The Rebirth of an Ill-Fated Consort

175 - 176

Chapter 175 : Setting The Granary on Fire

All that could be seen was Zhang Ji stumbling out from the midst of a group of guards. His attire was disheveled and crumpled and his hair seemed to have been tousled so much that it was in disarray. Presently, his entire face was flushed with indignation, as if he had suffered a great insult. He did not utter a single word before kneeling down before the Emperor. He gave a few solemn bows, then proclaimed, "Your Majesty, this old official has been wronged!"

Zhang Ji had served as an official in the imperial court for many years, and could be counted as someone of prominence. His current sorry state was something that had never been seen before. Even the Emperor was not rash in reprimanding nor calling for him to be beaten, as this would dishearten the rest of his court officials. Instead, he said, "Beloved Official, please rise."

Zhang Ji raised his head but did not rush to stand up. Raising his head with indignation in his eyes, it was almost as if he would pass out in the next second. Pausing for a moment before speaking, he said, "After self reflection and soul searching, I know that in this life I have not done any despicable things, yet someone is currently determined to throw this bucket of dirty water onto my head, utterly destroying my reputation. The culprit's intentions are truly exceedingly dangerous and sinister. Begging Your Majesty to do right by this old official!"

The Emperor sighed deeply, as his gaze abruptly turned towards Xuan Hua. Xuan Hua's mouth was slightly parted, as if he was still reeling and had not yet recovered from the sudden shift in the current plot. Immediately, he sensed the Emperor's gaze and when he raised his head, he was stunned and his heart chilled at the frigid coldness emanating from the Emperor's eyes. He felt as if he was like a block of ice, frozen where he stood, utterly afraid to make any movement at all.

Zhang Ji had been found innocent and all the provisions were accounted for so this situation naturally indicated that someone had deliberately framed him. Zhang Ji had been an official all his life, and his position was of some prominence, so anyone with a brain would not have used him as a scapegoat. The other possibility was that this situation was meant to implicate and cause trouble for the person backing Zhang Ji. Had Zhang Ji actually fallen into the trap, then the first person to be implicated and most likely suspected would be Xuan Li. Moreover, everyone in the nation was well aware of who would consider Xuan Li as the biggest obstacle and eye sore, and that person would naturally be Fifth Prince, Xuan Hua.

Those officials who had just been happily 'tossing stones into the well'[1] were all silenced. Xuan Hua and his faction were too afraid to speak[2] as none of them was clear on what had just transpired. All the information that they had on hand indicated that Zhang Ji would be found guilty of stealing military provisions, however, it was clear that he had now been cleared of all charges. This meant that their information was incorrect, so how could they further exacerbate the situation and bring disaster upon themselves[3].

[1] 落井下石 (luòjǐngxiàshí) - to throw stones at somebody who has fallen down a well (idiom); to hit a person when he's down.

[2] 噤若寒蝉 (jìnruòhánchán) - to keep quiet out of fear (idiom); silent as the cicada in winter. The cicadas in winter are silent. Now it is often used as a metaphor for having scruples and not daring to speak.

[3] 往枪口上撞 (wǎng qiāng kǒushàng zhuàng) - lit."throw oneself onto the muzzle of a gun"; fig. bring about one's own destruction, ask for trouble.