Chapter 750: Heavenly Change

The Emperor, wearing his dragon robe, sat upon the dragon throne.

Li Fei, who had truly achieved the integration of law and martial arts, perceived even more details from the Emperor this time.

He faintly sensed a similar power within the other's magnificent aura; it was likewise the power of law and martial arts integrated as one!

The power displayed by baleful artifacts and military formations is the integration of law and martial arts; this is the strongest collective power in the world.

The "Supreme" Lin Tianyi is the integration of law and martial arts; this is the strongest individual power in the world.

Now, the Emperor also displayed the integration of law and martial arts.

He represents the highest power in the world!

"Could it be that the Emperor possesses immense power while inside the imperial palace?"

Such a thought arose in Li Fei's mind.

Previously, when he attended the Grand Court Assembly twice, he only felt the Emperor's aura was extremely majestic, but he had never truly felt that towering power belonging to the Emperor!

But now, he faintly perceived it.

"No wonder the imperial court can suppress so many peak experts."

Li Fei thought to himself.

Although the peak experts of this world are not so exaggerated as to destroy heaven and earth, they are still capable of resisting ten thousand troops alone, or leveling cities and moving mountains!

Under such circumstances, if the person sitting on the dragon throne were merely an ordinary person who knew no martial arts or sorcery, would they not worry that their head might suddenly vanish one day?

Even with loyal imperial guards protecting their master and the Imperial Camp Army standing guard at all times, there could still be lapses.

It seems now that whoever can sit on this dragon throne must be able to channel great power unto themselves through some method!

Even if this power is limited to the imperial palace or the imperial city, it at least ensures that the majesty of the imperial family is real.

Possessing supreme power within, having the Imperial Camp Army suppress the four corners without, plus the experts loyal to the imperial family.

This is the foundation of the imperial court's rule over the world!

"Begin."

On the dragon throne, the Emperor said indifferently.

"Your subject Su Xuesong, kowtows to Your Majesty!"

As the Emperor's voice fell, a man stepped out from the ranks of civil officials and performed a full kowtow to the Emperor.

It was none other than Su Xuesong, the Gansu Inspection Commissioner who had rushed all the way from Gansu Province to Lanling City.

That this high-ranking frontier official performed a kowtow the moment he appeared caused the gathered ministers to shudder.

The Great Lan Dynasty was founded on martial arts and treats martial artists with great favor; Dao Foundation stage martial artists are not required to kowtow when seeing the Emperor.

As for civil officials, they have become fourth-rank seat officials, with the same treatment as Dao Foundation stage martial artists.

Su Xuesong is a fifth-rank cabinet official, a level 17 official, and a high-ranking frontier official at that.

Such a person naturally has even less need to perform a kowtow.

On the dragon throne, the Emperor frowned slightly:

"Why does Minister Su perform such a grand salute? Rise and speak."

Su Xuesong remained kneeling on the ground, weeping:

"Your Majesty, this old subject must plead guilty to Your Majesty! Leaving my jurisdiction without imperial decree is my first crime!"

As an Inspection Commissioner of a region, he indeed could not leave his jurisdiction without permission.

"I said, rise and speak."

The Emperor deepened his tone.

Su Xuesong's body trembled; he stood up shakily and bowed:

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Continue with your crimes."

"Yes."

Su Xuesong finally raised his head, his voice echoing through the great hall:

"In Gansu, there is a civilian organization called the World-Entry Society; all the lords present today have surely heard of it. This organization gathers elites from all walks of life in Gansu and holds a pivotal position there.

In our Gansu officialdom, many officials have joined the World-Entry Society, and many others are very close to it.

Over the years, the World-Entry Society has become like a towering tree, nearly blotting out the sky in Gansu!

This subject is incompetent; as an Inspection Commissioner, I could not restrain the World-Entry Society, ultimately allowing it to become a malignant tumor. This is my second crime!"

"Previously, Your Majesty sent a special envoy to investigate the assassination at the Heaven Altar, and the Marquis of Jing'an investigated all the way to Gansu. I failed to properly cooperate with the investigation team, allowing the World-Entry Society and the New Heaven Society to collude in secret without anyone knowing. This is my third crime!"

After this was said, many in the hall changed color, and their gazes toward Su Xuesong shifted.

Previously, Su Xuesong had publicly impeached Chi Chengyu, the Chief of the Gansu Cease-Arms Department, primarily accusing him of murdering his only son.

In the end, Su Xuesong even rushed to Lanling City to "file a royal complaint."

To many, this Inspection Commissioner had made such an extreme choice because he was overwhelmed by grief and despair over the death of his only son.

Yet today at the Grand Court Assembly, Su Xuesong did not mention a single word about his son's murder.

Every sentence was a plea of guilt, yet every sentence was aimed directly at the hearts of Chi Chengyu and the World-Entry Society!

In truth, for an Inspection Commissioner to take such actions, and now to confess his own crimes before the Emperor—

His political future is basically ruined, and whether he can even continue as an Inspection Commissioner is an unknown.

From this point of view, although Su Xuesong did not mention his only son, in reality, to avenge him, he was willing to destroy himself to deal a heavy blow to the World-Entry Society!

On the dragon throne, the Emperor looked at Su Xuesong below and spoke slowly:

"Do you have concrete evidence for what you say?"

"I do!"

Su Xuesong said immediately, "Everything I just said is backed by concrete evidence! I am willing to stake my life that every word I said is true!"

"Lou Hongtao."

The Emperor suddenly called out.

"Your subject is here."

Lou Hongtao stepped out from the ranks.

"The Inspection Cabinet is responsible for this case; verify the evidence provided by Su Xuesong within one month."

"Your subject accepts the decree."

"Su Xuesong."

The Emperor looked at Su Xuesong again:

"You abandoned your post and confessed your own guilt; you are temporarily relieved of your position as Inspection Commissioner, pending the results of the Inspection Cabinet's investigation."

Su Xuesong's face turned pale, revealing a miserable look, and he said tremblingly:

"Your subject accepts the decree!"

He had long anticipated such a result; it could be said he brought it upon himself.

"Ni Xuan."

The Emperor called out another name.

Ni Xuan, the Pavilion Master of the Cease-Arms Cabinet, stepped out from the ranks:

"Your subject is here."

"Send a cabinet member to Gansu to temporarily take over the position of Chief of the Cease-Arms Department from Chi Chengyu, and order Chi Chengyu to return to the capital to defend himself."

The Emperor said indifferently.

As the words fell, Su Xuesong immediately burst into tears!

He had sacrificed his future and official position just to make the World-Entry Society pay the price.

With this result, he had at least managed to force a one-for-one trade with Chi Chengyu!

"Your subject accepts the decree."

Ni Xuan bowed.

The ministers in the front rows looked at Su Xuesong one after another, their expressions complex.

To use such means to forcibly "trade" with Chi Chengyu was truly ruthless!

And that Su Xuesong did this was largely to avenge his son.

This made people feel a degree of admiration.

To be heartless is not necessarily to be a true hero.

How can one who pities their child not be a man?

Just like that, the first of the "Three Great Cases" finally had a result.

As for what the final outcome will be, that must wait for the Inspection Cabinet's investigation a month from now.

After handling the first major case, the Emperor took the initiative to ask Lou Hongtao:

"How is the Inspection Cabinet's investigation into the case of the Prince Cheng Mansion and the New Heaven Society?"

Lou Hongtao replied:

"Reporting to Your Majesty, under the interrogation of the Inspection Cabinet, Ji Xiuyong, a guest advisor of the Prince Cheng Mansion, has confessed the entire process of his collusion with the New Heaven Society; after verification, it is entirely true."

"There are seven others in the Prince Cheng Mansion who were Ji Xiuyong's accomplices, namely..."

"A total of eleven officials are involved in this case, all of whom have been verified; eight of them have clear guilt, while three claim to have been deceived..."

He reported the results of the investigation clearly and logically.

After listening, the Emperor asked:

"Did Qin Ziyu participate in this?"

"The heir did not participate, and during the investigation, he actively cooperated to help the Inspection Pavilion clear up this case."

"Hmm."

The Emperor nodded, "Qin Ziyu."

"Your subject is here."

Qin Ziyu stepped out of the ranks and bowed in salute.

"You were lax in your supervision, allowing such a matter to occur in your estate. Fortunately, you discovered the clues in time and cooperated with the Inspection Pavilion to investigate, making up for your faults with your merits. I shall punish you by ordering you to reflect on your mistakes at home, confined for half a year."

Upon hearing this, Qin Ziyu hurriedly said:

"Your subject accepts the decree, thank you for your leniency, Your Majesty!"

The Emperor looked at his nephew below, finally saying in a gentle tone:

"Ziyu, you are already an adult. If you wish to inherit your father's princely title in the future, you must conduct yourself with more stability."

Qin Ziyu's body trembled, and a flash of wild joy appeared in his eyes.

He said loudly, "Yes, your subject will strictly follow Your Majesty's teachings. From now on, I will certainly act with caution and manage the Prince's Estate well!"

Regarding this major case, the ministers in the great hall all knew clearly that Qin Ziyu would certainly be fine.

It was just that they did not expect the Emperor to also proactively dangle a carrot at the end.

The Prince of Cheng's title was hereditary with a reduction, and if passed to Qin Ziyu in the future, it would no longer be a princely title.

But the implication in the Emperor's words just now was that he intended to allow Qin Ziyu to inherit the title hereditarily without reduction, inheriting the position of the Prince of Cheng in the future!

Even if it was just a "carrot," it was enough to make Qin Ziyu wild with joy.

"Qin Zihong."

After finishing with Qin Ziyu, the Emperor called the First Imperial Prince's name.

"Your subject is here."

The First Imperial Prince stepped out from the ranks.

"I have heard that you contributed significantly to this case involving the Prince of Cheng's Estate. The Inspection Pavilion was able to solve the case so quickly—does that include a share of your credit?"

"Sharing the burdens for the Imperial Father is your subject's duty. Furthermore, your subject believes that Ziyu was deceived by others and wanted to help him prove his innocence."

The First Imperial Prince said neither humbly nor arrogantly.

"Hmm."

The Emperor nodded, "You have done well; you deserve a reward."

After speaking, the Eunuch before the throne, Feng Cheng, took out a pre-prepared imperial decree and read a long list of rewards for the First Imperial Prince:

Treasures, a mansion, and various cultivation resources!

On his seat, the Crown Prince's expression remained as usual.

The Third Imperial Prince, in the front row of the ranks, glanced at Qin Ziyu and revealed a playful smile.

After Feng Cheng finished reading the imperial decree, the Emperor looked at Lou Hongtao again:

"The case of the Law Enforcement Pavilion that I had you personally oversee—is there a result?"

Lou Hongtao's expression grew a bit more solemn:

"Reporting to Your Majesty, regarding the Law Enforcement Pavilion case, your subject has identified a total of seventeen officials involved. They all participated in the illegal resale of exotic beasts and magic treasures, and the evidence is conclusive."

"Oh?"

The Emperor's voice turned cold, "Then to whom were these exotic beasts and magic treasures sold?"

Lou Hongtao immediately recited a list of faction names, among which were chambers of commerce in Lanling City, various martial arts sects from across the land, and prominent noble families!

And these factions were all, openly or secretly, related to the Third Imperial Prince.

Some served the Third Imperial Prince openly; others, while not "showing their cards," were known by many to be part of the Third Imperial Prince's faction.

"Since it has been investigated clearly, then those who should be arrested must be arrested, and those who should be executed must be executed!"

The Emperor said coldly.

This meant he was going to severely punish these buyers!

The Third Imperial Prince stood in the ranks with a calm expression, showing no intention of stepping out to plead for anyone.

"Yes."

Lou Hongtao lowered his head to accept the decree.

"Mi Han."

The Emperor called out another name.

The Deputy Pavilion Master of the Law Enforcement Pavilion, a top-tier True Person, Mi Han, walked out from the ranks:

"Your subject is here."

The Emperor looked at him: "You were responsible for the procurement of the Law Enforcement Pavilion. With such a lapse occurring, how do you intend to answer to me?"

Immense pressure bore down on Mi Han like a mountain!

This top-tier True Person's face turned pale, and he lowered his head:

"Your subject managed poorly and failed to live up to Your Majesty's trust. I resign!"

"Granted."

The Emperor did not hesitate in the slightest and directly accepted Mi Han's resignation.

Thus far, the three major cases had already resulted in one Inspector, one Chief of the Stop-the-Conflict Department, and one Deputy Pavilion Master of the Law Enforcement Pavilion losing their official positions!

There were still many other implicated officials and appointed officers!

In ordinary times, any one of the results caused by the three major cases would have been a massive upheaval.

But now that the three major cases were concentrated together, it had triggered an "earthquake" in the imperial court!

The First Imperial Prince, having returned to the ranks, turned his head to look at the Third Imperial Prince, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned.

Of the three major cases, he had profited significantly from the Prince of Cheng's Estate case.

Yet the Third Imperial Prince had suffered heavy losses due to the Law Enforcement Pavilion case!

With one gain and one loss, the gap between the two was immediately widened.

Currently, it appeared that the Third Imperial Prince had almost lost the qualifications to continue competing for the succession!

This change was even more far-reaching than the removal of the three pavilion officials!

"Does anyone else have a memorial?"

After dealing with Mi Han, the Emperor asked.

"Your Majesty, your subject has a memorial!"

At the end of the ranks, near the great gate, He Jian, with graying temples, stepped out.

The Emperor was expressionless: "Speak."

He Jian bowed and said:

"The Law Enforcement Pavilion case was reported by your subject. Your subject believes that there must be a greater mastermind behind this case, and it is related to members of the imperial family!"

These words caused a stir among the ministers.

Many turned to look at He Jian, their eyes filled with astonishment.

They only felt that this man truly had guts!

The Emperor had severely punished those buyers and dealt with a Deputy Pavilion Master; in fact, it was already very strict, clearly indicating he did not intend to investigate further.

But He Jian would not let it go.

"Your Majesty, your subject also has a memorial!"

Just at this moment, a young voice rang out.

A golden figure walked out from the ranks—it was Li Fei!

He cupped his hands and said: "Your Majesty previously ordered your subject to be responsible for investigating the assassination case at the Altar of Heaven. Your subject, along with Lord He, investigated the case and has already uncovered many key clues. Previously, your subject even captured an important witness alive, and we were only one step away from solving the case!

But this important witness died in the Law Enforcement Pavilion, and Lord He happened to discover the Law Enforcement Pavilion's resale of exotic beasts and magic treasures during the investigation."

The Emperor looked at Li Fei expressionlessly: "What do you want to say?"

Li Fei: "Your subject wants to say that the Law Enforcement Pavilion case should continue to be investigated in depth. We will certainly discover more clues, which will not only expose the mastermind but also solve the assassination case at the Altar of Heaven!"

After coming out of seclusion, he had applied to enter the palace to see the Emperor at the first opportunity.

Back then, the Emperor had spent much effort on his behalf and had even provided full support.

Now that he had resolved his own problems, he naturally had to report to the Emperor immediately.

But the Emperor had not seen him.

Over the past five days, Li Fei had applied to enter the palace to see the Emperor every day, but each time he was refused.

Li Fei knew why.

When the Emperor learned that he intended to follow the path of "cultivating martial arts through techniques, refining the body as a vessel," he had expressed his opposition.

But he had not listened and insisted on going his own way, choosing this path that no one had ever succeeded on before.

Setting aside the result, this choice had actually betrayed the Emperor's trust and regard for him.

A qualified loyal subject should not have made such a choice.

But Li Fei had known from the beginning that he could never become the qualified loyal subject in the Emperor's heart.

The Emperor not seeing him was a way of reprimanding him.

Regarding this, Li Fei knew it clearly.

Just as he now also knew clearly that the Emperor did not want to continue investigating the Law Enforcement Pavilion case, yet he still chose to stand out and support He Jian.

The Emperor stopped looking at Li Fei and looked at Lou Hongtao:

"Lord Lou, you are responsible for investigating the Law Enforcement Pavilion case; have you found any connection between this case and the assassination case at the Altar of Heaven?"

Lou Hongtao immediately said, "Your subject has not found anything."

The Emperor then looked at Li Fei: "Li Fei, did you hear that?"

Li Fei: "It is a fact that there are people in the Law Enforcement Pavilion colluding with the New Heaven Society, and the New Heaven Society is currently the primary suspect in the assassination case at the Altar of Heaven. Therefore, your subject believes that if we continue to investigate the Law Enforcement Pavilion case deeply, we will certainly gain something!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a member of the Inspection Pavilion in the ranks stood out:

"Your Majesty, your subject also participated in the investigation of the Law Enforcement Pavilion case. In this case, those buyers have all confessed, the evidence is conclusive, there is no mastermind behind the scenes, and the New Heaven Society was not involved. Your subject believes there is no need to repeat the investigation for an uncertain speculation. If the Inspection Pavilion has the time and energy, it would be better to invest it in cases that have not yet been solved."

After he finished speaking, other officials stood out one after another.

These people all opposed the continued investigation of the Law Enforcement Pavilion case proposed by Li Fei and He Jian.

After everyone had finished expressing their opinions, the Emperor made the final decision:

"The Law Enforcement Pavilion case ends here."

Li Fei's expression did not change.

He had actually anticipated this result long ago.

He had taken the initiative to stand out only to help He Jian share the "firepower."

Just as he promised He Jian, the other party only needed to be responsible for investigating the case, and he would handle everything else!

With this, two of the three major cases had completely ended.

Only the case of the World-Entering Society in Gansu Province remained unresolved.

Li Fei and He Jian still had a chance.

"Does anyone else have a memorial?"

The Emperor asked again.

Just when everyone thought the Grand Morning Assembly for today should be over, a figure suddenly stood up from their seat.

Ye Zean walked to the center, bowed to the Emperor, and said:

"Your subject has a memorial."

The Emperor looked at this Senior Grand Secretary: "What does the Senior Grand Secretary wish to say?"

Ye Zean raised his head and said in a clear voice:

"Your Majesty, the three major cases in the court today each have their own causes and effects, but at their root, your subject believes that these three cases all point to the same problem."

"Oh?"

"The imperial court's supervision of the local regions is insufficient!"

Ye Zean stated the answer:

"The case of the World-Entering Society in Gansu Province is particularly obvious, so there is no need to say more.

In the case of the Prince Cheng Estate, although the main culprits committed their crimes at the feet of the Son of Heaven, they colluded with the New Heaven Society, and the illegal and undisciplined acts they committed all took place in the local regions.

The Law Enforcement Pavilion case is the same; those buyers were also scattered across various places.

For a long time, although the imperial court has set up Inspection Courts, a General Inspection Court, and Inspection Departments in various places, flowing water does not rot and a door hinge does not get worm-eaten; the mobility of local officials is too poor, which has led to repeated loopholes in the local supervision systems."

The Emperor's expression did not change as he looked at Ye Zean:

"Then how does the Senior Grand Secretary think this matter should be resolved?"

Ye Zean clearly had a draft ready, and he said word by word:

"First, increase the mobility of officials in various regions, especially those within the supervision system. It would be best to rotate them between various provinces every two years!

Your subject has already written a 'Memorial on the Inter-Provincial Rotation of Officials in the Supervision System' regarding the specific rotation matters, the new assessment plan after rotation, and other details."

As he spoke, he took a thick memorial out of his wide sleeves.

With a look from the Emperor, Feng Cheng walked down the imperial steps, came before Ye Zean, took the memorial from the other party's hands, and then returned to present the memorial to the Emperor.

The officials below were already in a stir.

If this policy were to be implemented, the impact on all regions would be enormous!

And the ministers present all had intricate connections with various regions.

The Emperor roughly flipped through the memorial in his hand and then put it down:

"I think this memorial from the Senior Grand Secretary is good; the specific matters can be discussed further. Does the Senior Grand Secretary have any other memorials?"

"I do!"

Ye Zean's "output" was not over yet:

"After solving the supervision problems in the local regions, we still need to solve the central government's supervision of the local regions; only then can we comprehensively and thoroughly solve the problem.

Previously, the central government's supervision of the local regions was mainly carried out through Blue Patrol Envoys, but the imperial court has only set up fewer than ten Blue Patrol Envoys in total, so the intensity of supervision is too small."

These words caused another stir among the officials in the hall.

The position of Blue Patrol Envoy is too sensitive and the power is too great; it is like a Shangfang Sword, and no one would want such a sword to become sharper.

Unless the sword is held in one's own hands.

Now, listening to Ye Zean's meaning, it seems he wants to increase the number of Blue Patrol Envoys, which made many people feel uneasy.

It was only because of the prestige the Senior Grand Secretary had established over time that no one stood up to oppose him for the time being.

"Does the Senior Grand Secretary mean to increase the number of Blue Patrol Envoys?"

The Emperor asked.

Ye Zean shook his head:

"No, just increasing the number is not enough. Your subject believes that a department independent of the Grand Secretariat should be established, specifically to patrol the world and supervise the four directions on behalf of the central government!"

These words were like a heavy bomb dropped inside the great hall!

Three cabinet officials removed from office.

The Third Imperial Prince's power greatly reduced, affecting the struggle for the imperial succession.

Requiring officials in the local supervision systems to rotate across provinces.

None of these changes were as "terrifying" as this suggestion just proposed by Ye Zean!

If this policy were to be implemented.

It would be a true change of heaven!

This chapter was too hard to write, please give me a monthly ticket.

This volume is almost finished, only the final climax remains~

(End of chapter)