Chapter 82 – Empress with No Virtue
DECEMBER 22, 2016 ~ LAMLAM1990
Hi!………….. (shy)
As Ji Wu Jiu and Ye Zhen Zhen continued on their travels, the sounds of disharmony begins to increase, one of the reasons being the local magistrate increasing the taxes on the citizens making the citizens suffer.
All this was already reported to the main court earlier on, but now to personally experience the case makes people more angry and empathic.
Ye Zhen Zhen felt that it was kinda weird, “Although all crows are black, why is the crows at JiangSu more black? Is there something wrong with the land and water?”
Ji Wu Jiu answered, “I think it’s just the pillar on top is not straight, so the pillar below is crooked” (Chinese proverb… meaning the bad leading the bad)
The problem now is how to investigate this case. What they lack now is still evidence. Furthermore they have been in power for so long, the evidence would be well kept, so what they could do now is to find loopholes with those who are corrupted.
They are all working for the country, holding on to certain levels of power, it really is hard to find a point to start investigating.
While Ji Wu Jiu was trying to figure out a way to solve this problem, Ye Zhen Zhen gave him an idea.
The way Ye Zhen Zhen handles things is different from Ji Wu Jiu. He is someone who calculates everything to detail and makes sure his plan is perfect, and to be captured by him would only leave that person unable to fight back and can only call him cunning. Ye Zhen Zhen is different, Ji Wu Jiu thinks that she is better at poking through the defense that the opponents has, and will take the offensive side once it happens, although risky sometimes this method was also the fastest.
Like this time, she suggested to forcefully take in the Jinling Magistrate and whack him up, surely he will fess something up. Although this method sounds preposterous, but for it to be done by Ye Zhen Zhen, it seems quite reasonable. First off, it doesn’t matter whether the magistrate corrupted or not, for him to be scolded by the entire Jinling city, the beating does befit him. Furthermore, she was an appointed envoy, as well as the empress. However she wants to beat him up is also possible, and he can’t even complain about it. What can you do about it?
But, in order to avoid the plan getting leaked, and alerting the other corrupted magistrates, they can’t barge in to his house straight. So what should they do?
Ji Wu Jiu has an idea. The commander Wei of Jinling was just recently changed, previously he was in Ye Lei Ting’s army, and had also joined the war at Liao Dong, so he knew Ji Wu Jiu. Since he was new, so he should not have been involved in the corruption and also cause he is in charge of the army only. So using his name to invite the Jinling magistrate to visit the army camp would not be suspicious.
The both of them indeed went with this idea. Jinling’s magistrate was called Chang Yu, a fatty, how fat he is? The very first moment Ye Zhen Zhen met him, she found him having troubles walking, and perhaps rolling him up would be more convenient.
Chang Yu thought that commander wei wanted to build some relations with him, but who knew after a few exchange of pleasantries, it seem like the commander didn’t have that type of plan, but instead said that there was someone that wanted to meet him.
The person was an appointed envoy, and was holding an imperial verdict.
Chang Yu didn’t really believe when he first heard it. An imperial envoy visiting Jiang Su, how come he didn’t receive any news about it before?
But, commander Wei is a 3rd rank officer, there is no need to help a fake envoy to meet up with him right?
Ye Zhen Zhen, didn’t care whether Chang Yu believed it or not, she ordered for him to be tied up and hanged on top of a big round tree. If it was a normal person, she would have hung him high up in the air, but this fatty made the tree trunk seem like it was going to break, so Ye Zhen Zhen just let him kept his toes tipped.
He has never seen this type of envoy before, without even questioning anything, he was already tied up, the court is now using this type of ruthless people?
“Envoy, may I ask for your esteem name and your rank?” Chang Yu thinks that he first need to know who and where did this person come from.
“You, really want to know?” Ye Zhen Zhen said, while holding on to her whip, holding it up against his fat cheeks, “My surname is Ye”
In the capital, there are a few envoys with the surname Ye, most probably coming from Ye Ge lao’s manor. It’s just that Ye Xiu Ming has already retired, and Ye family has lost power, this was something the whole world knows, now this little doll like envoy doesn’t seem that scary anymore. His face gaining a smile, he said “Ye Envoy, please let me down, let’s speak about matters properly”
Ye Zhen Zhen replied, “If you are willing to talk things properly, I will naturally let you down. I know that you are a magistrate, however the whip in my hands doesn’t”
Without continuing she has already lifted the whip and let it hit the ground hardly.
Chang Yu shivered with shock, “If there is anything you want to know, please ask, I will definitely tell the truth”
“Recently at Jiang Su, the officials that are corrupting has been increasing, you better tell me everything in detail. I want to know who, and where does the money go.”
“…” That was really to straightforward! Chang Yu has been in politics for about 20 years, and was accustomed to turning around the bushes, suddenly for her to be so straightforward, he felt really unaccustomed, making him stutter “Si.. sir.. sir, you must be joking, I…I.. have been a clean official all this while…. Ouch!!”
Ye Zhen Zhen was impatient listening to him, retreating a few steps back, and whipped him, hence his shout.
Chang Yu was in pain till his face turned green, as well as a bit angry, suppressing his anger, “Sir, you have not investigate this matter properly and dare hit an official, it does not seem like you are under the verdict of the emperor”
What he meant was, daring to act as you like to me, are you not afraid that I will report you to the emperor!
Zhen Zhen laughed and say, “The emperor is my husband, taking your life would not be a problem, what more just a few whips”
“You..you.. you are the empress?!” Chang Yu’s eyes opened widely in shock, his gaze moving up and down and saw her chest, it does seem slightly larger than a men’s would. Just now he was to nervous to realize.
This is really unbelievable, but if she really is the empress, then why would she suddenly appear as an envoy, also for an envoy to be so out of character, this questions seems to be answerable.
Chang Yu just only wanted to say something, he saw a young man appearing next to the envoy, lifting up his sword case and aimed it directly towards his face harshly!
Making his head turned sideways, face filled with shock, and he only regain his senses in a while. His face was very swollen by now, his rear tooth has also been broken, bleeding and painful at the same time.
“Why did you hit me!” He asked angrily
The envoy was also surprised when she heard him asking, so she turned around and asked “That’s right, why did you hit him?”
That young man has now return to stand behind her, without any expression. Upon hearing her asking, he answered, “Cause I feel like it”
Chang Yu “…”.
Ji Wu Jiu, indeed wasn’t able to calm himself down. To be honest, he was trying his best to surpress himself already…. Her face, her body, her everything..there is nothing about her that doesn’t attract other people. Ji Wu Jiu understands what does their gaze mean, and also know what they are thinking in their minds, and everything he thinks about this, he will feel very angry. But what to do, who ask s his wife to be so attractive. Therefore, after suppressing himself for so long, today when he notice Chang Yu’s gaze looking towards her chest, he was no longer able to calm himself.
This type of temperamental attendant surely was the result of her being the boss in the palace, and has the ability to ignore court officials.
Dear God, why did you let me meet with this type of person….
Ye Zhen Zhen saw that he is starting to believe, therefore she asks, “ So you decide to acknowledge ?”
“ Your majesty, you must be kidding, there is really nothing that I can admit to. Why don’t you let me down, and I will treat you with honor? Jinling City, has many interesting places, as well as a lot of pretty girls around.
This person’s mouth was really hard, Ye Zhen Zhen called upon a soldier that was good at using the whip, and asked him to hit Chang Yu, whip by whip. Cannot hit him too hard or too fast, must make him last, this way he will surely admit.
Injustice……
Chang Yu realized he found his ill-fated match. He was normally the big boss here, if he were to meet a normal envoy, surely he could have found a way to win that person over. However this person now is really too overbearing, hitting him straight away! Using the whip! Not to mention she was the emperor’s wife, even if he was whipped to death, there is nothing he could do. The emperor would never say that his own wife would be at fault for a mere lowly city magistrate. Even he really wants to punish her, it will end at the bed, just a small punishment!
However, whats the difference with admitting his fault
Ye Zhen Zhen managed to pick the right timing to say, “If you admit it, at most your possession would be consficated and sent to the borders, and still keeping your life. There will surely a chance for you to become someone again.
Chang Yu replies “ Your majesty, if you hit me to death, although the emperor might not punish you, but aren’t you afraid of the citizens?”
Ye Zhen Zhen calmly lay back on the chair, and answered, “Official Chang, do you think I am a foolish person? If you were to just grab anyone from the streets of Jinling, and asks if Magistrate Chang was whipped to death, I wonder if they start clapping with happiness, furthermore even if you really die here today, do you think anyone would know? Is there anyone who would leak it out?
Chang Yu starts to lose hope; he met the blackest person in the court. Really black!
Although slightly wavering, but this matter involves a lot of people. While Chang Yu was receiving his whips, he was still contemplating on the consequences if he were to admit, if he were to live on, how much chances of him not being revenged in the future. In the end, Ye Zhen Zhen’s one sentence crushed his last waver. She said, “It’s fine if you don’t admit, since there are still a lot of people I can choose from, we can do it one by one”
That’s right, there is not only one person who knew about this matter. If he doesn’t admit he will confirm die, if he admit there is still a chance for survival. He is at his wits end now, there is no time to think about his future, what is most important is to first keep his little life!
Therefore Chang Yu shouted out “ I will admit, I will tell everything!”
Ye Zhen Zhen stood up, upon hearing his words, smiling while walking towards him, “If so, then Official Chang, please take your time to heal here. Remember, the only person who admitted was not only you, if you are going to play a fool with me, you will still lose your life. It is way too easy for me to kill a person or two, understood?”
Chang Yu nodded, “Understood, I understand everything”
Zhen Zhen waved her hands to let him down. The soldiers was too busy letting him down and ignored the injured Chang Yu, upon letting the string off, his strength less legs quivered and he ended up on the floor.
Ji Wu Jiu took the opportunity to give him another kick, holding on to his collars, giving him a nice kick.
The soldiers were impressed, Magistrate Chang was not a normal person, being able to carry such a heavy person up, this young man was really strong.
Chang Yu was let down, to stand up properly. He wanted to take the opportunity to make good relations with this young man, so he said “Many thanks, Gong-gong (eunuch)
“….”
Chang Yu didn’t understand why, he has already admitted everything, but that guy still beat him up.