Cui Lin had intended to drag Duke Zeng into his plan, forcing Emperor An to interrogate Xiao Yan, or even making Duke Zeng take the lead in attacking him, diverting the “edge” of his accusations. But who could have imagined that this useless prince would turn around and bite him instead?
Cui Lin had no idea Duke Zeng’s tongue could be so sharp, nor that he would side with Xiao Yan. Was he out of his mind?
Xiao Yan was the one who framed him, landing him with that disgusting title. They were supposed to be allies! Wasn’t he afraid of offending Cui Lin and the Cui family, or that the aristocratic families would abandon him and choose another prince?!
As if that weren’t enough, Duke Zeng pressed on, “Minister Cui has always been petty and has repeatedly targeted Lord Xiao. As a court official, you shouldn’t exploit Father and everyone else for personal grudges.”
“You!”
Cui Lin nearly fainted from rage at Duke Zeng’s words.
Grand Tutor Liang frowned, watching Cui Lin tremble with anger after just a few words from Duke Zeng. The prince, who usually humbled himself before them, was unusually assertive today. Something felt off, and just as Liang was about to speak, Duke Zeng shifted the topic.
“Moreover, Father, there’s something I wish to report tonight.”
Emperor An, seeing his son step in to defuse the situation, humiliate Cui Lin, and address Xiao Yan’s issue, giving him time to handle Xiao Yan privately, found himself warming to this second son. The throbbing pain in his head eased slightly, and assuming Duke Zeng was changing the subject to help him, he squeezed out a trace of fatherly warmth and asked, “What is it?”
Duke Zeng replied, “Some time ago, I acted rashly and was reprimanded by Father. After falling gravely ill, I left the capital to avoid further displeasing you and to recuperate at a villa outside the city.”
“While reflecting at the villa, my guards unexpectedly rescued two people from Zhao Hui who were traveling to the capital to visit family but were ambushed by bandits and nearly killed. As their injuries were severe, I brought them to the villa to stay temporarily.”
Emperor An looked at Duke Zeng, puzzled, unsure of what he was getting at.
The others in the hall were equally confused.
Was Duke Zeng mentioning his rescue to gain praise for his kindness?
Ignoring their gazes, Duke Zeng continued, “The two were merchants from Zhao Hui with considerable wealth. Unaware of my identity, they offered generous gifts in gratitude. Seeing their refined demeanor and not wanting to cause trouble by revealing my status as a prince, I interacted with them as an ordinary wealthy man…”
“Duke Zeng!”
Cui Lin, seeing the conversation veer off-topic, interrupted with a chilling expression. “We’re discussing Xiao Yan’s collusion with the deposed Empress. No one cares about your personal dealings. Even if you’re close to Lord Xiao, you shouldn’t dodge the issue before His Majesty!”
Duke Zeng retorted, “I’m not dodging. My words have a purpose. You accuse me of being close to Lord Xiao, what are you afraid of?”
Cui Lin snapped, “What do I have to fear?!”
“If you’re not afraid, why not let me finish? Why so eager to interrupt?”
“You…”
Cui Lin was about to retort in anger.
“Enough!” Emperor An frowned, stopping him. Turning to Duke Zeng, he said, “Continue.”
Duke Zeng bowed in thanks to Emperor An, then shot Cui Lin a cold sneer before continuing, “Those two, long-time residents of Zhao Hui, were well-versed in the northwest’s customs and culture. As traveling merchants, they were highly knowledgeable. Having never left the capital, I enjoyed talking with them, and in gratitude for saving their lives, they spoke freely with me.”
“I originally just wanted to hear about distant places, but during our casual talk, I unexpectedly heard a shocking rumor.”
As everyone in the hall turned their attention to him, clearly intrigued, even Cui Lin and the others frowned at him.
Duke Zeng said, “According to them, a few days ago, a rumor suddenly spread in Zhao Hui that more than a dozen officials in Shezhou, Langzhou, and Raozhou had died consecutively, all in gruesome ways, some drained of blood and hung from beams, others with limbs torn apart, as if tortured to death.”
Emperor An was stunned, sensing something amiss in Duke Zeng’s words. Grand Tutor Liang’s brow furrowed sharply.
Among the capital’s aristocratic families, the Lu family had the closest ties to the southern officialdom. The Lu family’s ancestral home was in Jiangnan, and though they later moved to the capital, their control over southern officialdom remained staggering. After Lu Chongyuan took over, he treated Jiangnan as his personal domain.
In the past, Liang Guangyi had kept tabs on the south, but after the grain transport case implicated the Lu family, he withdrew his people to avoid dragging the Liang family into trouble, especially as the Privy Council repeatedly sent investigators south. Other families followed suit.
After the Lu family’s successive scandals, culminating in Lu Chongyuan’s death in prison, they had long stopped paying attention to southern affairs. Yet now, Duke Zeng suddenly mentioned the “gruesome deaths” of southern officials.
Not just Liang Guangyi, but Cui Lin and others also sensed something was wrong.
Cao Dejiang, who had been silent, frowned and spoke, “Duke Zeng, are you saying multiple officials in Shezhou, Langzhou, and Raozhou suddenly died gruesome deaths, and not just one or two? Why hasn’t the capital heard a word of this?”
“That’s what shocked me,” Duke Zeng replied gravely. “The rumor claims it wasn’t just one or two officials, including high-ranking ones like the Shezhou Sima and the Governor’s Office Chief Secretary. Yet the capital has heard nothing, and those three regions’ administrations haven’t reported to the Ministry of Personnel or Father.”
“I initially thought it was baseless gossip meant to stir unrest, but the rumor was so alarming that, fearing someone was plotting to destabilize the court, I sent people to Shezhou. And then…”
“The rumors in Shezhou were even more intense, and the officials’ gruesome deaths were widely known.”
Duke Zeng, now standing before the hall, spoke with a tense and stern tone. “My people investigated and learned that over two months ago, Shezhou Sima Lou Yong’an’s entire family fell off a cliff, their bodies devoured by wolves. Days later, Chief Secretary Zhou Jungui drowned. Within a month, several more officials in Shezhou died, followed by similar deaths in Langzhou and Raozhou.”
“All died horribly, with most of their families perishing as well. The few surviving relatives seemed driven mad, cowering in their homes, screaming about retribution and vengeful ghosts.”====================
You can read ahead to chapterr 470 (100+ extra chapters) here
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