Meng Yunxian hastily ordered people to carry Ni Su out of the Court for treatment. The commoners blocking the entrance unanimously made way. Countless eyes saw beneath her soaked cloak, her frost-white skirt hem was a shocking red.

Qingqiong carried Ni Su on his back, walking forward step by step. Even as his joints stiffened and creaked, he gritted his teeth and did his utmost, his steps swift. “Miss Ni, Miss Ni…”

He ran while crying.

A carriage was stopped beneath the old locust tree—Huang Zongyu’s. He had specifically instructed it be given to them for use. The Bureau of Forbidden Night officers parted the crowds all the way, escorting them toward the carriage.

“Qingqiong, don’t cry.”

Ni Su’s eyelids trembled. “We won.”

Last time she beat the Petition Drum, she was a mere commoner, an orphan girl. In Yun Jing, she could only serve as a chess piece used by others, filing an imperial petition in hopes of reaching heavenly hearing.

This time, she was still a mere commoner, an orphan girl. But the initiative was gripped in her own hands. She was the one enduring punishment, yet also the one playing chess.

What she sought was no longer to reach heavenly hearing, but for everyone who heard the Petition Drum’s sound to re-examine Jade Commander General and the thirty thousand Jing’an Army who had borne infamy for sixteen years.

Pan Youfang died, died easily. What was hardest was that because powerful imperial relatives were implicated, someone was still willing to cover up the crimes he should have borne.

Even when a filthy person died, there were still people whitewashing his posthumous name.

Yet Ni Su insisted on making the person whitewashing Pan Youfang’s posthumous name become a witness for Jade Commander General and the Jing’an Army.

“I know, I know…”

Qingqiong responded through his tears.

Inside the Court of Judicial Review, Zhou Ting summoned Chao Yisong and ordered him to lead officers to escort Duke Luguo out of the Court to the Bureau of Forbidden Night outside Diqian Gate.

“I am imperial Zhao clan. How dare you treat me thus?” Duke Luguo’s face was iron-blue.

“Where do these words come from, Duke? Cao Dong is at the Bureau of Forbidden Night, not at the Court of Judicial Review. This subordinate is merely inviting the Duke to the Bureau to confront him. I dare have no other intention.”

Zhou Ting lowered his head. His words were courteous and measured, showing not the slightest disrespect.

“Audacious! Audacious!”

Duke Luguo was surrounded by officers and had no choice but to walk out. His heart turned cold. He was about to call the servants he’d brought, but the Bureau of Forbidden Night officers each had hands on sword hilts, their bearing intimidating.

“If the Duke is uneasy, these servants of yours can also enter the Bureau of Forbidden Night to attend you.” Zhou Ting raised his hand. Immediately officers surrounded those servants.

“Duke, it’s only a confrontation. How would they dare show you disrespect? Please be at ease,” Huang Zongyu walked forward two steps with his cane. “After all, the implications are enormous. If that Cao Dong truly slanders you and Prince Nankang, the court will certainly punish his crime severely!”

Light snow fell again. Duke Luguo was escorted away by the Bureau of Forbidden Night people with extreme deference. The commoners gathered outside the Court of Judicial Review also began to disperse. Judge Tan’s forehead streamed with sweat the size of beans. He didn’t dare open his mouth.

Meng Yunxian looked at the mottled bloodstains on the ground. “Tan Zhao, you truly are confused.”

“Prime Minister Meng…”

Judge Tan’s heart jumped in alarm, cold sweat pouring.

But Meng Yunxian said nothing more. He walked out of the main hall. Huang Zongyu leaned on his cane, watching Tan Zhao’s trembling appearance. “She’s not a woman who would yield to your tricks. Tan Zhao, tell me—how many people in this world dare beat the Petition Drum twice?”

Unheard of.

These four characters floated up in Tan Zhao’s heart. Forget during his years as judge—even counting back how many more years, there had never been such a precedent.

Meng Yunxian walked out of the Court of Judicial Review and called to Zhou Ting. “You and I both know clearly—now only by making Duke Luguo speak, making him become a witness for General Yujie’s treason case, can we legitimately overturn the verdict.”

“Yes.”

Zhou Ting nodded.

“But to make him speak, you must torture him.”

“I know.”

“Torturing imperial kin is a grave crime.”

“I also know.”

Inviting Duke Luguo to the Bureau of Forbidden Night to confront Cao Dong was merely an open pretext. Once Duke Luguo entered the Bureau, Zhou Ting would seize this opportunity and use all the interrogation methods he’d accumulated over his many years at the Bureau to force him to speak.

If he failed, when Duke Luguo had another chance to recover, Zhou Ting would lose his position, perhaps even his life.

Meng Yunxian nodded. “Go.”

Zhou Ting said nothing. He bowed, then immediately mounted his horse and pursued the Bureau of Forbidden Night people.

Huang Zongyu’s carriage was given to Ni Su, so he shared one with Meng Yunxian. “When drowsiness comes, someone delivers a pillow. Whichever of us two moved against Duke Luguo at this time would have the appearance of factional strife. That Miss Ni is just a commoner. Xu Jing’an died in battle defending Yongzhou’s territory for Great Qi. She keeps chaste widowhood for him and cries injustice for him. This really couldn’t be more proper—not a bit that can be criticized.”

Speaking thus, Huang Zongyu couldn’t help but sigh. “Such a woman—only a pity the match with my second son didn’t work out.”

“How could your second son match her?!”

Meng Yunxian immediately exploded like a lit firecracker. “Over thirty and still no proper behavior! Without shame! A young lady like her, only…”

He suddenly stopped speaking.

Huang Zongyu was greatly startled by his violent reaction. “Meng Zhuo! Why are you getting agitated with me?!”

Meng Yunxian’s face darkened. He said nothing more.

Huang Zongyu was too lazy to argue with him. He said seriously: “As long as Vice Commander Zhou can pry open Duke Luguo’s mouth, those old faction officials in court who’ve lost their backing naturally won’t dare fight us to mutual destruction anymore. As for Wang Gong’s side—no matter how loyal he is to His Majesty, he must consider his own retreat, mustn’t he? As long as we exert more effort while Duke Luguo is in the Bureau of Forbidden Night, once court circumstances change and he still doesn’t change, that would show his sinister intentions.”

Beating the Petition Drum twice—truly extraordinary news.

Ni Su’s name resounded throughout Yun Jing. Accompanying her name, Jade Commander General Xu Hexue and the thirty thousand Jing’an Army soldiers who died at Mount Mushen were repeatedly mentioned.

In court halls and marketplace streets, more and more people broke free from previous authoritarian intimidation. Popular sentiment boiled unstoppably.

From the twenty-sixth day of the twelfth month of Zhengyuan’s twentieth year to the fifth day of the first month of Zhengyuan’s twenty-first year, Prime Ministers Meng Yunxian and Huang Zongyu withstood pressure from all sides in court, keeping Duke Luguo under interrogation at the Bureau of Forbidden Night for ten days.

Hanlin Academician-Reader Zheng Jian and others had no choice but to kneel outside Qinghe Hall for days on end petitioning His Majesty to maintain justice. However, His Majesty’s illness grew increasingly severe. Court officials only saw Prince Jia frequently entering and leaving Qinghe Hall while they could only fret anxiously in their hearts.

Duke Luguo’s second son who served in the Palace Command’s Military Records Office, in order to rescue his father from the Bureau of Forbidden Night, exerted effort everywhere. This made old faction officials in court verbally attack Prime Ministers Meng and Huang with words and writings. If the two Prime Ministers didn’t immediately request Duke Luguo’s release from the Bureau, they were plotting against imperial kin and endangering the state.

The tongues and brushes of civil officials were bloodless blades on smokeless battlefields.

Duke Luguo truly couldn’t exert power from within the Bureau of Forbidden Night. Those officials who depended on him had lost their backbone and were already anxious and uneasy. Meng Yunxian used thunderous methods—pressuring some, winning over others. More and more people began to waver, began to show goodwill to Prime Ministers Meng and Huang. In the end, only a dozen or so people like Zheng Jian remained kneeling outside Qinghe Hall.

When the spring rain fell, the snow began to melt.

On the sixteenth day of the first month, news came from the palace that His Majesty could no longer take medicinal soup. Duke Luguo still hadn’t emerged from the Bureau of Forbidden Night. Court circumstances changed like wind and clouds. The Consort’s niece Wu Qingru never appeared. Palace Command Chief Commander Wang Gong was deeply mired in rumors of wanting to pave the way for the Taizu branch from Yaoxian and plot great matters. He finally couldn’t withstand the kind persuasion of Huang Zongyu, Ge Rang, Miao Tianzhao and others. His heart wavered.

Rainy night, drenching rain. Moist mist swirled.

Prince Jia leaned against the railing in the covered corridor watching the rain. On that side, personal guard Yuan Gang stood at the bottom of the steps. Seeing someone approach, he raised his hand to block. “Commander Wang, His Highness says he’ll see only you alone.”

Wang Gong’s body was wet with rain. Hearing this, his gaze passed Yuan Gang to look at that silver-gray back. He pointed at his own mouth.

Yuan Gang still said: “Commander, you may go.”

Wang Gong had no choice. He could only leave behind that young palace guard, lift his robe hem himself, and walk up the steps.

Prince Jia’s fingers played with the dense green pine needles outside the railing. Dew wet his fingertips. Wang Gong approached and bowed, but for a long while saw no response from Prince Jia. His heart pounded. After a long time, he slowly raised his head, only to discover Prince Jia’s eyes were staring at him.

This Prince Jia was famous for being weak and mild. But at this moment facing such a gaze, Wang Gong felt like sitting on pins and needles, not knowing what to do.

“Commander Wang, you’re finally willing to see me.”

Prince Jia suddenly spoke.

Wang Gong’s throat moved. His lips pressed tightly together.

“The Palace Command Chief Commander commands the three divisions of Imperial Guards. The four people who held this position before you were all valued by Father. But regrettably, none met good ends.”

Prince Jia looked at him. “I know you’re utterly loyal to Father. But loyalty alone isn’t enough. Those four before you who were executed by Father—was it because they weren’t loyal?”

Speaking thus, Prince Jia shook his head. “No. It’s because once they occupied this position, they transformed from people Father valued to people Father feared.”

“Then Commander Wang, why are you different? Why can you remain safe and sound in this Palace Command Chief Commander position?”

Wang Gong’s heart turned cold. He hastily gestured with his hands. But realizing the palace guard wasn’t beside him and Prince Jia couldn’t understand his gestures, he abruptly stopped and bowed low.

“Father can no longer take medicinal soup. You also saw him in Qinghe Hall today. You’ve come to see me now—you must already have your own considerations. Let’s simply speak plainly.”

Prince Jia raised his hand in a gesture of support. “Though I’m Father’s adopted son, Father and I both descend from the Taizong branch. If not for this, Father wouldn’t have originally granted me the title of Prince of First Rank. I know you’re waiting for Father’s own flesh and blood. But if Her Ladyship had no guilty conscience, why would she harm Father and me? Moreover, Father likely cannot wait until Her Ladyship’s child is born. But the nation cannot be without a ruler for a single day. Tell me—isn’t this so?”

Wang Gong opened his mouth. No sound came.

“I know you’re loyal to Father. I also know within this loyalty is your fear,” the rain pattered. Speaking thus, Prince Jia paused before continuing: “But you know me. I’m not Father. I don’t need you to pretend to be mute day after day for ten years.”

The matter of feigning muteness was suddenly exposed.

Wang Gong immediately lowered his head.

“Still unwilling to speak?”

Prince Jia scrutinized him. “Wang Gong, I say—I permit you to speak openly before me from now on.”

With these words spoken, Wang Gong’s heart shook. He met this Prince Jia’s gaze before him. His lips trembled.

This secret began before he learned he would be promoted to Palace Command Chief Commander. His severe injury was real. The aphasia was false.

Precisely because he knew that before him, four people had died in this Palace Command Chief Commander position, in his worry and fear he thought of this method.

As long as he was mute, His Majesty need not worry he would use his voice to command the three Imperial Guard divisions in rebellion.

For this, he hadn’t dared speak before others for ten years.

Huang Zongyu’s words outside Qinghe Hall previously had made him very alert. He knew there were no walls that didn’t leak in this world. He also knew Huang Zongyu’s connections within the three divisions.

Wang Gong didn’t dare speak even at home, but he had a habit of talking in his sleep.

Thinking it through, it should have been five or six years ago when Huang Zongyu, following His Majesty’s edict to inspect the Imperial Guards, happened upon his old injury flaring up while he lay bedridden recovering in camp.

At that time he developed a high fever and lost consciousness. His close palace guard panicked and left to call a physician. When he returned, he saw Huang Zongyu in the tent.

The guard saw Huang Zongyu’s expression was normal, and Wang Gong on the bed breathed steadily without making sounds. He thought nothing of it.

But now it seemed—

Huang Zongyu had already discovered it then.

Yet all these years, he had kept this matter suppressed, never reporting it to His Majesty.

“Prime Minister Huang also knows your difficulty. We’re all ministers—why would he make things hard for you?” Prince Jia seemed to perceive his current thoughts. “Wang Gong, I also won’t make things hard for you. Do you—understand?”

Early spring rain continuously washed the pine branches. The crackling sounds throughout the courtyard fell on Wang Gong’s ears like scattered pearls. He looked at this Prince Jia before him. After a long while, he lowered his head:

“This subject understands.”

Having not spoken for so long, Wang Gong’s voice was hoarse and unpleasant. But hearing this, Prince Jia raised his brows and reached out to lightly pat his shoulder: “Very good then.”

Duke Luguo was constrained on all sides within the Bureau of Forbidden Night. Court circumstances changed repeatedly. His Majesty was gravely ill, showing irreversible decline. On the twenty-third day of the first month, the two Prime Ministers of the Eastern and Western Bureaus had all officials enter Chaotian Hall to jointly discuss the heir apparent.

The old faction saw His Majesty couldn’t hold on until Her Ladyship gave birth. As for whether the bloodline in the Consort’s womb was questionable, to this day they still hadn’t produced solid evidence.

Palace Command Chief Commander Wang Gong argued forcefully in Chaotian Hall, stating Prince Jia was His Majesty’s adopted son, a legitimate Prince of First Rank, and should rightfully inherit the heir apparent position.

He controlled the three Imperial Guard divisions, adding威 to Prime Ministers Huang Zongyu and Meng Yunxian. The old faction officials led by Zheng Jian exhausted their strength and methods, but in early second month with spring rain pattering, they still couldn’t prevent Prince Jia from inheriting the Crown Prince position.

At this point, the new faction was high-spirited. The old faction was desolate and dejected.

Meng Yunxian seized this excellent opportunity to reward or promote old faction officials in Crown Prince Zhao Yi’s name, pacifying them. This made some court officials who worried about being implicated by factional strife tearfully grateful to the Crown Prince.

On the nineteenth day of the second month, the Crown Prince supervised the state.

In Chaotian Hall, Bureau of Forbidden Night Vice Commander Zhou Ting presented a confession personally written and personally sealed by Duke Luguo.

But it wasn’t a confession about Daizhou’s Manyu Bank secret accounts. It not only detailed Daizhou Manyu Bank’s secret accounts, but also the full story of Duke Luguo’s father Prince Nankang’s collusion with Wu Dai and Pan Youfang while alive.

Wu Dai had Yongzhou’s former Prefect Yang Ming privately deploy troops to support Jianchi Prefecture. Pan Youfang privately intercepted Jade Commander General’s military orders, ordering Tan Guangwen to support Jianchi Prefecture, delaying military timing, causing Jade Commander General Xu Hexue’s thirty thousand Jing’an Army to be annihilated at Mount Mushen.

To cover up the truth, Prince Nankang and Wu Dai and Pan Youfang made a great issue of Danqiu Royal Court’s previous attempt to induce Xu Hexue to surrender. Using the grave crime of treason, they had a young general of only nineteen years executed by lingering death in Yongzhou.

Combined with the indictment Tan Guangwen had presented in Tai’an Hall previously, this wrongful treason case sealed for sixteen years became extremely clear.

And the wife and child of Dou Yingzhang that Meng Yunxian had been seeking—they probably heard news of Pan Youfang’s death. They happened to enter the capital at this time and presented before Meng Yunxian and Huang Zongyu the letter Dou Yingzhang had delivered to them before being harmed by Pan Youfang.

The letter recorded how he was ordered by Pan Youfang to frame Princess Wenduan’s compound captain Lu Heng, and helped Wu Dai and Prince Nankang father and son embezzle Princess Wenduan’s household wealth.

Not only this—

Dou Yingzhang stated directly in the letter that Pan Youfang had ordered him to bring back the severely wounded Jade Commander General Xu Hexue from Mount Mushen. To prevent Jade Commander General from revealing the truth about the Mount Mushen battle, Pan Youfang forced muting medicine down Jade Commander General’s throat and had people deliver him to Yongzhou.

“Court officials, why do you not speak?”

Crown Prince Zhao Yi stood on the steps. “Before I told you about Dou Yingzhang’s wife and child, you clamored noisily, saying Duke Luguo was tortured into a false confession at the Bureau of Forbidden Night, that the confession couldn’t serve as proof.”

“But he’s imperial kin, a member of my Zhao family. Would the Bureau of Forbidden Night dare torture him?” Zhao Yi slightly raised his chin, staring at one person below. “Zheng Jian, yesterday I asked you to visit Duke Luguo at the Bureau of Forbidden Night. Tell your colleagues truthfully—how did the Duke fare at the Bureau?”

Zheng Jian stepped forward two paces, lowered his head. His lips moved. “The Duke… was indeed well.”

“How well?”

“Clothing clean, looking… even somewhat fatter.”

Zheng Jian’s tone was bitter.

What he saw yesterday was indeed thus.

“Did the Duke personally tell you he was tortured by Vice Commander Zhou?”

“…No.”

He hadn’t managed to speak with Duke Luguo, hadn’t even gotten close. Those Bureau of Forbidden Night officers surrounded him, provided him with bird cages, offered tea and refreshments—seemingly caring for him meticulously.

“Good.”

Zhao Yi stood with hands behind his back. “Then today, I want to ask you all—who still has the face to tell me the Yongzhou military report from that year was ironclad evidence? That was ironclad evidence—then what are today’s witness and physical evidence!”

Chaotian Hall fell silent as crows and sparrows.

“I’m asking you all—why don’t you answer?”

Zhao Yi scrutinized their faces one by one. “You serve as officials in the capital. Which of you hasn’t lived longer than Jade Commander General? At nineteen, he retook Yan Pass, defended Juhan Pass. After his death, both fell again into barbarian hands. Sixteen years, and not one person could do as he did—retake territory, protect those abandoned people.”

“Such a general who served nation and people—he didn’t die on the battlefield but died at our own people’s hands… I ask you all, are you ashamed?”

“Zheng Jian, I’m asking you.”

Zhao Yi’s sudden call made Zheng Jian’s knees weaken. He fell to the ground. His heart anxious: “Crown Prince, this, this was His Majesty’s edict. We subjects…”

“Audacious Zheng Jian!”

Zhao Yi immediately interrupted him. “Are you blaming the sovereign father?! You mean the one who caused Jade Commander General to suffer undeserved injustice wasn’t Prince Nankang, wasn’t Pan Youfang and Wu Dai, but His Majesty?”

“This subject dares not, dares not!”

These words shocked Zheng Jian into a cold sweat. He hastily prostrated himself lower.

“Prime Ministers.”

But Zhao Yi looked toward the two men in purple official robes, Meng and Huang. “I want to ask the Prime Ministers—as a ruler, is there only right and no wrong?”

“Your Highness… is Your Highness referring to His Majesty?”

A court official prostrated low. “Your Highness absolutely must not speak thus!”

“Your Highness, this is Chaotian Hall. How can you…”

“Please speak carefully, Your Highness!”

These old fellows from the Remonstrance Bureau were at it again.

“You also know this is Chaotian Hall?”

Zhao Yi said calmly: “As heir apparent, I’m merely asking the Prime Ministers about the way of rulership. You people want to condemn me for this?”

Those officials who had just spoken fell momentarily silent.

Meng Yunxian stepped forward at this moment. “Your Highness, this subject believes whether ruler or minister, one should carefully examine oneself. Do right, and there will be no wrong.”

“Then my overturning the verdict for Jade Commander General and the thirty thousand Jing’an Army soldiers now—is this right or wrong?”

Huang Zongyu stepped forward. “The evidence is all present. How could Your Highness be wrong?”

Vice Military Commissioner Ge Rang couldn’t restrain himself. He immediately stepped forward several paces. “Your Highness! This subject Ge Rang earnestly petitions Your Highness to overturn the verdict for Jade Commander General Xu Hexue and the thirty thousand Jing’an Army!”

“This subject Miao Tianzhao earnestly petitions Your Highness to overturn the verdict for Jade Commander General and the thirty thousand Jing’an Army!”

Grand Commandant Miao followed closely.

“This subject earnestly petitions Crown Prince to overturn the verdict for Jade Commander General and the thirty thousand Jing’an Army!”

More and more court officials stepped forward. Their voices nearly resounded throughout Chaotian Hall.

Bright spring light filled the vermillion hall doors. Zhao Yi was nearly dazzled by the light behind the assembled officials. His hands clenched into fists inside his sleeves.

“This case—I will personally overturn it. Whoever obstructs me, I will kill.”