think further. He could only preemptively speak to Emperor Yongping, saying, "The Censorate still says no torture was used?"

Yuan Wenying glared angrily and demanded righteously, "Censorate, what have you done to the Marquis of Guanbei! In just over ten days, how could a perfectly healthy man suddenly become emaciated and like a walking corpse!?"

Cui Bainian's gaze was fixed on Chang Lin. His mind raced, and he immediately turned to the side, glancing at He Qingshu behind him.

If things change drastically, sever ties immediately!

Before He Qingshu could react, Xue Xiao, who had been silent for a long time, let out a slow, deep laugh, as if the laughter was squeezed out of his throat, or as if it burst forth from the Yama's palace in the netherworld.

He asked the question slowly and softly, yet with a resounding tone.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I am also very curious as to why the sudden illness of Marquis Chang Lin of Guanbei is exactly the same as that of my grandfather?"

Cui Bainian stood frozen in place.

Cui Yulang's gaze, dark and unfathomable, passed over Chang Lin and looked at Xue Xiao.

"What illness?" Emperor Yongping asked in a deep voice, one hand resting on his knee.

"On the morning of the ninth day after the Marquis of Guanbei entered the Censorate, after confessing most of the Chang family's misdeeds, he suddenly claimed that his legs were weak and he could not stand, insisting that Physician Liu be invited in to examine him. The Censorate always conducted cases in secrecy, and with the matter still unresolved, it was impossible for them to open the gates and let people in. In addition, since Lord Chang had been uncooperative since entering the Censorate, and given that Lord Chang was a military man and had always been physically robust, we suspected that he was faking illness and did not pay any attention to it—"

Xiao Po spoke, his voice clear and bright, as he recounted: "The next day, Lord Chang's condition deteriorated rapidly. Before long, his throat swelled, rendering him unable to speak. His hands and feet also became so weak that he could not support his weight. When he grasped his knees, he felt that the flesh was soft and the bones were light. We immediately sensed something was wrong and promptly asked the Imperial Censor, Lord Lu, to come to the Censorate for a consultation. Lord Lu could not explain the cause either, but only prescribed two doses of medicine to observe the effects. From that day until now, Lord Chang's condition has been deteriorating day by day. Today, there are white patches in his eyes, and he cannot see anything."

Xue Xiao immediately continued, "When Lord Xiao knocked on the door to ask, I was surprised to find that Lord Chang's symptoms were exactly the same as my grandfather's. So I invited Physician Cheng, who saved Songjiang Prefecture from the epidemic and is now providing free medical services in the capital, to come to the Censorate to see him."

Cui Bainian lowered his head to hide his rapid breathing.

After taking the pulse, Doctor Cheng mentioned a medicinal herb—"Qianji grass".

Xue Xiao's voice was deep: "It wasn't torture, nor was it an acute illness; it was poisoning!"

"I've been poisoned by a herb called 'Qianjicao' (牵机草)!"

Xue Xiao's eyes narrowed, and he looked precisely in the direction where Cui Bainian was standing: "This medicine is called Qianji, and it is produced outside Yumen Pass. In the northern frontier, it is often used by herdsmen to soothe horses that are on the verge of death and suffering. This is because once this medicine is taken, if there is no antidote, the limbs will become weak and the seven orifices will be sealed after ten days, and the person will die without feeling any pain. If the antidote is taken in time, the person will be no different from an ordinary person and will live a miserable life."

Cui Bainian looked up, his gaze sharp as a hawk's, meeting Xue Xiao's eyes without flinching.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Wenying suddenly realized: No wonder he looked familiar! It turned out to be a symptom after taking the traction drug!
Xue Xiao lifted his robe, knelt on both knees, lowered his head, revealing his sharply defined jawline and deep, intense eyebrows: "Someone poisoned Chang Lin! Just like they poisoned my grandfather back then! Someone is using the antidote as leverage to control the court officials! This person, or many others here, have ulterior motives and deserve to be punished. I humbly beg Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly!"

"What nonsense are you spouting!" Yuan Wenying shouted. "Absurd! Ridiculous! Just because two people have similar symptoms, you're assuming someone in the court is using poison to control the officials! Not to mention that nearly twenty years have passed between Chang Lin and Old Master Xue, just the fact that no one in the court has similar symptoms is enough to show that Scholar Xue is spreading alarmist rumors and causing chaos in the court!"

"There's someone else!"

Xue Xiao raised his head high!

"More than two!"

"Even within my own Censorate, there are people with similar symptoms!"

Yuan Wenying unconsciously took a step back, muttering, "How...not?"

"This man is Yao Zaozheng, a second-class Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) of the second year of Yongping!"

Cui Bainian suddenly clenched his fist!

Xue Xiao's eyes were deep as he stared intently at the gilded blue brick.

The couple has always been frugal and dislikes waste.

The brilliance of a chess player lies in being able to use a single piece twice.