Lin Xiao naturally did not want the situation to devolve further, so he stepped forward, ready to admonish both sides.
But Shen Nian paid him no heed. With an expression of indignation, he pressed on: "The sealed memorial I submitted to His Majesty—why did he believe it? Because my credibility was earned with blood on the northern frontier. My loyalty to His Majesty is as clear as heaven and earth."
"Why has His Majesty remained tight-lipped on this matter? Because I deemed it too grave. Wang Yi commands fifty thousand North Mountain Imperial Guards—and he has social ties, whether superficial or deep, with many of you high ministers. If any one of you with a close friendship with Commander Wang were to leak this, allowing Wang Yi to escape and throwing North Mountain into chaos—can any of you bear that responsibility?"
At this point, Shen Nian simply threw caution to the wind, taking everything upon himself—including their accusations and the subsequent suspicion that Emperor Jing might cast upon his senior ministers.
He framed it all as if the Emperor's actions were guided solely by his advice, whitewashing the Emperor's every move until the Emperor sounded like a pure lotus flower in Shen Nian's account.
Everyone in the room had their own conjectures, but none had expected Shen Nian to lay things out so bluntly in public.
And yet, no one could refute his words. To try would risk being branded as one of Wang Yi's cohorts—and then they would never be able to clear themselves before the Emperor.
Lin Xiao thought more deeply than the others. He reasoned that Shen Nian was acting this way because he had made too many enemies and was using this opportunity to demonstrate his undying loyalty to the Emperor, in hopes of securing a favorable outcome later on.
After all, the court officials already hated his guts. The only one who could protect him was the Emperor.
Realizing this, Lin Xiao looked at Shen Nian and said meaningfully, "His Majesty trusts you, Marquis, and you do not disappoint his expectations—that is a blessing for Da Qi."
"As a subject, it is my duty to relieve His Majesty's worries. To serve him is my greatest fortune." Shen Nian spoke pretty words, but inwardly he sneered with scorn. This whole string of events had been a trap laid by the Emperor himself—everyone who fell into it had done so willingly.
Now everyone thought the Emperor was the pitiable one. To manipulate people's minds with such skill—the Emperor had truly reached a masterful level in playing on their hearts.
The incident of the court officials confronting Shen Nian at the Meridian Gate thus came to a close. When their words and actions reached Qi Junmu's ears, he smiled.
He knew Shen Nian was reliable. Now that he had caused such a public commotion, who would dare easily link Wang Yi's case to the Emperor's desire to purge old ministers?
From here on, the court would only resent Shen Nian more, while the Emperor himself remained above reproach.
At that thought, the smile at the corner of Qi Junmu's lips deepened.
---
When the court officials escorted Shen Nian into the Emperor's presence, they could plainly see that the Emperor's complexion was poor.
They knew the reason, and a twinge of guilt stirred in their hearts. Their ambush at the Meridian Gate had been petty—they wanted to drive a wedge between Shen Nian and the Emperor, overwhelm him with numbers to show him his place, and also gain leverage to pressure the Emperor into retreating.
Had it succeeded, then so be it—no matter how furious the Emperor became, they could simply claim they knew nothing.
But instead, Shen Nian had pinned accusation after accusation on them. Standing on the highest ground, he had looked down on them with contempt, painting himself as the most loyal subject under heaven.
And the worst part was—his claims were backed by genuine facts. Wang Yi commanded the Imperial Guard—that was real power. In a city crowded with officials, there was hardly a household that had not exchanged gifts for weddings or funerals. Wang Yi was no exception. Even Lin Xiao had sent gifts when Wang Yi's mother celebrated her sixtieth birthday.
The only truly innocent one was Shen Nian.
Back then, the Shen family had not been unwilling to curry favor with Wang Yi—it was just that they had fallen out of favor with Emperor Jing, and few in the capital were willing to associate with them. Now, that very fact became proof that Shen Nian had never been entangled in the capital's affairs and had no dealings with other officials.
How tragic—and how absurd.
Qi Junmu's gaze drifted slowly across the faces of the assembled court officials, pausing a moment longer on Shen Nian. Then he said, "Oh? Since when are all of you on such good terms, chatting for so long outside the palace gates?"
For a moment, the hall fell utterly silent.
Finally, Lin Xiao broke the stillness. He stepped forward with a look of shame and said, "Your Majesty, forgive—"
"I know, this has nothing to do with the Left Chancellor." Qi Junmu cut him off. "If you were bold enough to chat outside the palace gates, that means you have nothing to hide from me. In that case, why not tell me what you were discussing—and how it came to a quarrel."
The Emperor's words made it clear: he already knew everything that had happened at the palace gate.
What else could the losing side say? Did they want to offer up their already swollen faces for another slap? Who would be foolish enough to do that?
Just as that thought crossed their minds, Shen Nian—as the victor—stepped forward without hesitation, and with vivid expressions and animated gestures, gave a full recounting of the events as they had happened.
He mimicked each person's demeanor and tone with uncanny accuracy.
The ministers were mortified. Qi Junmu looked at Shen Nian with an indescribable expression.
Shen Nian, however, was completely unfazed. After finishing his performance, he turned serious and said with gravity, "Your Majesty, the wishes of your ministers and this humble subject are one and the same—we all wish to catch the murderer and restore peace to the capital. As for Commander Wang's crime of murder, here is the evidence."
Led by Lin Xiao, the others all voiced their agreement with Shen Nian.
Wang Yi was a rotten apple, worthy of death.
Qi Junmu gave an inscrutable "Mm" and had Xia Guo present the evidence.
With solid proof and no objections raised, the proceedings went smoothly.
The Emperor studied the evidence, his eyes darkening, and directly ordered Wang Yi's execution. His family was to be banished from the capital, forbidden to return without imperial summons.
The officials had no objections to this ruling. Some even shifted with the wind, urging the Emperor to punish Wang Yi harshly.
Qi Junmu paid them no heed.
After issuing the decree, he kept Shen Nian behind and dismissed everyone else.
As Lin Xiao departed, he cast a hesitant glance at the Emperor—but Qi Junmu's attention was fixed on Shen Nian, so Lin Xiao left with the rest.
Once everyone was gone, Qi Junmu withdrew his gaze. He motioned for Shen Nian to sit aside and wait, then opened the secret letter sent by Yang Jinglei.
The previous letter had said they had arrived in Qingzhou. The situation there was dire—a snow disaster had already struck.
Fortunately, they had arrived in time. With Prince Ping's influence, the Zhou family had lent immediate assistance, and the disaster in Qingzhou was temporarily brought under control.
Everything was progressing as expected. He wondered what this new letter would contain. Qi Junmu mused as he broke the seal.
This letter contained only a few short lines—and the moment Qi Junmu read them, his expression shifted instantly.
It read: Prince Jin has been ambushed and attacked in Qingzhou.
Shen Nian sat to the side. At first, the Emperor's face had held a glimmer of delight and anticipation—but after reading the letter, it turned to fury. He had no idea what was written in it, but it had angered a ruler who rarely showed his emotions to such a degree.
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