Chapter 16: Traitor to the State Part 2

Grand Preceptor Dong had long heard of Nie Jin. There were few in the capital who didn’t know the “Iron-Faced Judge.” “Nie Jin… I know him to be an upright man who enforces the law with absolute severity.”

More importantly, Nie Jin did not fear the powerful. He treated imperial relatives and commoners with the same hand. Once, the heir of Prince An had ridden his horse through the streets and injured a commoner. Nie Jin had intercepted the carriage on the street, dragged the heir off his horse, and hauled him to the Court of Judicial Review to be given thirty strokes of the cane.

Emperor Rui had summoned him to the palace to answer for it, but Nie Jin remained unyielding before the throne, stating that “even a prince must be punished like a commoner when he breaks the law.” Emperor Rui had been unable to do anything to him.

Over the years, Nie Jin had offended many people, yet he sat as firmly as a mountain in his position as Chief Justice. This was because he was neither corrupt nor part of any faction, and he did not fear death. He was like a block of iron that neither blade nor spear could pierce.

The atmosphere in the room immediately became lively.

Lord Liang was overjoyed. “Nie Jin is like a mad dog, spending every day searching for evidence against Gu the Cat. As long as we—”

Qin Zijin had already planned the next move. He interrupted Lord Liang. “We already have the evidence ready. It is a known fact that Gu Yu authorized the diversion of two hundred thousand catties of cotton from the Ministry of Works.”

This was only one of his crimes. There was also the unauthorized reduction of taxes for merchants. Every single case, if brought before the Court of Judicial Review, would yield a mountain of evidence once Nie Jin began his investigation.

Grand Preceptor Dong clapped his hands and laughed. “Wonderful! I shall wait to see this ‘Iron Gentleman’ make Gu the Cat suffer!”

The rain gradually stopped, and the dark clouds dispersed.

As Pei Jingyi returned to his residence, he saw a hulking, mountain-like figure squatting by the entrance from a distance. The man had his arms crossed, his shoulders broad as a tiger’s, looking like a stone lion sitting there.

Pei Jingyi was still fuming from his encounter with Gu Huaiyu and was looking for a place to vent. He strode over and immediately delivered a heavy kick!

Thud!

The “stone lion” was sent lunging forward, but he didn’t fall. Instead, he spun around, his tiger-like eyes wide with shock.

When he saw who it was, the fierce light in his eyes turned into pure joy. He let out a booming roar: “General Pei!”

Pei Jingyi finally recognized Jin Hong. This kid was a fierce general he had personally trained in the Northern Frontier Army. He fought like a tiger descending a mountain, but he was stubborn and single-minded; once he chose someone to follow, he would follow them for life.

“Jinzi?”

Pei Jingyi’s hostility vanished as he pulled the man up. “Why aren’t you guarding the city in Bingzhou? What are you doing in the capital?”

Jin Hong scratched his head and gave a goofy grin, his voice as loud as a bell. “I missed you, General! I took leave from the brothers and rode for a month to get here!”

Pei Jingyi let out a short laugh and pulled him inside.

As they passed through the third inner gate, Jin Hong’s wide eyes darted everywhere, marveling at the sights. “Goodness! General, this house of yours is bigger than our army’s granary!”

Pei Jingyi slapped a jar of strong liquor onto the table and ordered the steward to carve half a roasted sheep.

At the sight of meat, Jin Hong’s eyes glowed. He grabbed a sheep leg and started gnawing on it like a starving wolf.

Pei Jingyi watched him with crossed arms, raising an eyebrow. “Slow down. Don’t act like a ghost who starved to death in his past life.”

With his mouth full of meat, Jin Hong mumbled, “General, are the little ladies in the capital all made of fine porcelain? Do they break if you just touch them?”

They are indeed like fine porcelain, Pei Jingyi thought with a sneer, but they are also vicious. “Why? Are you looking for a wife?”

“No way!” Jin Hong shook his head violently, wiping grease from his mouth with his sleeve. “I only love fighting alongside the General! I won’t go burdening some girl!”

Pei Jingyi opened the liquor jar, poured two bowls, and pushed one toward Jin Hong.

Jin Hong gulped down half a bowl in one go and immediately grimaced, coughing. “Cough, cough! Why does the ale in the capital taste like horse piss!”

Pei Jingyi suppressed a smile. “That’s imperial-bestowed Lanling Ale.”

Jin Hong spat a few times, saying disdainfully, “It’s not even as good as our Firewater from Bingzhou!”

Speaking of Bingzhou, Pei Jingyi remembered something. “Is Black Tiger still alive?”