AWB Chapter 428 Persuasion
Chapter 428 Persuasion
"In the third year of the Qiyuan era, Li Chongyi embezzled funds intended for river works, causing the Yuan River to breach its banks, resulting in the displacement of people along the river and countless deaths and injuries!"
"In the sixth year of the Qiyuan era, Li Chongyi colluded with salt merchants to inflate salt prices, causing great suffering to the people and making their lives difficult."
"In the eleventh year of the Qiyuan era, the northern frontier harassed our borders. Li Chongyi took the opportunity to amass wealth, which led to the leakage of the border defense map. Our Great Zhao's border soldiers were put on the defensive in that battle, suffering heavy casualties, and the border people were also massacred..."
"The sixteenth year of the Qiyuan era..."
Now it is the twenty-third year of Qiyuan, and Song Bingzhi has listed all the crimes that Li Chongyi has committed in the past twenty-three years.
Song Bingzhi spoke with a clear and forceful voice, and with each crime he recounted, the court grew increasingly quiet.
All the court officials stared at Song Bingzhi in astonishment, their eyes nearly popping out of their sockets, their faces filled with disbelief.
Why would Song Bingzhi suddenly bring up such a distant matter for impeachment?
Furthermore, where did he obtain this evidence, and how dare he impeach Li Chongyi, who held such a high position and great power, in the imperial court?
Song Bingzhi observed the reactions of everyone around him, including the emperor. After reading all the evidence, he slowly raised his eyes and glanced at the document he held high above his head.
This book is extremely thick, almost four or five times thicker than ordinary documents.
It contains records of Li Chongyi's crimes.
He was merely an imperial censor, and quite old; he lacked the ability to contend with the Li family, so this document was naturally not written by him.
Even now, Song Bingzhi still finds it hard to believe.
Because this document came from someone he would never have imagined.
Song Bingzhi's thoughts drifted back to yesterday.
Yesterday at dusk, not long after he finished his shift and returned home, the gatekeeper led in a person whose entire body was completely covered by a cloak.
The man went inside, took off his hood, revealing the face of a young woman.
Coincidentally, he knew this woman, Yu Wan, the legitimate daughter whom the Duke of Anguo had found.
When Yu Wan first met Song Bingzhi, just as rumored, Song Bingzhi had an upright and incorruptible appearance, and would never show favoritism.
She greeted Song Bingzhi respectfully, saying, "Uncle Song, I apologize for the intrusion and disturbance. I hope you will not take offense."
Song Bingzhi had frequent dealings with the Duke of Anguo, so it was quite reasonable for Yu Wan to address Song Bingzhi as "uncle."
Song Bingzhi raised his hand to indicate that she didn't need to be so polite, and pointed to the empty seat next to him, "Please sit down."
Yu Wan smiled and nodded, then sat down to the side.
Song Bingzhi scrutinized her, his gaze sweeping over her clothes, and frowned, asking, "What brings you here at this hour dressed like this?"
Yu Wan smiled faintly, "Tomorrow is the Grand Court Assembly. Will Uncle attend?"
Song Bingzhi frowned even more, his eyes showing a hint of displeasure. "This is a matter of state, not something you can interfere with."
Song Bingzhi was an upright man, but he also had a flaw: he was pedantic and conservative. He firmly believed in the ancestral saying that "a woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent" and always felt that matters of the court were the responsibility of men and that women should not concern themselves with them.
Yu Wan remained calm and composed, still wearing a polite smile, and said softly, "Uncle, I naturally know that matters of the court are not for me to comment on. However, I have come here on someone's behalf and have something I need to personally deliver to you."
She didn't take Song Bingzhi's words to heart at all.
When you need something from someone, you naturally have to be a little accommodating.
As she spoke, Yu Wan smiled and took out a document five or six centimeters thick from her sleeve, steadily handing it to Song Bingzhi with both hands.
Song Bingzhi's gaze was instantly drawn to the document.
He didn't answer immediately; his brows furrowed unconsciously into a deep frown. "What is this?"
Yu Wan smiled without saying anything, and handed the things back to Song Bingzhi.
Song Bingzhi hesitated for a moment, then reached out and took it.
The document felt heavy in his hands. He solemnly turned a few pages, and after seeing the contents, his face instantly turned ashen.
He suddenly looked up at Yu Wan, his tone questioning, "Where...where did this come from?!"
Seeing Song Bingzhi's expression change drastically, Yu Wan slowly wiped the smile off her face.
She said, "This is the evidence that Yun Shang collected earlier... It's just a pity that he didn't have time to hand these things over to the Emperor before..."
As she spoke, Yu Wan lowered her head and wiped her eyes.
Upon hearing this, Song Bingzhi instantly understood. He stared at the document in his hand, his eyes filled with complex emotions. "Why did you give this to me?"
"Most officials in the court are in cahoots. Aren't you worried that I might be one of them?"
Yu Wan slowly raised her head and looked directly into Song Bingzhi's eyes with a calm expression.
His eyes held an unwavering determination: "Uncle, I am well aware of the complex situation in the court, but Yun Shang said that it is most appropriate to entrust this item to you."
"You are an honest and upright official, respected by the people; as an imperial censor, you have the power to impeach officials. If this item must be given to one person, it is you alone, there is no other choice."
Song Bingzhi remained silent and did not speak.
Yu Wan then said, "Uncle, now the Emperor needs a knife to break the ice, and this evidence is the best knife. It is no exaggeration to call Li Chongyi a scourge to the country and the people. The Emperor has now turned against the aristocratic families. If we do not take advantage of this time to bring him down, there will be endless troubles in the future."
Song Bingzhi raised his eyes and stared at Yu Wan, "If I hand this over to Li Chongyi's faction now, you, the Yun family, and the Duke of Anguo's mansion will all be in big trouble."
Yu Wan chuckled and shook her head. "You wouldn't."
Song Bingzhi's eyes flickered slightly, his heart filled with mixed feelings.
"You trust me that much?"
“I believe in the people. The fact that my uncle has won the hearts of the people proves that his heart is with the people.”
Song Bing stared at her for a while, then suddenly burst into laughter. His laughter was hearty yet tinged with emotion: "You're quite something, young man. I do regret not meeting Yun Shang. He's lucky to have a wife like you."
He finished laughing, sighed, and put the document into his wide sleeve. "Tomorrow I will submit a memorial to impeach Li Chongyi, but Li Chongyi wields immense power and his cronies are everywhere in the court. With this evidence alone, it is absolutely impossible to bring him down. Once he leaves the palace, the Yun family and the Duke of Anguo's mansion will suffer his mad revenge."
At this point, Song Bingzhi paused, then looked at Yu Wan again with a solemn expression: "I will ask you one more time, are you sure you want me to submit a memorial to impeach him?"
Yu Wan's expression hardened, she straightened her back, and without hesitation:
"Uncle, I'm sure."
“When Yun Shang and I were collecting this evidence, we had already disregarded our own lives. As long as Li Chongyi does not fall, the Great Zhao will never have peace, and countless people will continue to suffer.”
“We cannot back down because we are afraid of retaliation. This is our responsibility, and it is also to give an explanation to those who have been persecuted by Li Chongyi.”
That's about 80% true.
It's true that Yu Wan dislikes Li Chongyi, but to say that she disregards life and death is not entirely accurate.
She was truly afraid of dying.
But now that we've come this far, there's no turning back.
If Li Chongyi doesn't fall from power, they will be the ones who suffer.
She still understood the principle of "better to die than to die myself."
Besides, Li Chongyi and his group were not wronged; they truly deserved to die.