Chapter 416: It's All My Fault
"No, no! This humble official didn't!" Nie Shen's eyes widened like bronze bells as he vehemently denied, "I would never harm my own elder brother!"
As his words fell.
Yun Ze stepped forward, seized his wrist, and directly tore off his outer garment.
Beneath his outer robe, there was actually another identical to the deceased Nie Zhou's clothing.
"This... this..." Nie Shen stammered, "I've always worn similar clothes as my elder brother, there's nothing strange about that..."
Yun Ze suddenly exerted force, breaking Nie Shen's wrist with a crisp snap, making him scream in agony.
Only then did Yun Ze roll up his sleeve.
Several fresh scratch marks stood out prominently.
"Th-These were made by my concubine this morning..." Nie Shen endured the pain to defend himself.
But his excuses sounded utterly feeble.
Everyone present had already understood what had transpired.
"This Nie Er is too ruthless, actually killing his own blood brother."
"Lord Nie single-handedly supported the Nie family. With him gone, the Nie family is basically finished. What could Nie Er possibly gain from this?"
"Lord Nie was loyal to the Empress Dowager. Nie Er killing Lord Nie... I'm afraid he was..."
The murmurs among the crowd gradually faded.
Yun Chu looked at Chu Rui: "What does the Regent think about this matter?"
A modest smile appeared on Chu Rui's face: "Indeed, I was careless. I never expected such fraternal conflict. This case can be handed over to the Court of Judicial Review for reinvestigation to bring justice to the deceased!"
"The Court of Judicial Review?" Yun Chu also smiled, "This case happened right under Lord Chang's nose. Lord Chang personally examined the body, and despite my repeated inquiries, he insisted it was death from falling... Tell me, is such a person fit to bear the responsibility of Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review?"
Lord Chang hurried forward, bowing deeply: "This humble official made an error in judgment. I beg Your Majesty to calm your anger. I will thoroughly investigate this case from now on..."
"By imperial decree!" Chu Hongyu coldly declared, "Chang Yuanshan has neglected his duties and treated human life with disregard. He is hereby removed from his position as Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, pending further investigation!"
Lord Chang fell to his knees with a thud: "Your Majesty, have mercy! Your Majesty..."
Chu Hongyu kicked him away.
He could only look pleadingly at Chu Rui.
Chu Rui indifferently averted his gaze.
Chang Yuanshan had been so derelict in his duties in public that even he couldn't protect him anymore.
"Drag him away!"
At Yun Chu's command, the Imperial Guards no longer dared to hesitate and dragged Chang Yuanshan out.
He had only been Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review for little over two months, his seat not even warmed before being dismissed.
Yun Chu then turned to Coroner Zhen: "Making errors in determining the basic cause of death - you don't deserve to be called the Great Jin's top coroner. From today onward, you are forbidden from practicing as a coroner. Guards, take him away and imprison him for three years."
Coroner Zhen collapsed weakly to the ground.
Last night, someone had approached him, offering ten thousand taels of silver, requiring only that he declare it death from falling when summoned to the palace the next day.
Just one sentence could earn him ten thousand taels - why wouldn't he take it?
He thought it would be simple, never expecting it would end his career as a coroner.
"Of course, if Coroner Zhen can reveal the person behind this, I can spare you the imprisonment," Yun Chu persuasively suggested.
Coroner Zhen hung his head low.
Last night, he had only received five thousand taels as deposit. He hadn't even seen who gave him the silver, let alone the mastermind behind it all.Seeing him remain silent, Yun Chu ordered him to be dragged away immediately.
She cast a cold gaze at Nie Shen. "Speak. Why did you plot against your own elder brother?"
"Your servant..." Nie Shen trembled uncontrollably. "Your servant didn't..."
A few days earlier, Regent Chu Rui had approached him, promising that if he killed his elder brother, he would be made the head of the Nie family.
He would also be promoted to his brother's position and granted a grand residence for the Nie family.
Over the years, the Nie family had grown larger, yet their residence remained the same—a modest three-courtyard compound that couldn't even compare to the homes of ordinary merchants. How could this be, when his elder brother held the prestigious position of a second-rank official in the court?
His elder brother's family occupied the main courtyard, while his own family was relegated to a side courtyard. The house was so cramped that he could only take two concubines, as there was no space to accommodate more.
He couldn't understand why, even as a second-rank official, their lives remained so financially strained.
He had argued and quarreled with his elder brother over this, but it was futile—his brother was stubborn to the core.
Then the Regent came to him, offering all sorts of conditions. Unsurprisingly, he was tempted. He followed the Regent's plan and killed his own brother.
But the moment his brother died, he was filled with regret.
Now, his remorse was so profound it felt as if his very intestines had turned green.
Yet, he had no choice. He couldn't expose the mastermind behind it all.
If he did, his wife and children would also die.
Nie Shen lifted his eyes and glanced at the Regent in the crowd.
From those eyes, he saw a clear threat.
"It was my jealousy toward my brother—my envy of his rapid rise to power, my resentment that he had won the Empress Dowager's favor!" Nie Shen closed his eyes. "I regret it. I am willing to pay with my life for my brother's death!"
He stood up and dashed toward the artificial rockery in the Zhaiyue Pavilion courtyard, dying instantly upon impact.
The entire crowd erupted in shock.
Yun Chu closed her eyes.
If the struggle between her and Chu Rui did not end, more people would continue to die.
To die on the battlefield was a worthy death.
But to die in internal strife—what kind of death was that?
She said softly, "The Emperor's birthday banquet ends here. Everyone may return."
The officials dispersed with their families.
The palace maids cleaned Zhaiyue Pavilion until it was spotless, as if nothing had ever happened.
The Nie family soon arrived, led by the elderly Patriarch Nie, who came to collect the bodies of his two legitimate sons.
The old man had just endured the grief of losing his wife that morning, and in less than half a day, his two sons had also died. In a single day, he had lost three of his closest kin.
"My sons..." Patriarch Nie was heartbroken. "Your Majesty, my second son has caused this disaster. This old servant is willing to bear the punishment in his place..."
Yun Chu's eyes reddened slightly. "It is my fault for failing to protect Nie Zhou... Please rest assured, I will spare no effort to avenge him. Trust me."
Patriarch Nie's voice choked with emotion. "More important than revenge is the stability of the empire. Your Majesty must not let the conflict between these brothers disrupt your greater plans."
"First, give Nie Zhou a proper funeral," Yun Chu said gently. "I will have the Yun family assist in finding a geomantically auspicious site for Lord Nie to rest in peace."
The Nie family was poor and likely couldn't even afford a burial plot, risking a haphazard burial on some random hillside.
Patriarch Nie thanked her repeatedly and left with his two sons.
Watching the old man's stooped figure, Yun Chu felt a sudden sting in her nose and quickly wiped the corner of her eye with a handkerchief.
"The Empress Dowager is more clever than I imagined."
A voice sounded behind her.
Yun Chu turned and saw Chu Rui.Chu Rui stepped forward: "I killed one of the Empress Dowager's generals, and the Empress Dowager severed one of my arms. This back-and-forth ultimately harms the court. It could have been avoided—tell me, why add unnecessary bloodshed?"
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