Chapter 59: This Subject Knows No Guilt!

Silence filled the grand hall once more, with only the sound of heavy breathing faintly audible.

The imperial attendant on duty hurried down, received the memorial, and respectfully handed it to the old Emperor.

Refusing to take it, the old Emperor said, "Let everyone have a look at it."

The attendant stepped down again and handed the memorial to an official.

From there, it was passed around for one to read after another.

"My esteemed ministers, what are your views on this matter?"

After the officials had all finished reading, the old Emperor finally spoke up.

The ministers kept their heads lowered, exchanging glances. Chang Sheng, the Duke of Kaiguo, stepped forward and said, "This is mere slander, a paper full of falsehoods. I implore Your Majesty to punish him for his crime."

Wang Bi, the Marquis of Dingyuan, also said, "When commanding troops in the field, it is inevitable that subordinates will commit unlawful acts."

"If one is to be punished for such things, no one in the Great Ming Dynasty will ever dare to lead troops again."

"How can this be so absurd?"

"In my humble opinion, the Duke of Liang has rendered great service to the state and immense service to the empire of Great Ming. Even if he has faults, his merits far outweigh them."

Another military noble stepped forward and said, "When one wants to condemn someone, a pretext is never lacking."

"Most of the crimes attributed to the Duke of Liang listed here are matters for which Your Majesty has already issued decrees of reprimand."

"To bring up old scores today—one wonders what their true intentions are."

A military official voiced his indignation, saying, "These are just stale, trivial matters from the past, yet they demand the execution of the Duke of Liang's entire clan. To be so ruthless, is this the act of a human being?"

A civil official stood motionless and asked, "Why did His Royal Highness the Prince of Wu so readily believe what the Prince of Yan said?"

"Simply because he knows very well that while the Prince of Yan's words may be false, the crimes committed by the Duke of Liang are by no means untruthful."

He raised his voice, and the echo reverberated through the grand hall.

"His Royal Highness the Prince of Wu acted decisively, leading the Brocade-Clad Guard to surround the Duke's residence, arresting the man, and today even bringing him here to carry thorns and plead guilty."

"Though claiming to act out of loyalty and filial piety toward Your Majesty, the true intent is to protect the Duke of Liang."

"He hopes to use this method to absolve the Duke of Liang of his crimes."

"The present sight of the Duke of Liang pleadingly bearing thorns is the best proof of this."

"As a Supervising Secretary, I have received Your Majesty's immense grace and bear the duty of direct admonition."

"The Duke of Liang, Lan Yu, has broken the law, and I am compelled to remonstrate."

"The laws of Great Ming are paramount; no matter how immense his merits may be, they cannot overshadow his offenses."

"I implore Your Majesty to issue a decree putting the Duke of Liang, Lan Yu, to death, in order to uphold the law."

Just as his voice trailed off, another civil official stepped out.

"I too wish to impeach the Duke of Liang, Lan Yu."

"Every word in the memorial presented just now is true. If such a violent felon is not severely punished, how will the Great Ming court account for itself before the people of the realm?"

Fang Xiaoru and Huang Zicheng exchanged glances, sensing that the time was ripe. They immediately stepped forward to remonstrate, saying, "The Duke of Liang, Lan Yu, is arrogant due to his favor. His words and deeds show neither the decorum of a subject nor the virtue of a senior minister."

"When His Royal Highness the Prince of Wu arrested him yesterday, the common people of the capital rejoiced upon hearing the news. The will of the people is clearly reflected in this."

"Your Majesty rules with supreme wisdom and discerns the finest details. You will certainly ensure that no one is unjustly accused, nor shall anyone suffer an unwarranted death."

"The Duke of Liang, Lan Yu, has accumulated crimes as high as a mountain."

"His Royal Highness the Prince of Wu knew full well that his actions were largely treasonous, which is why he arrested him the moment he heard the words of the Prince of Yan."

"He did so to downplay the gravity of the situation and cover up his crimes."

"I beg Your Majesty to investigate this thoroughly!"

Huang Zicheng also stepped forward, saying, "Your Majesty, I too have heard tales of the Duke of Liang, Lan Yu, running amok, oppressing the common people, and showing lawless disregard for the sovereign."

"The crimes listed in this memorial are all astonishing."

"Even if some old matters are being brought up again, the evidence is ironclad."

"The offenses committed by the Duke of Liang, Lan Yu, are likely far more numerous than these."

"His widespread recruitment of adopted sons and the formation of cliques for private gain reveal an ambition as clear as day."

"I beg Your Majesty to order the competent authorities to investigate and then determine his sentence."

With the two of them taking the lead, the civil officials no longer hesitated.

One after another, they stepped forward to impeach Lan Yu.

The military nobles responded in kind, arguing fiercely in his defense.

The atmosphere in the grand hall once again became tense and explosive.

"Lan Yu should be handed over to the Censorate or the Court of Judicial Review for interrogation; whether he is guilty or not will be clear at the first questioning."

"Where in the world is there any logic in subjecting an innocent and meritorious official to interrogation and imprisonment?"

"If the Duke of Liang is truly innocent, why should he fear an inquiry by the judicial authorities?"

"Nonsense! The Duke of Liang is a man of unblemished integrity, how can he be subjected to arbitrary humiliation?"

"An upright person fears no shadow. Such terror of an official investigation—could it be the guilt of a thief?"

"Absurd! Would you like me to have you locked up first, and then investigate your entire family to see if you have committed any illegal acts? Would you be willing to agree to that?"

...

"Cough, cough, cough!"

After the two sides had argued fiercely for a long time, the old Emperor gave a light cough, and the grand hall instantly fell silent.

The old Emperor's gaze slowly swept across the assembly below, finally landing on Zhu Di as he said, "Fourth, this matter started because of you. Tell us first, is the Duke of Liang guilty or not?"

"Reporting to Your Imperial Father, the Duke of Liang is guilty, and his crimes are unforgivable!"

Zhu Di said, "Although this subject son transmitted a false decree, it was done out of concern for my sovereign and father."

"The rebellious actions of Lan Yu have also reached my ears up in Beiping."

"Though they are mere rumors among the common folk and cannot be fully believed, they are surely not without cause."

"This subject son believes that since Lan Yu has already been arrested, the Three Judicial Offices can be ordered to conduct a joint trial."

"If the investigation reveals no substantial evidence, it will serve precisely to proclaim the truth to the realm, clear up misunderstandings, and restore his innocence."

"If a man is arrested and then released without a trial, it will inevitably lead the people to mistakenly believe that the court intends to harbor him."

"It would also be a heavy blow to the reputation of the court."

"It is better to investigate the matter thoroughly to the end."

He had not dared to mention the old Emperor earlier to clear his own name.

But now, impeaching Lan Yu presented not the slightest pressure.

After all, Zhu Di and Lan Yu were known enemies throughout the realm.

There was no need to conceal it.

The old Emperor said indifferently, "Is that so?"

Then, turning his gaze aside, he asked, "Prince of Qin, Prince of Jin, what are your views on this?"

Neither of them had expected the old Emperor to suddenly question them. Having originally intended to just sit back and watch the spectacle, they were startled on the spot.

"This subject son... this subject son believes that what the Fourth Brother said is not without reason," said Zhu Shuang, the Prince of Qin. "Whether the Duke of Liang, Lan Yu, is guilty or not will be known once an investigation is conducted."

"The imperial court has a clear mirror hanging high, with Your Imperial Father above and all the officials below, watching with many eyes. We will certainly not wrong any innocent person, nor will we let any guilty person escape."

Zhu Gang, the Prince of Jin, said, "This subject son also agrees with the words of the Eldest Brother."

The expression on the old Emperor's face remained unchanged, serene and unruffled, revealing neither joy nor anger. He turned instead and asked, "Tun'er, you are the one who arrested Lan Yu. What do you think?"

Zhu Yunniang cupped his hands and said, "The words of my three uncles are not without reason."

"Whether he is loyal or treacherous, guilty or innocent, it will be clear once investigated and understood upon trial."

"However, this grandson has heard that the Duke of Liang has long been at odds with the civil officials of the court."

"Yesterday, the moment this grandson arrested him and brought him to my residence, the Three Judicial Offices came knocking jointly in the middle of the night to demand the prisoner."

"There may be other reasons behind this, but it is enough to show that the Three Judicial Offices cannot handle the matter impartially."

"Moreover, the Duke of Liang commands great power and deep-rooted prestige in the army of Great Ming. He should be sentenced swiftly and not kept imprisoned for long, lest the morale of the Great Ming military be shaken."

"Today, this grandson has brought the man here."

"This grandson believes that if the Duke of Liang is to be tried, we might as well hold the trial right here in the imperial presence, in front of all the civil and military officials."

"Arriving at a verdict early will also set the minds of the Great Ming soldiers at ease, and reassure the officials of the entire court."

Huang Zicheng and Fang Xiaoru exchanged a quick, inadvertent glance.

Neither of them had expected that the very move they made last night—sending the Three Judicial Offices to demand the prisoner—would now become Zhu Yunniang's reason for denying those same Three Judicial Offices the right to interrogate Lan Yu.

The taste of lifting a rock only to drop it on one's own feet was far from pleasant.

However, the fact that Zhu Yunniang did not obstruct the trial of Lan Yu somewhat caught them by surprise.

Just what scheme was the other party plotting?

The boy was still so young and his actions seemed rather reckless.

Yet at times, he gave one the feeling of being extremely deep and calculating.

"Good!" the old Emperor declared. "Then We shall personally preside over the trial today."

His gaze, sharp as lightning, suddenly shot toward Lan Yu and Fu Ye, who were kneeling on the ground.

"Lan Yu, do you know your crime?"

Lan Yu slowly raised his head and looked at the old Emperor. "Reporting to Your Majesty, this subject is innocent, nor do I know of any crime."