My Wife is Unbeatable in the Whole World, Touch Me If You Dare!-Chapter 290 - 169: Gathering to Denounce_2

Marquis Fengyang chuckled, "Li Xuanjing has so many enemies, it doesn't matter who instigated this, what matters is he's entangled with these fearless students, let's see how he's going to resolve it..."

At this moment, inside the Ministry of Justice.

The Si Minister's Office.

Several figures in official robes stood in the hall.

Among the attendees, each was a person of great importance. As the Chang'an County Magistrate, Pei Zhe could only stand obediently in the corner, not even qualifying to interject.

Upon receiving the orders, the heads of the relevant government departments rushed to the Ministry of Justice at the first opportunity to clarify the cause and prevent the situation from worsening.

Everyone thought that the Ministry of Justice had secured some leverage over Master Wei, but who could have imagined that the incident was simply over a spat of saliva...

All this fuss over a spat of saliva, was it worth it?

An Imperial Censor looked at Li Xuanjing and said, "Lord Li, this is but a trivial matter, there's no need to make it so big, just let Mr. Wei go."

Li Xuanjing took a sip of tea and said indifferently, "Even if it's a trivial matter, it still concerns the dignity of the law. What is the Ministry of Justice's place if it yields to the pressure of these people? How can we enforce the law in the future? If we concede this time, and they come to make a fuss again, are we to concede again?"

"This…"

The Imperial Censor was at a loss for words.

There was no denying the truth in that statement.

But it also depended on who was saying it.

Coming from Li Xuanjing's mouth, why did it sound so strange...

Besides, he was the one who enacted that law, so of course, he could stand on the moral high ground of the law.

The issue was, all of it was still within the rules.

Not wishing to argue the point, he asked, "Can Lord Li guarantee that Mr. Wei will be released tomorrow?"

Li Xuanjing replied, "The Ministry of Justice has always handled cases according to the law. If he does not commit a new offense, I naturally will release him. However, he incited public opinion, gathered a mob to create chaos, and intended to attack critical departments of the court. Perhaps tomorrow his charges will need to be reconsidered..."

The Ministry of Justice did handle cases according to the law, but indeed, he was the one who enacted the laws before upholding them.

The Imperial Censor heaved a sigh and said, "I will persuade them to disperse. I hope Lord Li will keep his word."

He walked out of the Ministry of Justice, and the students gathered outside were still causing an uproar.

The Imperial Censor approached the crowd, and an invisible aura emanated from within him.

This aura, gentle as the spring breeze, gradually calmed the restless hearts of the crowd.

"Vast True Qi!"

"Damn, Chang'an really is Chang'an, this is my first time seeing a Confucian official with Vast True Qi!"

"Me too, what an eye-opener today has been!"

Feeling this righteous aura, the shouting gradually subsided and then completely died down.

An official capable of cultivating Vast True Qi was still worthy of trust.

The Imperial Censor looked at the people and loudly said, "Please, stay calm, everyone. I am Imperial Censor Zhang Yuan. After an investigation by the Imperial Censorate, it is true that Mr. Wei has violated a law and was penalized by the Ministry of Justice with one day of detention. I guarantee that Mr. Wei will leave safely tomorrow, please trust me..."

Those present were all scholars of the Confucian school.

They could distrust the Ministry of Justice, they could doubt the Imperial Censorate, but at least they would listen to the explanation of an official with Vast True Qi.

Someone from the front of the crowd asked, "May I ask this official, what crime has Master Wei committed?"

The Imperial Censor found it somewhat embarrassing to say, but still, he spoke, "The Ministry of Justice has just issued a new regulation -- spitting on the streets of Chang'an is prohibited, violators shall receive five lashes and be detained for one day..."

The crowd was briefly silent, then erupted into an uproar.

"What kind of rule is this?"

"They're even regulating spitting now?"

"This must be a conspiracy of the Ministry of Justice, don't be deceived by them, honorable sir!"

"They definitely won't release him tomorrow!"

...

Seeing the crowd get noisy again, the Imperial Censor raised his hands slightly and pushed down, and the ruckus quickly subsided once more.

His gaze swept over the crowd as he said, "If you all trust my words, you may go back first. I assure you that Master Wei will certainly come out of the Ministry of Justice unharmed tomorrow."

With his words, the crowd of several hundred began to stir.

More than half of the people slowly dispersed, standing on both sides of the street.

Some were out-of-town students there for the excitement, others were students from various academies persuaded by the Imperial Censor himself.

Whether he spoke truth or falsehood, tomorrow would reveal all. They had no connection to Mr. Wei and were willing to give this upstanding official one day's time.

About a hundred people remained in their place.

These were the disciples of Wei Xun and students from Qingfeng Academy.

At the forefront of the crowd, a middle-aged man said, "Lord Zhang, it's not that we don't trust you, but we all know what the Ministry of Justice is like. Master Wei, advanced in age and weakened in health, will surely not withstand the torment of the Ministry of Justice. Today, we must take him away!"

The Imperial Censor planned to say more.

But a figure emerged from the Ministry of Justice.

It was a young man with a stern face, his gaze sweeping over the crowd as he spoke coldly, "To incite students, to gather a mob and charge the court's major departments, you certainly have the audacity. I'll count to ten—those who leave of their own accord within ten counts will not be pursued, but after ten, those who remain will all be charged with assembling a crowd..."

As he finished speaking, many people's expressions changed subtly.

Is the Ministry of Justice serious?

They were all academy students, without exception well-versed in the law.

Whether in Daxia or elsewhere, any matter involving a crowd, at the very least, meant a crime increased by three levels of severity.

Gathering for drinking, causing disturbances—both were considered serious offenses. To cause trouble and charge at government offices was an even graver crime.

But they were students, relying on their status and the presence of many, as well as the court's historically conciliatory stance, to dare such action...

If they were really to be charged with assembling a mob, the matter would escalate greatly.

The young man looked at them and smiled, "Ten, nine, eight, seven... Time's almost up."

With the young man's countdown, many people slowly stood up and quietly left the crowd.

"Three, two, one."

As the young man's final count concluded, a few more figures scrambled away, leaving less than fifty people sitting quietly at the Ministry of Justice's entrance.

These people, facing his threat, remained resolute, their expressions showing no fear.

The young man did not bother to speak further; he simply waved his hand and said indifferently, "Take them away."

A group of constables dashed out from the Ministry of Justice, quickly taking these people into custody.

Seeing this, the Imperial Censor also exhibited a look of helplessness.

The Ministry of Justice acted according to the law, and the Imperial Censorate had no authority to intervene.

These students had pressured the court into submission countless times using this method.

But this time, they had chosen the wrong adversary.

The onlooking crowd fell silent, not daring even to breathe loudly until these individuals were taken away. Only then did they realize that this was the Ministry of Justice, not the Chang'an County Government.

If the court had no way to deal with Li Xuanjing, what chance did they have?

The young man walked to the entrance of the Ministry of Justice, looking back briefly, he said indifferently, "What are you all standing around for? Disperse..."

The crowd scattered with a clamor.

The students dispersed from the Ministry of Justice, still quietly discussing among themselves as they went.

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"The Minister of Justice truly lives up to his reputation..."

"I had heard about him in Jiangnan, it seems those rumors weren't unfounded."

"This is nothing; you haven't seen the worst of it... Ah!"

...

Just as a student from Chang'an was about to say something, he suddenly slipped, crashing to the ground and landing painfully on a stone slab.

Propping himself up, he felt something wet and slimy on his hands. Looking closely, he realized he had slipped in someone's spit and then got it on his hands while trying to stand...

Already prone to cleanliness, he shuddered, gagging in place for a while before stumbling up, hopping on one foot, and cursing angrily, "The Ministry of Justice did well to arrest them, brilliantly so! They should arrest all those who spit on the ground too!"

Inside the Ministry of Justice.

Li Xuanjing stood with his hands behind his back at the entrance of the government office, watching the neatly lined-up students being escorted into the cells, a hint of satisfaction flickering imperceptibly in his eyes.

At the Song Residence, Li Nuo stood dazed in the courtyard, watching the law code start flashing inexplicably, his heart filled with shock and doubt.

What's happening, is there a bug in the law code?