The State Duke’s face turned ashen in an instant.
“Do not speak nonsense!”
He shouted through gritted teeth.
He had not expected this young censor to strike so precisely at the heart of the matter.
Each and every word was like a blade, digging into his weak points.
But he could not back down before the Empress.
The State Duke immediately stepped forward and knelt.
Then, as if wronged, he raised his voice.
“Your Majesty! Did you see that?”
He lifted his hand and pointed at Yunseo.
“This man is deliberately trying to put me in a difficult position. I have been wronged!”
“Enough.”
Wolhwa raised her hand and cut him off.
“State Duke.”
She spoke calmly.
“As Yuk Yunseo just said, you are not the one who committed the wrongdoing.”
Wolhwa’s gaze descended sharply.
“Then why are you shielding Jinseok and trying to block even an investigation?”
The State Duke hastily raised his head.
“Your Majesty, I am not trying to block the investigation.”
He hurried to make his excuse.
“Officer Yuk is telling Jinseok to pay out of his own pocket to settle the matter without any evidence at all. That is not fair.”
After catching his breath for a moment, he continued.
“Moreover, Jinseok’s household is not well-off. In my opinion, a verbal reprimand should be enough. He is still a talent who must gain experience.”
At that moment—
“Impudent.”
Wolhwa’s murderous gaze fixed directly on the State Duke.
“Jinseok is not a man who entered officialdom for the first time today.”
Wolhwa’s voice rang out firmly.
“He is someone who should already know the laws and order of the court.”
Her eyes grew even colder.
“And yet, if the Chancellor and the State Duke continue to shield him… would that not be protecting a criminal?”
The court stirred.
At the same time, the State Duke’s expression slowly hardened.
Then Jang Munyeon stepped forward.
“Your Majesty, please calm yourself.”
His expression remained composed.
“In my view, it seems someone has ulterior motives in this matter.”
Jang Munyeon’s eyes flashed.
“It is clear that someone is trying to sow discord between Your Majesty and your subjects. This is an extremely grave issue.”
Wolhwa asked in a low voice.
“By that.”
Her eyes gleamed sharply.
“Do you mean Yuk Yunseo?”
Jang Munyeon was momentarily at a loss for words.
Wolhwa continued calmly.
“Yuk Yunseo has not behaved rudely in any way thus far. If you had offered even the slightest explanation, there would have been no reason for matters to come this far in the first place.”
Jang Munyeon clenched his fist tightly.
The Empress was openly taking Yunseo’s side.
At that moment, Wolhwa raised her hand and said,
“Very well.”
Her voice rang out clearly.
“If there is proof that Yuk Yunseo’s words are wrong, I will punish him myself.”
After pausing for a moment—
“However.”
Wolhwa’s gaze turned icy.
“If you denounce him without evidence… I will take it as you trying to drive a wedge between me and Yuk Yunseo.”
In an instant, the court fell completely silent.
Those words were, in effect—
No different from a warning issued to the Chancellor and the State Duke.
In the present situation, no matter how much they cried loyalty, on the surface they would only appear to be a faction jealous of Yunseo and intent on framing him.
Jang Munyeon and the State Duke’s faces twisted for a moment.
Rage boiled up within them, but right now, they could not move even a single step.
Yunseo stepped forward again.
“Your Majesty.”
He spoke calmly.
“In truth, there is one more method.”
The court’s gazes turned to him once more.
Yunseo continued.
“If the two men do not wish to pay out of their own pockets, they can be given a chance to cover their crime by rendering merit.”
Wolhwa narrowed her eyes.
“What method?”
Yunseo said,
“Have them hand over to me the list of officials who transported the relief funds to Huainan. I will find them without fail.”
The State Duke narrowed his eyes.
“And what do you intend to do if you cannot find them?”
His voice was thick with undisguised contempt.
“Yuk Yunseo. Do you think you can resolve such a major case with just a few words?”
A confident smile appeared at the corner of the State Duke’s mouth.
“Everyone knows it. Those who transported the relief funds are already dead or crippled.”
Mockery colored the State Duke’s eyes.
“It is a case without witnesses.”
He spoke as if sneering.
“What will change just because you investigate it?”
But Yunseo’s expression did not change in the slightest.
Rather, he was composed.
“Is that so?”
He spoke as if it were nothing.
“But they are not the only ones in Huainan.”
Yunseo’s gaze turned toward the ministers.
“Whether that money truly went down there.”
His voice rang low.
“There is no way the other officials there would not know.”
The blood drained completely from Jang Munyeon and the State Duke’s faces.
They had thought they were gaining the upper hand.
But Yunseo’s single remark overturned the board in an instant.
The greater problem was that there was no way to escape this place now.
Even leaving the court to silence someone in advance was impossible under the current circumstances.
Watching this, a faint smile brushed Wolhwa’s lips.
Her gaze toward Yunseo held a subtle admiration.
A good move.
To remove the firewood entirely.
With this, no matter what schemes the Chancellor and the State Duke devised, they had no choice but to be pushed back by Yunseo in this round.
Wolhwa slowly descended from the jade throne.
Then she looked around the court and opened her mouth.
“In my view, there is reason in Yuk Yunseo’s words. If there is a method, it would not be bad to let him try.”
After pausing for a moment—
“However.”
Wolhwa’s gaze turned to Jinseok and Wang Ho.
“It cannot be said that the Military Governor of Huainan and the Vice Minister of Revenue bear no responsibility at all… so I shall impose a punishment in the form of a warning.”
She said calmly,
“Dock each of them one hundred taels from their salary. That money shall be used to aid the orphans and elderly of Jinling.”
As soon as the words fell, Jinseok and Wang Ho knelt at the same time.
“Thank you for Your Majesty’s grace!”
“Thank you for sparing our lives!”
Wolhwa lightly waved her hand.
“Withdraw.”
After the two men hurriedly withdrew, Wolhwa’s gaze turned back to Yunseo.
“Yuk Yunseo.”
She said,
“I shall entrust all matters regarding the investigation to you.”
The court stirred again.
Wolhwa’s voice continued.
“You may also summon and investigate the officials throughout the Huainan region as you see fit.”
“Your Majesty, that cannot be allowed!”
At that moment, Jang Munyeon hurriedly stepped forward.
His expression was as hard as stone.
“Right now, riots are spreading throughout the Huainan region.”
He carefully opened his mouth again.
“If Yuk Yunseo is sent there… someone may target him.”
Jang Munyeon’s gaze sank coldly.
“What will Your Majesty do if you lose a precious talent?”
At those words, Wolhwa’s expression also stiffened for a moment.
He was right.
If someone targeted Yunseo on the road, the result could not be guaranteed.
Then Yunseo laughed leisurely.
His expression was relaxed.
“Who said one must go outside in order to investigate?”
At those words, the court stirred.
Soon after, laughter burst out.
“How do you plan to investigate if you do not go outside?”
“Do you suppose they will appear before you on their own?”
Yunseo shrugged.
“That will depend on my ability.”
His attitude was excessively calm.
Seeing that, Jang Munyeon and the State Duke’s expressions grew uncontrollably strained.
For a moment, unease flashed through them—perhaps this young censor truly had some move prepared.
Everything might come to an end.
That was why.
The two men stepped forward again at the same time.
“Your Majesty.”
Jang Munyeon opened his mouth.
“We, too, acknowledge that Yuk Yunseo has ability as a censor.”
His eyes trembled too much for him to hide it.
“But if a salaried official touches ministers who have done no wrong as he pleases… it will be difficult for him to earn the court’s trust.”
In truth, Yunseo had intended to stop at a suitable point here.
Docking their salaries would have been enough to suppress the current issue for the time being.
But as Jang Munyeon kept clinging to the matter, Yunseo no longer had any intention of letting it slide.
His gaze turned cold.
“I would like to ask the Chancellor one thing.”
Yunseo spoke clearly.
“Are you not becoming far too deeply involved in this matter?”
The court instantly fell silent.
Yunseo’s words continued.
“Wang Ho is the Chancellor’s brother-in-law, is he not?”
His gaze pierced through the other man.
“Could it be… that you are shielding him because of personal affection?”
In an instant, the court was completely overturned.
This was no different from a frontal attack on the Chancellor.
Jang Munyeon’s face turned blue in an instant, then flushed red again.
“Do not speak recklessly!”
He spat the words out, breathing roughly.
“It is true that I have looked after Wang Ho somewhat. But that is not a private matter. I have never once interfered in affairs of the court!”
Yunseo snorted.
“Then please do not interfere any further.”
He spoke firmly.
“If the Chancellor is truly fair and impartial… then you should leave this matter to me.”
Yunseo’s gaze turned to Wang Ho.
“And.”
A meaningful smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
“Whether Wang Ho is truly an honest official or not… I can test that myself.”
Investigate Wang Ho?
Jang Munyeon’s heart dropped.
There was no way he did not know Wang Ho’s character.
The moment that mouth opened, everything would be over.
Jang Munyeon’s jaw clenched tightly.
“Lord Yuk.”
He spoke in a low voice.
“It is true that Wang Ho is somewhat foolish. His handling of affairs is also immature. But it would suffice for Your Majesty to have him beaten in reprimand and sent back to his hometown.”
Then he raised his gaze and glared at Yunseo.
“Why are you trying to drive him to his death until the very end?”