Chapter 1920: Convince Through Virtue
Just then, the Liu clan’s Liu Guang and Liu Yao, as well as the other people who were close to the Meng clan, spoke up for Meng Yi and King Dai. After all, this matter had been dealt with too cleverly, so they naturally had to help them voice their support.
Now, it was the Eastern Palace’s people who were full of indignation at the injustice. However, they couldn't do anything against these old foxes’ cunning. They didn’t know what to say at all.
Ye Ping and the others’ faces paled.
We’re finished, we’re done for! This time, King Dai and Meng Yi turned defeat into victory. They’ll definitely get revenge on us after the fact!
When he saw the situation had been reversed, King Dai immediately became extremely happy. He said, “Sir Zu, this is why all things require proof! You cannot just slander one’s innocence with a mouth empty of white teeth!
“Furthermore, even taking ten thousand steps back, even if I had been the one to send someone to do all of that, so what? My father was murdered on Violet Mountain precisely because of Murong Tong’s incompetence. The Qin clan’s brothers also secretly supported that traitor, so it’s perfectly reasonable for us to get revenge for him!
"Even King Jin knew to get revenge for his father. As brothers who share the same father emperor, how could I just let them be?
“My Great Zhou Dynasty is ruled by filial piety! Filial piety is the most important national policy! If we had done such a thing, not only would it be undeserving of punishment, it would be worthy of a great reward from the court, followed by being recorded as a classic of filial piety to be spread throughout the world for the common people to read and learn from us as an example!
“Of course, everything I just said was just an ‘if’. Naturally, that never happened.”
Meng Yi nodded inwardly when he heard that. This son-in-law of his wasn’t completely stupid. What had been the purpose of doing this in the first place? Wasn’t it to anger Zu An, to motivate him to make a mistake? Then they could use the chance to eliminate him and cripple the Eastern Palace. It would be even better if they were able to use the momentum to influence the crown prince’s people too. Now that King Dai was pouring oil on the flames, what could be more perfect? With Zu An’s fiery nature, and how he had just killed King Jin, he most likely wouldn’t be able to hold himself back. They could then gather the forces of the entire court, and then with the assistance of the Imperial Palace’s guards, they could kill this brute on the spot. Not even the crown princess would likely be able to shelter him at that point.
However, he was surprised to see that Zu An, whom he had expected to explode from rage, didn’t seem to be emotionally affected at all.
Of course, that was because everything that happened was within Zu An's expectations. He just hadn't wanted to let down Qin Zheng’s loyal heart and Jiang Luofu’s idealism, so he had decided to try the proper channels for their sake. How could he possibly be a match for these old foxes who were deeply entrenched in these political circles for decades, though?
The crown princess’ people tried to retaliate, but they hadn’t expected the Meng clan to have already dealt with the person in the know. As such, their attempts were futile.
After a round of bickering, the final conclusion ended up being set in stone.
The empress in the main seat gave Zu An a worried look. In the end, she still said, “This matter is full of suspicious details. The Qin clan and Murong clan are important ministers of the court, so they cannot simply tortured like this by someone for unclear reasons. This matter will be handed to the Embroidered Envoy to investigate.
“Furthermore, I will send the imperial physician to take care of the wounded in the Imperial Prison, as well as a group of the Armed Escort Army to watch over the Imperial Prison. In the future, regardless of identity, no one will be permitted to willfully enter the Imperial Prison.”
She knew that Zu An was extremely angry right now. However, as the empress, she couldn't go against the masses’ decision. She could only do her best to appease him.
“Your highness is wise and brilliant!” the subjects replied; they understood what was happening as well. The Meng clan and King Dai had already erased all traces. The Embroidered Envoy weren’t gods, so what could they even find out by themselves?
Just then, Meng Yi looked toward Ye Ping and the others, saying, “These individuals are members of the Ministry of Justice, and yet they consciously went against the rules and interrogated important ministers of the empire through torture. This is a first-rate crime! They ought to be punished, so I hope that your highness can deal with them.”
The empress nodded, saying, “Men, take this criminal Ye Ping outside the gates and have him executed. The others are to be stripped of their positions and investigated!”
This Ye Ping's group really is outrageous! They're the ones who tortured the Qin clan, so dealing with them should give the Qin clan and Ah Zu some kind of compensation.
Ye Ping was stunned, crying out, “Your highness, I’m being treated unjustly!”
When he saw that the empress remained ice-cold and unmoved, he really started panicking. Guards quickly emerged to drag him and his group out.
“Your highness, I am being wronged!”
“Sir Meng, I was wrong! Your respected self is of great moral status; please forgive us petty people!”
“Crown princess, save us!”
“Sir Zu, Sir Zu, save me!”
…
He was so panicked that he began to indiscriminately call for help, calling out to anyone he could think of. Unfortunately, not a single person paid any attention to him.
Zu An remained calm. This Ye Ping’s conduct in the Imperial Prison, especially how he had looked at Qin Wanru and Jiang Luofu with a malicious gaze, showed that he had clearly done many vile things in the past. He deserved to die. Either way, this man wouldn’t be of any use to him from now on, anyway.
Meng Yi stroked his beard. Both his and King Dai’s expressions contained extreme satisfaction. This Ye Ping had brazenly testified for Zu An, and yet not even that bastard Zu was able to protect him.
Let’s see just who else will dare to help him go against us in the future.
The two of them looked at the entire place. Most of the subjects had lowered their heads in shame and guilt, not daring to meet anyone's gaze.
…
In the end, the dust settled on the case, and the gathering soon dispersed just like that.
When Zu An left the throne room, King Dai was waiting by the entrance for him. He said, “Sir Zu, I really do have to apologize today. I’ve ended up making you so angry…”
Zu An gave him a calm look, retorting, “If you have a fart, hurry up and let it out already. If you don’t, you won’t have a chance to in the future.”
King Dai’s expression changed. He recalled King Jin’s fate and quickly took a step back. However, when he realized that this was the throne room, with civil and military officials all around him, and that his father-in-law was also nearby, he immediately became full of confidence. He continued, “Sir Zu must be really flustered and exasperated right now, right? Actually, I only came here to tell you one thing.
“In this world, many ordinary people think that justice will be served sooner or later, and that there will never be an absence of righteousness. That is why those who have been wronged try to uphold their values. Unfortunately, in reality, this is often not the case.
“Sir Zu did come from a small place, after all, and you earnestly climbed your way up from among ordinary folk. You never had clan elders like us from the very best families to teach you by words and example, so it is only natural that you do not understand these things. That is why this king stayed behind to tell you a few things. Otherwise, you would remain just as naive as you are now and end up suffering even more in the future.”
At the moment, he was provoking Zu An due to Meng Yi's urging. It would be best if he provoked Zu An enough to draw an immediate response. Then, they would have the perfect opportunity to get rid of Zu An.
Unfortunately, what he got in return wasn’t Zu An's helpless rage, but rather a strike to the face. His head rang with noise.
I was hit?
I was slapped in the face in front of everyone?
King Dai was briefly left dazed. He had actually already prepared himself for retaliation, but Zu An's hand was so fast that he actually hadn’t even seen it!
Meng Yi was shocked and angry, exclaiming, “You scoundrel, you dare to act violently in the Imperial Palace?!”
He had also been vigilant against Zu An’s attack, but he couldn't stop it in time.
The activity drew the attention of all the officials present.
That Zu guy really is a rough and tough fella. He actually dared to strike King Dai in the face?
Zu An shrugged, replying, “Did I? Why don’t I know anything about it? You can't baselessly slander people, you know?”
“This old one personally saw it! The hand imprint is still on King Dai’s face, and yet you’re still denying it!” Meng Yi protested, his expression turning fierce.
You have successfully trolled Meng Yi for +400 +400 +400…
King Dai finally snapped out of his daze, cursing, “Bastard Zu, you actually dare to strike a prince in public? This is a serious crime! Men, arrest this scoundrel who has no respect for his ruler or father!”
You have successfully trolled Zhao Ping for +555 +555 +555…
“Is it true just because you said it was? I said earlier that it was you who schemed against the Qin clan’s state dukes. Will you acknowledge that then?” Zu An replied with a smile.
“It’s useless trying to create misunderstandings through gossip here,” Meng Yi said with a sneer. “There are so many officials with eyes here. They all saw that you struck King Dai in the face!”
King Dai’s face was still burning, perhaps from the pain, or perhaps from humiliation.
Father-in-law, can you not speak so loudly? Being slapped in the face isn’t anything honorable to begin with! It’s all that bastard Zu’s fault!
You have successfully trolled Zhao Ping for +444 +444 +444…
“Is that so? Did you all see it?” Zu An asked, sweeping his gaze across the area.
Many subjects averted their eyes.
This is now touching upon whether we support the Meng clan and King Dai or the Bi clan and crown prince; who would be willing to get involved in something like that?
Meng Yi narrowed his eyes.
This kid also wants to play around with our tactics? However, he's still a bit too naive.
Sure enough, there were several important subjects who claimed to have seen it.
“I saw it!”
“I also saw it!”
“It was you who hit King Dai!”
…
They were all from the Meng clan and King Dai’s faction, so it was natural that they would speak up.
Zu An seemed to have anticipated that, saying, “All of you are King Dai and Meng Yi’s lackeys, so of course you’ll speak up for him. According to the Great Zhou Dynasty’s laws, you're all people with aligned interests, so your testimonies can't be accepted. Sir Jiang, am I correct in what I’ve said?”
Jiang Boyang, who was passing by, couldn't help but smile. He said sternly, “That is indeed the case.”
This bastard Meng has crossed the line again and again. Did he really think I couldn't lose my temper?
Zu An thought to himself, As expected of Principal Jiang’s father, he's no stranger to the law.
“Jiang Boyang, you…” Meng Yi began furiously.
Just then, a eunuch said in an eerie voice, “Sir Zu, her highness has invited you to the Palace of Peace. She has something she wishes to inquire about.”
The eunuch seemed to carry an ominous air about him, and the subjects in the vicinity couldn't help but stay some distance away from him. It was the empress’ attendant, Eunuch Lu. Ever since Eunuch Wen died on Violet Mountain, he had already practically become the general manager of internal affairs.
“Eunuch Lu, this Zu person just hit King Dai,” Meng Yi urgently said.
Eunuch Lu said emotionlessly, “Commandant of Justice Jiang is right next to you. If there is any matter worthy of complaint, please file a case with him. Her highness wishes to meet with Sir Zu right now, and I do not dare to tarry when it comes to her request.” Shortly after, he bowed to Zu An, saying, “Sir Zu, this way, please.”
Zu An frowned, but in the end, he didn’t want to embarrass the empress and decided to follow the eunuch for now.
When he saw the two leave, King Dai’s expression distorted. He muttered, “What is the empress trying to do here?”
Meng Yi’s brows also furrowed tightly.
Her highness’ treatment of this bastard Zu seems to be quite special.
…
Zu An quickly met up with the empress in the Palace of Peace.
Liu Ning gave him a look. Then, she asked with a sigh, “You blame me for the choice I made just now, don’t you?”
Zu An shook his head, saying, "I don't. I already anticipated all of this before I entered the palace.”
Liu Ning felt a bit anxious, saying, “You can't act rashly; I already handed this case to the Embroidered Envoy. You can investigate however you want and no one will be able to say anything.
“Besides, strictly speaking, this matter isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The Qin clan and Murong clan have suffered such wrongs, and the officials now sympathize with them. Together with the Meng clan and King Dai being in the wrong this time, they likely can't demand for the Qin and Murong clan to remain imprisoned. So, the crimes of the Qin and Murong clan will be minimized, and they'll be allowed to leave.”
Zu An nodded, saying, “Your highness has already considered the entire situation fully.”
Liu Ning felt a bit skeptical because Zu An seemed a bit too calm. She said, “You absolutely can't do anything foolish. Just leave the rest to me, and I promise that I'll bring the Qin and Murong clans out of the prison as quickly as possible.”
Zu An asked, “Will they be restored to their former posts with their full innocence?”
Liu Ning was a bit troubled. She said, “That might not be too likely. The events that took place on Violet Mountain were a bit too big, so there need to be some people who take responsibility. However, I can promise that there will definitely be no danger to their lives, and that they'll at most have their noble titles lowered by one level and have their official posts demoted. They'll likely also have to put up some insignificant family members and so on.”
Zu An nodded.
When she saw that he didn’t say anything, Liu Ning just felt a bit alarmed somehow. She continued, “That's the most I can concede. Otherwise, according to the rules, the Murong clan would likely be executed down to the third generation, and the entire Qin clan would likely be banished.”
“I understand how much you’ve already done," Zu An said with a chuckle.
“You really won’t do anything foolish?” Liu Ning couldn't help but ask.
“Don’t worry, I won't do anything stupid. Otherwise, I might become the public enemy of the entire capital,” Zu An said in consolation, then got up to leave.
…
Just as he was about to leave the palace, Bi Linglong also changed into more casual wear and sought him out.
“Ah Zu, I'm really sorry about what happened in the court earlier. That old fox Meng Yi is just too crafty! However, you absolutely can't do anything foolish. If my suspicions aren’t mistaken, he's been doing all of this precisely to anger you into acting, so they'd have a proper reason to get rid of you.”
If they could weaken the Eastern Palace’s influence that way, they would then target me and the crown prince.
“Don’t worry. I won’t let them do as they wish,” Zu An said calmly.
Bi Linglong rolled her eyes and replied, “You directly killed King Jin, so how can I feel at ease with you?”
“I'll act more rationally this time,” Zu An said with a chuckle. He patted her hand and continued, “People all have their moments of growth, right? I'll now convince the masses through virtue.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
Bi Linglong couldn't spend too much time alone with him, as the eunuchs and maids in the distance were approaching. Even though she still had many misgivings, in the end, she could only hurriedly leave.
…
At first, Zu An began heading to King Dai Manor, but he suddenly thought of something. He took out a waist token from his inner pockets and sensed the ki moving through it.
Someone's looking for me?
As such, he changed into his Chief Commander clothes and went to the Embroidery House. He discovered that a delicate figure dressed in normal clothes was pacing around inside nervously. Her eyebrows were curved and her lips were small. Her figure looked exceptionally delicate and pitiful.
“Why has Madam Jin come here today?” Zu An asked curiously.
“Ah! Chief Commander!” Madam Jin exclaimed. When she heard that strong and reliable voice, her charming face couldn't help but redden, because fragments of 'that' event had continued to play out in her dreams. Whenever she saw the real person, she always felt a bit alarmed.
“Is something the matter?” Zu An asked.
Madam Jin suddenly remembered her reason for coming here. She quickly grabbed his hands and exclaimed, “Chief Commander, please save my father and the others!”
“What happened to them?” Zu An asked.
“I helped you testify against King Dai and Meng Yi, but then they decided to get revenge on the He clan. They said that my father committed acts of corruption and abused the law, that he took over good agricultural land selfishly and oppressed the people. He was thrown in prison, and many people from the He clan were also captured. I heard that many of the womenfolk were also sold into the government brothel! King Dai found someone to send me a message telling me that this was just a small lesson, and that the future would all depend on my choices. He told me to go to his manor to apologize and make amends!
“Chief Commander, please help me… I really don’t know what else to do…”
Zu An’s eyes narrowed.
This King Dai really is a lustful freak and still hasn’t given up on that thought. He really is walking further and further down the path of courting death.
He supported Madam Jin up to her feet and said, “Madam, don't worry; I'll send people to save your father. Furthermore, soon, King Dai won’t be able to threaten you any longer.”
Madam Jin was stunned. She didn’t understand what the Chief Commander was saying at all. This was, after all, a king with tremendous authority, unlike her sickly husband. Even though everyone had shown King Jin respect on the surface, in reality, they hadn’t respected him much at all.
How would someone like King Dai not be able to threaten me anymore?
Zu An didn’t say anything else to her. He sought out a few envoys to escort her back to her manor. Meanwhile, he removed the Embroidered Envoy clothes, and after leaving the palace, he immediately set out for King Dai Manor.
…
When he saw the large vermilion red gates in front of him, he walked straight up to the doors and kicked them open, yelling, “Zhao Ping, crawl the f*ck out here right now!”
Soon after, a rippling sound wave swept through the entirety of King Dai Manor.
Since doing things according to the rules like Qin Zheng and Jiang Luofu didn’t work, I'll use my own method to convince the masses with virtue.
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