Chapter 72

In the hushed murmurs of the grand hall, no one had expected that the esteemed Chancellor would be publicly humiliated by a mere Commandant, who showed no mercy, leaving the Chancellor in an extremely awkward position.

Some people enjoyed the spectacle, watching from the sidelines, while others felt that Chen Qing was overstepping his bounds, his tone and attitude being highly disrespectful.

However, the Emperor did not speak, and thus no one dared to step forward to accuse Chen Qing of his rudeness.

Fan Zongyin's face turned ashen with anger. A mere camp commandant had publicly criticized him in the imperial court, leaving him speechless and unable to save face, which was completely unexpected.

But he also realized that there was a loophole in the impeachment report. Wang Huan had not clearly distinguished between the battlefield and the prisoner area, assuming that those who were injured were prisoners.

"Silence!" Li Xun, the Deputy Director of the Palace, shouted, and the hall immediately fell silent.

Chen Qing smiled and asked, "Does Chancellor Fan have any other questions?"

Fan Zongyin snorted, "I will ask you, after the two battles, why did you not turn over the seized war spoils? Why did you divide the wealth among your soldiers without informing the court?"

Chen Qing replied calmly, "My mission was clear: to suppress Zhang Kui's rebellion and bring Zhang Kui or his head to the court. The mission did not specify that the wealth seized from Zhang Kui should be turned over to the court."

Fan Zongyin finally found a handle to attack Chen Qing and immediately rebutted, "That is because the court has a clear regulation that all war spoils must be turned over to the court, and then rewards will be distributed based on merit. As a commandant, how could you not know this basic rule?"

Chen Qing remained unperturbed, "Leading troops in battle requires flexibility. The two thousand soldiers I led were from the Western Gate Army. They were known for their misconduct, drinking, gambling, extorting merchants, and bullying the innocent. But this very army, during the month in Chun'an County, did not harass civilians or commit any crimes. They trained rigorously, running over a hundred miles a day, and endured eight hours of brutal training each day without a single deserter. Why did they change?

Was it because I, Chen Qing, have the ability? No, it was because they had hope. On the first day, I promised them that all war spoils would be divided among them. Without this hope, could the two thousand soldiers of the Western Gate Army have suppressed a force twice their size, better equipped, and led by the once-renowned general Zhang Kui?"

Fan Zongyin sneered, "These excuses are useless. The court would have agreed to let you distribute the war spoils to the soldiers, but you had to report to the court and get its approval. You clearly did not respect the court, and this is a grave offense!"

"Grave offense indeed!"

Zhang Jun stepped out of the ranks. He knew this was the only mistake Chen Qing had made, and Fan Zongyin would not let it go. He had to intervene.

Zhang Jun bowed to Emperor Gaozong, "Your Majesty, may I speak a few words?"

"Granted!" Emperor Gaozong replied straightforwardly.

Zhang Jun calmly addressed Fan Zongyin, "I would like to ask Chancellor Fan, is the rule that war spoils belong to the court unique to our dynasty?"

"Of course not!"

"Then may I ask, throughout history, in which war were all the spoils turned over to the court? Not to mention the Sui and Tang dynasties, even in our own dynasty, in wars against the Liao, the Western Xia, and the Jin, and even in suppressing bandits, were the spoils ever turned over to the court? Were they not directly rewarded to the soldiers? Tell me, in which war were the spoils turned over to the court?"

"This—"

Fan Zongyin hesitated but persisted, "I know the court has this rule, and it must be followed!"

"Since the court has this rule, has it ever punished any general for it? Not a single one. You know the court tacitly allows generals to reward their soldiers with war spoils, yet you are targeting a mere commandant. Is it because he killed Wanyan Lou Shi, or because he annihilated tens of thousands of Jin soldiers at Arrow Pass, which makes you resentful? Are you trying to find fault with him to the point of wanting to kill him, something only the Jin chieftains would do? Do you, a respected Chancellor of the Song Dynasty, also want the ten thousand strings of cash reward offered by the Jin chieftains?"

Zhang Jun's voice grew increasingly stern, and by the end, he was making a passionate speech, harshly condemning Fan Zongyin.

Zhang Jun's storm of questions left the court in an uproar. The officials were surprised to learn of Chen Qing's numerous achievements, and their stance began to shift in his favor. Many realized that Fan Zongyin was making a mountain out of a molehill, which was indeed excessive.

Fan Zongyin's face turned red with anger, his chest heaving as he shouted, "Zhang Jun, you are slandering me! When have I ever colluded with the Jin? As a respected Chancellor, should I not uphold the court's regulations?"

Zhang Jun's tone suddenly softened, but his words were no less threatening, "As a Chancellor, you should know that the court has always tacitly allowed generals to distribute war spoils to their meritorious soldiers. Chen Qing has made great contributions in suppressing Zhang Kui, yet you ignore this and focus on his minor faults. Why?"

At this moment, Qin Hui interjected with a smile, "Both of you must calm down. Chancellor Fan is merely concerned that the private distribution of war spoils might lead to improper behavior, harming the soldiers' interests. He has no other intentions!"

Qin Hui appeared to be mediating, but he subtly provided support.

Fan Zongyin immediately understood Qin Hui's hint and followed his lead, "Because the Censorate is impeaching Chen Qing, I must ask for clarification. The impeachment report states that Chen Qing used the distribution of wealth to the soldiers as an excuse, but he himself embezzled most of it..."

Chen Qing sneered, "What evidence does the Censorate have that I embezzled most of the wealth? It's just their baseless accusation. I can tell Chancellor Fan with a clear conscience that I did not take a single coin or item. All the seized wealth was distributed to the meritorious soldiers. Heaven and earth can bear witness to my honesty!"

"Hmph! Hmph!"

Fan Zongyin sneered, "You talk well, but who can prove you did not embezzle the wealth?"

"I can prove it!"

Everyone in the hall turned to look. Xu Yun, the Left Remonstrator, stepped out of the ranks and bowed, "I can prove that General Chen did not take a single coin!"

"You? How can you prove it?" Fan Zongyin asked, puzzled.

Xu Yun calmly replied, "It's simple. I also went to Muzhou and specifically asked the two county clerks responsible for distributing the war spoils. They have detailed records. If Chancellor Fan needs these records, I can provide them.

Additionally, I asked all the officers above the rank of company commander, and they can all attest that Commandant Chen distributed all the war spoils to them and the fallen soldiers, and he did not take a single coin. I have their testimonies and signatures, which I can provide if needed.

Furthermore, I believe Wang Huan should also be called to testify. If he accuses Commandant Chen of embezzlement, where is his evidence?"

Fan Zongyin's eyes narrowed. What was going on? The Remonstratory had also gotten involved, and he was completely unaware.

Fan Zongyin said angrily, "Left Remonstrator, the investigation of officials is the responsibility of the Censorate. Who approved this, and who sent you to Muzhou to investigate?"

"It was the Emperor who sent me!"

The previously silent Emperor Gaozong suddenly spoke, like a thunderclap in the court. All the officials were stunned, including Fan Zongyin, who was speechless.

Emperor Gaozong smiled faintly, "I have always believed that hearing all sides leads to clarity. The Remonstratory and the Censorate are not separate. The Remonstratory also has the duty to investigate officials. I did not inform the Chancellors, which was my oversight!"

"Indeed, hearing all sides leads to clarity!"

Qin Hui stepped forward, his face full of admiration, "Your Majesty is truly wise and considerate. If not for your wisdom in sending the Remonstratory to investigate, we would have wronged a meritorious general, which would have been a disgrace to the court. Your wisdom has saved us from such a shameful outcome!"

This flattery, though not particularly sophisticated, was timely and appropriate, pleasing Emperor Gaozong, who smiled, "Chancellor Qin, you flatter me!"

Qin Hui now understood that Chen Qing's true backer was not Zhang Jun but the Emperor. Why had Lu Yihao remained silent? This cunning old fox must have seen through it.

At this critical moment, Qin Hui quickly changed his stance. Despite his earlier support for Fan Zongyin and his connection to Wang Huan, he now decisively turned against them.

"Your Majesty, I clearly understand why Chancellor Fan is so fixated on Chen Qing. A minor issue has been blown out of proportion, which is unbecoming of a Chancellor. The root cause is prejudice.

He has a deep prejudice against the Western Army, as evident from his attitude towards Zhong Shidao. If another army had suppressed the bandits, he might not have cared, but it was a Western Army general, and even more, a favorite of his political rival, Zhang Xuan. How could he tolerate it? Prejudice and personal bias are the real reasons for his loss of composure today."

Fan Zongyin was so angry that he trembled, pointing at Qin Hui, "You... you... are utterly despicable!"

Qin Hui ignored him and continued to address Emperor Gaozong, "Furthermore, Censor Wang Huan has committed a serious dereliction of duty. To curry favor with Chancellor Fan, he fabricated this absurd impeachment report. He is not fit to be a censor, and I suggest he be dismissed from his post!"

Shen Wanqiu, the Chief Censor, silently cursed Qin Hui for his despicable behavior. It was Qin Hui who had instructed him to send Wang Huan to Muzhou to investigate, and now he was mercilessly betraying Wang Huan to clear himself.

Emperor Gaozong nodded, "Chancellor Qin is right. Prejudice is indeed harmful, causing countless misunderstandings and tragedies. Chancellor Fan, I hope you learn from today's lesson and avoid harboring prejudice. I also hope all officials learn from this. Court is dismissed!"

Emperor Gaozong ultimately gave Fan Zongyin some face, mentioning only prejudice and not personal bias.

The officials murmured as they left the hall. The intense confrontation had opened everyone's eyes, and the Emperor's intervention had turned the tide.

At this moment, Fan Zongyin had temporarily forgotten about Chen Qing. He had discovered a venomous snake that had just bitten him hard.

He glared at Qin Hui with intense hatred and quickly left.

Qin Hui, however, acted as if nothing had happened, chatting amicably with Zhang Jun as they left together.

Chen Qing watched Qin Hui's retreating back and realized that the true protagonist of the day was not him but Chancellor Qin, who had successfully stolen the spotlight at the last moment.

At this moment, a young eunuch approached and whispered a few words to Chen Qing.