Chapter 69

Chapter 69: Surely Not a Crime Worth Beheading and Confiscation?

At the break of dawn, court assembled.

No sooner had the session begun than Emperor Chong Sheng called out five names.

Shang Tian Hao, Grand General of the Nation; Ye Zhuo Yun, Minister of Revenue; Pei Ling Yuan, Grand General of Huaihua; Chen Dao Tan, Censor Doctor of the Third Rank; and Zhou Qing, Vice Minister of Works.

The five men stepped forward one by one.

Only Shang Tian Hao and Ye Zhuo Yun kept a composed countenance. The other three glanced at each other with alarm rising in their hearts.

[What could I, of such humble standing, have done to be summoned alongside the Grand General and the Revenue Minister?]

It could only mean one thing—one’s own unfilial son must have stirred up trouble again!

But how grave must that trouble be, for His Majesty to drag them forth at the very start of court, without even stating a word of context, just to discipline them?

Zhou Qing’s legs trembled beneath his robe.

[Had I known my son would court disaster like this, I would never have let him go trying to curry favor with those troublemakers! And now, look what it’s come to—I’ve been dragged into this mess…]

His mind spun through every possible punishment: reduced salary? demotion? outright dismissal? Or… could it be a crime worthy of beheading and confiscation?

At that chilling thought, sweat burst across his brow like summer rain.

But then, laughter rang out from the throne—Emperor Chong Sheng chuckled aloud.

[What? Isn’t His Majesty here to punish us? How can he still laugh?]

“I only recently heard,” the Emperor began, voice rich with amusement, “that a band of lawless brigands had taken to terrorizing the outskirts of the capital—plundering good folk, committing every evil under heaven. Even the household servants of the Grand General Who Pacifies the Nation were waylaid and slain.”

“I had assumed such ferocious bandits would require an even fiercer force to subdue. But what happened instead…” He laughed again, louder this time. “Was that five notorious, mischief-making young wastrels led a handful of retainers—and wiped those bandits out to the last!”

W-what?

Zhou Qing blinked in disbelief.

The five scoundrels… Could His Majesty be referring to his son and the sons of the Shang and Ye families?

They… wiped out bandits?

His own son, Zhou Yu Zheng, who couldn’t even write or fight properly, a lad so timid he’d flinch at a breeze—he killed bandits?

[Am I dreaming? Or did His Majesty get false intelligence?]

“Judging from your faces,” Emperor Chong Sheng said with interest, “you few beloved ministers seem unaware of what has taken place.”

He motioned, and Eunuch Su stepped forward to recount every detail of the incident.

Zhou Qing listened, stunned.

Over two hundred bandits—and his son led a charge with only their guards, and came back not just alive, but victorious?

Even more astonishing—they rescued Princess Ning?

No—this couldn’t be real…

He pinched his own thigh beneath his robes. Hard.

“Ow!”

It hurt. It was real.

The cold sweat across his brow turned instantly to elation.

Pei Ling Yuan couldn’t contain himself and burst out laughing in open court.

[Ha! Who dares say my son is a useless fop now? A tiger’s son will never be a dog!] He was a general himself—what if his son had a soft face? Didn’t mean he lacked spirit!

Pei Yu An was indeed his flesh and blood!

Beside him, Chen Dao Tan wiped his forehead with a trembling hand, cheeks flushed with delight.

[Well now… the Chen family’s produced a true warrior.]

At last, something to honor the family name and please his ancestors in their graves.

Ye Zhuo Yun, having learned of the matter the day before, stood calmer than the rest.

Only a little calmer.

His typically sharp, wise eyes narrowed into crescents, and his lips never quite suppressed a smile.

He’d hoped his only son might follow him into the civil offices, but a military path wasn’t bad. Now he’d better arrange for the lad’s marriage early—just in case fortune turned again, they needed a future heir for the Ye family.

As that thought crossed his mind, his gaze drifted sideways—to find Shang Tian Hao standing stiff as ever, brows knotted, face grim.

Ye Zhuo Yun straightened his back.

[Of course. The great General Shang remains composed, even at a time like this. Admirable.]

Emperor Chong Sheng resumed.

“The five young men are truly valiant sons of noble blood. Though the Dali Temple’s investigation later confirmed the bandits had been weakened by poisoned wine—still, the boys acted with courage and cunning. More than that, they rescued my Princess Ning.”

“Such merit cannot go unrewarded!”

With a grand sweep of his arm, several eunuchs stepped forth, each bearing silk-covered trays. The court’s rewards were dispensed.

When court was dismissed, four of the fathers—smiling so wide their faces nearly split—clustered together amid a crowd of flattery and congratulations.

“Truly remarkable!” one said. “Princess Ning herself, a mere girl, offered herself as bait to draw out the bandits!”

“And our boys—bless them! Over two hundred bandits, and they charged in and took them all down. Such spirit! Such bravery!” Pei Ling Yuan’s voice rang out, loud enough for all nearby to hear.

Still, he felt it wasn’t quite enough.

[His Majesty had praised them before the entire court. This is a moment to pass down through generations!]

He slapped his thigh. “Gentlemen! This cannot go unnoticed. These so-called wastrels—who says they’re idle and useless? Let all the capital see what true courage and loyalty looks like. Let them all see what our sons have done!”