The hall was utterly silent, so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.
Xiao Jingzhao knelt upright, his voice choked as he began: “Royal Grandfather, I took Miss Feng to watch the match, but who would have thought…”
He paused for a long while before closing his eyes and opening them again, speaking in pain: “Who would have thought, just because I meddled—arguing with Duke Chengen to demand the wounded be treated first and to get to the bottom of the dog pit incident— the Tian family… released their dogs and killed Miss Feng. They mauled my fiancée to death!”
Wow!
The hall was no longer merely silent—it erupted in shock.
What did Xiao Jingzhao just say?!
He meant—in revenge, the Tian family set dogs on Feng Caiwei and had her killed simply because Xiao Jingzhao dared to interfere?! They killed the future princess consort?!
Did the Tian family think they were emperors themselves?!
Even Chu Bo couldn’t help raising his eyes, giving Xiao Jingzhao a deep, thoughtful look.
He used to think the Eastern Palace was propped up solely by the Imperial Grandson.
But now it was clear—this Nanan County Prince was quite the figure too.
Just listen to how he phrased it!
A masterful political speaker!
And Chu Bo wasn’t the only one thinking this—many others were now re-evaluating this once-overlooked young man.
The atmosphere in the hall grew heavier and heavier.
Eunuch Xia, standing beside Emperor Yongchang, was drenched in cold sweat, pale-faced, glancing nervously at Xiao Jingzhao, a sense of dread rising in his heart.
Finally, Emperor Yongchang spoke: “Where is Duke Chengen now? And where is Tian Baoci?”
Xiao Jingzhao sniffled, still kneeling: “Replying to Grandfather: at the time of the chaos, six or seven hundred dogs were rampaging. People were getting bitten left and right, and Tian Baoci did nothing. I hit him a few times…”
“…But later, for reasons unknown, he died.”
Chu Bo mentally clicked his tongue. “‘Reasons unknown’ and he just died?” Please.
But Emperor Yongchang didn’t care. In his mind, whether Tian Baoci died then or now, he had to die anyway.
He simply raised an eyebrow, signaling for Xiao Jingzhao to continue.
Xiao Jingzhao said: “After that, Duke Chengen arrived. When he saw Tian Baoci was dead, he insisted I had killed him and wouldn’t let it go, saying I had to pay with my life. Not long after, Miss Feng was killed by the dogs. I went to check on her, and when I returned, Duke Chengen had already taken Tian Baoci’s corpse and fled.”
Just then, Lu Yifeng, commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, strode swiftly into the hall and approached Emperor Yongchang, reporting in a low voice: “Your Majesty, we’ve investigated. On his way back to the capital, Duke Chengen encountered an angry mob. Someone seized his carriage and drove it up the mountain. The Duke gave chase with his men, and fighting broke out…”
He paused, then added: “Duke Chengen shouted repeatedly about killing someone. The people cut the carriage shafts, and the carriage tumbled off a cliff. Amid the chaos… the Duke was also pushed off.”
He then added, “Your Majesty, those commoners are now waiting at the city gates, awaiting your judgment.”
Judgment?
The civil officials all glanced at each other, trying to hide their smirks.
And just then—Censor Tie leapt forward, pulled off his official hat, removed his robe, and knelt in the hall, kowtowing three times to the Emperor.
Emperor Yongchang’s expression darkened. “Beloved minister, what are you doing?!”
Everyone knew the “Three-Piece Protest Kit” of a court censor: Take off the hat, take off the robe, and smash into a pillar.
Was Censor Tie about to slam his head into the pillar?!
The emperor’s headache flared. He urgently called to Lu Yifeng: “Quickly, stop him! Stop him!”
Censor Tie shouted with righteous fury: “Tian Baoci never valued human life! For years he caused deaths again and again, all covered up by the Tian family!”
“Just days ago, he tried to beat the two young lords of the Yongping Marquis Estate to death over a dog! In his eyes, human life is worth less than a dog!”
“In our dynasty, we have such powerful nobles who can’t be touched, can’t be punished—so we just stand by and let them run rampant?!”
“And all of you!” He turned and spat toward the officials: “You’re all useless parasites! Bootlickers! You’ve disgraced the classics you studied! You’ve shamed your titles as guardians of the people!”
“That dog pit in Tongzhou—so many dead, so many maimed—people fed to dogs for years! You want me to believe none of you knew?! Lies! It’s all profit-driven collusion! Lies to the emperor! Do you think you’ve done right by the people? By His Majesty?!”
He turned to Emperor Yongchang: “Your Majesty! Filial piety may be first among virtues, but you are not only a son—you are the ruler of all the people. How can you allow your citizens to be trampled like this?!”
The Emperor responded urgently: “What you say is true! This matter—will be punished harshly and without mercy!”
Censor Tie, with unyielding righteousness, cried: “But with the Empress Dowager still present, Your Majesty will be hindered! This will all be brushed aside! Therefore—I, your old servant, shall speak through death! I will go report to the late emperor, that the Empress Dowager shelters her kin and disrupts the realm!”
With that, he charged headfirst toward a pillar of Taiji Hall.
Everyone shouted: “Censor Tie!”
No need for that!
People were already dead!
Emperor Yongchang’s heart thundered in panic.
If Censor Tie died here today, how would history record this?
That the emperor shielded the Empress Dowager’s family, leaving loyal officials no outlet for justice—forced to die to plead to the late emperor beneath the earth?
Then what would that make him?
A tyrant of the ages?
Another King Zhou of Shang or King Jie of Xia?
D*mn it—that’d be a gross injustice!
Hadn’t he already agreed to punish them?!
Thankfully, Lu Yifeng had kept watch.
Just as Censor Tie rushed headlong at the pillar, Lu darted forward and blocked him.
Censor Tie crashed into Lu Yifeng instead.
At that moment, Eunuch Xia and others rushed over, dragging Censor Tie back.
But Censor Tie refused to rise, crying out: “Your Majesty! Your lifetime of virtue—will you really let it be ruined by petty relatives of the Empress Dowager?!”
After this outburst, the incident blew up even more.
Emperor Yongchang was furious.
He immediately ordered the Imperial Guard to take command and go to the dog pit in Tongzhou to clear the site and register all evidence.
He then instructed the Embroidered Uniform Guard to arrest the prefect of Tongzhou, Ma Wenxuan.
For years, Tian Baoci had raised dogs at his country estate in Tongzhou. Locals said people disappeared often, but even when reported to the authorities, no investigations yielded results.
What else could that mean?
The Tongzhou prefect must have known.
No one would escape now— Everyone who was involved, who took bribes, who enabled this,
would be arrested.
These people had been corrupt for far too long.
They had forgotten their duty.
They had forgotten there was still justice in this realm.
Emperor Yongchang narrowed his eyes.
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