Chapter 1637: Confession

Wang Yinwu had come at an inopportune moment—Emperor Liu was not in Chongzheng Hall, which did give him a little more time to steel himself mentally.

Emperor Liu had gone to visit Consort Zhou and the young son she had borne him, Liu Yao. Emperor Liu was indeed getting old, and the decline in his physical functions was obvious. In the old days, having children had been like dropping dumplings into a pot—almost one a year—but as age crept up, even his desires had waned, let alone any thought of sowing seeds.

The last time the imperial harem had gained a child was at the beginning of the eleventh year of Kaibao, when Consort Qin Xiang had borne him a little princess. Now, nearly ten years later, to have another son—and from Consort Zhou, his most favored consort in recent years—Emperor Liu's joy was easy to imagine. After all, it proved he was still vigorous despite his years.

Around the age of forty, Emperor Liu had liked to put on airs and sigh about how old he was getting. But after fifty, he never once mentioned the word "old" in front of anyone—in fact, he had developed a distinct aversion to the very word.

When not yet old, he lamented his age; when truly old, he refused to admit it. This was probably one of the more genuine facets of Emperor Liu's character.

The Sixteenth Prince had been named Liu Yao and was still an infant in swaddling. This new son seemed to have stirred the paternal affection that had lain dormant in Emperor Liu for so long, and so when he returned to Chongzheng Hall, a faint smile still lingered on his aged face.

"Wang Yinwu is here?" Emperor Liu said casually.

Seeing that Emperor Liu was in a good mood, Yan Tuo reported: "He's been here for nearly an hour and has drunk seven cups of tea. However, he wouldn't let the eunuchs announce him—he was worried he might disturb Your Majesty..."

"Oh?" A flicker of suspicion passed through Emperor Liu's old eyes as he said flatly: "That doesn't sound like Wang Yinwu at all!"

In the side hall of Chongzheng Hall, Wang Yinwu still sat stiffly in the guest chair. Though his back was straight, his restlessness could not help but leak out. He held a teacup in his hand—clearly fine tea—but it tasted like nothing to him.

Emperor Liu's figure flickered as he entered the hall. Seeing this, he chuckled: "Is the tea in Chongzheng Hall really that good? Surely you didn't come all this way today just for that!"

Seeing Emperor Liu, Wang Yinwu immediately scrambled to his feet, set down his teacup, and rose to bow in greeting.

Wang Yinwu's unease was hard to miss. Emperor Liu narrowed his eyes slightly, studied him for a moment before looking away: "Rise!"

Slowly returning to the imperial seat, he gazed calmly at Wang Yinwu: "What is it? Could it be that there's new progress on the Hexi case!"

Wang Yinwu reported somewhat dejectedly: "Your Majesty, according to the latest reports, the Hexi intelligence operations have preliminarily identified several bands of bandits. Among them is one called the Mingsha Bandits, which has risen over the past five years and operates around Liangzhou and Lingzhou. This band is ruthless in its methods—killing and robbing—and has committed dozens of bloody crimes. The garrisons at Liangzhou and Lingzhou have already been dispatched to track them down and prepare to eliminate them..."

Hearing this description, Emperor Liu wore a look of dissatisfaction. Looking at Wang Yinwu, he said flatly: "You came to see me today just to report this kind of vague, inconclusive information? Is this all the Wude Office is capable of?"

"Your servant is guilty!" With a thud, Wang Yinwu nimbly prostrated himself on the ground, his head striking hard against the smooth floor of Chongzheng Hall, speaking rapidly.

This sudden move caught Emperor Liu somewhat off guard. He paused for a moment, then furrowed his brow: "You're very strange today!"

"Your servant deserves death!" Wang Yinwu was nearly prostrate completely.

Emperor Liu could hardly fail to see that something was wrong. His eyes flashed with severity as he said coldly: "Raise your head for me!"

For some reason, when Emperor Liu's attitude became less casual and indifferent, Wang Yinwu actually felt slightly more at ease. He slowly raised his head, meeting Emperor Liu's intimidating gaze, and said fearfully: "Your servant has important matters to report!"

"More bad news for me, is it?" Seeing this, Emperor Liu's expression returned to normal.

"It concerns Chancellor Lu. A few days ago, Chancellor Lu invited me to take a nighttime boat ride on the Bian River..." After hesitating, Wang Yinwu still mustered his courage and spoke.

"Lu Duoxun?" Emperor Liu scrutinized Wang Yinwu with amusement, saying slowly: "The two of you certainly have leisure for such pastimes! What, did Lu Duoxun get his hands on some fine tea from somewhere and invite you to taste it again?"

"Your Majesty, your servant is guilty!"

"If you have something to say, say it. If you have something to let out, let it out. Don't put on airs in front of me!" Emperor Liu suddenly spoke like an irritable lion, coldly.

Startled badly, even the heavy worries weighing on his mind were temporarily scared away. Wang Yinwu bowed his head again and reported: "Your Majesty, that night, Chancellor Lu told me some things..."

Hearing this, Emperor Liu's eyes immediately narrowed, and the pressure in his gaze grew even heavier. After pondering for a moment, he stared at Wang Yinwu and said: "Let's hear it!"

There was no retreat left now. Wang Yinwu took a deep breath, cast aside all his trepidation and burdens, and spoke almost word by word with solemnity: "Chancellor Lu has been secretly colluding with court officials, intending to call Chancellor Zhao to account..."

Often, the first sentence is the hardest to say. Once the ice was broken, the rest flowed naturally. All the mental drafts he had prepared beforehand were forgotten, and the excuses and concealments he had rehearsed were wiped clean from memory. Wang Yinwu simply laid it all out plainly, spilling every detail of Lu Duoxun's schemes—including his machinations in Hexi...

Emperor Liu listened with great interest, but his face gradually lost all expression, until it carried not a trace of vitality. It was a long while—until Wang Yinwu had spoken his last word and assumed a posture of prostrating himself awaiting punishment—before Emperor Liu finally stirred.

Gently stroking the thumb ring on his hand, Emperor Liu said darkly: "The friction between Lu Duoxun and Zhao Pu doesn't surprise me. That he's plotting to bring down Zhao also seems normal to me. What I'm curious about is—how could he reveal such a grave matter to you? Has your relationship grown so deep that you would cut your throats for each other, entrust each other with your backs and bellies?"

Indeed, this was exactly what Emperor Liu cared about, and exactly what Wang Yinwu had feared. But since he had decided to confess and the words were already out, Wang Yinwu had no other recourse. With a "bang," he knocked his head hard against the floor and kowtowed: "Your Majesty, your servant deserves death!"

Without waiting for Emperor Liu to press further, Wang Yinwu confessed his own involvement and the secret collusion between the Wude Office and Lu Duoxun over the years.

And unsurprisingly, as Wang Yinwu made his confession, Emperor Liu's expression shifted through a remarkable range—even though Emperor Liu had mastered the art of maintaining a composed facade, his face could not help but grow rather colorful in the end.

If Emperor Liu's attitude before had carried a hint of casual indifference, after Wang Yinwu's confession, it could no longer be described merely as embarrassment turning to rage.

The atmosphere in the hall nearly solidified with Emperor Liu's silence. When Emperor Liu didn't speak, Wang Yinwu grew even more nervous, even more anxious, and dared not rashly open his mouth again.

Emperor Liu's gaze roamed over Wang Yinwu like a knife, and Wang Yinwu felt as though he were being sliced a thousand times. He had drunk so much tea and said so little, yet his lips were parched terribly.

At this moment, the only way to gain even a sliver of security was to bury his head deep like an ostrich. Yet even so, Wang Yinwu felt as though he had been seen through completely.

"You've done a fine job as Commissioner of the Wude Office!" Finally, Emperor Liu spoke, his voice as if it came from the depths of hell, striking straight at the heart: "Li Shaoyou, Wang Jingchong, Li Chongju—none of them dared to do what you've done, and you've done it with such flair and vigor.

I was careless. I overestimated myself, and I trusted you too much. When did the Wude Office become a tool for court factional strife without my noticing at all!

Do you still remember the original duty of the Wude Office? Do you still know the proper role of a subject?"

Faced with Emperor Liu's piercing questions, Wang Yinwu was completely enveloped in terror. He had nothing else to say, only kowtowing like a pestle pounding garlic: "Your servant deserves death!"

Perhaps trying to draw blood, he knocked with great force, not caring in the least whether he might give himself a concussion. However, Emperor Liu showed him not a shred of pity, saying coldly: "I think you've kowtowed so much that you've knocked your brains out!"

"How dare you!" Emperor Liu's furious voice reverberated through the side hall.

"Your servant deserves death!" Wang Yinwu was nearly in tears.

"You say you deserve death—why don't you just go and die? Instead you come before me to make these confessions. Isn't it because you want to seek survival within death?" Emperor Liu pointed out the purpose of his actions with sinister insight.

Wang Yinwu's face paled with panic, and he hurriedly said: "Your servant would rather die than dare to deceive Your Majesty!"

"Ridiculous!" Emperor Liu laughed sardonically: "Then how do you explain your previous actions? Was that not deceiving your sovereign?"

"Your servant has nothing else to say. I willingly accept death. Please issue the order, Your Majesty!"

Coldly staring at Wang Yinwu, Emperor Liu's eyes were indeed filled with murderous intent. However, after a moment, he reined in all his imposing aura.

Noticing the situation in the hall, the four palace eunuchs and maids who had been attending at the side all knelt down as well, trembling as they prostrated themselves on the ground. Frowning slightly, Emperor Liu shot a glance at the equally terrified Yan Tuo. Yan Tuo understood and, as if relieved, gestured for the attendants to leave the hall.

When only the sovereign and his subject remained in the hall, Wang Yinwu felt as though he had fallen into endless darkness, while Emperor Liu was the single sliver of light in that darkness—but that sliver of light was fraught with danger.

"Lu Duoxun, Wang Yinwu—you two have truly given me a surprise!" Detected that your latest reading progress is "Chapter 10: Such Disposition"

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