The Rise of Phoenixes Novel Translation #230

Tiansheng Emperor’s fingers, hidden under the wide robe sleeves, are trembling convulsively. 

Ning Yi’s eyes flashed, he knew that it wasn’t that the emperor is not willing to speak but it was because he was so angry that he is momentarily unable to speak with the furious fire burning in his heart.

“Li Changyong!” He said immediately, “Since you accepted the deal, then why are you in Official Wei’s hands now?” 

“I…I don’t know either…” Li Changyong replied helplessly, “I went that night according to the agreed time. When I arrived at West Hutong of Donglou Street, someone came over and asked me, “Sir, what’s your name?” I answered but then was immediately hit over the head and lost consciousness…after that, I was locked in a dark room…I don’t know what happened either…”

“Your Majesty.” With a slight sneer on her face, Feng Zhi Wei stepped forward and said, “While these two men can be counted as my witnesses but they don’t know the ins and outs of the matter. Please let me explain the whole thing to you.” 

Having calmed down a bit, the emperor glared at the now deathly pale Peng Pei and said, “Go ahead!” 

“It started when I took over as the minister at the Ministry of Rites.” Feng Zhi Wei rattles on, “The first thing I did was to have people start clearing off all the documents and files left by the former minister. By accident, I discovered a strange list in a hidden compartment behind the bookshelf in the study

The emperor’s expression darkened and demanded immediately, “What list?”

“This lowly servant doesn’t know either.” Feng Zhi Wei replied, “There were only some numbers, people’s surnames, and birth places. For example, the first name, as I remembered was Ten thousand, Wang (last name), Qu Yang (place name), and a few words.”

Tiansheng emperor’s expression darkened again, glanced over at Feng Zhi Wei, and asked, “Where is the list?”

Meeting his eyes, Feng Zhi Wei said slowly, “This lowly servant didn’t know what the list was but thought it seemed suspicious so I didn’t feel good about leaving it in the study but brought it back to my manor instead. The night my manor caught on fire, I was rescued by my servants but the list was still in my bedroom. I don’t know if it was burned by the fire or not.” 

Tiansheng emperor pondered for a while and said, “Your manor was burned pretty badly, it probably wasn’t able to survive the fire.”

A cold sneer appeared in Feng Zhi Wei’s eyes as she replied, “Yes.” 

Tiansheng emperor avoided her gaze. 

There was mockery in Feng Zhi Wei’s eyes– what list? If Peng Pei really wanted to accept bribes, how would he be so stupid as to leave a list behind? She just said it to prove Peng Pei’s crime and to test the emperor’s attitude toward the case. Her manor was burnt anyway, so it is utterly reasonable she couldn’t hand over the list right away. If Tiasheng Emperor had really wanted to investigate the case then she could’ve eventually figured out who was all involved. Yet, Judging by the fact that Tiansheng Emperor had not even asked anyone to go take a look in her manor, he had already decided to cover up this case. 

Sneering coldly inside but showing none of it on her expression, Feng Zhi Wei continues, “With this doubt lingering on my mind, I paid even more attention to the Spring Exam’s questions and secretly arranged some additional protection for it. On the surface, there was no difference in the night surveillance and the number of guards but in reality, the security was extremely tight in secret, especially during the time when I or the two other assistant ministers are not on duty.”

“On the night of the theft of the test questions, the secret guards I had placed in the ministry came to report to me that there were people acting suspiciously on the outer perimeter of the ministry. I didn’t want to act rashly and alert the possible criminals so I just placed the guards on extra alert.”

“Soon after that, a fire broke out in this lowly servant’s manor. At that time, I knew something was off and that perhaps the fire had happened because of that list. I didn’t dare to wander around at will, so I followed Second Prince to his manor.” 

“Let this commoner explain the rest.” Zong Chen suddenly interjected, “My name is Zong Chen, a South Sea native, born in Wuquan Mountain of South Sea, and had a close relationship with Yan Huaishi, the head of the Yan Clan. Clan Leader Yan owes a big debt of gratitude to Official Wei and asked this commoner to lead a group of Yan Clan’s guards to protect Official Wei. On the night of the theft, this commoner had seen a shadow leap past the wall. We kept a close watch and reported to Official Wei. Official Wei told us not to scare off the suspicious person off and to act when the timing is right. This commoner followed the black-clothed intruder the whole time, saw him opening the lock and stealing the exam questions. He even re-locked the door after stealing the questions. I followed him the whole way to the West Hutong of Donglou Street and found Li Changyong wandering around there. What was happening was fairly obvious so I apprehended the exam questions thief, took away the exam questions, and then captured Li Changyong. After getting the confession from Li Changyong of what they had been planning to do, this commoner figured we might as well go along with the plan and draw out the real mastermind behind the whole thing. However, any case involving the spring exam questions is a serious matter as it seemed possible that anyone who gets too involved might end up in trouble later on. We eventually sought out Tian Liu who had a good relationship with Official Wei before he had to leave Qingming Academy because of his eye condition. We asked him to pretend to be Li Changyong. Fortunately, Tian Liu is a person with an intense sense of justice and agreed without hesitation. Tian Liu went to the vicinity of Beisi Hutong with the exam questions…and was indeed captured by the Imperial Capital Guards.” 

The emperor had been listening the whole time with his eyes half-closed as if he was carefully pondering what he had heard to see if there was anything amiss. After deliberating for a while, he really couldn’t find anything suspicious. Wei Zhi’s response to what he thought was a possible hidden threat was truly impeccable. He had even arranged for a blind Tian Liu. It really would be unreasonable if he tries to place a crime of negligence on Wei Zhi at this point.  

After a while, the emperor asked with a somber face, “Then how is it that Tian Liu is in your hands now?” 

“Your Majesty.” Zong Chen replies with a smile, “Whether it was the test questions being stolen or the Imperial Capital Guard’s arrest, the timing all seemed too coincidental. This lowly servant was worried that Brother Tian Liu would suffer or even lose his life if he stayed in the hands of the Imperial Capital Guards or the Ministry of Punishment. Therefore, once he had gone through the initial interrogation, I then snuck him out. Brother Tian had already put himself in danger for the sake of justice and Official Wei, I can’t risk him losing his life.”

“This exam thief you mentioned, where is he?”

“This lowly servant had already captured him. This man is quite tight-lipped. I don’t believe I have the right to interrogate this person on behalf of the empire’s legal justice system, but I also worry if I hand him over to the current Imperial Capital Guards or the Ministry of Punishment he would die by some accident. This person is in this lowly servant’s possession now. If Your Majesty wishes, I will hand him straight over to the Imperial Palace Guards.” 

In the hall, Scholar Wu has already lost all the color on his face. The emperor pondered for a bit and said coldly, “I will send someone to go fetch this criminal in a bit.” 

Zong Chen smiled, bowed, and stepped back. 

Scholar Wu reached out with a trembling hand to pick up his teacup. He raised his hand several times but it dropped down stiffly. Besides him, Scholar Hu immediately put a hand out to steady him and said with a soft smile, “Old Wu, what’s wrong with you? Your face doesn’t look good? What’s wrong with you?”

Scholar Wu gave him a wooden look, knowing in his heart that he can’t be acting like this and is trying to calm down but his heart is beating wildly as if it had been tossed in a pan of searing oil, so how could he maintain his composure? 

The second prince’s skin is dark so one could not tell if his face had turned pale but the hands he had hidden under the tables out of sight were trembling continuously. 

The seventh prince hid his expression behind a half-folded fan that had a beautifully embroidered fan pendant attached to it. The exquisite pendant had lost a few strands of silk tassels for some reason. Silently, seventh prince stuffed the few fallen strands of silk tassels into his sleeve. 

Glancing sideways at Ning Yi, Seventh Prince snorted coldly inwardly…His Majesty had no plans to leave the palace today. He had confirmed this through many various avenues. Who was it, that caused His Majesty to suddenly decide to come to listen in on the trial personally? And to arrive in such a timely manner? 

Ah, failed when success was so close…again. 

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