Chapter 104

On the tenth day of the second month in the eighteenth year of Tongxu, this marked the first court trial since the first year of Tongxu.

As the sun barely began to rise, civil and military officials assembled for court.

Xie Tingzhou stood in the hall and glanced back.

The former Minister of Revenue, Ge Liangji, was brought into the Xuanhui Hall. The days in prison had tormented him beyond recognition. Despite the heavy shackles, he shook off the wardens assisting him and entered with a straight back.

Ge Liangji knew this would be the last time he would enter the Xuanhui Hall in his life.

The court trial began, and the officials were horrified as the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, Yu Hongyi, listed the accusations.

“Former Minister of Revenue Ge Liangji, colluding with the traitor Liang Jianfang and harming loyal subjects, causing the defeat at Yanliang Pass, do you confess?”

Ge Liangji bowed his head to the ground. “I confess.”

“On the tenth day of the ninth month in the seventeenth year of Tongxu, the General of the Imperial Guards, Shen Zhong’an, and the General of the Cloud Banner, Shen Zhao, led troops to Yanliang Pass. You bribed Liang Jianfang to ensure defeat, colluded with the Xijue people, and revealed our military reports and battle plans. Is this true?”

No one in the hall responded; all eyes were on Ge Liangji.

“Is this true?!” Yu Hongyi’s voice echoed in the hall.

Ge Liangji slowly raised his head, his cracked lips parted slightly, and he firmly said, “No.”

The hall erupted in an uproar. Even Yu Hongyi was shocked. He had not expected Ge Liangji to recant his confession in court. He glanced towards the throne but resisted the urge to look directly, merely tilting his head slightly before returning his gaze to Ge Liangji.

Everyone’s attention was on Ge Liangji’s recantation, except Xie Tingzhou.

Xie Tingzhou looked at the Tongxu Emperor on the throne.

The elderly Tongxu Emperor pressed his lips tightly together, glaring at Ge Liangji with invisible pressure, just like everyone else in the hall.

Xie Tingzhou lowered his eyes, hiding his emotions.

Ge Liangji looked up at the throne and suddenly spoke loudly, “Your Majesty, the sinner Ge Liangji has a self-written confession and requests permission to present it.”

The Tongxu Emperor said, “Granted.”

Ge Liangji continued, “On the tenth day of the ninth month in the seventeenth year of Tongxu, Generals Shen Zhong’an and Shen Zhao led troops to Yanliang Pass. I had a long-standing feud with Shen Zhong’an and saw this as an opportunity to eliminate him, so I conspired with Liang Jianfang.”

Yu Hongyi asked, “What was the nature of your feud with General Shen?”

Ge Liangji replied, “The details of our feud are in my written confession. I won’t waste His Majesty’s and the officials’ time here. But I did not collude with the Xijue. I only had Liang Jianfang tamper with the supplies. Unexpectedly, the supplies were delayed en route, causing the plan to fail. Liang Jianfang then acted independently and colluded with the Xijue. The plan was discovered, and we had to shut the gates.”

“The defeat could have been blamed on the Xijue. Liang Jianfang only needed to claim that closing the gates was to protect the people inside the pass, and the plan would have been foolproof. But the Northern Li prince arrived with the Qingyun Guards.”

“I feared exposure and ambushed Liang Jianfang on the way to the capital, thinking I had silenced him. Little did I know, the prince had already sent Liang Jianfang to the capital by another route.”

Ge Liangji’s speech was tightly connected to the events, leaving no gaps, and with Liang Jianfang dead, there seemed to be no one who could refute him.

Yu Hongyi asked in a deep voice, “Do you have any other accomplices?”

Ge Liangji remained silent for a moment. The hall was so quiet that even a pin drop could be heard, and everyone held their breath.

“No, this case was solely planned by Liang Jianfang and me. There were no other accomplices.”

Xie Tingzhou seemed to hear someone exhale in the hall.

Unbeknownst to him, it had started to rain outside.

The towering pavilions blocked the rain, but Xie Tingzhou seemed to see the filth seeping into the ground, staining the pillars of the Xuanhui Hall with decay.

The foundation of this grand building was rotten. Would it collapse? Why did it still stand tall, barely holding on?

The spring rain gradually turned into a downpour, and the court trial neared its end.

The officials’ attendants were not allowed inside. After the court session, many officials were escorted out of the Chengtian Gate by the palace attendants. Some, not in a hurry, stood outside the Xuanhui Hall, watching the heavy rain.

Jiang Lianzhi helped Jiang Yuanqing onto the carriage. “Grandfather, you should head back first.”

Jiang Yuanqing seemed to have something to say but merely sighed, pouring all his unsaid words into that single breath.

The grandfather and grandson needed no words; they understood each other perfectly.

Jiang Lianzhi turned to look at the high palace walls. In the heavy rain, he saw someone emerge from Chengtian Gate, followed by a guard holding an umbrella.

That person wore a dark raven-blue official’s attire. Through the rain, his gaze was cold and distant.

Xie Tingzhou, the Northern Li prince, had different privileges, allowing his attendants to accompany him into the palace.

Upon seeing Jiang Lianzhi, Xie Tingzhou paused briefly, then walked straight up to him.

“Lord Jiang seems quite troubled,” Xie Tingzhou remarked.

Jiang Lianzhi glanced at the palace gates and politely replied, “Just some trivial matters, no need to trouble the prince.”

Xie Tingzhou scrutinized him. “It seems Lord Jiang is dissatisfied today.”

“How could I be?” Jiang Lianzhi looked at him. “The Emperor’s judgment is absolute; as a minister, how could I be dissatisfied?”

Xie Tingzhou smiled, took a few more steps, and as he passed by, he leisurely said, “I meant, isn’t Lord Jiang dissatisfied that I arrived at Yanliang Pass a bit too late?”

Jiang Lianzhi’s eyes widened, and he turned sharply to look at Xie Tingzhou. Xie Tingzhou walked away with a smile, leaving only a distant and indifferent figure behind the curtain of rain.

Jiang Lianzhi’s mind was unsettled. He gazed at Xie Tingzhou’s departing figure and said in a deep voice, “He knows the letter sent to Northern Li was from me.”

Gao Jin said, “Did he just find out, or has he known for a long time and only mentioned it now?”

Jiang Lianzhi’s expression darkened. “He must have known for a long time but kept it to himself until today.”

Today’s verdict was favorable for Jiang Lianzhi. With the former Minister of Revenue’s downfall, he was next in line. Yet, his face showed no joy, only deep concern.

Perhaps Xie Tingzhou was merely probing because he couldn’t ascertain Jiang Lianzhi’s true intentions behind that letter.

Gao Jin helped Jiang Lianzhi onto the carriage. “My lord, forgive me for speaking out of turn. If you wrote that letter as a warning, why didn’t you state it clearly or present it directly to the Emperor?”

Jiang Lianzhi did not answer, and the curtain of the carriage fell.

Leaning against the swaying carriage wall, he pondered, why indeed?

Because he was too greedy. He wanted to ensure Ah Yu would marry him as she had in the previous life, yet he didn’t want her to suffer too much, nor did he want to feel guilty.

This was the result of his internal struggle. He reassured himself that he had tried his best.