Chapter 268
Chapter 268
It was indeed as difficult as ascending to the heavens, a seemingly impossible task. The other party had already prepared everything, making it impossible to stop. The Su Clan had acted swiftly, striking the moment Shen Lang entered the capital. Their actions were fast, precise, fierce, and vicious! Moreover, their refusal to play by the rules seemed to perfectly reflect the Su Clan's character.
"There are less than three shijin until dawn. Finding evidence to prove Jin Mucong's innocence in time is too difficult."
Shen Lang shook his head as if it wasn't even worth considering.
"Find evidence to prove his innocence? No. Your Highness, that would be playing right into the enemy's hands. Jin Mucong was arrested in bed, and apparently, when he came to his senses, his… thing was still inside the gang leader's wife. He can't be proven innocent.
The key is that we don't need to prove his innocence. When dealing with an enemy who uses such despicable means, you don't need to follow the rules. The important thing isn't to prove his innocence, but to solve the root of the problem itself."
"I would like to hear the details!"
"First, if the enemy is shameless, we will be even more shameless than them. The second step is the most crucial: we must stop the numerous censors from impeaching the Jin Clan and prevent a storm of public condemnation. This scandal erupted just as our Jin Clan was about to rise, so it will surely cause a massive public outcry. So, how do we stop it?
It’s not simple. We must create an even more shocking incident that will stun the entire capital, shifting everyone's attention and outrage to that event. Then no one will care about Jin Mucong raping a woman. At that point, we will pressure all the censors to hide their memorials impeaching Jin Mucong and replace them with memorials impeaching whom I want them to impeach. They will have no choice but to comply, even if they don't want to. A matter concerning the dignity of the entire State of Yue must take political precedence.
The third step is to kill the gang leader's family and the Magistrate of Manyeon, Wang Jiegua, delivering a harsh slap to the Su Clan's face. This battle plan was hastily conceived, but since we are fighting, we must fight to the end. Anyone who stands out must die. The gang leader's entire family must be annihilated! Your Highness, in a political struggle, you must not be drawn into the enemy's rhythm or fight on their turf. You fight your way, I fight mine. We must control the situation, not the incident itself!"
Ning Zheng was aghast. Everyone said the fool from the Count of Xuanwu's Estate possessed wisdom bordering on the demonic, and today he was seeing it for himself. This was what it meant to see three or four steps ahead with every move! And his methods were so ruthless, calling for the annihilation of the enemy's entire family.
"Can you succeed?"
"I am eighty to ninety percent certain. My people have already gone to carry out the plan. Early tomorrow morning, an incident will occur that will shake the capital and the entire State of Yue, causing a nationwide uproar and astonishment. I will now head to the Manyeon County Office to meet my old friend, Wang Jiegua. To have a fight as soon as I arrive in the capital is thrilling. The joy of fighting others is truly endless!"
Ning Zheng was speechless. He had thought they were facing an insurmountable challenge, a dire situation, yet Shen Lang showed no anxiety or fear. Instead, he seemed excited, his desire to kill the enemy stirring. This man was truly a monster!
Brimming with murderous intent, Shen Lang headed for the Manye-on County Office.
‘How exciting! To think that my, Shen Lang's, first strike in the capital would come so soon. I must create a huge incident. I must kill people. This is exhilarating. Fatty, I don't blame you. Just stay in jail for a while and watch how your brother-in-law stirs up a tempest in the capital and annihilates a family.’
* * *
Inside the Marquis of Zhenyuan's estate.
Marquis Su Nan was already asleep. He placed great importance on his health and had to sleep for at least three shijin every day. Not only that, but his bed always had to be warm. For all twelve shijin of the day, a beautiful, jade-skinned maiden—a virgin, no less—lay in his bed. Such minor matters were left to Su Jianting or the Marquis of Zhenyuan's trusted aide, Su Yong.
"Young Master, everything has proceeded smoothly. Jin Mucong has been thrown into the Magistrate of Manyeon's prison. Prince Ning Zheng went to the Manyeon County Office to demand his release from Wang Jiegua but was refused and humiliated."
Su Jianting frowned.
‘Ning Zheng is an ill omen. They tried to drown you at birth, and though Su Peipei saved your life, neither the King, nor Imperial Concubine Su, nor the Su Clan welcomes you. Everyone despises you, so you should just hide at home and not crawl out. Why must you meddle in this and cause trouble? Everyone is avoiding the Count of Xuanwu's Estate like the plague right now. Ning Zheng, you wretched omen, must you always gravitate toward what everyone else flees?’
"Are the censors' memorials ready?"
Su Yong replied.
"They have all been contacted, and preparations should be complete. Early tomorrow morning, a flood of memorials impeaching the Jin Clan will descend upon the royal palace. I guarantee that the edict to ennoble Jin Zhuo as a marquis will not be issued."
"What about Shen Lang?"
"He visited Ning Zheng's residence."
"So he has made his move."
"Yes. He has started to move."
"He may be able to stir up trouble in Xuanwu City, but this is the capital, and he is alone with no one to rely on. This is our home ground; a little bit of cleverness won't bridge that gap. It would have been better if he hadn't moved. Now that he has, he's courting death."
"The plot against him has also been set in motion. The moment he acts, he will be framed for murder. Then, the son and son-in-law of the Jin Clan will be guilty of crimes—one of raping an innocent woman, the other of murder. His Majesty the King will not be able to ennoble the Jin Clan as marquises."
"Are the people to surround the Jin Clan's residence ready?"
"All prepared."
Su Jianting sneered. He intended to kill Shen Lang before he even had a chance to react.
‘You can't block attacks from all directions with just two fists. How can a mere Shen Lang, even with that useless Ning Zheng, stand against a great power like our Su Clan? I'll make sure you die without even knowing how it happened!’
From Su Jianting's perspective, this situation was impossible to resolve. Even if Shen Lang were a god, he couldn't reverse this outcome, much less save Jin Mucong. Jin Mucong was caught in the act, still engaged with the woman at the time. Proving his innocence? He could jump into the Nu River, even into the fabled rivers where immortals reside, and he still wouldn't be able to wash himself clean.
Su Jianting asked Su Yong.
"Have those censors written the memorials impeaching my father?"
"They have. This is a sample."
Su Jianting unfolded the memorial and read it. The impeachment of his father was written with true venom. Every word was sharp, striking at vital points.
This memorial was so exaggerated that its intent was almost incomprehensible. The writing was so fabricated that anyone could see it was false.
"Good. Tomorrow, when the memorials impeaching the Jin Clan are submitted, submit these as well. Everyone will assume the Jin Clan orchestrated the memorials against my father."
This would make the situation interesting. Numerous censors would frantically impeach the Jin Clan, and they had actual evidence, making it difficult for Jin Mucong to escape the crime of raping an innocent woman. At the same time, several memorials impeaching Su Nan would appear—memorials so blatantly exaggerated and false that the Jin Clan would be accused of scheming to divert attention and seek revenge. This was killing two birds with one stone. It would not only strike a blow against the Jin Clan but also allow the Su Clan to escape a minor crisis. Most people would be unable to counter such a high-level political maneuver.
* * *
Shen Lang arrived at the Manyeon County Office.
"Greetings, Lord Wang. Congratulations on your high appointment."
Shen Lang once again met his old nemesis, Wang Jiegua. Dressed in his official robes, Wang Jiegua sat behind his long desk, sipping tea, and asked coolly.
"Who are you?"
‘Playing dumb, are we.’
"I am Shen Lang, of the Count of Xuanwu's Estate."
"Shen Lang, you say?"
Wang Jiegua narrowed his eyes and thought for a long moment before speaking as if he had just remembered.
"So it's you. How did you recover from the smallpox?"
"It comes and goes. Sometimes it acts up."
‘Acts up, my foot. Smallpox only strikes once. You either recover with pockmarks or you die. To say it sometimes acts up… you might as well say you sometimes die.’
Wang Jiegua's voice turned cold.
"How audacious! A mere live-in son-in-law from the Count of Xuanwu's Estate dares to stand before me. Kneel!"
As he said, a mere live-in son-in-law was indeed supposed to kneel, even one from the Count of Xuanwu's Estate. The status of a live-in son-in-law was slightly higher than a slave's, but he held no title. In Xuanwu City, however, who would have dared to make Shen Lang kneel? Speaking of Xuanwu City, Shen Lang thought of City Lord Liu Wuyan. He wondered how he was doing now.
Wang Jiegua pressed on in a chilling tone.
"Shen Lang, did you not hear me? You are but a live-in son-in-law, and I am a high-ranking official of the fifth rank. Will you not kneel upon seeing an official? Guards, teach him the etiquette of kneeling."
Shen Lang replied calmly.
"My lord, I am a student of the Imperial Academy and barely hold the title of a candidate for Provincial Graduate. Therefore, I need not kneel before an official."
The King had issued that edict to humiliate the Count of Xuanwu's Estate. At that time, Shen Lang and the estate had exposed the plot of Prince Gong to poison Princess Ning Luo, causing the King to lose face, so he had conferred upon him the status of a student of the Imperial Academy. The Imperial Academy was basically a trash school that the sons of merchant families could enter just by paying money. Even the famously stupid Jin Mucong had entered the National University, not the Imperial Academy. Who would have thought that the title of Imperial Academy student, bestowed as an insult, would be useful at a time like this.
"A student of the Imperial Academy?"