Chapter 45: An Implicit Existence Part 2

Wu Wei’s fist froze in mid-air, a predatory excitement gleaming in his eyes.

Since entering the capital, the commoners had hidden their women away; he hadn’t seen such a beauty in a long time. The women from the Teaching Quarter sent by the Court of State Ceremonies were professional entertainers, trained to be submissive. How could they compare to a sheltered maiden?

“Hahaha! A gift from the Eternal Blue Heaven!”

He shouted in his native tongue, hauling her up and slinging her over his shoulder like a sack of grain.

The young lady went pale with terror, one of her embroidered shoes falling off in the struggle.

The warriors grinned, whistling and jeering. One had already drawn his bow, aiming at any commoners who looked like they might step forward.

Wu Wei tossed her onto his horse and was about to ride off when—Clang!

The sound of a copper gong shattered the street’s clamor.

“Silence! The Court of Judicial Review is conducting business!”

Over a dozen lictors in black-bordered robes rushed forward, staves in hand. In their center was a man on horseback, his deep cyan official robes striking in the sunlight.

He dismounted only when he reached the Eastern Liao delegation. His steps were steady and cold. Behind him, the elite guards of the Court of Judicial Review stood in formation, radiating authority.

“It’s Master Nie! Master Nie is here!”

“Master Nie has always been impartial and stern. These barbarian dogs are in for it today!”

A low cheer broke out among the crowd. Nie Jin’s reputation was well-known—who hadn’t heard of the “Iron-Faced Judge”?

The gloom hanging over the Eastern Market vanished. The trembling vendors began to smile, and countless heads poked out of tea house windows. Everyone looked invigorated, as if it weren’t just the Chief Justice who had arrived, but the savior of Great Chen himself.

Nie Jin raised his waist token. The words “Chief Justice Nie” glinted coldly in the winter sun. He stowed it back with a sharp, disciplined motion, like a sword returning to its scabbard.

“Wu Wei, Envoy of Eastern Liao.”

His voice was neither high nor low, yet it silenced the street. “You have trespassed in the marketplace, disturbed the peace, injured civilians, and openly kidnapped a person. According to the law, you are to be taken into custody immediately.”

“Dismount and submit to questioning.”

Wu Wei laughed loudly. Instead of showing fear, he provocatively pinched the girl’s chin and kissed her “smack” in front of the entire street, rambling a string of words in his native tongue.

The translator, his face covered in blood, trembled too much to speak.

Nie Jin shot him a cold look. The translator stammered, “The… the Chief Envoy says… what are you barking at… he is the official envoy of Eastern Liao, even Chancellor Gu has to…”

At the mention of “Chancellor Gu,” Nie Jin’s expression flickered with a brief, unnatural shadow. His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly before he said coldly, “I don’t care what he says. In Great Chen, the law is supreme. Even if the Emperor himself were present, he would have to dismount for questioning!”

The translator’s legs turned to jelly. This was spiraling out of control. He pleaded, “Master Nie, please reconsider!”

“Translate.”

The single word hit the translator like a stone, leaving his face ashen.

When Wu Wei heard the translation, he exploded in rage, jerking his reins. “Chen dogs! Try and stop me!”

Nie Jin waved his right hand. Three trip-ropes suddenly whipped out from the crowd.

Wu Wei’s mount shrieked as it went down. Seven or eight lictors pounced, iron chains rattling as they coiled around Wu Wei’s neck. It took all their strength to pin the bear-like man to the dirt.

The other warriors drew their blades, but Nie Jin looked them in the eye, his gaze like a torch. “Tell them: I have been waiting for this complaint for days. I don’t mind arresting a few more.”

The warriors looked at each other, stunned. When had they ever seen so many “hard bones” in Great Chen? Ever since that Chancellor Gu rose to power, why did these officials feel so foreign?

Nie Jin ignored them, walking toward the girl slumped on the ground.

He unfastened his heavy cloak and handed it to her, his movements as stiff and formal as if he were submitting a legal brief in court. “You’ve been through an ordeal, miss.”

Turning to a woman selling silk flowers nearby, he said, “Please see her home.”

Wu Wei continued to struggle against the chains, spitting out a series of vulgar Eastern Liao curses. The translator turned pale and lowered his head, pretending not to hear.

As the lictors began to lead him away, the crowd parted voluntarily.

Someone spat on the ground. “He deserves it!”

“Master Nie really is a savior!”

“Long overdue for someone to teach these Liao dogs a lesson!”

The chatter rose, but Nie Jin seemed not to hear. He was about to mount his horse when—

“Master Nie, please wait!”

A minor official ran up, panting for breath.

In the distance, two official sedans embroidered with blue cloud patterns approached rapidly, flanked by a swarm of officials.

The curtain of the first sedan lifted, and Qin Zijin, the Minister of State Ceremonies, stepped out. He smoothed his robes and offered a polite bow to Nie Jin with a gentle smile. “I have long heard of Master Nie’s integrity. Seeing you today, it is indeed well-founded.”

Seeing him, Wu Wei burst into a mocking, triumphant laugh.

Nie Jin didn’t even spare Qin Zijin a glance. He placed his foot in the stirrup.

“This matter involves diplomatic relations between two nations,” Qin Zijin said, his smile never wavering as he stepped forward to block the horse. “It should be handed over to the Court of State Ceremonies. I personally guarantee that I will provide Master Nie with a satisfactory explanation.”

“Move,” Nie Jin said bluntly, showing no courtesy. “Crimes committed in the capital fall under the jurisdiction of the Court of Judicial Review.”

“Block me again, and I’ll arrest you too.”

Qin Zijin seemed taken aback for a moment, then sighed. “He said you were stubborn and that he’d have to come personally. I didn’t believe him…”