The Aloof Lord's Mysterious Wife
Chapter 285: There’s No Way to Live

Chapter 285: There’s No Way to Live

Qing Feng glanced at the list. Among them were prominent families deeply rooted in the court. He looked troubled as he said, "My lord, the secret intelligence has gathered plenty of evidence against these officials, so investigating them won’t be a problem. But... you recently reprimanded some officials. Although the Emperor didn’t pursue it and allowed the matter to settle, it’s still better for us to maintain a low profile at this time."

Even though the master wielded immense power, it wasn’t wise to antagonize numerous officials. If they united to petition the court, it could cause endless trouble.

Ye Siheng took a sip of tea, unperturbed. "It’s a good opportunity to clean up the court. If you’re so timid, what can you accomplish?"

Feeling somewhat aggrieved, Qing Feng retorted, "I’m just worried that these officials will unite against you and lodge a complaint."

"That’s even better. If they do nothing, it’ll be boring," Ye Siheng remarked.

Seeing that the master had made up his mind, Qing Feng didn’t press further. He took the list and went to collect the evidence gathered by the secret intelligence.

The Judicial Office only handled cases involving life and death. Investigating officials was the responsibility of the Supervisory Office.

In just one day, three or four prominent families were investigated. The Black Armor Guards not only searched their residences but also arrested several individuals.

In the Mu Nation, everyone knew that the Supervisory Office took orders from the Ninth Prince.

The common people enjoyed watching the commotion and speculated about which families had offended the Ninth Prince.

Other families were uneasy, fearing they might be next.

But soon, they received secret invitations to meet at the Mingyue Tower to discuss important matters.

Without explicit instructions, they already guessed the purpose of these invitations.

At such a critical juncture, they dared not gather.

However, the next day, the Supervisory Office conducted searches at several more households, including the Duke of Ming’s residence, and took away many people.

Entering the Supervisory Office meant facing severe consequences, even if one didn’t die.

Feeling anxious, these people pondered for a while before secretly leaving their homes that night to attend the appointment at the Mingyue Tower.

The Mingyue Tower was bustling as usual, with people coming and going.

The person had made arrangements in advance. As long as they presented the specially made golden-edged invitation, someone would escort them to a quiet and safe place.

It was a tea garden.

The interior was elegantly decorated, with incense burners placed in all directions, filling the room with a fragrant aroma.

After the heads of various families entered, they saw many of their colleagues. Although they felt embarrassed, they quickly composed themselves and exchanged greetings.

They all knew that those who could come here were not entirely clean. They were afraid of being targeted by the Supervisory Office.

As the hour approached, a figure emerged from the inner room.

The bright lights illuminated the plain clothes worn by the visitor.

Everyone saluted respectfully, "Duke of Jin."

Since the tragic death of the Duke of Jin’s only son, he had secluded himself and refrained from interfering in court affairs.

They hadn’t expected him to step forward at this time.

The Duke of Jin had aged significantly, his hair almost completely gray overnight, his face haggard and aged.

He gestured for everyone to be seated and said, "In the past few days, the Supervisory Office under the Ninth Prince’s command has been conducting indiscriminate searches and arrests. I believe everyone is worried."

Everyone glanced at each other.

They were not only heads of prominent families but also held important positions in the court.

The Duke of Jin had invited them here, likely because he valued their strength.

One of the family heads named Gu spoke up, "Duke of Jin, there’s no need to beat around the bush. Your son met a tragic end all because the Ninth Prince’s consort refused to give him an amulet to save him. But with the Ninth Prince intervening, you couldn’t touch his consort. Duke of Jin, if you want to deal with the Ninth Prince at this opportune moment, why not just state your plan?"

Others nodded in agreement:

"Yes, there’s no such thing as clean dealings in the court. The Ninth Prince’s sudden actions have left us with no way out."

"Duke of Jin, we respect your authority."

"Indeed, Duke of Jin, why not just tell us your ingenious plan? If this continues, we’ll all end up in the Supervisory Office’s dungeon."

"..."

The Duke of Jin listened to the chatter of these people with great satisfaction. He had sent people to search for talented individuals and had brought back Fan Guizong, but both attempts had failed. However, this had agitated Ye Siheng, who had directly mobilized the Supervisory Office, causing chaos and panic in the court.

During this time, he had spent a lot of effort to thoroughly investigate these people’s backgrounds, ensuring that they wouldn’t rebel. Then, he had established contact with them, and now they could sit together on the same boat.

He cleared his throat to quiet them down. "The Ninth Prince’s power is overwhelming, and the An’yang Marquis’s family is regarded as insignificant, all because the Emperor has been extremely indulgent towards them," the Duke of Jin said.

Hearing the Duke of Jin’s implication, the expressions of the others changed immediately.

Gu, the head of the Gu family, glared at the Duke of Jin. "Duke of Jin, if you’re seeking revenge for your son, that doesn’t mean we’ll participate in a massacre!"

To even contemplate regicide? They must be insane!

The Duke of Jin remained unfazed and spoke coldly, "I intend to see the Ninth Prince and his wife, along with the Chu family, torn to pieces. But you must also consider this: once the Emperor is gone and the Crown Prince ascends the throne, given his weak and incompetent nature, he will rely even more on the Ninth Prince. When that time comes, will you still have a way out?"

The group fell silent, feeling a chill run down their spines as they contemplated the situation.

They had entire families to support and maintain. They might not have been entirely clean in their dealings in the court, but they knew that Emperor Mu favored balancing various powers and, given his age, wasn’t inclined to make drastic moves.

If the mediocre Ye Siheng ascended the throne, that would be even better for them. They could profit more from him. But the precondition was that Ye Siheng wasn’t around.

In the past two years, since Ye Siheng had returned from the border and reorganized the court, they had not only failed to gain any advantages but had also lived in constant fear, always tiptoeing around.

That An’yang Marquis, a mere military officer, was straightforward and didn’t know how to adapt. They had had some minor conflicts with him.

Unexpectedly, Chu Nanli had married into the An’yang Marquis’s family, and since then, the An’yang Marquis’s family had prospered, rising in rank and wealth. They had long been envious and resentful.

But with Ye Siheng soaring in power and Chu Nanli possessing her own abilities, they couldn’t do anything about it.

Seeing that none of them spoke, the Duke of Jin knew that they had considered the pros and cons and had reached a decision.

He smiled faintly, "Once this is done, not only will we overcome this difficult situation, but we will also find a new path for our families."

"But if we fail... it’ll be the end of our families," someone said weakly. "Perhaps... perhaps the Supervisory Office won’t come after me."

The Duke of Jin snorted, "You may cling to a sliver of hope, but since you’ve had conflicts with the An’yang Marquis’s family, why would the Ninth Prince trust you? Now that the officialdom is being reshuffled, while your families may seem prominent now, can you guarantee that they’ll still be standing in the capital in a few years?"

The group seethed with hatred, their teeth clenched in frustration.

Who wants to live such a mediocre life?

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