mtl008 Chapter 429 Yes
Chapter 429 Yes
Song Bingzhi stared at Yu Wan's resolute face and sighed inwardly.
Although Yu Wan is a young lady, it is truly remarkable that she possesses such courage and spirit.
He took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "If that's the case, then so be it."
"Tomorrow in the court, I will fight to the death to impeach him, even if it means my own destruction."
Even if it means being shattered to pieces, I would not hesitate.
With those words echoing in his mind, Song Bingzhi looked up at the emperor sitting high on the dragon throne.
He knelt down, crawled forward a few steps, and handed over the document. "Your Majesty, this is evidence of the crimes Li Chongyi has committed over the years!"
The ministers in the hall were silent, and the officials of Li Chongyi's faction all had solemn expressions, subconsciously looking at Li Chongyi.
I was a little nervous.
However, Li Chongyi, the person being impeached, showed no sign of panic or anxiety. He simply stared calmly at Song Bingzhi, seemingly lost in thought.
Liu Haifu stood next to Emperor Wenjing. Seeing the emperor nod, he quickly stepped forward, took the document, and presented it to the emperor.
Emperor Wenjing unfolded the document, his gaze sweeping over it, his expression growing increasingly gloomy.
The hall was deathly silent. The ministers held their breath, their eyes darting back and forth between Song Bingzhi and Li Chongyi.
After a long while, Emperor Wenjing raised his hand and handed the document to Liu Haifu, his voice revealing neither anger nor remorse, "Let all the gentlemen take a look."
Liu Haifu bowed and accepted it, saying, "Yes."
He lowered his head and quickly walked down from the high platform, holding the document as he slowly walked past the court officials.
The court officials glanced at the contents of the document, and their expressions changed.
The evidence was listed in great detail, and it did not seem to be fabricated.
Li Chongyi's cronies initially held onto a glimmer of hope, but upon seeing the evidence of their crimes listed in the documents, they were secretly horrified.
They were all in the same boat, and they knew each other to some extent about what the other was doing.
Only when each party has leverage over the other can they be certain of the other's loyalty, and Li Chongyi was no exception.
How did they obtain so much evidence of their crimes?!
When Liu Haifu walked up to Li Chongyi, Li Chongyi glanced at him and said indifferently, "I would like to trouble Eunuch Liu to take a look at me."
Liu Haifu stopped in his tracks and looked up to ask the emperor for his opinion.
Emperor Wenjing nodded expressionlessly.
Li Chongyi remained calm, slowly taking the document, casually flipping through a few pages, a faint, cold smile appearing on his lips.
He looked up at Song Bingzhi and said, "Lord Song, isn't it too frivolous to convict me based solely on these few books that I don't know where they came from?"
Song Bingzhi glanced sideways, staring directly at Li Chongyi without fear, and angrily pointed at him, shouting, "Li Chongyi! You still dare to argue!"
“Every single item on this document is true, with witnesses and physical evidence to back it up. How can you deny it? In the third year of Qiyuan, the Yuanhe River breached its banks, and the people along the river were displaced. This was all because you embezzled the funds for the river works. Those wronged souls still cannot rest in peace. In the sixth year of Qiyuan, you colluded with salt merchants to inflate salt prices, causing immense suffering to the people. Their livelihoods were in dire straits, yet you lined your own pockets! Every crime is irrefutable!”
"With so many lives on your hands, are you haunted by vengeful spirits in the dead of night, unable to sleep?!"
"Your Majesty, all the impeachments in my memorial are supported by evidence and witnesses. I implore Your Majesty to dismiss the traitor Li Chongyi from his post and investigate him, so as to restore justice to the people and ensure the peace and tranquility of our Great Zhao!"
Song Bingzhi spoke frankly and earnestly, his voice resounding and powerful.
He lowered his head, his forehead resting on the cold floor tiles, and remained there for a long time.
A ruthless glint flashed in Li Chongyi's eyes as he watched this scene.
Emperor Wenjing's gaze fell on Li Chongyi. "Do you have any explanation?"
Li Chongyi's lowered eyes were filled with intense killing intent, but in an instant, he concealed the killing intent in his eyes and looked up with sincerity.
He bowed to Emperor Wenjing and said, "Your Majesty, I have never done such a thing."
“Imperial Censor Song has always been upright and I have always respected him. But this time, he must have been deceived and used by treacherous people to impeach me with these baseless accusations. This is truly heartbreaking for me.”
"Your Majesty, I have devoted myself to the country and the people and to sharing your burdens. For decades, I have worked tirelessly and have never slackened in the slightest."
"For the sake of the Great Zhao's empire and Your Majesty's foundation, I have devoted myself wholeheartedly to the cause, even unto death. I never expected to be slandered like this today. It is truly disheartening."
As Li Chongyi spoke, his eyes gradually filled with tears.
Seeing the Right Chancellor's stance, officials from the Right Party faction also chimed in with their own opinions.
"Your Majesty, Prime Minister Li's loyalty is beyond question, as clear as the sun and moon. How could he possibly commit such a treasonous act? Someone must be deliberately framing him and disrupting the court!"
"Yes, Your Majesty. Although Imperial Censor Song is usually upright and incorruptible, this time he has probably been tricked and misled by false evidence."
"I implore Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly and not let loyal officials be wronged. Otherwise, the people inside and outside the court will surely be in a state of panic, which will not be conducive to the long-term stability of our Great Zhao!"
Upon hearing these distorted and unfounded statements, Song Bingzhi was filled with rage.
He suddenly raised his head, his forehead still bearing the red marks left from when he slapped the ground.
His eyes were red. "Your Majesty, I am willing to swear on my life that all this evidence is true. If I have wronged Li Chongyi, I am willing to die to atone for my sins!"
The court officials were slightly taken aback by Song Bingzhi's resolute demeanor.
Song Bingzhi was determined to die for his cause.
If an imperial censor were to die for his principles, the emperor would have to accept the case and order the three judicial departments to investigate it together.
Emperor Wenjing's gaze was fixed on Song Bingzhi, and he said in a deep voice, "Imperial Censor Song, are you sure you want to die for your remonstrance?"
In a daze, Song Bingzhi felt as if he had returned to yesterday. At that time, he had also asked Yu Wan the same question: whether he really wanted to impeach Li Chongyi.
At that moment, Yu Wan's expression was firm, and she said—
If Li Chongyi had not fallen, the Great Zhao Dynasty might never have known peace, and countless people would have continued to suffer.
He is trusted and respected by the people, and he should give back to them.
They're all practically dead; if he can rid the people of this scourge before he dies, then his life will have been worthwhile.
Song Bing straightened his back, bowed his head, and said, “Your Majesty, my mind is made up. I am willing to die to remonstrate with Your Majesty, begging you to thoroughly investigate Li Chongyi’s crimes and restore a bright and just world to the people!”
"it is good."
"I agree!"
But now Li Chongyi has people in both the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review. Let Li Chongyi's people investigate Li Chongyi? What could they possibly find out?
The Censorate still has a few veteran officials who can be relied upon, but these people are all old and probably no longer capable.
To investigate Li Chongyi, there must be someone who is not afraid of death.
Emperor Wenjing's gaze swept over the officials present, and he couldn't help but clench his fists.
Originally, there were still Su Mu and Yun Shang available, but Su Mu was murdered, and Yun Shang too...
Emperor Wenjing felt a surge of anger.
Li Chongyi clearly understood this as well, so he showed no sign of anxiety.
He has people in both the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review; who would dare to investigate him?
Song Bingzhi's impeachment posed no real threat to him.
What angers him now is where this evidence came from and who gave it to Song Bingzhi.
With Song Bingzhi's abilities, he absolutely could not have obtained these things.