xymnovel Chapter 27 Li Shanchang's Light-Speed Cut
Chapter 27 Li Shanchang's Light-Speed Cut
Crown Prince Zhu Biao's expression instantly turned cold, while Prince Chu Zhu Mu clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
Yesterday's tenderness still lingers in his heart, yet today, his beloved woman is being branded with such a vicious stigma right here in the imperial court!
He stared intently at Wang Min, his gaze as cold as if he were looking at a dead person.
"I second that proposal!"
"I second that opinion!"
Two more officials stepped out of the queue: one was the head of the Imperial Clan Court, and the other was a secretary from the Ministry of Rites. They knelt down with Wang Min in a triangular formation, creating a situation that seemed to be forcing him to abdicate.
At that moment, Liu Bowen, who had been silent all along, suddenly let out a cold laugh. The laugh was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears, carrying endless contempt and mockery.
He did not rush to defend himself, but instead turned to the dragon throne and asked loudly:
"May I ask Your Majesty, does our Great Ming Dynasty govern by law or by rumors?"
Zhu Yuanzhang stared at him and uttered a single word:
"Law!"
"good!"
Liu Bowen suddenly turned around, his gaze sharp as a knife, piercing directly at Wang Min and the other two.
"Wang, as a censor, it is your authority to report matters based on hearsay. But what evidence do you have for your reports? Which book of physiognomy confirms this? Which expert predicted it? Or is it merely based on what you call rumors circulating in the capital?"
"I……"
Wang Min was speechless for a moment.
Liu Bowen gave him no chance to catch his breath, his voice suddenly rising to a crescendo, like thunder:
"I, Liu Ji, as the Imperial Censor, overseeing all officials, will never abandon my integrity! You may impeach me, but I will accept it!"
"But I also serve as the Grand Astrologer, in charge of the calendar of the realm, observing celestial phenomena to predict good and bad fortune! My daughter's birth chart, which I personally analyzed from birth, is an excellent destiny, a phoenix soaring over Qishan, embodying the virtue of the earth bearing all things!"
"Your so-called 'lone star of ill omen' is utter nonsense! When has our Great Ming Dynasty stooped to questioning the professionalism of the Grand Astrologer based on the ramblings of a charlatan?!"
He took a step forward, his momentum growing even stronger:
"Even if fate truly exists, our Great Ming Dynasty swept across the northern deserts and drove out the barbarians thanks to the steel swords and iron horses of a million soldiers, and to the wisdom and martial prowess of His Majesty and His Highness the Crown Prince! How could His Highness the Prince of Chu, with his literary and military talents, be harmed by such a mere, ethereal concept as fate?!"
Those who spread such remarks are despicable!
"They are not targeting Liu, but rather undermining the dignity of our Great Ming imperial family, eroding the confidence our soldiers have earned with their blood! They are telling the world that the fate of our Great Ming dynasty cannot withstand the fate of a woman!"
"This is the true scourge upon the foundation of the nation!"
Li Shanchang, standing at the head of the civil officials, had already changed his expression.
He immediately realized that one of his subordinates was being disobedient and trying to cause trouble, but had kicked the hardest nut to crack.
Liu Bowen's counterattack was too sharp; if we don't cut ties now, we'll get burned!
He cherished his reputation throughout his life and was determined not to let these fools ruin it.
He immediately stepped forward, bowed deeply to the dragon throne, and said with deep sorrow and indignation:
"Your Majesty, what Minister Liu says is absolutely right! I never imagined that there would be such a foolish person in my court! To frame a high-ranking official with baseless gossip from the streets and alleys, and to criticize the royal marriage, is a path to chaos! I am ashamed that there are such people in the court!"
He changed the subject and angrily rebuked Wang Min and the others:
"You are officials appointed by the court, yet instead of serving the country, you spread rumors about ghosts and gods. What are your intentions?! Your Majesty, I implore you to severely punish these wicked people who spread falsehoods to rectify the court and reassure the people!"
Li Shanchang's righteous words completely extinguished the last glimmer of hope for Wang Min and the other two.
Zhu Yuanzhang had been observing coldly, but now that Li Shanchang had expressed his opinion, he was determined to kill him.
This is exactly the result he wanted—a result that would shut everyone up.
"What a wonderful example of governing the country by law!"
Zhu Yuanzhang spoke slowly, his voice icy.
"The law of my Great Ming Dynasty is that anyone who dares to threaten our rule shall die!"
He slammed his hand on the armrest of the dragon throne, making a loud "bang"!
"Guards! Drag Wang Min and these three scoundrels out and give them forty strokes of the cane! Confiscate their property, and their entire clan will be permanently banned from holding office!"
Forty strokes of the cane in court, repeated many times, would be too much for even a military general to withstand, let alone these civil officials.
Only with good luck can you avoid being beaten to death.
This permanent ban on employment has almost severed the future of their family.
"Your Majesty, spare us! Your Majesty! We are innocent!"
The cries and pleas for mercy from the three were quickly silenced, and they were dragged out of Fengtian Hall like dead dogs.
The muffled thuds of the caning and the piercing screams of agony could be faintly heard, silencing the officials in the hall.
The turmoil was swiftly and bloodily quelled by Liu Bowen's strong counterattack, Li Shanchang's decisive severance, and Zhu Yuanzhang's ruthless methods.
No one in the imperial court dared to discuss the matter anymore.
However, Zhu Mu's gaze passed over the crowd and met Liu Bowen's eyes in the queue.
They both saw the same message in each other's eyes.
This matter is definitely not that simple.
The one who was beaten to death with a cane was just a pawn; the real mastermind was still hiding behind the scenes.
The sound of the caning in the Fengtian Hall still echoed in their ears as the officials, each with their own thoughts, silently dispersed from court.
Upon the return of its master, Li Shanchang, the Left Chancellor of the Secretariat, the mansion was immediately locked. The steward announced to the outside world that "the Chancellor is considerate of his subordinates and has dismissed the office early today. Any matters will be discussed again tomorrow."
Inside the study, the charcoal fire burned brightly, dispelling the chill of early spring, but unable to dispel the gloom between Li Shanchang's brows.
His wife, Madam Zhang, carried a bowl of ginseng tea and tiptoed in. Seeing his displeased expression, she asked softly:
"My lord, what troubled you at court today?"
Li Shanchang took the teacup, but didn't drink it. He merely used the lid to gently stir the foam on the surface, and let out a cold snort.
"Troublesome matters? More than just troublesome! Someone is courting death and trying to drag my Huaixi lineage of civil officials down with them!"
Zhang was horrified:
"Why do you say such a thing, sir? In the court today, who else dares to..."
"Who else could it be but that arrogant, ignorant fool!"
Li Shanchang slammed the teacup down on the table, spilling a few drops of tea.
"Hu Weiyong!"
He stood up and paced around the room, his voice filled with barely suppressed anger:
"Liu Ji's daughter, the Second Prince's fiancée, can she be swayed by a few rumors circulating in the martial arts world?"
"What is His Majesty's temperament? He hates nothing more than his subjects forming cliques, and he hates even more anyone reaching out to harm his son!"
"That idiot Hu Weiyong thinks he can undermine Liu Ji and sow discord between His Majesty and the Second Prince by hiring a few incompetent officials? Does he really think His Majesty, the Crown Prince, the Second Prince, and I, Li Shanchang, are all fools?"
Zhang said with concern:
"Then... could this matter implicate you?"
"Today in the palace, I have already drawn a line between myself and them."
A flicker of lingering fear and resolve flashed in Li Shanchang's eyes.
"But this Hu Weiyong is becoming increasingly despicable, and his ambitions are growing ever larger. He's more trouble than he's worth; keeping him around will only make him a huge disaster sooner or later! We need to find a way to make him destroy his own path!"
Li Shanchang looked out the window, his eyes gleaming.