The Empress's No.1 Lackey-Chapter 160 - 140, I want to sit at the poker table.

Reports... more reports...

In the courtyard, the summer heat was intense, yet inside the hall, Yuann Li suddenly had a sense of déjà vu.

He faintly recalled that night, the night Zhao Douan had come to report.

Just after he had given a lengthy speech, urging the other party not to rush, saying that Zhou Cheng’s faults were hard to catch, you said you found them... Yuann Li’s heart skipped a beat, he straightened his face slightly furrowed his brow:

"Wrongly killing a court senior official, violating the law and discipline, do you know what you are talking about?"

Having held a high position for so long, Yuann Li was used to seeing many subordinates who exaggerated their reports.

Though Zhao Douan was capable, he was still young, and perhaps he really had found some clues, but the words "wrongful killing of a senior official" were not to be used carelessly.

Thus, his words carried a bit of a warning.

Zhao Douan replied with frustration:

"The subordinate was silent just now because I was thinking, I’m not sure if the evidence I found counts as ’minor matters’ as Mr. Yuann mentioned. After all, it only involves the deaths of a Junior Minister of the Ministry of Justice, an Imperial Censor, and a dozen tangled officials."

Hearing the first part of his sentence, Yuann Li’s body relaxed, thinking it indeed was not a serious matter.

But upon hearing the latter part, this influential Big Qingyi suddenly looked up, his tea bowl tilted in his hands, spilling some tea without care.

Trivial?

The deaths of a dozen officials?

He was stunned for a moment, wondering if he had heard wrong.

Seeing Zhao Douan’s assured and confident demeanor, he took a tight breath.

Even with his strategem, he couldn’t contain the shock that appeared on his face, but he quickly composed himself and said sternly:

"Explain clearly!"

"Yes!" Zhao Douan stopped quibbling.

Immediately, he explained in detail how his colleague had found the missing file, how he had found the descendants of Xue Lin, and learned the truth about the old case.

Yuann Li listened quietly, not interrupting.

When he finished, this current Imperial Censor sat upright, his gaze sharp:

"Do you believe what the descendant said?"

Without hesitation, Zhao Douan firmly said, "The subordinate believes there must be something fishy."

Yuann Li stood up, slowly paced the hall pondering, and after a moment sighed:

"Xue Lin, I also heard of him in my early years, never dealt with him personally, but knew of his reputation. Hearing later that he was imprisoned, I also felt pity. As for the eunuch Wang Zhen... hmph."

He snorted coldly, his disdain for the person overflowing in his words.

Zhao Douan had also risen early, blinking:

"Since Mr. Yuan also heard of this matter, you never investigated it?"

Yuann Li gave him a glance, irritably said:

"Thirteen years ago, I was an official in another region, by the time I returned to the Capital, several years had already passed."

So that was it.

Yuann Li had no personal connection to Xue Lin, and after so many years, it was a bore to dig into an old case.

If not for Haitang seeking merit by investigating, if not for the Empress’s decree, this old case would only be sealed up in a dark Archival Repository until it was forgotten.

Zhao Douan respectfully said:

"The subordinate reached this point in the investigation and realized that to find the erased clues by myself is indeed difficult.

Especially involving breaking through the barriers of various government offices, not being a Master of the Imperial Court, hence I took the liberty of visiting, hoping Mr. Yuan would lend a hand."

Yuann Li was not surprised, fell silent for a moment, then said:

"Give me a reason. A reason to help you."

An old case from a "previous dynasty," judging by the former Imperial Censor, and finalized by the late Emperor himself.

Even if it was wrong, Yuann Li had no reason to make a big fuss about it.

Zhao Douan did not hesitate, and said:

"According to what the subordinate knows, Zhou Cheng and Li Yanfu are closely connected, and he controls one of the Three Legal Departments, and many matters handled by the Imperial Court of Supervision are also subject to his constraints."

Just like in the past, Xue Lin could repeatedly reject the reviews of the Imperial Court of Supervision, and today’s Zhou Cheng also imposed restrictions on Yuann Li.

The implication of Zhao Douan’s words was that Zhou Cheng was also an enemy to Yuann Li; if he could be eliminated, it would bring great benefits to the Imperial Court of Supervision.

Yuann Li stared down at him, squinting and asking, "Is that all?"

Zhao Douan lowered his eyes and nodded, "That’s it."

The hall fell silent for a moment.

Suddenly, the previously authoritative Yuan Qingyi laughed, his sharp eyes turning to admiration.

He stepped forward, sat back in the chair, and spoke softly:

"I thought, just now you might use the task given to you by Her Majesty as a reason."

But Zhao Douan shook his head earnestly:

"This is a task given to the subordinate by Her Majesty, not to Mr. Yuan."

By rights, since the Empress had commanded Zhao Douan to investigate, it was a "royal privilege," and he could fully order the Imperial Court of Supervision to cooperate.

Otherwise, he could appeal to the Empress.

But reason is just "reason."

When Zhao Douan had graduated, he also believed "justice prevails," always striving to clarify right and wrong.

After working, he realized the rules of this world never concern "reason."

"Right and wrong" are vital to the parties involved, but outsiders never care.

Just like before he traveled through time watching "Rushing 2" in the cinema, Shen Teng tearfully said he didn’t care about his ranking but wanted to be cleared of accusations.

Even in the world of that movie, no one cared about these, only the outcomes mattered.

Of course, he could have threatened Yuann Li with escalating to the Empress, but doing so would make a strong enemy for himself and harm the resolution of the problem.

So, even if Yuann Li asked, he never mentioned the "Empress."

Only explained how defeating Zhou Cheng could benefit the Imperial Court of Supervision.

Yuann Li, listening, had his admiration intensify.

If Zhao Douan had used the authority of the Empress, Yuann Li would still have helped.

With his magnanimity, he wouldn’t dislike or resent Zhao Douan for it.

But... his assessment of him would inevitably drop several levels, believing his future achievements would be limited.

Mixing in the court, if one doesn’t know how to garner allies, even if one rises momentarily, it would only be a flash in the pan.

"Very well," Yuann Li pondered for a moment and said,

"Bringing down Zhou Cheng would indeed benefit me, but if the case is not as you have investigated, or if sufficient evidence cannot be found, then the involvement of the Imperial Court of Supervision would lead to a fallout with the Ministry of Justice.

At that time, the consequences of antagonizing Zhou Cheng would have to be borne by the Imperial Court of Supervision."

There were indeed risks, but if successful, the rewards would be substantial... Zhao Douan remained silent, waiting for what would come next.

Yuann Li pondered for a moment and smiled, saying,

"So, you have two choices before you.

The first is, I can help you with everything needed for this case, even if the evidence is insufficient, I can help you ’supplement’ it, and I can take on any retaliation from Zhou Cheng on your behalf.

You can enjoy the outcomes and complete the task assigned by Her Majesty, but... if successful, you can only claim a small portion of the credit."

The implication was clear:

Yuann Li also believed this was a good opportunity, and he was willing to act against Zhou Cheng.

However, the majority of the fruits of victory must go to the Imperial Court of Supervision.

"What’s the second choice?" Zhao Douan asked.

Yuann Li slowly said,

"As for the second, I will provide what you need and help you obtain it. But that is all I will do; how you manage to defeat him afterward is up to you, or the Imperial Court behind you.

You will have to bear the brunt of Zhou Cheng’s subsequent series of retaliations alone, I will not shield you from them...

However, correspondingly, if successful, you can claim the majority of the credit, and the Imperial Court of Supervision will only want a small part. You can take your time to think it over and give me your answer."

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"No need to think," Zhao Douan replied without hesitation,

"I choose the second option, please grant me your support, Mr. Yuan."

Yuann Li quietly scrutinized him, reminding him,

"Be sure to think it through; once you start investigating, there’s no turning back. Even if you can conceal it temporarily, Zhou Cheng will eventually find out.

At that time, facing the full force of a Third-Rank Official, even with Ma Yan’s support, it will not be easy.

Just like in the case of Pei Kaizhi, if I hadn’t been at the forefront, you would have already been thrown into the imprisonment.

Don’t think that just because you are wearing Jinyi, those high-ranking court officials can’t touch you."

Zhao Douan spoke earnestly,

"Thank you for your guidance, Mr. Yuan. I am well aware that Pei Kaizhi was brought down because the entire Imperial Court of Supervision took action.

If I were alone, even if I had turned Lv Liang against them or caused a rift between that father-in-law and son-in-law duo, it would have been useless and I would have been crushed by Pei Kaizhi’s countermeasures. But..."

He paused, pursed his lips, and slowly said,

"But... at that time, I was just a powerless envoy. Now, things are different.

Of course, I know that as a Master of Lihua Hall, compared to Zhou Cheng, a significant of the nine ministers, I am still just an ant... yet..."

He suddenly laughed, a laugh that was somewhat arrogant, fierce, and ambitious:

"But, I too want to be a chess player this time."

A chess player!

In the case of Pei Kaizhi, although Zhao Douan referred to himself as a "chess player," he was ultimately just a chess piece, with Yuann Li being the one who played the chess.

The player could devour the largest piece of the cake.

But this time, facing Zhou Cheng, that plump and rich piece of cake, Zhao Douan weighed his limited powers and felt somewhat tempted.

If the court struggle were an endless card game, with the Empress as the dealer,

then Zhao Douan now wanted to try and join the table.

"Mr. Yuan once taught me that if I want to achieve great things, instead of focusing on small fries, I might as well gamble big. I took that lesson to heart," said Zhao Douan.

Silence.

In the blazing summer, the burning sun in the courtyard seemed dull compared to the sharp light in the young man’s eyes.

Yuann Li quietly watched him, the crow’s feet by his eyes suddenly becoming finer, as if seeing his younger self.

"Good," he suddenly laughed heartily, then with a wave of his loose sleeve:

"As you wish! This time, I want to see if you, a mere Master, can take down an elephant."

Zhao Douan respectfully bowed,

"Thank you for your support, Mr. Yuan."

Yuann Li glanced at him,

"Let me know which specifics to investigate, present them to me."

Zhao Douan pulled out from his bosom the last page of the dossier,

The sheet that recorded the densely packed names, sealed by Zhou Cheng during that year.

"Please help me collect the archival documents related to this case from that year.

And also where the officials from the Ministry of Justice serving at the Imperial Court of Supervision during that time are located now.

If they are deceased, any direct descendants...

Though many documents were ’disappeared,’ such a significant case inevitably left many indelible traces.

What I need is to gather these already scattered, disrupted, and buried evidences, and reassemble them.

To form ironclad evidence strong enough to nail Zhou Cheng in court."

Yuann Li reached out his hand to take it, glancing it over.

Those dense, sprawling threads stretching out through various government offices and even beyond Capital that greatly troubled Haitang and Zhang Han.

In the eyes of this First-rank official of the current dynasty, however, they seemed to pose no obstacle.

"Come here."

Yuann Li called for someone, it was that "Yuann family coachman" who was always by his side.

He relayed what Zhao Douan needed, and finally said,

"Before tomorrow, gather everything, and deliver it to Lihua Hall, remember, be cautious, don’t draw public attention."

Decisive and commanding.

"As you command." The Yuann family coachman bowed and departed without any delay.

Zhao Douan was stunned for a moment, then said hurriedly, "Actually, there’s no rush..."

After all, those many names involved various government office locations.

But Yuann Li simply remained calm and lightly stated, "One day is sufficient."

Zhao Douan’s heart raced.

An issue that left the three branches of the Imperial Court helpless, Yuann Li resolved with a single sentence.