The storm from the northwest arrived faster than anyone had anticipated, and the wind blew more fiercely than anyone had expected. On the morning court session of July 19th, Emperor Jianzhang coldly tossed a memorial to Wang Ying, the Chief Censor of the Censorate, and said with a cold laugh, “Read it aloud for all the beloved ministers to hear!” His face was hidden behind his ceremonial crown, making it impossible to see what expression he wore.

It finally came! Elder Chen, standing behind Chief Minister Chang, lowered his head and revealed a mysterious smile, watching as the palace attendant received the memorial from Emperor Jianzhang’s hand.

Wang Ying rallied his spirits and responded affirmatively, striding forward confidently to receive the memorial from the palace attendant. But the moment he held it in his hands, he froze completely, as if struck by lightning, his legs faintly trembling—the memorial in his hands was indeed submitted by Cui Shaoting, but the content was completely different from the copy he had transcribed. The copy he had transcribed clearly showed Cui Shaoting agreeing to mutual trade, which was Cui Shaoting’s death warrant. But the one in his hands… the one in his hands was Cui Shaoting’s impeachment of Northwest Governor-General Zhang Tianhe for colluding with the Tartars, privately trafficking war horses, and embezzling two hundred thousand taels of military funds.

He felt that the memorial in his hands was somewhat blinding. Suppressing the stinging sensation, he scanned it again, only then belatedly realizing that the memorial in his hands was not the Cui family’s death warrant, but his own.

The entire Taiji Hall fell into a brief, eerie silence. Everyone stared in bewilderment at the motionless Wang Ying in front of them. Wang Ying stared motionlessly at the memorial in his hands, as if it were some man-eating flood or savage beast.

Fang Xiaoyu in the ranks felt vaguely panicked, wishing he could kick Wang Ying—things had already reached this point, just read it out already! Why was he acting like he’d seen a ghost? Could he still be afraid?

Song Chengru stood behind Chen Shoufu and Elder Chen, eyes on his nose, nose on his heart, completely ignoring the probing gaze cast by Elder Du, presenting an appearance of calm composure as if he knew nothing.

But Elder Chen wasn’t just panicking like Fang Xiaoyu. He immediately understood that there must be something wrong with that memorial—Wang Ying wasn’t a timid person. He couldn’t possibly have such a mishap at this critical moment. It must be that the memorial in his hands was different from the one he had originally seen. The content might even be completely opposite, which would explain his shock to this degree.

But he imperceptibly swept his peripheral vision over Minister Song and Cui Yingshu behind him. When he remembered that the original memorial seemed to have only passed through Chief Minister Chang’s hands, his own hands involuntarily trembled.

That memorial probably really did have a problem!

As if to verify his thoughts, Emperor Jianzhang, seated above, gave a cold snort. He threw down another memorial from above, which landed at Wang Ying’s feet. He coldly said to Wang Ying, “This is what you originally gave me—the impeachment accusing Minister Song of bending the law for personal gain and privately releasing fugitives! Now I’m returning it to you!”

Wang Ying’s legs almost reflexively went soft, and with a thud he heavily knelt on the ground. Through the gleaming floor, he saw his own deathly pale face.

Emperor Jianzhang turned back and called to Eunuch Feng, “You, go read aloud the memorial in his hands for everyone to hear.”

The ministers throughout the hall looked at each other, not knowing what had happened. But once Eunuch Feng finished reading the first section, everyone understood why Emperor Jianzhang was so angry.

The accumulated problems in the northwest had actually been common knowledge throughout the court for a long time, but no one had ever imagined things had reached such a state—as Northwest Governor-General, Zhang Tianhe had been covering the sky with one hand. Not only had he been so audacious as to collude with the Tartars to privately traffic war horses, smuggling silk, satin, medicine and food, he had even embezzled military funds, undermined the Three Borders Commissioner and bribed the Yangzhou Prefect. When bribing Cui Shaoting failed, he had even attempted to use a honey trap, utilizing the beauty to secretly steal Cui Shaoting’s defense maps.

Wang Ying knelt on the ground, his face colorless, sweat pouring down like rain. He no longer had the strength to even speak—what could he say? The slanders he had previously whispered in Emperor Jianzhang’s ear had now all become knives flying back at himself—with the two words “advocate war,” Cui Shaoting had viciously slapped his face and viciously stabbed him before Emperor Jianzhang, making him appear as a treacherous villain who conspired with Zhang Tianhe to frame the loyal and righteous.

Fang Xiaoyu also nearly couldn’t stand steady. He only felt sweat pouring down beneath his wide robes. He lowered his head, utterly at a loss, wanting to look at Elder Chen, but in the next moment he knew that now was not the time to look at Elder Chen. He immediately lowered his head again to stare at his own feet, anxiously clenching his fists in panic.

Elder Chen was shocked in his heart but revealed nothing on his face, frowning to appear just as concerned for the nation as the other four cabinet members.

“The treasury’s silver has nurtured these good-for-nothing parasites who eat from within while crawling outside!” Emperor Jianzhang’s voice coldly resonated throughout Taiji Hall. “It seems that I, the Son of Heaven, have been truly incompetent as emperor, to have such incidents occur again and again!”

Within one year, such massive corruption cases had appeared in both the south and north. Moreover, the Yangzhou case even implicated his two sons. Now the northwest had immediately produced such an enormous flaw. The rage in his heart could simply no longer be suppressed.

At first, he had believed Cui Shaoting was truly as Wang Ying and others said—not doing practical work and wildly ambitious. But looking at it now, it was clearly Cui Shaoting who was the only clean stream on the northwest side.

These words caused the civil and military officials throughout the court to kneel on the ground with a rustling sound. Chief Minister Chang took the lead in loudly accepting responsibility, “It is all the fault of us ministers. Your Majesty is sagely wise and illuminating, being the supremely honored one who received the mandate of Heaven. You truly should not belittle yourself.”

Everyone loves to hear good words. Emperor Jianzhang gave a cold snort, his eyes fixed on the crowd below for a moment, before appointing the Ministry of Justice, the Court of Judicial Review, and the Censorate—the three judicial offices—to jointly investigate the case of Northwest Governor-General Zhang Tianhe colluding with the Tartars and embezzling military funds.

Minister of Justice Meng Jiming and Court of Judicial Review Minister Feng Yinglong were unprepared to suddenly be named. Both hesitated for a moment before stepping forward to receive the order. In contrast, Left Chief Censor of the Censorate Tao Dinghu still appeared calm and collected. He glanced at Wang Ying kneeling in the center and firmly responded with an affirmative.

Fang Xiaoyu felt all the strength in his body being drained at this moment. He watched helplessly as the Imperial Guards stripped Wang Ying of his cap, belt, and official robes, dragging him out like a dead dog. His heart shuddered violently with cold. But his own official robes underneath were already soaked through. To ask him to open his mouth and plead for mercy for this in-law relative and old schoolmate was absolutely impossible—Cui Shaoting’s memorial was written viciously and ruthlessly. In Emperor Jianzhang’s eyes, Wang Ying was now thoroughly a petty villain. If he recklessly pleaded for mercy, his own fate wouldn’t be any better.