Chapter 144: Dancing on Four Eggs (Part Two)

Li Xian was not particularly familiar with Chen Renhao. However, judging from the dealings he had with the man in his past life, Chen was a thoroughly profit-driven individual completely devoid of integrity. The idea that he possessed the courage and resolution to die with heroic defiance was absurd. Clearly, this so-called suicide out of fear of crime was a fabrication through and through, undoubtedly masterminded by Empress Wu. Li Xian was well aware of this in his heart, yet he could not fathom the true purpose behind the Empress's actions. After pondering for a long while without making any headway and feeling thoroughly vexed, he stole a glance at the Empress seated upon the dais. To his utter shock, his gaze collided directly with hers as she swept her eyes across the room. In an instant, a chilling wave of dread surged uncontrollably from the depths of his soul.

A warning—this was an undisguised, dead-on warning! Damned old hag, what a ruthless heart! The moment Li Xian locked eyes with the Empress, his spirit trembled slightly, and in a flash, he completely understood her intent. She was executing the chicken to warn the monkeys. The chicken was singular—Chen Renhao—while the monkeys numbered three and a half. Aside from Li Xian and his two brothers, the remaining half-monkey was none other than the Emperor!

Ominous, utterly ominous! Li Xian did not delude himself into thinking he was currently any match for Chen Renhao. If the Empress truly decided to resort to underhanded tactics to frame someone, let alone Li Xian, even the Crown Prince might not escape her venomous grasp. Meeting force with force was clearly a dead end; even if the three brothers united with one heart, they could achieve little, not to mention that the three of them each harbored their own agendas and could never pull together in the same direction. The only viable strategy at present was to retreat in order to advance, thereby ensuring their own safety. Yet, how precisely to execute this retreat required careful deliberation. Judging by the current situation, the arson case at the Court of Judicial Review could no longer be pursued; otherwise, they would inevitably suffer the Empress's lethal backlash, a consequence Li Xian respectfully declined to court. As for how to maneuver the thorough investigation of the Court of Judicial Review case, Li Xian was somewhat uncertain. In a word, having expended so much effort, if it all came to nothing, not only would Li Xian refuse to let it go, but the Crown Prince and Li Xian would certainly not rest either. Strife would remain inevitable, and Li Xian knew he would ultimately be unable to stay out of it.

"Xian'er has always been resourceful. Do you have any views on this matter, hmm?"

Li Xian lowered his head, attempting to dodge the Empress's gaze. The movement was stealthy and swift, but unfortunately, it was entirely in vain. The Empress clearly had no intention of letting Li Xian off the hook. Suddenly, she broke into a smile, adopting a thoroughly amiable expression as she posed the question.

Views? There were naturally plenty of them, but would her old self actually listen? The moment he saw the Empress put on that facade of listening to wise counsel, Li Xian was overcome by an immediate urge to retch. Yet, under the circumstances, no matter how much dissatisfaction he felt, he had to suppress it forcibly. Feigning a contemplative demeanor to steady his emotions, he slowly began:

"Reporting to Your Imperial Father and Empress Mother, this son believes that Chen Renhao's actions were driven entirely by blind greed. He burned the case files of the Court of Judicial Review first and deceived the imperial emissary afterward. Once his crimes were exposed, he attempted to cover them up with an assassination. His offenses are utterly unforgivable and should be proclaimed to the whole realm to serve as a warning to others. This son implores Your Imperial Father to make a wise decision."

"That's not right, there is something—"

Brilliant though Li Xian was, when it came to political acumen, he was undoubtedly the weakest among them all. It was only at this moment that this master realized something was fundamentally wrong with the entire case. Moreover, given his hasty temperament, he completely failed to consider whether the occasion was appropriate. Opening his mouth, he prepared to let loose a tirade, but before he could finish speaking, a cold glare swept over by the Empress startled him into a shudder. Like a slaughtered chicken, he lost all his vigor, choking until his face flushed from red to purple.

"Your Majesty, Xian'er's words make complete sense. At present, the capital is rife with anxiety and panic, and it is imperative to pacify the populace as soon as possible. Your concubine implores Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly."

Seeing that Li Xian had conceded defeat, the Empress did not press him further. Instead, she turned her head to look at the gloomy-faced Emperor and offered her counsel with extreme gentleness.

"By our decree: let Chen Renhao's entire clan be cast into the grand prison, and order the relevant offices to interrogate them properly. A final decision will be made after the court assembly."

After twitching his face for a long while, the Emperor finally parted his lips with a trace of helplessness, his expression filled with an unmistakable unwillingness. Clearly, the Emperor had also perceived the intrigue lurking behind the case, but he simply dared not defy the Empress's request to her face.

"Father is wise. However, since the case files of the Court of Judicial Review have now been destroyed, conducting a detailed investigation will be exceedingly difficult. We must request files from various prefectures and counties anew, which will inevitably take a long time. Yet the court cannot function without the Court of Judicial Review. If we do not make a swift judgment now, it may hinder official business. This son implores Father to examine this thoroughly."

Seeing that the Emperor had already handed down a verdict on the assassination case, Li Hong inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. However, he had no intention of letting the matter of the Court of Judicial Review end so hastily. Stepping forward, he raised his voice to urge the matter.

Well, look at that, this fellow truly fears nothing more than a peaceful world! Still, it was just as well; dealing with everything at once would be efficient. In his heart, Li Xian had no desire for his efforts to go to waste, but he was constrained by the fact that the Empress had her eyes on him, making it inappropriate for him to step forward aggressively at this moment. Hearing Li Hong actively stir up trouble suited Li Xian's intentions perfectly. Yet, until he could fully ascertain the Emperor's true wishes, Li Xian did not wish to state his position prematurely, so he kept his mouth tightly shut and stood silently to one side.

"Father, although Crown Prince elder brother's words are reasonable, from this son's perspective, the Court of Judicial Review is the Court of Judicial Review, and the criminal official is the criminal official; the two are not one and the same. If Father is concerned about hindering state affairs, you can readily select and dispatch personnel from various prefectures and offices to fill the vacancies, which can concurrently serve the purpose of investigating the criminal official. This is my humble view, and I implore Father to make the sagely decision."

While Li Xian remained silent, Li Xian could no longer restrain himself. He had no intention of handing over the power he had just grasped so easily, so he stiffened his neck, stepped forward, and voiced his objection loudly.

Tch, the sixth brother is truly a massive fool, failing to see that the Crown Prince was employing a goad. And look at you—you blundered right into the trap yourself. Utterly brainless! The reason Li Xian had refrained from speaking earlier was that he understood Li Hong's intentions and had long anticipated that Li Xian would lose his patience. Yet, seeing Li Xian actually step out, Li Xian could not help but deeply disdain him in his heart.

"Hmm."

The Emperor grunted noncommittally, his lips twitching as if he had something to say, but in the end, he still dared not state his position directly. Frowning, he looked toward the Empress and tentatively probed, "Does the Empress have any views on this?"

"Your Majesty, from this concubine's perspective, Hong'er's words are entirely correct. However, this matter falls under Xian'er's purview, and it truly does not befit me to interfere arbitrarily. Why not let Xian'er speak?"

The Empress smiled faintly, first validating Li Hong before seamlessly deflecting the ball to Li Xian.

The old hag's play of borrowing strength to strike was truly slick. Heh, she really was dumping the burden on him! Hearing the Empress put it this way, Li Xian felt a mild bitterness rising in his chest. For the Empress to pull such a stunt clearly meant she had seen right through the fact that Li Xian was the connective node binding the three princes. Without Li Xian acting as the central integrator, Li Hong and Li Xian would never see eye to eye. Handing the decision-making power to Li Xian seemed generous on the surface, but in reality, it was placing him on a roasting spit over a fire. The logic was simple: unless Li Xian could devise a solution satisfying to all parties, he would likely end up despised by everyone involved.

Very well, since he was fated to dance on four eggs, he might as well dance to his heart's content! Although a trace of annoyance stirred within him, Li Xian's expression remained perfectly serene. He bowed to the Empress and said, "I am deeply grateful for Empress Mother's favor, but this matter is of grave importance, and this son truly dares not speak rashly."

"It is no matter. Xian'er, speak your mind; We are listening."

Clearly unwilling to suffer while caught between his sons and the Empress, the Emperor was more than eager for someone else to step up and shoulder this headache-inducing role. With a grandiose wave of his hand, he added fuel to the fire.

"Understood, this son obeys the decree."

Since the Emperor had given his command, Li Xian had no way to shirk the duty. He could only offer a respectful expression of gratitude before speaking in a measured tone:

"Reporting to Your Imperial Father and Empress Mother, this son believes that Crown Prince elder brother's words are indeed correct. However, Sixth Brother's words are likewise not without merit. Had the officials not been derelict in their duties, how could the arson have occurred? In my view, the chaos in the Court of Judicial Review has reached a point where a thorough reorganization is imperative. Duan Baoxuan, holding the post of Chief Justice, was long absent from his office—this constitutes a grave dereliction of duty. The primary blame rests upon him; he should be ordered to retire, and another virtuous and capable man chosen to replace him. This is the first point. Secondly, Junior Justices Yuan and Hou failed to govern their subordinates properly, resulting in a mountain of overdue cases at the Court of Judicial Review. Although the primary blame falls on Duan Baoxuan, these two cannot absolve themselves of complicity. However, considering both possess genuine administrative talent, posting them to regional prefectures will suffice. Thirdly, Qiu Shenfu and Wang Yi are veritable worms within the Court of Judicial Review; their crimes of accepting bribes and rendering perverted judgments are severe, the evidence is ironclad, and public outrage is extreme. They must be severely punished according to the law as an example to others. As for the remaining officials, while they all bear fault, they were merely followers and should be reprimanded through their performance evaluations. If we handle it thus, the case may be closed!"

"Hmm, Xian'er has judged this case well; it suits Our intentions entirely. What does the Empress think?"

With Li Xian's words, he shifted almost all the blame onto the "innocent" Duan Baoxuan. Moreover, he showed little intention of shielding the Empress's faction—executing some and demoting others, yet leaving a thread of leeway rather than driving them to total annihilation. Regardless of what others thought, the Emperor was thoroughly in agreement. He showered Li Xian with praise, though at the end, lacking full confidence, he tentatively asked for the Empress's opinion.

"Whom does Xian'er deem capable of shouldering the heavy responsibilities of the Court of Judicial Review?"

Clearly, the Empress was not entirely satisfied with Li Xian's verdict. However, everything he said was grounded in facts; even had she wished to refute him, she could scarcely find an appropriate rationale. Her complexion immediately turned somewhat sour, and ignoring the Emperor's question, she fixed him with a smile that did not reach her eyes and posed her query.

"This is a vital matter of the court, not something this son should presume to meddle in. It is for Father to make the sagely decision."

The Empress's question was an obvious trap. How could someone as astute as Li Xian possibly walk right into it? Internally, he offered a cold chuckle, but outwardly, his expression remained one of utmost modesty as he replied.

"Father, this son believes Seventh Brother's words are entirely correct."

Li Hong's intention had all along been to reap some gains from the Court of Judicial Review case. Seeing Li Xian adopt this stance, he keenly realized that not only would this achieve the goal of squeezing out the Empress's faction, but the opportunity for him, Li Hong, to muscle his way into the Court of Judicial Review had also arrived. How could he not eagerly step forward to voice his support?

"Father, look closely. This son believes Seventh Brother's statement is an impartial judgment. This son seconds the motion."

Li Xian was not actually entirely satisfied with Li Xian's proposal. In his view, the case should have been investigated with the utmost rigor—ideally allowing him to seize absolute control over the sharp blade that was the Court of Judicial Review in the process. However, Li Xian was even more afraid of the Crown Prince pulling Li Xian into his camp. Seeing that Li Hong had already stepped forward to second the motion, no matter how dissatisfied Li Xian felt, he could not remain indifferent. He could only follow suit and declare his support for Li Xian's stance.

"Very well, let the matter be settled thus."

The Emperor stole a glance at the Empress and, seeing she offered no further objections, felt his spirits lighten somewhat. With a cheerful smile, he finally laid the matter to rest...