Chapter 287: Hidden So Deep

"Minister Chen is truly hardworking; even at home, you are still concerned about the hardships of the people. It really puts others to shame!"

The suddenly arriving voice made Chen Wenyue's hand tremble, and the official document he was holding nearly fell to the floor.

He clearly hadn't heard the sound of the room door opening, so how could someone suddenly appear before him? Could it be those experts from the rivers and lakes?

However, facing the suddenly appearing Shen Yu, after a brief moment of panic, Chen Wenyue immediately straightened his posture. Although his head remained lowered, one could seemingly feel the fearless aura emanating from him.

"May I ask who you are, and why you have trespassed into Chen's study?"

Compared to the extravagant and licentious Changguan Marquis, the home of Minister of Rites Chen Wenyue appeared much more modest—though, of course, this modesty was only relative.

Furthermore, it is worth mentioning that Chen Wenyue had a very good reputation; he was a clean official known far and wide for his brilliant literary talent, and he seemed to have no stains upon him.

In his daily work, he always appeared to be acting for the sake of the country and the people. Whether within the imperial court or outside in the rivers and lakes, he held no small amount of prestige.

Yet who would have known that such a person was actually a vanguard for slandering others, stopping at nothing to climb the social ladder.

On the surface, he was a man of integrity, but in reality, he was a treacherous villain who would stab people in the back and never hesitated to grovel before powerful superiors.

Back then, he was a deputy to Yan Ruyi, and by reporting Yan Ruyi, he successfully latched onto those corrupt officials, thereby climbing to his current position step by step.

It is no exaggeration to say that this fellow climbed up step by step by treading on the corpses of the Yan Family.

Although he was not greedy himself, he spared no effort in whitewashing those corrupt officials, subtly speaking on their behalf from various angles to curry their favor.

Otherwise, how could someone from such a small family background have attained the position of Minister of Rites?

Therefore, among the corrupt officials, his role was significant, yet he managed to keep himself out of trouble. Among the clean officials, he neither took bribes nor embezzled, appearing to be full of righteousness.

When it comes to playing both sides, I fear no one could surpass him.

"I have come this time to kill you!"

"Kill me?" If an ordinary person had heard such words, they would have been dumbfounded, but Chen Wenyue showed not the slightest sign of panic.

For Chen Wenyue, who aspired to be a man of iron-willed integrity, remaining fearless in the face of danger was the bare minimum.

"May I ask who you are, and why you wish to take this official's life? Over these years, I have always felt my conduct and character to be beyond reproach. I do not know where I have offended you?"

As he spoke, Chen Wenyue prepared to raise his head, wanting to meet Shen Yu's gaze.

For so many years, Chen Wenyue had constantly hypnotized himself, telling himself that he was a clean official, a good official who took the honorable Chen Xing as his role model.

Gradually, he even came to believe this himself; deep in his heart, he firmly accepted that he was an absolutely clean and incorruptible person.

Therefore, his eyes revealed only a clear conscience, revealing only calmness and fearlessness.

However, when he saw the person who had appeared before him, his entire being froze.

"Shen Yu, Minister Shen?" As the Minister of Rites, he had naturally met Shen Yu before, and he had never imagined that the one who wanted to kill him would be Shen Yu.

He had heard that he only targeted corrupt officials; how could he have set his sights on him?

"Minister Shen, is there some misunderstanding? Could it be that someone has slandered me in front of you?"

Upon seeing Shen Yu, Chen Wenyue hurriedly stood up. "This official has always acted with a clear conscience!"

"A clear conscience? Is whitewashing corrupt officials also considered a clear conscience? And what about the Yan Family affair from over thirty years ago? Do you also feel you have a clear conscience about that?"

Looking at the other's eyes, they were clear and bright, without the slightest hint of turbidity. Yet when Shen Yu mentioned the Yan Family affair from thirty years ago, he still trembled.

The old events of thirty years ago were a stain he could not erase, and also something he desperately wanted to forget. Now that they were mentioned by Shen Yu, the past seemed to be right before his eyes again.

He seemed to see the members of the Yan Family dying tragically before him, and heard the unwilling roar of the old master of the Yan Family before his death.

He actually knew very well what kind of family the Yan Family was—generations of famous ministers, every one of them possessing iron-willed integrity.

Yet he had to personally push such a family into the abyss. But he had no choice; back then, he was just a small character, what could he do?

If he hadn't framed Yan Ruyi, it would have just added one more soul to the list of the wronged. The power of those people was too great, so great that even without him, they could have easily crushed the Yan Family.

He still had his ambitions; he had to preserve his useful life, he still had to display the aspirations in his heart, so he could not die—he had to live.

If he lived, he could seek welfare for more of the common people and uphold justice for more people. Only by living could he make more contributions and become renowned throughout the world like the honorable Chen Xing.

Therefore, he could only do that. In fact, even now, he did not believe he had done anything wrong. Since the Yan Family was destined to perish, why should he have sacrificed himself? He could clearly have helped more people.

Over these years, he had worked diligently, not knowing how many people he had helped or how many commoners he had saved. Therefore, he had a clear conscience; he even sometimes felt smug about what happened back then.

Sometimes he would even think that perhaps if the members of the Yan Family knew of his choice, they would have chosen to forgive him.

But when Shen Yu brought up the old affair, his heart still couldn't help but tremble, though he quickly suppressed it.

"Minister Shen, I have a clear conscience regarding the events of thirty years ago. Yan Ruyi was a corrupt official; you are free to investigate that, Minister!"

"Yan Ruyi was indeed a corrupt official, but you were one of the primary culprits who caused him to become one."

"The intelligence gathered by the Black-Clad Guard is crystal clear: it was you who reported Yan Ruyi back then, and it was you who provided the evidence!"

As he spoke, Shen Yu pulled out a piece of intelligence and placed it before Chen Wenyue, just looking at him coldly.

"And it was precisely because of your report that those corrupt officials exerted their power together, taking Yan Ruyi down without even a trial, and even uprooting the entire Yan Family along with him!"

"Now that the primary culprit, Changguan Marquis Mou Qing, is dead, I ask Minister Chen to also be on your way!"

"I refuse to accept this!" When he saw the intelligence from the Black-Clad Guard, he knew there was nothing left to hide.

"On what grounds? On what grounds do you uphold justice for a corrupt official, and on what grounds can you decide the Life and Death of others with a single word!"

"There are no such things as 'why'; just because I am Shen Yu, that is enough!"

"People like you will never understand the mettle of the Yan Family. Many years ago, they were already prepared to sacrifice their entire family to win a glimmer of hope for the world."

"Yet, they did not fall before those old monsters, but instead fell at the hands of a group of corrupt officials. Their burning passion was actually washed away just like that!"

"It is no wonder Yan Ruyi became like this; anyone might have ended up the same. The Yan Family was constantly thinking of dying for the sake of the world, yet they fell at the hands of the very people they wanted to protect. After extreme disappointment, I suppose Yan Ruyi became this self-abandoned shell!"

As he spoke, Shen Yu shook his head. He didn't even know why he was saying so much nonsense to such a person. Perhaps it was the Yan Family affair that made him feel a bit indignant as well.

"Forget it, even if I told you, you wouldn't understand. Someone like you, who only knows how to live in ignominy and only knows how to find various excuses to deceive yourself, will never understand!"

"To be honest, you are even more disgusting than Mou Qing. He was a true villain, while you are a hypocrite; you two are birds of a feather!"

"I have a clear conscience, I am not guilty!"

"Stubborn and unrepentant!" Giving the other a deep look, Shen Yu then turned and left. Chen Wenyue, who remained in place, instantly lost all signs of life.

In the end, he didn't even know how he had died before his consciousness blurred and vanished.

"It's time for the next one; these people are truly more disgusting than the last..."