Chapter 547: Rise of the Investigative Court

Divine Capital, Office of the Investigative Court, Office of the Court Official.

Zheng Zheng Yingquan heard Zhou Jun's decree and felt a chill run through him; he had followed Zhou Jun for many years.

No matter whether this superior's methods were righteous or sinister, or how infamous his reputation, no one could deny his exceptional talent and strategic acumen.

He had merely glanced at the blue-covered booklet briefly, yet immediately grasped its core issue.

He concluded that pursuing the originator of the blue-covered booklet among the common folk was futile.

Only by shifting focus to the Ministries of Personnel and Revenue could any real progress be made.

The private records of official careers recorded in the blue-covered booklet were unknown not only to ordinary townspeople, but even to many court officials.

Only offices like the Ministries of Personnel and Revenue, which regularly handled official career documents, possessed such convenient access.

Current officials, constrained by career concerns, rarely risked involvement in suspicious acts; retired officials, freed from such restraints, were more likely to be implicated.

Many retired officials had been forced into retirement—due to factional strife, mutual scheming, or dereliction of duty—such retirements entangled complex grievances and bred unpredictable disasters.

Zhou Jun sighed: "The spring imperial examination is the final ceremony of the court's selection of talent. A few days ago, when I entered the palace to pay my respects, His Majesty mentioned it repeatedly to me, revealing his desperate thirst for talent."

Whatever His Majesty concerns himself with becomes the Investigative Court's duty; we must pay close attention and treat it with utmost caution.

I hear the candidates arriving in the capital for this examination have been moving about frequently; since the blue-covered booklet appeared, they've gathered in cliques, visiting official residences, forming secret alliances, and causing constant commotion.

In any imperial examination, collusion between officials and students has occurred before; this current trend of visiting and networking may well be the beginning of disaster.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard's roughnecks only act after the damage is done, patching holes after the sheep are lost.

As His Majesty's eyes and hounds, the Investigative Court must act to prevent disasters before they arise.

Besides tracing who created the blue-covered booklet, we must also assign some personnel to monitor the candidates' movements, record which officials they've visited or contacted, and keep this information ready for future use.

These students, having read a few Confucian texts and passed the provincial examination, think themselves superior, act arrogantly, behave recklessly, gather in the streets—we must guard against them!"

…

Zheng Zheng Yingquan heard Zhou Jun's cold words and felt a faint chill; from Zhou Jun's tone, he sensed his deep estrangement and malice toward scholar-candidates.

Others might not know the reason, but as a subordinate who had followed Zhou Jun for years, Zheng Zheng Yingquan understood its roots well.

Zhou Jun was once a scholar himself, failed repeatedly in the examinations, abandoned his scholarly ambitions, and drifted among the common folk until he stumbled upon an opportunity and became a low-ranking clerk in Yongzhou Prefecture.

Later, he followed his superior, an Imperial Censor, to the capital and became an ordinary censor in the Censorate; by exposing his superior's corruption and negligence, he gradually caught His Majesty's attention.

When His Majesty first ascended the throne, the court was turbulent, hidden dangers multiplied, and to stabilize the situation, he invested great effort; it was said Zhou Jun played a major role in this.

Thus, despite Zhou Jun's poor personal reputation, his ruthless methods and strategic brilliance earned His Majesty's favor—yet he made too many enemies and was impeached repeatedly.

Eventually, even His Majesty could no longer protect him and exiled him to Dezhou as a sixth-rank Assistant Military Commander.

In the tenth year of Emperor Jia Zhao, His Majesty revived the Investigative Court and recalled Zhou Jun from Dezhou to Divine Capital, appointing him as fifth-rank Court Official.

In these four or five years, Zhou Jun has repeatedly served His Majesty with merit, but as he is not a graduate of the top three ranks of the imperial examination, his civil appointment has reached its limit at fifth rank.

Yet His Majesty, eager to gain a powerful tool to control the court, placed great importance on reviving the Investigative Court; since Zhou Jun took charge, less than a year passed before the court regained its former ferocity and authority.

Merely for this, His Majesty highly praised him and, breaking precedent, granted him the honorary title of "equivalent to a Rank Jinshi," promoting him to fourth-rank junior.

But this move stirred uproar in court; many civil and military officials submitted memorials opposing it.

They argued it violated the dynasty's ancestral system of selecting talent through examination, trampled the integrity of the imperial examination, and could not be justified to the scholars of the realm.

All civil officials who held positions in court were fifth rank or higher; nearly all had risen to fifth rank or above precisely because they were graduates of the top three ranks.

A civil official who was not even a Rank Jinshi had been promoted to fourth-rank junior through favoritism.

This was not merely a disruption of official norms, but a careless disregard for the very foundation and honor upon which orthodox civil officials relied.

Of course, the officials' protests had another crucial reason.

They did not wish to see a harsh official like Zhou Jun continually favored by His Majesty and rising ever higher.

This would pose an immeasurable threat and danger to all court officials; they feared Zhou Jun's promotion would swell the Investigative Court's power.

No one could guarantee that one day, their own secrets might fall into the Investigative Court's hands…

But this time, Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao made a firm, unilateral decision, overriding all opposition and settling the matter.

For the emperor to control court affairs and restrain officials, he needed men like Zhou Jun—even if his methods were brutal and his reputation poor.

Since Zhou Jun's promotion to fourth-rank junior Court Official, he has become even more of an outsider among court officials, more bitterly opposed to those who entered office through the imperial examination.

Perhaps this was precisely what Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao desired.

The Investigative Court does not need virtuous ministers with noble reputations; it needs sharp blades, loyal only to the sovereign.

…

Thus, Zhou Jun's disdain and hostility toward these examination candidates stemmed from his own personal grievance—Zheng Zheng Yingquan understood the reason well.

Moreover, Zhou Jun's promotion to fourth-rank junior was likely his ceiling; even if His Majesty favored him, such favors could not be repeated—further promotion would be difficult.

So Zheng Zheng Yingquan could not help but sigh, for he himself was a Rank Jinshi of the top three ranks.

The highest-ranking official in the office is only fourth-rank junior; as a sixth-rank Director, if I remain in the Investigative Court, my career prospects are severely limited…

…

Zhou Jun asked: "Besides the blue-covered booklet, have there been any other unusual incidents among the candidates recently?"

Zheng Zheng Yingquan replied: "Apart from many candidates visiting officials listed in the booklet, no other misconduct has occurred.

But for several days, many candidates have been submitting petitions to pay respects at the residence of the Marquis of Lord Weiyuan, Jia Cong; every day, people gather outside the marquis's gate, waiting for him to receive their petitions.

Yet Jia Cong, citing mourning for his parents and preparing for the examination, has refused all visitors—but the number of petitioners continues to grow, making it a notable event in Divine Capital."

Zhou Jun frowned: "Jia Cong is not a chief examiner or assistant examiner for the spring examination; he is a military nobleman, at best merely a candidate himself—why would candidates flock to pay him homage?"

Zheng Zheng Yingquan replied: "Though Jia Cong comes from a military noble family, he was also the top scorer in the Yongzhou provincial examination; his essay on statecraft shook the empire.

The four principles of self-cultivation in that essay are regarded by scholars nationwide as unshakable truths; though a military noble, he enjoys high prestige among the literati and is seen by students as one of their own.

Moreover, recently, Grand Secretary of Rites Gu Guo Youchang and Vice Minister of the Temple of Ancestors Zheng Yan were both removed from this year's chief examiner list due to Jia Cong's influence, and the gossip has spread widely.

In my view, these candidates are drawn to Jia Cong both by admiration for his literary fame and by curiosity about him—so their visits are not unusual."

…

Zhou Jun's eyes gleamed: "Jia Cong cannot be taken lightly—he is a man who stirs up storms wherever he goes. Assign several capable men to set up covert watchers around the marquis's residence."

Zheng Zheng Yingquan's face revealed nothing, but inwardly he found the order questionable.

The Investigative Court's manpower was already stretched thin; in his view, though Jia Cong was famous, he had no clear connection to the court's current concerns—devoting resources to him seemed wasteful.

Yet he suddenly realized: his superior had never liked Jia Cong.

When Jia Cong topped the Yongzhou provincial examination, Zhou Jun's son Zhou Zhou Zian, resentful, publicly slandered Jia Cong at the examination results announcement, inciting students to denounce him.

This insulted the reputations of Gu Guo Youchang and Zheng Yan, and since Zhou Jun was already despised in court, the Censorate naturally seized the chance to strike.

They submitted a memorial accusing the students Zhou Zhou Zian and Shi Shi Yongxin of corrupting the imperial examination, harboring treacherous intent, demanding their degrees be revoked as a warning to purify scholarly morals.

Other court officials who disliked Zhou Jun also piled on; the emperor could not defy the overwhelming outcry. Thus, Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao issued an edict revoking Zhou Zhou Zian and Shi Shi Yongxin's student status and banning them from the examinations for three years.

Meaning that when their peers became Rank Jinshi, they would have to restart from the very beginning as scholar-candidates—delaying their path to office by many years.

Zhou Jun himself had suffered the humiliation of failing the examinations; he had hoped his son, who was talented, would redeem his own regrets—but instead, he suffered this outcome.

This debt, ultimately, he blamed squarely on Jia Cong—so Zheng Zheng Yingquan knew Zhou Jun had long held a grudge against him.

…

Zhou Jun glanced at Zheng Zheng Yingquan, his gaze sharp, as if piercing his thoughts.

He said: "Jia Cong cannot be taken lightly. I have always distrusted him. Do you remember our first encounter with him?"

Zheng Zheng Yingquan thought a moment: "I remember clearly—it was in the tenth year of Emperor Jia Zhao. He was only ten years old when Prince Prince Kangshun invited him to the Nanxi Literary Gathering.

He composed a poem on plum blossoms there and first rose to prominence, steadily building his reputation."

Zhou Jun's gaze turned icy: "It was also at that gathering that Wu Wu Jinrong, who had helped me achieve success, was murdered before everyone's eyes by hidden assassins.

The killer slipped out of Prince Prince Kangshun's Shuyun Villa, evaded our elite trackers, seized Jia Cong's carriage, and took him hostage to escape."

At the time, we all assumed that with the hidden assassins' ruthlessness, Jia Cong would surely be killed—murdered to silence him.

Yet three days later, he returned unharmed to Lady Rongguo Mansion.

He claimed his captors, wounded and struck by fever, lost consciousness; he seized the chance and escaped.

A ten-year-old child surviving such a ordeal by sheer luck—now that I think of it, it remains inexplicable."

Zheng Zheng Yingquan said: "I clearly recall that at the time, you sent me to Lady Rongguo Mansion to interrogate Jia Cong face-to-face about the assassins' whereabouts—but his answers were smooth, without a single flaw."

Zhou Jun smiled coldly: "A ten-year-old child, having faced death, remained calm as ever, answering you—a seasoned official—without a single inconsistency.

That is the greatest inconsistency!"

…

Zheng Zheng Yingquan felt a chill; though years had passed since his interrogation of Jia Cong at Lady Rongguo Mansion, he had nearly forgotten it—until now.

Yet he had to admit: Zhou Jun's insight was sharp. His words held truth—Jia Cong's precocity as a youth was indeed extraordinary.

Zhou Jun sighed: "That incident is now dead-ended; even my two trusted elite trackers I recruited in Dezhou vanished mysteriously while hunting the assassins, and have never been heard from since.

Jia Cong is a scion of Lady Rongguo Mansion, his status unique; moreover, he was only ten years old then, beyond the reach of civil or criminal law—we could not investigate deeply.

Only a few years have passed, yet he has risen to this height; now his status is even more exalted, making him untouchable—those events will likely remain forever unsolved.

But look at his rise these past years—it's astonishing. The anomalies surrounding him are too numerous.

His ascent began precisely after the Nanxi Literary Gathering—could all this be mere coincidence?

With the spring examination approaching, this strange booklet has suddenly appeared, and Jia Cong has coincidentally become the darling of the candidates—I cannot confirm whether they are connected.

But as His Majesty's eyes and hounds, facing such strange developments before the examination, more vigilance, more eyes watching, can never hurt."

Zheng Zheng Yingquan pondered inwardly: he could not deny that Zhou Jun's words carried the wisdom of experience—but whether they were tainted by personal grudge, who could say?

…

Zhou Jun continued: "Zheng Yingquan, you've followed me for years—you know well that the Investigative Court is feared by all officials; its power derives solely from His Majesty's favor.

Should we lose His Majesty's trust, the officials will circle like vultures—you and I will die without burial."

Zheng Zheng Yingquan felt a cold dread at these words…

Zhou Zhou Junxian added, "Only by alleviating the Emperor's worries and serving the state with loyalty can one maintain imperial favor and never falter in one's official career!"

Over these past years, His Majesty has vigorously promoted firearms technology, establishing the Divine Engine Battalion within the Five Armies Camp to disseminate firearm use, cleanse military authority, reassign commanders, and bring the more than one hundred thousand elite troops of the Five Armies Camp entirely under his control.

Now, His Majesty has reversed the weakness in military control that had persisted for over a decade since his ascension, during which he remained under the shadow of the Retired Emperor.

But precisely at this time, the Jiangnan Garrison has been plagued by a string of major scandals; high-ranking officers such as Zou Zou Huaiyi, Zhou Zhou Zhengyang, Luo Xiong, and Du Du Hengxin have all been implicated and executed.

The Jiangnan Garrison has decayed so thoroughly, with corruption and lawlessness rampant, that His Majesty has grown wary; moreover, the Jin Ling case has entangled Zhang Kangnian, a relative by marriage of Prince Zhao, deepening His Majesty's outrage…

His Majesty has ordered the Court of Inquiry to secretly investigate illegal acts by officials tied to Prince Zhao, and to suppress Prince Zhao's military influence along the northwestern Tibetan frontier—to intimidate his reckless ambitions. A few days ago, when I entered the palace to pay homage, His Majesty mentioned several times the need to reform and purge corruption within the military. I've heard whispers that His Majesty intends to establish a new military inspection authority between the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Court of Inquiry."

Zheng Zheng Yingquan's heart leapt at these words, and from Zhou Zhou Junxian's gaze he saw a flicker of burning ambition.

Although the Great Zhou Embroidered Uniform Guard bears the title "Guard," it has no authority to independently investigate military affairs without an imperial edict; it may only assist in arrests under the supervision of the Ministry of War and the Five Military Commissions.

The Court of Inquiry holds only civil inspection authority; likewise, without an imperial decree, it is strictly forbidden from involving itself in military matters.

Whoever gains the authority to inspect the military—whether the Embroidered Uniform Guard or the Court of Inquiry—will be able to control and influence military power. What immense authority that would be!

Zhou Zhou Junxian said gravely, "The Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Xu Kun, has recently uncovered a major case involving the illicit trade of salt and iron in Datong, and also successfully investigated Sun Sun Zhanying's treason. His achievements have earned great praise from His Majesty."

Once the military inspection authority falls to the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Court of Inquiry's power will wane in comparison, and it will gradually lose imperial favor."

An official career is fraught with hardship; if you do not advance, you fall back. When that time comes, where will our lives and futures be?"

Zhou Zhou Junxian gazed at the blue-covered small notebook and said coldly, "Therefore, within our jurisdiction, any suspicion must not be lightly overlooked—we must pursue every lead to the end, to demonstrate the Court of Inquiry's merit!"

…

Bo Jue Mansion, Jia Cong's Courtyard.

Xue Xue Yima, due to Xue Pan's misdeeds, fell ill and took to her bed; Seeing Yingchun, Lin Daiyu, and the other sisters, bound by their affection for Xue Baochai, had come together that day to visit Lixiang Courtyard.

Before departing, Lin Daiyu sent Hearing Zi Juan to Jia Cong's courtyard to invite him along, as proper etiquette required.

As Hearing Zi Juan stepped into the courtyard, she glimpsed through the study window that Jia Cong was writing furiously, his expression and demeanor utterly focused.

Lin Daiyu, who regularly followed Jia Cong's scholarly progress, often spoke to Hearing Zi Juan of Jia Cong's studies, so Hearing Zi Juan roughly knew that Jia Cong wrote current-style essays daily.

As for what exactly a "current-style essay" was, Hearing Zi Juan did not fully understand—only that it was vitally important to Cong Sanye's success in the imperial examinations.

Seeing Jia Cong in such a state, and knowing how deeply the Young Lady cared about his examination prospects, she dared not disturb him. After leaving a message with Qingwen, she departed.

Upon hearing Hearing Zi Juan's report, Lin Daiyu approved her discretion. Lin Daiyu herself was well-versed in literature and knew that composition required uninterrupted flow; Jia Cong was writing feverishly, and must not be interrupted.

Visiting Xue Xue Yima could wait; thus, she and the other sisters proceeded first to pay their respects.

…

When Jia Cong finished his current-style essay, a light rain had begun to fall outside. It was nearing the third month; though spring chill still lingered, the air had grown milder, and rain had become frequent.

Jia Cong stepped out of his room and walked along the corridor to breathe the cool, moist air, feeling his chest grow light and refreshed.

Qingwen came to inform him that Hearing Zi Juan had visited. Jia Cong guessed that when Hearing Zi Juan arrived, he had barely begun this essay; now that he had completed a lengthy piece, much time had passed.

He calculated that Seeing Yingchun, Lin Daiyu, and the others had likely already visited Xue Xue Yima and returned, or had gone nearby to Jia Mu's Rongqing Hall to pay their respects and rest.

He gazed at the fine, silken curtain of rain in the courtyard, recalling that day, also in the rain, when he and Xue Baochai had spoken together—rarely, and with warmth and mutual understanding, full of quiet charm.

He had spoken without restraint, even been somewhat forward toward a young lady; after Xue Baochai left that day, he had not returned, due to Xue Xue Yima's illness.

Now that he knew the truth, to neglect visiting Xue Xue Yima would not only be a breach of propriety, but would also cause Xue Baochai to lose face.

So he changed his clothes, took an umbrella, and, accompanied by Qingwen, braved the wind and rain to visit Lixiang Courtyard. (End of Chapter)