Chapter 59: Confession
"Commander Xiao, just because I saw Deputy Minister Qin that day doesn't mean I had anything to do with his disappearance. He left in a hurry, and I have no knowledge of his whereabouts," Fang Chen said with a faint smile.
Xiao Shence's brow furrowed slightly. Despite his intuition pointing toward Fang Chen's involvement in Qin Dong's disappearance, he couldn't fathom the reason behind him taking action against a second-ranked official. Could it really be because of that maid who went missing back then?
The fifth prince suddenly spoke. "Your Majesty, I believe Divine General Fang's words make sense. We can't simply accuse him of kidnapping Deputy Minister Qin just because the two met before Deputy Minister Qin disappeared." His fists cupped together, he addressed the emperor respectfully. "Divine General Fang has no prior connections with Deputy Minister Qin, so why would he risk violating the law by harming a high-ranking official?"
"The fifth prince has a point."
The officials began to murmur among themselves as they exchanged their opinions.
A middle-aged man interjected at that moment. "Your Fifth Highness, your words aren’t entirely sound," he said. He bore a resemblance to Tao Yu. He was Tao Mingsheng, the minister of rites, and Qin Dong’s immediate superior.
Tao Mingsheng looked around before turning to the emperor and bowing respectfully. He rose and said, "Your Majesty, Fang Chen is a cultivator of the Qi Core Stage. Such individuals have always acted without any constraints, breaking the rules more often than not.
“Fang Chen’s behavior prior to his defeat five years ago at Three World Mountain was testament to that; he was reckless and he knew no bounds! Not even the young masters of the various high-ranking officials were spared, were he to be angry!”
After saying that, Tao Mingsheng paused a little for effect. He then glanced at the crown prince. "Even His Highness was slapped by Fang Chen before he was anointed as the crown prince. As such, given Fang Chen's audacity, it’s not completely out of the question for him to attempt to harm the deputy minister of rites. Many great families in the capital can attest to his audacity."
With that, the hall fell silent.
The officials were aware of the incident Tao Mingsheng mentioned. The third prince had had the highest status among the many princes before the position of crown prince was given out. The current crown prince was once slapped by Fang Chen. Even then, he dared not utter a word. It wasn't until five years ago, when Fang Chen was defeated at Three World Mountain, that the crown prince became the rightful heir.
The crown prince's face was emotionless, seemingly having forgotten the humiliation Fang Chen had subjected him to many years ago.
"Minister Tao, you really know nothing about the criminal court. Every single word you just said was speculation. You want to put me in an unjust situation based on your groundless assumptions? Well, are you ready to pay the price if you've made a mistake?" Fang Chen snorted and challenged Tao Mingsheng.
Tao Mingsheng's expression changed slightly. He glanced coldly at Fang Chen and said, "Fang Chen, are you trying to intimidate me in front of His Majesty? What will you do, attack me? If so, come at me! I’m not afraid of a mere martial artist!” He took a step forward, putting on a fearless front.
The onlookers were moved by Tao Mingsheng's courage. To openly provoke a Qi Core martial cultivator required extraordinary bravery. If they were in his shoes, they wouldn't dare do the same.
If Fang Chen were to go berserk and kill someone, given his transcendent status as a Qi Core martial artist, he might not necessarily need to pay with his life!
"Minister Tao, don't provoke him any further. He has fought countless wars. Despite his young age, he’s no fool. There’s no need to try plotting against him like that," said a white-bearded elder from the side.
Everyone who was observing the situation were greatly taken aback. Even Li Guozhu couldn’t help but stare at the elder who had just spoken.
Jiang Yushu.
He had been serving three generations of emperors. He was the minister of justice. He had a background in the military, and, one way or the other, he had been swept into the position of the minister of justice back in the day, and had solved many cases. He climbed to his current position step by step. It could be said that his experiences were plentiful! But Jiang Yushu had long since withdrawn himself from the affairs of the court. He would only attend the morning court and then return to his residence to enjoy a life of peace and tranquility. That’s why many were surprised to see him speaking up for Fang Chen.
Tao Mingsheng couldn't help but glance at Jiang Yushu with a mix of emotions.
The emperor showed a smile. "Minister Jiang, what is your opinion?"
"As Divine General Fang has said, there is no concrete evidence for the accusations against him. Therefore, I suggest we talk about something else," Jiang Yushu said, offering a salute to the emperor.
"What else do we have to talk about?" The crowd was somewhat surprised. Did he mean...? They all turned their focus toward Zhou Xiu, who was seated next to the crown prince, in unison. Yeah, indeed, Zhou Xiu’s matter had to be settled.
"Your Majesty, I have some case records here. They document the actions of many high-ranking officials in the capital at various Halls of Compassion." Jiang Yushu brought out a thick binder and handed it to Eunuch You, who quickly brought the records to the emperor.
Suddenly, many officials revealed unnatural expressions.
Taoi Mingsheng glanced at Jiang Yushu before staring at Fang Chen, who had the usual smile on his face. He felt his heart sinking to the pit of his stomach.
Shortly after the emperor had perused the documents, his expression turned grim, and he slammed the binder shut and whipped his head toward Jing Yushu. “Are these true?”
"The evidence is solid. Deputy Minister Qin is currently in prison in the Ministry of Justice. He confessed to everything. Over the years, he colluded with others, using the Hall of Compassion to engage in unsavory activities. Moreover, it turned out that the renowned Master Xu Hui is a demonic practitioner. In recent years, numerous destitute souls perished under his hands at the Hall of Compassion. Those lonely corpses have also been brought to the Ministry of Justice.” Jiang Yushu smiled. "Divine General Fang has uncovered this by accident, resolving the suspicions I harbored over these past few years."
Xiao Shenche's expression changed drastically. Chief Pacifier Liu looked somewhat pale, but he steeled himself forcefully. He glanced secretly at Fang Chen. When he saw that he didn’t seem to be paying him any attention, he heaved a sigh of relief.
Jiang Yushu's words sent shockwaves through the court.
Qin Dong was actually captured by the Ministry of Justice!
Master Xu Hui was practicing demonic arts!
Corpses in the Hall of Compassion!
Some officials couldn't contain their curiosity and eagerly inquired about everything that was going on.
Suddenly, the emperor slammed his palm down on the table before him, signaling for everyone to be quiet.
"Minister Jiang, I want you to conclude this case within seven days and give me an explanation," the emperor calmly stated.
"I will follow your commands," Jiang Yushu responded, his turbid eyes flashing with a sharp glint.
Some officials didn’t expect Qin Dong to be detained by the Ministry of Justice. Everyone who suspected Fang Chen to be behind Qin Dong’s disappearance earlier felt slightly ashamed of themselves.
However, not everyone shared the same perspective. There were some who were greatly shocked by Jiang Yuhu’s sudden involvement. They even suspected that Fang Chen arranged everything in order to viciously slap some of them.
"Let’s conclude the matter of Qin Dong for now,” Zhou Xiu spoke suddenly. “It's time for the Grand Xia Empire to offer me an explanation over what happend."
The emperor waved a hand dismissively. "Fang Chen, apologize to him, and we’ll conclude this too.”
"Apologize?" Zhou Xiu's eyes flickered with anger. "Your Majesty, my soldiers suffered heavy casualties. Do you expect me to drop the matter with just an apology?"
It was then that Fang Chen suddenly spoke, his words unexpected. "Yes, Your Majesty. We must offer him an explanation!"
Zhou Xiu looked at Fang Chen with disdain. Some officials were curious whether Fang Chen would actually apologize, but his next words threw them off.
Chuckling, Fang Chen turned to Jiang Yushu, saying, "Minister Jiang, let me ask you a question. If someone massacred an envoy of merchants from our Grand Xia Empire for sport, what would be the appropriate sentence for them?”
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