PC Chapter 30

The next morning, a rare visitor arrived at the Su residence. Su Cen was picked up by a eunuch from the palace before he had even finished breakfast, told that the young Emperor was interested in the scholar case from a while ago and wanted Su Cen to come to the palace to give a report.

Su Cen arrived early, but still had to wait in the Zichen Hall until noon to meet the young Emperor. The Emperor had just finished the morning court session, accompanied by the Right Chancellor, Liu Cheng. Su Cen knelt to pay his respects, and the young Emperor, still trying to maintain an air of authority, childishly waved for him to rise.

Although they had only met twice, it was clear the young Emperor had a favorable impression of Su Cen, smiling as he asked, “I heard from Brother Yang that you solved that scholar case from the examination hall?”

Su Cen thought to himself: That rascal Zheng Yang sold him out to Li Shi before, and now he’s trying to make up for it by giving him a chance to shine in front of the Emperor, hoping for a future in the imperial court.

Su Cen modestly replied, “Thanks to Your Majesty’s great favor, I was lucky to stumble upon the solution.”

“But Brother Yang said you solved the case in a single day. Tell me, how did you do it?” the Emperor asked excitedly.

Su Cen glanced at Liu Cheng, noticing a slight displeasure on his face, and then smiled faintly. “Before I tell Your Majesty about the case, how about I first tell you a story?”

“A few decades ago, a scholar traveled to the capital for the imperial examination, passing through a desolate mountain, which we’ll call Wangmu Mountain for now. On this mountain lived bandits. By chance, the scholar encountered them just as they were coming down to collect tolls. The scholar was from a poor family and had no money, so the bandits took him up the mountain with them.”

“As it happens, the leader of the bandits was a woman. She found the scholar quite handsome and talented, so that very night, she tied him up and married him. At first, the scholar was despondent, refusing food and drink, wishing for death. But the female leader treated him with utmost care, personally cooking for him when he wouldn’t eat. Eventually, the scholar was moved by her kindness, and over time, he developed feelings for her.”

Liu Cheng, who had been listening silently, increasingly sensed something amiss and angrily interrupted, “What nonsense! Su Cen, stop evading the subject!”

Su Cen obediently fell silent and looked to the young Emperor for guidance.

Sure enough, the young Emperor frowned slightly and said to Liu Cheng, “I want to hear the story.”

Liu Cheng snorted heavily.

Su Cen smiled faintly, knowing the young Emperor would enjoy this kind of romantic story. He continued, “The two of them lived happily on Wangmu Mountain for a few years. But one day, the scholar received a letter from home, saying his mother was gravely ill and wished to see her son pass imperial examination before she died. The scholar was reminded of his original purpose in coming to the capital. He wanted to leave but couldn’t bear to part with the female leader. The leader, seeing his daily melancholy, understood his dilemma. In the end, she decided to disband the bandits and accompany him to the capital to take the imperial exam.”

The young Emperor was visibly excited and asked eagerly, “And then what happened?”

Su Cen, of course, knew what the Emperor was anticipating—a tale where the scholar and the bandit leader would live happily ever after. But this was a story tied to a murder case.

Su Cen lowered his gaze and said, “Then, the scholar died.”

The young Emperor was clearly taken aback.

“The scholar, after entering the capital, somehow offended a powerful figure in the court and was murdered in the examination hall. The female bandit leader waited outside the examination hall for three days, but her beloved never emerged. With no way to seek justice through the authorities, she decided to take matters into her own hands to avenge the scholar.”

The young Emperor, now saddened, asked, “What did she do?”

“She began killing,” Su Cen said, meeting the young Emperor’s gaze with a serious expression. “She specifically targeted top-scoring scholars, using the scholar’s ghost as a cover. Her belief was that the one who had killed the scholar would be frightened by these murders and, in an attempt to drive away the ghost or catch the killer, would reveal themselves.”

Su Cen paused before continuing, “This is the origin of the scholar case. The only difference is that the female bandit was replaced by the scholar’s father, who used the guise of a ghost to murder, seeking vengeance for his son.”

“Nonsense!” Liu Cheng shouted, pointing at Su Cen. “If you’re here to report the case, then report it properly. Stop fabricating stories to confuse everyone!”

Su Cen remained calm and unafraid, cupping his hands in respect and smiling at Liu Cheng. “Your Highness, I was merely trying to make the explanation clearer for His Majesty. Given His Majesty’s youth, the details of the case might be too complex and gruesome; I didn’t want to frighten him.”

“I think Scholar Su did a fine job explaining it,” the young Emperor nodded, then turned to Su Cen and asked, “But what about the person who killed the scholar? Were they caught?”

Liu Cheng’s expression darkened sharply.

Su Cen noticed and pressed his lips together before lowering his head. “Not yet, Your Majesty.”

“Then the scholar’s father died in vain?”

“Your Majesty,” Liu Cheng interjected, stepping forward. “The scholar’s father killed many innocent scholars. He deserved his fate!”

Su Cen’s eyes sharpened. “But was the scholar not innocent too?”

“You!” Liu Cheng’s hand trembled in anger as he pointed at Su Cen, stepping forward again. “Your Majesty, this man is trying to mislead you with his twisted story. He should be imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice for a thorough interrogation!”

The young Emperor furrowed his brow, scratching his head. “Chancellor Liu, Scholar Su was just telling me a story. Why are you so upset?”

Liu Cheng glanced sideways at Su Cen, who remained calm and composed, clearly observing him. Liu Cheng instantly realized this was all part of Su Cen’s trap. He collected himself, took a deep breath, and responded, “Your Majesty, I am not angry. I am concerned that this man has ulterior motives, subtly guiding you with his biased story. I fear you might fall into his trap without realizing it.”

Su Cen quickly followed, “Your Majesty is no longer a child. I’m sure you can judge right from wrong. Chancellor Liu, are you not overstepping your role a bit?”

The two top scholars—one old and cunning, the other young and ambitious—argued intensely in court. Despite the vast difference in their ranks, Su Cen showed no fear. The young Emperor, completely absorbed in the spectacle, had forgotten the original purpose of the discussion. Few dared to challenge Liu Cheng so boldly in court; his Fourth Imperial Uncle was one, though he typically disdained getting entangled in such matters, often silencing opponents with a single remark. This lively debate was rare, and it raised the young Emperor’s opinion of Su Cen even further.

The heated argument between Su Cen and Liu Cheng was suddenly interrupted when someone pushed open the door. Both men exchanged a glance and fell silent.

It was the personal maid of Empress Dowager Chu, who entered to bow before the young Emperor, informing him that the Empress Dowager had prepared lunch and invited him to dine.

Reluctantly, the young Emperor stopped watching the argument and, before leaving, turned to Su Cen. “Scholar Su, come visit me in the palace when you’re free. I enjoy listening to your stories.”

Su Cen respectfully bowed his head and replied, “Yes, Your Majesty.”

Once the Emperor left, Liu Cheng shot Su Cen a furious glance before storming off in a huff.

As Su Cen exited the Zichen Hall, he spotted Liu Cheng walking down the Dragon Tail Path from afar. Quickening his pace, Su Cen caught up to him. This time, Su Cen was courteous, first bowing politely before saying, “I was out of line earlier. I apologize for offending you, Chancellor Liu. I hope you can be magnanimous and not hold it against me.”

“Hmph,” Liu Cheng sneered, though his expression remained stiff. “You are good at replacing the original with the fake!”

Instead of focusing on how Old Tian murdered the scholars, Su Cen had shifted the narrative to how the scholar had been wronged. The scholar case had long been closed, but Su Cen cleverly reopened the matter from over a decade ago, seeking justice for that old case. Even Liu Cheng had to admit that Su Cen’s maneuver was quite ingenious.

“You flatter me, Chancellor,” Su Cen replied, unbothered by the sarcasm in Liu Cheng’s words. He continued, “But doesn’t this case seem familiar to you, Chancellor? Interestingly enough, the scholar who died back then was named Tian Pingzhi, and he just happened to be a fellow examinee in the same imperial exam cohort as you.”

Liu Cheng flicked his sleeve. “There were so many people in each exam. How could I possibly remember them all?”

“Of course,” Su Cen smiled. “A small figure like Tian Pingzhi wouldn’t be memorable to someone like you. But do you still remember the essay topic from that year’s imperial exam?”

 

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