Everything is set, and it is time to settle accounts with Dorgon.

Outside the Meridian Gate, the crowd surged.

Officials about to attend the morning court stood in groups of three or five, whispering among themselves. Some were gloating over the misfortune, some were simply waiting for a good show, some were wringing their hands in regret, and even more were filled with burning indignation.

When Jiang Qingyun arrived, everyone turned their heads in unison.

All eyes were upon him~

Fortunately, Jiang Qingyun possessed nerves of steel. He dismounted with practiced ease, removed his official hat and cradled it in the crook of his right arm, held his head high, and walked straight toward the crowd without casting a glance to either side.

……

"Censor Jiang has rendered great and arduous service."

"Censor Jiang, your forehead is radiating auspicious light; this humble official predicts you are destined for yet higher promotion."

All sorts of flattering, fearful, and helpless faces flickered before his eyes like a kaleidoscope.

Jiang Qingyun acted as though no one else was there, paying them no mind as he walked straight toward his superior, Ning Wanwo, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate.

"Greetings, Grand Secretary."

"Ah, greetings~ greetings~ greetings... Well, then, here for the morning court?"

Clearly, the Chief Censor was a bit flustered and stammering incoherently.

"Chief Censor, the tune has been set. Dorgon has committed ten major crimes, and the ironclad evidence is as solid as mountains. His Majesty will announce it during today's morning court."

"Ah, good, excellent."

"When the verbal sparring begins in the Hall of Supreme Harmony shortly, this junior hopes the Chief Censor will lend some vocal support."

"Naturally, absolutely. The entire Censorate shares a common hatred for the enemy. By the way~ how does the Empress Dowager view this matter?"

Before Ning Wanwo's expression of concern could fully land, Jiang Qingyun had already walked away—either he didn't hear the question, or he heard it and chose to pretend he didn't.

……

Jiang Qingyun searched the crowd for a single person—Fan Wencheng, Grand Secretary of the Secretariat and Minister of Rites.

After searching for him thousands of times among the crowd, suddenly turning back, there the man was, coughing away.

Fan Wencheng was presumably ill, coughing quite severely.

Yet at this moment, this was a most opportune illness. One should fall sick when it was time to fall sick, turn a deaf ear when it was time to be deaf, and never lose face when it was time to show spirit.

"Censor Jiang, *cough, cough, cough*, last night you people, *cough, cough, cough*."

"By imperial decree, this humble official personally led troops to raid Dorgon's residence and recovered thirty-two pieces of contraband, including a dragon robe. During the morning court shortly, this junior earnestly requests the Elder to speak righteous words."

"*Cough, cough, cough, cough*."

Fan Wencheng coughed so violently that he was unable to reply. Yet Jiang Qingyun merely stood beside him, patiently waiting for an answer.

After coughing out a tune in C major, the result was finally delivered.

"This aged subject supports His Majesty in taking personal reins of government and making sovereign decisions."

……

A sedan chair approached from the distance.

It turned out to be Soni, Commander of the Plain Yellow Banner and Governor of Shuntian Prefecture. When he lifted the sedan curtain, he looked deathly pale and utterly lacking in spirit.

Jiang Qingyun quickly stepped forward, gently pushed the sedan bearers aside, and asked in a low voice:

"Elder Senior, is your health well?"

"My typhoid fever has not yet fully healed, but faced with such a momentous event, as long as this old man is still breathing, even if I have to crawl, I will crawl to the Hall of Harmony."

"Are you truly all right?"

"No matter. Let us go, enter the Meridian Gate together."

No sooner had he stepped out of the sedan chair than Soni stumbled. Had Jiang Qingyun not been quick of eye and deft of hand, Soni would have sprawled headfirst onto the ground.

"Young Brother Jiang, many thanks, many thanks."

"Elder Commander, watch your step. This junior will support you."

As the two walked, they exchanged information in subdued tones.

Soni was a quintessential old fox; his previous feigned illness was to avoid being sucked into the whirlpool of court struggles, whereas his current "bearing his sickly body to attend the morning court" was meant to claim a share of the credit.

One must know when to cower, but when it was time to seize the spoils, one had to fight for them.

……

At the third watch of the卯 hour, the Meridian Gate slowly swung open.

"The auspicious hour has arrived, let the civil and military officials enter the court."

Imperial guards stood in two neat ranks along the sides, their hands resting on sword hilts.

The officials straightened their robes and hats, passed through the side portals of the Meridian Gate, traversed the vast and empty courtyard, and stepped into the towering Hall of Supreme Harmony, where their vision instantly dimmed.

The lighting within the Hall of Supreme Harmony was dim.

This was an inherent architectural flaw that could not be remedied.

Jiang Qingyun spotted his old comrade Oboi and nodded in greeting. Oboi gave a slight nod in return, indicating that he had made all necessary preparations.

Following the ceremonial rituals, the Shunzhi Emperor spoke.

"My beloved ministers, if you have memorials to present, speak."

"This bondservant, Suksaha, has a memorial to present. The late Prince Regent Dorgon harbored rebellious intentions during his lifetime, secretly concealing contraband such as a dragon robe and armor."

The Imperial Princes and Ministers Deliberative instantly changed color.

Before they had time to retort, a whole crowd of people stepped out from within the hall in a chorus of response.

"This subject requests that investigators be dispatched."

"This matter is of the utmost gravity, and this bondservant requests that Lord Suksaha display the evidence before the court."

……

"Bring them in! Bring forth all the human witnesses and physical evidence."

Outside the hall, imperial guards who had long since colluded in advance immediately escorted several prisoners and contraband items inside.

The Shunzhi Emperor frowned:

"Suksaha, are you not of the Two White Banners, a trusted and beloved general of the Prince Regent?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. But this bondservant is first and foremost a loyal subject of the Great Qing, and only then a favored general of the Prince Regent. It is precisely because this bondservant followed the Prince Regent for so long that I can no longer stomach his actions."

"Where did these items come from?"

"They were reported at the risk of death by righteous men within the Prince's mansion, and this bondservant secretly reported the matter to Censor Jiang. Censor Jiang entered the mansion to inspect, and these were the items confiscated."

The Shunzhi Emperor still wore an expression of utter disbelief.

"The Prince Regent, my imperial father, was the pillar that held up the heavens for our Great Qing. He performed extraordinary and meritorious services for our dynasty. How—how could this be?"

……

Jiang Qingyun stepped out from the ranks.

"Your Majesty, meritorious service is meritorious service, and transgression is transgression."

"Impudent!"

"For the sake of the Great Qing, this subject has no choice but to be impudent. The witnesses I have brought can all prove that the Prince Regent indeed harbored ambitions of usurpation during his lifetime." Jiang Qingyun looked toward the men. "Speak the truth without concealment."

"This petty one is the steward of Prince Rui's estate. The Prince Regent secretly concealed one hundred and thirty sets of armor in the mansion, and in the dead of night, he would often steal away to try on the dragon robe."

"This petty one is Qingzhou, a mounted officer of the Plain White Banner. I once heard the Prince Regent and Prince Yu discussing rebellion with my own ears from outside the tent."

"When this petty one was in Shanxi, I once heard Heluohui with my own ears urging the Prince Regent to lead his troops back for a fatal counterstrike."

……

"You pack of ungrateful curs, who is pulling the strings behind the scenes to frame the Prince Regent?"

"Lord Tantai, what are you in such a hurry for?"

"The Prince Regent, my imperial father, achieved peerless merit for our Great Qing's entry into the passes, and Your Majesty has already posthumously honored him as Emperor Cheng. Now you have dug up a pack of mangy curs to overturn the verdict—Jiang Qingyun, what on earth are you trying to achieve?"

"You ask this official what I am trying to achieve? Rather, this official wishes to ask you, Tantai: you are a man of the Plain Yellow Banner, yet you follow Dorgon with blind and unwavering devotion—what is it that *you* are trying to achieve?"

"I'll fu—"

Tantai swore aloud. He was flustered; he was truly flustered.

"Tantai, you dog of a slave, kneel!" the Shunzhi Emperor roared in fury.

Tantai dropped heavily to his knees, his eyes burning red.

The atmosphere within the hall bristled with drawn swords and notched bows.

Jiang Qingyun suddenly raised his voice:

"The Prince Regent indeed had merits, but his concealment of dragon robes and armor is likewise an indisputable fact. Had he lived a little longer, I fear the Duke of Zhou would have turned into Wang Mang."

"The Prince Regent died at such a convenient time, died so early—truly the heavens are blessing our Great Qing, blessing Our Imperial Majesty."

……

Fan Wencheng could barely steady himself on his feet. From the bottom of his heart, he stood in dread of Jiang Qingyun, a man who dared to do anything and dared to spew any audacity.

The Shunzhi Emperor stood up, his face flushed crimson:

"Hear my decree, let it be proclaimed to all under heaven: Dorgon committed ten major crimes. The first is rebellion, the second is treason, the third is mutiny, the fourth is atrocious wickedness, the fifth is defying the Way, the sixth is supreme disrespect, the seventh is lack of filial piety, the eighth is discord, the ninth is unrighteousness, and the tenth is instigating internal chaos."

"Strip away his posthumous title, open Dorgon's coffin and desecrate his corpse, and thoroughly purge his accomplices."