Still a Good Person, Perhaps

The officials perked up—finally, they were getting to the heart of the matter.

But what Jiang Jianli said next caught everyone completely off guard.

“Imperial Tutor Gu was ordered to inspect the sects, and his first stop was my Qing Sword Sect.”

“He met with my father, and also with the five elders. After that, he struck without warning.”

Struck without warning!

Those four words hit like a thunderclap, making every heart in the room skip a beat.

Was she about to accuse Gu Chengyin of seizing power by force?

But then Jiang Jianli’s next words left everyone stunned.

“He drove away the five elders.”

Cui Zhenji’s mouth opened, but no sound came out.

Jiang Jianli, as if oblivious to the shock on everyone’s faces, continued:

“In his capacity as head of the Sect Inspection Team, Imperial Tutor Gu investigated and confirmed that the five elders had embezzled sect assets, bullied disciples, and operated an illegal tribunal—eleven charges in total.”

“He immediately arrested the five, escorted them to the Qing Sword City government office, and personally returned the Sect Leader’s seal to my father.”

“And he publicly declared that my father was still the true Sect Leader of Qing Sword Sect—that he was merely exercising his authority of inspection and had no intention of taking over.”

Complete silence filled the hall.

Not a sound.

Cui Zhenji’s eyes widened. For a moment, he didn’t know how to react.

Wait—this wasn’t right.

Wasn’t Jiang Jianli supposed to be accusing Gu Chengyin of stealing the Sect Leader’s position?

Instead, she was singing his praises.

Investigating and confirming charges. Escorting them to court. Returning the sect’s seal.

That wasn’t a power grab.

It was a righteous rescue.

Could it be that Gu Chengyin was actually a good person?

Cui Zhenji couldn’t help glancing at Gu Chengyin.

Gu Chengyin’s expression remained unchanged, showing no trace of emotion.

Jiang Jianli continued: “My father was deeply grateful. And because Imperial Tutor Gu was a descendant of the Azure Cloud Immortal Clan, my father immediately requested that Gu Chengyin become the Sect Leader of Qing Sword Sect.”

“Imperial Tutor Gu refused many times, and only finally, reluctantly, agreed.”

By now, Cui Zhenji was utterly confused.

So Gu Chengyin’s position as Sect Leader of Qing Sword Sect had been begged from him by Jiang Qingshan?

As if reading their minds, Jiang Jianli added another point:

“Even after agreeing, Imperial Tutor Gu made it clear that he was only a titular Sect Leader, with no say in sect affairs—everything would still be handled entirely by my father.”

After saying this, Jiang Jianli lowered her gaze, as if sighing with mixed emotions.

“This is the full story of what happened at Qing Sword Sect.”

The hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Cui Zhenji opened his mouth again, but found he had no idea what to say.

Was Jiang Jianli here to testify, or to clear Gu Chengyin’s name?

There was nothing—absolutely nothing—about usurpation.

From her account, Gu Chengyin was nothing but a righteous official who acted in justice, a selfless gentleman.

Someone whom Jiang Qingshan had begged to take the position of honorary Sect Leader.

Cui Zhenji turned to look at the Minister of Justice, who also looked bewildered.

Then he looked at the Censor-in-Chief, whose brows were tightly knitted, his eyes roaming over Jiang Jianli’s face as if trying to figure out a puzzle.

Finally, Cui Zhenji’s gaze fell on Yuan Zhengqing.

The Grand Secretary remained seated, steady as a mountain, his eyes utterly unreadable.

He hadn’t interrupted Jiang Jianli, nor had he shown any surprise—as if he had expected all of this.

Just as Cui Zhenji thought the matter might fizzle out, Jiang Jianli spoke again.

“Even so...”

Her voice suddenly turned cold.

“I still believe that Imperial Tutor Gu’s acceptance of the Qing Sword Sect Leader’s position is no different from usurpation.”

What?

Cui Zhenji didn’t quite catch it at first.

Jiang Jianli lifted her head, her expression unwavering: “As you have all heard, my father’s offer came from goodwill—gratitude for Imperial Tutor Gu’s help and admiration for the Azure Cloud Immortal Clan’s reputation.”

“But my father’s goodwill does not change one fact: Imperial Tutor Gu is a court official, the Crown Prince’s Tutor.”

“How can a court official also become a Sect Leader?”

“With Imperial Tutor Gu serving as a court official and Sect Leader at the same time, does he belong to the court or to the sect?”

“He may insist that he won’t interfere in sect affairs, but not interfering doesn’t mean he isn’t the Sect Leader.”

“If that isn’t usurpation, what is? If that isn’t robbery, then what is?”

Jiang Jianli’s voice grew louder, and for the first time, real emotion flickered across her face.

“As a daughter of the Jiang family, I cannot stand by and watch the Qing Sword Sect—finally back in my father’s hands—”

“—be silently branded with an outsider’s name!”

“No matter how nicely it’s described, Imperial Tutor Gu accepting the position of Qing Sword Sect Leader is simply improper.”

“It is theft. It is no different from usurpation!”

After finishing, Jiang Jianli’s chest heaved slightly, clearly genuinely angry.

The hall was dead silent.

Cui Zhenji stared at her, finally beginning to understand.

Jiang Jianli had laid out the facts exactly as they happened—and then, on the basis of those facts, she twisted out an accusation.

Was she telling the truth? She must have been.

With so many officials listening, and with Gu Chengyin himself present, any lie would have been exposed immediately.

But the truth she told didn’t convict Gu Chengyin—it cleared him completely.

Didn’t she know that? Of course she did.

Yet she said it anyway. Not only that—she said it in such detail, so clearly, laying out everything Gu Chengyin had done.

So was she here to accuse Gu Chengyin, or to praise him?

Cui Zhenji suddenly recalled that Jiang Jianli had earlier said she carried two identities.

One was the wife of Shangguan Yuan.

The other was the daughter of Jiang Qingshan.

Shangguan Yuan wanted to kick Gu Chengyin while he was down, to pin the charge of usurpation on him.

But Jiang Qingshan wanted Gu Chengyin as his Sect Leader.

He had genuinely given up his position. If Jiang Jianli, in order to help Shangguan Yuan, lied in court and turned Gu Chengyin into a greedy villain—wouldn’t that trample her father’s honor?

She couldn’t do that.

She was Jiang Qingshan’s daughter. She couldn’t destroy her father’s reputation for the sake of her husband.

But she also couldn’t refuse to help Shangguan Yuan.

So she used this method: telling the truth exactly as it had happened, then forcing an accusation on that foundation.

That way, she hadn’t betrayed her conscience, nor had she disobeyed her husband.

But the problem was...

Cui Zhenji smiled bitterly.

This way, Gu Chengyin wasn’t convicted—instead, he was praised as a gentleman by everyone.

That’s the same as clearing his name, isn’t it?

Cui Zhenji couldn’t help glancing at Gu Chengyin again.

Gu Chengyin’s expression was still calm, but a faint smile was curling at the corner of his mouth.

Cui Zhenji felt his head throb.

He suddenly dearly missed his work on ritual texts and ceremonial codes in the Ministry of Rites.

At least those, though tedious, didn’t put a person in such a difficult spot.

Just as Cui Zhenji was stuck between a rock and a hard place, a commotion suddenly arose outside the hall.

Someone was coming.

And more than one.

The officials in the hall all turned to look at the doorway.

Cui Zhenji looked too, feeling inexplicably relieved.

Whoever it was, at least it would give him a moment to escape this awkward situation.

Several figures stepped over the threshold and strode in.

They were monks in Daoist robes, with silver cloud patterns embroidered on their hems and jade tokens at their waists, walking steadily with an imposing aura.

The moment they entered, their eyes swept the hall, carrying a condescending scrutiny.

They were the adjutants of the Celestial Master Residence.

Cui Zhenji’s heart skipped a beat.

The gazes of these grandmasters from the Celestial Division slowly swept across the hall, finally settling on Lin Qingyan.

Then, stepping forward quickly, they bowed respectfully and said:

“Lord Jingzhe, Grandmaster Taihe requests your presence.”