Chapter 39: Reversal of the Burden of Proof

The atmosphere in the Golden Throne Hall was so heavy it felt as if it could be wrung out like a wet cloth.

Wang Defa’s rhythmic, blood-chilling kowtows echoed through the vast hall, each dull thud striking at the hearts of everyone present. Many of the veteran officials, watching the Prime Minister—a man who had commanded the court for decades—now weeping with his head bloodied and bruised, could not help but show signs of pity. Even Zhao Zhao, father of Zhao Yi, frowned deeply as he watched. He leaned in toward his son, whispering in a voice tinged with sympathy, "I tell you, this old man Wang is crying so miserably; it doesn't look like an act."

Zhao Yi couldn't even be bothered to raise his eyelids, rolling his eyes in his heart. *You don't know a damn thing.* This was the strategy of courting death to find a path to survival; the more convincing the performance, the harder the fall would be.

Zhou Xian, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, and Chen Zi'ang, the head of the Censorate—both key figures in Wang Defa’s faction—could no longer sit still. Both stepped out of the ranks and bowed toward the throne, offering words of comfort. "The Prime Minister’s sincerity is known to the heavens! I beg you, Prime Minister, take care of your health!"

"Indeed! There must be some misunderstanding in this matter. We pray for Your Majesty to investigate clearly!"

In an instant, the entire Golden Throne Hall descended into chaos. Some believed, some doubted, and some simply stood with eyes downcast, watching the spectacle with cold indifference.

Just as the clamor reached its peak, a shrill, piercing voice drifted in from outside the hall. "The Imperial Edict has arrived—"

The noise in the hall stopped abruptly. Everyone went quiet. Eunuch Gui, holding a scroll of bright yellow silk, hurried to the front of the hall, unfolded it, and read aloud in a weak, "ailing" tone.

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Prime Minister Wang Defa is a pillar of the nation and a trusted aide to the throne. Recent rumors have slandered a veteran of our court, causing Us great distress. However, as the Prime Minister has pleaded his innocence with tears of blood, We cannot bear to see him suffer. We hereby order Nangong Yue, Commander of the Imperial Guard, to lead a detachment to the Prime Minister’s residence to witness the truth on Our behalf, to prove the Prime Minister’s innocence and silence the wagging tongues. Furthermore, Sun Decai, Minister of the Ministry of Works, and others may accompany them to witness the proceedings. Thus it is decreed—"

As the edict finished, Wang Defa, still prostrate on the floor, wept even more violently. "This old subject... kowtows in gratitude for His Majesty’s divine grace!"

Nangong Yue, clad in silver armor, walked into the hall. Her face was as cold as frost. She strode directly to Wang Defa and gestured for him to rise. "Prime Minister Wang, if you please."

Wang Defa stood up shakily, and with the support of several officials, he followed Nangong Yue out of the hall in a daze. The farce had finally come to an end. The officials dispersed.

...

At the Prime Minister’s residence, the Imperial Guard had surrounded the entire estate so tightly that not even a fly could escape. Nangong Yue, with her troops and in the presence of Wang Defa, Sun Decai, and other officials, began a search that dug three feet into the ground. From the front hall to the back garden, from the study to the storehouse, trunks were pried open and floor tiles were ripped up one by one.

A full hour passed, but not a single trace of anything suspicious was found. Sun Decai, the Minister of Works, wiped the sweat from his forehead and finally breathed a sigh of relief, unable to help but complain, "Commander Nangong, you’ve practically torn the Prime Minister’s home apart, and there is nothing here! It seems the Prime Minister is indeed innocent!"

A hint of color returned to Wang Defa’s face. The heavy stone that had been hanging in his heart was about to drop. He had already begun to plot how, once this was over, he would tear the villain who had spread these rumors to pieces.

Just then, an Imperial Guard soldier came running out of Wang Defa’s bedroom, clutching a pillow embroidered with mandarin ducks. "Commander! We found it!"

At that shout, everyone’s heart leaped into their throats. The color drained from Wang Defa’s face in an instant. He stared fixedly at the pillow, his mind buzzing, turning completely blank.

Nangong Yue walked over and took the pillow from the soldier. She weighed it, squeezed it carefully, and her expression darkened. She drew the sword at her waist and struck.

*Rip—*

The pillow was sliced open. A small figure, the size of a palm and carved from peach wood, tumbled out along with the cotton stuffing, hitting the cold stone floor with a crisp sound. On the figure, a line of characters was scrawled crookedly in cinnabar.

Everyone crowded around. When they saw the characters, they all gasped and instinctively took a half-step back.

*Wu Mingkong.*

And a string of birth characters.

It was the Empress’s name!

Wang Defa felt the world spin and his vision go black. He collapsed onto the floor with a heavy thud, his lips trembling, unable to utter a single word. It was over. It was all over.

"Take him!" Nangong Yue’s voice was icy, devoid of any emotion. "No one in the Prime Minister’s household is to escape!"

...

This incident hit like a magnitude-12 earthquake, instantly igniting the entire city of Luoyang.

"Have you heard? A wooden doll cursing the Empress was found inside Prime Minister Wang’s pillow!"

"Damn! Is that true?!"

"Absolutely! My cousin’s uncle’s nephew works in the Imperial Guard, and he saw it with his own eyes! The Emperor’s name and birth characters were written on that wooden doll!"

"My heavens! That old dog Wang has some nerve! Sleeping on the Empress’s name every night—that’s an attempt to suppress the Empress and commit treason!"

The entire city of Luoyang was shaken to its core.

In the Imperial Palace, within the sleeping quarters, when Eunuch Gui delivered the news, the Empress sat up sharply from her lounge chair. Any sign of her illness had vanished, replaced by a towering rage.

"Good! A fine Prime Minister you are, Wang Defa!" She smashed her teacup against the floor, shattering it into pieces. "Pass on My decree! Wang Defa has deceived the monarch and acted against the heavens; his crimes are unforgivable! Throw his entire household into the Celestial Prison to await their fate!"

This decree spread across the court and the country at lightning speed. Every official who heard it was shocked beyond measure. No one could have imagined that the seemingly upright Prime Minister would dare commit such an act of treason.

...

After dealing with everything, Zhao Yi was summoned into the bedchamber by the Empress once more. As soon as he entered, he saw the woman sitting with her legs crossed, leisurely sipping tea, showing no signs of anger at all.

"Wang Defa—how should we handle him?" the Empress asked lazily.

Zhao Yi chuckled and leaned in. "Your Majesty, I have already had people collect all the evidence of his corruption, bribery, and factionalism over the years. With both human witnesses and physical evidence, every single count is enough to send him to his death a hundred times over."

He paused, a deeply sinister smile appearing on his face. "In my opinion, we should strike while the iron is hot. Let the Ministry of Justice, the Court of Judicial Review, and the Censorate hold a joint trial, and set a date for his execution to serve as a warning to others!"

The Empress raised an eyebrow. "The Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review is one of Wang Defa’s men. Will he act impartially?"

"Your Majesty, rest assured." Zhao Yi’s smile grew wider. "What we hold is ironclad evidence. If Wang Defa cannot produce proof that he did not commit those corrupt acts, then, by default, he did them. If he dares to quibble, we will trap him in an endless cycle of trying to prove his innocence. If you cannot prove you are innocent, then you are guilty."

Zhao Yi rubbed his hands together, looking the picture of a smug villain. "Your Majesty, this tactic is called 'reversal of the burden of proof'!"

The hand holding the Empress’s teacup paused in mid-air. She raised her eyes and stared silently at Zhao Yi’s triumphant face for a long time. In that gaze, there was no approval, nor was there anger, but a bottomless calm that made Zhao Yi feel a bit uneasy. The smile on his face slowly faded. *Damn it, what is this woman planning now?*

The Empress slowly set down the cup, the emotions in her beautiful phoenix eyes complex and indecipherable. After a long silence, she squeezed a few words through her teeth.

"You wretched thing..."

Her voice was soft, yet it struck Zhao Yi’s heart like a hammer.

"Framing others—you really have managed to invent some new tricks." She shook her head, and for the first time ever, a look of… bemused disbelief appeared on her exquisite face. "I previously only knew that cruel officials could use torture to extract confessions and force convictions."

"I never imagined that the laws of the Great Zhou themselves could be turned into a blade that kills without drawing blood."

She leaned back, sinking into the lounge chair, and looked at Zhao Yi again as if examining a monster. "You… really are a piece of work."

The words sounded like an insult. But when Zhao Yi heard them, he felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction. To have even this ruthless woman say such a thing—this time, I’ve played the part perfectly!