Chapter 71: All Crows Are Alike

As Liao Chen and his party approached the Governor’s yamen, a sharp-witted gatekeeper hurried inside to report to his master.

"What did you say? A Taoist was captured? Could it be that this Scholar Mo really colluded with this priest to commit the theft?" The Governor pondered for a moment before urgently asking, "Did you search the Mo residence? Was there anything found, such as a purple sandalwood box about a foot long?"

"Reporting to Your Excellency, Head Constable Liang and his men did not seem to conduct a search of the house! They brought nothing back. Furthermore, the prisoner was not even shackled," the gatekeeper replied after careful recollection.

"Idiots! It seems Head Constable Liang has grown tired of his position and wants to go home to rot!" The Governor exploded with rage, slamming his hand against the table. The gatekeeper was so startled that he bowed his head low, trembling.

"You may leave. This is not your concern," the Governor said, suppressing his fury and waving him away.

The gatekeeper retreated respectfully, as if granted a reprieve. Only then did the Governor grasp his injured left hand and shake it violently, his face turning an even uglier shade of grey.

Inside the main hall of the Guizhou Governor's yamen, Liao Chen stood alone, carefully observing the "Bright Mirror Hanging High" plaque suspended above the dais. He wondered to himself: if the plaque were to fall and crush the Governor, how would the imperial court view such a supernatural event? The officials would surely be mortified, and even the Emperor would be displeased. As for the common people, who knows what rumors would spread?

Just as Liao Chen was lost in idle, bored thoughts, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from the rear hall. It seemed court was about to convene. The bailiffs arrived, led by men holding high the placards of "Silence" and "Imperial Inspector." Behind them, others carried water-and-fire staves, lining up in two neat rows. As the command "Court is in session" rang out, the bailiffs began rhythmically striking the stone floor with their staves, creating a series of loud thuds, followed by long, drawn-out shouts of "Might!" Such theatricality was merely intended to intimidate the defendant, but to Liao Chen, it was not worth a second glance.

When the shouts died down, the Governor finally appeared on the bench, dressed in brand-new red official robes. He glared at Liao Chen, who stood in the hall as if nothing were amiss. The fact that Liao Chen stood there unscathed and unbound had already been explained to him by Head Constable Liang. Because of this, the Governor was wary of this "inhuman" visitor, fearing that if pushed too far, Liao Chen might lash out. Thus, before the session, the Governor had stationed a large force of soldiers outside, armed with heavy bows and crossbows, ready to retreat if things went wrong and then capture the "demon priest" by force.

"You demon priest! Why do you not kneel when you see me?" the Governor shouted, slamming his gavel.

Liao Chen remained standing, replying in a leisurely tone, "Those beyond the mundane world kneel only to the Three Pure Ones and their parents; they do not kneel to officials. You, sir, are tasked with upholding the law—you must be well-versed in the Great Ming Code, are you not?"

The Governor, sitting on the bench, was momentarily choked by this retort, unable to catch his breath. He forced his anger down, his face turning livid. "What 'beyond the mundane'? You are nothing but a demon priest! Deceiving the people, swindling, harboring evil intentions, and plotting rebellion!" Clearly, the Governor had no intention of engaging in a war of words. He immediately leveled a series of grave charges against the Taoist, determined to crush his spirit. As for the Great Ming Code, that was for officials to interpret as they pleased. He drew a command token from the container and shouted, "Men, seize this demon! Give him fifty lashes first to break his arrogance!" All the while, his eyes remained fixed on Liao Chen, watching for any sign of a violent outburst.

As the command token hit the floor with a clatter, the bailiffs, despite their fear, had no choice but to brace themselves and rush forward with their staves. Liao Chen, however, gave a cold laugh and commanded, "Stand where you are!"

His voice was not loud, yet to the bailiffs, it sounded like a thunderclap right beside their ears. They froze in their tracks, looking at Liao Chen with shock and suspicion. Unhurriedly, Liao Chen drew a piece of yellow silk from his robes. Two dragons playing with a pearl were embroidered on it with lifelike detail. Crucially, the characters for "Imperial Decree" were stitched upon it. This signified one thing: the Governor was in deep trouble.

"I have an Imperial Decree here. Would the Governor care to descend and receive it?" Liao Chen asked, looking at the Governor with a malicious glint in his eyes.

"You... how could you have an Imperial Decree?" As a high-ranking official, the Governor had certainly seen one before. One look told him it was genuine; the silk was of a quality impossible to forge, and the double-dragon embroidery could only have been produced by the Imperial Household Department. Paralyzed by terror, his face turned deathly pale. Cold sweat rolled down his forehead, and his entire body trembled as he stumbled off the dais, his legs so weak he nearly collapsed. He managed to crawl down and kneel on the floor. "Your subject... your subject, Wei Shanwu, accepts the decree." As Wei Shanwu knelt, the bailiffs in the hall followed suit, one after another.

"By the grace of the Emperor, it is decreed: The Governor of Guizhou and his associated officials have neglected their duties, failed to show compassion for the people, and betrayed both the trust of the Court and the expectations of the populace. They are hereby suspended from duty pending investigation. All official business shall be handed over to their subordinates. This is the decree!"

What Liao Chen held was not a formal Imperial Decree, but a "Middle Decree"—an informal imperial directive—because it lacked the required countersignature of the Cabinet. A true decree would have been blocked and returned by the censorate. The Zhengde Emperor, driven to the edge, had no choice but to write this directive himself, which was sent to Liao Chen via a paper crane enchanted by Yun Hua. A Middle Decree was far less authoritative than a formal one, and local officials could technically refuse it if they were unafraid of imperial retribution. Liao Chen stared at the kneeling Wei Shanwu, waiting. If this man were truly bold enough to defy the Emperor, Liao Chen would have to resort to other means.

However, Liao Chen did not know that Wei Shanwu was currently wrestling with his own thoughts. Because it was a Middle Decree, not a formal one, it proved that the senior ministers in the Cabinet were still trying to protect him. Furthermore, he could technically refuse it, as it began with "The Emperor commands" rather than "It is decreed." Just as Wei Shanwu was gathering the courage to risk the Emperor’s wrath and fight back, Liao Chen added a casual remark.

"Oh, I forgot to mention, Governor Wei. This is merely the precursor. Three imperial envoys have already passed through Sichuan and will arrive in Guizhou shortly. You had better consider how you will explain yourself to them. They carry a formal Imperial Decree from the capital!"

Upon hearing this, Wei Shanwu felt as though he had fallen into an ice cellar. The arrival of imperial envoys signaled both a power struggle between the Emperor and the Cabinet, and the Emperor’s firm resolve, coupled with the Cabinet's concession. Without the Cabinet’s consent, the envoys would never have been dispatched.

Wei Shanwu knew his own crimes; once investigated, death was inevitable. Whether his family would be implicated depended on the envoys' intentions. Even if this Middle Decree were bitter poison, he had to swallow it. Without the support of the Cabinet, how could he possibly defy the Emperor? If he fought now, he might not even be able to save his wife and children.

"The guilty official... the guilty official, Wei Shanwu, accepts the decree and offers his gratitude." Tears and snot streamed down the face of the Governor of Guizhou as he spoke, fully aware of his fate. Liao Chen felt no sympathy, saying coldly, "Men do, and Heaven watches. When you were committing your evils, Governor, did you ever imagine this day would come?"

Wei Shanwu gave a miserable laugh. "Among all the officials in the realm, how many do not act as I do? I am merely unlucky to have fallen into your hands. I deserve my fate. But tell me, Taoist, there is corruption everywhere—can you purge it all? Even the current Emperor would not dare dream of such a thing!" Wei Shanwu stood up with effort. "I do not yet know your name, Taoist. I wish to know who it is I have fallen to, so that I may not be a confused spirit in the afterlife."

"I am Liao Chen of Mount Qingcheng. Do you have any parting words, Governor?"

"The Protector of the State, the True Man?" Wei Shanwu paused, then burst into a fit of manic laughter. "I do not resent my defeat. Only a True Man would have the ability to secure the Emperor’s directive so quickly. But the legends say your powers are profound—it seems they are merely this. I am but a scholar, yet you found it necessary to use the power of the imperial court to deal with me. Ha, ha, ha! The most I face is death. But by doing this, you will likely become an enemy to all officials in the realm. I shall wait for you in the underworld to see if you can remain so carefree then! Ha, ha!"

Liao Chen smiled indifferently. "I have my own principles. Mundane matters should be settled by mundane means. As for you, as the chief official of a province, you were the one who truly disregarded the law. Do not worry about my future, Governor. As for what happens to you after death, I might be able to have some influence on that."

At these words, Wei Shanwu’s laughter caught in his throat and ceased instantly. He looked at Liao Chen with a mixture of terror and uncertainty.

Liao Chen gestured toward the screen wall inside the yamen gate and said sternly, "Your stipends and salaries are the lifeblood of the people. The commoners are easy to oppress, but Heaven is hard to deceive! You truly should have read those words of the Founding Emperor more carefully."

Without another glance at the now-deranged Wei Shanwu, Liao Chen grabbed a bailiff who looked like a head constable. "Where have you locked up Scholar Mo? Take me to him at once. If he has suffered even the slightest harm, none of you will escape the executioner's blade at the vegetable market."