Chapter 278: State Preceptor Qi Stands Trial
"Your Majesty, the wandering mystic Master Ding performed divination in the throne hall, claiming a southern earthquake would occur within three days as heavenly punishment," a minister stepped forward. "Today marks the seventh day. Had an earthquake struck the south, news would have reached us by now. This proves nothing occurred. Ding Yiyuan's reckless statements in the throne hall reveal malicious intent. I implore Your Majesty to execute him as a warning to others!"
"Your Majesty, Ding Yiyuan deceives common folk while slandering the Great Jin Dynasty and imperial court. He deserves death!"
"This minister concurs!"
"I also concur!"
Watching the officials voluntarily step forward, State Preceptor Qi's lips curved into a faint smile.
Only after all had spoken did he emerge, speaking deliberately: "Though Master Ding is merely a wandering mystic, he belongs to our esoteric circle. Thus, he should be dealt with according to our methods - bound with enchanted talismans and burned to ash, ensuring his very spirit is extinguished. Only then is true justice served."
Marquis Pingjin was consumed with regret, feeling he must have been struck senseless to ever involve Master Ding in this affair.
With limited abilities, Master Ding could only read minor fortunes - it was perfectly normal he couldn't comprehend matters of national destiny.
He hurried forward: "Your Majesty, as texts say, to err is human. Master Ding might have simply misread the divinatory symbols..."
"Hah!" State Preceptor Qi sneered. "Other matters permit mistakes, but divination allows none! If truly unable to decipher the symbols, one should admit ignorance rather than spout nonsense that stirs public unrest and disrupts court governance! I beg Your Majesty's judgment!"
Seated on the highest throne, the Emperor spoke calmly: "Bring Ding Yiyuan to the hall!"
These past days in Purple Star Palace, Ding Yiyuan had enjoyed unprecedented treatment - attended by palace maids and eunuchs, even assisted with personal needs...
Had he not needed to maintain his image as an otherworldly sage, he would have indulged without restraint.
As six or seven days passed, truth be told, he grew anxious.
Would the south truly experience an earthquake?
Could Miss Yun's so-called Void School really predict such heaven-controlled events?
Amid his unease, he was summoned to the throne hall.
Ding Yiyuan felt grateful for his long beard, which hid most of his face and concealed his emotions, presenting a calm exterior.
The Emperor's voice was cold: "Ding Yiyuan, have you anything to say?"
Ding Yiyuan extended his right hand, lightly tapping before shaking his head: "Heaven-sent disasters defy mortal resistance. This humble man has nothing to say."
The Emperor's brows darkened.
He'd given the man a chance, but facts proved he'd misplaced his trust.
Since that was the case—
Just as the Emperor raised his hand,
Chu Yi glanced toward the hall entrance - still no sign of anyone. He stepped forward: "Father Emperor, before this, your son has urgent matters to report."
The Emperor lowered his hand: "What matters?"
"Over these six or seven days, your son accidentally discovered the State Preceptor deposited five hundred eighty thousand taels across four major banks in the capital." Chu Yi enunciated each word clearly. "The State Preceptor's annual salary doesn't exceed two hundred taels. Even with ancestral lands and estates, accumulating such wealth would be impossible. I dare ask the State Preceptor: where did these funds originate?"
State Preceptor Qi froze instantly.
He'd deliberately split the silver across four banks under different names - unless someone investigated purposefully, none could trace it back to him.In other words, Prince Pingxi was investigating him.
Why investigate him?
He had never done anything detrimental to Prince Pingxi.
State Preceptor Qi’s mind worked quickly. After a brief pause, he said, “Could Prince Pingxi have made a mistake? I have only deposited a little over twenty thousand taels of silver in the Zhengde Bank. This silver was accumulated by my ancestors over generations and is not of dubious origin.”
Chu Yi met State Preceptor Qi’s gaze. “If that is the case, then present the evidence.”
Ever since learning that the Grand Astrologer had divined astrological incompatibility, he had ordered an investigation into these matters, waiting only for the right moment to charge the Grand Astrologer with a crime.
Even if there had been no earthquake in the south, he had ways to ensure the Grand Astrologer would never recover.
Several civil officials carried a large chest into the hall.
Chu Yi walked over, opened the chest, and pulled out a thick ledger. “These are the deposit receipts from the Grand Astrologer’s accounts at the bank over the years.”
State Preceptor Qi’s face turned pale.
How had these things been uncovered?
“And these—” Chu Yi retrieved the ledgers from the bottom of the chest and distributed them among the assembled ministers. “This is evidence of ministers bribing the Grand Astrologer to alter divinatory symbols.”
Some ministers who had bribed the Grand Astrologer turned ashen with fear.
Among them were those who had indeed spent silver to have the Grand Astrologer put in a good word for them with the Emperor through divination.
However, upon seeing that the ledgers only used symbols to refer to the ministers, they breathed a sigh of relief.
Chu Yi did not delve deeper. His goal was to bring down the Grand Astrologer, not to antagonize half the court.
“Recently, thirty thousand taels were deposited into the Grand Astrologer’s account, likely as payment from the Empress Dowager for casting my horoscope,” Chu Yi declared firmly. “This means the Grand Astrologer’s so-called ability to commune with the energies of heaven and earth, to divine human fortunes and national destiny, is all contingent on silver. Over the years, how much has the Grand Astrologer embezzled while in this position? The silver in the bank is likely just a drop in the bucket. I ask you, Father—is such a person fit to serve as the Grand Astrologer of the nation?”
The Emperor had already reviewed the evidence, and his face darkened with fury.
He thought of the words inscribed on the large stone and of Ding Yiyuan’s divination results.
If the Grand Astrologer continued in this manner, the coffers of all his civil and military officials would be emptied, enriching the Grand Astrologer alone while impoverishing everyone else.
He had trusted the Grand Astrologer too much, leading ministers to resort to underhanded methods through the Grand Astrologer to gain his favor and promotion.
The Grand Astrologer, who should have conveyed the will of heaven to the true Son of Heaven and reported the sufferings of the people to the heavens, had instead engaged in such deeds.
Anything tainted by the stench of money became repulsive.
Especially a figure like the Grand Astrologer, who was supposed to be above worldly concerns, yet had exploited his official position to amass such wealth.
It completely overturned the Emperor’s long-held beliefs.
“Audacious!”
The Emperor roared in anger, picked up an inkstone, and hurled it without mercy, striking the Grand Astrologer squarely on the forehead.
Bright red blood gushed forth, and the Grand Astrologer nearly blacked out.
“Your Majesty, please allow me to explain,” State Preceptor Qi pleaded, struggling to maintain his composure. “This silver did not go into my pockets—it was used to make offerings to our ancestral masters…”
Some ministers, having genuinely benefited from the Grand Astrologer’s favors, could not bear to see the esteemed Grand Astrologer fall into such a state and stepped forward to speak on his behalf.
However, at that moment, urgent shouts echoed from afar into the hall.
“Report—”
A guard rushed into the hall like the wind."An eight-hundred-li urgent dispatch reports that seven nights ago, an earth dragon turned over in Shencheng to the south, causing all official roads to collapse. Hence, the news has only just reached us now..."
"The entire city has suffered countless casualties, with severe shortages of food and water. They urgently request His Majesty to dispatch relief aid!"
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