Chapter 267
Chapter 267
When Jin Mucong came to his senses again, he found himself lying on top of a woman. The elegant and beautiful lady was weeping. Her body was covered in marks of violation, and worse, Jin Mucong was still in the middle of the act with her.
Gang Leader Ye's wife, Lady Chen, was a gentle and shy woman of thirty-one, quite beautiful in her own right. Jin Mucong had not only experienced his first time with her but all five of his subsequent encounters as well. In the midst of the act, he turned to see Gang Leader Ye standing there with an expression that could devour a man, and beside him, his old mother and others were witnessing the entire scene. Jin Mucong was still on top of Lady Chen.
The Ye family's matriarch fainted on the spot. Gang Leader Ye's wife, Lady Chen, naked, scrambled off the bed and ran straight for the wall, intending to smash her head against it and wash away the shame with her death. Of course, she lacked the strength to kill herself, but a gash on her forehead still dripped with bright red blood. Then, she began to wail and lament.
She claimed that when she had entered the room to bring Jin Mucong a sobering tonic, he had turned into a beast and forcibly defiled her. She said he was a martial artist while she was but a delicate woman; she had struggled desperately, but her body was now covered in bruises. Gang Leader Ye, his eyes brimming with tears, pointed at Jin Mucong and roared.
"I treated you as a brother, yet you dare to violate my wife? I cannot live under the same sky as the man who defiled my spouse!"
Jin Mucong's entire body turned ice-cold in an instant. He had never imagined a person could be so malicious. What kindness had he shown Gang Leader Ye? He had not only saved his western territories but had also helped him amass great wealth—he had essentially saved his life. And this was the result? To be framed like this? To be harmed with such a despicable scheme? The crucial point was that this was his lawfully wedded wife, yet he would even use her in such a way? Who could have offered him such a great benefit that Gang Leader Ye would not only plot against his benefactor but also sacrifice his own wife's chastity? Could a person truly be so shameless?
Afterward, Gang Leader Ye reported the incident to the authorities. Bailiffs from the Wannian County Yamen arrived like a flash and immediately arrested Jin Mucong. He was thrown into prison, and the entire process, from arrest to incarceration, unfolded so perfectly it seemed prearranged. The servant who accompanied Jin Mucong witnessed this and immediately rushed to the estate of the Fifth Prince, Ning Zheng, to ask for help.
Ning Zheng was furious upon hearing the news. The methods used were too vile, too vicious. He rushed to the Wannian County Yamen overnight and demanded the magistrate release Jin Mucong.
***
The city lords of the State of Yue were mostly sixth or seventh-rank officials. The capital had two counties: Ping'an County and Wannian County. While the Ping'an County Magistrate was a Senior Fifth-Rank official, the Wannian County Magistrate was a Junior Fifth-Rank, a rank or two higher than an ordinary city lord. So, who was this Wannian County Magistrate? It was none other than an old acquaintance and enemy of Shen Lang: the former assistant minister of the Court of Judicial Review, Wang Jigui.
He was the very official who, along with Zhu Wenhua, had come to the Count of Xuanwu's Estate to arrest Shen Lang on the charge of murdering Viscount Zhu Nanting. Of course, at that time, Shen Lang had pretended to have smallpox, preventing them from making the arrest. Afterward, Wang Jigui had been stunned and bewildered for days, and when he finally realized Shen Lang had faked the illness, he felt deeply humiliated.
Recently, he had been promoted. He had risen from a Junior Sixth-Rank Assistant Minister of the Court of Judicial Review to a Junior Fifth-Rank Wannian County Magistrate. The position of Wannian County Magistrate was a significant one. It was a post in the capital, where the King resided, governing a prime area, which meant wielding great power—far more prestigious than being a prefect in a remote region. Therefore, he had no reason to pay any mind to the Fifth Prince, Ning Zheng. In his eyes, Ning Zheng was a prince abandoned by the King, utterly powerless. What could he possibly do?
***
Arriving at the Wannian County Yamen, Ning Zheng was seething with rage internally, but he maintained a calm expression.
"Lord Wang, regardless of who is behind this, I will not pursue the matter. Just release the man."
The Fifth Prince, Ning Zheng, was well aware that this was a critical time for the Jin Clan. The King was about to ennoble Jin Zhuo as a marquis. If a scandal involving Jin Mucong were to erupt now, a rumor would spread: that he had forced himself upon his host's wife while a guest, that he relied on his family's power to bully others and run amok. Ning Zheng predicted that by tomorrow, a blizzard of memorials impeaching the Count of Xuanwu would descend upon the royal palace.
*The Jin Clan has failed to properly discipline its members, leading to this scandal. How can such a morally corrupt family have the audacity to be promoted to a marquisate?*
The Wannian County Magistrate, Wang Jigui, bowed to Ning Zheng before replying.
"Your Highness, the Fifth Prince, you jest. This humble official has handled this matter impartially and has found no hidden conspiracy. You are overthinking things."
Ning Zheng's eyes narrowed.
"Lord... Lord Wang, are you really not going to release him?"
Ning Zheng stuttered slightly in his anger. The Wannian County Magistrate, Wang Jigui, sneered inwardly.
*'The mere fact that you stutter means you will never ascend the throne. You think you can throw your weight around just because you're the King's son? I speak to a powerless fool like you with courtesy only because you are the King's son, and for no other reason. Frankly, you are nothing.'*
"As a son of nobility, Jin Mucong should be a model for others, yet he runs wild in such a disgraceful affair. It is truly appalling. If I were to release him, how could I face His Majesty the King? How could I explain myself to the people of this realm? And what explanation could I offer the innocent wife who was so grievously wronged? Your Highness, the Fifth Prince, allow this humble official to offer a word of advice. It is best not to meddle in affairs that do not concern you."
The insult in his words was clear, and Ning Zheng felt as if he would explode on the spot.
*'I am a son of the King, yet a mere Wannian County Magistrate dares to walk all over me? I, Ning Zheng, have avoided conflict, refrained from building factions, and lived quietly, yet you all dare to insult me so? Can a son of the King not even protect his own cousin?'*
In that instant, Ning Zheng realized just how precious power was, and how tragic it was to be without it. Had it been another prince—had Ning Jin or Ning Jing been here—the county magistrate would have been prostrating himself on the floor, not daring to utter a single disrespectful word. But against Ning Zheng, he spoke with insult. And this was despite Ning Zheng being a prince of noble birth, the son of Consort Su.
Ning Zheng forced himself to endure the humiliation and asked.
"How does Lord Wang intend to deal with Jin Mucong?"
"It is not for me to decide, but if a thorough investigation uncovers clear evidence, the crime of forcing oneself upon an innocent woman, according to the laws of the State of Yue, is punishable by castration."
Ning Zheng's temples throbbed. Castration? That was the punishment—the confiscation of the tool used to commit the crime. For uttering such words, Wang Jigui had become an enemy who could not be spared. Ning Zheng stared intently at the Wannian County Magistrate, Wang Jigui, before returning to his princely estate.
***
The estate of Prince Ning Zheng. Around midnight.
Shen Lang had planned to visit Ning Zheng early the next morning, but with such a major incident, he had no choice but to seek him out around midnight.
"Shen Lang pays his respects to His Highness, the Fifth Prince!"
Shen Lang couldn't help but be surprised upon arriving at Ning Zheng's estate. The place was incredibly modest, no more than a dozen acres. How could the King have bestowed upon him a residence in the capital that was even smaller than the Jin Clan's estate? He was, after all, the King's own son. Just how far out of favor was the Fifth Prince?
He had long since come of age, yet he had not been granted any title. Even Ning Jing would soon receive a title, but for Ning Zheng, there was no sign of one, as if he might go his entire life without it. Shen Lang was indignant at Ning Zheng's treatment. Ning Zheng looked at Shen Lang with a complicated expression, bowed, and spoke.
"I am deeply ashamed. I was supposed to look after Jin Mucong, yet I let him be thrown into prison. I have failed to fulfill my aunt's request."
"Did Your Highness go to the Wannian County Yamen?"
"I did. The magistrate, Wang Jigui, refused to release him."
"Your Highness was humiliated."
At Shen Lang's words, Ning Zheng's face flushed crimson. He usually stayed at home and avoided socializing precisely because he didn't want to deal with the condescension of others. The Wannian County Magistrate might as well have slapped him across the face; he would likely never forget the humiliation he suffered today for the rest of his life.
"I... I wasn't particularly humiliated. The... the key is how we overcome this crisis. At this critical moment when my royal father intends to ennoble my uncle as a marquis, if this incident with Jin Mucong occurs, the ennoblement will surely be delayed!"
Ning Zheng stuttered when he was angry or nervous.
"I can imagine. Starting early tomorrow morning, countless memorials of impeachment will fly into the royal palace. They will impeach our Jin Clan, and Jin Mucong's reputation will be ruined. Someone is deliberately trying to sabotage our Jin Clan's good fortune. They don't want the King to ennoble our family as a marquisate."
"Our opponents have used such a despicable tactic!"
Shen Lang shook his head.
"No, I don't think so. Once you are enemies, discussing whether their methods are despicable is meaningless. This scheme must have come from the Su Clan. Their retaliation was certainly swift."
"We're out of time. We must resolve this before daybreak, or the situation will become irreversible!"
Indeed. The difficulty of this matter was not just rescuing Jin Mucong, but also stopping the entire affair from escalating. To put it simply, they had to prevent the officials from impeaching the Jin Clan. But their opponents had already prepared everything; they would have written their memorials of impeachment even before Jin Mucong was arrested.
Tomorrow, a storm of public opinion would erupt, and the attacks from countless officials against the Jin Clan would instantly sink the Count of Xuanwu's Estate. Jin Mucong's reputation would be destroyed. Even Shen Lang would find it hard to escape their condemnation, and all his past deeds would be dragged out. If his predictions were correct, unidentified people would surround the Jin Clan's estate tomorrow.
"Rescuing Jin Mucong and resolving this crisis before dawn will be harder than ascending to the heavens."