Chapter 67
As Ruan Jiqing had expected, the news of Chang Sheng's death in the North Frontier made Lin Xiao frown deeply.
The disappearance of the West Frontier General and his death were two entirely different matters. If he was missing, as long as no body was found, there was still a sliver of hope that he might be alive.
But dead meant truly dead.
And the secrets a dead man carried would likely never be uncovered by anyone.
Lin Xiao had originally intended to keep the news of Chang Sheng's death under wraps, for it would easily stir up strife. In the end, it was the Emperor who made the decision. He said, "The West Frontier General is dead. Whatever the reason, we owe his family and the realm an explanation."
Lin Xiao had no choice but to finally inform the court officials.
As expected, the matter caused an uproar—so much so that even the emperor's plan to hold an additional imperial examination was overshadowed. The court buzzed with heated debate, and their attention once again turned to Shen Nian.
Chang Sheng's body was found ten li from the North Frontier, but that did not prove that the North Frontier Army had nothing to do with his death. Chang Sheng had gone north under a secret imperial edict, yet Shen Nian was in the capital, frequently moving about the palace and meeting the Emperor. It was entirely possible that he had caught wind of something, allowing the North Frontier Army to prepare in advance.
Before Chang Sheng could even reach the North Frontier, death was already waiting for him.
When a man wishes to pin a crime on another, he will often weave all manner of conjectures, and his words will drop with malice. A warrior's sword can take a life, but a scholar's tongue can destroy a soul.
Fortunately, Shen Nian was in the palace, residing right under the Emperor's nose, so many venomous words never reached his ears.
Though no one dared to speak such slander openly, their eyes could not hide their suspicions.
As Shen Nian walked through the palace, he could feel the lingering, furtive glances from all directions. But his conscience was clear. He sat with a straight back, stood with dignity, and walked with his head held high—so those stares meant nothing to him.
His relationship with the Emperor had changed from before, yet both were rational people. Matters of the heart were private; court affairs were public. The Emperor had never told him why he had moved against Chang Sheng, and Shen Nian had never asked. On such matters, the two shared an unspoken understanding.
Still, the Emperor did not entirely hide his contempt and displeasure toward Chang Sheng in front of Shen Nian.
The Emperor's attitude pleased Shen Nian—keeping public and private separate, without blurring the lines or drawing them too sharply.
The emperor struck that balance quite well.
Shen Nian was sharp enough to glean from the Emperor's attitude that Chang Sheng must have done something utterly detestable in the Emperor's eyes—and that the Emperor had caught him red-handed.
If that were truly the case, then Chang Sheng's crime was certainly no small matter.
Shen Nian could think of only one possibility: colluding with foreign enemies with intent to rebel. Otherwise, the Emperor would not have used the pretext of reinforcing the border to send Chang Sheng north and eliminate him.
The Emperor could no longer tolerate Chang Sheng, so he had to die.
Shen Nian, after all, had no memories of his past life. This was as far as his reasoning could go. In his heart, the Emperor was a magnanimous and benevolent ruler—if he had not been pushed beyond endurance, he would never have resorted to murder.
In short, Shen Nian believed that the Emperor's move against Chang Sheng must have deep reasoning behind it.
Of course, there were still some inconsistencies—for instance, if the Emperor was so certain, why had he not produced the evidence openly and had Chang Sheng brought back to the capital for trial?
These were questions Shen Nian could not answer for now, nor did he intend to dwell on them. He trusted what his eyes saw and what his heart told him: the Emperor was by no means a man who killed the innocent.
If Qi Junmu had heard Shen Nian's thoughts, he would likely have chuckled.
But Qi Junmu, of course, had no idea what Shen Nian was thinking at that moment, so he did not laugh.
Far from it—his expression was grim.
Because some ministers had been pressing fiercely, all convinced that Shen Nian could not escape involvement in this affair. In the past, even if Qi Junmu felt uncomfortable, he would not have shown it.
But today, when the officials once again raised the issue of Shen Nian's guilt, a sudden flare of anger rose in his heart.
What were they trying to do? He and Shen Nian had only just confessed their feelings, and now these people were hounding him, all but declaring Shen Nian guilty—as if making it impossible for him, the Emperor, to protect his own.
At that moment, Qi Junmu's stubborn temper flared. As long as it was within his power, he would protect his people.
He had done the same for Wen Wan in the past; now he would do the same for Shen Nian.
When someone mentioned Shen Nian's name again, Qi Junmu let out two cold snorts.
His voice was not loud or heavy, but it fell upon the ears of those who were paying attention—and struck their hearts. The officials in the front rows fell silent first, followed by those behind them. Gradually, the clamor died down.
At last, the great hall fell quiet.
Qi Junmu sat upon the dragon throne and said coldly, "Why have you stopped arguing?"
The officials fell silent. Qi Junmu let out a mocking laugh. "There is not a shred of evidence, and yet you are ready to convict Marquis Zhenbei? Do you wish to tell the world that I, the Emperor, have no brains and am bent on wronging a loyal subject? Or do you think the cause of Chang Sheng's death can be determined by your imagination—by the words from your mouths?"
The entire court knelt and begged the Emperor to calm his anger. A few faces had turned deathly pale. The Emperor's words had all but slapped them across the face—an outright accusation that they had no sense.
Lin Xiao raised his head slightly and glanced at the Emperor. The Emperor's face was ashen as he continued in a frigid tone: "Whether Marquis Zhenbei is guilty depends on the evidence. If I hear another word of groundless slander against Marquis Zhenbei, do not blame me for showing you no courtesy. To accuse him without proof—I have reason to suspect you are trying to eliminate rivals under the guise of justice."
"This humble subject would never dare." No one wished to bear such a label, and they all spoke in unison.
Qi Junmu's eyes were filled with mockery. "Don't dare? I see plenty of daring in every one of you. Chang Sheng is dead—that much is certain. Right now, our priority is to comfort his family and stabilize the West Frontier Army."
With that, Qi Junmu laid out his plans for Chang Sheng: imperial guards would personally escort his body back to the capital, and he would be given a grand funeral.
He also bestowed silver and fertile lands upon Chang Sheng's family, ensuring they would lack for nothing for the rest of their days.
Those who had died alongside Chang Sheng were also posthumously rewarded.
In life, Chang Sheng had been overshadowed by the Shen father and son, and had even appeared somewhat incompetent. But in death, he was honored with grandeur unmatched by anyone.
After wrapping up these matters, Qi Junmu adjourned the court, leaving the officials exchanging bewildered glances.
Some discreetly asked Lin Xiao what the Emperor meant by all this—and what his true stance toward Shen Nian was.
Lin Xiao was silent for a moment, then sighed. "The West Frontier General died too suddenly. His Majesty must be deeply grieved, and for now, he does not wish to wrongly accuse others. As for whether Marquis Zhenbei is involved—we must await word from Prince Jin and Commander Yang."
No comments:
Post a Comment