Chapter 201: Chapter 201: The Heaven-shaking Drum Sounds
The Sixth Prince’s expression made it clear to everyone what had happened.
It seemed the Sixth Prince was definitely involved in this matter.
Just then—
"A report!"
Suddenly, an attendant hurried in from outside the hall.
"Your Majesty, Luo Zhan, a hero from the Battle of Siya Pass, has returned to the Royal City. He is outside the hall urgently requesting an audience, saying he wishes to report an injustice."
Everyone was stunned.
’What was going on today? First, the two masters’ young friend was arrested. Now, a hero of the kingdom who just returned to the Royal City has come to the palace overnight, also claiming an injustice. What in the world has happened to this kingdom?’
Zhao Jing was also full of doubts. He had been preparing to personally supervise the case mentioned by the two masters, but with a war hero like Luo Zhan requesting an audience, he couldn’t just ignore him.
"Let him enter for an audience," Zhao Jing said at once.
A soldier in armor, travel-worn yet with an extraordinary presence, strode into the grand hall. Ignoring the many ministers and princes around him, he knelt on one knee and said loudly, "This subordinate, Luo Zhan, serving as the Deputy General of the Golden Lion Corps’ Blood Battle Camp, has taken the liberty of seeking an audience overnight. I pray for Your Majesty’s forgiveness."
"General Luo, please, rise quickly. I have already received the reports from the front. You saw through the Fire Crow Kingdom’s plot, annihilated a hundred thousand enemy soldiers, and brought glory to our Liuyun Kingdom. I will soon hold a banquet to reward you and all the soldiers at the front."
Zhao Jing adopted a very deferential posture toward such a kingdom hero.
"Your Majesty, there is no need for rewards. This subordinate came overnight to ask for a favor."
"General Luo, speak freely!"
"This subordinate has a benefactor named Ye Xuan..."
Luo Zhan began speaking urgently.
"It’s Ye Xuan again!"
"Who on earth is this Ye Xuan?"
"Why are all these people showing up one after another for him?"
Before Luo Zhan could finish, the entire hall erupted in an uproar. No one could hold back, and everyone began to discuss among themselves, their faces filled with confusion.
The clamorous discussions, like a tidal wave, instantly swept through the grand hall.
Master Kuchen, Vice President of the Soul Master Tower.
Master Hua Luoxuan, Vice President of the Court Alchemists.
General Luo Zhan, Deputy General of the Golden Lion Corps and a war hero of the kingdom.
These three were all influential figures in the kingdom, its pillars of support, and its hope for the future.
If any one of them stamped their foot, the Royal City would tremble.
But now, all three of them had come to plead for someone named Ye Xuan, and for a moment, everyone couldn’t contain themselves.
DONG DONG DONG!
Just then, from outside the royal palace, the sound of a drum began to beat. The sound started soft then grew loud, slow then fast, until it finally became a dense, thunderous roar that spread throughout the entire palace.
Everyone was inexplicably alarmed, looking out of the palace.
"Where is that drumming coming from?"
"Could it be the war drums of the Golden Lion Corps returning to their garrison?"
"Are you kidding? The Golden Lion Corps is stationed at the border by order. They cannot return to the capital without His Majesty’s command. How could it be them?"
"Huh, that drumming... it sounds like the Heaven-shaking Drum outside the palace, doesn’t it?"
"The Heaven-shaking Drum is the drum of grievance, meant for seeking an audience with the Son of Heaven. Regardless of whether there’s a true injustice, striking it is an act of great disrespect. If the one who strikes it is an official, they cannot be promoted for ten years. If a soldier, they cannot rise in rank for ten years. If they hold a title of nobility, it’s immediately lowered by one rank. Who would dare to strike the Heaven-shaking Drum?"
The entire court was in an uproar.
Zhao Jing also looked out of the palace with a shocked and grim expression. "Someone, go and see who dares strike the Heaven-shaking Drum in the middle of the night."
An attendant left quickly. A moment later, he returned to the hall and prostrated on the ground. "Reporting to Your Majesty, the one who struck the Heaven-shaking Drum is a teacher from the Profound Spirit Academy, Yun Aoxue. She says she wishes to seek justice for a student of the academy, Ye Xuan!"
Ye Xuan!
Ye Xuan again!
’Just what is this Ye Xuan’s background?’
All the ministers and princes who heard this name felt a headache coming on, their hearts shaking with shock.
At the same time, they marveled. This Ye Xuan had too much Magic Power. As a student, he could actually get his teacher to stand up for him, even to the point of striking the Heaven-shaking Drum.
’Doesn’t that teacher know that by daring to strike the Heaven-shaking Drum, she’ll face His Majesty’s punishment even if her plea for justice is successful?’
"Yun Aoxue?" Zhao Jing frowned slightly and murmured, "That name... sounds a little familiar."
"Your Majesty, that Yun Aoxue is the daughter of Lord Yun Potian, the Headmaster of the Profound Spirit Academy!" an attendant whispered in Zhao Jing’s ear.
"It’s her!" Zhao Jing’s eyes widened. ’This matter is getting more and more complicated.’
"Summon her to the hall!"
"His Majesty summons Yun Aoxue to the hall."
A woman of stunning beauty, dressed in the robes of a Profound Spirit Academy teacher, walked in, led by an attendant.
"Yun Aoxue greets Your Majesty."
"Rise, quickly."
Looking at the four people before him, Zhao Jing’s fury toward the Iron Blood Guard and the constabulary had gone completely numb. In its place was an endless curiosity about Ye Xuan.
’Who was he, and what kind of Magic Power did he possess, to make Master Kuchen, the Vice President of the Soul Master Tower; Master Hua Luoxuan, the Vice President of the Court Alchemists; General Luo Zhan of the Golden Lion Corps; and Yun Aoxue, daughter of the Profound Spirit Academy’s Headmaster, all come one after another to plead his case and seek justice for him?’
"Can anyone tell me what exactly is going on?"
If, before, Zhao Jing had merely wanted to rescue Ye Xuan to make these influential figures owe him a favor, his thinking had changed now.
After such a huge incident had erupted in front of so many ministers and princes, resolving it so hastily would undoubtedly be the worst possible course of action.
Even if he rescued Ye Xuan, the two masters would not be grateful to him.
Only by finding out what really happened, who was right and who was wrong, could he make a final decision.
Luo Zhan and Yun Aoxue hurriedly recounted the whole story of what happened to Ye Xuan.
They had both gotten their information from Chen Xing and Feng Rouyi. Some details were ambiguous, but the general meaning was the same: Ye Xuan had acted in self-defense. The ones who attacked first were the two young marquises.
"This matter... did any of you see it with your own eyes?" Zhao Jing’s tone became extremely cautious.
Yun Aoxue and the others all shook their heads.
"Feng’Er." Zhao Jing’s sharp gaze suddenly turned to the First Prince, Zhao Feng. "According to them, the one who took Ye Xuan away was a captain from the Third Squad of the Iron Blood Guard’s Southern Guard, a man named Wang Dao. As the one in charge of the Southern Guard, do you know the truth of this matter?"
Zhao Feng hurriedly stepped forward and knelt on the ground. "Royal Father, although I am in charge of the Southern Guard, I delegate specific matters to my subordinates. Therefore, regarding this matter of Ye Xuan, your son is not very clear on the details. Your son will return now, investigate the truth immediately, and then report back to you, Royal Father."
"Eldest Brother, this Wang Dao is one of your men from the Crown Prince Alliance at the Profound Spirit Academy. He’s also a subordinate you brought into the Iron Blood Guard. How could you not know the situation?"
Just then, the Eighth Prince, Zhao Wei, suddenly gave a cold smile, stepped out from the crowd, and knelt on both knees.
"Royal Father, your son has some understanding of Ye Xuan’s case. That Ye Xuan is a friend of mine from the Profound Spirit Academy, so I am also very concerned about his situation. I can tell you with certainty, Royal Father, that Ye Xuan was indeed ambushed on the street by the sons of Marquis Tianqi and Marquis Zhenjun, and he was forced to fight back in desperation. Hundreds of people on the street witnessed this. Your son would not dare to lie."
"To save Ye Xuan, your son also tried to find a way, attempting to get the constabulary to handle the case fairly, but I encountered great resistance. After Ye Xuan was taken away by the Iron Blood Guard, I do not know what happened next. After all, the Iron Blood Guard is part of the Imperial Guard, and Wang Dao, who took Ye Xuan, is Eldest Brother’s trusted confidant. Your son wouldn’t dare interfere in such a place."
Zhao Wei had always been gentle and refined, never competing with the other princes for anything, nor was he particularly enthusiastic about power.
But after the events at Cyan Profound Mountain and what happened today, he clearly understood the importance of power.
If he had enough power, he wouldn’t have needed to exhaust every option, only to fail to rescue Ye Xuan from the constabulary.
"Good, Wei’Er. You’ve done well." Zhao Jing nodded in appreciation, then looked at the crowd in the hall, his gaze turning chillingly cold.
"You have all heard. My Liuyun Kingdom is governed by law. We will absolutely not decide a case based on a single person’s word. This case, I will personally judge. Chu Yunfei!"
He suddenly called out in a cold voice.
A figure appeared beside Zhao Jing in a flash.
"Your subject is here." The man wore a long robe, poised and graceful, with sword-like brows and star-like eyes. He was incomparably dashing—none other than the kingdom’s number one expert, Chu Yunfei.
"You are the Grand Steward of the kingdom’s Imperial Guard, and the Iron Blood Guard is a unit under your command. Come with me."
"Also Master Kuchen, Master Hua Luoxuan, General Luo Zhan, Feng’Er, and Wei’Er. You will all accompany me as well."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
A simple matter had unexpectedly involved so many of the kingdom’s powers: the Soul Master Tower, the Alchemist Association, the Profound Spirit Academy, the City Guard, and the Iron Blood Guard. Zhao Jing didn’t dare to take it lightly.
No matter which side he favored, someone would use it against him. With his intelligence, he understood even more clearly that the shadow of his own princes was involved in this.
Therefore, the only thing Zhao Jing could do now was to handle the case impartially and restore the truth.
Only by doing so could he occupy the moral high ground, prevent the court officials from criticizing him, and pacify all parties involved.
However, judging from everyone’s reactions, Zhao Jing had actually already guessed that the story about the sons of the two marquises trying to kill someone on the street was most likely true.
Soon, Chu Yunfei gathered a group of Imperial Guards to escort Zhao Jing and the others to the Iron Blood Guard’s dungeons.
Two of the Imperial Guards glanced at Yun Aoxue in the crowd, and their expressions faltered. They immediately went to Chu Yunfei’s side. "Sir, that woman... she’s the female teacher from the Profound Spirit Academy who brought her student to your assessment."
"What? It’s her!" Chu Yunfei’s gaze sharpened, and he murmured, "No wonder she had a supervisory token from the Profound Spirit Academy. With her status, it would indeed be very easy to obtain one."
He really wanted to ask Yun Aoxue who that student from back then was, but at this moment, he could only suppress his curiosity.
