Chapter 17 I dedicate the knife to you
“How do you explain this?”
In the side hall, with a snap, the scroll fell in front of him, and Zhao Duan clearly heard the empress's accusation.
Also hearing it were the other three people present.
Censor Lu Liang's eyes were bright and his brows were filled with joy.
Despite his eloquent talk just now, in fact most of his criticisms lacked strength, including the label of "secretly collaborating with the rebels", which was also quite blunt.
As for Zhao Duan's past misdeeds, they were not serious enough.
Unexpectedly, Zhang Changshuo sent a divine assist.
With conclusive evidence, it is difficult for the empress to defend herself.
Governor Ma Yan silently shook his head. As the "King of Hell" who supervises all officials, the imperial edict has long been concerned about Zhao Duan.
But considering his "ambiguous relationship" with the empress, Ma Yan always turned a blind eye to him.
It's certainly not stupid to sit in the position of governor.
Not to mention that he would not take the initiative to make a small report about the leader's lover without being wise.
Just now, Zhao Duan had a chat with him, which slightly improved his impression. However, as the evidence was presented, Ma Yan's evaluation of him plummeted: "It's really stupid... a good thing wasted... "
"It's okay to sell power, but it's too imprudent for political opponents to get ironclad evidence..."
He silently sentenced him to death in his heart.
If Zhao Duan had room for excuse before, then this backstab by his colleague completely ruined his official career.
"Zhao Duan, His Majesty asked you something, why did you keep silent and didn't answer?"
Next to him, Zhang Changshuo, who had deliberately groomed himself for today's scene, had a red face.
With a winner's smile on his face.
Feel proud!
At this moment, the frustration he had accumulated over the past year suddenly disappeared.
Is there anything in this world that is more satisfying than sending your enemy to prison with your own hands and stepping on his corpse to get to the next level?
Seeing Zhao Duan's silence and despair as he stared at the broken scroll, he felt extremely happy.
If it weren't for the wrong occasion, Zhang Changshuo would have wanted to recite a poem to celebrate.
At this time, he had even begun to imagine that in the anger of the empress, Zhao Dog fell out of favor and fell into the mortal world.
As a literary talent in the capital, he took the opportunity to soothe the empress's injured heart and replace her with a meteoric rise...
However, something slightly different from what he imagined was:
Faced with the ironclad facts, Zhao Duan just calmly withdrew his curious gaze.
Immediately, he looked at him with a look that made him very uncomfortable and said:
"You filmed this?"
Like a peacock with its wings spread, Zhang Changshuo showed off to the empress: "Wei ministers had long noticed that he was acting suspiciously, so he secretly ordered someone to follow him, and then he accidentally recorded this scene."
Haha... You can still be "accidental" when you secretly take photos... Zhao Duan curled his lips, bent down and picked up the "spell scroll" that was larger than a palm, and played with it curiously.
Well, no man can resist the temptation of electronic products...
Seeing his indifferent expression, Lu Liang took the opportunity to attack and shouted: "Your Majesty asked you, why do you care about him? You only need to answer, are the things recorded in this scroll true or false?"
"It's true," Zhao Duan said:
"Wang Xian did bribe me to help, and I did agree to him."
Haosheng is so rampant!
Lu Liang was shocked, wondering whether this traitor was so bold, or was he just relying on His Majesty's favor and acting unscrupulously?
Shouldn’t this be a time to cry out in defense, insisting that the accusation was framed by a traitor, or that it was just a moment of confusion and asking for forgiveness?
Zhao Duan's arrogant attitude made the supervisory censor stunned for a moment.
Ma Yan frowned slightly, faintly aware that something was wrong.
Immediately afterwards, Zhao Duan was seen facing the empress, bowing first, and then said:
"Your Majesty, what Zhang Changshuo said is indeed true, but... I did not accept bribes to gain power, but a deliberate act to lure out the people behind Wang Xian."
A play? Hearing this answer, the empress in white, who was sitting on the dragon throne, had an unexpected emotion on her face for the first time since she entered the palace.
"explain."
"Yes." Zhao Duan had already rehearsed this scene countless times in his mind and was about to reveal the cause and effect of the incident.
How to make a plan, how to stabilize the other party, and how to find out the real "buyer" behind Wang Xian.
He talked freely without any panic.
"You just say it is? How to prove it?"
Zhang Changshuo couldn't hold himself any longer and asked loudly:
"Who knows, you didn't just say this temporarily to wash away your sins?"
Censor Lu Liang also noticed something was wrong and echoed:
"Your Majesty, don't be deceived by this thief!"
Zhao Duan was calm and composed, ignoring the two of them, still facing the empress, and said calmly: "I reported the matter to the Chief Superintendent of Baima Division long after I met with Wang Xian, so that I can serve as a witness."
Zhang Changshuo's heart suddenly sank!
He knew that since Zhao Duan's words were conclusive, this matter must be true.
But...how is that possible?
How could this arrogant, uneducated fool suddenly change his gender?
That's right... He committed meritorious service. Could it be that he was planning to use this incident to perform meritorious service to offset today's impeachment?
This is the only reasonable explanation that Zhang Changshuo can think of.
And in this way, the "evidence" he submitted with great expectations suddenly turned into waste paper and was ineffective.
Even his behavior was a bit funny.
At the same time, Lu Liang and Ma Yan also guessed this possibility and were surprised.
But when I thought about it, I realized that even so, the situation had not changed much.
Zhao Duan proved that he had not taken bribes to interfere in politics, or even submitted a credit, but what was the point?
A brokerage deal at Wang Xian's level would only involve officials of the sixth or seventh grade at most, and the highest level would involve officials of the fifth grade.
This small contribution is nothing compared to the crimes Zhao Duan committed.
Thinking of this, Ma Yan shook his head slightly:
Zhao Duan's self-rescue was indeed eye-catching, but it was just a futile struggle.
The corners of Lu Liang's mouth rose slightly, thinking that this just meant that the empress didn't want to favor him, so she made this move.
"Oh? There is such a thing."
No one noticed that there was a hint of curiosity in the eyes of the supreme Empress Dayu:
"Who is the briber?"
Zhao Duan took out a memorial written overnight from his sleeve:
"The details of this case are all recorded here. Please read it personally."
Which official can’t even be named? Still pretending to be mysterious and writing a memorial?
Lu Liang shook his head, becoming more and more contemptuous, thinking that he could only be a fifth-grade Beijing official at most, and it was really ridiculous to do this.
Is it possible that some unspeakable big shot could be involved?
Xu Zhenguan opened his mouth softly: "Send it up."
On the side, a palace man flicked his fly whisk, took the memorial, and handed it to her.
Xu Zhenguan did not read it immediately, but first glanced at Zhao Duan, who was standing with his head bowed in the hall, and then opened the memorial with a hint of curiosity.
She wanted to know what kind of waves this little guard could make.
What kind of surprise will you give yourself?
However, the next second, when her eyes were fixed on a certain name on the memorial, a little laziness and casualness disappeared.
She paused for a second before starting to read word by word from the beginning.
It was so quiet in the hall that you could hear a needle drop.
It seems like a long time has passed, and it seems like only a moment has passed.
When Xu Zhenguan closed the memorial and looked at the handsome and upright little guard below again, there was something inexplicable in his eyes.
"What a... big 'surprise'."
(End of chapter)