She's skilled in medicine, martial arts, and even understands animal language—the abandoned dau

Lin Peng slammed his hand on the table. "No, we can't just sit here and wait to die! We have to think of a way to get those letters back!"

Wang Hong rolled his eyes at him. "How can we rob it? The Imperial Guards have already surrounded the Duke of Xingguo's mansion. If we rashly send people there, wouldn't that be like walking into a trap?"

"Then what do you suggest we do? Are we just going to wait at home to die?" Lin Peng said irritably.

"Let's see how things go tomorrow. If it really doesn't work out, we'll have no choice but to send out Marquis Jingyang, who has the closest ties with Cui Chengdao, in order to atone for our sins."

"Marquis Jingyang is Cui Chengdao's brother-in-law and also the person he trusts most," Wang Hong said, stroking his beard.

"Push Jingyang Hou out?" A hint of hesitation flashed across Lin Peng's face. "His interests are deeply intertwined with ours. I'm afraid he'll be desperate and expose us too."

A ruthless glint flashed in Wang Hong's eyes. "If he knows what's good for him and obediently admits his crimes, we can still protect his family's future wealth and honor; if he dares to cause trouble, don't blame us for being impolite."

We've secretly gathered a lot of dirt on him, and we'll present it all to Chu Zhiyi. He won't be able to escape then.

After discussing it, everyone felt that although the plan was risky, it was the only way out at the moment, so they all nodded in agreement.

Meanwhile, Chu Zhiyi had already received the evidence of injustice presented by Zhi Mo in the Imperial Study. He carefully read through each letter, his eyes growing increasingly cold.

“These people dare to be so audacious, colluding with each other, embezzling and breaking the law. They deserve to die.” He slammed the letter heavily on the table. “Tomorrow, I will make them all confess and submit to the law.”

The next morning, the ministers went to the Golden Palace to attend the morning court session with trepidation.

Chu Zhiyi sat high in the main seat, his eyes sharp and cold as he surveyed the crowd below. His voice was steady yet carried an air of authority: "My lords, this morning at court, we will do only one thing: find out the accomplices of the traitor Cui Chengdao and eliminate them all."

The imperial court was deathly silent. The ministers all wore solemn expressions, their heads bowed, and no one uttered a sound.

Seeing this, Chu Zhiyi did not get angry. Instead, she narrowed her eyes slightly and said slowly, "I am well aware that the situation in the court is complex and people's hearts are unpredictable. But today, I will give you all a chance, a chance to confess your crimes and redeem yourselves through meritorious service."

If anyone steps forward to expose the crimes of Choi Sung-do's accomplices, I will certainly treat them leniently and ensure the safety of their family.

However, these words seemed to sink without a trace, and the audience remained silent.

The ministers looked at each other, their eyes filled with wariness and resistance, and none of them were willing to speak first.

Seeing this, a cold glint flashed in Chu Zhiyi's eyes. He slightly raised his hand, and the eunuch beside him immediately understood and presented a sealed box.

Chu Zhiyi slowly opened the box, took out a stack of letters, and gently waved them: "These are letters seized from the Duke of Xingguo's mansion. They clearly record some of the dealings between the officials and Cui Chengdao. Now that things have come to this, do you still want to continue to hide it?"

These words caused an uproar in the court. The ministers, who had been feigning composure, suddenly changed their expressions.

Minister of Personnel Wang Hong was the first to lose his composure. He stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Highness is wise. I suddenly remembered that Marquis Jingyang, Gu Bin, is Cui Chengdao's brother-in-law, and the two have a very close relationship."

Furthermore, as far as I know, the case in which the Duke of Ningguo was framed was partly orchestrated by the Marquis of Jingyang, and that dragon robe was made by the Gu family's weaving workshop.

Jingyang Hou Gu Bin's face instantly turned red. He stood up abruptly, pointed at Wang Hong, and glared angrily: "Wang Hong, you old thief, don't try to make baseless accusations!"

I have plenty of evidence of your collusion with Choi Sung-do. Don't think you can escape punishment just because you spoke first!

Seeing the two arguing, Chu Zhiyi's eyes flashed with a barely perceptible coldness. He continued to guide them calmly: "It seems that you two have a lot of inside information. Very good, why don't you tell me in detail? I will make a fair judgment after listening."

Under Chu Zhiyi's verbal pressure, Wang Hong gritted his teeth and decided to strike first, revealing everything he knew about Jingyang Hou's involvement in secret transactions and schemes related to Cui Chengdao.

Marquis Jingyang was not to be outdone. He glared at Wang Hong with wide eyes and spoke as sharp as knives: "Wang Hong, do you think I don't know that you openly accepted bribes and sold official positions during the appointment process?"

Many talented and virtuous people were ruthlessly suppressed by you because they lacked the money to bribe officials, thus ending their careers; while those mediocre people who flattered and became wealthy rose rapidly in rank thanks to the power in your hands.

Moreover, during the evaluation of officials, you distort the truth and disregard the facts, maliciously belittling those with outstanding political achievements while praising those who flatter you, causing the atmosphere in the court to become chaotic and corrupt.

You colluded with Cui Chengdao, placing his cronies in the appointment of officials, dividing up the court's profits, and embezzling and exploiting taxes from various regions to line your own pockets. You are truly a parasite on the nation, and your crimes are unforgivable!

Upon hearing Jingyang Hou's words, Wang Hong broke out in a cold sweat and hurriedly scolded him, "Gu Bin, shut up!"

Marquis Jingyang sneered: "Why should I shut up? The shameful things you've done will be exposed in the court today!"

After saying that, he turned to Chu Zhiyi and said, "Your Highness, my family has evidence of Wang Hong accepting bribes and selling official positions. Every single one of these transactions is recorded clearly."

"Alright, I'll send someone to go home with you to retrieve it!" Chu Zhiyi then summoned a guard and ordered him to accompany Marquis Jingyang back to retrieve the evidence.

Upon seeing this, Wang Hong turned pale with fright, his legs went weak, and he almost collapsed to the ground.

The other ministers in the court were also shocked and began to whisper among themselves.

Chu Zhiyi watched this scene with secret delight. What he wanted was for these people to fight like dogs and expose all their dirty secrets.

Seeing that Wang Hong and Jingyang Hou had completely broken off relations, the other officials who were involved with Cui Chengdao began to get restless.

Some people think that it's better to confess voluntarily than to be exposed by others, and perhaps they can get lenient treatment.

As a result, officials came forward one after another to confess the crimes of their accomplices that they knew about, and the court was filled with denunciations.

As Chu Zhiyi listened to the successive revelations, he had long anticipated that there would be chaos in the court. However, when the truth gradually surfaced and he learned that six or seven out of ten officials had vested interests with Cui Chengdao or Cui Jintang, even with his rock-solid mind, he couldn't help but feel a sudden shock and a chill ran down his spine.

But he remained expressionless, only his eyes grew increasingly deep and sharp.

After the murmurs subsided, Chu Zhiyi slowly rose, his gaze sweeping across the court with an air of authority. His deep yet clear voice echoed throughout every corner: "What happened today is truly appalling! The court has been corrupted to this extent by these parasites; it is a disgrace to our dynasty!"