AEOGA CH40

The entire courtroom was dumbfounded.

The victimized men, whose hearts had turned to ash, forgot to weep; the smug expression on the human traffickers’ faces froze solid; Magistrate Zhang and his advisor stared at each other in utter shock; and even the yamen runners standing as background decoration on both sides nearly lost their footing.

Magistrate Zhang doubted his own ears, whispering to his advisor: “What… what did he just address himself as?”

To demand that a dignified fifth-grade Prefect roll over to see him was arrogant beyond belief. Under normal circumstances, Magistrate Zhang would have long dragged him down to be punished.

Yet before that self-address, none of that seemed to matter anymore.

No matter how ignorant Magistrate Zhang was, he knew that in all under Heaven, the only person who could refer to himself as Zhen… was the Emperor.

Ha, how could that be possible? He was merely a seventh-grade county magistrate; a fifth-grade prefect was the highest official he had ever seen. His current Majesty was thousands of miles away in the imperial capital of Yujing—how could he possibly appear in his courtroom, subject to his interrogation?

An auditory hallucination—it had to be an auditory hallucination.

The advisor hesitated: “It seems to be…” He did not dare speak the word Zhen aloud, for that was a offense of great disrespect, so he phrased it delicately, “…His Majesty’s title.”

Both men fell silent at the same time.

Magistrate Zhang slammed the gavel heavily once more: “What a joke! If you are His Majesty, then I am the late Emperor!”

Xie Chongjin remained expressionless, but the chill in his eyes deepened.

The late Emperor was likewise a touchy subject that no one was permitted to cross with Xie Chongjin; the gaze Lu Xuechao cast upon Magistrate Zhang was already as if looking at a dead man.

Magistrate Zhang wasn’t just pulling fire onto himself—he was actively jumping into a pit of flames.

Magistrate Zhang was still adding fuel to the fire: “You audacious scoundrel! How dare you impersonate His Majesty and speak such wild blasphemy? This is a capital crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations!”

Because they were traveling incognito, the local officials had received no word of an imperial visit. Without proof or evidence, no sane person would believe that His Majesty, who should be far away in Yujing, would appear in this place. That identity was far too exalted and out of reach—as distant as an immortal in the heavens. Who could swiftly accept the reality of an immortal descending to the mortal world and appearing right before their eyes?

These two must have seen that he was about to convict them, so they fabricated an identity out of thin air in an attempt to escape punishment, without stopping to think if it was even plausible. Impersonating the Sovereign? Was that not seeking one’s own destruction? Originally, taking away another household’s runaway slaves might have only merited a few lashes and a few years in prison, but pulling a stunt like this made a death sentence a absolute certainty.

Lu Xuechao, who knew the laws of Changli by heart, truly could not stomach Magistrate Zhang’s legal illiterate nature, correcting him: “Changli has no punishment of clan extermination.”

For a county official governing the local populace to be an utter legal illiterate—one could well imagine how he usually tried cases.

…He was simply a plague upon the region.

Having been slapped in the face repeatedly, Magistrate Zhang flew into a rage out of humiliation: “Guards! Drag these two down and put them in detention, to be executed on a chosen day!”

Local officials had no power to directly carry out death sentences. Once a death sentence was passed, it had to be reported up through the ranks to the central Ministry of Justice, which would decide whether to approve the execution. The former Ministry of Justice had inverted black and white and treated human lives like grass; the Yujing officials involved had nearly all been sentenced to death in the upheavals of recent months. Currently, the person in charge of the Ministry of Justice was Fu Xinian; because he was a trusted confidant of His Majesty, although holding the rank of Vice Minister, his power was equivalent to that of the Minister.

Fu Xinian was worked to death every single day. Aside from trying major cases in Yujing, he had to review and approve every local death sentence reported from across the realm, one by one, to avoid wrongly executing the innocent. If too many miscarriages of justice were uncovered in a region, he would inform Shen Hezhou at the Ministry of Officials to dismiss and replace the local officials.

One wondered what Fu Xinian would feel if he saw that a local official had dared to submit a memorial sentencing the reigning Emperor to death.

Though he wouldn’t get to see it—Magistrate Zhang wouldn’t have the opportunity to submit such a memorial.

At Magistrate Zhang’s command, just as the yamen runners on both sides were about to step forward, a runner suddenly ran into the courtroom in a frantic hurry: “My Lord! The imperial envoy and the Prefect have arrived!”

Magistrate Zhang was startled: “Th-They actually came?”

This was getting somewhat mystical.

The Prefect had never graced his yamen with a visit, yet as soon as this man said to make the Prefect roll over to see him, the Prefect actually arrived… Why did it sound like such a coincidence?

That was it—it was merely a coincidence. Magistrate Zhang comforted himself. Quling had several counties and towns, and the Prefect had recently been accompanying the imperial envoy on various inspections of administrative achievements, hinting for them to be diligent these few days. Right now, it just happened that the inspection had reached his territory.

And it was just as well that he was trying a case, so the imperial envoy wouldn’t catch him idling about. If he performed well, he might even get a promotion.

He truly had some luck on his side.

“Quickly, everyone come out to greet them!” Magistrate Zhang hastily rose to his feet, no longer caring about Xie Chongjin and the others for the moment, leading the entourage of yamen runners out the door to welcome them.

Standing at the entrance were two elderly men, both past fifty. One wore light blue official robes, pot-bellied, with a hunched back and turbid eyes, trailing half a step behind the other with a flattering, obsequious expression on his face. The other wore formal yellow official robes, slender in build, energetic and vigorous, with graying hair at his temples and a noble, pine-like posture, carrying an aura of righteous solemnity.

Setting aside their appearances, one could distinguish which was the fifth-grade Prefect and which was the third-grade Metropolitan Governor simply by the color of their official robes. The scholar-bureaucrat class was extremely particular about attire. First grade wore red, second grade wore scarlet, third grade wore yellow, fourth and fifth grades wore blue, sixth and seventh grades wore green, and eighth and ninth grades wore teal—with varying shades, while deep purple was reserved for the Emperor. Ever since Lu Xuechao set off a trend among the scholars of the world to wear plain white robes, scholars who had not yet attained examination credentials also referred to themselves as “white-robed ministers.” Thus, grand red and deep purple symbolized the highest nobility and supreme dignity.

A single rank higher in officialdom could crush a person to death—let alone the fact that the Metropolitan Governor was a court official from the capital and a confidant of His Majesty. His status was worlds apart from these local officials; no wonder the Prefect of Quling served him like a revered Buddha.

While the Prefect of Quling wore a flattering smile on his face, his heart was crying out in bitterness. Couldn’t this grand deity just peacefully eat, drink, make merry, and enjoy the sights? Ever since he arrived in Quling, he hadn’t rested for a single moment—one moment asking about local developments in Quling, the next inspecting the tax ledgers, then checking on public order and the people’s livelihoods… and then, just like now, right in the middle of a perfectly good meal, he suddenly had a whim, put down his chopsticks, and insisted on visiting the Qiuling yamen.

The Prefect of Quling only regretted that he hadn’t repaired the road bordering Yunzhou earlier so he could send this grand deity away. Had he known earlier, he wouldn’t have squandered the public funds meant for bridge and road construction.

This grand deity inspected things so meticulously, yet seemed to just be taking a casual look. Time had been tight, so the destruction of evidence hadn’t been completely clean, but this man didn’t seem to have any intention of pressing charges—making it impossible to tell whether he had noticed anything amiss. The Prefect of Quling was utterly uneasy, a sword constantly hanging over his head, terrified that it might fall. Just when the road was finally almost repaired and he could send the grand deity away, right during the farewell banquet, the man insisted at the last moment on inspecting the performance of the Qiuling County Magistrate.

Seeing the imperial envoy about to arrive in Qiuling, the Prefect of Quling was like an ant on a hot pan—spinning in anxious circles. How could he not know that the Qiuling Magistrate was a blockhead who bought his position with money? If his act of selling offices was discovered by the imperial envoy, it would be a beheading offense. Along the way, he had tried intentionally or unintentionally many times to persuade the imperial envoy to change course and inspect other counties, but the imperial envoy was dead set on coming here, leaving him with no choice but to pray for his own good fortune.

Little did he know, the Metropolitan Governor was already well aware of everything.

They had received news half a month ago that His Majesty would personally visit Jiangnan. The moment His Majesty entered Quling territory, they received a message from the secret guards and rushed over immediately.

Xie Chongjin carried an imperial seal and golden token to prove his identity, but thinking that Magistrate Zhang wouldn’t recognize genuine goods—and might even tack on an extra crime of forging an imperial seal—he simply called the imperial envoy to prove it.

Regarding Quling’s internal affairs, the imperial envoy had nearly completed his investigation, and the evidence of crimes had been fully gathered. If His Majesty hadn’t come, he would have executed the Prefect of Quling on the spot long ago; keeping his hand for now was merely waiting for His Majesty to arrive and personally deal with him.

“This lower official pays respects to the Imperial Envoy and the Prefect,” Magistrate Zhang cupped his hands in greeting, then eagerly asked, “Are the Lords here to inspect? This lower official happens to be trying a case…”

The Metropolitan Governor asked casually: “What case are you trying?”

The news said His Majesty was here—could he be watching the Qiuling Magistrate try a case?

His Majesty was truly a good Emperor who went deep into the grassroots level. The Metropolitan Governor felt comforted in his heart.

The Prefect of Quling desperately gave him eye signals, hinting for him to speak less to avoid making mistakes.

As if he didn’t know what this man named Zhang was worth! He didn’t know the first thing about trying a case!

Magistrate Zhang, however, failed to see it. He was eager to showcase himself before the imperial envoy. While ushering the Metropolitan Governor into the yamen, he boasted triumphantly: “Two criminals kidnapped household slaves belonging to another family and even falsely accused the victims of kidnapping! Fortunately, this lower official saw through it. Seeing their plan exposed, those criminals actually impersonated His Majesty in an attempt to escape punishment! This official will never tolerate such people who show great disrespect to His Majesty, and was just about to throw them into jail and sentence them to death…”

The more the Metropolitan Governor listened, the more wrong it sounded. Could it be that His Majesty wasn’t here to listen in on the trial, but was the one being tried…

While speaking, several people had already entered the main hall. Magistrate Zhang pointed at Xie Chongjin, who was still seated, and said with righteous indignation: “It’s him! So audacious as to impersonate the Sovereign! And seeing the Imperial Envoy, he actually doesn’t even rise to bow—”

Before Magistrate Zhang’s words could finish, he saw the imperial envoy beside him quickly straighten his official robes and drop to his knees in greeting: “Your servant pays respects to Your Majesty! Pays respects to Your Highness the Empress!”

The disaster relief soldiers who came with the imperial envoy also knelt in a well-trained, orderly fashion, calling out in unison: “Pays respects to Your Majesty! Pays respects to Your Highness the Empress!”

Magistrate Zhang: “…”

The Prefect of Quling, who had followed them inside, stumbled in his footing and nearly fainted on the spot.

Magistrate Zhang had truly given him one hell of a surprise.

How could His Majesty and His Highness the Empress also be in Quling? He hadn’t heard the slightest whisper beforehand!

He had thought the incoming imperial envoy was already a grand Buddha, but who would have thought the Buddha Himself had arrived?

Even more terrifying was that Magistrate Zhang appeared to have already offended both His Majesty and His Highness the Empress…

The Prefect of Quling’s arms and legs turned weak, and he fell to his knees to pay respects. He originally wanted to distance himself from Magistrate Zhang so as not to be dragged down, but looking at Xie Chongjin’s icy, somber face, he didn’t dare open his mouth to offer a single word of defense.

When his identity was unknown, Xie Chongjin’s aura was already imposing; now that his identity was known, no one dared even breathe heavily before him.

Seeing that both the imperial envoy and the Prefect had knelt, the remaining people finally reacted. The yamen runners dropped the wooden batons in their hands and knelt on the floor one after another.

In particular, the two runners who had almost stepped forward to drag the prisoners away were so terrified that their thighs trembled, shaking like chaff.

They had almost committed a great disrespect against His Majesty and His Highness the Empress…

The human traffickers and the victimized men were also struck dumb. The former could not believe they had actually plotted to sell His Majesty and His Highness the Empress, while the latter could not believe they had actually been saved by His Majesty and His Highness the Empress.

Seeing the entire room kneeling, Magistrate Zhang finally woke from his dream and had to accept the reality.

His legs turned to jelly, and he collapsed onto the floor, kowtowing trembling, his voice shaking: “This lower official… no, your servant, your servant was blind and failed to recognize Your Majesty and Your Highness the Empress! May Your Majesty grant pardon!”

Heavens, what had he done?

He had claimed to be His Majesty’s father, and even wanted to sentence His Majesty and His Highness the Empress to death…

Magistrate Zhang thought of a thousand and one paths, but could not think of a single way he could still survive.

The Prefect of Quling wished Magistrate Zhang would die quickly to avoid having their illicit dealings exposed, so he kicked him while he was down: “You still have the nerve to ask Your Majesty for pardon? You offended His Majesty and His Highness the Empress, committing an unforgivable crime—”

“This is not an unforgivable crime,” Lu Xuechao said softly.

“His Majesty and I did not prove our identities. Punishing someone who impersonates the Sovereign is merely enforcing the law impartially, which is inherently not a crime,” his voice was gentle.

A flicker of hope appeared in Magistrate Zhang’s eyes: “His Highness the Empress is merciful…”

“However,” Lu Xuechao’s tone shifted, turning slightly cold, “as a parental official of the common people, you are insatiably greedy, treat human life like grass, hold a position without doing any work, and listen only to biased claims. As such—”

“—your crime deserves ten thousand deaths.”

The Prefect of Quling shivered.

His Highness the Empress’s words seemed to be directed at Magistrate Zhang, yet also seemed to be directed at him.

Xie Chongjin finally spoke: “Bring up all the previous case dossiers of this yamen.”

From today’s case alone, one could see how unreliable this Qiuling Magistrate was; who knew how many miscarriages of justice he had caused in the past.

The advisor was terrified out of his wits; if those case details and sentences were reviewed by His Majesty, he wouldn’t be able to escape either.

Magistrate Zhang knew nothing about trying cases and often consulted this rotten advisor on how to judge. Yet this advisor did not follow the laws of Changli; whoever gave him benefits, he would help them, possessing a knack for turning black into white.

“Y-Your Majesty, those are all trivial, ancient cases…” the advisor summoned his courage to speak, “You are the ruler of a nation, dealing with ten thousand matters daily; you should not be troubled by such small affairs…”

Xie Chongjin cast a cold, sharp glance at him: “Heaven creates the populace, not for the sake of the ruler; Heaven establishes the ruler, for the sake of the populace.”

“If the suffering of the people is considered small, what in all under Heaven is considered large?”