Nightwatcher

# 477. Imperial Accusation

Emperor Yuanjing understood well that political struggles at court were like cooking a delicate fish; best done over a low flame to achieve the desired flavour.

Win some over, suppress others, and do so gradually. Along the way, it was necessary to allow one’s opponents opportunities to fight back and vent their anger, so as to slowly wear down their sharpness and resolve.

If, as the sovereign, he were to defy public opinion and forcibly condemn Wei Yuan, the result would be a repeat of when the ministers surrounded the Meridian Gate after King Huai’s death.

And wasn’t that incident caused precisely because he had used too much force?

The subsequent measures to gradually shift the narrative around the Chuzhou case perfectly aligned with the principle of a slow simmer.

Strolling through the palace, Emperor Yuanjing looked up at the distant blue sky. It was only because he needed to protect the balance of fortune, to prevent it from spilling out. But now, he needed to shake that fortune.

Since the Yan and Kang nations were so incompetent, he would take matters into his own hands.

That very day, although the court had yet to formally characterise the recent battle, new voices had begun to emerge. For those sharp-nosed officials in the capital who were adept at analysing court politics, this was an important signal.

Those who didn’t would do well to stay silent and observe.

Over the next two days, both large and small court sessions were convened multiple times. Former members of the Wei Clique held their ground fiercely, joining forces with the Wang Clique to argue heatedly against the factions of Yuan Xiong and Qin Yuandao.

As always, Emperor Yuanjing sat high upon his throne, watching the tigers fight.

What surprised everyone most was Prime Minister Wang. This old statesman, who had spent half a lifetime contending with Wei Yuan, now stood firmly by the side of the former Wei Clique members with an unshakeable stance, doing his utmost to defend Wei Yuan’s legacy and the significance of that battle.

…

Before a small courtyard in the northern part of the city.

A luxurious, high-class carriage rolled slowly to a halt by the roadside. A middle-aged man in ordinary clothing stepped out, flanked by his attendants, and knocked on the courtyard gate.

A comely young housewife in a cloth skirt opened the door, startled to find a group of men at her doorstep. She hurried to shut the door.

One of the attendants raised a hand to stop her, rebuking, “Mind your manners. Do you even know who stands before you?”

Unable to shut the door, the young woman backed away in alarm and called into the house, “Mother, there are guests…”

A silver-haired old woman leaned on a walking stick as she emerged from inside, warily eyeing the uninvited visitors. “Who are you?”

The old woman had once lived in wealth and splendour. One glance at the man’s fine fabric, exquisite tailoring, and jade pendant at his waist was enough for her to see that this visitor was no ordinary person.

This only made her more guarded.

The running dogs of court always had one goal: extortion. Though hateful, at least they came openly. And now that the household had fallen into ruin and was barely surviving, even those heartless sons of bitches no longer bothered coming.

What was a high-status man like this doing here?

It clearly wasn’t for money.

The middle-aged man stepped into the courtyard. A few clucking hens in the corner and the faint odour of droppings in the air made him frown.

“You’re the first wife of Lu Zhennan?” he asked.

Lu Zhennan was Master Deer’s real name.

Suddenly, the old woman burst into loud wails, dropped her walking stick, and plopped to the ground. She employed the usual tactics of a shrew, making a dramatic scene and portraying herself as a tragic victim to seize the moral high ground.

Though illiterate and uneducated, the old woman had learned such tricks through a lifetime of experience within the streets.

But the man’s next sentence caught her off guard, cutting off her cries as if her throat had been seized like a squawking hen’s.

“Would you like to clear Lu Zhennan’s name?”

Clear the name of a man who kidnapped people and raped decent women? The old woman neither nodded nor refused, merely staring dazedly at the man.

He smiled faintly and explained in terms she could understand:

“The big official who exiled your son is called Wei Yuan, head of the Nightwatchers. Well, he’s dead now, fallen on the battlefield. Some people want to seek justice for the innocent he falsely accused, restore their names, and clean up the bureaucracy.

“All you have to do is go to the Meridian Gate after lunch, beat the Drum of Appeals, and accuse Wei Yuan of hoarding wealth and framing good people. I guarantee your son, who’s been exiled to the borderlands, will be back to reunite with you before the spring rites.”

The old woman’s eyes lit up with excitement, her spirits lifted.

But then she hesitated, murmuring nervously, “Filing an imperial accusation against a high official means getting flogged…”

According to Great Feng law, overstepping ranks in appeals was punishable by fifty strokes of the cane.

If you won, nothing more came of it. If you lost, it meant exile two thousand li away or even death.

For an old woman like her, fifty strokes wouldn’t just end a lawsuit, it’d be a reunion with her late husband, husband and wife reincarnating together.

The man sneered. “Don’t worry. We’ll ensure you’re unharmed. If you die, wouldn’t all our efforts be wasted?”

He glanced at his attendant.

The attendant tossed down a gold ingot and a written petition.

The man said, “We’ve already written the complaint for you. Do this well, and not only will your son come home, but you’ll also get fifty taels of gold as a reward. Enough for your family to live in silk and satin.”

The old woman clenched her teeth and made up her mind. “Many thanks, sir, for speaking on behalf of a poor woman!”

The man nodded with satisfaction. “Now, let me teach you the procedure for filing your appeal…”

…

That day, drums thundered outside the Meridian Gate. An old woman, accompanied by her daughter-in-law and young grandson, struck the Drum of Appeal, accusing Wei Yuan of embezzlement and slandering honest citizens.

Emperor Yuanjing, who had been lax in governance for twenty-one years, flew into a rage upon hearing this and ordered the Censorate to investigate thoroughly.

The news quickly spread among the capital officials, stirring undercurrents within the court.

The old woman was immediately taken away by a censor and brought to the Censorate's interrogation chamber, where she stood trembling, head lowered.

Common folk instinctively feared the authorities.

"Are you Lu Madam Li?"

From behind the desk, a stern voice of the chief examiner rang out.

"Yes sir," the old woman replied in a quavering voice.

"Raise your head," the voice commanded again.

The old woman slowly lifted her head and, upon seeing the face of the official seated behind the high bench, nearly cried out in shock. It was the very same middle-aged man who had recently visited her home and taught her how to lodge a complaint.

"This official is Yuan Xiong. Tell me your grievances truthfully."

"Everything I have to say is written in the complaint."

"That's not enough. You must give more detail. I will ask, and you will answer truthfully. Do you understand?"

"Yes..."

"Did your husband, Lu Zhennan, ever traffic in human beings, abduct decent families, children, or grown men?"

"Absolutely not. My husband was a small-time cloth merchant, honest and hardworking. How could he have trafficked in people?"

"Then why did a known knife-wielding thug from a human trafficking ring insist that Lu Zhennan was the leader?"

"I don't know. I’ve never even heard of that man. Besides, my husband had already passed away by then. They were just slandering the dead, taking advantage of the fact he couldn’t defend himself."

"Oh, false accusations." Yuan Xiong nodded and asked, "What happened to your family after the Lu household was confiscated?"

"Those Nightwatchers came round every few days, causing trouble and demanding money."

"Oh, extortion and preying on the people. What else?"

"They also harassed my daughter-in-law."

"Oh, defiling your daughter-in-law, violating decent women..."

…

Soon, Yuan Xiong presented the interrogation results and entered the palace to report to Emperor Yuanjing.

The Emperor immediately summoned his ministers to hold a small court meeting in the imperial study.

_Bang!_

Emperor Yuanjing slammed the table, his face livid with fury:

"The Nightwatchers embezzled with impunity, oppressed honest citizens, tore families apart, and still refused to relent, draining them dry, defiling their women… The corruption of officials has festered for too long. Who would’ve thought that the Nightwatchers, meant to oversee the bureaucracy, would rot to this degree? We are grieved. We are utterly disappointed in Wei Yuan.

"We treated him as a statesman, and he turned out to be a traitor."

Liu Hong, the Left Censor-in-Chief, stepped forward in haste: "Your Majesty, this concerns Duke Wei. Such a major case such as this must be tried by a joint tribunal of the Three Judicial Offices. We mustn’t rely on Yuan Xiong’s word alone."

As Wei Yuan’s confidant, he had to recuse himself. All former members of the Wei clique were required to avoid involvement, excluded from the case by Emperor Yuanjing.

The Emperor sneered: "A joint tribunal? And what would that accomplish? What did you uncover during the Consort Fu case when investigating the Crown Prince? Nothing but shirking responsibility and empty words."

The ministers were momentarily speechless.

Prime Minister Wang stepped forward and said gravely, "Your Majesty, this is a serious case. It must follow proper procedure. Please allow the Three Judicial Offices to handle it."

Deputy Minister of War Qin Yuandao immediately stepped out to refute: "During the official evaluation, Nightwatchers from Gold Gong to Bronze Gong were jailed for corruption and bribery. The rot has run deep for a long time. Now that Wei Yuan is dead, these criminals have lost their protector. I believe this is the perfect opportunity to thoroughly investigate the Nightwatchers and cleanse the institution."

But Emperor Yuanjing no longer looked at him. Instead, he fixed his gaze on Yuan Xiong and said:

"Lord Yuan, we now entrust the Nightwatchers to you. You must investigate thoroughly and cleanse them completely of corruption. Give us back a clean and upright Nightwatcher force."

Yuan Xiong was overjoyed, though he showed no emotion. He declared loudly, "Yes, Your Majesty!"

…

As the ministers dispersed, the Minister of War quickly caught up with Prime Minister Wang and whispered, "Prime Minister sir, what should we do now?"

It was clear the Emperor intended to use this to tarnish Wei Yuan’s name. Once the Nightwatchers’ so-called "dark deeds" were exposed, how clean could their former leader still appear?

At that point, titles like Zhongwu Duke would be out of the question.

Prime Minister Wang responded obliquely, "Have you noticed how more and more people are falling silent?"

The Minister of War’s face changed.

Wang said coolly, "Watch your own men closely. In officialdom, favour fades with absence, an unshakable truth for centuries."

The elderly man turned back to look at the imperial palace, his face weary.

…

Yuan Xiong left the palace in his carriage, not returning to the Censorate nor rushing to the Nightwatcher constabulary like a newly appointed official eager to make a show of force.

"The people who know the Nightwatchers best are the Nightwatchers themselves. If I want things done quickly, I’ll need his help."

Yuan Xiong narrowed his eyes, tapping his fingers silently on his knee.

The carriage rumbled on. He exited the imperial city, rode through the inner city for half an hour, and arrived at a mansion.

Zhu Manor!