Wei Yong’s face contorted. He glared at Li Qingxian with all his might before lunging inside. Luo Jing reached out to block him, and just as Wei Yong was about to shove him aside, he glimpsed the wicked eye between Luo Jing’s brows and froze, not daring to move.
Luo Jing smiled faintly. "I’ve soundproofed the area. The people inside can’t hear a thing."
"You..." Wei Yong’s eyes were bloodshot as he swept his gaze over the crowd, each person wearing a different expression.
Li Qingxian sighed. "Luo Jing, let Lord Wei through. Also, Tao Zhi has drugged and violated his superior’s wife—a heinous crime. He’ll probably try to flee, so don’t let him get away."
Luo Jing retracted his arm. Blood rushed to Wei Yong’s head as he charged to the door and kicked it with all his might.
BOOM!
The door burst into splinters, and a white mist suffused with True Essence scattered into the air.
"Tao Zhi, you ungrateful beast! How dare you harm my wife!"
Li Qingxian and the others hurried in after him.
Even Zhou Chunfeng, who was usually gentle and refined with the air of a Scholar, lifted his long robes and strode in, his expression calm and composed.
Within the parted, bright red bed curtains embroidered with mandarin ducks, the pale, fleshy figures of Tao Zhi and Madam Wei were intimately entwined, drenched in sweat as they looked toward Wei Yong.
Madam Wei, most of the powder on her face smeared away, looked utterly horrified, her face ashen.
Tao Zhi shoved Madam Wei aside. She fell backward, the back of her head hitting the wall, and a wave of dizziness washed over her.
Tao Zhi grabbed a bedsheet, wrapped it around his waist, and jumped off the bed to kneel on the floor. "Lord Wei, please, listen to me," he pleaded. "This is all..."
Wei Yong stepped forward and drove a vicious kick into Tao Zhi’s chest.
Li Qingxian quickly shouted, "Spare his life!"
Zhou Henn shot forward, kicking aside Wei Yong’s follow-up attack. He grabbed Tao Zhi by the scruff of his neck and dragged him behind him. A quick glance down showed that Tao Zhi was spitting blood and had already passed out.
A soft groan came from the bed as Madam Wei regained consciousness.
She instinctively clutched the blanket to cover herself, not daring to look at anyone. She lowered her head, letting her long hair fall and hide her face.
Her face was a mixture of shame and indignation, her eyes filled with panic and confusion.
The room was dead silent.
After a good while, Madam Wei lifted her head, glanced at Wei Yong, then looked at the unconscious Tao Zhi on the floor. A flash of hatred crossed her eyes.
’Madam Wei knew Wei Yong would be screaming for blood. She was also keenly aware that her reputation was in tatters and she was now a disgrace to her Clan. Her hatred for her husband intensified—if only he hadn’t decided not to come home tonight, none of this would have happened.’
She had a fiery temperament to begin with, so she decided she might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb. Without any attempt to hide, she began to get dressed in front of everyone.
As she dressed, she said coldly, "My Lord, I thought you weren’t coming home tonight. I certainly didn’t expect you to bring so many people to celebrate my birthday with me."
Wei Yong’s face darkened, but he suppressed his rage. "My lady," he said, "you were drugged by this Tao Zhi. You weren’t in your right mind and don’t understand what happened. Rest assured, I will punish him severely. I won’t let you be wronged like this."
Madam Wei stiffened. She lowered her head with a soft sigh and drew the bed curtains shut. After a moment of rustling, she parted them again and stepped out barefoot, now dressed in a red top and green trousers.
Tilting her head to fix her hair, Madam Wei said impassively, "My Lord is right. I’m not sure what happened myself. I just had some wine, and when I woke up, things were... like this. I suppose Tao Zhi had ill intentions, but he didn’t succeed. Everyone here is a witness..."
’Wei Yong really is a natural-born official,’ Li Qingxian thought. ’He’ll spout any lie to protect his future and reputation. He didn’t get to be a Senior Fifth Grade official for nothing. And as for Madam Wei, she’s a perfectly qualified official’s wife.’
Madam Wei suddenly stopped and glanced sharply at the group behind her husband. A look of shame and embarrassment flickered across her face. She hastily smoothed the wrinkles on her clothes, hurried over to the dressing table, and quickly applied powder to cover the passion marks on her face.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Madam Wei was finally acting normal.
The next moment, Madam Wei glanced at her reflection, then looked past her husband at Zhou Chunfeng. Placing her hands before her, she gave a slight curtsy. "Brother Chunfeng," she said softly, "I didn’t realize you would be gracing us with your presence. Things are in such a state, please don’t mind the mess."
Barefoot, Madam Wei took small steps forward, brushing past Wei Yong. She grabbed Zhou Chunfeng by the arm and practically dragged him into a chair.
Zhou Chunfeng’s expression remained neutral, but his eyes were filled with resignation, hinting that this was something he was already accustomed to.
"Madam Wei, we have met before," Zhou Chunfeng said.
"So, Brother Chunfeng still remembers little old me." Madam Wei blushed.
Li Qingxian’s eyes widened. ’What in the world is this plot twist?’
He glanced at Zhou Henn, who looked completely unfazed, as if to say, ’I knew this was going to happen.’
Li Qingxian scanned the crowd, feeling as if a dense cloud of question marks was floating over the entire room.
Wei Yong sat in a chair on the other side of the room, his face grim. He said nothing, his right hand gripping the end of the armrest.
Yan Shixiao said, "Let’s put this matter to rest. The truth is clear: Tao Zhi used a drug to defile his superior’s wife. Lord Wei, is the Finance Department still participating in our collaboration?"
Wei Yong kept his head down and said nothing.
"In that case, the collaboration is settled. As for how to handle Tao Zhi, that’s a matter for you Night Guards. This one can’t interfere," Yan Shixiao said, looking at Li Qingxian.
Li Qingxian cleared his throat. "If this were merely a case of drugging, we could hand him over to the Divine Capital Prefecture Magistrate’s Office. However, Tao Zhi also incited Lord Wei to sabotage the Night Guard’s cooperation, which could be a threat to the Inner Treasury. I believe he must be taken to the Imperial Prison for a thorough interrogation. Furthermore, given his expertise in these methods, there are bound to be numerous other victims. I suggest we coordinate with the Divine Capital Prefecture Magistrate’s Office, post public notices, and see if any other victims come forward to accuse this vile fiend!"
Wei Yong glanced at Li Qingxian, then lowered his head again.
The others stared at Li Qingxian.
If Tao Zhi had only defiled a woman, it would at most be considered a private affair. As long as Wei Yong didn’t act, the worst he would face was a Demotion, and it wouldn’t be long before he could stage a comeback.
But branding him with the crime of sabotaging the cooperation between the Inner Treasury and the Night Guard turned it into a major case involving multiple Government Offices. Tao Zhi would be lucky to get out of this with his skin intact.
As for the subsequent public call for other victims, that was a move to nail Tao Zhi’s coffin shut in the Imperial Prison. After all, if the scandal blew up, no one would be able to protect him.
Zhou Chunfeng watched Li Qingxian, a faint headache brewing. ’It’s only been a few days, and he’s already sent two Seventh Grade officials and a Tenth Grade official to prison. At this rate, he’s more efficient than my father, the Imperial Censor.’
’Is this what they call a strong family tradition?’
Zhou Chunfeng said, "Zhou Henn, take Tao Zhi to the Imperial Prison. To prevent any desperate last-ditch efforts, cripple his Dantian."
"Sir!" Zhou Henn stomped his foot viciously on Tao Zhi’s Dantian.
"PUH..."
The excruciating pain jolted Tao Zhi awake. His eyes shot open, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood before passing out again, not even having the time to register what had happened.
Zhou Henn bent down, grabbed Tao Zhi’s right ankle, and began to drag him away.
The back of Tao Zhi’s head thumped dully against the doorframe and steps, leaving a faint trail of blood on the ground as he was dragged away.
Li Qingxian remarked with a sigh, "Only yesterday, Lord Tao warned me that the winds of the Capital City are strong and that I shouldn’t let them blind me. Who would have thought he would be the first to be blinded by his own desires?"
Wei Yong slowly raised his head, looking at Li Qingxian seriously for the first time.
Li Qingxian smiled faintly. "Lord Wei, once is an accident, twice is a coincidence. We can’t have a third or fourth time. If another one of your Accountant Room Leaders runs into trouble, people might start calling me the ’Bane of the Finance Department.’ Oh, and by the way, the Divine Capital Bureau is ready to begin our collaboration. Your Finance Department should send over the first payment promptly. If the project gets delayed, the consequences will be far greater than the fate of a single Accountant Room Leader."
Wei Yong stared daggers at Li Qingxian.
Li Qingxian stood up and turned to Madam Wei. "Madam Wei, I wish you a happy and healthy birthday. We arrived in such a hurry that we didn’t prepare a gift, for which I hope you’ll forgive us. Please, allow Uncle Zhou to leave a piece of his calligraphy for you."
Everyone turned to look at Li Qingxian in unison.
Li Qingxian could once again feel the question marks materializing above everyone’s heads.