Rejected Beauty Practices the Villain Play
Chapter 89: The Imperial Court

Chapter 89: Chapter 89: The Imperial Court

He truly wanted to see Elder Lin driven to rage by Xie Xun, practically fuming with anger, but alas, Elder Lin never gave him the opportunity.

The court officials fell silent; this was undoubtedly a scandal, exposed by Xie Xun, leaving everyone feeling humiliated. Elder Lin knelt on the ground to plead guilty, saying, "This matter is due to poor oversight by the Cabinet, I ask His Majesty to mete out punishment."

Once Elder Lin knelt, the Cabinet collapsed into a wave of bowing officials, all begging forgiveness. This situation left Elder Lin rather helpless; after all, he couldn’t control every matter. Emperor Jianming said warmly, "The Cabinet has already formulated its strategy. The orders could not be carried out effectively, which is the fault of both myself and the Cabinet. What Xie Xun says is correct, the incident has already occurred, and arguing about it serves no purpose. The Cabinet must find a way to manage the aftermath and ensure the people of the city are not disheartened. My beloved ministers, please rise."

Out of the corner of his eye, Xie Xun saw Elder Lin struggling to stand up, his head slightly bowed, a heaviness weighing in his heart. Yet Xie Xun remained clear-minded; the more domineering he appeared, the more reassured Emperor Jianming would feel. The personal conflict between him and the Lin Family was like a pointed needle against a sharp blade, allowing Emperor Jianming to sit back and observe. This made it imperative for him to challenge the Cabinet.

Emperor Jianming preferred to watch him clash with the Cabinet, so he performed this act, though his heart ached for his maternal grandfather. Not only did he aim to stir trouble for the Cabinet, but he also needed to play the role of an uncompromising executioner.

After tidying his attire, Elder Lin said, "Looting materials during the snow disaster is a grave crime. The Ministry of Justice shall investigate, and no matter who committed the crime, they shall be apprehended without exception. The Ministry of Revenue will allocate funds to the northern part of the city, settling the private debts between Kyoto Capital Guard and Xie Xun. The Ministry of Industry will send personnel to inspect and reinforce the structures in the northern part of the city to prevent future disasters. In the meantime, the resources of the Central City, East City, and Southern City will be coordinated by the Ministry of Revenue to assist the north. What does His Majesty think of this plan?"

The Minister of the Ministry of Industry had no objections; the Ministry of Industry only needed to provide manpower. However, Minister Gong of the Ministry of Revenue looked visibly pale. A clever housewife cannot cook without rice—where would the money come from? Money?! Another day tempted to resign!

Emperor Jianming thought Elder Lin’s proposal was excellent. "Let it be as Elder Lin suggests. All officials shall follow Elder Lin’s arrangements without error."

The officials complied. After being demoted by one rank, Minister Lin of the Ministry of War, now an Assistant Minister, stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, the court indeed made errors in the chaos of the natural disaster. However, the young marquis, in the disaster’s midst, treated human lives as trifles, executing members of the Kyoto Capital Guard. I beseech Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly and seek justice for the innocent guards unjustly killed."

When Vice Minister Lin knelt, over ten officials followed suit to plead for justice on behalf of their family’s young members. The four Kyoto Capital Guards executed by Xie Xun were the youthful descendants of their clans.

In addition, among the expelled Kyoto Capital Guard members, over a hundred were scions of aristocratic families. These families had always stood united, so when Vice Minister Lin accused Xie Xun, Elder Lin’s direct lineage remained silent, as if tacitly approving his accusations.

Emperor Jianming raised an eyebrow, his body leaning slightly to the side. "Xie Xun, is this true?"

"Yes!" Xie Xun also knelt and began his account. "During the rescue efforts, the Kyoto Capital Guard disobeyed commands, harassed civilians—they deserved to die!"

Vice Minister Lin sneered, "Even if the Kyoto Capital Guard committed crimes, it is the Ministry of Justice that determines their fate. The young marquis disregarded their defense and executed them publicly; where does this leave the rule of law? No one is perfect—who hasn’t erred? What authority does the Kyoto Capital Guard commander have to decide their life or death?"

The aristocratic officials, angered by their families’ banished youths, harbored grudges and seized the opportunity to denounce Xie Xun’s brutality and claim he must pay for it.

Emperor Jianming nodded. "Vice Minister Lin speaks well. What crime did the Kyoto Capital Guard commit for Xie Xun to execute them publicly?"

Raising his head, Xie Xun’s gaze was steady and unwavering. "These four were aristocratic heirs who habitually bullied their neighbors and committed all manner of atrocities. Amid the disaster, while everyone was doing their utmost to treat the wounded, they molested girls, beat children, and found amusement in the suffering of the people. Marquis An Yuan, Lin Xiao, and Zhang Boxin witnessed this firsthand alongside me. When confronted, they refused to admit their wrongs. Not executing such men—how would we console the citizens trapped in the disaster?"

"The Kyoto Capital Guard’s crimes did not warrant death! The young marquis treated human lives as fodder for his whims!" Vice Minister Lin shouted. "Even if they were guilty, you could’ve expelled them from the Kyoto Capital Guard Office!"

"Before the disaster relief operations began, I warned the Kyoto Capital Guard that those who committed crimes during relief efforts would face execution without pardon." Xie Xun replied coldly. "Vice Minister Lin, you were once the Minister of War. Let me ask you—is the Kyoto Capital Guard not a subordinate unit of the Capital Garrison Guard?"

"Yes!" Vice Minister Lin, realizing the trap, hurried to explain. "But..."

"If they are part of the Capital Garrison Guard, military commands are absolute. Those who disobey are to be executed." Xie Xun did not allow Vice Minister Lin another chance to argue. "Tell me, what error lies in my decision to punish them?"

For years, the Kyoto Capital Guard had been infamous and uncontrollable, a source of frustration for all. Many had forgotten that this was once a distinguished force in the Kyoto Capital Guard Army.

In the military, orders are absolute; commanders hold life-and-death authority.

"Their crimes didn’t warrant death! You could’ve expelled them, awaiting punishment from the Ministry of Justice. All of them were aristocratic heirs of noble blood! Kyoto Capital Guard is not your Northern Iron Cavalry, where lives are disposable at your whim!" Mr. Wu, red-eyed with grief over the death of his beloved nephew, protested bitterly.

Marquis An Yuan sneered, "Mr. Wu, your words are laughable. Kyoto Capital Guard is a garrison force; disobeying military commands warrants execution. This isn’t new in the world of military discipline. Ah, but I forgot—aristocratic heirs are delicate, pampered, born to defy orders without consequence, so fragile they cannot be killed. Why send such precious beings to the Kyoto Capital Guard?"

Minister Li of the Ministry of Personnel Affairs said, "The young marquis was leading disaster relief efforts. In emergencies, authority allows for flexibility. For Kyoto Capital Guard members who disobey commands, execution on the spot is entirely justified. What Mr. Wu implies—that aristocratic heirs mustn’t be punished—even for defiance—is truly unheard of."

Despite being of aristocratic descent himself, Minister Li, whose family had members also expelled from the Kyoto Capital Guard, did not agree with Mr. Wu. Mr. Zhang also said, "When the young marquis took office in Kyoto Capital Guard, he immediately faced a snow disaster. The Kyoto Capital Guard, accustomed to recklessness, acted with disregard even during the calamity. For the young marquis not to execute offenders, he wouldn’t have been able to command respect or establish authority over the Kyoto Capital Guard in the future."

"Exactly. Mr. Wu and Minister Li might lament their family’s plight, but surely they mustn’t malign the young marquis. After all, he is the official commander of the Kyoto Capital Guard," Marquis An Yuan said coolly. "If you believe the aristocratic heirs are so noble that they cannot be executed, you’d best recall them home to save them from further trouble. Heaven forbid they might one day end up killed by Xie Xun, forcing another uproar in Jinluan Palace."

There they go involving the Northern Iron Cavalry again—how presumptuous!

Whenever the Northern Iron Cavalry was mentioned, Xie Xun would lose the ability to speak freely. Fortunately, Marquis Zhenbei had strong allies within the court, including backing from certain aristocratic families, ensuring Xie Xun wasn’t entirely isolated.

Lord Lin and Mr. Wu hadn’t anticipated that, despite the expulsion of so many Kyoto Capital Guard members, there would still be aristocratic families siding with Xie Xun. Their faces flushed red with anger.

Mr. Wu said, "But the young marquis expelled eight hundred members of the Kyoto Capital Guard on his second day in office—what arrogance!"

"Those who disobey the commands—what use is there to keep them?" Xie Xun responded in a low voice. "I expelled over eight hundred members and will naturally recruit replacements. There’s no need for Mr. Wu to concern himself with that."

"Enough, stop arguing," Emperor Jianming interjected. "I think I understand now. Four aristocratic heirs defied orders, and Xie Xun executed them. That’s not wrong. Military commands are absolute; any defiance can lead to execution. If they’re so cherished, their families should recall them. Otherwise, should they defy orders again and be executed by Xie Xun, we’ll end up repeating this quarrel here in Jinluan Palace."