Chapter 557: Interrogation Before the Emperor |
Chen Ji simply like this quietly, quietly seated waiting for Heavenly brightness. Until chicken crowing sounds echoed rising.
Right Prefecture Street Chen Family hotly noisy (bustling) rising up. Servant girls carrying copper basins piercing passing beneath corridors. Carriage drivers before horse stables brushing washing mane hairs. Water sounds and low whispers splashing wetting the bluestone slabs.
Chen Ji finally waited arriving at this moment.
He rose his body stroking and stroking the primary red-colored official clothing's folds and wrinkles. Toward Wu Yun handed over speaking saying: "You at home rest. The Commandery Princess capable or incapable of being rescued exiting coming out... today simply seeing divided clear (results) already."
Wu Yun meowed a single sound: "Wishing you hands lifting blades dropping (swift success/execution)!"
Chen Ji losing his voice (burst out) smilingly said: "Idioms aren't this similarly used. It is horses arriving accomplishing merits (instant success)."
Wu Yun wholly not at intent (didn't care): "Then simply horses arriving not accomplishing merits... anew hands lifting blades dropping!"
Chen Ji stroked and stroked Wu Yun's brain bag (head): "Possess Dao logic. Walking already."
He hadn't summoned a horse. Also hadn't ridden a carriage. Simply like this solitary bodily walking entering long streets gradually brightening's Heavenly lights inside.
Since Capital Morning Post opened and created people's livelihoods (civil affairs) and economic block surfaces (sections) since coming. Wenyuan Bookstore's those winds flowers snow moons (romantic) poems, words, songs, odes simply unable to be sold moving already. Again anew making returning classics and righteousness (philosophical texts) and story books businesses.
Capital City now only possesses a single household of newspaper association. Again lacking other bystander's.
A single peak (classifier) covering holding white hemp cloth's small sedan chair stopped at the Stick Bearer's heels front. The curtains inside stretched exiting a single witheredly skinny hand. Receiving passing the newspaper's time suddenly asked: "The newspaper upon uniquely mentioned Baron of Wuxiang County?"
Newspaper boy a single freeze: "Guest official. Not yet once mentioned arriving at."
Sedan curtains dropping down. Again lacking moving quietness (activity).
Chen Ji footsteps un-stopping. Front directions wonton stalls hot air steaming boiling. Several short jacket masculine men precisely pressing subordinately their sounds: "Hear speaking already? Han Tong was suffering the Eunuch Faction taking holding coming down. Eight Great Hutongs numerous people personally with eyes catching sight of it."
"Foolish pulling (nonsense)! Eight Great Hutongs early on sealed dropping doors. Now only remaining Imperial Music Bureau daring to issue selling sin prisoners. Even singing plays universally dare not. Ministry of Works Bureau Director Liu previous day stealthily invited Pure Courtesan singing tunes. Suffered his self household's servant girl reporting arriving at the Yamen. That facing night the entire household simply exiled to Lingnan already."
"Servant girl why reported master?"
"Occupied the bodily stature (took her virginity) not giving name portion (status). Forced arriving at exhausting paths already bei..."
Canal Transport Guild Guild Master suffering capturing's information. A single night between lacking shins yet walking (spread like wildfire). Full city all knowing.
Chen Ji arriving at Meridian Gate's time. The doors outside already stood fulfilling holding red robes, blue robes's Whisper Privately's Officials.
Waiting arriving at his arriving coming. The multitudes of people's discussing analyzing sounds for this a single pause. Continuing and even more flourishing. Time not time (from time to time) transmitted coming 'hooked linked', 'Eunuch Faction', 'not ashamed' kind of words and vocabularies.
Chen Ji stuffing ears un-hearing. Eyes not slantingly viewingly looking at the primary red-colored Meridian Gate. Door nails dazzling gold. Beast-Head Door Knocker.
Initiating until Elder Chen from horse carriage upon coming down. The noisily mixed sounds only then identically together lowered dropping to go. But today Elder Chen by no means with Chen Ji spoke what. Slowly and leisurely from his body side walking passing. Lacking speaking a single word standing at the hundred officials most front row.
At this time. Possessing iron chains scraping ground sounds transmitting coming.
The hundred officials turning their heads looking over. Shockingly and abruptly it was the Secret Spy Division escorting Han Tong staggering and coming. Essentially identically timing. Swallow Wing Tower upon echoed rising the Inner Official's sharply bright thoroughly transmitting (announcement): "Declare. Ministry of Rites Minister Qi Xun, Ministry of Revenue Minister Chen Luchi, Ministry of War Minister Hu Chengda, Ministry of Personnel Minister Zhang Zhuo... Baron of Wuxiang County Chen Ji!"
The Inner Official a single sequence reciting dropping several tens of Official Positions and names. This only then dragging holding lengthy, lengthy tail sounds shouting saying: "Audience!"
Meridian Gate purely center opening three doors. Both sides each possessing a single seated side door. Opening at east and west city platforms inside side limit. Commonly titled 'Bright Three Dark Five'.
Entering the palace time. Literature Officials walked the left side door. Martial generals, Trouble-Resolving Guards, secret spies walked the right side door. Only uniquely the Emperor, ancestral branch King Dukes only then capable of from the interval passing walking.
Precisely when the officials prepared to pierce passing Meridian Gate time. The most front faces's Elder Chen suddenly turned his head looking toward Chen Ji. Lightly fluttering spoke saying: "Always possessing people speaking we and our peers literature Officials and martial generals not harmonized. Faction contentions mistakenly delaying the nation. But this palace inside's compasses and rulers clearly, clearly collectively lift waking (remind) we and our peers literature and martial possess un-identicals (differences). Must divide opening walking. Literature officials simply honestly, solid-solidly walk left side door. Martial generals simply honestly, solid-solidly walk right side door. Otherwise lightly then Court Flogging... heavily then exiled... Chen Ji. You are walking left side door. Or else right side door?"
All existing people looking toward Chen Ji.
Elder Chen's lightly fluttering words inside. Hiding holding a heavily identical as thousand jins' (extremely important) determining decision.
In the next moment. Chen Ji toward the right side door walking to go. Elder Chen dropped subordinately his eye screens (eyelids). Slowly and leisurely walking entering the left side door.
...
...
Before Renshou Palace. Han Tong suffered the secret spies escorting at the Filial Piety and Fraternal Duty monument relatively.
Jin Zhu and Tian Ma two people left and right standing. In order to avoid Han Tong forcefully rising injuring people. Bai Long both hands conjoining inside his sleeves shutting his eyes nurturing his spirit. Several days not seen's Meng Ji. Today actually also exchanged a single body of official clothing silently establishing holding. Lacking dropping passing days' madly crazy.
Grand Secretaries and Hall Officials at Renshou Palace doors outside awaiting edicts. Yet seeing Wu Xiu cross exiting the door sills. In a bright sound said: "His Majesty possesses edicts. Hundred officials encountering center if possessing hooked linked Canal Transport Guild ones. This time ascending reports capable of from lightly emitting dropping (handled leniently)."
Officials Looking at One Another. Lacking people responding answering.
Allowed longly after. Wu Xiu's gaze from the officials face holes (faces) upon a single over a single sweeping passing. And afterwards toward Meng Ji spoke saying: "Interrogate!"
Tian Ma pressing holding Han Tong kneeling overturning at the ground. Meng Ji cross-legged sitting at Han Tong facing faces. From his bosom center taking exiting a single sheet of yellow-colored talisman paper coming.
In the next moment. Meng Ji using thumb fingernail cutting breaking his eyebrow's heart (center of forehead). Anew using eyebrow heart fresh blood upon the talisman paper writing, writing, painting, painting. Farthest finally using that sheet of talisman paper packaging holding a single strand of Han Tong's head hair. Swallowing entering the mouth center.
Inside a momentary blink of time. Meng Ji's pupils toward the ascending flipping to go. Eyes center only remaining eye whites.
With passing days un-identical is. This single time Meng Ji's eye corners actually flowing descending two behaving lines of blood tears coming. Interrogating Han Tong's substituted prices. Compared to imagining center even more grand.
Meng Ji opening doors seeing mountains (straight to the point): "Canal Transport Guild Account Books at what locally positioned?"
Han Tong answered: "Capital City Chongnan Ward Funing Nunnery's Buddha Statue behind back."
Wu Xiu toward the Trouble-Resolving Guards used a single eye color (gave a look). Exactly simply possessing ten named Trouble-Resolving Guards receiving edicts and departing. This single time actually is about to face the multitudes interrogating. Face the arena arresting and investigating.
Meng Ji's nose inside also flowing exiting blood coming. Yet spirit expression calmly peacefully continuing asking saying: "Taking you peers paradoxically rebellious's matters a single over a single saying coming."
Han Tong answered: "Receiving Chen Lizhi local entrusting. Selecting two altars (battalions) of Five Rampant Spectral Soldiers. At Fragrant Hills Spring Hunt acting to assassinate Baron of Wuxiang County Chen Ji..."
All occupying Hall Officials spaciously turning looking toward Chen Ji. But Chen Ji face colors calmly peaceful. Seemingly as if by no means outside intents (surprised).
Previously Aunt Ping toward him spoke passing. Mu Gou at Changsha Prefecture western suburbs obtained twelve scrolls of ancient books's after a single path escaping to Jinling. At Jinling releasing exiting the front three scrolls general guiding (overview) drawing opening chasing soldiers. Again carrying holding the rear nine scrolls escaping to Yangzhou. Suffered a single named Python-Hiding Pathway Practitioner intercepting killing. This after nine scrolls ancient books dropping falling un-bright (whereabouts unknown).
Those nine scrolls of ancient books inside. Recording holding blood sacrifice supplying raising Five Rampant Spectral Soldiers's methods. From that single piece of time rising. Chen Ji simply knew the rear nine scrolls of ancient books ought to be dropping in Han Tong's hands inside already.
And Fragrant Hills Spring Hunt surrounding killing. Lacking not dropping (couldn't be without) Han Tong's hand brush (involvement). Surrounding killing his those death soldiers. Universally came from Boat Trackers.
Meng Ji's nasal cavity surging exiting's fresh blood already dyed red his chest front's patched clothing. Yet still steadily gracefully cross-legged seated. Using decisively severing postures continuing urging and pressing to ask: "Besides acting to assassinate imperial court meritorious nobles. Canal Transport Guild uniquely still offended down other bystander's disaster nation disaster commoners's sins?"
Han Tong's eye beads at eye skins beneath tremblingly vibrating. Seeming as if at resisting holding a certain kind of formless strength volume. Farthest finally still as before hoarsely mutely opened his mouth: "Possess."
Meng Ji's seven orifices all opening starting seeping exiting blood silk: "Speak!"
Han Tong's sounds emptily cavernous. A single word a single sentence. Yet causing Renshou Palace front all existing officials face colors suddenly violently varying: "Jianing Seventh Year. For the sake of monopolizing Capital Hang transport river. At Xuzhou segment excavating sinking contending transporting merchant ships nine ships. Drowning to death ship workers, merchant households and family relatives altogether a hundred and forty-seven people. Acting to bribe Patrol Transport Royal Censor Yang Zhong. Falsely making (faking) touching reefs (shipwreck) matters' causes (accidents)."
"Jianing Ninth Year. Hooking linking Transport Escort Commander Wang Yaoxian. Privately trafficking forbidden iron, sulfur and Jing Dynasty. Exchanging reverting marten skins, Ginseng. Using official ships clipping carrying entering the Capital. Experiencing times five years. Calculatingly adding (accumulated) trafficking iron three ten-thousands eight thousand jins, sulfur five thousand jins."
"Jianing Eleventh Year. Gang identically Director-General of Granaries Zhou Bing stealthily taking official grains. For the sake of covering covering deficient spacities (deficits). Releasing fires burning Tongzhou Western Granary. Burning destroying storing grains eight ten-thousands shi. And marrying disasters upon (framing) the Granary Grand Envoy. Causing his full doors to be asked to sever (beheaded)."
"Jianing Eleventh Year. Gang identically bordering transport river Squad Commander Zhang Wei. Taking the imperial court alleviating Lianghuai water disasters's official grains center mingling entering sand stones moldy rice. Grammed deductuiong (embezzled) grain rice four ten-thousands shi. Transforming selling to black markets."
Possessing people suddenly biting teeth cutting teeth maliciously saying: "I know this matter. That year I was appointed Yangzhou General Judge. Entering winter's after disaster commoners freezing starving dying ones surpassing a thousand!"
A single side Bai Long suddenly violently looked at him. In a severe sound said: "Accumulatively intentionally (deliberately) hitting severing interrogations. Drag him descending. Court Flogging twenty!"
But Bai Long spoke it late already. Han Tong suffered the just merely sounds hitting severing. Mixed body tendon networks forcefully rising. Teeth gates biting causing ge-ge echoing sounds.
Meng Ji suddenly violently spraying exiting a single mouthful of fresh blood. He and Han Tong two people all lengthily, lengthily un-speaking. Seeming as if at struggling. Initiating until a single pillar of incense after. Meng Ji forcefully inhaling a single mouthful of air: "Speak!"
Han Tong head skull rearing backwards. From throat bottom spurting exiting supplying words (confession): "Jianing Fourteenth Year..."
Hall Officials face colors more and more coming submerged. Han Tong simply like this grand courtyards grand multitudes beneath (in broad daylight/in front of everyone) reporting exiting twenty-plus stakes of matters. Twenty-plus names coming. Un-giving any person encircling revolving's (maneuvering) leftover limits.
Pulling linking's broadness. From Capital City Hall Officials to southern petty clerks. From hairpins and tassels (aristocratic) generations families to nine ranks impoverished doors (lowly families).
This only then speaking arriving at Jianing Fourteenth Year. Still possessing eighteen years lacking speaking. If letting Han Tong sequentially continue speaking descending to go. His Majesty this single blade slashing upon Transport river upon. I'm afraid purely is Property Confiscation exiling's people simply possessing ascending ten thousand. Simply is vertically viewing (observing) a thousand years of Ning Dynasty. Also uniquely possessing Grand Ancestor Martial Virtue Twenty-Fifth Year Lan Zheng (treason) case capable of mutually lifting identically examining (being comparable to).
Un-waiting for Han Tong sequentially continue speaking descending to go. A single named Ministry of Rites Bureau Director suddenly descending kneeling. Facing toward Renshou Palace highly loudly calling shouting saying: "Inviting His Majesty to brightly extensively review (examine clearly). This person using demonic words to bewilder the multitudes. Climbing falsely accusing imperial court commanding officials!"
Han Tong sin movements (crimes) supplying uttering arriving at Jianing Fourteenth Year suddenly stopping. Suffered this single kneel exhaustively fully hitting severing.
Renshou Palace inside transmitted coming Three Mountains Bell sounds. Wu Xiu rapidly paced walking entering the palace inside. Emperor Ning seated at gauze curtains' after. The Imperial seat's upon. Lightly describing faintly writingly (casually) said: "Exile to Lingnan."
Wu Xiu anew walking exiting Renshou Palace. Toward the Trouble-Resolving Guards waving and waving hands. Trouble-Resolving Guards exactly simply dragging holding that named highly loudly calling shouting's Hall Official dragging exiting palace prohibitions.
This positioned Hall Official. Actually is a single sound unjustly wronged universally hadn't shouted.
Renshou Palace inside again transmitted coming Three Mountains Bell. Wu Xiu entering to go for a moment. Waiting until anew exiting coming's time in a bright sound said: "His Majesty's oral edicts. Canal Transport Guild single case. Pulling linking extremely broadly. Directing Ministry of Personnel Minister Zhang Zhuo. The precise day rising assembling identically Three Law Bureaus, Trouble-Resolving Guards. Thoroughly investigating thirty years interval all existing linking linking personnel and matters. Un-obtaining possessing omissions."
Zhang Zhuo bowing his body cupping his hands: "Minister. Guarding edicts."
Wu Xiu continuing speaking saying: "Baron of Wuxiang County capturing taking thief head Han Tong possessing merits. Loyalty and bravery capable of being praised. Bestowing loyally brave Viscount Wuxiang. Increasing Annual Stipend two hundred shi."
People multitudes center echoed rising Whisper Privately. This only then how long. Chen Ji actually again promoted dropping noble position already.
Un-waiting for them to finely carefully consider. Simply hearing Wu Xiu continuing speaking saying: "Bestowing Viscount Wuxiang Emperor Front Walking Ivory Plaque. Relying on this plaque capable of at palace doors dropping locks after. Crossing Xihua Gate entering the grand inside reporting matters. Bestowing yellow gold a hundred taels, white silver a thousand taels. East Brilliance Gate outside residence and mansion a single seating. Imperial Horse Directorate good horses ten pieces."
A single linked sequence of granting bestowing connecting heels and arriving. Hall Officials mutually exchanging eye spirits. Chen Ji residing at Right Prefecture Street Chen Family. His Majesty bestowing East Brilliance Gate outside's residence and mansion again is doing what.
Precisely at this time. Peacefully quiet already lengthily's Meng Ji suddenly forcefully heavily drawing inhaling a single mouthful of long air. Identical to reverting light shining reversely (a sudden spurt of energy before the end): "Han Tong. You and Commandery Princess Baili is what relation!"
(End of this chapter)