Chapter 260 Impeachment

Words : 1590 Updated : Sep 29th, 2025

Night fell, and the lanterns were lit.The sky was studded with stars, like countless brilliant gems. The Yunlai Inn was brightly lit. Inside the house, several assassins inexplicably felt uneasy, constantly worrying that something might happen. The assassin looked at the pigeon in the cage, growing more and more anxious. He didn’t know who had saved the Right Minister’s son, Zhao Xu. This was Daqi’s territory; finding someone here was as difficult as climbing to the sky. They had asked Duke Chong for help, but despite sending a message, why had he not replied? Thinking about how Duke Chong’s Mansion had been taken over by Marquis Dongxiang, the assassins were filled with unease. The pigeon should have flown to Dongxiang Marquis Mansion. Would that blank letter alert the enemy? The man grew more and more uneasy and said, "I’ll take a trip to Duke Chong’s Mansion." "I’ll go with you," another Hidden Guard said. "No need." The man walked to the window and leapt out. In the shadows, Su Chong and Prince NanAn were waiting there. They were getting a bit impatient. As soon as they saw someone jump out of the window, Chu Shun and his group became spirited. The thrill of catching assassins at night was too exciting. Uncle Lin instructed the servant behind him, "Take a few people to chase him; if you can’t capture him alive, silence him." "But the Marquis wants a living one," the servant said. "There are enough inside the house," Uncle Lin replied. The heir of Marquis Beining wanted to go, but Su Chong held him down by the shoulder. Prince NanAn impatiently said, "Shouldn’t we rush in now?" There were too many mosquitoes. They had already lost count of how much blood they had given. "Wait a bit longer," Su Chong said. "Wait for what?" Chu Shun asked, puzzled. Inside the inn, the assassins were cleaning their swords. Thud! Thud! The door was knocked. The assassins tensed up, readying themselves. "Who is it?" an assassin asked. "Innkeeper, delivering tea," the servant outside said. The assassin went to open the door. The servant didn’t go in; the assassin took the tray and closed the door immediately. The servant rolled his eyes and walked away. The assassins poured a few cups of tea and each took one. A nightingale’s call sounded. "We can enter now," Su Chong said. Prince NanAn and the others were eager to move. Leading the charge. But when they carefully broke in through the window—— They saw the assassins collapsed on the table, unconscious. Chu Shun, "...." Prince NanAn, "...." The heir of Marquis Beining, "...." The Eldest Young Master of Duke Dingguo, "...." Prince NanAn looked at Su Chong, "Why did you call us here?" "You wanted to come along," Su Chong corrected. "...." "Let’s take them back to the residence first," Su Chong said. "...." Chu Shun looked at him, pointing to himself, "You want us to carry them back?" "The servants all ran off," Su Chong said, annoyed. "...." "They slipped in behind you and got careless," Su Chong said, looking at the rope on the window. He walked over and picked up the rope. Prince NanAn scratched his neck. A face full of frustration. He now didn’t know why he had come in the first place. Was it to be a laborer? Not worth the blood he lost! Su Chong tied up one and urged them to hurry. "If you had decided to use sleeping drugs, why did so many of you come out?" Prince NanAn asked. "Just in case," Su Chong said. "The best strategy is to subdue them without fighting; if the best doesn’t work, you have to use force." "...." "Most importantly, if we don’t use force, they won’t have the chance to kill themselves. If we bring them back alive and they die in front of my father, it won’t be blamed on us," Su Chong sighed. "My father’s temper isn’t good; we’re forced into this." "...." Chu Shun and his group looked at each other, their mouths twitching uncontrollably. Why was it not at all like they imagined? They resignedly tied up the assassins. They had come on horseback, and the servants hadn’t just run, they had run off on horseback. What could they do? They could only carry the assassins all the way back to Dongxiang Marquis Mansion, as Su Chong put it, considering it a workout. But encountering City Patrol Soldiers during such a workout—— The next day. The news of Prince NanAn and his group stealing men at night spread quickly. Chu Shun, "...." Prince NanAn, "...." The heir of Marquis Beining, "...." The Eldest Young Master of Duke Dingguo, "...." The few of them nearly spat blood and died. "If we stay a bit longer at Dongxiang Marquis Mansion, we really won’t be able to marry," Prince NanAn said, depressed. "Weren’t you the one who didn’t want to marry?" Su Chong said, munching on a fruit. "Not wanting to marry and not being able to marry are two different things," Prince NanAn said. "...." "It’s all the same to me; both mean no wife," Su Chong said. "...." Prince NanAn had nothing to say. Su Chong patted their shoulders, looking at the three servants practicing horse stance under a distant tree. "If I hadn’t stopped you yesterday, those practicing horse stance would have been you," Su Chong said. "What happened?" Chu Shun asked. "The assassin escaped injured last night," Su Chong said. "...." Zhou Yan asked, "How many assassins did you capture?" "Five assassins," Prince NanAn said. Zhou Yan and the guard exchanged a look. Ever since entering Daqi, those assassins had relentlessly pursued them. His personal guards were down to just one left alive. Only one assassin remained now, and he was injured. As long as they were careful leaving Dongxiang Marquis Mansion, they should be safe. Chu Shun curiously asked, "Did you get anything out of the assassins?" After carrying them back last night, they were dead tired. They wanted to listen to how Marquis Dongxiang interrogated them but were sent away. Worked hard all day and learned nothing. "I don’t know either," Su Chong shrugged. Prince NanAn laughed, "They must have gotten something out because your father looked in a good mood when he went to court this morning." Su Chong glanced at Prince NanAn. "My father is in a good mood because Marquis Jibei has returned to the Capital," Su Chong said. "In this morning’s court, Marquis Jibei will surely impeach my father." Prince NanAn, "...." "My father has been waiting for this day for a long time," Su Chong said. "...." Chu Shun and the others had dark lines all over their faces. Zhou Yan and the guard were utterly confused. They had never seen someone who liked being impeached so much. Political Discussion Hall. The Emperor sat on the Dragon Chair, discussing state affairs with the ministers. When the discussions were about wrapped up. The Emperor asked if there were any important matters to report—— Marquis Jibei stood forth. He impeached Marquis Dongxiang for a robbery of grain and silver taels from Wangzhou Prefecture. Although he had completed reporting this matter to the Emperor, when the officials still didn’t know. After Marquis Jibei reported, the grand hall fell silent. Except for General Zhongwu who stood to speak in support, no one else moved to agree. Marquis Dongxiang looked at Duke Chong and said, "Why doesn’t Duke Chong tell them that you ordered Marquis Jibei to stop?" Duke Chong’s fists clenched, his bones made cracking sounds. His face turned slightly green. He and General Zhongwu stood out in support, but no one else joined them. The Emperor said, "Marquis Dongxiang uncovered a problem in Wangzhou and has merit, but he plundered the government office’s grain and grass and silver, which is a demerit." "The merit is less than the demerit, so punish Marquis Dongxiang with a two-year salary cut," the Emperor said firmly. Apart from General Zhongwu, no one stood up to agree with him. Duke Chong’s face turned a slight blue. His fists clenched, and the sound of bones cracking could be heard. Even Duke Dingguo, who wanted to speak up, had nothing to say faced with such a situation. Zhou Yan and the guards exchanged another puzzled glance. Marquis Dongxiang scowled slightly. A look of embarrassment on his face. He had underestimated everything. Just as he was getting his thoughts together. The Emperor’s gaze fell on him. "Dongxiang, your capabilities are unparalleled, but the matter concerning Wangzhou cannot be so easily resolved," the Emperor said. Dongxiang Marquis sighed, glanced at Duke Chong who gave a slight nod, and replied, "I am willing to accept the punishment, Your Majesty." "You are loyal," the Emperor said. "Therefore, I’ll let this slide. But from now on, be more cautious in your actions." "Thank you for your benevolence, Your Majesty." Heir of Marquis Beining and Chu Shun shared a look. In their eyes, it was visible that the situation was cunningly manipulated, yet they had to go along with it. A power struggle between the court factions had seemingly been averted, but tension still lingered in the Political Discussion Hall. Back in Dongxiang Marquis Mansion, Su Chong sat with his friends, the victorious feeling of the night before still lingering. "I knew my father was up to something," Su Chong said smugly. His friends did not respond, burying their emotions behind their masks. In the political dance, truths blurred with deception, connections played, and understanding the moves was only for those few who know how to read the signs. """

Chapter 260 Impeachment

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