Chapter 113: Transferred to the Ministry of Justice

Zhao Han walked to the side door, watching Shen Yan playing tai chi with **xing and Guan Yingzhen. He mused for a moment, then stepped out.

"My lord." He raised his hand toward Shen Yan.

Shen Yan heard him, turned his head sharply, and signaled urgently with his eyes.

Guan Yingzhen pulled Shen Yan aside and stared straight at Zhao Han. "Well? Any progress?"

**xing raised his head, his gaze calm yet carrying authority as he looked at Zhao Han.

Zhao Han gave Shen Yan a reassuring look, then raised his hand to Guan Yingzhen and **xing: "My lords, there has been a new development in the case. The Shuntian Prefecture will immediately seal the case files and transfer them to the Ministry of Justice for trial."

Guan Yingzhen's face changed. He glanced at **xing and said angrily, "Was it the Donglin traitors who plotted this, deliberately killing my son?"

**xing also stood up at this moment, his calm gaze tinged with severity.

Zhao Han hesitated slightly, then said: "What this official can say is that this case has other hidden circumstances. Although it was indeed the two young masters who administered the poison, the poison ingredients are identical, obtained from the same person. That person has now surrendered himself. This official conducted a hasty interrogation, and because the case is of grave importance, exceeding the authority of the Shuntian Prefecture, I had no choice but to seal the files and transfer them to the Ministry of Justice."

Shen Yan listened from the side, his eyes wide, nodding secretly at Zhao Han.

He could afford to offend neither the Court of Imperial Sacrifices nor the Ministry of Personnel; the best possible outcome was to push this case out.

Guan Yingzhen listened to Zhao Han's words, his face growing more ferocious. "Who exactly is implicated? Is one **xing not enough?"

Zhao Han's position was after all still somewhat low; facing these two, he inevitably felt some trepidation. Shen Yan quickly caught on and walked over, speaking in official tones: "Lord Guan, the Shuntian Prefecture acts according to the law. If you two lords need to learn more, you may go to the Ministry of Justice. This humble office has no authority to answer on their behalf."

Hearing Shen Yan's unceremonious words of dismissal, Guan Yingzhen flew into a rage. "You—!"

**xing, however, furrowed his brow. Long seasoned in officialdom, he sensed that things were growing more complicated. The net was tightening, and soon the true direction of its fangs would be revealed.

Thinking of Wang Ji, the Minister of Justice, he mused briefly, then turned and walked straight out.

Seeing **xing leave, Guan Yingzhen snorted coldly. "Hmph! This official will go to the Ministry of Justice right now. If you are deliberately stalling for time, then wait for my memorial of impeachment!"

Shen Yan's expression was indifferent; he didn't even see them off. He was the Prefect of Shuntian, seated among the court ranks. Though he didn't wish to offend anyone, if someone truly bullied him to his face, he was not without the means to fight back.

Zhao Han walked over and said at his side: "My lord, this case implicates many. It would be best if we did not get too involved."

Shen Yan still didn't know the specifics. Hearing this, he frowned and said: "What exactly is going on?"

Zhao Han hesitated a moment, then said: "My lord, this case involves the Shen family of Huai'an Prefecture — the Shen family that is related by marriage to Li Sancai."

Shen Yan understood immediately. The Shen family and Li Sancai, Li Sancai and **xing, **xing and the Donglin Faction — in the end, this case pointed straight at the Donglin Faction.

"Good. Then we won't touch this case. Send the files to the Ministry of Justice immediately. This case has nothing whatsoever to do with us." Shen Yan said.

Zhao Han, thinking of Zhu Xu's instruction that Shen Aonan should live, glanced at Shen Yan's profile and mused: "My lord, this case is not simple. In the end, it will likely go to a joint trial by the Three Judicial Offices. When that time comes, we still won't be able to avoid it. Rather than that, why not hold back a portion of the evidence and the prisoners? Then we'll have leverage to fend off the Ministry of Justice, the Censorate, and the Court of Judicial Review."

Shen Yan turned to look at Zhao Han. He sensed something unusual in Zhao Han's series of eager actions regarding this matter, and his heart grew thoughtful. "Very well. This official will be going to the outer counties shortly. All affairs of the yamen will be your responsibility."

Zhao Han could clearly hear that Shen Yan was shifting all responsibility onto him. But he was unafraid now, and nodded: "Yes, my lord."

Shen Yan was even more surprised. He gave Zhao Han a deep look, then turned and walked back through the side door to the rear courtyard.

Now holding full authority, Zhao Han was secretly delighted. He believed he had grasped His Highness Prince Hui's entire plan, and was already calculating how to add glory to His Highness's achievements.

**xing arrived at the Ministry of Justice by sedan chair, passing through unimpeded, going straight to the rear courtyard to see Wang Ji. Guan Yingzhen, however, was stopped in the main hall.

"What, this official is not worthy of seeing him, Wang Weili?!" Guan Yingzhen's face was iron-gray as he roared at the Bureau Secretary of the Ministry of Justice receiving him.

Wang Ji, courtesy name Weili.

The Bureau Secretary was a skinny fellow. He smiled ingratiatingly: "Lord Guan, if there's anything, just tell this humble official, and I will relay it on your behalf. Our lord is currently busy with..."

"Busy with what!" Guan Yingzhen's voice was like thunder, shaking the entire main hall of the Ministry of Justice: "That **xing can go in, but this official cannot! Since when does your Ministry of Justice admit people by rank!"

The Bureau Secretary could only smile and cope. This Junior Chamberlain of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices was the leader of the Chu faction; even **xing found him a headache, so they certainly couldn't afford to offend him. Guan Yingzhen couldn't truly barge in either, so he could only stew there in frustration.

**xing and Wang Ji sat facing each other in a side chamber. After hearing **xing's account, Wang Ji's brows were tightly knit as well.

Wang Ji had a gaunt face, appearing just past fifty. After pondering for some time, he said: "From what the Shuntian Prefecture said, this matter most likely has other hidden circumstances. I can only know the details once they send the files over."

**xing nodded, speaking with a grave expression to this Donglin junior: "Originally I was worried they were targeting Brother Sancai. After my maneuvering, the matter should have died down. But judging from today's events, they have prepared a follow-up move. They will not easily let this go."

Wang Ji's heart stirred at **xing's words, and he quickly said: "Speaking of which, earlier the Shuntian Prefecture sent over a document accusing the Ministry of Justice of overstepping its authority in handling that mysterious workshop east of the city, demanding we withdraw our men immediately. Additionally, the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works have also expressed some dissatisfaction. At the latest, I must have our people withdrawn by tonight, or this will escalate to a full court debate."

**xing's resolute face immediately filled with fury. He slammed the table and said coldly: "These benighted officials, scheming and scrambling day in and day out, with not a single thought for the nation — only adding obstacles and creating difficulties for us. Detestable!"

Wang Ji fell silent. Back then, Gu Xiancheng had lectured at Donglin precisely because he could not stand the factional strife of the Wanli reign. He never imagined they would now be mired in it themselves, unable to extricate themselves.

Before long, the Shuntian Prefecture's runners delivered the sealed case files to the Ministry of Justice, and they quickly reached Wang Ji's desk.

**xing and Wang Ji flipped through the case files, their faces growing heavier with each page, their eyes filled with rage.

Their anger was not directed at the deaths, or at Shen Aonan's tragedy, but at the target behind this case!

Everything pointed to grain transport by water, pointed to Li Sancai who had just died — and the ultimate target was still **xing and the Donglin Faction!

"Struggling for power and profit, ruining the state and harming the people — these people deserve death!" **xing's withered fingers pounded the table as if it might fall apart.