I play the role of Jiajing in Zongwu: What crime have I committed?

"I even fought this person. Although his strength is below mine, he is undoubtedly a Grandmaster."

Mei Changsu pressed on eagerly, "Can you tell which one it is?"

"He was masked, and his martial arts style was unlike anything I had ever seen before."

Meng Zhi shook his head.

Upon hearing this, Mei Changsu frowned deeply.

He slowly got up, walked to the window, and unconsciously rubbed his thumb and forefinger together.

The sudden appearance of the mysterious grandmaster made him feel an unprecedented sense of crisis.

Who is this person?

Is Lou Zhijing able to persuade a Grandmaster?

Or was it the Crown Prince who invited them?

Or is there another force that wants to silence Shi Jun?

Mei Changsu's thoughts were completely in disarray.

The originally clear game suddenly became unpredictable due to this unexpected variable.

"Li Gang,"

After a long silence, Mei Changsu spoke in a deep voice.

"Immediately send a message to Mr. Thirteen, instructing him to utilize all the Jiangzuo Alliance's hidden networks to investigate whether any Grandmasters have recently arrived in the capital."

He then turned to look at Meng Zhi.

"Brother Meng, you must be extra careful these next few days. This mysterious person probably doesn't have good intentions."

The two nodded solemnly.

Meanwhile, Zhu Qi had already infiltrated a secluded private residence in the capital.

The flickering candlelight inside illuminated several twisted corpses on the floor.

The innocent villagers were now lying on the ground in bizarre positions, their necks bent unnaturally.

Zhu Qi coldly swept his gaze over the corpses, walked to the bronze mirror, and a sinister glint flashed in his eyes.

"Thank you so much!"

He gritted his teeth as he muttered the name.

Inside Zhaoren Palace, Zhu Houcong froze, his face turning terrifyingly grim.

I never imagined that Meng Zhi's strength had reached such a level.

By controlling Zhu Qi, he truly felt Meng Zhi's immense strength.

The two can fight to a standstill for a short time, but in the long run, he will undoubtedly lose.

Consort Yue noticed that Zhu Houcong had suddenly stopped moving, and couldn't help but turn around, her eyes glazed over, looking back with seductive charm.

"His Majesty,"

Her soft voice carried a hint of confusion and coquettishness.

"What's wrong?"

Zhu Houcong then came to his senses.

"Oh, it's nothing."

Another day passed, and on the third day at the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), secret reports from the Eastern Depot piled up like snowflakes on the dragon desk in the side hall of Hanyuan Hall.

The secret report was written in great detail.

Zhang Jin, the former owner of Lan Garden, was a merchant. He operated several brothels in the capital and maintained close ties with court officials. He died suddenly of a serious illness four years ago, and Lan Garden was subsequently sold off by his descendants.

[Lan Garden was actually a brothel meticulously crafted by Zhang Jin, where the women were skilled in all arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. It was exclusively for the pleasure of high-ranking officials.]

The former steward of Lan Garden was being hunted down and took refuge in Prince Yu's mansion. The killer has not yet been identified.

Yan Song bowed and read aloud a secret memorial from the Eastern Depot.

Zhu Houcong stood in front of the bronze mirror, fiddling with the elaborate dragon robe he was wearing, but his thoughts had already drifted to the Wanshou Palace, which was under construction.

Once the Wanshou Palace is completed, I will definitely order someone to make several loose-fitting Taoist robes.

A simple gauze dress with a silk sash around the waist—that's true comfort.

"Master, these are all."

Yan Song finally finished reading and cautiously looked up.

"Did Lou Zhijing go to see the Crown Prince?"

Zhu Houcong asked calmly.

"No, Lou Zhijing did not leave the mansion."

"Hmm, tell the Eastern Depot that this is the end of the investigation, there's no need to continue."

After hearing Yan Song's words, Zhu Houcong smiled slightly and immediately gave the order.

"Yes."

If Lou Zhijing still dares to recklessly seek help from the Crown Prince after the last reprimand, he will be courting death and there will be no cure.

But Lou Zhijing did not.

This shows that he wasn't a complete fool after all, and he remembered what he said back then.

In the Great Liang Dynasty, there has always been only one person who could command the wind and rain.

A cold smile curled at the corner of Zhu Houcong's mouth in the bronze mirror.

In the imperial court, everyone's life, death, honor, and disgrace are all determined by my single thought.

Even if the body in Lanyuan is dug up, so what?

So what if Shi Jun escaped to Prince Yu's mansion?

What good is that register now?

As long as I don't want Lou Zhijing to get into trouble, no one can make him get into trouble.

"Let's go to court!"

Zhu Houcong walked towards Hanyuan Hall.

During the court assembly, all the officials stood solemnly. After the routine ceremonies were completed, a man suddenly stepped out from the ranks of the Censorate, holding a memorial to the throne, and spoke in a loud voice.

"Your humble servant, Censor Li Mao, impeaches Lou Zhijing, Minister of Revenue!"

The sound was like a thunderclap, startling all the officials and civil servants.

Li Mao's face was solemn as he said in a loud voice, "Lou Zhijing, as an important official of the court, frequented brothels, indulged in sensual pleasures, and even killed people wantonly, treating human life as worthless."

"Your Majesty, I implore you to investigate thoroughly and severely punish this scoundrel!"

Lou Zhijing's expression changed drastically. He immediately stepped forward and angrily rebuked them.

"Your Majesty, this man has no evidence whatsoever; he is spouting baseless accusations and slandering officials of the court. I beg Your Majesty to punish him for defamation."

The Crown Prince's faction was initially trembling with fear because the Crown Prince was confined to his quarters.

Although they lacked a leader at this moment, they knew that Lou Zhijing was the Crown Prince's man, so they all spoke up to protect him.

"His Majesty!"

A princeling official shouted sternly, "Li Mao is making baseless accusations against the current Minister of State without any evidence. He clearly has ulterior motives!"

"Your Majesty, I request that you dismiss him from his post as a warning to others!"

Li Mao sneered and looked at the man, saying, "Who says I have no evidence? The witness has already gone to the Jingzhao Prefecture to confess; didn't you know that?"

"Witness testimony?"

The man scoffed.

"Who knows where this nobody came from, daring to slander a high-ranking official in court?"

Li Mao remained calm and said in a deep voice, "The case of the corpse hidden in Lan Garden is known to everyone!"

"This witness's name is Shi Jun, the former housekeeper of Lan Garden. Since he is involved in this case, his words are naturally credible."

"Ridiculous! You say you're the butler of Lan Garden, who knows if it's true!"

"Even if it is, how can you prove what he said?"

"This man possesses a register recording Lou Zhijing's frequenting of the Orchid Garden and his debauchery with prostitutes—the evidence is irrefutable!"

"The roster must be forged, Li Mao. What are your true intentions in framing such loyal officials?"

Li Mao was so angry that he laughed instead.

"You treacherous minister, with witnesses and evidence all before you, how dare you still try to deny it?"

"Are you all so protective of Lou Zhijing, perhaps you're colluding with him?"

Chapter 33 You people, some are clouds, some are water

In the imperial court, heated arguments and endless disputes nearly spiraled out of control.

Zhu Houcong sat high on the dragon throne, watching coldly as people kept jumping out to impeach or defend themselves, arguing heatedly.

He raised the corners of his mouth slightly, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes, before slowly speaking.

"Having cultivated a form resembling a crane, I sit beneath a thousand pine trees, carrying two volumes of scriptures. I come to inquire about the Way, but there is nothing more to say; clouds drift in the blue sky, water flows in the bottle."

As soon as the emperor spoke, all the officials fell silent, and the argument stopped abruptly.

Everyone knelt down in unison, not daring to breathe.

Zhu Houcong glanced at the assembled officials and said calmly, "Rise, all of you, rise."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Zhu Houcong smiled slightly, his tone leisurely and self-satisfied.

"What I just recited was a poem about seeking the Dao, and my favorite line is the last one: 'Clouds in the blue sky, water in the bottle.'"

He looked intently at Lou Zhijing and the others, and slowly said, "Some of you are like clouds, some are like water; you simply do different things. You are all loyal ministers; there are no treacherous ministers among you."

[Recite a classic quote from Emperor Jiajing, play Emperor Jiajing +1, and be rewarded with a Martial Arts Golden Elixir]

These words sent a chill down the spines of all the officials in the court.

Prince Yu, Xiao Jinghuan, who was at the very front, frowned.

This is a golden opportunity to bring down Lou Zhijing. How can we let the Emperor smooth things over with a few words?

He took a deep breath, steeled himself, stepped forward, and bowed, saying, "Father, such a serious murder case has occurred in the Jingzhao Prefecture. If it is not thoroughly investigated, I fear it will be difficult to convince the public."

"Since Censor Li Mao claims to have witnesses and physical evidence, why not have Prefect Gao Sheng of the Capital Prefecture conduct a thorough investigation to set the record straight?"

Zhu Houcong frowned, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, and cursed his unfilial son in his heart.

I have already set the tone, saying that the entire court is full of loyal ministers, and you dare to contradict me in public.

But he didn't show it on his face, and simply said, "Very well! Then let it be as Prince Yu says."

"However, this case has far-reaching implications, and the Jingzhao Prefecture may not be able to bear the responsibility. In that case, let's organize a joint trial by the three judicial departments!"

He glanced at the assembled officials and continued, "Since the witnesses and evidence were brought by Censor Li Mao, I suggest that Zhao Mengjing, who is also a Censor, preside over the trial."

In the imperial court, the officials looked at each other, their eyes filled with confusion.

Zhao Mengjing?

Why him?

However, while others might not understand the emperor's intentions, Zhao Mengjing knew perfectly well.

The emperor's words, "The clouds are in the blue sky, the water is in the bottle," refer to loyal ministers.

This is clearly implying that Lou Zhijing is innocent.