Chapter 178: Requesting an Imperial Edict

Chen Guanlou instructed Seeing Xiao Jin and Chen Quan to go to the Yu Prefecture to send off the guests.

"Be sure to deliver it personally into the hands of the Yu Prefecture's head steward, and tell them that Lord Yu is in imminent danger, so they must quickly think of a way."

Chen Quan agreed readily.

Seeing Xiao Jin was a bit hesitant. "Does Chen Tou really want to help Yu Zhaoan?"

"Just help him this one time. No matter what, the civil officials are always the greatest in the court, and the Jixia Academy cannot be offended. We don't have heads as hard as Lord Jiang Tu, understand?"

"Understood!" Seeing Xiao Jin was also very decisive; he took the letter and left the yamen with Chen Quan, rushing to the Yu Prefecture to deliver the letter.

Lu Datou slipped away and also ran to the side room, imitating Chen Guanlou's manner to peer at the office. "Can you hear?"

"Of course I can't."

"Are you just staying here to watch the fun?"

"I am preparing in case Warden Lord has any needs, so I can share his worries at any time," Chen Guanlou said righteously.

Lu Datou gave a thumbs up. "You're awesome! No wonder you're behind, yet you can run ahead of everyone. If your father had your quick-wittedness back then, he wouldn't have been sitting on the cold bench all the time."

"Don't mention my father. You are openly slipping away; does Xu Fugui not care about you?"

"Xu Fugui is busy with people starving to death; he has no time to care about me. Tell me, will the higher-ups distribute food? Don't let it end up with people starving to death while the food is nowhere to be seen."

"Rest assured, there will definitely be a result."

"So certain?" Lu Datou didn't quite believe it.

Chen Guanlou pursed his lips, signaling the other party to look at the office opposite. "That place is not only two yamen having a lawsuit, but also a great opportunity for the Heavenly Prison to show its presence. If grasped properly, food can be distributed within three to five days."

"Is it really that magical?"

Lu Datou didn't leave; he followed Chen Guanlou to drink tea, imagining the excitement he couldn't see.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard insisted on taking the person, and Sun Daoning wouldn't give an inch.

Even if the Embroidered Uniform Guard showed the documents, Sun Daoning just said, "Not according to the rules," and rejected it!

Xiao Jincheng laughed in anger. "Lord Sun should understand that the people we, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, want to take, we will definitely get our hands on, and no one can stop us. Even if Prince Jin were here, I would say the same. The Embroidered Uniform Guard is the hunting dog of the Son of Heaven, and no one is allowed to stop the Embroidered Uniform Guard from handling cases."

"Which case are you handling, whose case, why don't I know? As Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, I am fully qualified to inquire about the case. Yu Zhaoan's case has long been cleared in the Ministry of Justice and has long had a conclusion, just waiting for the Emperor's amnesty. You, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, are causing trouble for no reason and forcibly taking people, clearly not putting our Ministry of Justice in your eyes. Others may fear your Embroidered Uniform Guard, but the Ministry of Justice does not, and the Censorate and the Court of Judicial Review will fear you even less!"

Sun Daoning slapped the table and retorted angrily.

Xiao Jincheng slowly put down the teacup in his hand and said coldly, "Even Lord Sun is not qualified to inquire about the Embroidered Uniform Guard's cases. Recently, during the Embroidered Uniform Guard's investigation, we discovered some matters related to Yu Zhaoan and need to invite him to the Embroidered Uniform Guard for questioning; that's not too much, is it?"

"What can't be asked in front of me? You can bring the person here now; you ask, and I will watch, and I definitely won't say a word more, how about that?"

"Lord Sun insists on this?"

"It's not that I am deliberately making things difficult, but that you, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, have overstepped your boundaries. Unless you can bring His Majesty's edict, the Heavenly Prison will never release the prisoner."

Sun Daoning's attitude was firm, clearly intending to take the matter to the Taiji Palace and alarm the old Emperor. He was certain that Jiang Tu's targeting of Yu Zhaoan must be a private act and definitely had not been agreed upon by the old Emperor.

Yu Zhaoan was a very annoying person, with a poisonous mouth and extremely unpleasant speech. But to say he committed a crime serious enough to be sent to the Imperial Prison was absolutely nonsense.

Yu Zhaoan came from a prominent family and was not short of money, so there was no issue of corruption, at least not on his part. As for the selling of offices and titles, Yu Zhaoan was a man with a bottom line and disdained to do such things.

If there were Yu family members acting recklessly under his banner, that would be another case.

His Majesty didn't say he wanted to investigate Yu Zhaoan, didn't say he wanted to investigate the Yu family, so why should the Embroidered Uniform Guard take the person? Just because of a word from Jiang Tu, just because Jiang Tu was delusional about retaliation?

As Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, if he let the Embroidered Uniform Guard succeed easily today, once he walked out of this door, his reputation would be completely ruined, and he would become an object of attack by the literati and an object of crusade by all the officials.

Even if he gambled with his official uniform, he had to argue based on reason today; this was the integrity of a civil official, the model of the literati, and what a descendant of a famous family should do.

Fame during life and after death!

After years of hard study, what was it for? It was for fame during life and after death! Reputation was something invisible and intangible, yet it existed in reality. It seemed to have no use on ordinary days, but once reputation was lost, one would find oneself abandoned by the whole world and the whole society, and life would be difficult at every step.

Reputation needed to be accumulated bit by bit, but ruining it sometimes only took one sentence or one action.

Sun Daoning would never allow the Embroidered Uniform Guard to step on his reputation to take Yu Zhaoan away.

His battle with the Embroidered Uniform Guard would therefore spread throughout the entire officialdom and the entire literati. What he would gain would be far more than what he would lose.

Xiao Jincheng clearly saw through Sun Daoning's intention. He sneered, disdaining to be fierce with the other party, which would be to the other party's advantage. If it were an ordinary person, the Embroidered Uniform Guard would have long ago used force to take the person away.

However, Sun Daoning...

After all, he was the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, holding the third rank, a high official in the court. He still had to be given some face.

He cupped his hands and smiled. "Lord Sun, don't be anxious; I will go into the palace to request an edict now. By then, I want to see who else dares to stop me!"

Sun Daoning's eyes narrowed slightly. "Lord Xiao insists on this?"

Xiao Jincheng's expression was half-smiling. "Instead of accusing me, Lord Sun, you should think carefully about how to resolve the current situation. These days, His Majesty is very unhappy!"

Sun Daoning's expression was extremely serious, his face even livid, but he didn't say a word.

Jiang Jiang Yucheng Fan watched with a racing heart and weak legs, understanding only half of what was said. They were speaking in riddles again, saying things he didn't understand; it was a headache! He didn't even know where to start if he wanted to interject; it was so awkward. He just wanted to be a small, transparent person and disappear quickly.

A moment later, Sun Daoning snorted coldly. "Fine, I will respectfully wait for the Imperial Edict. As long as you can bring the edict, you can take Yu Zhaoan away."

Xiao Jincheng revealed a certain smile that everything was under control. "I will take my leave first. Lord Sun might as well move around and see whether your actions are faster, or mine are faster."

After saying this, he took a group of Embroidered Uniform Guards and left the Heavenly Prison. Sure enough, they headed toward the Imperial Palace.

Jiang Jiang Yucheng Fan finally found his soul and voice. "Lord Sun, what should we do next? What if the Embroidered Uniform Guard really brings the edict? Should we still stop them then?"

Sun Daoning suddenly stood up. "I have matters to attend to and must go into the palace. You watch the Heavenly Prison well; before I return, even if the Embroidered Uniform Guard brings the edict, they are not allowed to take Yu Zhaoan away."

"This, this, this..." Jiang Jiang Yucheng Fan was in a difficult situation! How could the Heavenly Prison have the ability to stop the Embroidered Uniform Guard holding an Imperial Edict! ===== CHAPTER 179 =====