Chapter 9 Impeachments
The moonlight fell like water on the eaves of Fan’s house.

Teng Zijing's figure quietly appeared in front of Fan Xian.

Fan Xian was sitting in the study, fiddling with an exquisite pumpkin in his hands.

Seeing Teng Zijing coming, he handed over the fishing document in the pumpkin.

It clearly records the "crime" that Teng Zijing committed in the past - assassinating an imperial official.

Fan Xian stared at Teng Zijing with deep eyes and spoke slowly:
"This document records your past mistakes. I am very confused. The Inspection Bureau is an important place in the court. Why would they accept someone like you as their subordinate? Why did you come to me? What do you want?"

Teng Zijing was silent for a moment, then knelt on his knees and begged:

"Master Fan, I beg you to take me to the Inspection Institute and help me obtain a secret scroll."

"From now on, Zi Jing is willing to serve you like a dog or a horse, even if it means sacrificing his life for you!"

Fan Xian frowned slightly, and did not agree immediately, but continued to ask:

"What exactly is in the secret scroll? Why did you commit the heinous crime of assassinating an imperial official?"

Teng Zijing sighed, a trace of grief flashed in his eyes, and began to speak:
"Back then, Zi Jing and Guo Baokun had a deep feud over an innocent couple."

"But I didn't expect that couple to become witnesses against me, which led to my imprisonment and disaster for my whole family."

"Fortunately, the Inspection Institute rescued me, but the condition was that I had to join them in order to save my family's lives."

"However, although I hated the couple in my heart, I could not bear to take revenge on them."

He paused and continued:
"From then on, Zi Jing understood that there is no absolute black and white in this world, and only power and status can determine one's destiny."

"I wanted to leave Kyoto with my wife and children, live out the rest of my life in anonymity."

"So I borrowed the young master's hand and sought a name for fake death, hoping to escape the constraints of the Inspection Institute."

"However, when I returned home, I found that my family had disappeared and the mansion was empty!"

At this point, Teng Zijing's voice was choked with sobs.

Seeing this, Fan Xian couldn't help but feel a little disturbed.

Teng Zijing is in trouble at the moment and cannot find out the truth himself.

In the Inspection Institute, the only person he can trust is Fan Xian.

Therefore, he was willing to entrust his life to Fan Xian and begged him to help him find his missing wife and children.

After listening to his confession, Fan Xian was filled with emotion.

He knew very well that Teng Zijing had never taken revenge on the couple, which showed that there was still a trace of kindness in his heart.

So he decided to lend a helping hand and help him find his lost family.

Moreover, Fan Xian came to Kyoto with the ambition to accomplish great things, so naturally he needed to win over a group of capable people.

A loyal person like Teng Zijing is exactly what he needs.

After Teng Zijing left, Fan Xian couldn't help but think of Li Chengyun.

Although he was in Zuixianju these days, he was not only indulging in love affairs, but also had the intention of testing Li Chengyun.

And his efforts were not in vain. During his conversation with Li Chengyun, he was deeply impressed by the other's wisdom and talent.

Many of Li Chengyun's words were as shocking as pearls, often making Fan Xian fall into deep thought.

He gradually discovered that the Sixth Prince was not as bad as the outside world said, but was actually a hidden genius.

"Sixth Prince, being born into an imperial family, it seems that being a prince is not so easy and comfortable." Fan Xian sighed in his heart.

He guessed that Li Chengyun was trying to avoid the power struggle in the palace, so he disguised himself as a dandy boy to avoid the hidden swordplay.

However, Fan Xian still had doubts in his heart, wondering whether Li Chengyun planned to make a big splash in the future, or was really willing to give up the supreme throne.

He knew very well that this was crucial to the situation in Kyoto and he had to find out the truth as soon as possible.

……

The next morning, the morning glow began to rise.

Li Chengyun changed into luxurious and elegant court robes, walked along the ancient blue brick road, and entered the majestic hall with graceful steps.

At this time, the court officials had gathered together.

They gathered in groups of three or five in the corners, whispering and discussing the changing situation in the court.

When Li Chengyun's figure appeared in everyone's sight, the originally lively scene instantly became silent.

It was as if all sounds were swallowed up by the sudden silence.

Li Chengyun knew very well that these self-important court officials deliberately distanced themselves from him because of his daily unruly behavior.

But he didn't care about it at all and had no intention of greeting anyone.

His reputation had long been a laughing stock in the court, so it was understandable that these court officials, who claimed to be noble, kept their distance from him.

It would be really strange if someone suddenly started to flatter him.

Having gone to bed late last night, Li Chengyun was still a little sleepy and yawned unconsciously.

This small action was like a stone thrown into a lake, causing ripples in the hall.

The court officials looked displeased and expressed their dissatisfaction with his disrespect for the court meeting. They whispered and talked about it.

However, Li Chengyun remained unmoved and continued to do as he pleased.

He was used to a lazy life, and the rules and constraints of the court were like shackles to him.

He stretched his waist slightly, feeling a little tired from standing, and walked to the other side of the hall.

Wherever he passed, the court officials tacitly made way for him.

Li Chengyun walked calmly through the crowd and came to the place he was familiar with. There he saw two wooden chairs standing quietly.

On one of the chairs, an old man was already fast asleep, snoring from time to time.

This man was none other than Qin Ye, the Chief Privy Councilor, and his beard was as white as frost.

The other chair was empty, as it was specially prepared for the prime minister Lin Ruofu.

These two chairs were both bestowed by Emperor Qing, symbolizing supreme glory and status.

During every court meeting, there were only four people who could sit comfortably in the entire hall - Emperor Qing, Qin Ye, Lin Ruofu, and Chen Pingping who was sitting in a wheelchair.

Their existence demonstrates their respective lofty status in the court and Emperor Qing's trust.

However, Li Chengyun didn't care about these.

He was feeling exhausted at the moment and urgently needed to find a place to rest.

For him, such an idea was just a piece of cake.

He glanced at the soundly sleeping Qin Ye and sighed in his heart. Considering Qin Ye's advanced age, he did not want to disturb his sweet dream, nor did he want to take up his seat.

So, Li Chengyun walked straight to the chair that belonged to Lin Ruofu.

He sat down without hesitation, leaning against the back of the chair, looking a bit lazy and unruly.

This scene immediately caused an uproar among the court officials.

That was the seat of Lin Ruofu, the chief of all officials and a man of high moral character. How could a dandy prince just sit there casually?

Many officials who had just entered the court were extremely angry, and some even wanted to step forward and question them.

However, those experienced old officials were no longer surprised. Although they still glared angrily, no one dared to act rashly.

Just in time.

The prince, dressed in bright yellow court robes, walked into the hall in a hurry and soon came to Li Chengyun's side.

"Third brother." Li Chengyun bowed.

The prince smiled and said jokingly:
"Sixth brother, why are you taking the position of Prime Minister Lin again? If the emperor knows about this, I'm afraid he will reprimand you again."

Li Chengyun waved his hand and smiled nonchalantly:
"You can give me a warning, but it won't hurt me."

"This chair is comfortable to sit on. I'll enjoy it for a while."

"When Minister Lin comes, I will return it to him."

Seeing his dead pig fearless look, the prince couldn't help but chuckle:
"You are still living a comfortable life, Sixth Brother."

"Will my second brother and the others come too?" Li Chengyun asked in a low voice with a hint of boredom.

The prince smiled slightly and replied meaningfully: "Of course he will come. It's not often that we see such a grand occasion as today."

Li Chengyun heard this and laughed: "You are right. It is so rare, how can we miss them? If it were me, I would definitely come to join in the fun."

The prince nodded slightly and was about to explain in detail when he suddenly saw a familiar official come forward to greet him, so he turned around and talked to him.

Soon, the second prince also arrived.

However, due to time constraints, Li Chengyun was unable to greet him as the court meeting had already officially begun.

He had no choice but to return the chair to Lin Ruofu obediently, in return Lin Ruofu glared at him.

The bells rang melodiously.

The court officials stood in an orderly manner according to their civil and military ranks.

Li Chengyun stood side by side with the Crown Prince and others, waiting for Emperor Qing to arrive.

Soon, Emperor Qing came to the palace with dignity.

Everyone bowed and saluted respectfully.

Emperor Qing waved his hand to indicate that he did not need to be polite, then sat down on the dragon throne, and the court meeting officially began.

Emperor Qing first raised an issue about Northern Qi. The ministers rushed to speak and expressed their opinions, and the atmosphere was heated.

After Emperor Qing made his decision, Prime Minister Lin brought up a new topic.

The emperor and his ministers discussed state affairs, and after some discussion, Emperor Qing made a decision.

With such efficiency, important matters are handled quickly.

Seeing that no one proposed anything new, Emperor Qing looked around and asked in a deep voice:
"My dear ministers, is there anything else you would like to discuss?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the hall changed subtly.

Li Chengyun glanced at the ministers sharply and noticed many of them were ready to make a move.

He thought to himself that the next topic might be directed at him.

as predicted.

As soon as he had this thought, an imperial censor stepped forward and made an impassioned speech:
"I accuse the Sixth Prince of disrespecting morality, abusing state tools, and forming a clique for personal gain..."

The censor listed more than a dozen charges in a row, each word pointing directly at Li Chengyun, implying that he had bad character and was not fit to be a role model for the prince.

Following the censor's first attack, several other censors and officials stood up.

They were not limited to civil officials, but military officers were also involved.

All the civil and military officials came together at once. This scene was indeed rare.

Amidst all the accusations, Li Chengyun seemed to have become the most evil person.

(End of this chapter)