Quick Transmigration: Forced Into A Forced Love Affair With The Villain - Chapter 7

Yan Jingxuan withdrew his gaze from Lin Zili and scanned the ministers present, saying, “My lords, you are too kind. Protecting our home and country is merely my duty. The victory today belongs to the heroic soldiers who charged into battle. I shall drink this cup on behalf of those brave men.”

After finishing his wine in one gulp, he gestured toward the room. Seeing Yan Jingxuan’s straightforwardness, the ministers smiled and followed suit, draining their cups.

Just as Yan Jingxuan was about to sit down, another minister stood up and smiled. “Your Highness, since it is a rare occasion for us to gather, I have a question. Now that you have returned to the capital, do you have any long-term plans?” The atmosphere in the hall, which had just begun to ease, instantly became tense again.

Everyone knew that this seemingly simple question touched upon the future of the imperial court and the interests of various factions. No one dared to speak, holding their breath as they awaited Yan Jingxuan’s response.

Hearing this, Lin Zili paused, his hand frozen as he was picking up food for the little Emperor. He frowned, gazing deeply at the scene unfolding before him. Sensing the shift in the atmosphere, Yan Jingzhi looked at Lin Zili with concern. “Banban?”

Yan Jingxuan sensed the eyes of the person above him and suddenly felt a strange sense of pleasure. “Since I have returned, my plan is, of course, to assist His Majesty alongside all of you.”

The questioning minister, having received the answer he wanted, laughed heartily. “Indeed! You are the Regent appointed by the late Emperor. If not for the unrest at the border, you should have been working with us all along. His Majesty is still young and needs guidance in governing the country. If someone with ill intent were to take advantage of this, we would be eternally guilty of negligence!”

As he spoke, he deliberately glanced toward Lin Zili, the provocation in his eyes unspoken yet obvious. Lin Zili’s hands clenched; had his chopsticks not been made of jade, they likely would have snapped in two.

Suppressing his fury, Lin Zili offered a cold, mirthless smile. “Minister Wang, are you speaking of yourself? This servant recalls that your son caused quite a disaster recently, and you had to empty your family’s coffers, did you not? Minister Wang, you earn only one hundred and twenty taels a month; where did you find three hundred thousand taels of silver to cover your son’s debts?”

He pressed further, his tone filled with ridicule. He would not allow Minister Wang to target him with innuendos at a banquet. Since the other party wanted to stir up trouble, he did not mind making them fall into embarrassment first. He suddenly feigned surprise. “Oh, Minister Wang, do not tell me you have been engaging in bribery?”

The hall fell into an uproar. Everyone’s gaze snapped toward Minister Wang—some shocked, some gloating, and some simply waiting for the show. Minister Wang’s face turned deathly pale, and beads of sweat the size of beans broke out on his forehead. He had never expected Lin Zili to expose his secrets so ruthlessly in public. He had looked down on Lin Zili from the start, assuming that with the Regent’s return, Lin Zili had lost his leverage and would not dare to act so recklessly.

Minister Wang stammered in his defense, “You… do not make baseless accusations! That… that three hundred thousand taels of silver was borrowed from relatives and friends! How… how can you call it bribery?”

“Oh? Borrowed from relatives?” Lin Zili raised an eyebrow, his eyes filled with mockery. “Then Minister Wang must have quite a circle of friends. I wonder which of them is so wealthy that they could scrape together three hundred thousand taels for you?”

Minister Wang was left speechless, standing there in utter humiliation. He looked toward the other ministers for help, but they all turned away, terrified of being implicated.

Yan Jingxuan sat to the side, silently observing the scene, a subtle curve to his lips. He is sharp-tongued and refuses to suffer a loss; like a wild, untamed fox.

Minister Wang collapsed to his knees, trembling like chaff. “Your Majesty! Your Majesty, I am wronged! Lin Gonggong ignores the court’s rules and makes baseless accusations! I beg Your Majesty to grant me justice!”

The little Emperor frowned. He did not fully understand the magnitude of three hundred thousand taels, but he knew it was a large sum that could buy many things. “Did you really take bribes?”

Before Minister Wang could defend himself again, Lin Zili cut him off: “Minister Wang, you should think very carefully before answering His Majesty. If you are found guilty of deceiving the Emperor, it will not be easy to resolve.”

Minister Wang glared at Lin Zili with hatred, then quickly lowered his head, knowing he could no longer use his previous defense.

“Your Majesty, I… I am indeed guilty.” He hurriedly added, “But I never extorted the people! It was only… only some gifts given to me by others… I did accept a few…”

The little Emperor was furious. He had not received any gifts; why should this old man? “How bold! You—”

He stopped mid-sentence, unsure how to handle the situation, and looked toward Lin Zili for help.

Lin Zili smiled, just as Yan Jingxuan spoke from his seat: “Your Majesty, since Minister Wang has accepted bribes, let us punish him with the forfeiture of two years’ salary and one month of house arrest. Furthermore, let him pay from his own pocket to provide disaster relief in Nanzhou for three months as a warning to others.”

Lin Zili, having been interrupted, shot a fierce glare in Yan Jingxuan’s direction.

Fearing that the treacherous official would target him again and lead to a worse outcome, Minister Wang kowtowed in gratitude. “I accept the punishment! Thank you for your immense grace!”

Having offered his thanks, he wiped the cold sweat from his brow and returned to his seat.

The air felt stagnant for a moment. Just then, Zhao Gongxian stepped out to mediate. “This banquet was meant to celebrate the Regent’s triumph. Let us not allow minor matters to ruin the harmony. Come, let us drink!” He drained his cup, attempting to ease the tension.

Lin Zili was still fuming. Seeing someone else step up, he immediately redirected his fire. “Minor matters? Does Minister Zhao consider this a minor matter? If bribery is a minor matter, then what does Minister Zhao consider to be a major matter? Oh, right. I heard a piece of gossip these past few days regarding Minister Zhao’s household. It is said that Minister Zhao favors his concubine over his wife and, rather than respecting his virtuous wife, spent thousands of gold to buy a top courtesan from a brothel. I wonder, Minister Zhao, have you heard this rumor? Is it true?”

Lin Zili looked at him with a mocking smile. Upon hearing this, many officials began to whisper, their eyes darting back and forth across Zhao Gongxian.

“Since Minister Zhao is here today, I am quite curious. Might Minister Zhao clarify this for me?”