Chapter 64: Reporting the Facts as They Are

"I certainly will not let Your Majesty down." Qi Jin hurriedly bowed, his tone and expression filled with resolve.

Zhu Youxiao nodded and said with a smile: "That would be for the best. You have endured a long and tiring journey, my dear minister. Go back and rest for now; in a few days I will issue an edict."

"Your servant receives the decree." Qi Jin acknowledged, then turned and walked out.

The expression on his face was exceptionally firm, his steps noticeably lighter, and his back straighter, as if a weight pressing down on him had been lifted away.

Zhu Youxiao watched this scene and smiled even more brightly.

Since things had already begun, he would have to walk this path to the end.

"Chen Hong, go ask Luo Sigong when that Chen Kedao can enter the capital?" Zhu Youxiao's smile slowly faded, replaced by a serious expression as he spoke.

"Yes, this servant will go at once." Chen Hong nodded, quickly retreated a few steps, then turned and walked out.

After Chen Hong had left, Zhu Youxiao stretched lazily with a blank expression.

The arrangements were mostly complete — everything was ready, only the east wind was lacking. Once the east wind blew, he could begin doing the things he wanted to do.

Thinking of this, a smile crept onto the corner of Zhu Youxiao's mouth. Things had reached this point; finally they were about to get on the right track.

Over the following days, the court above and below remained calm on the surface, but beneath it, undercurrents surged.

The most attention-grabbing matter was, of course, the case at the Three Judicial Offices. Zhu Youxiao sent someone to press them again, yet the Three Judicial Offices still had not produced a proper result.

After the court session was adjourned once more, Yang Lian walked out of the main hall with a black face.

His mood was terrible — these people were now stubbornly insisting that Wei Zhongxian had framed them.

Yang Lian now somewhat understood Gao Panlong's thinking: rather than trying to get these people out, it would have been better to convict them directly in the Eastern Depot. If it had been done that way, he would not be facing these problems now.

Of course, Yang Lian also knew this was merely a thought born of frustration. If his side had truly done that, then who knew whom Wei Zhongxian would have these people drag down with their accusations!

Looking around with slight helplessness, Yang Lian turned and walked toward Zou Yuanbiao's duty office.

He had matters he needed to ask Zou Yuanbiao about.

When Zou Yuanbiao saw Yang Lian walk in, he was not particularly surprised, because he too had felt that Yang Lian would come looking for him. The current situation had clearly exceeded Yang Lian's control, and he needed to find someone to seek a solution from. Naturally, he himself was the best choice.

But Zou Yuanbiao also had not expected that those men would actually retract their confessions, and would stubbornly insist that Wei Zhongxian had framed them.

Things having reached this point, the matter had indeed become somewhat difficult to handle. However, Zou Yuanbiao did have a way to resolve it.

"Sit down and speak!" Zou Yuanbiao looked at Yang Lian and said with a smile: "I knew you would be coming. Come, have a taste — though this is last year's aged tea, it is still one of my treasured reserves."

Having said this, Zou Yuanbiao made a gesture of invitation, and at the same time waved his hand, signaling the clerk who had served the tea to withdraw.

After the clerk had left, Zou Yuanbiao finally spoke up to ask: "Finding it hard to handle?"

"Yes!" Yang Lian nodded, his face grim as he said helplessly: "Now they have retracted their confessions, and there is no other evidence to prove they are lying."

Zou Yuanbiao nodded, then smiled and stroked his beard as he said: "In that case, we simply report the facts as they are to the throne. A powerful eunuch like Wei Zhongxian — is it beyond him to commit slander? Taking this opportunity to impeach Wei Zhongxian — is that not killing two birds with one stone? Besides, Yao Zongwen and the others are men of benevolence and integrity; we should believe them."

Hearing Zou Yuanbiao's words, Yang Lian was stunned for a moment, his pupils dilating, his eyes filled with disbelief.

To actually do it this way?

Yang Lian understood Zou Yuanbiao's meaning very well — he wanted not only to protect Yao Zongwen and the others, but also to splash the dirty water onto Wei Zhongxian.

In this way, everyone would turn against Wei Zhongxian, and at that point a comprehensive impeachment campaign against Wei Zhongxian would be set off.

But what about His Majesty? These matters were themselves true — Yao Zongwen and the others had accepted bribes before impeaching Xiong Tingbi, and His Majesty knew this as well.

If things were done this way, how could they account for it before His Majesty?

For a moment, Yang Lian did not know what to say.

As for Zou Yuanbiao, the expression on his face did not change in the slightest. He drank his tea sip by sip, looking thoroughly content.

After a long while, seeing that Yang Lian's emotions had settled, Zou Yuanbiao continued: "No one is more sagacious than His Majesty. Wei Zhongxian has blinded the imperial wisdom and acted tyrannically — he is the great enemy of us scholars. Has the Great Ming not suffered enough from the calamity of the eunuch faction? How severe the eunuch faction's harm has been needs no further elaboration. So long as we report the facts as they are to the throne, His Majesty will naturally understand the truth of the matter."

"Why is this so?" Yang Lian looked at Zou Yuanbiao, asking with a hint of hesitation in his expression. He truly did not understand.

Yang Lian knew Zou Yuanbiao's stance well. Zou Yuanbiao's thinking was very simple: to turn a big matter into a small one, and a small matter into nothing — convict Yao Zongwen and the others, then dismiss them from office. As for Li Ruzhen, he would simply be left to die, with all the charges placed on his back.

But now Zou Yuanbiao's tune had completely changed. He wanted to protect Yao Zongwen and the others, and directly take the knife to Wei Zhongxian.

If there was nothing fishy behind this, Yang Lian would not believe it. He needed to know what had actually happened in all this; otherwise, he dared not agree.

"The Liaodong Governor Xue Guoyong's routine memorial impeaching Xiong Tingbi has been given a draft rescript by the Grand Secretariat, requesting that His Majesty send someone to investigate in detail Xiong Tingbi's crimes of cowardice in battle and falsely reporting military merits — but it was struck down and returned by His Majesty." Zou Yuanbiao said with a grave expression: "Word has already spread from within the palace that Wei Zhongxian slandered him before His Majesty. He protected Xiong Tingbi and impeached Xue Guoyong instead."

Hearing this, Yang Lian's face changed dramatically: "How could this be? Xiong Tingbi is arrogant and looks down on everyone. To indulge him like this — Liaodong is in danger."

"Indeed!" Zou Yuanbiao nodded: "For the sake of the soldiers and people of Liaodong, for the sake of the Great Ming, how can we sit by and do nothing? This time we must make His Majesty understand that Wei Zhongxian is a treacherous villain who uses smooth words to blind the imperial wisdom. We must do one thing, and that is to topple Wei Zhongxian."

As he spoke, Zou Yuanbiao turned to look at Yang Lian, his gaze sincere as he said: "Only this time, I fear you will have to bear some hardship."

"But you can rest assured — report the facts as they are, and we will voice our support for you. Even if His Majesty punishes you and you are dismissed from office, this undertaking will be one of great glory."

Yang Lian looked at Zou Yuanbiao, and in his heart he roughly understood one thing: behind Zou Yuanbiao stood many people as well, and who they were, Yang Lian could more or less guess.

If he truly did as Zou Yuanbiao had said, then at most he would bear the charge of failing to render a clear judgment in a case. His Majesty would not take his life, but dismissal from office would perhaps be unavoidable.

However, having protected gentlemen like Yao Zongwen and opposed the powerful eunuch, he would surely become famous throughout the realm, and it would be extremely glorious.

His gaze flickered uncertainly as Yang Lian weighed whether this was worth doing.

But he quickly realized — he had no choice.