After instructing the clerk to record the matter, Wang Gangfeng turned back to find Gu Chengyin looking at him.
He composed himself, cupped his hands in a salute, and explained:
Marquis Gu, please understand, I have no other intentions.
It is just that the conversation just now between you and Lord Shangguan contained many points worthy of consideration and investigation.
It is the duty of the Censorate. Any clues related to a case, regardless of their source, must be carefully recorded for auditing.
Therefore, I ordered the clerk to write it down. It is absolutely not directed at anyone in particular.
Wang Gangfeng's words elevated the act of recording to the level of official duty, explaining his actions while blocking any other excuses to criticize him.
Listening to this, a profoundly bizarre expression appeared on Gu Chengyin's face.
He pointed at himself, then at Shangguan Yuan, and finally at the shattered doors on the ground.
He asked in return:
Lord Wang, you call this... a conversation?
Wang Gangfeng's expression did not change. He cupped his hands again, his tone even calmer:
Although the method is slightly intense and the setting is unconventional.
As long as the content has reference value to the case, the format and location are not the Censorate's primary concerns.
His words were airtight. He acknowledged the chaos of the scene while emphasizing the importance of the content, implying that the Censorate only cared about evidence and clues, not the process.
Fine.
Gu Chengyin twitched the corners of his mouth, no longer dwelling on it.
He redirected his gaze to Shangguan Yuan, whose face had already turned from pale to green. He was about to speak but suddenly froze.
He had been too engrossed in his scolding and his emotions had been too full. Being suddenly interrupted by Wang Gangfeng like that...
He actually forgot where he was for a moment. Fortunately, it was not a big problem.
Gu Chengyin's expression remained unchanged. He looked completely naturally at the clerk holding the files and asked as a matter of course:
Where was I just now?
This abrupt question caused the tense atmosphere of the scene to freeze.
Countless gazes uniformly turned toward that inconspicuous clerk.
The clerk clearly had not expected Gu Chengyin to ask this. After freezing for a second, he immediately resumed his submissive and respectful posture.
He opened the file in his hands, quickly scanned back along the recent records, then raised his head and answered:
Replying to the Marquis, the last sentence recorded just now was Shangguan Yuan saying: That wasn't for me, the Minister! It was for Xiao.
After that, the recording was interrupted, and there is no new content.
He accurately repeated the sentence that had caused a massive uproar, flawlessly reproducing even the meaningful pause and the word Xiao.
A wave of suppressed gasps echoed from the surrounding crowd again.
Emphasizing this sentence again was undoubtedly rubbing salt into the wound.
Shangguan Yuan's complexion could no longer be described merely as ugly; it was practically ashen with a hideousness born of despair.
Gu Chengyin nodded in satisfaction. The righteous indignation on his face reignited, burning even fiercer than before.
Shangguan Yuan! How dare you!
This sharp shout was full of imposing momentum.
Immediately after, Gu Chengyin solemnly cupped his hands in the direction of the Grand Secretariat. In a tone full of reverence and defensiveness, he said loudly:
The Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet are the heaven-supporting white jade pillars and the sea-spanning purple gold beams of our Great Luo! They are the stabilizing anchors of Great Luo!
How can I allow you to make insinuations and slander them so wantonly?!
This sudden defense of the Cabinet stunned everyone. Even Shangguan Yuan temporarily forgot his anger and looked at him in bewilderment.
Gu Chengyin ignored the crowd's reaction. His tone became even more reverent, even carrying a trace of inviolable awe:
Especially Elder Xiao! He has repeatedly ordered and demanded that all officials in the imperial court must be honest, incorruptible, and devoted to public duty!
The elder himself leads by example with noble and unsullied character.
He has no more than eight sets of everyday clothing for all four seasons!
Such a good official who loves the country and the people, upright and honest! A clean official! A model!
How can I allow you to spout nonsense here and throw dirty water onto Elder Xiao?
Then, Gu Chengyin abruptly changed the subject, aiming his spearhead back at Shangguan Yuan:
In my eyes, the facts are already perfectly clear!
It is the entirety of your Ministry of Revenue, colluding together with corruption running rampant!
Seeing that I had discovered the accounting issues and that your exposure was imminent, in order to cover up your crimes.
You pushed all the blame onto Vice Minister Xiao, and then murdered him to silence him!
Shangguan Yuan! Speak! What despicable and shameless methods did you use to murder Vice Minister Xiao?!
Confess the truth now, and considering that you still have a trace of repentance, I might even say a few good words for you in front of His Majesty!
This convoluted yet self-righteous tirade left the surrounding people somewhat dazed. But thinking carefully about it, it actually seemed to make a bit of sense.
Bombarded by this continuous barrage, Shangguan Yuan was so angry that his vision went dark and his chest felt tight. He almost spat out a mouthful of old blood.
The immense humiliation and fury, along with the fear of being pushed into a desperate corner, made Shangguan Yuan throw caution to the wind.
He suddenly straightened his back, pointed at Gu Chengyin, and used all his strength to angrily rebuke him:
Gu Chengyin! You are making baseless accusations and spouting nonsense!
He first accepted Gu Chengyin's act of praising Xiao Song, following along and saying:
I admit it! Elder Xiao is upright, honest, completely free from corruption, and a model for our generation!
Left Vice Minister Xiao Bichang was also diligent in his duties, working hard and achieving great merits!
Immediately after, Shangguan Yuan sharply turned the conversation, aiming at the core of Gu Chengyin's accusation:
But! On what grounds do you say that corruption runs rampant throughout our Ministry of Revenue?!
Where is the evidence?! Bring out the evidence! Without evidence, you are slandering! Naked slander! Framing a high-ranking official of the imperial court!
As if grabbing a lifeline, he turned to the solemn-faced Wang Gangfeng beside him and shouted loudly:
Censor Wang! You are right here! You have seen it with your own eyes and heard it with your own ears!
Gu Chengyin has no proof or evidence. Based solely on conjecture, he publicly slanders me and the entire Ministry of Revenue! He is trampling on the laws of the imperial court!
I will impeach him right now! Impeach him for defaming a minister and disrupting the order of the court! I ask the Censorate to uphold justice!
Hearing this, Gu Chengyin was not afraid at all. Instead, as if provoked into greater righteous indignation, he said angrily:
Evidence?!
Of course there is evidence! Lord Wang is right here!
The Censorate is currently inside your Ministry of Revenue office! Turning page by page, checking book by book!
Once the evidence is found, none of you giant rats hiding in the national treasury, you parasites embezzling the hard-earned wealth of the people, will be able to escape!
Facing such self-righteous words, Shangguan Yuan's expression flickered uncertainly. Ultimately, he seemed to make up his mind.
With the look of someone acting recklessly out of absolute despair, his voice turned shrill as he shouted incomparably loud:
In the entire Divine Capital!
Am I the only Minister?
Why are you always hounding me and refusing to let go!
Among the Six Ministries of the imperial court, is the Ministry of Revenue the only one with problems?
If you have the capability, have the Censorate investigate the Ministry of Rites.
Go investigate the Ministry of Personnel!
orn and Humiliation】【Forced Love】 In his past life, Lin Ran was betrayed and murdered by his girlfriend and family, while the yandere female aristocrat, who had treated him as a mere plaything, avenged him by doing in his enemies. Upon seeing the yandere female aristocrat lying in the same coffin, ready to die with him, Lin Ran realized how profoundly mistaken he had been. Reborn, he abandoned the fickle campus beauty and wholeheartedly embraced the yandere female aristocrat's arms. "Ran! If I dig out your eyes and turn them into a specimen, you'll only be able to look at me!" Lin Ran: "Darling, kiss me!" "Ran! If I break your legs, you won't run away anymore, right?" Lin Ran: "Love, hold me tight!" "Ran! If..." Lin Ran: "Hush now! Love me more!" Luo Yao: ... Seeing his scumbag dad: "Take him out!" Seeing his stepmother: "Get rid of her!" Seeing his brother: "Eliminate him!" Seeing his white moonlight: "Send that to Southeast Asia!"
iaobai: "Councilor Dad, front me some funds. I want to hire ten thousand professional miners for a project!" [Five-Star Mission Issued: Capture the leader of the Blood Heaven Pirate Gang, who is on the run in the Radiant Star Sector. It is said the gang has over a hundred members. Proceed with caution.] Lu Xiaobai: "Councilor Dad, lend me the family's hundred-thousand-strong Lu Army!" [Seven-Star Mission Issued: Subdue a juvenile Void Dragon Beast.] Lu Xiaobai: "Councilor Dad, I'm taking your tamed Void Dragon Beast King out for a family reunion!" I said, System, don't you have any slightly more challenging missions? You're just not up to par! [Nine-Star Mission Issued: Become the Human Councilor.] Lu Xiaobai: "Dad, there's a small matter I'd like to discuss with you..."
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
e, Immortal Body, Transmigration, System, Progression Fantasy, Academy Setting, Third-Person Perspective. Alternate Title: Transmigrating into a High Martial World and Reading Live Comments. Bad news: I transmigrated. This is a terrifying high-martial world, and my original, pathetically weak body fell into a coma and never woke up. Good news: I got a Popularity Points system upon arrival. I can see live comments and even create an unkillable alternate identity. Starting out, the alternate identity has all stats at 1. The system tells me that to grow stronger, I must participate in the plot, gain popularity points to allocate stats and grow stronger, and ultimately awaken my original body. And so, carrying my original body on my back, I officially entered Huaqing Academy, where the story's protagonist resides. From that moment on, Chen Guan kicked the original plot to pieces. Live Comments: [Doesn't anyone find this mysterious coffin guy creepy? He can summon indescribable grey misty hands.] [Is this guy a hero or a villain? What kind of onion became a spirit?] [By the way, does anyone know who's in the coffin? Shouldn't the debt for saving his life be repaid by now?] [According to unofficial histories, the person in the coffin was Chen Guan's first love. Their love was once passionate and earth-shattering, but they were separated by life and death due to worldly circumstances. What a star-crossed pair.] ... Years later, the world knew of a demon god born from a coffin, shrouded in grey mist, impossible to gaze upon directly. His foremost divine emissary often wielded a scythe, reaping lives like the god of death. As war approached, facing former friends and a boundless sea of enemies, Chen Guan merely raised his scythe. "Would you like to dance as well?"
