Top Scholar

Chapter 415 Eunuch Liu is furious
While Nanjing was still experiencing a chilly, overcast day, Beijing was already gripped by howling winds and freezing temperatures.

The dragon flags on the Forbidden City were frozen stiff and wouldn't budge no matter how strong the wind blew.

Inside the palace, the eunuchs and palace maids on duty in the corridor outside the gate, wearing thick cotton-padded coats, were still red from the cold, and their entire faces were numb.

Inside the Directorate of Ceremonial, however, it was as warm as summer, with the underfloor heating blazing, and the eunuchs, both high and low, were covered in sweat despite wearing only light clothing.

Of course, the sweat wasn't just from the heat; it was mostly because Eunuch Liu was angry again.

With a crash, Eunuch Liu smashed the teacup again. Even the most powerful earthen floor couldn't match Eunuch Liu's fiery temper!
"You dog slave! You've gone too far!" Every wrinkle on Liu Jin's old face was etched with rage. His triangular eyes were bloodshot, and his roar nearly lifted the roof off.

"That coward Qian Ning, is his brain filled with dog shit? Now that you've arrested him, hurry up and take him back to Beijing! How dare he linger in Nanjing, even letting that kid hold a lecture and continue to slander our family!"

“Godfather, please calm down. Qian Ning reports that the preliminary investigation has found that the boy was framed.” Shi Wenyi, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, bowed and said cautiously, “He has already requested the revocation of the imperial warrant, so he is temporarily staying in Nanjing.”

"After causing such a commotion, he still wants to act like nothing happened?" The eunuch Gao Feng snorted.

"If we release that brat now, where will we put our face?" Another scribe, Wei Bin, waved his Nanjing Imperial Guard's petition and echoed:
"And that kid isn't innocent. Look at what he said at the Imperial Academy! — 'Use conscience as the yardstick to distinguish loyalty from treachery, and don't associate with the corrupt!' So he's just like us, without any conscience?"

"Damn it! Wang Shouren's little brat, it's a wonder he can say anything good!" Liu Jin said angrily. "We only let Qian Ning stand up for us because he was capable and obedient. We didn't expect him to be such a coward! Whose side is he on anyway? Let them slander us!"

"Brother, this is no ordinary lecture; we must crack down hard! Issue an order to immediately shut down the lecture venue and arrest everyone involved!" Wei Bin suggested indignantly.

"Let's see who's behind this, constantly using that kid to sow discord among us!"

“He’s already finished speaking, what’s the point of investigating him? Don’t you think he’s famous enough?” Gao Feng disagreed.

"It's best to pretend we didn't hear about this. The more we care, the more we enhance his reputation!"

"Hmm..." Liu Jin nodded and said in a low voice, "Old Gao is right. That kid's not even fully grown yet, and he's already lecturing? What kind of lecture is he giving! He's just someone using him as a front!"

"Besides, Qian Ning just filed a false accusation, and the next thing they know, they put that kid on stage to lecture. Isn't that because they're afraid we'll let him go and ruin their show?" Gao Feng said, getting more and more excited.
"I think they're just waiting for the eldest brother to issue an edict to seal it up. Then they'll exaggerate and say that Eunuch Liu has banned lectures again! If that happens, there will be another uproar in Jiangnan. Will the emperor not be able to have a peaceful New Year?"

“That makes sense.” Liu Jin stroked his smooth chin and said with deep agreement, “It seems that the way they are treating the officials and people of various prefectures with such high honors is to make things bigger, force us to take action, and then make things even bigger!”

“That’s right!” Gao Feng nodded.

"Godfather is wise!" Shi Wenyi quickly flattered, "That's exactly right!"

"Then what should we do?" Eunuch Liu sat back on his throne, and the servant beside him quickly served him a cup of fresh tea.

“We absolutely cannot let them lead us by the nose. That young scholar is just a puppet they've pushed onto the stage, hoping we'll make a move against him.” Gao Feng then moved the box of pastries that was blocking her and Eunuch Liu aside, saying:
"So we have to dig out those people hiding behind the scenes."

"Dig! Dig hard!" Liu Jin slammed his hand on the coffee table, almost knocking the teacup to the ground.

He then instructed Shi Wenyi: "Aren't all the promising young men who promoted that kid in the capital? Arrest them all and interrogate them thoroughly!"

"Yes, sir!" Shi Wenyi hurriedly replied loudly and turned to leave.

The gatekeeper hurriedly opened the door and lifted the thick curtain, letting in a gust of cold wind that made Liu Jin shiver.

"Let's add a partition at the entrance tomorrow..." Wei Bin said eagerly upon seeing this, "That way, the cold wind won't be brought in when we go in and out."

Liu Jin picked up the teacup, blew on the steam, took a sip, and was about to drink.

But then the curtain was lifted again, and Xiao Huozhe came in to report: "Godfather, that scoundrel Zhang Yong wants to enter the palace."

Upon hearing this, Liu Jin slammed the teacup down on the table, nearly dropping it again.

"Are you all deaf?!" Wei Bin shouted. "Zhang Yong has already been sent to Nanjing. What are you going to do with him in the palace? Stop him!"

"Yes..." Xiao Huozhe glanced at Liu Jin, and seeing that he didn't speak, he quickly went out to relay the order.

~~
The north wind whipped up snowflakes, making the shop signs on the street crackle and pop.

A large contingent of Imperial Guards, dressed in red flying fish robes, marched in unison behind the centurion's horse. The crunching sound of their studded leather boots over the snow was more unsettling than the sound of the horses' hooves.

Pedestrians hurriedly scrambled to the side of the road upon seeing this, and shops quickly closed temporarily, everyone remaining silent in fear.

Upon reaching the three-way intersection, the leading officer of the Imperial Guards ordered his three subordinate officers: "You, this way. You, that way. You, come with me!"

"Yes, sir!" the three captains replied in unison, and then led their respective subordinates to take action separately!
~~
In Huazhi Hutong, Xiao Chong, the former Sichuan Provincial Education Commissioner, was receiving several Sichuan scholars who were traveling to Beijing for the imperial examinations.

"Has the gentleman not yet returned to the Hanlin Academy to report for duty?" a candidate asked.

"No." Xiao Tixue shook his head and said with a wry smile, "There's no need for that."

Before he could finish speaking, the courtyard gate was kicked open with a bang.

"What are you doing..." The servant lifted the curtain and went out to check.

Before he could finish speaking, he was pinned to the ground by the fierce-looking Imperial Guards.

"By imperial decree, arrest them!" The scholars had never seen anything like this before. Seeing the Imperial Guards, exuding murderous intent, rushing into the room, some were so frightened they stood up abruptly, while others were too scared to stand.

“What’s meant to happen will happen…” Xiao Chong was not surprised at all. He picked up his teacup to take the last sip, but was struck on the back of his hand by a chain from a Jinyiwei.

The teacup shattered with a crash, and scalding tea mixed with tea leaves spilled all over him.

"Xiao Chong, you've committed a crime! Come with us!" With a sharp shout, chains were put on him, and his hands were tightly bound behind his back.

Meanwhile, in Xuan Nan Fang, at Fa Yuan Temple.

After arriving in Beijing, Liu Ying, the former governor of Sichuan, stayed here. According to custom, governors and viceroys should stay at the Huitongguan when they came to Beijing to report on their duties, but since he was no longer the governor, he did not want to offend anyone by staying at the Huitongguan. Instead, he stayed at this temple near the Six Ministries.

At that moment, he was meditating with the abbot.

"Master, why is it such a mess outside?" Liu Ying suddenly frowned.

"Quiet your mind, all things are empty, what chaos is there?" The master chuckled, his words unfathomable.

“But I still feel uneasy,” Liu Ying asked.

“Your true nature is clouded, hence your unease.” The abbot then slowly said, “Sweep away the dust and see your true nature, and your heart will naturally find peace.”

"Thank you, Master..." Liu Ying was impressed but didn't understand.

Just then, the door to the meditation room was kicked open with a bang, and the Imperial Guards rushed in, enveloped in the cold wind.

"Oh, Liu Zhongcheng, you've got quite the refined taste! Come back to the prison with us and meditate!"

The cold chains then clattered around his neck.

"Let me go!" Liu Ying exclaimed in shock and anger. "Show me your driver's pass! What have I done wrong?"

"Lord Liu, stop pretending!" The Imperial Guard commander threw a red travel permit in front of his face and waved his hand, saying, "Take him back to the cell and talk things out."

The Imperial Guards then dragged Liu Zhongcheng out of the meditation room by pulling on the chains.

Liu Ying's hair was disheveled, and his cotton robe was ripped open, letting the cold wind blow into his collar, but he kept shouting angrily, "I've been wronged! Let me go, I want to see the Emperor..."

The angry shouts faded into the distance, and the abbot, cowering in the corner, finally breathed a sigh of relief, so embarrassed he could practically dig his toes out of a three-bedroom apartment.

~~
North Hall of the Huitong Hall.

As residences for high-ranking officials when they came to Beijing, the conditions were quite good. They were all detached houses with their own courtyards, servants to attend to them, and food and drink provided daily.

Liu Bing, the chief examiner of the Sichuan provincial examination and the provincial inspector of Guizhou, stayed here. He was in Beijing to report on his duties, so he could stay here with a clear conscience.

He was sitting by the stove, warming himself by the fire while writing a memorial, when he heard a commotion coming from the courtyard.

Liu Bing frowned, about to reprimand, when a squad of Imperial Guards kicked down the door and rushed in.

"Insolence!" Liu Bing still shouted, maintaining the dignity of a provincial governor. "Do you know who I am?!"

"Nonsense, how could we not know they were coming to arrest you?!"

The next moment, a cold iron chain was placed around his neck. The Imperial Guard grabbed his hair, slammed him onto the table, half his face smeared with wet ink…

He tried to protest loudly, but the Imperial Guards immediately put a bit on his bridle. This was a guesthouse for high-ranking officials; they couldn't disturb the other officials...

Liu Bing's usually dignified face was filled with humiliation, yet he could only be dragged out of the meeting hall like a chicken.

The officials and servants who accompanied him to the capital were all silent and trembling, and no one dared to step forward to stop him.

~~
The entrance to the meeting hall has been sealed off by the Imperial Guards.

The crowd of onlookers huddled at the street corner, watching Liu Bing being dragged out with varying expressions.

The unnamed high-ranking official, with his hair disheveled and thinly dressed, was being pushed and shoved onto the prison cart in a disheveled state...

The Imperial Guards didn't give him a chance to put on his overcoat. The cold wind made his face turn blue and purple, and he huddled up like a quail, his former dignity completely gone.

Only after the sound of the prison cart wheels gradually faded into the distance did the blocked road reopen to traffic.

"It's approved," an official from the Imperial Clan Court said to the long convoy behind them.

Beside a luxurious carriage, Eunuch Song, dressed in a thick cotton robe, knocked on the window and said softly, "Princess, let's continue."

"Okay." A slightly tired girl's voice came from inside the carriage. The speaker was Princess Yibin.

After a grueling forty-day journey, she finally arrived in the capital before the Empress Dowager's congratulatory ceremony.

(End of this chapter)