Chapter Seventy-Three: Just Charge In

At that moment, all eighty-eight children were still kept in the warehouse of the broker’s guild, waiting for the western city gate to open so they could be sent away.

Where would they be sent?

Anywhere they went would draw too much attention. When Di Ying was in the northern outskirts, burying Wu Xiangjin’s body deep in the mountains, he happened to discover a secluded valley. There were several caves of varying sizes along the cliffs of the valley.

Time was too short and there was too much to do, so he decided to send the children there for now, to let them recover their spirits and health first. Later, he would help them search for their families.

But Di Ying himself did not know how much longer he could remain in the capital.

Tonight’s series of actions could very well backfire on him.

Was he afraid?

When all fate rested on the emperor’s whims, who dared to claim they were not afraid?

But could he give up?

If so, what right would Di Ying have to speak of serving the country and the people? Of justice and law?

This time, Di Ying had to act boldly.

...

Meanwhile, Wu Desen was also acting boldly.

After receiving Wu Junbing’s report, Wu Desen quickly tidied himself, and, feeling a pang at his remaining half-beard, shaved it off completely. Then he went to wait outside the main gate of the imperial palace for the early morning court session.

According to Wu Desen’s analysis, the Court of Judicial Review originally intended to deal with Zhang Maoqing. The fire at the broker’s guild—whether or not Zhang Maoqing set it—was irrelevant.

Once he fell into the hands of the Court of Judicial Review, he would be blamed regardless.

In other words, the fire at the guild might have truly been an accident. But now that all the “goods” were gone, the guild had no way to answer to their distinguished clients, and they feared the incident might escalate, leading to an investigation into the source of the “goods.”

So they conveniently joined forces with the Court of Judicial Review, turning the accident into an intentional crime committed by Zhang Maoqing.

After thinking this through, Wu Desen prepared to report to the emperor at once, to cement the charges against Zhang Maoqing.

This way, he would please both the Court of Judicial Review and the main backers of the broker’s guild, as well as win over those high-ranking clients.

After all, everyone was still angry over their hasty, undignified retreat.

Not just angry, but distressed as well.

Distressed over the loss of those “fine goods.”

At a time like this, whoever offered them an outlet for their rage would certainly win their gratitude.

Wu Desen was not about to let the Court of Judicial Review claim all the credit.

Besides, who would believe only the Court of Judicial Review? Everyone knew what kind of people they were.

But Wu Desen’s word was different. The case belonged to their own Prefecture of the Capital.

The speed at which the case was solved… surely the emperor would praise that, wouldn’t she?

Thinking about all the benefits soon to be his, Wu Desen grew so excited he could hardly sit still in the carriage. He stepped out into the cold wind to calm his over-stimulated old heart.

His chin, now completely bare, felt strangely unfamiliar.

As morning court began, everyone who saw Wu Desen’s smooth chin tried to stifle their laughter.

Imagine—a grizzled old man with a shiny, hairless chin. Who could help but laugh at the odd sight?

Wu Desen pretended not to notice, nor to hear. He even lifted his chin higher, waiting proudly for the emperor’s arrival.

When the old emperor entered and caught sight of Wu Desen’s chin, she, too, was momentarily taken aback.

She was about to ask when Wu Desen, upon her declaration of the session’s opening, was the first to step forward with his tablet.

He reported, “Last night, around midnight, a fire broke out at the ‘Kexin Broker’s Guild’ in the ‘Hundred Flowers Quarter’ of the Eastern City. The blaze was fierce and killed dozens.

Fortunately, thanks to timely rescue efforts, the fire did not spread beyond the two-story building of ‘Kexin Broker’s Guild.’

After my overnight inspection of the scene, I have determined that the arsonist is Zhang Maoqing, Censor Zhang.

Our colleagues at the Court of Judicial Review worked tirelessly, and upon learning the identity of the culprit, immediately arrested Zhang Maoqing and imprisoned him.

I now request Your Majesty to order the Court of Judicial Review to thoroughly investigate Zhang Maoqing and his accomplices.”

As the emperor listened, her right eyelid began to twitch uncontrollably.

The Zhang Maoqing Wu Desen mentioned was someone she found most unpleasant.

That man was too upright; as a censor, he scrutinized everyone, especially herself, the emperor.

If she summoned Xue Huaiyi at night, Zhang Maoqing would dare to remonstrate at court the very next morning;

Should the Wu family ever make the slightest misstep, Zhang Maoqing would instantly impeach them.

He often left the emperor in an awkward position.

That the Court of Judicial Review had taken down Zhang Maoqing was to be expected.

But how had a fire become involved?

Surely, the Court of Judicial Review had concocted this as a pretext.

Not bad, she thought. Young Lai Wangcai was finally learning to use a little subtlety.

With this in mind, the emperor gave Lai Wangcai a look tinged with approval.

After all, such a serious incident, with dozens dead, could not be left to Wu Desen alone; the emperor must also hear the testimony obtained by Lai Wangcai.

She trusted that in the hours since midnight, anyone in Lai Wangcai’s custody would have already confessed.

But then—

Lai Wangcai flatly denied it.

Meeting the emperor’s gaze, Lai Wangcai very much wanted to seize the ladder Wu Desen had offered, but he dared not lie to the emperor about something he had not done.

Stepping forward, he braced himself and said, “Your Majesty, what the Prefect says is untrue. The Court of Judicial Review does not know who set the fire, nor did we arrest Censor Zhang. I beg Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly.”

The emperor: “…”

She pressed a finger to her now-jumping eyelid and looked at Wu Desen.

When Wu Desen heard Lai Wangcai deny any involvement, he panicked.

To deceive the emperor was no trivial offense.

He glared at Lai Wangcai and declared that his own grandson had personally witnessed members of the Court of Judicial Review making the arrest.

This left Lai Wangcai bewildered.

He wondered to himself: Could Qin Tiezhong have arrested someone behind his back? Why else would two agents have gone out, and so furtively?

Was it possible? Was Qin Tiezhong trying to steal the credit?

Hmph! He had always treated Qin Tiezhong as a brother, and now the man wanted to snatch the honors? He would have to “educate” him later.

But that was for later. For now, since Lai Wangcai could not be sure, he refused to admit anything.

Wu Desen and Lai Wangcai began to argue.

The emperor slapped the table.

Pointing at Wu Desen, she said, “Desen, explain the whole case in detail!”

Now the emperor was suspicious.

She trusted that Lai Wangcai would not and could not lie to her, but Wu Desen, being a member of the Wu family, had no reason to invent such a story and frame Lai Wangcai.

There must be something strange here, and she intended to get to the bottom of it.

But what she heard was: “Your Majesty… I am old, and after staying up all night, my heart is acting up. Please allow Junior Prefect Song to report to Your Majesty in my stead.”

The emperor: “…”

She knew her own people best. Seeing Wu Desen clutching his chest and looking pale, she resisted the urge to roll her eyes and, going along, called Song Wen forward.

Nervously, Song Wen shuffled out, not daring to look at anyone, his eyes fixed on the floor, and stammered, “It… it was I who arrested Zhang Maoqing…”