Chapter 201: The Situation Is Settled?

After court adjourned, Chen Wenjin and Li Xiangtian hurried back to the secret chamber of the Prime Minister's Mansion.

Chen Wenjin's face darkened; he fiercely slammed the ceremonial tablet he held onto the table, gritting his teeth as he said:

"Su Wu, this old man, dares to be so bold, plotting to overthrow us. Although His Majesty has not yet expressed an opinion, this matter cannot simply be let go; we must teach them a lesson, so they know the consequences of offending us."

Li Xiangtian nodded repeatedly beside him, his eyes flashing a cold light, saying: "The Prime Minister is absolutely right; we must act while they are still unsteady, eradicate them completely to eliminate future trouble."

After a brief private discussion, they quickly summoned their followers and split up to act.

One group of followers was tasked with spreading rumors everywhere, claiming that Su Wu and his associates intended to rebel, secretly colluding with remnants of the Xiongnu, plotting to overthrow the Great Han's realm.

These rumors spread like wildfire through the imperial court and beyond, causing panic among the people for a time.

At the same time, Chen Wenjin and Li Xiangtian secretly ordered their trusted aides to forge a batch of letters, the contents of which purported to be evidence that Su Wu and his colleagues were discussing how to collude with foreign powers and partition the territory of the Great Han.

To make the forged evidence appear more convincing, they deliberately imitated the handwriting of Su Wu, Wei Xiang, Xu Wei, and others, and even stamped the letters with seals they had forged in advance.

A few days later, in the imperial court, Chen Wenjin again impeached Su Wu and his associates.

He held the stack of forged letters, his expression sorrowful and indignant, and said: "Your Majesty, I have recently uncovered a batch of shocking secret letters; they are ironclad proof that Su Wu, Wei Xiang, Xu Wei, and others have colluded with the Xiongnu! Their hearts are those of wolves, their ambitions to overthrow our Great Han are utterly heinous!" Having said that, he presented the letters to the eunuch, who then submitted them to Liu Ju.

Li Xiangtian also stepped forward, adding fuel to the fire, saying: "Your Majesty, Su Wu and his associates are impeaching us in court, but it's actually a case of the thief crying 'stop thief!' Knowing their crimes have been exposed, they wish to strike first, attempting to deceive Your Majesty's eyes. Now that the evidence is solid, I implore Your Majesty to issue an immediate order to arrest them all and punish them severely, upholding the law of the state!"

The imperial court immediately erupted in discussion again.

Over these past days, the two sides have been trading blows, one exciting spectacle after another.

Yet looking at the Son of Heaven seated on the Dragon Throne, he apparently had no interest in this matter.

Su Wu and his associates stood in the imperial court, their faces ashen, their anger reaching its peak.

Su Wu could no longer contain himself and shouted: "Your Majesty, see clearly! This is purely the slander of Chen Wenjin and Li Xiangtian; those so-called secret letters are all forged by them. I am wholly devoted to the Great Han, harboring no intention of rebellion!"

Wei Xiang and Xu Wei also hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, we are loyal to the imperial court, heaven and earth can bear witness. Chen Wenjin and Li Xiangtian are merely trying to put us to death to cover up their own crimes!"

However, Chen Wenjin and Li Xiangtian would not let up, continuing to stir up discussion in the imperial court, demanding that Liu Ju immediately punish Su Wu and his associates.

The entire imperial court descended into chaos.

Su Wu lifted his head to stare directly at Liu Ju on the Dragon Throne; a fleeting pleading glance crossed his eyes, but was quickly replaced by the light of fearlessness.

Having weathered many storms, he would not retreat.

Moreover, he asked himself, his conscience clear; even if he died, he would die honorably, and could not allow the villains' plot to succeed.

Wei Xiang's eyes reddened, the trace of fury and resentment burning within him; he dropped to his knees, yet kept his spine straight, his gaze like a torch, fixed unflinchingly on Liu Ju, as if seeking to pierce the gloom of the imperial court and let Liu Ju see their loyal, sincere hearts.

All along, he has upheld the principle of unyielding integrity, opposing corrupt influences in the imperial court, exhausting his efforts for the stable development of the Great Han.

Now faced with this baseless frame-up, the grief and indignation in his heart surged, impossible to calm.

Xu Wei's breathing grew rapid and heavy, his shoulders slightly trembling, his hands unconsciously clutching the edge of his robe.

Yet Liu Ju's expression remained blank, like a heavy hammer striking down their hopes bit by bit, leaving them ever more desolate and forlorn.

"Su Wu and his fellows are wholly devoted to the state—how could they suffer such slander? Chen Wenjin is nothing short of a cancer in the imperial court; why does Your Majesty still not punish him?"

The ministers discussed heatedly.

But many merely lowered their heads and stayed silent, their eyes revealing a hint of helplessness and evasion, fearing that any word or deed might invite disaster.

Still others among the ministers watched, their eyes darting between Su Wu's faction and Chen Wenjin's camp, calculating the situation's direction, trying to preserve themselves by prudent neutrality in this court struggle.

Liu Ju sat upon the Dragon Throne, his face stern, his gaze vacant as he looked over everything in the imperial court; regarding the ministers' debates and Su Wu's associates' defenses, he seemed to hear nothing.

At this critical moment concerning the judgment of loyalty and treason in the imperial court, he showed no concern for the pleas of Su Wu and his associates, nor did he investigate the so-called "evidence" presented by Chen Wenjin and his allies.

He simply sat there quietly, his hands resting on the Dragon Throne's armrests, his fingers tapping lightly now and then, exuding an aloof aura that kept others at a distance, allowing the imperial court to plunge into chaos and despair.

Appearing indifferent to this very dispute that could reshape the imperial court's landscape, he caused the hope-fire in the hearts of Su Wu and his associates to dwindle ever weaker, while their disappointment and desolation grew ever stronger.

I will separately depict the astonishment of Su Wu and his associates, the various speculations of the ministers, and Chen Wenjin's delight and panic, finely portraying each side's reaction after Liu Ju's demand, further advancing the plot and revealing the ever‑shifting, intricate dynamics of the imperial court.

"Present the memorial."

The Son of Heaven seated on the Dragon Throne finally spoke.

Liu Ju's low, calm voice was like a sudden thunderclap that exploded in the imperial court.

"Chen Wenjin, present the charges against Su Wu and his associates."

He repeated it once more.

Upon hearing this, Su Wu first stared wide‑eyed in astonishment, a flicker of disbelief crossing his gaze.

Xu Wei and Jin Fu, upon hearing this, felt the world spin, their legs instantly going weak, nearly unable to stand.

Their hearts filled with sorrow, the light of hope in their eyes extinguished completely, replaced by endless despair.

Su Wu slowly lifted his head, his gaze fixed straight on Liu Ju, his lips trembling but unable to utter a sound.

Immediately thereafter, he helplessly lowered his head, his shoulders trembling slightly.

Those upright ministers, whose eyes had once held hope for justice, now turned entirely to disappointment and anger.

They whispered to one another, their voices full of helplessness and anguish.

"How could Your Majesty so readily believe the treacherous words of Chen Wenjin and his ilk? Lord Su and his fellows are wholly devoted to the state!"

"This imperial court is likely to be thrown into utter chaos by this pack of villains."

Those ministers who had previously kept their heads down out of fear now shook their heads and sighed, their eyes full of sorrow.

Those ministers who had adopted a wait‑and‑see attitude now also concluded that the situation was settled; their gazes swiftly shifted from Su Wu and his associates to Chen Wenjin's faction, their eyes gaining a touch of flattery and obsequiousness.

Upon hearing Liu Ju's words, Chen Wenjin's face instantly broke into a triumphant smile.

He lifted his head, puffed out his chest, strode forward, and presented the stack of forged letters with a loud, confident voice.

"Your Majesty, wise and discerning! This is the ironclad proof of Su Wu and his associates' rebellion; I have examined it day and night, and there is absolutely no error."

Li Xiangtian followed behind, voicing his agreement loudly: "Yes, Your Majesty, with this evidence Su Wu and his ilk cannot escape; Your Majesty, sage and enlightened, will surely purge the imperial court of villains."

In the imperial court, a one‑sided situation had already arisen.

As Liu Ju flipped through the memorials on the Dragon Throne ever more quickly, his countenance grew increasingly grave.

The hearts of Su Wu and his associates had sunk to the very bottom.

"The situation is already settled!"

Everyone sighed, ah.