GBP Chapter 152 Turning the tables is going smoothly
Chapter 152 Turning the tables is going smoothly
Seeing Shen Yucheng's face grow increasingly grim, Shen Sangwan had a bad feeling.
Sure enough, the next second they heard the angry voice of the person in charge, "Cen Zhouyuan, you really have a lot of nerve! Guards—"
"Your Majesty, the person who assassinated me was definitely not Prime Minister Cen."
Before Shen Yuchen could order his men to arrest Cen Zhouyuan at the Cen residence, Shen Sangwan cleared herself of any involvement.
"Why do you say such a thing, General?"
"Yesterday, I went to Prince Ming’s residence to search for people because of the letter sent by Cen Qingyu. Although I did not find anyone at Prince Ming’s residence, I found some clues. Compared with the crimes of embezzlement, bribery, and assassination of important officials and members of the royal family, you who are here should all understand which is more serious."
If it were truly the work of Prime Minister Cen, Cen Qingyu would not have revealed the clues about his father's abuse of power for personal gain and then handed over the clues about the assassin who attempted to kill me to me.
If it's discovered that they have any connection to the Cen family, they might be implicated and punished; no one would be foolish enough to push themselves into such a predicament.
Shen Yucheng's emotions calmed down a bit after hearing Shen Sangwan's words. Seeing that she had temporarily calmed him down, Shen Sangwan asked Lin Chaoli, "How is that guard now?"
"After revealing everything he knew, he committed suicide out of fear of punishment."
His tone was calm and expressionless, but the mockery in his eyes was unconsciously evident.
"How many years has Lord Lin served as an official in the court?"
Lin Chaoli's expression shifted slightly at Shen Sangwan's sudden change of topic. "This year marks exactly fifteen years."
Upon hearing this, Shen Sangwan sighed softly, "Has Lord Lin been in the position of Minister of the Court of Judicial Review for so long that he has forgotten that the confessions of the dead are not valid?"
If you are in cahoots with the person who attempted to assassinate me, and arbitrarily add unverifiable information to the guards' testimonies, taking advantage of the fact that the dead cannot speak, you will act with impunity and deceive His Majesty. What should be done then?
Having served as an official for decades, how could you neglect such an important matter? Should we say you are corrupt or harbor ulterior motives?
Lin Chaoli did not show any weakness and retorted directly, "The Princess has attacked my heart in the main hall today. I might as well not sit in this position of Minister of the Court of Judicial Review."
He immediately knelt on the ground and said, "If Your Majesty no longer trusts me or the impartiality of the Court of Judicial Review, I beg Your Majesty to demote me to Shuzhou and let me return to my ancestral home."
"Lord Lin, there's no need to rush His Majesty to demote you. After all, His Majesty is just young, not a three-year-old child who can be manipulated at will. He still has the ability to distinguish right from wrong."
"I was merely reminding Lord Lin of some regulations; how did it escalate to the issue of demotion? Does Lord Lin intend to pressure His Majesty?"
Shen Sangwan kept finding fault with Lin Chaoli to shift the blame.
This "turning the tables" tactic is like a skill, and it's exceptionally easy and convenient to use.
"Why must the eldest princess be so aggressive?"
Wen Yunhe, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly stepped forward to smooth things over, saying, "The matter of Prime Minister Cen does indeed need to be discussed. After a thorough investigation, we can ask His Majesty to make a decision."
"Prime Minister Wen is right. I was a bit too forceful today. If I frightened Lord Lin, I apologize to him."
There's a saying, isn't there? "A scoundrel isn't scary, but a cultured scoundrel is."
Shen Sangwan secretly defined herself as a cultured rogue, feeling somewhat smug. She made a gesture to apologize to Lin Chaoli, who was kneeling on the ground, but was sternly rejected by him.
"Your Highness, I cannot accept such a courtesy. Please do not be so disrespectful."
"Tsk tsk tsk, you brought this on yourself. If you provoke me again, I won't be so patient. I'll just take matters into my own hands."
"In that case, I should also speak about the important matter I came to Xuyang Palace to discuss today."
"What brings the General of the State to report?"
Shen Yuchen went along with it, not giving Lin Chaoli a chance to retort, and directly responded to Shen Sangwan's words.
Lin Chaoli, kneeling on the ground, was furious. He had only been being polite, but Shen Sangwan had actually turned the tables on him. If he were to speak again now, it would seem extremely impolite.
He could only suppress his anger and rise from the ground.
"The examination papers of scholars from various regions will be sent to Zhongdu in two days. Although the papers were previously reviewed in the city, in order to ensure absolute fairness and impartiality, the examinations were conducted in a cross-regional manner."
Even though the examination papers sent this time have been reviewed and examined by the Imperial Academy, I still hope that Your Majesty can select some grassroots officials as inspectors.
If any suspected favoritism or corruption is discovered, the person who reports it and confirms it will be promoted two ranks; if they are found to be complicit or have covered it up, they will be immediately exiled to a remote and desolate place.
Upon hearing this advice, Wen Yunhe retorted loudly, "Your Majesty, this old minister believes that Princess Chang's actions are inappropriate. Although the imperial examination is the foundation of the country, it should be of utmost importance."
But to go to such great lengths and expend so much manpower and resources on a mere provincial examination is putting the cart before the horse.
"The provincial examination is meant to select talent for the metropolitan examination in the spring of the following year. How come Prime Minister Wen makes it sound like the provincial examination is dispensable?"
Wen Yunhe felt that Shen Sangwan's sharp tongue was becoming increasingly difficult to deal with, and she was like a thorn in his side, not to be approached. Once you provoked her, she would either stab you until you bled or scratch you.
"Your Highness is mistaken. This old minister did not mean that. I only hope that Your Majesty can find a compromise that can achieve absolute fairness without using too much manpower."
Seeing that the other person emphasized the last few words, she scoffed inwardly.
There's no such thing as absolute fairness in this world. All I want is relative fairness within the given environment. You're clearly just trying to find fault.
Fortunately, Shen Sangwan didn't have to say anything; Shen Yucheng spoke first, "In that case, there are still a few days left. I'll trouble Prime Minister Wen to think of a way that satisfies both sides."
"Today, you have all been arguing for so long over the matter of Chancellor Cen. Lin Chaoli of the Court of Judicial Review and Jiang Shuping of the Ministry of Justice, you two will jointly investigate this matter. You must be thorough in every detail, leaving no stone unturned. Do not present anything untrue or uncertain to me again."
"Wei Chen accepts the order."
Lin Chaoli and Jiang Shuping, who were named, knelt down and kowtowed at the same time.
"Court is adjourned. General Fuguo, please come to Xingde Hall."
"Long live my emperor."
Amidst the cheers of the court officials, Shen Sangwan and Shen Yuchen left Xuyang Palace.
Xingde Hall
As Shen Sangwan approached the palace gate, a palace servant came out carrying a basin of wood ash. Upon seeing Shen Sangwan and Shen Yuchen, the servants knelt down to pay their respects.
"What's this for?"
Shen Yuchen told the palace maid to quickly take the copper basin away, then pulled Shen Sangwan inside, leaving Fu'an to guard outside.
"Sister, I don't know what's wrong with me. Since I ascended the throne, I've become increasingly unable to control my temper. Sometimes even a small thing can trigger my inner turmoil."
The imperial physicians of the Imperial Hospital had all examined the patient, but they still couldn't figure out the cause. Later, Physician Qin mentioned a folk herbal remedy that, if inhaled regularly, might provide some relief.