The imperial capital of Da Feng had 134 government offices, large and small. Excluding those without official positions and those in the military system, there were as many as ten thousand officials who received salaries from the state.
Among them, only one-tenth could attend the morning court sessions. Those who could enter the Golden Hall and directly converse with the Emperor—including officials, meritorious nobles, and royal clan members—numbered just over a hundred at most.
The civil and military officials waiting outside the Wu Men gate since the early morning hours gathered in small groups, engaging in seemingly casual conversation that concealed subtle barbs.
“His Majesty has been increasingly diligent in attending court sessions lately.”
“It’s because the imperial examination is approaching.”
“His Majesty wasn’t this diligent during last year’s examination.”
“Naturally, it’s because of the Sang Bo case. Ah, these are troubled times. His Majesty will likely lose his temper today. You all should avoid provoking him.”
“This official is merely a civil servant. The Sang Bo case has nothing to do with me or us.”
“Oh? Then who does it concern?”
The group exchanged knowing smiles.
Who did it concern?
Of course, it concerned the commanders of the five guards of the capital. Of course, it concerned the Constables responsible for protecting the capital and the royal family.
Naturally, it also concerned the leader of the Constabulary, Wei Yuan, also known as Wei Qingyi.
In front of Wu Men, Wei Yuan stood alone in his cyan robes, distinctly separate from the surrounding civil and military officials.
Wei Yuan was a unique individual. There was no other eunuch at court with more power than him. Even the Grand Eunuch by the Emperor’s side didn’t wield as much authority.
Wei Yuan was different. He was both the leader of the Constabulary and the Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate.
Both these offices had the power to supervise all officials.
Emperor Yuanjing’s intention was clear: Wei Yuan was his blade. Whoever disobeyed would feel the blade at their neck.
Wei Yuan was not only the Emperor’s tool to keep the officials in check but also served as a lightning rod for their resentment.
The civil and military officials didn’t dare to resent the Emperor directly, but they could vent their frustrations on Wei Yuan.
Now, with the destruction of the Yongzhen Shanhe Temple, Emperor Yuanjing, who had long been lax in governance, was attending court today, clearly with a torrent of anger to unleash.
Wei Yuan would undoubtedly be the first to bear the brunt of it.
The civil and military officials were all eager to watch the drama unfold.
At the start of the fifth watch, the deep sound of bells echoed through the dark sky, creating an atmosphere of desolation and loneliness.
The civil and military officials entered through the slowly opening east gate, while the royal clan members and nobles entered through the west gate.
Emperor Yuanjing sat high on the dragon throne, his expression impassive as he looked down at the hundreds of officials entering in an orderly fashion through Wu Men, arranging themselves into civil and military sections.
Over a hundred more officials, meritorious nobles, and royal clan members entered the Golden Hall.
After the formal greetings were complete, a Supervising Secretary from the Ministry of Justice stepped forward and proclaimed loudly, “The night before last, intruders broke into Sang Bo and destroyed the Yongzhen Shanhe Temple. This is a disgrace to our great Da Feng. Wei Yuan, as the leader of the Constabulary, has failed in his duty to protect the imperial city. This minister requests Your Majesty to behead this official to appease public anger.”
“This minister seconds the motion!”
“This minister also seconds the motion!”
Immediately, several professional critics in the role of Supervising Secretaries jumped out, demanding that Emperor Yuanjing chop off Wei Yuan’s dog head.
The accusations in court were similar to haggling at a vegetable market. They usually exaggerated, readily calling for beheading or confiscation of property.
No matter how big or small the issue, chopping off the dog’s head was the go-to solution.
If the Emperor disagreed, they would then bargain, moving from beheading to exile, from exile to dismissal from office.
In any case, they couldn’t start by suggesting dismissal. They had to give the Emperor room to bargain. Otherwise, if the Emperor saw that these little brothers weren’t giving him a chance to negotiate, he might just declare the accused innocent.
Contrary to the officials’ expectations, Emperor Yuanjing immediately rejected the impeachment against Wei Yuan and even praised his work.
This left the officials confused, whispering among themselves.
“Silence!” The Emperor’s personal Grand Eunuch cracked a whip, his shrill voice warning the officials.
This matter came to an end, but the impeachment against Wei Yuan didn’t stop. It merely changed targets.
Another official from the Ministry of Justice stepped forward and said, “Xu Qi An of the Constabulary openly killed guards at the entrance of the Ministry of Justice, showing contempt for imperial authority. This minister humbly requests Your Majesty to severely punish this criminal and execute his entire clan.”
Wei Yuan, who had remained calm and unmoving when he was impeached, narrowed his eyes and also stepped forward: “Your Majesty, the Ministry of Justice instructed their guards to obstruct the Constabulary’s investigation, harboring sinister intentions. This minister suspects that Minister Sun of the Ministry of Justice is in collusion with the criminals who destroyed Sang Bo. I request Your Majesty to dismiss him from office, imprison him in the Imperial Dungeon, and allow this minister to interrogate him.”
The Censors from the Censorate all seconded the motion.
“Nonsense!”
“Your Majesty, Wei Yuan is slandering us. His intentions are treacherous.”
“Your Majesty, there are serious problems within the Ministry of Justice. We support the motion to dismiss and investigate all officials of the Ministry.”
Both sides immediately began a war of words, with officials from other factions occasionally interjecting to fan the flames. The court session had descended into a fierce struggle between various factions.
The current Prime Minister, the Six Ministers, Wei Yuan, and a few other bigwigs closed their eyes to rest.
Emperor Yuanjing showed no anger. Seeing that the officials had argued enough, he signaled the Grand Eunuch to reprimand them, restoring quiet to the Golden Hall.
“Constable Xu Qi An already bears guilt, so his actions may be somewhat extreme. You all should cooperate in the investigation rather than obstruct each other. If this happens again, I will punish you severely.” Emperor Yuanjing said in a deep voice.
Wei Yuan opened his eyes, a flash of surprise crossing his face.