731

Translator: Choufleur

Neither faction was willing to compromise! One side wanted Jing Rong to leave; the other wanted Jing Rong to stay.

In the end, the Qizhen Emperor was still left in a difficult position.

Actually, both sides had sensible arguments: Jing Rong had volunteered to go to Yufu. As a prince, he naturally should clearly investigate the case. The oral decree forbidding him from returning to the capital was also issued in the presence of the courtiers.

However, Qin Shiyu was also right in that Jing Rong had committed neither a crime nor a mistake, and on top of that delivered the late Emperor’s posthumous edict, contributing labor, if not meritorious service. He should be able to remain within the capital.

After a long period of contemplation, the Qizhen Emperor grit his teeth and said, “We understand Our beloved courtiers’ concerns. As a prince, Jing Rong should complete the tasks he started. Since he accepted responsibility for the case of the Yufu disaster funds, he should do his utmost to solve the case.

“However, this case is after all not a trivial matter. Many courtiers had been sent to investigate but all their efforts were futile and they even lost their lives on the way back to the capital. This has caused Us to be anxious and uneasy that something similar would happen to Jing Rong if he were to continue investigating. In the end, if the Yufu case is never resolved, it couldn’t be that he would forever be barred from returning to the capital, could it? In Great Lin, there never has been a precedent of a prince being barred from returning to the capital for life.”

Jing Yi immediately understood the implications behind that. He hurriedly interrupted, “Imperial Father, although this son also thinks that Jing Rong should not always remain in Yufu...” he paused for a moment and turned to look at Jing Rong, “even he himself said that he would obey if Imperial Father ordered him to return to Yufu. Hence, he also wishes to complete the investigations regarding the Yufu disaster relief funds, am I right?”

A faint hint of a smile appeared at the corners of Jing Rong’s lips. He lifted his chin slightly and accepted the challenge. “I was the one who accepted the case. Naturally, I should give my all to uncovering the truth and recovering the missing funds. This is my duty and I will not shy away from fulfilling it. If Imperial Father gives the order, I will immediately return to Yufu and not stay in the capital. Otherwise, even if all the civil and military officers of the entire imperial court knelt on the flagstones outside Taihe Hall, I won’t take a single step out the city gates.”

“You are clearly making things difficult for Imperial Father. Since time immemorial, the word of our rulers have been considered as weighty as the Nine Sacred Cauldrons; if Imperial Father sympathised with you and reneged on his oral decree forbidding you from returning to the capital, wouldn’t that cause damage to the national prestige of our Great Lin and create an undesirable precedence? How could Imperial Father hold sway over the imperial court then?” What a glib tongue!

Jing Rong’s expression turned frigid. “Imperial Father is the Son of Heaven. The actions of the Son of Heaven are in and of themselves true; if he insists on continuing a path that clearly leads to disaster, it would be a great disgrace.”

“Actions at the start are most important; commands that come first take priority.”

“Right and wrong can be differentiated; it has nothing to do with which came first. Imperial Father may issue an edict; I will stay or leave according to his orders.”

“You have yet to conclude the case of the missing Yufu disaster funds; that is your mistake. Since you made a mistake, how could you let Imperial Father issue an edict for you to stay? You’re gambling on the fact that Imperial Father would pity you; that’s dishonorable.”

“Why would he take pity on me? Where is the dishonor?” Jing Rong swept his sleeves out, pointing at the hall filled with kneeling courtiers. “A court full of civil and military officials on their knees openly pressuring His Majesty; is that honorable? Was it honorable that you issued orders that placed me in danger? In the laws of Great Lin, where is it written that the orders of our rulers may be influenced by the idle gossip of the crowds?” Hmph!

A flash of trepidation dashed across Jing Yi’s eyes but he still refused to relent and continued insisting, “What the courtiers wish to uphold is the reputation that the Son of Heaven’s words are as good as gold. Don’t you try to overcompensate.”

Bah! Jing Rong maintained a solemn and stern composure. “When our ancestor the founding Emperor established the state, he personally inscribed 17 words on the Imperial Scroll: The country is our clan; establishing our homeland, the seal unites the world, no matter the origin. These same 17 words were also carved on the stone pillar outside the Imperial Assembly hall.”

The impact of his words thrummed through the air.

Hah! The country is our clan; establishing our homeland, the seal unites the world, no matter the origin. The crowd collectively drew in a sharp breath.

Jing Yi was also completely flabbergasted. His words were stuck inside his throat, unable to escape.

Jing Rong’s expression flickered slightly, a bone-chilling layer of ice seemed to frost over his eyes. He had never imagined that he would initiate battle with Jing Yi in this manner and in the imperial court on a day like this. What is to come, will come!

Sitting high above on the dais, the Qizhen Emperor seemed to breathe a sigh of relief instead. He waved his dragon-embroidered sleeves. “These words were certainly recorded down in the ancestral records when our Great Lin was founded.” His words resounded like the toll of a bell. The crowd settled down to listen to what else he had to say.

“Although We had initially issued an oral decree forbidding Jing Rong from returning to the capital, the first Emperor established that ‘The country is our clan; establishing our homeland, the seal unites the world, no matter the origin’. Even if Our words do carry enormous weight, they must still contend with right and wrong, the truth of the matter.

“Lord Qin had stated that Jing Rong had committed neither a crime nor a mistake, and even braved the risk of clashing with the troops outside the city in order to deliver the posthumous edict into the capital. His actions resolved the conundrum regarding the Barbarians and is considered meritorious, not a mistake. Since he performed a meritorious service, naturally he should be rewarded. We issue a decree, graciously permitting Jing Rong to remain within the capital. The Ministry of Personnel shall instead send someone to continue investigations into the Yufu disaster relief funds.”

Not a single peep could be heard from the courtiers below him. As it stood, their kneeling was all for naught.

Jing Yi had lost the entire game with just a single wrong move. He was so incensed that smoke was practically steaming out from his ears.

Jing Rong didn’t express any glee or smugness, merely inclining his head, “This son thanks Imperial Father for the gracious permission.”

The Qizhen Emperor nodded lightly, silently letting out a sigh of relief. This entire morning had been extremely tumultuous. Both his heart and mind are now exhausted. Since nobody raised any objections, he announced, “If there are no other matters, court is dismissed.” He stood up from the dragon throne and left.

The courtiers were still on their knees. They waited till the dragon on the dais disappeared behind the side doors before they stood up and dusted off their official robes. This show has come to a close!

Everyone glanced at Jing Rong, then Jing Yi. They all tactfully made a silent retreat out of the hall. In the end, only the two of them were left in the entire Imperial Assembly Hall. The vast, empty hall lacked the fever-pitch tension of before and actually felt rather desolate.

After a long moment, Jing Yi spoke, “I really underestimated you.” His tone was so sharp it could cut as easily as a sword.

Jing Rong received it with a cold expression. “You wanted to confirm the match; I wanted to overthrow the match. This is merely the beginning.”

“You really intend to contend with me?”

“You forced me into it.”

“No, I wasn’t the one who forced you.” Jing Yi put on an innocent look and lifted a corner of his lips slightly, “It’s Imperial Father who forced the both of us into this.”

Heh heh! Jing Rong looked away and didn’t answer.

Jing Yi took two steps forward to stand right before the dragon throne. A thin smile slowly spread across his lips, so cold that it would strike terror in anyone’s heart. “Do you see that? That’s the supreme position in the entire Great Lin. Once one sits there, everyone in the world would have to obey your commands; you can decide who would live or die as you wish.” He grit his teeth, “I’m not like you. You only wish to be a golden koi but I want to be a majestic eagle. I will not hesitate to eliminate anything or anyone who stands in my way.” He had an extremely savage look on his face.

Jing Rong looked at Jing Yi, now inflated with power and self-importance, and walked to his side. “It may not be a bad thing to be a golden koi. Who knows if someday, koi may be able to leap through the dragon door.”

“Hmph.” Jing Yi’s gaze sharpened. “Don’t think that you have won just because the Ji brothers have been demoted and transferred away. The final outcome is still up in the air and the one who will have the last laugh is yet to be determined.”

“Perhaps.” He commented mildly.

Jing Yi turned to face him and laughed arrogantly. He heaved a long sigh. “Let me remind you; the civil and military officials are now all part of my faction. Even without the Ji family, I can still have full control of the board. Even if my strategy completely falls to pieces, I still have one last trump card in my hands!”

Ah! One last trump card? Wei Yi?

Jing Rong immediately clenched his fists and demanded, “What did you do to him?”

Jing Yi merely gave him a smug grin in return. “You must have sent people to search the entire capital and even my residence, but didn’t find a single trace of that fool. You have to be very anxious, aren’t you?”

“Where on earth is he?”

“You wish to know?” Jing Yi asked slyly, “You just have to leave the capital and wait for me to sit on the dragon throne. After that, I will naturally return him to you, safe and sound. But if you insist on contending with me, I guarantee that the day of my defeat, what will be delivered to you will only be the corpse of that fool.” His eyes seemed to gleam with the sinister green light like that of a jackal.

Translator: Choufleur

Neither faction was willing to compromise! One side wanted Jing Rong to leave; the other wanted Jing Rong to stay.

In the end, the Qizhen Emperor was still left in a difficult position.

Actually, both sides had sensible arguments: Jing Rong had volunteered to go to Yufu. As a prince, he naturally should clearly investigate the case. The oral decree forbidding him from returning to the capital was also issued in the presence of the courtiers.

However, Qin Shiyu was also right in that Jing Rong had committed neither a crime nor a mistake, and on top of that delivered the late Emperor’s posthumous edict, contributing labor, if not meritorious service. He should be able to remain within the capital.

After a long period of contemplation, the Qizhen Emperor grit his teeth and said, “We understand Our beloved courtiers’ concerns. As a prince, Jing Rong should complete the tasks he started. Since he accepted responsibility for the case of the Yufu disaster funds, he should do his utmost to solve the case.

“However, this case is after all not a trivial matter. Many courtiers had been sent to investigate but all their efforts were futile and they even lost their lives on the way back to the capital. This has caused Us to be anxious and uneasy that something similar would happen to Jing Rong if he were to continue investigating. In the end, if the Yufu case is never resolved, it couldn’t be that he would forever be barred from returning to the capital, could it? In Great Lin, there never has been a precedent of a prince being barred from returning to the capital for life.”

Jing Yi immediately understood the implications behind that. He hurriedly interrupted, “Imperial Father, although this son also thinks that Jing Rong should not always remain in Yufu...” he paused for a moment and turned to look at Jing Rong, “even he himself said that he would obey if Imperial Father ordered him to return to Yufu. Hence, he also wishes to complete the investigations regarding the Yufu disaster relief funds, am I right?”

A faint hint of a smile appeared at the corners of Jing Rong’s lips. He lifted his chin slightly and accepted the challenge. “I was the one who accepted the case. Naturally, I should give my all to uncovering the truth and recovering the missing funds. This is my duty and I will not shy away from fulfilling it. If Imperial Father gives the order, I will immediately return to Yufu and not stay in the capital. Otherwise, even if all the civil and military officers of the entire imperial court knelt on the flagstones outside Taihe Hall, I won’t take a single step out the city gates.”

“You are clearly making things difficult for Imperial Father. Since time immemorial, the word of our rulers have been considered as weighty as the Nine Sacred Cauldrons; if Imperial Father sympathised with you and reneged on his oral decree forbidding you from returning to the capital, wouldn’t that cause damage to the national prestige of our Great Lin and create an undesirable precedence? How could Imperial Father hold sway over the imperial court then?” What a glib tongue!

Jing Rong’s expression turned frigid. “Imperial Father is the Son of Heaven. The actions of the Son of Heaven are in and of themselves true; if he insists on continuing a path that clearly leads to disaster, it would be a great disgrace.”

“Actions at the start are most important; commands that come first take priority.”

“Right and wrong can be differentiated; it has nothing to do with which came first. Imperial Father may issue an edict; I will stay or leave according to his orders.”

“You have yet to conclude the case of the missing Yufu disaster funds; that is your mistake. Since you made a mistake, how could you let Imperial Father issue an edict for you to stay? You’re gambling on the fact that Imperial Father would pity you; that’s dishonorable.”

“Why would he take pity on me? Where is the dishonor?” Jing Rong swept his sleeves out, pointing at the hall filled with kneeling courtiers. “A court full of civil and military officials on their knees openly pressuring His Majesty; is that honorable? Was it honorable that you issued orders that placed me in danger? In the laws of Great Lin, where is it written that the orders of our rulers may be influenced by the idle gossip of the crowds?” Hmph!

A flash of trepidation dashed across Jing Yi’s eyes but he still refused to relent and continued insisting, “What the courtiers wish to uphold is the reputation that the Son of Heaven’s words are as good as gold. Don’t you try to overcompensate.”

Bah! Jing Rong maintained a solemn and stern composure. “When our ancestor the founding Emperor established the state, he personally inscribed 17 words on the Imperial Scroll: The country is our clan; establishing our homeland, the seal unites the world, no matter the origin. These same 17 words were also carved on the stone pillar outside the Imperial Assembly hall.”

The impact of his words thrummed through the air.

Hah! The country is our clan; establishing our homeland, the seal unites the world, no matter the origin. The crowd collectively drew in a sharp breath.

Jing Yi was also completely flabbergasted. His words were stuck inside his throat, unable to escape.

Jing Rong’s expression flickered slightly, a bone-chilling layer of ice seemed to frost over his eyes. He had never imagined that he would initiate battle with Jing Yi in this manner and in the imperial court on a day like this. What is to come, will come!

Sitting high above on the dais, the Qizhen Emperor seemed to breathe a sigh of relief instead. He waved his dragon-embroidered sleeves. “These words were certainly recorded down in the ancestral records when our Great Lin was founded.” His words resounded like the toll of a bell. The crowd settled down to listen to what else he had to say.

“Although We had initially issued an oral decree forbidding Jing Rong from returning to the capital, the first Emperor established that ‘The country is our clan; establishing our homeland, the seal unites the world, no matter the origin’. Even if Our words do carry enormous weight, they must still contend with right and wrong, the truth of the matter.

“Lord Qin had stated that Jing Rong had committed neither a crime nor a mistake, and even braved the risk of clashing with the troops outside the city in order to deliver the posthumous edict into the capital. His actions resolved the conundrum regarding the Barbarians and is considered meritorious, not a mistake. Since he performed a meritorious service, naturally he should be rewarded. We issue a decree, graciously permitting Jing Rong to remain within the capital. The Ministry of Personnel shall instead send someone to continue investigations into the Yufu disaster relief funds.”

Not a single peep could be heard from the courtiers below him. As it stood, their kneeling was all for naught.

Jing Yi had lost the entire game with just a single wrong move. He was so incensed that smoke was practically steaming out from his ears.

Jing Rong didn’t express any glee or smugness, merely inclining his head, “This son thanks Imperial Father for the gracious permission.”

The Qizhen Emperor nodded lightly, silently letting out a sigh of relief. This entire morning had been extremely tumultuous. Both his heart and mind are now exhausted. Since nobody raised any objections, he announced, “If there are no other matters, court is dismissed.” He stood up from the dragon throne and left.

The courtiers were still on their knees. They waited till the dragon on the dais disappeared behind the side doors before they stood up and dusted off their official robes. This show has come to a close!

Everyone glanced at Jing Rong, then Jing Yi. They all tactfully made a silent retreat out of the hall. In the end, only the two of them were left in the entire Imperial Assembly Hall. The vast, empty hall lacked the fever-pitch tension of before and actually felt rather desolate.

After a long moment, Jing Yi spoke, “I really underestimated you.” His tone was so sharp it could cut as easily as a sword.

Jing Rong received it with a cold expression. “You wanted to confirm the match; I wanted to overthrow the match. This is merely the beginning.”

“You really intend to contend with me?”

“You forced me into it.”

“No, I wasn’t the one who forced you.” Jing Yi put on an innocent look and lifted a corner of his lips slightly, “It’s Imperial Father who forced the both of us into this.”

Heh heh! Jing Rong looked away and didn’t answer.

Jing Yi took two steps forward to stand right before the dragon throne. A thin smile slowly spread across his lips, so cold that it would strike terror in anyone’s heart. “Do you see that? That’s the supreme position in the entire Great Lin. Once one sits there, everyone in the world would have to obey your commands; you can decide who would live or die as you wish.” He grit his teeth, “I’m not like you. You only wish to be a golden koi but I want to be a majestic eagle. I will not hesitate to eliminate anything or anyone who stands in my way.” He had an extremely savage look on his face.

Jing Rong looked at Jing Yi, now inflated with power and self-importance, and walked to his side. “It may not be a bad thing to be a golden koi. Who knows if someday, koi may be able to leap through the dragon door.”

“Hmph.” Jing Yi’s gaze sharpened. “Don’t think that you have won just because the Ji brothers have been demoted and transferred away. The final outcome is still up in the air and the one who will have the last laugh is yet to be determined.”

“Perhaps.” He commented mildly.

Jing Yi turned to face him and laughed arrogantly. He heaved a long sigh. “Let me remind you; the civil and military officials are now all part of my faction. Even without the Ji family, I can still have full control of the board. Even if my strategy completely falls to pieces, I still have one last trump card in my hands!”

Ah! One last trump card? Wei Yi?

Jing Rong immediately clenched his fists and demanded, “What did you do to him?”

Jing Yi merely gave him a smug grin in return. “You must have sent people to search the entire capital and even my residence, but didn’t find a single trace of that fool. You have to be very anxious, aren’t you?”

“Where on earth is he?”

“You wish to know?” Jing Yi asked slyly, “You just have to leave the capital and wait for me to sit on the dragon throne. After that, I will naturally return him to you, safe and sound. But if you insist on contending with me, I guarantee that the day of my defeat, what will be delivered to you will only be the corpse of that fool.” His eyes seemed to gleam with the sinister green light like that of a jackal.