Chapter 278
Chapter 278
It was the king who worried that harsh, biting words would turn the Jin Clan away, not the court officials. We Censors, especially, had no such concerns. The duty of a Censor was to slander. Slander those who deserved it, and if the target had no faults, invent them.
Sitting in his sedan chair, Wang Shengchu felt a touch of smug satisfaction.
‘The Jin Clan defeated Zhang Chong in Xuanwu City, projecting an air of formidable power in all directions, but in the capital, they have no presence at all. They’re like country bumpkins from some backwater at the edge of power. Count Xuanwu will just have to admit he’s been unlucky. We only fanned the flames while the Su Clan drew their blades against you. Soon, a flood of impeachment memorials will pour into the royal palace. It will be a truly magnificent spectacle. The mere thought of it is thrilling.’
Just then, the sedan chair stopped, and the sound of a loud commotion reached his ears.
‘What’s going on? The sun isn’t even up yet. Why is it so noisy?’
The Censor-in-Chief spoke.
“What is it? Ignore the trifles and keep moving.”
A warrior outside the sedan chair replied.
“My lord, the Sage Temple has burned down.”
“What?”
The Censor-in-Chief nearly leaped out of his skin.
‘The Sage Temple burned down? Who? What a fearless fool. That place is a sacred hall for every official in the realm. It enshrines the divine sages of Eastern civilization. It’s a holy site for every scholar in the land. Whoever burned it, their entire clan for nine generations must be exterminated. This… this is an earth-shattering event!’
Then, a wave of elation washed over Censor-in-Chief Wang Shengchu.
‘Could… could this be Shen Lang’s doing? If so, this is perfect! That bastard is as good as dead. The Jin Clan will be finished too!’
The Sage Temple was an absolute political taboo that no one could touch. Anyone who did, even a member of the royal family, would be utterly destroyed.
“Who burned it? Who? Go! Quickly, find out if Shen Lang was involved!”
A short while later, the warrior returned and reported.
“They say a warrior from the State of Jiang’s envoy delegation burned it down. He was caught at the scene, roaring drunk, and even urinated into the flames. Not only that, but he kept shouting, ‘A good fire! How satisfying!’”
In that instant, rage shot through Censor-in-Chief Wang Shengchu.
‘You bastards! You sons of bitches from Jiang who deserve to be torn to shreds! If you were going to burn it, you could have done it sooner or later, but why now? Are you reinforcements sent to help the Jin Clan? How could your timing be so perfect? Now the entire country will be in an uproar. Everyone will have to set aside all other matters and focus entirely on this. For the civil officials, this is like having our ancestral tombs desecrated. The Censors of the Censorate will have to submit at least ten memorials each, on average.’
The memorials regarding Jin Mucong’s rape case now had no chance of being submitted again for at least ten days. Who would dare impeach Jin Mucong at a time like this? Anyone who tried would have their political rivals pounce on them, screaming, ‘Those beasts have defiled our ancestral temple and desecrated our gods, yet you try to change the subject at a time like this? Are you in league with the State of Jiang?’
“Let’s return home. Quickly…”
The Censor-in-Chief, Wang Shengchu, said in frustration. He glanced at the impeachment memorial against the Jin Clan in his hand. He had written so much. It was a work he had poured his heart and soul into for over four hours, and now it was useless. He now had to write a memorial denouncing the Jiang envoy. It had to be written in a furious tone, with the spirit of one who lamented not being able to die alongside the King of Jiang. His heart had to be filled with rage to produce a truly scathing memorial.
But this Censor-in-Chief, Lord Wang, wasn’t actually angry. With the Sage Temple burning before his eyes, he felt an inexplicable sense of excitement, like a child watching someone else’s house burn down.
* * *
Marquis Su Nan awoke from a deep sleep after three and a half watches. He looked down at his lower body; it was impressive that, even at his age, his member could still stand so tall. He turned his head, and the sight of the beautiful woman beside him ignited a desire for conquest, but it was still two days until their next union, so he had to restrain himself. The most important thing in life was knowing how to control one’s desires.
Su Nan recited the Mind-Calming Incantation a few times to quell his urges before beginning his morning ablutions. But he didn't need to lift a finger himself. This applied not only to washing his face and rinsing his mouth but also to relieving himself, both small and large matters.
When his bottom was wiped, a cloth of the softest cotton was lightly dampened before use to avoid any irritation to his skin. The water temperature was perfectly lukewarm, neither hot nor cold. Water that was too hot would stimulate his private parts, leaving a feeling of incomplete evacuation, while water that was too cold would cause his anus to contract. Furthermore, each piece of soft cloth was used only once before being discarded for a new one, and multiple basins of warm water were used, with each cloth being dipped only once.
Finally, after his ablutions were complete, Su Nan began his breakfast. It appeared simple, but it was an exquisitely prepared meal made from precious ingredients. Though many things were handled for him by others, Su Nan ate his meals himself. What if someone were to poison his food?
Su Jianting said to him.
“Father, everything is in place. The civil and military officials will now impeach the Jin Clan. Today’s court session will surely be clamorous enough to prevent them from being invested as marquis.”
Su Nan showed no reaction. Su Jianting continued.
“Jin Zhuo truly seems to be a turtle hiding in its shell, never leaving his small domain. Even if such a person were to gain Raging Tide City, it would be of little use. He would forever remain on the fringes of power, unable to establish any influence at court. Thus, should any trouble arise, everyone would cast stones at him, and he would face universal condemnation.”
Su Nan still remained silent, but inwardly, he was quite pleased. This time, Su Yong chimed in.
“How could he compare to you, my lord, who holds a fiefdom and a private army in your left hand and the immense power of the court in your right? Moreover, you monopolize the political resources of the State of Jiang, wielding influence so great it can blot out the sky. If you so much as sneeze, countless officials will tremble in fear.”
Su Nan said.
“The people of the Jin Clan are quite interesting. The one with talent has grand ambitions, while the one with ambition has the will but lacks the talent. It’s a pity they obtained Raging Tide City and didn't die this time. Attacking him in court today will only go as far as blocking his marquis investiture.”
To this, Su Yong replied.
“Jin Mucong may not die, but he will be disgraced enough to have his skin peeled off. And Shen Lang? Many people cannot tolerate him, so he will face an even more miserable end. And after all that, could Jin Zhuo still be invested as a marquis? Daring to sit on the same level as you, my lord, is nothing but a vain fantasy, a daydream!”
Su Nan asked him.
“What of the Jiang envoys?”
“They continue to cause minor incidents every day.”
“It matters not. The more recklessly they behave, the more advantageous it will be for us.”
“Father, can’t we use the Jiang warriors to frame Shen Lang? Then even Count Xuanwu would be helpless, and His Majesty, seeing that, would reluctantly have him castrated, if not killed, wouldn’t he?”
At Su Jianting’s words, Marquis Su Nan neither agreed nor disagreed.
“If used well, the people of Jiang can be like a sharp sword against our enemies. But it’s crucial to use them at the right time. Used well, they could indeed deliver a fatal blow to Shen Lang!”
Just then, a warrior ran in from outside.
“My lord, something terrible has happened! Something terrible!”
Hearing this, Marquis Su Nan frowned.
‘What terrible thing could have happened to warrant such an outcry?’
Su Yong stepped forward and slapped the warrior hard across the face.
“What is the meaning of this, causing a scene and losing your composure in the marquis’s presence? Even if the heavens were to fall, our Su Clan could hold them up.”
The warrior quickly prostrated himself, desperately knocking his forehead on the ground.
“Yes, I was wrong. I was wrong.”
Su Yong pressed him.
“What is it? Speak!”
“The Sage Temple has burned down!”
At the warrior’s words, Su Nan blinked. A flash of surprise crossed his eyes, followed by a flicker of joy, which then morphed into a look of suspicion.
‘Could this be…’
He possessed the sharp intuition of a fox, and the moment he heard about the Sage Temple, he sensed the scent of a conspiracy. Su Yong asked him.
“Who burned it?”
“They say the warriors from the State of Jiang’s envoy delegation burned it. Not only that, but after setting the fire, they didn’t flee. They were urinating on the great blaze, singing and dancing, and were all captured at the scene.”
Crash!
Su Nan’s expression changed drastically, and the porcelain bowl in his hand shattered into pieces. His body even trembled slightly, and in an instant, all the color drained from his face. Su Jianting’s eyes flew open in anger as he roared in disbelief.
“Are those fiends insane? Even if they are, they shouldn’t have dragged our Su Clan into this! What were the servants monitoring the Jiang envoys doing? Are they all dead? Why didn’t they stop them?”
A moment later, unlike the still-fuming Su Jianting, Marquis Su Nan had calmed down and spoke.
“Go and bring another bowl of porridge.”
A servant brought another bowl of porridge, and Su Nan ate it slowly, stopping as usual when he was slightly full. Then he drank a bowl of milk—not cow’s milk, but human breast milk.
“We have fallen into the enemy’s trap.”
“Father, what should we do now? Should we sever ties with the Jiang delegation immediately?”
“If you wish to enjoy the sharpness of a treasured sword, you must sometimes endure the risk of being cut by it yourself. When difficulties arise, one must simply overcome them. Anger is useless. I will seek an audience with His Majesty the King at once to plead guilt and accept whatever he demands!”
Su Nan stood up abruptly, his body as straight as a spear and as firm as a great mountain.
“Cough, cough…”
He gave a few very convincing coughs, then hunched his back like a hunchback, let his pupils lose focus, allowed the corners of his mouth to droop slightly, and tilted his neck. In an instant, he transformed from a majestic middle-aged man into a feeble old man. He walked out with a staggering gait to board his sedan chair and head to the palace to plead his guilt—a stark contrast to the vigorous, imposing stride he had used when walking in the room just moments before.