On the first day of October, Li Rong rose early in the morning. After carefully dressing herself, she set out for the palace.
When she left, the sky was still gray and dim. Cold wind swept through all of Hua Jing, hitting her face as Li Rong lifted the carriage curtain.
Li Rong raised her head to look at the towering palace gate. Her gaze lingered briefly on the high roof before she heard Jing Lan beside her say softly, “Your Highness, it’s time to enter the palace.”
Li Rong withdrew her gaze and smiled lightly. She placed her hand on Jing Lan’s and stepped down from the carriage using the footstool.
As she walked toward the great hall, morning court was just beginning. Consort Rou’s people had already impeached, demanding confirmation of the specific execution period for this year.
To conform with the seasons, Great Xia only executed prisoners in winter. Last year, Li Rong had consecutively executed so many people because she had conveniently resolved all disputes during winter. Now Consort Rou had imprisoned those to be imprisoned, exiled those to be exiled, and demoted those to be demoted, but hadn’t killed a single person—all were postponed until winter.
Now that October had just arrived, Consort Rou’s people couldn’t wait to request a specific execution time. Everyone understood that Consort Rou’s intent wasn’t to kill people, but to issue a warning.
“Execution times have always been calculated by the Bureau of Astronomy,” Shangguan Xu couldn’t stand Consort Rou’s arrogance and spoke out himself, scolding the impeaching official. “Since when did court deliberation become necessary? You’ve been in court for years—are you really this ignorant of protocol?”
Since Shangguan Xu was after all the Left Chancellor, with him speaking up, the officials below naturally dared not make a sound. Seeing this scene, Consort Rou glared at the official kneeling on the ground and said with a smile, “Lord Shangguan’s words are incorrect. After all, these times are different from the past. This year there are numerous people to be executed. If we don’t establish a specific time, I’m afraid it will be delayed again and again. In the end,” Consort Rou sneered, “who knows whether the executions can even be carried out?”
Consort Rou was implying that the aristocratic families would secretly operate behind the scenes to save people. Censorate Director Shangguan Minzhi said coldly, “Why couldn’t executions be carried out? What do you mean ‘these times are different from the past’? The court has always been the court, and His Majesty has always been His Majesty. What’s different now is merely that there are women from the inner palace interfering in government—a hen crowing at dawn, bringing chaos to court order.”
“Shangguan Minzhi,” hearing this, Consort Rou immediately shouted sternly, “What do you mean?!”
Shangguan Minzhi looked over coldly. “Your Ladyship, this minister is merely fulfilling his duty as a censor.”
“You say I’m a hen crowing at dawn?”
Consort Rou was angered to the point of laughter. “Then when Princess Pingle was in court, why didn’t you say anything? It’s only because she’s your Shangguan family’s princess!”
“The Princess is the imperial family’s princess,” Shangguan Minzhi looked straight ahead. “The Shangguan family cannot claim the Princess. Please let the Xiao clan understand the difference between imperial family and aristocratic families—don’t overstep boundaries out of ignorance.”
Consort Rou instinctively wanted to retort, but seeing the group of Censorate officials behind Shangguan Minzhi, she forcibly held back.
What madness would possess her to argue with Censorate people?
This group had stirred up storms and engaged in verbal battles in court for decades. Any random one of them was formidable. Back in the day, Shangguan Minzhi had verbally fought his way to Censorate Director. These years he had maintained his dignity and rarely spoke, but that didn’t mean his tongue had no fangs.
Consort Rou restrained herself. She smiled and softened her voice. “Lord Shangguan can only nitpick words to make an issue. We’re both women—if Princess Pingle could serve as Director of the Constabulary Bureau, why can’t I?”
“At least Elder Sister didn’t create so many wrongful cases.” Li Chuan’s voice was flat. “Why the officials don’t submit—shouldn’t Consort Rou reflect on that?”
“She’s in collusion with all of you, naturally you won’t speak ill of her,” Consort Rou’s tone turned cold. “Crown Prince says I handle wrongful cases—do you have evidence? If not, then you…”
“I do!”
Before Consort Rou finished speaking, a clear female voice came from the entrance. Pei Wenxuan turned around immediately and saw before the great hall a woman approaching against the light, stepping into the hall.
Li Ming frowned, watching as Li Rong entered the hall holding a scroll.
Everyone stared at her as she walked forward through the crowd, then calmly stopped before Li Ming. She performed a grand courtesy and said respectfully, “This subject daughter greets Father Emperor. May Father Emperor live ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand times ten thousand years.”
“What are you here for?”
Li Ming spoke instinctively, but as soon as the words left his mouth, he knew the question was wrong.
No matter why Li Rong had come, her appearance in the great hall meant she had already escaped his control.
He shouldn’t have let her appear here. So he immediately said, “Without being summoned, you…”
“This subject daughter has come for herself, for the court officials, for all the humble clan students under heaven, to demand justice from the current Director of the Constabulary Bureau, Noble Consort Xiao Rou!”
Li Rong didn’t wait for Li Ming to finish. She suddenly raised her voice. Each word was forceful and resonant, striking the ground with sound.
As she spoke, Li Rong raised the scroll in her hand. “This subject daughter requests His Majesty to uphold justice for us.”
Seeing Li Rong, Consort Rou immediately panicked somewhat, though her face remained impassive. She feigned composure, staring fixedly at Li Rong.
Li Rong’s interjection left Li Ming unable to speak the words to drive her away. Li Ming looked at Li Rong coldly. After a long while, he spoke, reminding her, “Pingle, you should currently be resting at your mansion.”
“Father Emperor,” Li Rong faced Li Ming’s near-warning reminder without fear, saying calmly, “Please have Father Emperor admit the plaintiffs into the hall.”
“You know I am your father emperor, yet you still dare instruct me how to act?”
“Your Majesty,” Shangguan Xu spoke calmly, “Since Your Highness is accusing Consort Rou, as an enlightened sovereign, Your Majesty should first concern yourself with this wrongful case.”
“Your Majesty, please summon all persons related to Consort Rou’s case into the hall.”
More than half the court officials spoke in unison. Li Ming stared at these ministers forcing his hand. He clenched his fist and finally could only respond, “Summon them.”
After his words fell, the officials related to the Shangguan family who had been imprisoned by Consort Rou entered the hall one after another. At the same time, some people from the Constabulary Bureau also entered together, led by Shangguan Ya.
After they had all settled into place, Consort Rou smiled. “The plaintiffs are these people who have already been judged guilty?”
As she spoke, Consort Rou’s gaze slowly swept over the Shangguan family members. “Pingle, for the Shangguan family to seek a way out for their own people by framing others and perverting justice—your courage is truly impressive.”
“Your Ladyship thinks someone is framing you?” Hearing this, Li Rong laughed. “Then,” Li Rong shifted her body, revealing the person kneeling behind her, “what about this one?”
After Li Rong moved aside, a young man raised his head. The young man had an upright appearance, his gaze falling on Consort Rou’s face with a hint of indignation.
Consort Rou looked at this young man, somewhat bewildered. “Who is this?”
“This commoner is Chen Houzhao,” the young man prostrated on the ground and declared loudly. “An examination candidate from Yuzhou Qingcheng last year.”
Hearing Chen Houzhao’s name, Consort Rou’s expression immediately changed. After a moment, she quickly said, “So it’s you? This palace searched everywhere for you but couldn’t find anyone. Today you’re here—were you coerced by someone?”
Consort Rou struck first, trying to make whatever Chen Houzhao said seem like Li Rong’s coercion.
Hearing her words, Chen Houzhao laughed mockingly. “Your Ladyship, what could anyone coerce this commoner about? Even if someone could coerce this commoner here, could they coerce your cousin Xiao Shunwen into stealing my spring examination qualification?”
Li Ming’s expression changed slightly. He looked toward Consort Rou without showing emotion. Consort Rou feigned composure. “When handling the imperial examination case previously, this palace couldn’t find your whereabouts. If you were wronged, why didn’t you file a complaint earlier? Why wait until today to speak of these groundless matters?”
“Groundless?” Chen Houzhao’s emotions became agitated. “Do you know how I passed these twenty-plus years studying in my cold window? Do you know how many clothes my mother washed to support my studies, ruining her eyes in the process? My entire family’s hopes rested on me! That dog thief Xiao Shunwen, Xiao Pingzhang, just stole my identity, my examination papers, my twenty-plus years! Today you dare tell me it’s groundless?!”
“Young Master Chen, you needn’t be so agitated,” seeing Chen Houzhao unable to control his anger, Consort Rou quickly soothed him. “I merely want to confirm the facts. Don’t take it to heart. If there truly is a wrong, why must you make such a fuss? You need only speak plainly. This palace absolutely won’t show favoritism and will certainly return you justice!”
“Justice?” Chen Houzhao sneered. “The justice you’d give me is to have people track my whereabouts everywhere to kill me, hoping I’d never come back alive so this case would never surface again?”
“What nonsense are you spouting?!”
“Don’t you know what you’ve done?! You people falsely claimed I died of illness in Hua Jing, used my younger brother’s future to threaten my mother, telling her not to come to Hua Jing to continue investigating my case. The letter you promised to recommend my brother as someone’s aide is still here,” Chen Houzhao pulled a letter from his sleeve. “Still want to lie?”
“I understand now,” hearing this, Consort Rou quickly turned to look at Li Ming. “Your Majesty, they want to frame me. Today all their evidence is forged—they’re deliberately trying to harm me! Chen Houzhao disappeared right after filing a complaint with Pingle. If I wanted to harm him, why would I track his whereabouts and clash with Pingle?”
“Your Majesty,” Pei Wenxuan spoke slowly. Everyone looked at him as he stepped out from the officials and said respectfully, “This humble minister believes Consort Rou has been wronged.”
Hearing Pei Wenxuan speak on her behalf, Consort Rou immediately looked at him hopefully. Pei Wenxuan analyzed and spoke, “Since Prince Su inherited the Constabulary Bureau to investigate the imperial examination case, with Consort Rou assisting him, they have sought justice for over a hundred students, enforcing the law fairly and earning praise throughout the realm. How could she pervert the law and protect blood relatives? This humble minister believes this case requires further investigation—we must not wrong innocent people.”
“Yes,” Consort Rou followed Pei Wenxuan’s words, looking at Li Ming earnestly. “Your Majesty, how much effort has this subject consort expended on the imperial examination case? How could I betray Your Majesty’s trust just to protect a few distant blood relatives?”
Li Ming said nothing. He raised his eyes to look at Li Rong.
Li Rong knelt on the ground. Though kneeling, she held herself perfectly upright, a pair of clear eyes looking at him without the slightest humility that should belong to someone kneeling.
“Then this subject daughter must show Your Ladyship the third batch of plaintiffs.”
As Li Rong spoke, she placed the scroll on the ground. She raised her hand and rolled the scroll to the side. The long scroll unfurled, revealing familiar yet strange names one after another.
“The third batch of plaintiffs are the victims from the imperial examination case handled by Consort Rou. Consort Rou says she expended great effort on this case and handled it fairly. Then I want to ask Consort Rou—since you enforced the law fairly,” the scroll finally stopped, stretching half the width of the great hall. Li Rong raised her eyes to look at Consort Rou, “why did you use spring examination qualification as a threat to persuade these students to abandon their complaints?”
“Letting the imposters go unpunished, merely giving these students the spring examination slots that should have been theirs,” Li Rong’s smile carried some mockery, “is this what Your Ladyship calls enforcing—the—law—fairly?”
Consort Rou was momentarily speechless. She looked at the names on the scroll in shock. Li Ming stared fixedly at the names on that scroll, clenching his fist.
Li Rong looked at the two people in the great hall and slowly kowtowed. “Your Majesty, Consort Rou has embezzled and accepted bribes, perverted justice for personal gain, deliberately murdered, and framed loyal subjects. This subject daughter requests Your Majesty detain Consort Rou for thorough investigation and punish her according to law!”