Chapter 280: Confrontation - Rebirth of the Noble Daughter

 Chapter 280: Confrontation

“Not only this year’s imperial examination but also those from previous years must be thoroughly verified. Every examination handled by Master Wen must be scrutinized one by one. This is the only way to restore the faith of scholars from poor families in the royal family and the emperor, ensuring that they will serve the Great Jin with loyalty in the future.”

Turning to look at Wen Jingsong, the expression was amiable, but the words were as chilling as winter’s snow.

“If Master Wen is innocent, this would also serve as proof of his innocence, wouldn’t it?”

“That’s right! A thorough investigation is necessary!”

The censors agreed and Elder Xu nodded.

Yin Canwen, the person directly involved, had no objections!

At this moment, the Wen family father and son were in a state of turmoil. With the issue of Yin Canwen unresolved and now facing involvement with others, despite their preparations, they feared any oversight might cost them dearly!

While contemplating how to deal with this, they suddenly heard the eunuchs outside proclaiming loudly that the Feng family’s three members were outside the palace and wished to report to the emperor.

Emperor Qi frowned. The situation seemed to be escalating further. What were the Feng family doing here?

But since they were already outside the hall, it would be inappropriate not to let them in. He could only nod in agreement.

With a command from Chief Eunuch Wang, the three members of the Feng family entered the great hall.

Feng Hai led the way, followed by Feng Jinxu and Feng Jinlin.

All three had somber expressions, especially Feng Jinlin, who, upon entering the hall, cast a scornful look at Wen Jingsong and Wen Mengsheng.

Wen Mengsheng was furious but knew this was not a place where he could freely vent his anger, so he lowered his head and hid the malice in his eyes.

“Your servant pays respects to Your Majesty, wishing the emperor a long life, longevity, and eternal reign!”

“Your servant pays respects to Your Majesty, wishing the emperor a long life, longevity, and eternal reign!”

“Commoner pays respects to Your Majesty, wishing the emperor a long life, longevity, and eternal reign!”

This was the first time the Feng family’s three members had entered the court together, attracting much attention.

One was a long-serving Minister of Revenue, controlling the nation’s finances and resources, a figure of considerable power.

One was a newly appointed Deputy Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, known for his strict and upright demeanor, resembling a stern judge.

One was the sixth-place scholar in this year’s imperial examination, a promising young man about to enter the court, full of ambition and a bright future ahead.

Seeing the three of them bow and pay their respects, Emperor Qi’s expression softened slightly compared to before. He did not beat around the bush and directly asked.

“Ministers, are you here today regarding the Wen family’s matter?”

Feng Hai nodded and said to Feng Jinxu behind him.

“Jinxu, you speak.”

“Yes!”

Feng Jinxu looked up. Although his face showed no urgency to suppress the Wen family, his words made Wen Jingsong feel as if he had fallen into an ice pit.

“Your Majesty, today, while I was on my way to take office at the Court of Judicial Review, I encountered some suspicious individuals near the Ministry of Personnel’s archives. I intended to summon them for questioning, but they fled in panic. We captured them, and upon searching their belongings, we found many incendiary materials. The archives mostly contain documents, and fire is usually avoided. Given the aggressive nature of their approach and the dangerous items they carried, it was clear they had ulterior motives. We brought them back to the Court of Judicial Review for interrogation. Under torture, they confessed that Master Wen had ordered them to set fire to the Ministry of Personnel’s archives. The reason remains unknown.”

As soon as he said this, the previously aggressive Wen Jingsong immediately took two steps back. Before he could even attempt to shift the blame onto Feng Jinxu, he was intimidated by Feng Jinxu’s glare.

“I worried that these people might be part of a scheme to frame Master Wen, so I personally led an investigation into the Wen family’s household. We confirmed that these individuals were indeed servants of the Wen family. Additionally, we discovered a secret room in the study, though its contents are unclear. This matter is of great importance, so I dared not proceed with a search of a second-rank official’s home without the emperor’s command. I have come to report to Your Majesty and await your instructions on whether to proceed with the search.”

With that, he presented all the evidence and testimonies, which felt like a death warrant for Wen Jingsong.

Seeing the evidence placed before Emperor Qi, Wen Jingsong found himself powerless.

Feng Jinxu, as the Deputy Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, had acted with such meticulousness despite his youth.

His words were not directly related to the corruption case but carried deep implications. Anyone with a bit of intelligence could deduce the underlying issues.

A secret room at home could potentially hide evidence of bribery.

The fire in the archives seemed intended to prevent an investigation into the documents.
Given that he was already a trusted subordinate of Prince Ding, capturing the Wen family’s arsonist servants was a straightforward task.

It was not surprising that such information came out during interrogation.

After hearing this, Emperor Qi’s gaze toward Wen Jingsong changed significantly.

Especially after reviewing the testimonies, his breathing grew rapid. Chief Eunuch Wang standing beside him also felt a sense of dread, fearing the emperor’s anger would soon erupt.

If there was still some confusion before, now the evidence was laid out clearly. As long as Emperor Qi issued an order to search, the case of Wen Jingsong’s bribery and corruption could no longer be concealed.

Whether it was a real Achilles’ heel or not, Wen Jingsong lost the earlier confidence in his arguments.

After all, Feng Jinxu’s reputation for being cold and unfeeling was well-known in officialdom. Wen Jingsong couldn’t find a way to deflect blame onto him.

With the identities of those involved confirmed and most of the relevant information revealed, whether he would survive the Court of Judicial Review’s trials was uncertain.

“Wen Jingsong, do you have anything else to say?”

The address had changed from 'Your Excellency' to his name, and anyone could hear the emperor’s disappointment.

Wen Jingsong swallowed hard, his legs growing weak. Yet, he could not panic at this moment and had to struggle desperately!

But with the documents in hand and the evidence presented, how could he refute the charges?

“Your Majesty, regarding the arson, I truly know nothing. If the servants at home were indeed incited to set fire to the archives, it must be to frame me. Otherwise, why would they choose to set the fire just before I entered the palace, and be caught by Lord Feng? Isn’t that too coincidental?”

Here he was again, using the same tactic!

He was slippery and could deflect everything. As long as he wasn’t caught red-handed, he would deny everything!

Bai Chaohai, having listened to Wen Jingsong’s smooth talk for so long, was already well-acquainted with his ways.

Thus, he questioned.

“Master Wen, don’t you think your defense is too flimsy? One could say that a single instance might be a coincidence, but so many things seem targeted at you. Could it be that someone set up such a trap just to frame you? You must think highly of yourself.”