The Blood Crown - Chapter 49

The case of the newly compiled history book created ripples during an ordinary morning court session.

Emperor Zhaowu, who was accustomed to indulging in pleasures and neglecting state affairs, was furious when he read Cai Zhongfan’s memorial and directly confronted Wang Shengsheng.

Three days had passed since Cai Zhongfan’s memorial reached the Imperial Cabinet. These seemingly calm three days had actually experienced their share of turmoil and waves behind the scenes.

Official memorials submitted by officials from outside the capital needed to go through several stages of review. Upon entering the capital, they were first delivered to the Imperial Cabinet, where cabinet ministers would draft their opinions and jointly present them to the emperor. A diligent ruler was expected to respond to these memorials daily, taking into account the content provided by the ministers. Additionally, there were five eunuchs from the Bureau of Ceremonial Affairs responsible for assisting the emperor in handling state affairs.

After the emperor or the eunuchs approved the memorials, they would then be sent to the Chief Eunuch of the Bureau of Ceremonial Affairs for the final approval and sealing. The fate of a memorial from the Imperial Cabinet to the Bureau of Ceremonial Affairs was ultimately decided by the emperor alone. However, when a monarch like Emperor Zhaowu was negligent and rarely read memorials, the Chief Eunuch of the Bureau of Ceremonial Affairs, as the highest-ranking eunuch responsible for state affairs, held immense power. Over the years, many memorials accusing Xie Zhongren had disappeared without a trace due to this system.

Therefore, this memorial, which directly targeted Wang Shengsheng, had to contain numerous shocking details to catch Emperor Zhaowu’s attention.

When Yan Sikong initially planned this, he had confidence in escalating the situation. Cai Zhongfan had once been in charge of the Ministry of Personnel’s Examinations Department, and many officials promoted under his authority held positions throughout the court. Despite his current fall from grace, his influence remained significant. Moreover, with the eunuchs broadcasting their grudges against him, it was a perfect opportunity to strike back. Naturally, such an appeal would garner widespread support.

This memorial sent shockwaves through the court. Whether the errors were intentional or accidental, the newly compiled history book had already been printed and distributed to various regions and foreign countries. The blatant mistakes made by Zhaowu and Wuzhao were extremely ironic, and it would undoubtedly become a source of ridicule for people all over the world.

It was said that during the morning court session, both Wang Shengsheng and Huo Li appeared pale and knelt to apologize and defend themselves. Emperor Zhaowu, although extremely dissatisfied, did not question them publicly on the spot, perhaps considering their status as cabinet ministers. Instead, he ordered a thorough investigation into the matter, including the retrieval of all distributed volumes of the historical records for reevaluation.

After the morning court session, all officials from the Hanlin Academy were restricted to the Hall of Literature. Most of them were puzzled, discussing the matter among themselves. Only Yan Sikong and Shen Hexuan sat solemnly before their desks, silent.

Emperor Zhaowu had not yet involved the Three Law Offices but had dispatched Yu Ji to investigate the author of that particular chapter and the officials involved. It was quite easy for Yu Ji to discover that Liu Zhaolin, Yan Sikong, and Shen Hexuan were among those involved, along with another junior scribe named Lin Yue, who served as the collector of materials for that volume. All four of them were now implicated in the investigation.

The four individuals were not immediately imprisoned, but on that day, they took turns being interrogated to completely clarify the situation.

Liu Zhaolin was assigned to this period, with Lin Yue assisting in researching historical materials. Liu Zhaolin was the primary author, Yan Sikong reviewed, Shen Hexuan cross-checked, Huo Li was the overall supervisor, and Wang Shengsheng presided over the case. The individuals responsible for this case were now clear, but determining the appropriate punishment was the key issue.

It is not difficult to imagine that at this moment, Xie Zhongren and others were likely pleading for Wang Shengsheng, while the opposing faction would not easily let go of this opportunity. After all, Wang Shengsheng was cautious, and for the first time in many years, he had shown his vulnerability.

Although Yan Sikong played a significant role in creating the current situation, he couldn’t actively participate in the unfolding events. He couldn’t even receive the news firsthand, so he had to wait anxiously like everyone else. However, it wasn’t fear that gripped him but rather the anxiety of not being in control when things were beyond his grasp.

Yu Ji had released the other Hanlin officials and kept only the implicated individuals.

Yan Zilian politely asked, “Master Yu, how should these few people be dealt with? It’s not suitable to keep them in the Hall of Literature indefinitely.”

Yu Ji smiled and replied, “Minister Yan, His Majesty sent me to investigate, and he hasn’t ordered their imprisonment. Leaving room for maneuver, His Majesty’s intentions are not clear yet. Sending them home immediately is inappropriate. It might be better to keep them temporarily detained here.”

Yan Zilian hesitated and then suggested, “Master Yu, may I personally interrogate them?”

Yu Ji furrowed his brows slightly, seemingly uncertain about the idea.

Yu Ji was the Chief Eunuch of the Bureau of Ceremonial Affairs, the highest-ranking eunuch responsible for the emperor’s daily life and all ceremonial matters in the palace. Although he didn’t wield as much political power as Xie Zhongren, he enjoyed the emperor’s trust and couldn’t be easily offended. He refrained from participating in factional struggles and was difficult to sway.

Yan Zilian continued, “Since you’ve decided to temporarily detain them in the Hall of Literature, it might be considered an internal matter of our Hanlin Academy.”

Yu Ji reciprocated, saying, “Senior Minister Yan, please go ahead. However, I can only allow one interrogation at a time.”

“Thank you, Master Yu.”

Yan Zilian’s profound gaze swept over the silent individuals, eventually resting on Yan Sikong. “Sikong, come with me.”

Everyone present was slightly puzzled. Yan Sikong was neither the primary author nor the supervisor of the case, so why did Yan Zilian choose to interrogate him first?

They assumed that Yan Zilian had a particular fondness for Yan Sikong and didn’t think much of it. However, Shen Hexuan was the only one who showed a hint of suspicion on his face.

Yan Zilian brought Yan Sikong into his study and pointed to a nearby chair.

Yan Sikong made a deep bow and then knelt down.

“I told you to sit, so sit.”

Yan Sikong hesitated for a moment and then replied, “Thank you, Teacher.” He stood up and took a seat in the chair.

“Now you have a general idea of the situation,” Yan Zilian began. “The Emperor has always been indecisive. At this time, Xie Zhongren is undoubtedly pleading for Lord Wang. Lord Wang has been diligent in his duties for many years. Although his influence is limited, the Emperor might consider leniency due to their past relationship.”

Yan Sikong nodded and said, “Teacher, you make a valid point.”

“Why do I sense that you don’t seem pleased?” Yan Zilian narrowed his eyes at him. “Don’t you hope for a more lenient punishment for yourself?”

Yan Sikong replied calmly, “Naturally, I hope for a lenient punishment for all of us. However, I believe that if His Majesty truly heeds the advice of Minister Xie and chooses to downplay this matter, it won’t necessarily lead to leniency for us. Instead, it might result in more severe punishments for us to compensate for Lord Wang’s lighter sentence.”

Yan Zilian nodded approvingly. “You’ve thought about this carefully. Well then, what do you think is the solution to this matter?”

Yan Sikong remained silent, calmly gazing at Yan Zilian. After a moment, he said, “I dare not say, Teacher.”

“Why would you dare not say?” Yan Zilian raised an eyebrow.

“It’s because I’m afraid you won’t trust me, Teacher. I dare not speak recklessly.”

Narrowing his eyes, Yan Zilian asked, “What do you mean?”

Yan Sikong stood up and then knelt down solemnly, saying, “Lord Wang, as the Deputy Prime Minister, has obstructed you and your colleagues in the Imperial Academy for many years. I believe you wouldn’t want to see Lord Wang escape punishment too easily.”

Yan Zilian nodded and said, “Go on.”

Yan Sikong looked deeply into Yan Zilian’s eyes and continued, “You must know how Minister Cai’s memorial evaded the spies of the Bureau of Ceremonies and ultimately reached the Emperor. I’m sure you are more aware of this than anyone else.”

Yan Zilian lightly stroked his beard, his expression serious. After studying Yan Sikong for a while, he said, “Continue, I’d like to hear your audacious words.”

Yan Sikong lowered his head and replied, “I dare not, Teacher.”

“Speak!” Yan Zilian slapped the table. “Do you still care about your future?”

Yan Sikong gently curled the corner of his lips, raised his head again, and said seriously, “Then I’ll speak frankly. I believe that over these past three days, you and your colleagues have done a lot of work to ensure that Minister Cai’s memorial does not sink into obscurity. However, if we don’t add more fuel to the fire while it’s still burning brightly, it will quietly die down. We, mere seventh-rank officials, will bear the brunt of the blame.”

Yan Zilian nodded and a look of approval shone in his eyes. “So, how do we fan the flames even more?”

“Lord Wang has been in office for many years, and even I know of his corruption and the sale of official positions. I’m sure you and your colleagues are more familiar with his misdeeds. The Emperor is currently disgusted with Lord Wang, and it’s a rare opportunity to accuse him. If we present his past wrongdoings one by one, the issue of typographical errors in the historical records will appear less severe. Then, you and the other esteemed colleagues can appeal on our behalf, and that might genuinely reduce our punishment.”

Yan Zilian chuckled softly. “Sikong, you’ve always been a perceptive person.”

“Teacher, you flatter me. I’m merely trying to protect myself.” Yan Sikong replied, “Besides, what I’ve thought of, I’m sure you’ve already considered.”

“That’s right. We’re already working on it. If we can remove Wang Shengsheng, it will be a significant blow to the Eunuch Faction.”

Yan Sikong felt a surge of joy in his heart. Yan Zilian’s words indicated that he was beginning to accept him into a deeper level of the power circle.

“You are all my students, and I will do my best to save you. However, I have one more question.”

“Please, Teacher.”

Yan Zilian suddenly leaned forward, his pair of gray-brown eyes staring deeply into Yan Sikong’s. His gaze was wise and piercing. “Are you really sure you haven’t made a copy of the records?”

Yan Sikong was briefly taken aback. He then lowered both of his hands to the ground and trembled as he said, “Teacher, I truly haven’t made a copy.”

Yan Zilian sat back up, speaking softly, “Very well, you may withdraw for now.”

Yan Sikong felt a slight relief in his heart.

Yan Zilian was too astute and insightful. Trying to scheme under the watchful eye of such a person was akin to courting danger. However, that was precisely why this person was worth investing in. Yet, he had to be even more cautious..