Chapter 577: Chasing to Kill |
Inside Renshou Palace, a falling needle could be heard.
All gazes fell on the stack of Bamboo Paper in Chang Xiu's hands. Wu Xiu took the Evening News from Chang Xiu's hands, unfolded it, and presented it in front of the gauze curtain.
The leading officials held their breaths.
Emperor Ning didn't speak immediately. The silhouette behind the gauze curtain seemed to tilt half a fraction toward the Evening News, carefully reading the text on the newspaper.
After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Emperor Ning's voice came out, with no discernible emotion: "Read."
Wu Xiu bowed and complied. He picked up the Evening News, faced the leading officials, and read: "Li's Pawnshop has been issuing Loan Shark Money and doing evil for many years. A monthly interest of nine percent is common, and if poor households are in urgent need, it can be as high as fifteen percent. There was a canal worker from Tongzhou named Chen Ada, who in the winter of the twenty-ninth year of Jianing borrowed three taels of silver to buy medicine to save his mother. By the autumn of last year, the principal and interest had rolled to forty-seven taels. The Chen family sold all their land and house but it was still not enough. Li's Pawnshop dispatched thugs to pound on their door day and night. Mother Chen died of shock, fear, and severe illness. Chen Ada took his wife and children and threw themselves into the river; only their young daughter was rescued, and her whereabouts are currently unknown..."
"There was a Widow Zhou from the south city, whose husband died leaving one son and one daughter, and five mu of poor land. Because she owed Li's Pawnshop two taels of silver in interest, her Land Deed was forcibly taken. Widow Zhou had nowhere to cry and complain, so she took her daughter and threw themselves into a well. Her son had one leg broken by Li's Pawnshop thugs and was driven out of the capital. There are a provisional total of twenty-seven such cases..."
"Whenever the ambassadors and clerks of the various granaries in the capital faced granary inspections or needed to cover deficits, they mostly borrowed from Li's Pawnshop, using the rice and grain in the granaries to offset the interest. Just in the West Granary of Tongzhou alone, over two thousand shi of rice and grain passed through their hands in five years..."
The Evening News of Plum Blossom Ferry didn't flatter anyone today, but instead used an entire front page to publicly expose all the filthy deeds done by Li's Pawnshop one by one, making the leading officials' hearts jump with fear as they listened.
And when Wu Xiu read up to here, his voice paused, secretly scrutinizing Emperor Ning's expression. It seemed there were even more important matters later on, and he didn't know whether he should read them or not.
Emperor Ning, however, closed his eyes, his hands forming the Three Mountains Hand Seal: "Read. There are still several thousand copies of the Evening News in the city. Whether you read it or not, you cannot block the myriad mouths of the public."
Wu Xiu continued to lower his head and read: "The principal, account books, personnel contracts, and Land Deeds of Li's Pawnshop are all managed and supervised by the Chief Surveillance Bureau Left Censor-in-Chief Qi Xianzhun. The interest silver obtained every year, apart from retaining some for turnover, is all provided for the Qi Family to withdraw..."
"In the twenty-seventh year of Jianing, Qi Xianzhun withdrew eight thousand taels to purchase a residence in Tin and Wax Alley to keep concubines. In the summer of the thirty-first year of Jianing, Qi Zhenwu withdrew three thousand taels to redeem the Pure Courtesan Liu Zhuang..."
Wu Xiu finished reading and stepped back to the side with his hands hanging down.
The hall was dead silent, even the sounds of breathing were suppressed extremely low.
Elder Qi turned his head and stared dead at Qi Xianzhun beside him. Qi Xianzhun lowered his head, not daring to meet his gaze. Elder Qi turned back again to look at Qi Zhenwu kneeling on the ground. He couldn't possibly check the accounts every day, and even he hadn't known about these matters.
Elder Qi only felt the sky spinning and the earth turning. Not only was the Official Position of Left Censor-in-Chief gone, but the scandalous affairs couldn't be covered up either. Even though he and Emperor Ning had already reached a tacit understanding, someone insisted on Exterminating Completely.
He tremblingly looked toward Chen Ji, only to see Chen Ji standing in the great hall, standing meticulously straight, his gaze neither retreating nor yielding.
In the silence, Chen Ji suddenly took a step forward, cupped his hands, and asked: "The Lord Censors are upright and unyielding, why are you not speaking?"
The censors' gazes were like knives, as if trying to carve a piece of flesh out of Chen Ji's body, but they couldn't say a single word. They had heard of Chen Ji's reputation for holding grudges, but didn't expect him to hold grudges to this extent.
Previously they still felt Chen Ji was like Prince Jing, but now they felt he wasn't. Prince Jing had never done things to the point of Exterminating Completely; he would always leave people a bit of leeway.
The leading officials also had complex expressions. For the first time, they realized that using the text in the newspaper to kill someone was actually more ruthless than the impeachment Memorials to the Throne of the Chief Surveillance Bureau censors.
For the Evening News to be printed and published—drafting, setting movable type, and printing—took at least six Shichen (twelve hours). Before Chen Ji had even left home to head to the Imperial Music Bureau, he had already arranged everything.
The other party knew he would definitely battle it out with the Qi Family today, and also knew that there were always compromises and concessions in this Renshou Palace. But he didn't care what His Majesty thought or how he traded; he had no intention of letting the Qi Family preserve their face and retreat entirely, nor had he left any path of retreat for himself.
From now on, although Elder Qi was still a cabinet minister, still managing the Ministry of Rites, and still had Protégés and former subordinates all over the world, the hearts of the people had been lost. Their decline was only a matter of time.
Ten years? Twenty years? No matter how long the Qi Family had to walk this downhill road, they were just the next Liu Family.
However, right at this moment, Emperor Ning on the imperial throne said with neither joy nor anger: "There is also a poem on the second page, read that as well."
Wu Xiu was stunned, and hurriedly picked up the Evening News again: "Poem title: Bamboo and Rock... Biting firmly into Green Mountain, not letting go, its roots were originally established in the broken rocks. Even after a thousand grindings and ten thousand strikes, it remains resolute and strong..."
He took a deep breath, only then continuing to read: "Enduring whichever way the wind blows from east, west, south, or north."
Then he added: "Chen Chong, final pen-stroke again."
The leading officials' faces changed. This Viscount Wuxiang not only wanted to kill people, but also wanted to execute their hearts. Before they could think more, they saw Elder Qi's body slowly tilt and fall over, his eyes closed tight, his teeth clenched.
Qi Xianzhun cried out in alarm: "Father? Father! Imperial Physician, summon the Imperial Physician!"
Renshou Palace suddenly turned into a pot of porridge. Everyone rushed forward in succession to check. In the entire great hall, only Emperor Ning and Chen Ji remained unmoving, completely out of tune with the rest of the great hall.
...
...
The time it takes for an incense stick to burn.
Over ten Imperial Physicians hurried over and carried Elder Qi away. Only then did Renshou Palace restore its peace.
The leading officials glanced at Chen Ji out of the corners of their eyes. They knew in their hearts that this Renshou Palace also had rules.
Now that His Majesty had intended to let the Qi Family off, but Chen Ji caused unexpected complications... being young, frivolous, and full of vigor was certainly spirited, but taking such actions also came with a price.
His Majesty would absolutely not keep a knife that wasn't easy to use, and also had to give the Qi Family an explanation.
Right at this moment, Chen Ji cupped his hands toward the imperial throne: "Your Majesty, this Evening News babbled nonsense and lost its sense of propriety, causing Elder Qi to be attacked by anger in his heart. This is this subject's dereliction of duty. This subject is willing to hand over the Morning Newspaper and Evening News to the Directorate of Ceremonial, lest they be used by evildoers."
The leading officials looked at each other. Chen Ji actually chose to hand over the Plum Blossom Ferry newspapers. Leaving aside the profit of ten thousand taels of silver every year, just the mouthpiece utility of the Morning Newspaper and Evening News was not something anyone could casually part with.
But Chen Ji unexpectedly just parted with them just like that.
Emperor Ning slowly said from behind the gauze curtain: "Granted."
Just when everyone thought all matters were concluded, Emperor Ning spoke again: "Viscount Wuxiang is still young and his experience in the world is not deep; he still needs more tempering. As a noble, you cannot operate brothel establishments. Return that Plum Blossom Ferry to whoever you got it from; that Salt Certificate business of yours has no Salt Quota Register in hand, which is bound to invite attacks. Hand these two items over to the Directorate of Ceremonial as well."
Chen Ji fell silent for a moment, then bowed and cupped his hands: "This subject, obeys the decree."
Emperor Ning asked absentmindedly: "Do you have any complaints?"
Chen Ji prostrated on the ground and kowtowed: "This subject begs for and accepts the divine grace, absolutely without any complaints."
Emperor Ning said calmly: "You may withdraw."
The dust settled.
Chen Ji got up and slowly retreated backward out of Renshou Palace. He turned and strode away. After walking out of Renshou Palace, his footsteps became faster and faster, until he started running.
In the palace pathways, the passing young eunuchs all looked sideways. This was the first time they had seen anyone running wildly in this solemn forbidden palace, disregarding even a bit of awe-inspiring prestige.
"Hey, you..." A young eunuch had just raised his finger, wanting to loudly remind him of the palace etiquette, when he was grabbed by the wrist by another young eunuch traveling with him: "Do you want to die? Don't meddle in other people's business."
The young eunuch who spoke unintentionally looked up toward the Trouble-Resolving Tower not far away. Through an open window on the top floor, there seemed to be a figure silently watching this side.
He hurriedly pulled his colleague and hurried away.
Chen Ji came out from Renshou Palace, passed by the Palace of Compassionate Celebration and the Hall of Literary Brilliance along the way, and arrived in front of the East Brilliance Gate.
But upon reaching the gate, he found the palace gate was already locked. Only then did he remember that it was already the Hour of Hai (9-11 PM). If he wanted to leave the palace, he had to go through either the Meridian Gate or the Xihua Gate; no other gates would do.
However, just as he was preparing to turn toward the Meridian Gate, he saw Chang Xiu standing in front of the East Brilliance Gate, smiling and saying: "Lord Chen, don't go. The Inner Chancellor instructed this lowly one to wait here, and left a door open for you."
Chen Ji was shocked. The Inner Chancellor could even calculate this?
Chang Xiu waved his hand, signaling the Trouble-Resolving Guards to pull open the East Brilliance Gate, and said with a smile: "The Inner Chancellor said, Lord Chen acted young and frivolous once at the age when one should be most young and frivolous, the whole world ought to make way. Knowing Lord Chen is anxious, please."
Chen Ji brushed past Chang Xiu: "Many thanks."
Chang Xiu stood inside the gate, silently watching Chen Ji's retreating back, and softly praised the Trouble-Resolving Guards: "A fraction of the world's chivalrous spirit still exists, it is worthy of joy and congratulations... Forget it, even if I tell you, you wouldn't understand. Close the gate."
Like a gust of wind, Chen Ji didn't wait for the East Brilliance Gate to fully open before slipping through the gap, and then sprinted wildly from Dong'anli Gate to the main street.
Pedestrians on the road were drawn to look sideways by that great red Qilin Rank Robe. They had never seen anyone sprinting wildly wearing this Official Robe. Those high officials wearing red robes usually either rode in carriages or sedans, being as steady and dignified as could be.
But strangely, the passers-by also didn't feel that Chen Ji was reckless. They only felt that this Qilin Rank Robe was inappropriately worn on the youth next door. (End of Chapter)