Fan Xian took a deep breath and let the Tyrannical zhenqi in his body slowly circulate. His clothes fluttered, and the Ruyi ornament that the empress had given him swayed at his waist. He looked coldly at the bailiffs of the 13 yamens, who were closing in on him. He knew that today's events had deviated greatly from his plan. Since they dared to not give face to the Prime Minister and his father, and had actually used sticks to beat people, it must not have been as simple as torture!
He took two steps forward and kicked away the two pieces of the stick. He looked coldly at the two officials in the hall, who were forcing themselves to remain calm. He knew that he had made a grave mistake. He had forgotten about that crazy woman in the distant fief of Xinyang. But he didn't know whether Han Zhiwei was involved because the Crown Prince was angry at his actions, or because the empress knew something terrible.
The Niulan Street murder had happened a long time ago. In the eyes of the people of the capital, Fan Xian was a civil official with astonishing talent for poetry. They seemed to have forgotten that he was also a martial master.
Everyone was shocked. They heard the sound of swords being unsheathed. Countless swords were pointed at Fan Xian, who was standing proudly in the hall.
The sticks used by the 13 yamens of the Ministry of Justice were specially made. An ordinary seventh-level master would only be able to howl in pain. But who knew that the Tyrannical zhenqi in Fan Xian's body was so fierce that he did not dodge or evade the blows. Instead, he took the blows head-on and broke them in half!
This scene frightened all the bailiffs of the Ministry of Justice. Only now did they remember that this seemingly weak and beautiful civil official had once cut open the stomach of Cheng Jushu, an eighth-level master of Northern Qi.
Dozens of swords had already been unsheathed. In the cold hall of the Ministry of Justice, they gave off a cold light and surrounded Fan Xian. Fan Xian took two steps forward, and the dozen swords also took two steps back in fear.
Fan Xian frowned at Han Zhiwei and Guo Zheng. "Have you considered the consequences of your reckless actions?" he asked quietly.
Han Zhiwei and Guo Zheng felt a chill in their hearts. Although this beautiful young man's words were indifferent, they were incomparably sinister. Although Prime Minister Lin Ruofu's influence in the court had been greatly reduced because of Wu Bo'an, he was still the head of all the officials in the Kingdom of Qing. There was also the Minister of Revenue, who had grown up with the Emperor. Han Zhiwei suddenly felt some regret. He should not have followed the orders of that noble.
Because Guo Zheng was angry at Guo You's downfall, and because he had the support of the Eldest Princess, he knew that since the matter had already begun, it naturally couldn't end peacefully. Gritting his teeth, he shouted, "This official is here to investigate the case, what consequences can there be?"
Han Zhiwei thought that now that things had come to this, there was no room for regret. He steeled his heart and said coldly, "Correct, Sir Fan junior. If you are willing to admit to your involvement in the spring exam fraud case, naturally there will be no need to use torture. If you are unwilling to admit, according to Qing law, we can use torture."
Fan Xian pursed his thin lips and looked at him with a faint smile. "Fifteen great crimes, fifteen great crimes …" He shook his head and sighed. "If there is a chance in the future, I will have to change the laws of Qing."
Who can change the law? Only the Emperor, of course. Fortunately, his words were spoken very quietly. Otherwise, if they fell into the ears of bystanders, these words alone would be enough to execute the entire Fan family.
Han Zhiwei frowned. "Take this criminal official down!" As soon as he said this, the officers of the 13 yamens had already surrounded him, swords in hand. There was a whirlwind of blades, and two of them were already at Fan Xian's neck, forcing him to submit.
Fan Xian snorted coldly. His hands, which had been hidden in his sleeves this entire time, suddenly shot out. They softly and quickly spread out, transforming into two streaks of smoke that struck the wrists of the two bailiffs who were close to him. Immediately after, he quickly pulled back his fists and lightly pushed them on their chests.
This series of actions was too fast, so fast that no one could see them clearly. After a moment, there were two snapping sounds, followed by two muffled grunts of pain.
The snapping sounds came from the officers' wrists being broken. The snapping sounds came from the two swords that had been sent flying by the zhenqi. They slanted upwards and stuck deep into the two corners of the Ministry of Justice's board. The two swords were stuck above the red sun, as if the sun had sprouted two horns of a demon!
And the two officers were gently pushed in the chest by Fan Xian, and their entire bodies flew backwards. They fell onto two chairs, smashing them into pieces and letting out two muffled grunts.
Everyone was shocked. They hadn't expected Fan Xian's strength to be this strong. They unconsciously took half a step back.
...
...
Guo Zheng was not in a hurry. He smiled at Fan Xian and said quietly, "Beating an officer in public is an additional crime."
Han Zhiwei understood what he meant. Whether or not they could use torture was a small matter. As long as they could pin the crime on Fan Xian, it would be fine. The more Fan Xian refused to surrender, and the more he resisted, the better.
Guo Zheng looked at Fan Xian and smiled. "Young Master Fan, it would be best if you behaved. I know you are skilled in both the pen and the sword, and that it would not be difficult for you to escape from the Ministry of Justice. But... do you want to be accused of rebellion and disobedience? " His fingers gently tapped on the chopping board. He was very satisfied with the current situation. He said quietly, "Young Master Fan, if you resist now, it will mean that you have evil intentions. If you do not resist, then be a good boy and accept your punishment."
He added at the end, "If Young Master Fan wishes to kill his way out of the Ministry of Justice, please do as you please. But it is a pity... a pity. A dignified immortal of poetry, the idol of the scholars, is going to cause unrest in the government and ruin his reputation because of such a serious crime."
Fan Xian looked at him calmly and suddenly said, "Actually, I grew up scared."
He was talking about his experience of looking at corpses every day when he was a child. He thought of what Censor Guo had just said, and it really did have some of Stephen Chow's elegance as a ninth-level official. A cold light flashed in his eyes. He knew that he could not kill his way out of the Ministry of Justice, but he did not want to be punished either. So he could only drag it out until the people behind him reacted. He said coldly, "Killing my way out of the Ministry of Justice is a serious crime. Very well, I will stay here and chat with you two."
Having said this, he went to the side and sat down on a chair. His eyelids were slightly closed. He said quietly, "If you want to use torture, I will naturally resist. If you do not use torture, I do not mind sitting here a little longer. My two lords, when you are done with the trial, please let me know so I can go home and have some porridge. "
"What a bold and arrogant person!" Han Zhiwei shouted, "Arrest him!"
This was the third time he had shouted during the trial that day. Fan Xian's face was expressionless. He lightly slapped the tea table next to him, and the Tyrannical zhenqi in his palm spread out like a cloud. In an instant, the wooden tea table was smashed into countless pieces!
Then he raised his eyes to look at the bailiffs around him. Being swept by his gentle gaze, they thought of the terrifying power this young Sir Fan had demonstrated. None of the bailiffs of the 13 yamens, who were usually not afraid of ghosts or gods, dared to take a step forward.
Since the founding of the country, there had never been such an absurd scene in the hall of the Ministry of Justice. It did not seem like something that could happen in real life. It was more like a play that Fan Xian had occasionally seen in his previous life. The criminal being interrogated sat calmly on the chair, and the bailiffs around him did not dare approach. Yet, the criminal refused to kill his way out of the Ministry of Justice, and there was nothing they could do about it.
...
...
In Fan Xian's life, the chair he sat on would always, at the right moment, show his attitude — perhaps it was anger, or perhaps he was ready to fight back. When he was in Danzhou, when he was 12 years old, he had stepped on a small stool and beaten the second housekeeper to a pulp. On the day he had first entered the capital, he had sat on the chair under the side door, suppressing his anger and preparing to receive the second aunt's gentle words.
Today, in the hall of the Ministry of Justice, he was still sitting on the chair, his face calm as he looked at the two high-ranking officials who wanted to use sticks to discipline him. In his heart, he wondered who else was behind this, other than the Eldest Princess.
The Ministry of Justice once again fell into a stalemate. Seeing Fan Xian surrounded by the 13 yamens, Imperial Censor Guo was in no hurry. He knew that Minister Fan Jian and Prime Minister Lin Ruofu had been delayed by other matters today. He had plenty of time to wait for Yang Wanli and the others to come in as witnesses. He smiled.
"Tomorrow, I will report what happened today to His Majesty. Let's see if you can still rely on your father's power to be so arrogant. Don't think that I can't convict you. In a moment, when Yang Wanli and the others arrive as witnesses, Minister Han will still arrest you. If you still dare to resist, don't blame the three ministers for requesting an edict to punish you for the crime of treason."
Fan Xian said quietly, "Sir Guo, since both sides have shed all pretense of cordiality today, I will say this plainly. If Yang Wanli and the others have any problems, you should prepare for your funeral."
This was a naked threat. Since the founding of the Kingdom of Qing, Fan Xian was the first person who had dared to threaten a minister of the court and an imperial censor in the hall of the Ministry of Justice with his status as a fifth-level official!
Sensing the murderous intent in Fan Xian's light words, Han Zhiwei felt an inexplicable chill in his heart. The corner of his eye twitched, and he said coldly, "Fan Xian, you must know that you are an official of the court, not a powerful swordsman. Today, you have caused a ruckus in the Ministry of Justice. I want to see how you will deal with this."
Fan Xian said quietly, "The Ministry of Justice wants to force a confession out of you. The Imperial Censor is angry that Minister Guo has been removed from his position and wants revenge. I don't know what kind of official you are. Tomorrow, I will write a great poem about what happened today and spread it throughout the world. This will teach the people of the Kingdom of Qing today, and what the officials are like. It will also teach His Majesty to see who these officials listen to in today's court. "
"Say what you will." Guo Zheng knew that with Fan Xian's current reputation, it was not impossible for him to pull this off. He said quietly, "Sir Fan, if you know the details of the scandal, why did you not report it to your superiors and have the court investigate it? Instead, you acted through the Overwatch Council? In any case, you have committed the crime of looking down on the court. I want to see how Minister Fan explains this to the court tomorrow! "
His words were overbearing, and a murderous look flashed across Fan Xian's handsome face. He stood up and stared coldly at the two high-ranking officials on the stage. The officials around him grew nervous, and they pointed their sharp blades at Fan Xian's vital points.
Just as danger was about to erupt, Yan Ruohai's cold voice came from outside the Ministry of Justice. "The Overwatch Council is acting on orders. Since when do we need to explain everything to the Imperial Censor?"
Fan Xian smiled and shook his head. It was a pity that the people from the Council had arrived a little early.
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