Cao Jie chose his words carefully, saying cautiously, "Perhaps the case is still ongoing, so I haven't received any reports from below. However, since Prince Cheng has spoken thus, it probably isn't baseless."
"Father," Jiang Cihe felt that Meng Shuping wasn't that kind of person and stepped forward, saying, "I believe I know him fairly well. He shouldn't be capable of such a thing. Why don't we call him in and ask?"
Jiang Cian sneered, "He came up under you, so of course you would side with him!"
Jiang Cihe glanced at him, "If I recall correctly, Fifth Brother has a grudge against him, right? It's hard to say you're not seizing the opportunity for revenge."
Jiang Cian snorted, "If he didn't do it, how could I frame him?"
Jiang Cihe retorted, "How can you be so sure he did it?"
"Enough," Emperor Qianyou said, "Whether he did it or not, we'll find out when we bring him in and ask."
Although he also believed that at least half of Jiang Cian's words were true, he still felt something was off. Could Meng Shuping really be that bold?
Meng Shuping was, as usual, lounging back in his chair reviewing case files when he heard that Emperor Qianyou wanted to summon him again. He sighed—what now?
Following the same eunuch who had delivered the previous decree into the palace, he was already mentally complaining even before entering the main hall, [Why does he keep summoning me for no reason? Is he bored? He should spend more time with the ladies in the rear palace, so they don't get lonely and end up cuckolding him!]
Cao Jie and the others gasped—it was indeed the familiar flavor.
Emperor Qianyou's face instantly darkened. *Don't worry, they wouldn't dare cuckold him!*
After Meng Shuping bowed, he noticed Emperor Qianyou hadn't spoken. He sneaked a glance at him and was puzzled to see the emperor looking quite displeased. [What's wrong with him? Did he really get cuckolded? But it wasn't me who did it—why's he giving me the stink eye? Seriously, just because he's the emperor, he thinks he can take it out on just anyone?]
Emperor Qianyou glared at Meng Shuping displeasedly. *Hmph, what's wrong with giving you a look? Do you think you're innocent?*
He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, and asked Meng Shuping, "Do you know why I summoned you here?"
Meng Shuping, confused, replied, "I don't know, Your Majesty."
[Could it be that he heard I've been slacking at the Ministry of Justice? You've got to be kidding! The emperor of a nation, always watching a minor official like me? He should focus more on state affairs! Are the people well-fed? Are there corrupt officials embezzling funds? Is the border stable? If he hasn't handled these matters, how does he have the nerve to worry about me?]
Emperor Qianyou: "..." *Very well, now I know—you've been slacking at the Ministry of Justice!*
He snorted and said, "Then tell me, what have you been doing at the Ministry of Justice lately?"
Meng Shuping thought, [He really summoned me because of this?]
Looking down slightly, he said guiltily, "Reporting to Your Majesty, these past few days, I have been reviewing numerous past case files from the Ministry of Justice. On one hand, I'm checking for any logical inconsistencies, and on the other, I'm learning from the experience of judging cases."
[Seriously! Does he hate seeing me take a break? Did he summon me here to assign me work? But it's not that I'm not working—they just haven't given me any tasks. How can that be my fault?]
Emperor Qianyou: "..."
Cao Jie and the others: "..."
If they couldn't hear his inner thoughts, they'd never know he could make up stories so easily.
Emperor Qianyou looked at him and said, "But I heard you handled a case, and even coerced a confession through torture, playing fast and loose with people's lives?"
Meng Shuping exclaimed in shock, "Who said that? That's bull!"
[Who's so hateful, coming to the emperor to throw me under the bus?]
[Ah! Now I get it!]
[It must be because the emperor suddenly appointed me as an official, stepping on someone's toes, so they're determined to take me down! Is this the legendary political struggle?]
[Sigh, I told you I'm not meant to be an official, but you insisted. Look, it's only been a few days, and someone's already coming after me. If I don't play along, will they try to kill me?]
[Yikes, that's scary!]
Emperor Qianyou and the others: "..."
*Although there are political struggles in the court, aren't you reading too much into this?*
Jiang Cihe smiled slightly and reminded him, "It was Fifth Brother, Prince Cheng, who said it."
Meng Shuping suddenly understood, [Him? Is he still holding a grudge over the incident where he thought I was mute? Seriously? I didn't even mind him calling me mute, and he has the gall to hold a grudge?]
Jiang Cian was so infuriated by Meng Shuping's shamelessness that he balled his fists. *You have some nerve talking about false accusations!*
He snorted coldly, "So what if I said it? Am I wrong?"
Meng Shuping asked curiously, "But you're not from the Ministry of Justice. How did you find out about how I handled the case so quickly?"
[Could it be that he's secretly colluding with officials from the Ministry of Justice?]
[Hiss...]
[He's a prince—why is he so eager to build his own influence? The emperor is still alive!]
Emperor Qianyou's expression turned grave. *Indeed, if even Cao Jie didn't know, how did Fifth Prince find out so quickly?*
Everyone broke into a cold sweat. *How dare this guy think such things?* Jiang Cian wiped the sweat from his forehead and said angrily, "I heard it from the prisoner!"
*Most people would quickly deny it and provide evidence. Why isn't this guy following the script?*
Meng Shuping said, "Oh, you mean your brother-in-law?"
He immediately turned to Emperor Qianyou, "Your Majesty, did you hear that? He's only accusing me falsely to protect his brother-in-law! I'm not targeting him, but as a prince, how can he openly bend the law for personal gain? Does he have no respect for you or the law?"
Jiang Cian quickly said, "Father, he's not my brother-in-law. He's just the brother of a concubine in my household. His sister begged me for help because Vice Director Meng coerced a confession from him through torture!"
"Then why did he say he's your brother-in-law?" Meng Shuping muttered under his breath, "And he also said that even Lord Cao would have to kowtow to him, and that minor officials like us shouldn't offend him. Otherwise, when Prince Cheng ascends the throne, we'll pay for it!"
Though he spoke softly, everyone in the hall heard him clearly. They exchanged glances—this was big!
Cao Jie's face darkened. *The brother of a mere concubine, claiming he would have to bow to him? How arrogant!*
Emperor Qianyou's expression grew stern. *Could it be that there was more to this story?* He scrutinized Jiang Cian. *If even the brother of a concubine dared to say such things, who gave him the audacity?*
Noticing the cold look in Emperor Qianyou's eyes, Jiang Cian knelt with a thud, "Father, please see reason! I absolutely have no such intentions!"
Just as he finished, Meng Shuping's voice chimed in, [No such intentions? Even if he did, he wouldn't say it out loud! No wonder that guy was so arrogant even after being arrested. Look, with Prince Cheng backing him, what does he have to fear?]
[Sigh, good thing I got the chance to see the emperor. If other officials encountered this, wouldn't they be forced to give in under Prince Cheng's power?]
[Hehe, I really am a good official!]
By now, even Jiang Cian began to wonder if Lu Sheng had actually said those things. After all, some people loved to boast. But no matter how much he hated it, he had to defend himself, "Father, I think Meng is just making things up. He must hold a grudge because I spoke frankly in front of you earlier, so he's framing me!"
Meng Shuping quickly said, "It wasn't just me who heard it—others did too."
[What, you can set me up, but I can't hold a grudge?]
Jiang Cian's heart sank, and he was instantly furious. If Lu Sheng were in front of him right then, he would have wanted to cut him down on the spot! Of all the things to say, why did he have to say that? Was he trying to get him killed?
Breaking out in a sweat, he said, "Father, since no one else is here now, how can we prove what he said is true? I think he's just talking nonsense because he believes no one can expose him!"
Meng Shuping was still fuming, thinking that being summoned to the palace was all because of this guy. He immediately spoke up, "Your Majesty, I also have something to say. I accuse Prince Cheng of forcibly seizing large amounts of civilian farmland, hoarding wealth on a grand scale, not only shielding his brother-in-law who caused someone's death but also using vast sums of money to secretly build his own influence within the court, with the intention of trying to usurp the throne!"
[Ha! You're accusing ME? Don't you know I'm the master of accusations? I'll accuse you to death!]
*Hoo!* The other ministers in the hall were so shocked they almost stumbled. Although they often impeached political rivals in their daily routines, this charge was truly serious!
Jiang Cian was so angry he almost spat blood. "Don't you dare slander me! Do you have any evidence for what you're saying?"
*Even if he had the intention, he wouldn't have the courage! And he had only slapped one charge on Meng Shuping, but Meng Shuping, in turn, had pinned so many on him—each one more severe than the last! Was this kid trying to ruin him?*
Meng Shuping said firmly, "Your Majesty, if you don't believe me, you can investigate. His brother-in-law has already confessed, saying they seized civilian farmland and committed murder precisely because they relied on Prince Cheng's influence! Moreover, they funneled all the money they extracted to Prince Cheng's residence for him to use in building his network. If you send someone to raid his home, you'll surely find evidence!"
[Pfft, when he accused me earlier, why didn't he mention evidence? But when it comes to himself, he demands evidence from me? How shameless can he be?]
[Hahaha, but does he think this will clear his name? Would he dare let anyone search his residence? Hahahaha, if they find a dragon robe, that would be quite a discovery!]
Jiang Cian was so enraged by Meng Shuping that he gritted his teeth. He had seen people talk nonsense before, but never to this extent! The worst part was that the accusations were half-truths and half-lies, making it impossible for him to explain clearly!
*Besides, even if he hadn't thought of usurping the throne, allowing a search of his residence might still uncover some incriminating evidence! How cunning this kid was!*
He said angrily, "That's because you forced a confession by beating him! Dare you deny that you beat him? Didn't you force him to say whatever you wanted? Otherwise, he would have been beaten to death! Lu Sheng already told us that the man didn't die from being beaten—he had an underlying condition and died from a simple fall! And those farmlands were legitimate transactions, paid for fairly. How could they be considered forced purchases?"
Meng Shuping asked skeptically, "You're not going to say there's a doctor who can testify, are you?"
Jiang Cian declared righteously, "That is natural!"
Meng Shuping couldn't help but retort, [Honestly, I could come up with hundreds of ways to weasel out of charges like this in just fifteen minutes!]
[Tsk, tsk, tsk, either use power to intimidate or money to bribe—pull both levers, and who wouldn't cooperate? What? You think an ordinary commoner can resist someone in power? They'd better fear for their family's safety!]
[Not to mention, with enough money, even the plaintiffs can be silenced, let alone the ordinary people whose farmlands were forcibly taken!]
[If a mere county magistrate can oppress people to death, let alone a prince? Even if the people are wronged, where can they seek justice? Which official would dare stand up for them?]
[Look, I just followed the rules in conducting the investigation, and he's already accusing me. What about other officials who can't see the Emperor? Wouldn't they be framed and dismissed from their posts?]
The more Emperor Qianyou listened, the darker his expression became. *Indeed, if he hadn't summoned Meng Shuping to question him, he might have believed Jiang Cian's words, as they sounded quite reasonable.*
He asked Jiang Cian displeased, "Fifth Son, tell me the truth—did you really do those things or not?"
Before Jiang Cian could speak, Meng Shuping's voice came through first, [Of course he'll say he didn't do it. Who would admit to such treasonous acts? Wouldn't that be cutting your own throat?]
Jiang Cian clenched his fists tighter, but because Emperor Qianyou was watching him, he could only bite back his anger and say, "Father, please believe me. I truly didn't do any of it. Don't you trust your own son?"
Meng Shuping piped up again, [That's not necessarily true. How many emperors have been harmed by their own sons? There's no such thing as family in royalty—this isn't just an empty saying!]
Jiang Cihe sighed helplessly. *Did that remark include him as well? He felt his relationship with his father was quite good, wasn't it?*
Jiang Cian was furious. *Couldn't he stop undermining him?*
Emperor Qianyou tried hard to ignore Meng Shuping's thoughts, but the more he tried, the more he couldn't. In the end, he still didn't give Jiang Cian a favorable look. "In that case, let the Censorate, the Court of Judicial Review, and the Ministry of Justice jointly investigate this case. Seventh Son, you will assist."
Everyone said, "Yes."
Jiang Cian shot a hateful glare at Meng Shuping. *This kid! This kid! Once he survived this ordeal, he would make him pay!*