Chapter 91 (1/2)

Chapter 91: Investigating the Officials

Jun Huang was pleased with Qi Yun's explanation. It was good that Qi Yun knew what he was doing. She had been worried that without her help, he might not be able to lead this ma.s.sive country due to his gentle personality. Now she knew she had been worrying over nothing. There were people who were both gentle and decisive. Those were the kind of men who would make the best leaders.

Seeing the look in Jun Huang's eyes, Qi Yun felt his heart soaring with pride. In their relations.h.i.+p, Jun Huang had always been the one who offered support, which made him feel guilty. Earning Jun Huang's approval made all his efforts in studying affairs of the court feel worth it.

”That's what the official was implying as well. Enemies within the Northern Qi are already stirring trouble. It's not a good time to look outside the country for enemies. It's best we take measures to clean house now.” Jun Huang s.h.i.+fted her gaze to the outside and said after a moment of silence, ”Try to gather evidence for the crimes those corrupt officials have committed. Remember, don't let them notice what you're doing. We'll take care of the rest once we have enough evidence.”

Qi Yun nodded. It was time for him to return to the palace. He got to his feet. ”I'll have Rou'er conduct an investigation. As for you, you should go get some rest. You've been hard at work lately.”

”Alright.”

Once back to her place, Jun Huang thought about what the fifth-grade official had said. His words could be considered a form of support. Once they eliminated the corrupt officials in the court, many would realize that Qi Yun was a competent prince who could shoulder great responsibility. Then there wouldn't be a need for her to lobby for Qi Yun. Those officials would naturally fall into place.

Rou'er proved to be a valuable a.s.set for Qi Yun. In no time, evidence showing that the officials had violated the law was handed to Jun Huang. She scoffed at the report. For a moment, she didn't say anything.

She didn't expect officials in the powerful Northern Qi to behave this way. It was truly disappointing how despicable they were.

Rou'er didn't know what Jun Huang was thinking. Noticing Jun Huang's disheartened look, she worriedly asked, ”What does the gentleman plan to do?”

Jun Huang looked up at her and took a deep breath. ”Place this evidence at the door to the Court of Judicial Review.1 We can't draw attention to ourselves yet. The best way is to let the emperor conduct the investigation for us.”

Overnight, the news that many courtiers had been taking bribes spread through the imperial city like wildfire. Everyone on the list of known perpetrators were thrown into prison. There was nothing they could do to get out of this. They could only blame themselves for being blinded by greed.

In the court meeting, the emperor lost his temper over the scandal. He didn't expect the officials to cast aside the law while they were living on stipend given by the country! It was an insult to the emperor himself!

Almost none of the officials dared to say anything. They were worried that they might be the next person crucified. Nonetheless, there were some loyal officials who believed that the emperor should get to the bottom of this scandal. On one hand, the innocent officials shouldn't have their reputation tarnished by the black sheep. On the other hand, it was imperative that they got rid of these pests eating away the country's foundation.

”Who do the officials think should be given this task?” the emperor asked seriously. The courtiers were silently panicking. They knew this was a task that would invite troubles. Qi Chen too didn't dare to do anything because of the embezzlement he had once committed. He hid behind the crowd, trying to make himself inconspicuous.

For a moment, the room was completely silent. The emperor lashed out at the officials, ”What do I keep you for? You are all afraid of getting involved? Are there no pure-hearted men in the entirety of Northern Qi?”

Faced with his demand, the officials remained silent. Only the fifth-grade official Jun Huang had talked to took a step forward.

He had decided the best course of action for himself. He was old, and he had his family to consider. He could not afford to make enemies. It was one thing to know what was the right thing to do. It was another to risk your life doing it.

Seeing that someone finally had the courage to speak, the emperor took a deep breath and said, ”What does the official think?”

”This official believes that these people should be punished for disregarding the law. If I were ten years younger, I would have volunteered myself regardless of what it would cost me. However, this official has become an old and frail man. On top of that, this is a serious matter that involved many people. If Your Majesty leaves this task to one of the officials, he may try to cover up for himself. This official believes that it's a job best left to one of the princes.”

The other courtiers agreed readily. After some contemplation, the emperor decided that the official was right. He looked over at where the princes stood. Qi Chen cursed inwardly and looked away. He didn't dare to meet the emperor's eyes.

The first person the emperor thought of was Nan Xun. However, he had always dreaded Nan Xun's influence. And Nan Xun was a general who didn't bear the royal family's name. He most likely wouldn't be able to find anything useful.

The emperor turned to Qi Chen. In panic, Qi Chen stepped forward and dropped down to his knees.

”This son has not been feeling well. I'm afraid I cannot accept this task. Royal Father may have to find another candidate.” He turned around and saw Qi Yun standing beside him. Without thinking, he said, ”This son thinks that fourth brother will be a good choice.”

Qi Yun didn't expect Qi Chen to suddenly mention him. He nervously knelt down before the emperor. The emperor frowned at Qi Chen. He was disappointed that Qi Chen would throw his brother to the wolves for fear of getting into troubles. After all, Qi Chen was the crown prince.

The emperor s.h.i.+fted his eyes to Qi Yun. The fifth-grade official could see the hesitation in his eyes. ”This official agrees with what the crown prince said.”

”Yun'er has not turned twenty yet. This might not be a good idea.”