Chapter Fourteen: I Intend to Accuse Chancellor Wei

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In the imperial court, the atmosphere was solemn and majestic. Civil and military officials knelt in unison, their voices echoing through the palace with cries of "Long live the emperor!" Xiao Ceyun, clad in the dragon robe, sat upright upon the dragon throne—a symbol of supreme power—exuding authority without a word. Nearby, Chief Eunuch Bi Zifu loudly proclaimed, “If there is a matter to report, speak now; if not, the court is adjourned!”

Song Hanlin and Wei Changlong stepped forward simultaneously from the ranks of civil officials. Seeing Song Hanlin emerge, Wei Changlong stepped aside and said, “Grand Tutor, you may speak first.”

Wei Changlong then retreated to his place.

Song Hanlin sneered coldly, his expression grave. After clasping his hands in salute, he announced loudly, “Your Majesty, I must accuse Chancellor Wei of fabricating counterfeit silver and secretly hoarding the official treasury!”

At these words, the court erupted in shocked exclamations. The officials’ faces were filled with astonishment, but Wei Changlong remained calm and indifferent, as if he had not heard the accusation at all.

The officials silently admired Song Hanlin’s daring to openly impeach such a powerful man, but they also secretly worried for him—this act was perilous, and no one knew if he could succeed.

“Bold Song Hanlin!” Xiao Ceyun suddenly slammed his hand on the armrest of the dragon throne, his voice stern. “Counterfeiting silver is a grave crime. Chancellor Wei, esteemed prime minister of this dynasty, is well versed in our laws—how could he commit such a heinous offense? Moreover, not long ago, Chancellor Wei generously donated all the silver in the prime minister’s residence to aid disaster victims. His heart is devoted to the people, ever concerned for the state; he is a loyal minister and a worthy prime minister. How can you slander him with baseless accusations?”

Though Xiao Ceyun appeared furious, inwardly he was pleased. Song Hanlin’s boldness meant he must possess crucial evidence. This presented Xiao with an opportunity to eliminate Wei Changlong, a troublesome threat, simply by riding the wave.

Unfazed by Xiao Ceyun’s rebuke, Song Hanlin straightened his posture and declared resolutely, “Your Majesty, please calm your anger. I would never speak carelessly or defame the loyal and righteous. Chancellor Wei fabricated counterfeit silver, swapping the genuine for fake pieces which he then sent to the disaster-stricken areas as relief funds.”

At this statement, the court was thrown into uproar, shattering the previously solemn silence. The ministers whispered amongst themselves, discussing the astonishing news.

“What? The silver sent to the disaster zone was counterfeit?” someone exclaimed in disbelief.

“No wonder Chancellor Wei acted so magnanimously that day—it was premeditated! He hid the real silver and sent fake coins to the disaster relief,” another minister realized.

“I believe Chancellor Wei assumed the fake silver would never reach the victims, so he shamelessly produced counterfeit coins. Meanwhile, he won the people’s hearts, and everyone thought him a benevolent prime minister, but in truth, he is a hypocritical deceiver!”

“Silence!”

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At Xiao Ceyun’s command, the court fell instantly silent, the murmuring ministers closing their mouths.

Xiao Ceyun’s expression was grave and unwavering as he fixed his piercing gaze on Song Hanlin below and coldly demanded, “Grand Tutor Song, since you accuse Chancellor Wei of swapping genuine silver for counterfeits, do you have concrete evidence? If you cannot provide solid proof or specify the details, it will be deemed slander, and I will not hesitate to order your family’s execution and your beheading, restoring Chancellor Wei’s innocence and justice!”

“Your Majesty, rest assured. I would not dare to make such accusations in court without holding irrefutable evidence of Chancellor Wei’s crimes.”

All eyes were now fixed intently on Song Hanlin.

He continued, “After the relief silver was dispatched from Chancellor Wei’s residence, I was deeply anxious, fearing the official funds might be robbed by ruthless bandits along the way. Thus, I sent my own household guards to discreetly escort the silver. If any misfortune befell the convoy, these guards would intervene swiftly. Yet, when the guards returned, they reported that all the silver they protected was counterfeit! At first, I could hardly believe them, suspecting deceit, but the silver had been thoroughly counted and verified before leaving Chancellor Wei’s home, and the transport was orderly and timely, with no delays or suspicious events. How could the silver suddenly have been replaced by fakes? Puzzled, I immediately dispatched Lord Kang to investigate thoroughly.”

At this moment, Kang Qilu stepped forward, saluted, and reported, “Your Majesty, entrusted by Lord Song, I pursued the matter of this silver. After extensive inquiry, I confirmed beyond doubt that all the silver escorted was counterfeit. Strangely, this silver was sent from the prime minister’s official residence, accompanied by numerous guards throughout the journey without any disturbance or danger. Yet, despite this seemingly foolproof protection, the silver delivered was fake. I suspected foul play and continued investigating, and through persistent effort, I uncovered Chancellor Wei’s secret stash of genuine silver.”

Xiao Ceyun frowned deeply, his face stern as he pressed, “Where exactly did Chancellor Wei hide the official silver?”

Kang Qilu bowed quickly and answered, “Your Majesty, I personally witnessed the silver concealed in a secluded manor on the outskirts of the capital, heavily guarded by the prime minister’s attendants. I suspect that when the silver left Chancellor Wei’s residence, he swapped it for counterfeit coins, sending the fake silver to the disaster area. If the counterfeit silver were robbed en route, it would no longer concern Chancellor Wei, who would retain all the real silver intact.”

Xiao Ceyun’s eyes blazed as he turned to Wei Changlong and asked in a low, commanding voice, “Chancellor Wei, what do you have to say?”

Wei Changlong stepped forward calmly, making no immediate defense, and said, “Your Majesty, I have two questions.”

Xiao Ceyun gestured for him to proceed.

Wei Changlong asked, “Minister Tang, when your department conducted the inventory at my residence, how much silver was counted?”

Tang Zhengchen, respectful in demeanor, promptly stepped out, saluted the emperor with hands clasped, and replied methodically, “Your Majesty, on that day, the Ministry of Revenue worked in unison to carefully count the silver at Chancellor Wei’s residence. We tallied over 1.7 million taels of silver, along with more than 500,000 taels of gold and silver combined, and 12,000 dan of grain. Once counted, I promptly handed these assets over to Minister Cheng of the Ministry of War for proper distribution.”

Hearing his name, Cheng Qianyou quickly rose, bowed to Xiao Ceyun on the throne, and announced clearly, “Your Majesty, upon receiving your orders, I immediately arranged for all disaster relief supplies to be distributed accordingly. Local officials have inspected and signed off on the deliveries before returning to the capital to report.”

Wei Changlong then questioned Song Hanlin, “Grand Tutor, since the silver was thoroughly counted at my residence and escorted by armed guards all the way to local officials, arriving safely, how could counterfeit silver have been mixed in? Where is this fake silver now?”

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Song Hanlin hastened to reply respectfully, “Your Majesty, according to the information I currently possess, the forged silver has already been sent to the disaster areas and distributed among local officials at various levels.”

At this, Xiao Ceyun narrowed his eyes slightly, a cold gleam flashing in them as he said icily, “Oh? The counterfeit silver has already reached the local officials? Then I would like to ask, Grand Tutor Song, if what you say is true, did these local officials silently accept the fake silver and even willingly sign documents affirming receipt of it?”

Xiao Ceyun’s words caused a stir throughout the court, ministers whispering and murmuring among themselves.

One whispered in disbelief, “Impossible! That silver concerns the livelihood of the people. It is official disaster relief silver. Who would silently accept counterfeit silver from the court, much less sign documents admitting they received it?”

Another agreed, “Indeed, Grand Tutor Song’s accusation seems far-fetched. Since local officials signed off, if the disaster relief failed but the silver was distributed, any investigation would implicate them and lead to severe punishment.”

“Since the officials signed, it proves the silver received was genuine.”

Song Hanlin clearly realized his claim was difficult to justify. He too was puzzled—how could the officials have signed for fake silver if that was what had been delivered? “Your Majesty, Chancellor Wei and Minister Cheng must have colluded from the start, secretly swapping the real silver and coercing the local officials to sign off!”

Wei Changlong sneered disdainfully, “Grand Tutor, you accused me of swapping silver, but now your testimony lacks evidence. Failing to frame me, you drag Minister Cheng into this? How low can you stoop?”

Cheng Qianyou coldly retorted, “Grand Tutor, your words must be backed by evidence. Otherwise, what difference is there between you and a mad dog biting at everyone?”

“Your Majesty!” Kang Qilu shouted, “I personally saw the silver sent to the disaster zone was counterfeit! Moreover, I discovered the location where Chancellor Wei hid the genuine silver. I stake my life on the truth of my words!”

Song Hanlin was startled. They had uncovered that Chancellor Wei sent fake silver to the relief areas, yet now it was twisted into them fabricating accusations, forcing Kang Qilu to stake his life as a guarantee. “Your Majesty! The officials who received the relief supplies have all come to the capital and are waiting outside the court to pay respects. Whether they received fake silver can be confirmed by summoning them here!”

Xiao Ceyun exhaled heavily, glanced at Bi Zifu, who immediately understood and raised his voice to command, “Summon the local officials into the court to pay respects!”