Chapter 236: Chapter 236: Hidden Moves
The two Ministers stepped forward and directly named the Xuanqing Guard, using words without restraint—"lawless," "rampant"—clearly intent on condemning them to death.
Moreover, after Bai Changqing and Ma Xuanlin spoke, the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Personnel also stepped forward in succession to express their support; only, from these two ministries, it was the Vice Ministers, not the Ministers themselves, who came forth.
Then, more than half of the civil servants in the left column surged out, standing behind Bai Changqing and Ma Xuanlin at the center of the great hall, bowing with cupped hands and loudly declaring, "We second the motion!"
At that moment, everyone present in the Ten Thousand People’s Palace shared the same thought: I’ve seen this scene before!
The last time the military was riddled with accusations, the scene looked almost identical—someone seized an excuse to condemn them ruthlessly, then a crowd stepped forward to echo the attack, mounting a show of force so overwhelming that the Emperor had no choice but to make the military accept the post of Military Supervisor—an arrangement that to the military was nearly an outright humiliation.
But this time, the target was the Xuanqing Guard.
There was also an oddly interesting difference from when the military was under siege. Then, when the military was attacked, the military officials in the right column fought desperately to resist. Although they were eventually crushed, at least they didn’t trail much in the war of words, and for a time, debate between the sides was fierce.
But this time, the military column was uncannily silent; many even unconsciously distanced themselves from the solitary Black Robe standing at the front.
Throughout the Ten Thousand People’s Palace, only one stood in black, maintaining a faint smile and composure from start to finish—faced with a formation bent on his destruction, not a ripple crossed his face.
"Pang Ban, the court is deeply dissatisfied with you and the Xuanqing Guard—what do you have to say for yourself?" The Emperor’s expression remained placid; no one could easily glean joy or anger from his face. Yet his voice was slightly cold, and as he looked toward Pang Ban in the right column, there was something odd in his gaze.
Like an outcast thoroughly isolated by the entire Temple Hall, Pang Ban walked out of the line, neither hurried nor slow.
"Your Majesty, this minister has a memorial to present!"
"A memorial? Heh, permitted." The Emperor made no move to stop him.
The Emperor’s response was swift. On the left, Ma Xuanlin and Bai Changqing wanted to object but were too late; after all, trying to aggressively contradict even the Emperor’s granted orders would have crossed the line into insubordination.
Pang Ban, having received imperial permission, raised his hand, producing a stack of official dossiers over three feet high from his Storage Bag, and casually piled them at his feet.
He reached for the top document, flipped it open without ceremony, and read aloud: "Fengri City jurisdiction, major city Li City, Xiaoshan Tielu Manor—after investigation, it’s been smuggling pig iron to the Barbarian Race via the Black Market for five years. The scale is so vast, it accounts for forty percent of Tielu Manor’s real output over these years. Those above and below are in collusion—not only does the local road administration clear the way, even the Local Government Office turns a blind eye to their crimes. Thus, Xiaoshan Tielu Manor boldly established a smuggling warehouse outside the town, guarded only by three to two local braves.
During the investigation of the Xiaoshan Tielu Manor case, it implicated thirty-one Local Government Office officials, each receiving no less than thirty thousand silver a year in bribes.
All the above is backed by testimony, bookkeeping, and live witnesses."
It was obvious Pang Ban was only giving a summary; the dossier in his hands was thick—far more than a few lines. After reading, he handed it to the court’s recording secretary, who promptly delivered it to the Emperor on the dais according to protocol.
After handing off one, Pang Ban did not pause. He reached for the next dossier atop the pile at his feet and continued reading: "On the Bai River, from the Zhang Family Gate to Yu City, there are two Water Gates, which, when sealed for several days, resulted in over three hundred large vessels blocked at both ends, unable to pass, all impounded. Of these, ships hauling controlled goods accounted for eighty percent; only three of these ships had complete and proper shipping permits. The rest were all smuggling.
Moreover, the south of Bai River is a military stronghold, not a thriving population center—there is no such demand for huge quantities of goods. The only possible destination for such smuggling is the Barbarian Race to the South.
When searching the homes of Chief Officer, Deputy, and Deacons who managed the Water Gates, we found assets in the hundreds of thousands—hundreds of times what they should own. To perpetuate receiving bribes, they even proactively bribed their own superiors, buying job security for the privilege of making money with impunity. In total, thirty-three officials were implicated.
Apart from these two Water Gates, the situation at the rest along the Bai River is the same—corruption so rampant, no one intervenes. Some sailors don’t even know shipping permits are needed. By their account, in three years, they’ve never seen an official board to check cargo—they assume this is simply how the world works."
Another dossier—handed to the secretary, then on to the Emperor.
The Emperor gave it a brief scan before tossing it to the side, saying nothing—yet the faint smile at his lips had vanished.
Bai Changqing and Ma Xuanlin, standing beside him, looked visibly unsettled. They understood all too well: Pang Ban wasn’t submitting a mere memorial—he was using case files to directly rebut their accusations against the Xuanqing Guard. His implicit message: just look, it’s your government officials who are rotten to the core. Left to you, you’d never cut out the tumors. Only the Xuanqing Guard can do the job.
"Lord Pang, case dossiers are confidential—how can you broadcast them in the great hall at will? And are these cases merely the Xuanqing Guard’s excuse for abusing power and overstepping their authority?" Ma Xuanlin snapped, attempting to cut Pang Ban off, and turned to the Emperor: "Your Majesty, the Xuanqing Guard..."
But before Ma Xuanlin could finish, Pang Ban’s slow, steady voice from the right overpowered him.
Compete in volume? Ma Xuanlin’s paltry Qi Refining Realm Cultivation was nothing compared to Pang Ban’s—a world apart. As Pang Ban’s aura pressed down, Ma Xuanlin could barely breathe, much less speak.
Pang Ban went on: "This is the extended dossier on the Carriage and Horse Shops. According to testimony, thirty-nine Carriage and Horse Shops participated in smuggling controlled goods to the Barbarian Race. Of these, eighteen headquarters are within Jingxi jurisdiction, twenty-one outside Jingxi.
All have shipping permits for their goods, but none have proper shipping documents from the jurisdictions they pass through, nor any paperwork for the destination, and no authorization from the Border Army. Yet these bulk goods flow freely across the Dynasty—only needing to grease a few palms at checkpoints, as long as one pays silver, there’s no obstacle.
And this has gone on for years—not just a one-off incident."
After Pang Ban finished, yet another dossier was handed up.
Taking advantage of the moment, Ye Lansheng, the Left Minister leading the left column, spoke up: "Lord Pang, dominating the hall and not allowing rebuttal is most unseemly. While we must root out the vermin, the Xuanqing Guard’s rampant disregard for law must also be corrected, therefore..."
Yet Pang Ban did not even deign to glance at Ye Lansheng, immediately taking up a fourth dossier and raising his voice to read it aloud—showing not the slightest respect to this most senior of civil officials.
Try to seize the initiative? Pang Ban would give them no such chance. These civil officials did all their fighting with words—why not use case files to crush them? As long as Pang Ban saw fit, not a single voice from their ranks could get through.
Not until after reading two more case files did Pang Ban finally bow to the Emperor from the floor: "Your Majesty, within the Dynasty—from Local Government Offices to the road and water administrations, even state-run workshops and shops—decay is everywhere, shocking to behold. We have reached the point where only drastic rectification will suffice. I beseech Your Majesty to authorize the Xuanqing Guard to thoroughly investigate all officials across the land, to eradicate vermin for the Dynasty, and to cleanse traitors for all under heaven!"
