The Rise of Phoenixes Novel Translation #228

Second Prince’s face turned pale, and his fists hidden under the table, tightened. 

Feng Zhi Wei didn’t speak but simply leaned against the table and looked at him with a smile. She looked at him for so long that it caused everyone to also looked over with confusion. What they saw was Second Prince swallowing nervously and finally saying sternly after a long while “Official Wei, if you have something to say then say it, why are you looking at me like this?” 

“I see Your Highness is very….” Feng Zhi Wei dragged out her voice and abruptly stopped as Second Prince’s face turned paler by the second, before saying quickly, “Your Highness, this lowly official must first clear my own name. This needs Your Highness’ testimony– The night before yesterday, before the theft of the examination papers from the Ministry of Rites, there was a fire in this lowly official’s manor. The Imperial Palace guards, the Nine Cities Military Department, you, and Seventh Prince all rushed over that night. You all saw with your own eyes that this lowly official and Brother Gu had stayed that whole time in front of my burning manor without leaving at all. After that, when I had nowhere to go, you and Seventh Prince had invited me to stay over at your manors. I didn’t want to disturb Seventh Prince and his wife so I went with you to your manor. I was subsequently put in a room on the west side of your manor. That night, because Brother Gu’s two-year-old adopted daughter was staying in your outer bedchamber so Brother Gu ended up guarding your door the whole night with your other guards. Brother Gu never left or rested that night. Do you still remember this?”

“Huh? Such an important piece of evidence, why didn’t second brother say something earlier?” Propping both of his hands under his chin, Tenth Prince grumbled. 

“Second brother naturally remembers.” Seven Prince immediately said with a smile, “I also remember. I did indeed invite Official Wei to temporarily stay at my residence but Official Wei politely refused. Second brother didn’t deliberately not mention it but it was only because Official Wei hadn’t started to list the evidence to clear his own name until now.” 

“I certainly remember. “ Second Prince immediately agreed, “I was just about to tell Imperial Father! This matter is very suspicious, very suspicious!”

Tiansheng Emperor glanced at him and said dispassionately, “Not bad, Second, to be able to tell that it is seemed very suspicious.” 

A chortle of giggling laughter came from some unknown source, Second Prince coughed with embarrassment as he replied softly, “Imperial father, thank you for your compliment…” 

Tiansheng Emperor ignored him, but turned to say to Feng Zhi Wei, “Although you and Gu Nan Yi have proved that neither of you was at the Ministry of Rites when the incident happened, this does not prove you two didn’t order someone else to go steal the test questions.” 

“Your Majesty, you forget.” Feng Zhi Wei smiled, “From the beginning to the end, Official Peng and all the witnesses, are all accusing this lowly official and Gu Nan Yi of personally stealing the test questions. As long as this lowly official and Gu Nan Yi can prove we never did such a thing, then it is the Ministry of Punishment making wild accusations and framing important court officials, isn’t it?” 

Tianseng Emperor fell into a pondering silence. Peng Pei’s face was ashen as he glared at Second Prince with resentment– since Wei Zhi and Gu Nan Yi were in your manor that night, why didn’t you tell me to stop the plan!

The expression on Second Prince’s face wasn’t much better— that night, Gu Nan Yi was standing guard right outside of his door. He could even feel Gu Nan Yi turning his head to stare at him when he turned over in his bed. His contact person couldn’t get close that night and Wei Zhi showed up first thing in the morning to go to the palace, so he never found an opportunity to pass on any orders. In actuality, he already had some thoughts of changing the plans at that point but there was no way to notify anyone which is why Peng Pei ended up moving according to their plans. This in turn caused him to feel a little uneasy which is why he instructed Peng Pei to best get the confession right in the dungeon and to go ahead with the kill. If they disguise Wei Zhi’s death as a suicide then they could avoid the possibility of anything going wrong in court. Who would’ve known that Wei Zhi would outmaneuver them every step of the way and drag this all to the emperor’s face! 

“Your Majesty.” Feng Zhi Wei said calmly, “I will definitely prove my and Gu Nan Yi’s innocence beyond a shadow of a doubt. For the sake of the suspicion that is in this case, can the killer cold iron shackles that are on Gu Nan Yi’s body be taken off first?” 

Taken aback, the emperor examined the shackles on Gu Nan Yi carefully. Finally remembering the origins of this shackle, a trace of anger appeared in the emperor’s eyes as he said sternly, “Peng Pei, you are really out of your mind. How dare you use this torture without cause. Someone, go get it off!”

A few imperial guards went forward to unlock the shackles but let out a yelp upon touching it. A white mist immediately came out of the shackles as a guard’s finger touched it. The nervous guard yanks his hand off but immediately lets out a cry of pain as a layer of finger skin and blood is left on the chain!

This shackle is actually like the deep winter ice that can stick to people’s hot skin!

Fury flashed in Feng Zhi Wei’s eyes again. She suddenly strode over, grabbed Peng Pei, and said, “You come and take it off!” 

Peng Pei timidly raised his eyes to meet the emperor’s, his eyes full of pleading. Tiansheng emperor drank his tea and said with indifference, “The extreme ice chins are not allowed to be used without imperial approval. Since you dared to use it then you should be the one to take it off.” 

With a look of despair on his face, Peng Pei used his trembling mouth to tear his own clothes. Feng Zhi Wei kicked his hand away, “You are not allowed to tear your clothes to wrap your hands!”

Peng Pei had no choice but to grit his teeth and go to take off the shackles with his bare hands. 

White mist sprung up continuously as layers of flesh became stuck to the shackles. Trembling with pain, Peng Pei almost fainted a few times but couldn’t with Feng Zhi Wei poking him hard from behind. On the floor, there was soon a pool of blood and cold sweat.

It took a good while to finally take off the shackles. Covered with bloody finger marks and flesh, the instant the shackle fell to the ground it smashed several of the huge bluestones.

The moment the shackles fell, Gu Nan Yi’s body swayed but then sat back down firmly, and a pile of broken ice instantly came falling out from under his shirt. 

Feng Zhi Wei looked at the icy heavy shackles and then at the shattered ice falling from Gu Nan Yi’s body, a tear almost fell, she hurriedly raised a hand to hide it. 

Gu Nan Yi promptly got up and backed away when Feng Zhi Wei reached out a hand to grab Gu Nan Yi’s wrist to read his pulse. Feng Zhi Wei knew that he didn’t want her to expose the fact that Wei Zhi knows marital arts in front of everyone but then there is no way for her to know how serious his injury is. Her inside filled with fury again, she grabbed Peng Pei and strode back to the front hall again. 

She doesn’t have any more patience to dally with them, so she might as well finish this quickly. 

“Official Wei.” Before she could start, Scholar Wu who had been silent suddenly opened his mouth and said, “Although you have the testimonies from the two highnesses that you were not at the Ministry of Rites when the incident happened, but this still does not clear you of the possibility of ordering someone to do it for you. Moreover, the spring exams are of the utmost importance. You as the Minister of the Ministry of Rites, to have the test questions stolen, it is difficult to avoid the crime of oversight.”

Everyone’s expression turned thoughtful. This is a fact. Historically, anything to do with spring and autumn exam questions is a serious crime. The theft of test questions, at the very least, would be reason enough for removal from office and exile. This crime, is not one Wei Zhi could escape from. 

Not giving up?

A trapped beast’s last fight? Be careful that it will just come back to hurt yourself!

Feng Zhi Wei turned her head and stared coldly at Scholar Wu until he began to shift restlessly in his seat before she finally said chillingly, “Scholar Wu, thank you for your reminder…but…”

She smiled through gritted teeth. 

“Who said I lost the test questions?” 

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