Chapter 093
Chapter 93: When Dogs Fight, Everyone Gets Bitten
At the appointed hour, the palace gates creaked open.
The civil and military officials straightened their robes and adjusted their court tablets, lining up in two neat rows as they stepped into the grand imperial court. Only Su Jian remained seated on a sedan chair, carried in by servants.
“His Majesty the Emperor has arrived!”
The high-pitched voice of the head eunuch rang out across the court. In an instant, all the officials knelt to greet the sovereign.
Moments later, the young and striking emperor, clad in a dragon robe and crowned with a twelve-beaded ceremonial diadem, strode in from outside the hall, his steps calm and measured.
He walked straight and tall between the rows of kneeling officials, heading for the high platform and the Dragon Throne. As he passed by Su Jian, he paused mid-step, tilting his head slightly to glance down and asked softly, “Beloved Minister Su, what happened to you?”
With a thud, Su Jian dropped from the sedan chair to his knees, ignoring the pain in his injured legs, and cried out indignantly, “Your Majesty, the night before last, a band of thieves broke into my manor and tried to take my life. Were it not for the timely arrival of my guards, I fear I would have perished and not merely ended up in this sorry state.”
Mo Yuan Lin hadn’t thought much of it at first, but upon hearing the words “the night before last,” his eyes flickered slightly, and a flicker of guilt passed through his heart.
[Wasn’t that the exact night I ordered Mo Yuan Hao to secretly infiltrate the Grand Commandant manor and investigate this old man? Now that the old fox has ended up like this, could it be related to Yuan Hao? Did he go to investigate… or to assassinate?]
[And up to now, Yuan Hao still hasn’t returned to the palace to report. Could something have gone wrong?]
While his mind turned rapidly, Mo Yuan Lin’s face remained impassive, not revealing a trace of emotion. He tested the waters calmly, “Oh? Who would be so bold as to commit such a crime—breaking into the Grand Commandant’s manor to commit murder? They clearly have no regard for the throne. Were you able to apprehend the culprits?”
Su Jian replied, “Your Majesty, it is all due to the incompetence of my guards. The criminals managed to escape.”
Mo Yuan Lin let out a quiet breath of relief.
But Su Jian went on, “However, after the culprits fled, my guards discovered these tokens.”
He gestured, and servants brought forward a box filled with various small items—iron seals, jade pendants, official plaques, and more.
“Upon investigation, these items were confirmed to belong to Chancellor Han and several other lords…”
He had yet to finish when members of the chancellor’s faction erupted in outrage.
“Grand Commandant Su, how dare you slander us!”
“Chancellor Han is a man of integrity and honor. How could he ever commit such a despicable act as assassinating a fellow official?”
“You’re spewing lies!”
“That’s right…”
As soon as Chancellor Han’s faction spoke, Su Jian’s supporters sprang into action, no longer content to sit idly by. Both parties launched into a verbal onslaught, voices rising in heated fury.
Seeing this, Mo Yuan Lin fully relaxed.
[So, it seems Mo Yuan Hao’s infiltration of the Grand Commandant manor was indeed discovered by Su Jian, but they didn’t recognize him. Instead, Su Jian seized the opportunity to stage a pitiful display, using it to frame the chancellor’s faction.]
[Good. Let the dogs bite each other. The more fiercely they fight, the more I stand to gain.]
Su Jian raised his voice: “Your Majesty, these are the proofs. I hereby accuse Chancellor Han, Lord Du, Lord Qiao, Lord Yan, and others of conspiring to murder a fellow minister.”
The box of items lay before him—each one a supposed ‘proof’—and he mimicked Chancellor Han’s previous actions to press his accusations.
The sight of the box sent Chancellor Han’s faction into a frenzy.
“Su Jian! You dare send men to steal our personal tokens, and now use this self-directed performance to frame us?”
“Whether it’s stealing officials’ seals or slandering colleagues, both are grievous crimes. As Grand Commandant, you know the law and still violate it—your offense is all the greater and should be punished with death.”
“That’s right, Your Majesty! Grand Commandant Su not only stole officials’ tokens and falsely accused us, but in the future he may dare to deceive the emperor and mislead the court. Please mete out a heavy punishment on our behalf!”
“Please uphold justice for us, Your Majesty! For the integrity of the imperial court…”
One after another, the chancellor’s supporters knelt, weeping and wailing before the emperor, demanding punishment for Su Jian.
But Su Jian’s faction wasn’t about to sit back and let themselves be accused in silence. They stood beside Su Jian, pointing fingers in return.
“A few days ago, when you falsely accused our Grand Commandant of attempting an assassination, did he say you stole his seals?”
“That’s right. When you presented these items as proof against him, they were called evidence. But now that he does the same, suddenly it’s theft?”
“By your logic, were your previous ‘proofs’ also stolen from our Grand Commandant?”
“I think it’s clear—our lord never slandered you. You were simply tricked into thinking he had acted against you. Now you bear a grudge and seek revenge.”
“If you truly claim to be innocent, then like our Grand Commandant, stop attending court and go find your evidence to prove it.”
“Your Majesty, the same matter must be treated equally. Last time, our Grand Commandant was ordered to step back and prove his innocence. Now that these lords also bear suspicion, they too should withdraw and find proof before returning.”
These words hit Chancellor Han’s faction like a thunderclap. Now they knew exactly what it felt like to be in Su Jian’s shoes.
“No, I object! I am the victim—my tokens were stolen, and I’ve been slandered. How can a victim be expected to find proof to clear their own name?”
“I object as well!”
“Seconded!”
One after another, they voiced their resistance.
Su Jian smiled faintly, as if everything were unfolding according to plan. “Well then, I too object. I am also the victim.”
“You…”
The sheer shamelessness of it nearly made several officials from the chancellor’s camp faint on the spot.
At this point, who could not see the truth?
This wretched man, unable to find proof of his own innocence and desperate to return to court, had orchestrated this trap. By dragging the entire opposing faction down with him, he forced them to let the matter drop.
If they refused to back down, Su Jian’s allies would pressure them to step back from court, just like Su Jian had been ordered to do before.
There could be no special treatment. If Su Jian suffered, they would too.
The emperor could not show favoritism.
[This cursed dog actually planned all of this out. Well played. Extremely well played.]
Chancellor Han’s faction hated Su Jian to the bone. If they could, they would leap forward now and beat him senseless right there in the hall.
“What do you all say?” came Mo Yuan Lin’s voice at last.
By now, he had already taken his place on the Dragon Throne, gazing down at the squabbling officials below.
The ministers of the chancellor’s faction slowly turned their eyes from Su Jian’s smug face. Though they loathed him, they had no choice but to defend him for now.
When it came time to speak, the officials of the chancellor’s faction bowed and declared, “In reply to His Majesty, we were all framed. Given that Grand Commandant Su encountered the same incident, he must’ve been framed as well. Surely this is all a misunderstanding. As for the previous matter, let it be. We won’t pursue it further.”
Another stepped forward with a respectful tone: “Indeed, we were framed. Grand Commandant Su is a high-ranking pillar of our court. How could we ever dare move against such a man?”
A hush swept over the court.
Su Jian gave a slight bow, his voice laced with calm dignity: “Since all of you believe I was wronged, then I too believe all of you were wronged. Let us end it here. Your Majesty, I shall count this misfortune as my own and ask no further questions.”
This was exactly the outcome Su Jian had aimed for. So when the chancellor’s men took the first step to back down, he immediately seized the moment.
Now that both parties had reached a quiet agreement, Mo Yuan Lin, though faintly regretful, also chose not to press the issue. The year’s end was drawing near, state affairs were piling high, and this was a time for unity, not internal strife.
Thus, Su Jian was permitted to return to court.
After the assembly, he left the palace seated in his shoulder carriage, spirit lifted, face glowing with satisfaction. His allies flanked him, offering greetings, flattery, and warm concern.
But the chancellor’s faction glared daggers at him.
At the tail end of the procession, several censors walked alongside the Yun family brothers.
One of them whispered, “Lord Duke, do you think Grand Commandant Su’s injuries were real?”
Yun Zheng narrowed his eyes and smiled faintly: “Sir Wen, since the chancellor’s faction and Grand Commandant Su are bitter enemies, why didn’t they ask His Majesty to summon the imperial physicians and verify his wounds?”
After all, deceiving the emperor was a capital crime.
So though Su Jian had pulled the trick of self-injury, every wound on his body was genuine. With so many eyes watching in court, how could he dare fake such a thing?
To achieve something great, one must endure the small things. If he wanted to return to court, Su Jian had to first endure this pain.
Outside the palace gates, once Su Jian had parted ways with his faction, Chancellor Han raised a hand, and more than twenty officials rushed toward Su Jian’s carriage.
This vile dog of a man had once sent assassins after them, and now he had stolen their tokens and forced them into compromise. No one would be satisfied until he was beaten half to death.
With a loud crash, the shoulder carriage was kicked over.
Su Jian, along with the servants who had accompanied him, was immediately surrounded and beaten without mercy.
For the sake of his plan today, he had gone all in—his head had been deliberately bashed open, his knees injured down to the bone, and his body covered in dozens of cuts and bruises.
The pain had already been nearly unbearable. Now, with fists and boots raining down like a storm, his vision dimmed and he blacked out completely.
His wounds split open, blood soaking through layers of his robes until his entire body was painted in red. Wretched was too gentle a word to describe it.
“Stop! That dog’s fainted!”
A shout suddenly rang out from the crowd, and only then did everyone pull back in haste, brushing off their sleeves, tidying their collars, and walking off in proud silence.
Such was the elegance of scholarly beasts in fine robes.
By the time Yun Zheng and his group arrived, what they saw left them momentarily speechless.
“This…”
The Yun brothers, Yun Zheng and Yun Zhan, both curled their lips into pleased smiles. The chancellor’s faction truly knew how to hold a grudge—and how to exact it. They didn’t go easy.
Satisfying indeed.
Inside the palace, once all the officials had left, Mo Yuan Lin closed the memorial in his hand and turned to the eunuch beside him.
“Eunuch Feng, go to Prince Qi’s manor and deliver a message for Us.”
“At once.”
—
Prince Qi’s Manor
In a remote guest wing, Mo Yuan Hao finally stirred. No one in his estate had noticed he’d been lying there for two whole days.
Only after the sedatives had worn off did he awaken.
His mind foggy, he looked around at the unfamiliar furnishings and blinked in confusion.
“Where am I?”
He tried to recall what had happened.
The last thing he remembered was failing to escape from the Grand Commandant manor. He had blacked out right there. So… was this the Grand Commandant manor?
No—that couldn’t be right. If it were, Su Jian would have killed him long ago. There’s no way he’d still be alive.
Suppressing the soreness in his limbs, he staggered out of bed and made his way to the window. Peering outside for a long while, he finally recognized the surroundings.
It was his own manor.
Though unfamiliar, this courtyard did belong to him—one he rarely used.
Once he confirmed he was on home ground, Mo Yuan Hao exhaled in relief. He took off his night-cloak and mask, carefully folding them aside, and stepped out the door.
A young servant spotted him and ran over in excitement. “Your Highness! When did you return? Someone from the palace is here to see you. The steward’s been looking everywhere!”
Mo Yuan Hao’s brow furrowed slightly. “What day is it?”
“The nineteenth, Your Highness.”
The nineteenth?
He had been unconscious for two entire days.
So long?
He guessed that his imperial elder brother must have grown worried when he hadn’t shown up, and had finally sent someone to investigate.
“Understood. Go find the steward and tell him I’ve returned.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
After sending the boy away, Mo Yuan Hao headed toward the front courtyard.
There, Eunuch Feng was waiting with calm patience. When he heard footsteps, he turned immediately.
“Your Highness, His Majesty asked this servant to deliver a message.”
“What message?”
Mo Yuan Hao’s voice was cool.
“His Majesty inquires after your health. If you are unwell, he will summon the imperial physicians. But if you are feeling well enough, he asks that you enter the palace when convenient.”
“Originally, His Majesty planned to visit in person, but court matters arose this morning and, with the year-end approaching, he’s too busy to spare the time. He hopes Your Highness understands.”
“I understand. Tell my imperial brother I’ll come tomorrow.”
“Very well.”
After sending Eunuch Feng off, Mo Yuan Hao summoned Ting Feng and Chi Yun.
“Where have you been these past two days, Your Highness?”
The night before last, they had agreed to meet outside Prosperous Gathering restaurant. Yet their master never arrived. They’d waited for a long time, and when he didn’t appear, they scoured the area around the Grand Commandant manor, fearing he might’ve been injured.
But he was nowhere to be found. It was as if he had vanished from the face of the earth.
Mo Yuan Hao’s eyes narrowed. “So you two don’t know who brought me back either?”
If they had known, he wouldn’t have lain unconscious for two days without anyone noticing.
But what was strange was this: who had saved him and quietly brought him home?
Clearly, the person knew his identity. And yet, they hadn’t come forward to claim credit.
Could such a selfless person really exist in this world?
“What?!”
Ting Feng and Chi Yun were stunned. They exchanged a quick look, eyes filled with shock.
The prince’s words implied he had been injured.
And he didn’t even know who had rescued him—meaning he had fainted on the spot.