Chapter 300: Petty Flag Officer

Chen Ji from the end of the team walked out and crossed over the Yu Lin Army. Chen Li Qin, Li Xuan, and the Crown Prince didn't even glance at him. The crowd's gaze followed him as he slowly walked toward the brightly lit Ren Shou Palace.

The Hong Lu Si official looked at the Crown Prince, Shao Zhan Shi, and the Yu Lin Army commander who were still waiting outside the palace for a decree. Then he looked at Chen Ji's retreating figure. There was doubt in his eyes, but he only silently suppressed it.

In front of Ren Shou Palace stood a "Filial Piety Stele." The first sentence of the stele text was: Filial piety, it is the root of benevolence.

Chen Ji's gaze swept over the stele text, having no mood to look down further.

Stepping toward the palace entrance, a middle-aged person in a python robe stood at the entrance and slowly said, "Answer only what His Majesty asks. Don't make assertions on your own, and don't deceive the monarch or your superiors!"

This python-robed eunuch had such a grand demeanor, not like an inner court official at all, but rather like a prince!

Only two people in the inner court yamen could wear python robes: one was the seal-holding eunuch Xu Wen He, called the inner prime minister or the poison prime minister, and the other was the pen-holding eunuch Wu Xiu, who had just split off power to handle troubles from the inner prime minister and was on duty by His Majesty's side!

The one in front of him should be Wu Xiu!

Chen Ji cupped his hands and said, "Understood!"

He lifted the hem of his clothes and crossed the high threshold. Inside the hall, behind a hanging gauze curtain, sat a person cross-legged, like a dragon!

On the beam hung a "Five Thunder Talisman" wooden plaque, consecrated at the Old Jun Mountain Daoist Court. Above, the twenty-eight constellations were well depicted. Underfoot, blue gold bricks from Suzhou Fu imperial kilns were laid, with the seven stars of the Big Dipper carved on them!

The moment Chen Ji stepped into Ren Shou Palace, he felt a surge of emperor's fate, as if substantial, pressing down on him. It actually suppressed the five hundred and fifty lamp fires inside his body, like a flickering candle in the wind!

Not only the lamp fires, but even his body became heavy!

Chen Ji was puzzled. A second-rank official could be immune to magic, and the human world's emperor had even denser dynastic fate. Even within twenty steps, one's cultivation would be suppressed.

The next moment, the not-so-numerous ice currents inside his dantian swept out madly, coveting the human emperor behind the gauze curtain!

He had felt this kind of feeling when he saw Jing King; it was an almost unstoppable instinctive desire!

Not only Ning Emperor, but also everyone inside this Ren Shou Palace!

On the left embroidered stool sat two old men: the first wore a gold foil crown, Xu Ge Lao; the other held a blood rhinoceros tablet in his hand, Qi Ge Lao!

On the right embroidered stool also sat two old men: the first had a mutton fat white jade leather belt around his waist, Hu Ge Lao; the other had entirely white hair and a yang silk jade leather belt around his waist, Chen Ge Lao!

All were wearing red robes!

Ren Shou Palace had gathered almost all the most powerful figures in the Ning Dynasty. The ice currents seemed to be hoarsely shouting inside his body: Kill them all.

Kill them all.

At this time, Zhang Zhuo, who was standing behind Xu Ge Lao, blinked at Chen Ji. Chen Ji came back to his senses, and his thoughts gradually calmed down!

He bowed to the ground and said, "Commoner Chen Ji respectfully wishes the holy body ten thousand years of peace!"

Ren Shou Palace fell silent. Everyone's gaze intersected on Chen Ji's back... seemingly wanting to see through him!

After an unknown amount of time, Ning Emperor slowly said from behind the gauze curtain, "Stand up and speak!"

Chen Ji straightened his body and lowered his head to reply, "Thank Your Majesty!"

Ning Emperor did not speak again through the gauze curtain. The various department hall officials behind the Ge Laos held their breath.

Finally, Xu Ge Lao slowly and leisurely asked, "Chen Ji, you are clearly a minister with merit in protecting the emperor, killing over a hundred of the Tian Ce Army, yet Hu Jun Xian did not mention you at all in his memorial to the throne. Do the two of you have a private enmity?"

Chen Ji didn't understand politics, and he didn't know whether goodwill or killing intent was hidden behind this question!

He had originally thought he was just coming to go through a process, but he hadn't expected to be separately summoned for "interrogation"!

At this time, Zhang Zhuo saw that he didn't answer and said in a condensed voice, "Chen Ji, Ge Lao is asking you. Answer according to the facts."

Chen Ji's heart settled slightly. He answered, "Replying to Ge Lao, replying to Adult Zhang, I do not have private enmity with General Hu!"

Zhang Zhuo pressed the question, "Then why did he specifically omit you when reporting merit?"

Chen Ji thought for two breaths and said, "My teacher Wang Dao Sheng once wrote a letter to General Hu recommending this commoner to the Gu Yuan border army! General Hu summoned this commoner to the Gu Yuan city wall to express his recruitment intention, but this commoner refused!"

Xu Ge Lao slowly asked, "Why did you refuse?"

Chen Ji cupped his hands and said, "Replying to Ge Lao, home is too far!"

Xu Ge Lao asked again, "Do you know whether Hu Jun Xian and the Si Li Jian joined hands and used the Crown Prince as a bait to ambush and kill the Tian Ce Army?"

Chen Ji's heart moved. Within this small Ren Shou Palace, perhaps the debate was about the merits and demerits, right and wrong of Hu Jun Xian and the Gu Yuan border army!

How to answer? He should follow Zhang Zhuo's hint "answer according to the facts" most! Everyone present had their own stance, only Zhang Zhuo truly wanted to help him!

What Zhang Zhuo was hinting to him should be what Ning Emperor wanted!

On the side, Chen Ge Lao also spoke, "In front of His Majesty, don't be evasive."

But Chen Ji thought of the wind and sand that covered the city in Gu Yuan. He lowered his eyes and said in a low voice, "This commoner does not know!"

Zhang Zhuo low drank, "You personally experienced the battle of Gu Yuan and were also guarding His Highness's side. How could you not know? Confess from the facts."

However, at this moment, a crisp copper bell sounded from behind the gauze curtain. The bell sound drowned out all other sounds!

Everyone turned their heads to look. The emperor behind the gauze curtain shook a Daoist Three Mountain Bell and said meaningfully, "Zhang Zhuo, stop hinting at him!"

Zhang Zhuo hurriedly knelt on the ground, "This minister was only afraid that he would delay His Majesty's time. I prostrate and beg for a holy decision!"

Ning Emperor calmly said, "The Chen family boy thinks everything over before speaking, afraid of saying the wrong words, doing the wrong things, and bearing the wrong responsibility. He actually has some of the Ge Laos' demeanor; it seems he has the qualification of a cabinet first assistant!"

As soon as these words came out, the four Ge Laos on the embroidered stools hurriedly prostrated on the ground, "We hope Your Majesty will forgive our sins. We absolutely have no intention of shirking or prevaricating!"

Ning Emperor laughed from behind the gauze curtain, "Ge Laos, stand up. The ground is cold. Proclaim Li Xuan, Qi Jian Zhe!"

After the two entered Ren Shou Palace, Xu Ge Lao asked, "Do you two know whether Hu Jun Xian and the Si Li Jian joined hands and used the Crown Prince as a bait to ambush and kill the Tian Ce Army?"

Li Xuan and Qi Jian Zhe exchanged glances. Qi Ge Lao said in a slow voice, "Speak as it is!"

However, what was unexpected was that just as Qi Jian Zhe was about to speak, Li Xuan quickly cupped his fist and said, "Replying to Ge Lao, this minor minister does not know!"

Qi Ge Lao frowned, "Qi Jian Zhe, you speak!"

Qi Jian Zhe hesitated for a moment, "This minor minister truly does not know! I only heard the Tian Ce Army's Grand Commander Yuan Zhen publicly say that it was the Long Men Inn shopkeeper who betrayed the Crown Prince's whereabouts, and this shopkeeper was once a Gu Yuan border army Canjun... but he has also resigned for over ten years!"

Hu Ge Lao finally spoke, his gaze like a torch, his voice hoarse, "The other person?"

"Dead!"

Hu Ge Lao nodded, "There is no way to investigate the matter!"

Qi Jian Zhe said again, "Yuan Zhen said this in front of many people..."

Before he could finish, Hu Ge Lao said unhurriedly, "The enemy army's words!"

Qi Jian Zhe was suddenly tongue-tied!

Chen Ge Lao trembled as he stood up and cupped his hands, "Your Majesty, summon the witness!"

Ning Emperor shook the Three Mountain Bell from behind the gauze curtain!

The next moment, two troubleshooters escorted in a disheveled scholar in a blue shirt. When Chen Ji saw who it was, he was stunned in place!

Mister Feng.

Wait, Mister Feng was arrested, so who was the masked White Dragon just now... could this Mister Feng also not be the true face of White Dragon? Chen Ji felt a wave of headache!

Yet he heard Xu Ge Lao calmly say, "Feng Wen Zheng, what is your identity?"

Mister Feng knelt on the ground and replied loudly, "Si Li Jian secret spy division, Sea East Eagle!"

Xu Ge Lao asked again, "Someone memorialized saying that you acted to ambush the Tian Ce Army and betray the Crown Prince. Is there such a matter?"

Mister Feng knelt on the ground and said sadly, "This inner minister acted arbitrarily and disregarded the heir's life. Dying is not enough to pity!"

Xu Ge Lao condensed his spirit and asked again, "Did Feng Wen Zheng act on someone's instruction in this great rebellion?"

Mister Feng replied, "No one instructed me, it was this inner minister's own assertion!"

Xu Ge Lao asked, "Between you and Hu Jun Xian, who was the main one?"

Mister Feng said in a low voice, "This inner minister was the main plotter, and I falsely transmitted the inner court yamen's red-stamped document to Hu Jun Xian!"

Xu Ge Lao looked to the opposite side, "Hu Ge Lao, do you have anything else to say?"

Hu Ge Lao slowly closed his eyes, "None!"

The emperor behind the gauze curtain calmly said, "Draft the decree!"

Wu Xiu walked in from outside the door and ordered two small eunuchs to lift in a table. He then took a pen in front of the table!

Ning Emperor slowly said, "Si Li Jian Sea East Eagle Feng Wen Zheng forged the Si Li Jian red stamp and acted arbitrarily. However, considering his merit in killing thieves, he is to be imprisoned in the inner prison and executed by decapitation. Gu Yuan General Hu Jun Xian failed to discern the matter and is punished as an accessory with three years' salary. He is demoted from the positive second-rank Dragon Tiger General to the positive fourth-rank Ming Wei General. He is demoted in rank but retains his post as Gu Yuan General. Gu Yuan Vice General Zhou You is also an accessory and is demoted from the positive third-rank Zhao Yong General to the positive sixth-rank Zhao Xin School Wei and appointed as a Thousand Households. Gu Yuan Canjun..."

After the appointments in the outer court were finished, Ning Emperor said again, "Si Li Jian seal-holding eunuch Xu Wen He failed to recognize people clearly and is punished with three years' salary and demoted three levels! Gu Yuan's positions of vice general and Canjun are vacant. Zhang Zhuo, you draft a recommendation list and send it into the palace tomorrow!"

Zhang Zhuo cupped his hands and said, "Yes!"

Chen Ji knew that "general" was an official position, and the second-rank Dragon Tiger General was a rank. They were two different systems. As long as the emperor and the Ge Laos were willing, a sixth-rank military officer could also serve as a general!

But the demotions in the inner court and outer court were so extensive that his brain almost burned out! He only saw that today was the Chen family, the Qi family, and the Xu family joining hands to cause trouble for the Hu family. The rest still needed to be pondered slowly after returning, or he would have to beg Zhang Zhuo and Zhang Xia to explain it to him!

But, Mister Feng was executed just like that... could Mister Feng really just be a puppet of White Dragon? The other party used Mister Feng's identity to go to Gu Yuan to take charge, and from the beginning, it was for this moment to reveal their true intentions to the Hu family.

At this time, Zhang Zhuo cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty... the guilty ministers have already been punished, but the meritorious ministers have not yet been rewarded!"

Ning Emperor stood up from behind the gauze curtain and slowly walked towards the depths of Ren Shou Palace, "Thirty-five people of the Yu Lin Army are promoted two levels. Li Xuan and Qi Jian Zhe knew but did not report, their merits and faults cancel each other out! I am tired. Withdraw!"

Zhang Zhuo looked at the gradually disappearing figure and forced himself to ask, "Your Majesty, Chen Ji... in Gu Yuan, the Crown Prince once ordered that Chen Ji be promoted to the positive sixth-rank Right Si Wei of the East Palace when he was in danger..."

Ning Emperor stopped, "He is still young. Let him be tempered a bit more. First, go to the Imperial Forest Army to serve as a small flag officer, teaching weapon martial arts!"

Zhang Zhuo wanted to speak but stopped!

In the blink of an eye, the positive sixth-rank Right Si Wei became a seventh-rank small flag officer. He looked at Chen Ji, who stood with his hands down and a calm face, but in the end, he could only sigh!