Chapter 83: The Traitor

Wei Nanxi left the imperial palace and returned directly to the Court of Judicial Review.

All officials of the Court were present.

Bang!

With a face as dark as iron, Wei Nanxi slammed his hand heavily onto the desk before him, his shadowed gaze sweeping over everyone in the hall.

“Does anyone have an objection to me?” he asked coldly, his sharp eyes scanning their expressions as his voice rang out.

Not a single soul dared respond.

Wei Nanxi spoke again, his tone direct.

“Vice Minister, is everyone from the Court present today?”

The Vice Minister, flustered, hurriedly knelt and bowed his head in reply.

“Your Excellency, from the Assistant Minister to the Prison Overseer, all are here.”

The hierarchy of the Court of Judicial Review placed Wei Nanxi as the chief, a third-rank official; next was the Vice Minister, upper fourth rank; then the Assistant Minister, responsible for internal affairs, of the seventh rank; the Justice, who handled case reviews, of the sixth rank; and the Recorders, Secretaries, Clerks, and Supervisors, all of the eighth rank.

It was clear that the fire was tied to the Recorders, who were responsible for storing the archives.

Wei Nanxi glanced at the silent crowd, let out a cold laugh, and called out.

“Where are the Recorders?”

At his words, three Recorders exchanged looks, then quickly stepped forward and knelt.

“Subordinate Li Ru.”

“Subordinate Wang Yan.”

“Subordinate Zhang Zhou.”

“Greetings, Your Excellency!”

Wei Nanxi swept his gaze over the three, his voice icy as he questioned them.

“Who among you was on duty during tonight’s fire?”

Li Ru, his head bowed in guilt, admitted, “Your Excellency, I was on duty tonight. But at the time of the fire, I was fast asleep in the guard room. I await your punishment.”

The Vice Minister offered an awkward smile and began to intercede on Li Ru’s behalf.

“Lord Wei, the fire has already been extinguished. Upon inspection, the damage to the archives is minimal—only a few fragments are missing. It may have been a careless candle left by a passing overseer or supervisor at night. Perhaps a light punishment will suffice, so long as it does not happen again.”

Wei Nanxi heard this and let out a cold, mocking laugh.

“How lightly you speak, Vice Minister—a mere few damaged scrolls?”

Feng Yewu had ordered him to investigate discreetly, so Wei Nanxi could not speak openly, but suspicion toward the Vice Minister had already taken root in his heart.

Li Ru, hearing the Vice Minister plead for leniency, grew more emboldened and added, “Lord Wei, we keep watch over the archives day and night. Even if we have achieved little merit, the effort is not small. To make such a commotion over a few tattered cases is disheartening.”

The more he spoke, the more convinced he was of his own innocence, his resentment toward Wei Nanxi growing.

Most in the Court already resented Wei Nanxi, who had been appointed unexpectedly. Now, for a handful of charred records, he paraded his authority late into the night—resentment that had simmered beneath the surface now burst forth. Under Li Ru’s lead and the Vice Minister’s instigation, the officials’ murmuring grew ever louder, and it seemed as though Wei Nanxi was the villain in their eyes.

Yet Wei Nanxi remained indifferent, lifting a cup of tea and sipping it unhurriedly despite the chaos.

After a moment, the Vice Minister shot the others a meaningful glance, then attempted to smooth things over with a forced smile.

“Lord Wei, we are all colleagues here. We see each other every day—there’s no need to be so ruthless.”

Wei Nanxi set down his cup, casting a half-lidded gaze at the Vice Minister’s awkward grin, his tone frigid as he retorted.

“Colleagues? Should murderers be treated as colleagues?”

The Vice Minister froze, stunned by the words. “Murderers? What do you mean by that, Lord Wei?”

Wei Nanxi smiled coldly, looking down at his teacup as he spoke softly.

“Today’s fire was minor, but if we indulge carelessness now, imagine when the whole building is burnt and hundreds of records lost. By then, neither you nor I will keep our posts.”

The Vice Minister’s expression twitched at these words; after all, a fire in the Court was a grave matter, punishable at the court’s discretion.

The position of Chief had long been vacant—he had thought it would soon be his, but Feng Yewu’s personal appointment of Wei Nanxi had left him resentful. Now he sought to win favor and make things difficult for Wei Nanxi.

Still, Wei Nanxi’s words were not without reason, and the Vice Minister’s face grew awkward as he replied evasively, “Lord Wei, perhaps you’re exaggerating. I believe they will be more careful in the future.”

Wei Nanxi snorted, ignoring the Vice Minister, and turned his gaze to Li Ru, his eyes sharp as he demanded, “We serve here to oversee justice on behalf of His Majesty. Even a single torn scrap is a dereliction of duty. If blame is to be assigned, the two of us—myself and the Vice Minister—will be held first. Yet you speak so self-righteously of your ‘hard work’? Where, then, should our heads be placed?”

His words left the Vice Minister speechless. Regardless of whatever excuses Li Ru might offer, Wei Nanxi gave the order for him to be seized and thrown into the dungeon.

Before returning to the Court, Wei Nanxi had already obtained records from the Ministry of Justice regarding the staff. Of the three Recorders, only Li Ru had once served as a retainer to the Prince of Pingyi and had entered the Court by his recommendation. Despite years of service, Li Ru’s rank had never risen and his achievements remained mediocre.

During his investigation into the case of the General of Zhenbei’s estate, Wei Nanxi had already uncovered many clues pointing to the Prince of Pingyi. In those tumultuous days, only the Prince of Pingyi had the power to manipulate the Court’s records at will.

...

In the palace, Feng Yewu’s face was icy, clearly furious over the fire within the court.

Lu Jue, noticing the faint light of dawn along the high walls, spoke gently, “Your Majesty, you should rest for a while. Morning court will soon begin.”

But Feng Yewu remained motionless, gazing in the direction where the flames had long since died.

“Who do you think set the fire?” she asked after a long pause, her tone cool as morning dew.

Lu Jue remained silent; the answer was already clear to both of them. They lacked proof, and the perpetrator held great power and position.

It was not until just before dawn that Wei Nanxi, travel-worn, finally arrived.

At his entrance, Feng Yewu, who had been still as a statue, finally stirred.

“How goes the investigation?”

The simultaneous fires in both the palace and the Court could not be a coincidence. The palace was filled with people, making it as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack to identify the arsonist in a short time. The Court of Judicial Review, however, was different; as the supreme legal body, few could enter. If the culprit in the Court was caught, the palace fire would be solved as well.

Wei Nanxi knelt and reported, “Your Majesty, the suspect has been detained. With further interrogation, the truth will come to light.”

Feng Yewu nodded slightly, donned her phoenix-embroidered robe, and instructed Eunuch Mingde at the doorway, “Summon the Prince of Pingyi to court.”