Chapter 601: A Loyal Minister Wholeheartedly Serving the Nation

Marquis Mo Chen Xiao stood half a step beside Chen Yan, the silver thread pattern on his dark embroidered robe glinting under the scorching sun, his eyes lowered as he stared at Yao Hongnian pressed onto the blistering ground.

The old brute's neck veins bulged, his throat rasping as he shouted his grievance, yet there was a hint of righteous vigor in his tone.

An indescribable astonishment rose in his mind, and he couldn't help to mutter inwardly, "What on earth is this fellow's skin made of?"

"To speak such black‑and‑white nonsense with such solemnity, and still dare to boast shamelessly that one serves the country with a pure heart and no selfishness—truly the greatest farce under heaven!"

Immediately, his fingertips unconsciously brushed the hilt of the sword at his waist, his gaze sweeping over Yao Hongnian's twisted, angry face, then flicking to Du Duoyi and Pei Min beside him, who were also shouting loudly.

He felt the three's performance was three times more laughable than the crudest street play.

Peng Chong, standing behind Chen Yan, his normally rigid back trembling slightly as he forced back a smile, his tiger‑like eyes widened and fixed on Yao Hongnian, a storm raging inside him: "I've never seen anyone so shameless!"

Peng Chong suppressed the urge to kick the old thief, instead gripping his sword hilt tighter, his eyes full of contempt.

At that moment, a clear, resonant voice cut through the clamorous cries of protest.

Yuwen Ze strode forward at a relaxed pace, walking straight to Yao Hongnian and looking down at him.

The sun‑baked ground steamed with heat, causing sweat to pour down Yao Hongnian's forehead and run along the furrows of his skin into his collar, soaking a large patch of his official robe.

Yuwen Ze leaned slightly forward, his bony fingers brushing the jade pendant at his waist, a playful smile at the corner of his mouth, his voice low yet teasing: "Inspector Yao, didn't you just say you hadn't committed any wrongdoing?"

"If you're so upright, why the panic? This frantic pleading only makes you look more guilty."

He paused, his gaze seeming to pierce the soul, and asked word by word, meaningfully: "Could it be... that you have a hidden ghost in your heart, that you're feeling insecure?"

Yao Hongnian was taken aback by the two questions, his mind buzzing and momentarily blank.

He clenched his teeth, the shirt on his back already soaked with cold sweat, clinging sticky to his body, an indescribable discomfort.

Yao couldn't understand why Chen Yan suddenly raised a precise accusation, nor what evidence the other side possessed.

But at this point, he could not admit such a colossal crime; once confessed, it would mean the annihilation of his clan!

Yao Hongnian quickly regained his composure, his neck stiff as a board, he forced a defense, his voice hoarse from strain: "I... I am certainly not fearful!"

"I am afraid!"

"Afraid that you, Chen Zhuguo and Prince of Ancheng, have been misled by treacherous slanders, mistakenly harming us loyal ministers who serve the country with a pure heart!"

He shouted these words until hoarse, as if truly grievously wronged.

Even his clouded old eyes shed a few murky tears that rolled down his cheek, giving him a pitiful look.

Seeing this, Du Duoyi immediately understood, ignoring the excruciating twist in his arm, he thrust his neck forward and shouted in a trembling voice: "Indeed! Chen Zhuguo! Prince! Our loyalty to Great Zhou is as evident as heaven and earth, as clear as the sun and moon!"

"We are all subjects of Great Zhou, devoted to the country and the people; how could we commit such acts that burn inns and harm comrades, inciting heaven's wrath and people's resentment!"

"Clearly, someone has framed us, seeking to tarnish our clean reputation!"

Pei Min also hurriedly echoed loudly, his cheek pressed against the scorching ground, burning his teeth, yet he forced himself to shout: "We implore Chen Zhuguo and Prince to see clearly!"

"Restore our innocence!"

The three sang in unison, their cries of protest rising and falling, truly sounding like victims of a massive injustice.

The Huazhou officials nearby fell silent like cicadas, heads bowed, daring not even to breathe, fearing they might be implicated.

Chen Yan watched the farce, a deeper smile curling his lips, he took a slow step forward, his dark robe swaying lightly, the golden‑threaded qilin embroidered on the hem glittering in the sunlight.

He approached Yao Hongnian, looking down at him with a calm smile, and asked with interest: "Inspector Yao, you just said that I, the Duke, was blinded by treacherous slanders?"

"Then tell me, who is the treacherous scoundrel that misled me?"

Yao Hongnian heard this and felt a sudden joy, thinking indeed Chen Yan must lack concrete evidence!

Without thinking, he blurted out loudly, his voice firm: "It must be that scoundrel Gao Changjing!"

As the words left his mouth, it seemed he had found an outlet, accusing bitterly: "Gao Changjing is a wolf‑hearted traitor, his thieving heart never dies!"

"I don't know what vile sorcery he used, that even the wise and mighty Chen Zhuguo would doubt us Great Zhou officials!"

"His malicious intent is downright hair‑raising!"

Yao Hongnian grew more agitated, as if Gao Changjing were right before his eyes, his teeth clenched in hatred.

Chen Yan listened to his black‑and‑white accusations without anger; his smile widened, yet his eyes held a chilling cold.

He gave a slight nod, looking at Yao Hongnian with a half‑smile, and said slowly, his tone tinged with teasing admiration: "No wonder a veteran of the bureaucracy for decades, you remain calm in crisis and eloquent!"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the equally stunned Du Duoyi and Pei Min, his voice suddenly cold and mocking: "Such black‑and‑white skill truly earns my admiration!"

Du Duoyi was pressed hard to the ground by the embroidered‑clad envoy, his knees against the scorching bricks, his teeth aching with pain.

He could not care about that, for Chen Yan's half‑smile words were like an ice‑tempered dagger, stabbing straight into the deepest fear of his heart.

He clearly realized Chen Yan came today with full understanding, not a momentary impulse, nor blinded by anyone's slanders.

At this point, retreat would mean endless ruin; only a desperate gamble might still find a sliver of hope.

Du Duoyi clenched his teeth hard, his cheek swelling into a fierce curve, he thrust his head up, his gaze fixed on Chen Yan's cold‑smiling face, ignoring the excruciating twist in his arm, he shouted back.

His voice cracked from the force, yet carried a desperate resolve: "Chen Zhuguo! You keep saying the Imperial Academy colleagues were harmed by us, you must produce real evidence!"

"Empty words cannot sway the masses?"

"Only ironclad proof can win hearts and minds!"

His words rang powerfully, as if truly bearing a massive grievance, seeking justice.

Beside him, Pei Min had already sensed the scent of death, the seriousness of the situation far exceeding his expectations.

He had originally clung to a sliver of hope, thinking perhaps the desperate cries could get him through, but Du Duoyi's words now awakened him.

Now, pleading was useless; he could only grit his teeth and endure to the end.

Pei Min immediately, without hesitation, echoed Du Duoyi, thrusting his neck forward and shouting, his voice tinged with reckless hysteria: "Exactly! If Chen Zhuguo lacks real evidence, then seizing us like this is an injustice against loyal ministers!"

"Such conduct is no different from Zhao Gao of Qin pointing a deer as a horse and framing loyal officials!"

When the name Zhao Gao was uttered, the Huazhou officials' faces changed dramatically, they inhaled a cold gasp.

Each buried their heads lower, fearing the three's mad words would affect them.

These were grave insults to Chen Zhuguo and Prince of Ancheng, yet they dared speak them!

Yuwen Ze, standing beside Chen Yan, raised an eyebrow and let out a meaning‑laden soft click.

He lowered his eyes to look at the three on the ground, still stubbornly resisting, a playful smile at the corner of his mouth, and thought silently: "These three old things have come to this point yet are still so sharp‑tongued; that's actually rather impressive!"

"An ordinary person who fell to this state would have been scared out of their soul long ago; they wouldn't have the strength to argue here…"

Chen Yan listened to Du Duoyi and Pei Min's clamor, his face still unruffled, as if their words were merely the buzzing of flies, unable to stir any wind.

He even gave a slight nod, the smile deepening, and leisurely spoke, his voice low but carrying an undeniable pressure: "Very well, since you want evidence, let this Duke first recount how you killed those Imperial Academy officials…"

Then his gaze slowly swept over Yao Hongnian, Du Duoyi, and Pei Min, as if watching three clumsy clowns, and calmly began to narrate, his tone as flat as if telling an unimportant household matter: "When those Imperial Academy officials first arrived in Huazhou, you all kept your composure, offering fine wine and food, observing all rites, showing no flaw…"

"A few days later, news of the Qilin prodigy's ambush arrived, and you realized the opportunity had come, so you acted!"

"First, you, Inspector Yao, under the pretext of coordinating the Imperial Academy's expansion of civil affairs, summoned all Imperial Academy officials in Huazhou to this post station inn…"

"Calling it a banquet for hospitality, you had actually laced the wine with Dizzy Drug, catching them off guard!"

As soon as the words fell, Yuwen Ze stepped forward at the right moment and took up the thread.

He raised his hand and pointed to the charred broken walls before him; sunlight fell on the Brothel, making his eyes even colder, his voice clear and each word crisp: "After they drank the wine spiked with Dizzy Drug and all fell unconscious, you unhesitatingly set fire to the inn!"

"The raging flames devoured the entire inn and mercilessly took the lives of those twenty‑plus Great Zhou officials!"

"What's more chilling is that, to ensure the fire burned completely, you even withdrew the nearby officials who could have extinguished it in time…"

Yuwen Ze's words struck like a heavy hammer, smashing into Yao Hongnian's heart.

He gasped sharply, feeling a cold rush from his feet to his head, his back's clothing instantly soaked with cold sweat, clinging sticky to his body, an indescribable discomfort.

Yao Hongnian outwardly forced calm, clenching his teeth, refusing to show any flaw, yet deep in his eyes churned an ocean of disbelief, his heart roiled: "How could they know so clearly, as if they had lived through it?!"

Chen Yan took in Yao Hongnian's lapse, a knowing smile curling his lips, and leisurely continued: "When the inn was almost burnt out and the officials' corpses could no longer be identified, you would conveniently bring people in, pretending to douse the flames…"

"Then, you would neatly pin this earth‑shaking blood case on Gao Changjing, hoping to cover your sins!"

"What a brilliant use of a borrowed knife, what a perfect frame‑up—truly a masterful calculation!"

Du Duoyi trembled all over, cold sweat on his forehead rolling down like beads cut from a string, striking the scorching ground, instantly vaporizing, leaving dark stains.

He inhaled deeply, forced himself to stay calm, mustering all his strength to speak, his voice trembling: "Chen Zhuguo, Lord Duke, I must say, your storytelling is first‑rate!"

"But to speak empty words without solid evidence is merely fabrication, a false accusation against the loyal!"

Pei Min quickly echoed, stiffening his neck, feigning confidence, and shouted with conviction: "Exactly! Who doesn't know how to spin a story?"

"Great Zhou has laws; adjudication demands evidence!"

"Relying only on your two's rhetoric cannot convict us!"

Chen Yan looked at their pig‑like, unafraid of boiling water demeanor, not angry at all, but raised an eyebrow, his smile deepening.

He slowly raised his hand, waved toward the embroidered‑cloth emissary behind him, and ordered: "Come, bring the evidence up!"

Why does Chen take people in front of the public?

And still spout so much nonsense?

Because the procedure must be followed, and it must be done publicly!

The evidence must also be displayed before all eyes; that is the key to making an iron case and standing on the high ground of public opinion!

Before the words finished, several embroidered‑cloth emissaries bowed in agreement, then turned from behind, presenting a thick stack of documents.

Those documents were wrapped in yellow silk, stamped with the bright red Great Seal of the Mingjing Department, looking especially solemn.

The embroidered‑cloth emissaries carried the documents, hurried to the three before Yao Hongnian, spread them out one by one, revealing dense script and fresh red fingerprints.

Du Duoyi's gaze fixed on the documents; when he read their contents, his pupils suddenly contracted, his heart felt clenched by an invisible giant hand, nearly stopping.

His mind was already in chaos, a wave of desperate cold spreading from his spine to his whole body, yet he still refused to concede, forcing the last breath of resolve, he hoarse‑shouted: "Chen Zhuguo! You are praised as the modern beacon of justice—do you think a few torn pieces of paper can condemn us?"

"Who knows if this is a forgery you fabricated to frame us!"

Chen Yan heard this, his smile widening, looking at Du Duoyi's fierce yet trembling form, and with a light, teasing tone said: "This Duke also has witnesses!"

As the words fell, he lightly clapped his hands; the crisp applause rang loudly over the dead silence of the ruins, then he raised his voice: "Step out, let these three have a good look!"

At the moment the applause ended, among the Huazhou officials standing silent as cold cicadas, one person slowly stepped forward.

The man wore official robes, tall and upright, with a clean and upright face.

He passed through the crowd, walked straight to Yao Hongnian and the others, stopped, bowed his fist to Chen Yan and Yuwen Ze, then turned, his gaze icy as he looked at the three on the ground, and shouted loudly: "Inspector Yao, Chief Historian Du, Staff Officer Pei, the matter stands—confess!"

He paused, his voice growing even more resonant and powerful, carrying a righteous, solemn vigor: "It is I who reported you!"