Chapter 252
Qi Yanzhou took the stack of evidence Governor Kong handed him and gave it a rough count.
There were nearly a hundred sheets of paper—a shocking amount.
It began with Zhao Sirui noticing which shops were doing well and simply claiming them as his own.
Then there were the young women he took a fancy to. Ignoring whether they were willing or not, he would have them dragged straight into Prince Yong’s residence as concubines.
Whenever he was in a bad mood, he would vent it on innocent civilians, beating and killing them at will.
Most despicable of all, Prince Yong had tampered with the disaster-relief funds from the imperial court so that his son would have enough money to squander on wine and pleasure.
“Slap!”
Qi Yanzhou slammed the thick stack of evidence onto the table, fury covering his handsome face.
“I never imagined that everything Governor Kong mentioned in his impeachment memorial would amount to no more than a fraction of the evil committed by Prince Yong’s household.”
Governor Liu hurriedly explained, “Prince Yong is a member of the imperial family. If Governor Kong had written too much in the memorial, it might have been seen as showing contempt for imperial authority, and he could have been punished for it.”
Qi Yanzhou knew very well that the foolish emperor was capable of such a thing.
He lifted the tea before him and drained it in one go.
“The emperor is trying to win the people’s support right now. This is the perfect time for Governor Kong to submit the memorial. Present all this evidence, along with the fact that Prince Yong tried to have me assassinated. The emperor will certainly strip him of his title and make him pay for his crimes.”
Qi Yanzhou’s words made perfect sense, yet Governor Kong refused.
“Young Master Qi, the person I hope will bring down Prince Yong and win the people’s hearts is you.”
The emperor did not care about Jizhou at all. Even if the entire province were turned upside down, he would never know.
Qi Yanzhou was somewhat surprised by Governor Kong’s intentions.
He had assumed that the three men in charge of Jizhou merely wanted to use him to deal with Prince Yong.
He had not expected them to be choosing a side.
“Since Governor Kong is so sincere, I shall grant your wish.”
In truth, Qi Yanzhou had never intended to let the emperor get involved in the matter of Prince Yong.
The imperial seal was in his hands. All he needed to do was intercept Governor Kong’s memorial and write an imperial decree stripping Prince Yong of his title and demoting him to a commoner.
Once the truth about the stolen imperial seal was exposed later, he could reclaim the credit that would otherwise go to the emperor.
But Governor Kong’s words had given him an even better idea.
“Please send someone to the inn to summon Governor Han.”
The emperor had been overwhelmed with troubles lately and had not taken back the token bearing the words “As Though I Were Present” from Han Chong.
That token alone was enough to strip Prince Yong of everything and make him suffer the punishment he deserved.
Even if the emperor found out, he would not do anything to Han Chong. After all, Han Chong had done nothing wrong.
Governor Kong looked at his aide. “Send someone to invite Governor Han.”
By now, everyone knew that the officers escorting the exiled prisoners had become Qi Yanzhou’s men.
Whatever Han Chong did no longer represented the emperor. It represented Qi Yanzhou.
After the aide left, Qi Yanzhou asked, “What sort of ending do the three of you intend to give Prince Yong’s household?”
Without hesitation, Governor Kong replied, “The Son of Heaven is subject to the same laws as the common people.”
Governor Liu and General Zhang nodded in agreement.
“Without rules, there can be no order.”
“Then make the preparations tonight. We will hold a public trial tomorrow.”
Qi Yanzhou returned the stack of evidence to Governor Kong.
“There are too many cases to try them one by one. Pick the three most serious ones.”
Governor Kong was familiar with these cases and quickly selected three sheets.
“I will have the witnesses and physical evidence ready tomorrow.”
The four of them discussed the details of the trial.
Before they had finished, the bailiffs brought Yuan Wei in—the man who had been in contact with the martial artists.
He was Old Master Yuan’s legitimate son and Princess Consort Yong’s favorite nephew.
Yuan Wei had done plenty of unsavory work for Prince Yong’s household and had received considerable benefits in return. Whenever he occasionally slipped up, Prince Yong’s household had protected him.
Thus, even after being forcibly brought to the governor’s office, he was not nervous in the slightest.
“Governor Kong, you have arrested the wrong—”
Before he could finish his arrogant protest, Governor Kong interrupted him.
“How dare you, insolent commoner! You stand before an official without kneeling, showing contempt for the court. Guards, give him twenty strokes of the cane!”
The moment he finished speaking, a bailiff kicked the back of Yuan Wei’s knee.
With a thud, Yuan Wei dropped to his knees, crying out in pain.
The next instant, another kick sent him sprawling face-first onto the floor.
The canes came down hard.
Smack! Smack! Smack!
His flesh split open.
By the time the bailiffs brought Princess Consort Yong into the courtroom, Yuan Wei’s clothes had already been dyed red with blood, and he had passed out.
The final blow landed, spraying droplets of blood through the air.
Several splashed onto Princess Consort Yong’s splendid robes, like red plum blossoms blooming against snow.
The courtroom reeked of blood, making her gag.
“What are you doing? Are you trying to beat a confession out of him?”
Governor Kong explained expressionlessly, “Your Highness, you misunderstand. Yuan Wei refused to kneel before an official and showed contempt for the court. I merely punished him according to the law.”
His words made it clear to Princess Consort Yong that the three men who controlled Jizhou City intended to tear all ties with Prince Yong’s household.
She immediately turned her gaze toward Qi Yanzhou and Ye Chutang, who were seated beside the courtroom.
These two must have ordered this!
How could those martial artists have failed to kill them when they were supposedly so formidable?
Ye Chutang met Princess Consort Yong’s resentful gaze and asked, “Are you angry that they failed to kill us, Your Highness?”
Having her thoughts exposed, a flicker of panic flashed across Princess Consort Yong’s eyes.
“Young Madam Qi offended someone and suffered the consequences. What does that have to do with me? Do you know how serious a crime it is to slander a member of the imperial family?”
Prince Yong was not favored by the emperor. He had only been entered into the imperial register and had never been granted a formal noble title.
So he could only use the phrase “member of the imperial family” to emphasize his status.
Ye Chutang did not even take the emperor seriously, much less care about one of his “relatives.”
She looked at Governor Kong. “Whether it is slander or fact, Governor Kong will give Your Highness the answer.”
Governor Kong gave the bailiff a look.
“Splash!”
A basin of cold water mixed with salt was poured over Yuan Wei’s injured back.
Yuan Wei let out a wail and woke up.
His back felt as though it were being flayed alive. The pain made his entire body tremble as he howled without stopping.
“Slap!”
Governor Kong struck the magistrate’s bench with the gavel.
“Yuan Wei, were you the one who instructed the assassins who attacked Young Master Qi and Madam Qi at Jing’an Temple?”
Enduring the excruciating pain, Yuan Wei looked beseechingly at Princess Consort Yong.
“Aunt, I’ve been wronged! You must stand up for me!”
He dared to deny everything because martial artists had their own rules. Even if they were caught, they would never betray their employer.
Princess Consort Yong soothed him with concern. “Wei’er, if you have been wronged, your aunt will certainly see justice done for you!”
Then she glared at Governor Kong.
“Governor Kong, you have caused such a commotion in the middle of the night. If you do not give me an explanation, I will not let this go!”
Governor Kong nodded and said to his aide, “Bring in the men who attempted to assassinate Young Master Qi.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Before long, several men from the prison were brought into the courtroom.
Governor Kong also had his aide hand Princess Consort Yong their confessions.
“Your Highness, these prisoners have not only confessed to the task Yuan Wei gave them tonight, but have also revealed the ‘business’ they have conducted with him over the years.
“I have already sent people to verify their statements. We will soon know whether their confessions are true. Since this matter involves Your Highness, I invited you here.”
Princess Consort Yong’s expression changed. Her lips trembled, and she did not know how to refute him.
Governor Kong’s words had frightened Yuan Wei so badly that he momentarily forgot his pain.
He stared at the prisoners kneeling on the floor and demanded in panic, “Who are you people? Why are you slandering me? Were you instructed to do this by Qi Yanzhou?”
Qi Yanzhou looked at Yuan Wei, who was slandering him, and let out a mocking laugh.
“Does Young Master Yuan know the price of slandering me?”
His voice was soft, but his tone was icy.
To Yuan Wei, every word landed like a heavy hammer pounding against his heart, leaving him unable to breathe.
“I…I didn’t…”
Before he could finish his stubborn denial, Han Chong came striding over and cut him off.
“Being stubborn won’t change the truth. It will only send you to ruin!”
Yuan Wei was cowed by Han Chong’s terrifying presence.
He no longer dared to argue, yet he couldn’t tell the truth either. The pressure became too much for him to bear. He rolled his eyes back and fainted.
When Governor Kong saw Han Chong arrive, he hurriedly rose from his seat and stepped away from the judge’s bench.
“Lord Han, the attack on Young Master Qin involves Princess Consort Yong. This subordinate’s rank is too low, and I am unworthy of presiding over the case. Please, take the seat.”
Han Chong glanced at Qi Yanzhou.
Only after receiving his approval did he sit down solemnly behind the judge’s bench.
Then he took out the emperor’s token.
The moment Governor Kong saw it, he dropped to his knees.
“Long live His Majesty! Long live His Majesty! Long, long live His Majesty!”
Governor Liu and General Zhang immediately knelt as well.
“Long live His Majesty! Long live His Majesty! Long, long live His Majesty!”
The bailiffs in the courtroom followed suit and knelt in salute.
Princess Consort Yong was somewhat bewildered.
She felt that she ought to kneel, but Qi Yanzhou and Ye Chutang remained seated.
Governor Kong reminded her, “Princess Consort Yong, seeing this token is the same as seeing His Majesty. You must pay your respects.”
Her mouth moved faster than her brain.
“Why aren’t they kneeling?”
Ye Chutang chuckled softly. “If you want to fall out with the emperor, you’re welcome not to kneel.”
Princess Consort Yong naturally did not have the courage to do that, and immediately knelt.
“Long live His Majesty! Long live His Majesty! Long, long live His Majesty!”
As she bowed, her heart sank even further.
Han Chong put away the token.
“Everyone, rise. I have come by His Majesty’s command to root out injustice along the route of exile and restore justice to the people. I will never wrong an innocent person, nor will I let a guilty one escape.”
Governor Kong briefed Han Chong on the progress of the case.
“Lord Han, my men have already gone to retrieve the physical evidence. They should be back soon.”
Han Chong looked at the unconscious Yuan Wei and said, “He is a key suspect. Wake him with pepper water. I will question him myself.”
Governor Kong was just about to agree when Princess Consort Yong sharply interrupted him.
“Are you planning to torture a confession out of him?”
She felt sorry for Yuan Wei, but she was also afraid he would not withstand the torture and reveal everything.
Han Chong looked at her and asked, “Is the princess consort willing to vouch for Young Master Yuan and guarantee that he has committed no crime?”
Princess Consort Yong did not know whether Governor Kong had truly found evidence or was merely bluffing her.
So she did not dare make too firm a declaration.
“There’s no need for pepper water. I can wake Wei’er myself.”
She crouched down, covering her nose and mouth to block the nauseating stench of blood.
“Wei’er, wake up.”
As she shook him, her slender fingernails dug forcefully into his wounds.
Yuan Wei was jolted awake by the pain once more. Princess Consort Yong’s quiet warning reached his ears.
“Keep your mouth shut. Don’t say anything you shouldn’t. If something happens to me, no one will save you!”
Yuan Wei was in too much pain to speak. He gave a feeble nod.
He knew very well that his aunt was the pillar of the Yuan family.
If she fell, the Yuan family would be destroyed!
After receiving Yuan Wei’s assurance, Princess Consort Yong hid her bloodstained fingernails inside her sleeve and stood up.
“Wei’er is awake. Ask him whatever you need to ask.”
Han Chong did not know enough about the details of the case, so he had Governor Kong conduct the interrogation.
Yuan Wei, however, remained silent, pretending he could not hear a thing.
When Han Chong saw Ye Chutang cover her mouth to yawn, he no longer wanted to waste time.
“Governor Kong, administer the torture. If Yuan Wei has been wronged, I will take responsibility.”
With those words, Princess Consort Yong had no grounds to object anymore.
“Bring out the finger clamps.”
Yuan Wei stared at the wooden clamps in the bailiffs’ hands and shook his head in terror.
“No! I’ve been framed! You can’t torture me!”
The bailiffs ignored him. They restrained him as he struggled frantically and fastened the clamps around his hands.
As the ropes were pulled tight, the wooden bars squeezed down hard on his fingers.
The pain of the fingers reached the heart.
Yuan Wei let out a scream like a slaughtered pig.
“Aunt…Aunt, save…save me!”
Princess Consort Yong turned deathly pale at Yuan Wei’s repeated screams, and her feet involuntarily moved a step backward.
Just then, the officers Governor Kong had sent to find evidence returned.
They had lived up to expectations and obtained proof that Yuan Wei had colluded with members of the martial world.
Though the officers could not understand what was happening in the courtroom, they wisely handed the evidence to Han Chong, who was seated behind the judge’s bench.
“My lord, this evidence proves that Yuan Wei often hired martial artists to commit crimes for him. Tonight’s assassination was one of them.”
The martial artists might value loyalty, but they had also taken precautions in case anything went wrong.
To avoid implicating their families, they had no choice but to abandon their principles and betray their employer.
After reviewing the ironclad evidence that was enough to convict Yuan Wei, Han Chong said, “Take them all away. The public hearing will be held tomorrow.”
With that, he turned toward Princess Consort Yong.
“A witness has testified that the princess consort was involved in tonight’s assassination attempt. Please remain at the governor’s residence for the night.”
Those words sent Princess Consort Yong into complete panic.
“I am the princess consort, the mistress of Jizhou City! You have no authority to place me under house arrest!”
Han Chong took out the emperor’s token and smiled.
“Let alone a princess consort—even if it were Prince Yong himself, I would still have the authority.”
He turned to Governor Kong. “Governor Kong, surround Prince Yong’s residence. No one is to enter or leave, especially Heir Zhao Sirui.”
“This subordinate obeys!”
While Governor Kong dispatched officers to surround Prince Yong’s residence, Ye Chutang, Qi Yanzhou, and Han Chong returned to the inn to rest.
After nearly an hour of turmoil, Ye Chutang was exhausted. The moment her head touched the pillow, she fell asleep.
The next morning.
During breakfast, news that Prince Yong’s residence had been surrounded by soldiers spread throughout Jizhou City.
The common people made no attempt to hide their delight and cheered excitedly.
“Young Master Qi really is something. He’s only been in Jizhou for a day, and he’s already dealt with Prince Yong.”
“Who told the heir to have no sense and harass Madam Qi? He deserves everything coming to him!”
“Harassing her is nothing compared to what they did. The princess consort even hired martial artists to assassinate Young Master Qi and Madam Qi!”
“There isn’t a single good person in that family. I hope Young Master Qi will remain impartial and punish them according to the law!”
A large crowd had gathered outside the inn.
Qi Yanzhou knew that the people were deliberately saying those things for him to hear.
After finishing his breakfast, he rose and walked to the entrance of the inn.
“Everyone, rest assured. The Prince Yong household will never have another chance to harm anyone. The emperor is subject to the same laws as the common people.”
Hearing this, the people felt as though they had taken a stabilizing pill, and their worries immediately eased.
They all thanked Qi Yanzhou for ridding Jizhou City of its tyrant.
Those who had suffered at the hands of Prince Yong’s household knelt down gratefully and kowtowed to Qi Yanzhou.
“If not for Young Master Qi, I would never have had the chance to reclaim my shop. Thank you!”
“To see the beast who harmed my daughter finally get what he deserved—I can die without regret!”
“My poor son…you can rest in peace now!”
Qi Yanzhou looked at the people struggling to hold back their grief, and his heart was filled with mixed emotions.
“Everyone, please get up. The governor’s office is about to begin the hearing. Go and watch.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Ye Chutang added, “Remember to bring some rotten vegetables, pebbles, and stinky eggs.”