To the First Emperor of Qin: The state has decreed this!

Chapter 150: Zhang Fan is to immediately meet the Emperor in the capital!

On the other side...

The civil officials, led by Li Si, reacted quite differently.

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger!"

Li Si was the first to kneel down!

Behind him, a sea of ​​civil officials immediately knelt down as well.

They were shocked, angry, but even more terrified!

Who recommended Feng Jing to be the prefect?

Who were involved in his promotion process?

They knelt down, both to apologize and to distance themselves from the situation.

At the same time, almost every kneeling civil official had one name pop into their mind—Zhang Fan!

It's definitely him!

Wherever this jinx goes, there will be no peace!

Among the kneeling crowd, two people exchanged a glance.

One of them was Luo Lang, a high-ranking official.

He was in charge of ancestral temple rituals, sacrifices, and calendar.

Another person.

He was Wu Liang, the Secretary of the Imperial Household Department.

He was able to get out of bed and attend court after only one month of recuperation.

Laurent lowered his voice and said:

"Zhang Fan is still alive!"

"Didn't I specifically write a letter back then, urging Feng Jing to pay attention to Zhang Fan?"

"How could he do such a job! A complete waste!"

Wu Liang's face was even more gloomy than his, because half of this anger was directed at him.

He forced out a few words through gritted teeth:

"Shut up! Feng Jing, I was the one who recommended him!"

These words instantly silenced Laurent!

Feng Jing is Wu Liang's man!

Now that Feng Jing has made such a big mistake, not only has he failed to eliminate Zhang Fan, but he has also been stabbed by Zhang Fan in the back!

They've created a hole that could be huge!

As the recommender, Wu Liang bears the brunt of the blame and cannot escape responsibility!

At a time when the ministers had differing thoughts.

Ying Zheng's voice rang out again.

"Feng Jing, who recommended you in the first place?"

A simple, unassuming sentence froze the air in the entire Qilin Hall.

All eyes were on them, whether with sympathy or simply as a bystander.

At this moment, they all glanced, intentionally or unintentionally, at Wu Liang, the Minister of Grain Administration.

Pfft!

Wu Liang could no longer hold on; his knees buckled, and he collapsed heavily to the ground with a thud.

He was already recovering from a serious illness and was physically weak!

Under the First Emperor's almost tangible gaze, he felt dizzy and his vision blurred.

He knew there was no escaping it.

Wu Liang trembled as he kowtowed forward, his voice hoarse.

"Your Majesty... Feng Jing... was... was recommended by your subject..."

Admit it!

Although everyone knew the truth!

But when Wu Liang admitted it himself, the atmosphere in the hall became even more eerie.

however.

Wu Liang did not plead guilty.

He suddenly raised his head and shouted:

"But I recommended him because I value his past experience as a local official!"

"He still possesses considerable talent and is fairly loyal to the empire!"

"I never expected this!"

"He is such a wicked and depraved person!"

"I have failed in my judgment of character and in my misuse of personnel, thus betraying Your Majesty's grace. I... deserve to die!"

As he spoke, he slammed his head heavily against the cold gold bricks, tears streaming down his face.

This performance was truly heartfelt and vividly portrayed.

Followed by.

He then changed the subject.

"His Majesty!"

Wu Liang's voice trembled.

"Your Majesty, I dare to make a guess! This person's surname is Feng!"

"Shangdang Commandery is adjacent to Zhao territory, so he... he might be related to the clan of Feng Yuan, the traitor who has already been executed by His Majesty!"

"There's a hidden connection!"

"When snakes and rats are in the same nest, their hearts are bound to be different!"

"Your Majesty, I was deceived by this fiend's feigned loyalty!"

These words were undeniably venomous!

He directly targeted Feng Yuan's family.

Upon hearing this, Ying Zheng's cold expression remained unchanged, but a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

"Oh? It's related to Feng Yuan?"

He asked softly in return, his voice tinged with amusement.

"The entire Feng family has long since turned to dust!"

"Wu, the Imperial Secretary, is indeed meticulous; how could he find such a connection for me from these old documents?"

This statement came out.

Wu Liang's body stiffened abruptly, and cold sweat instantly soaked through his court robes.

His Majesty doesn't believe it!

His Majesty is mocking him, saying that he's willing to do anything to escape punishment, even the dead!

But Ying Zheng did not press the matter further!

He knew perfectly well that there must be something between Wu Liang and Feng Jing!

But just as Wu Liang had calculated, there was indeed no direct evidence at the moment.

Just now.

"His Majesty!"

Fengchang Luo Lang stepped forward, knelt beside Wu Liang, and earnestly advised:

"Your Majesty is wise!"

"What Wu Neishi said, though a guess, is not without merit!"

"However, regardless of Feng Jing's background, his crimes were committed solely by him. The law is clear, and the guilty party should not be held responsible!"

"Minister Wu devoted himself to managing the nation's finances day and night, toiling tirelessly until he fell ill from overwork. His loyalty is evident to all!"

"I implore Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly and not let the heart of a loyal minister be chilled by the actions of a single wicked villain!"

His words were spoken in a grand and impeccable manner.

This both exonerated Wu Liang and inadvertently earned him some credit.

Ying Zheng coldly watched the two ministers kneeling below, their voices echoing each other, his murderous intent only growing stronger.

But he didn't react; instead, he slowly turned his gaze to the other side.

"Prime Minister!"

Ying Zheng asked calmly, "What's your opinion on this matter?"

coming!

Li Si's heart skipped a beat!

He knew that this was the most difficult question of the day!

His Majesty didn't ask anyone else, but specifically asked him, just to see his attitude!

Following Luo Lang and Wu Liang's lead, they characterized the matter as Feng Jing's personal behavior, making a big fuss about it and then letting it go easily?

Or should we go along with the military officers' wishes and insist on a thorough investigation, implicating Wu Liang and others as well?

Li Si's mind was racing.

Zhang Fan...it's Zhang Fan again!

This young man seemed to be his natural nemesis!

Every time he gets into trouble, he puts himself in a dilemma!

But this time, Li Si had made up his mind.

He was almost certain that His Majesty would side with Zhang Fan!

The reason is simple: Crown Prince Fusu was present!

Moreover, Zhang Fan bypassed all procedures and sent this secret report directly via express courier!

Would Zhang Fan have dared to do this without His Majesty's tacit approval?

If we speak up for Wu Liang now, we'll be defying the dragon's scales!

Thinking about this...

Li Si kowtowed respectfully and said in a deep voice:

"Your Majesty, I believe..."

"This matter is appalling and undermines the foundation of the nation; it must be thoroughly investigated!"

Wu Liang and Luo Lang's expressions changed instantly!

But Li Si's next words put them at ease.

"However, the report is ultimately only one side of the story!"

"While Feng Jing and the others certainly deserve to die, it is difficult to determine whether there is any connection behind them or what the real case is based on just a bamboo slip."

Li Dun paused, then looked up at Ying Zheng.

He then gave his final advice:

"The key figure in this case is the Immortal Master Zhang Fan!"

"He is both a hero who uncovered this case and the only eyewitness!"

"To ensure fairness, I humbly request Your Majesty to issue an edict summoning Zhang Fan back to the capital for an immediate audience!"

"Once he arrives in the capital and confronts all parties, the whole truth will surely be revealed to the world!"