Ch 86: You Damned Eunuch! You’ve Truly Played A Masterful Game!
“Sir… how come you brought so many Imperial Guards?”
Eunuch Zhang’s heart skipped a beat, his face changed drastically, his muscles twitching.
“If I didn’t come sooner, wouldn’t Imperial Tutor Sun have been framed to death by this dog eunuch!”
Xiong Juzheng strode forward, his face ashen, shouting to the guards behind him: “Someone, arrest this dog eunuch!”
“Yes!”
A group of Jinwu Guards behind Xiong Juzheng responded in unison, immediately apprehending and detaining Eunuch Zhang without a word.
Eunuch Zhang still tried to struggle, arguing: “Sir… Sir Xiong, why is this? Did you arrest the wrong person? This man is the one guilty of a heinous crime! He murdered the Imperial Envoy, massacred the ceremonial guard soldiers, and even forced…”
“Shut up!”
Before Eunuch Zhang could finish, Xiong Juzheng raised his arm and slapped him hard across the face.
A crisp “slap!” nearly knocked the Chief Eunuch unconscious.
“Dog eunuch!”
“You really played a good game of chess. If this Old Man… this Official hadn’t been more cautious and gone to the Imperial Palace personally, I would have almost been tricked by this dog eunuch!”
After speaking, Xiong Juzheng took out a pure gold engraved seal from his bosom and raised it high above his head.
“The Golden Seal is here, as if His Majesty were present!”
“His Majesty’s decree, kneel down!”
Everyone was instantly stunned.
The Golden Seal, that was an imperial gift from His Majesty.
If someone else had produced the Golden Seal, there might have been doubts, but with the Imperial Guards present, and Xiong Juzheng, the Kyoto Prefect, holding the Golden Seal, there was absolutely no room for doubt.
After a moment of hesitation, everyone knelt down.
Sun Jian was no exception, immediately dismounting and kneeling on the ground with the soldiers.
Xiong Juzheng announced loudly: “By His Majesty’s decree: Imperial Tutor Sun was framed. Rumors that Imperial Tutor Sun disregarded human life, murdered the Imperial Envoy, and massacred soldiers are completely false. His Majesty is aware of this matter and has ordered a thorough investigation of this case by the Kyoto Prefecture.”
“Imperial Tutor Sun is to immediately enter the palace to meet His Majesty without delay.”
After reading the decree, Xiong Juzheng, regardless of the reactions of others, directly instructed the guards behind him: “Imprison this dog eunuch.”
“Bring everyone present here today!”
“Yes!”
The guards responded and began to execute the orders.
The situation took a sharp turn. Those soldiers who had previously intended to attack Sun Jian were now ashen-faced, shouting their innocence.
“Sir Xiong, I’m innocent! I’ve been a yamen runner at the Kyoto Prefecture Yamen for three years; I am your old subordinate. Today’s events were instigated by Eunuch Zhang!”
“Sir Xiong, I didn’t know anything, I didn’t know anything!”
Xiong Juzheng sneered: “Damn it, a bunch of dogs! You still have the face to say you’ve followed this Official for three years? Have you been kicked in the head by a donkey?”
“Without investigating the facts, you dared to attack Imperial Tutor Sun based on the words of a dog eunuch! You put your head in someone else’s waistband, who can you blame?”
“This Official tells you, the Kyoto Prefecture Yamen has thousands of yamen runners. If you want to survive in the officialdom, from now on, be more vigilant!”
“Take them away quickly!”
“Don’t let a single one escape!”
Xiong Juzheng didn’t bother to waste words with these petty yamen runners, showing no mercy.
Seeing that the situation was under control, Xiong Juzheng immediately changed his expression, the speed of his change leaving Sun Jian speechless.
He clasped his hands, bowed to Sun Jian: “Haha, Imperial Tutor Sun, you know His Majesty’s decree, so let’s go?”
“Old Man Xiong Juzheng, Kyoto Prefect. I won’t waste time on pleasantries; I don’t like them.”
Sun Jian smiled faintly and bowed: “Sir Xiong, you are too kind. Junior has long admired your reputation, and to meet you today is truly a great honor.”
“Oh? Imperial Tutor Sun has heard of my name?”
Xiong Juzheng raised an eyebrow, his expression amiable.
Sun Jian smiled faintly and nodded.
Not only have I heard of your name, but I also know of your deeds.
Among the many lists of officials that Governor Yao left Sun Jian was an introduction to this Xiong Juzheng.
After all, this Kyoto Prefect, in later generations, would be equivalent to the Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee.
In the future, serving as an official in Kyoto City, it was unavoidable to interact with such officials, so Sun Jian had a deep impression of him.
Although Xiong Juzheng’s rank was only Zheng Si Pin (grade 4), he was a prominent figure in Great Qian.
“Yes, Junior has heard that Sir Xiong is a military officer, and in his early years followed His Majesty on various campaigns, pacifying half of the empire, so I had heard of your reputation.”
Sun Jian didn’t deliberately flatter, he just stated the facts.
The roster stated that Xiong Juzheng was skilled in martial arts, brave and invincible on the battlefield, taking enemy generals’ heads as easily as taking something from one’s pocket.
Unfortunately, this man wasn’t very adaptable and was blunt. Although he was brave, he lacked the qualities of a general. After suffering a defeat, he publicly rebuked His Majesty and was dismissed from his post, only recently taking up the temporary post of Kyoto Prefect a few months ago.
Hearing Sun Jian praise his past heroic deeds, Xiong Juzheng laughed heartily: “Hahaha, good, good, good! Imperial Tutor Sun, you are to my liking, I like you!”
“Imperial Tutor Sun, you were frightened today. His Majesty already knows everything. Let’s not waste time here. Let’s enter the palace immediately to meet His Majesty. Let’s travel together, and I will tell you everything in detail on the way, how about that?”
“Excellent!”
Sun Jian nodded in agreement.
The two boarded a carriage, with fast horses, heading towards the palace.
Inside the carriage, Xiong Juzheng stroked his beard, smiled brightly, and said to Sun Jian: “Imperial Tutor Sun, although you are a scholar, you have the demeanor of a great general. Facing such a dangerous situation, you remained calm and collected. You must be a man of great talent.”
“Sir Xiong is exaggerating.”
Sun Jian waved his hand in denial.
“Cough, Imperial Tutor Sun, don’t be too modest. You are valued by His Majesty. I don’t like the polite words of scholars. What I said comes from the bottom of my heart.”
“Imperial Tutor Sun, the situation today was truly dangerous! Haha, thankfully nothing serious happened!”
“To be specially appointed by His Majesty as a Jinshi and then appointed as the Imperial Tutor to the Crown Prince, you are certainly not an ordinary person.”
Sun Jian shook his head with a wry smile and sighed, “Sir Xiong, being an official isn’t necessarily a good thing. Upon arriving in Kyoto, I was immediately framed with a series of accusations. The waters of Kyoto are very deep.”
“To be honest, if you hadn’t arrived with His Majesty’s Golden Seal and the Imperial Guards today, I might have killed many Kyoto yamen runners and fled back to my hometown.”
Thinking back to the scene just now, Xiong Juzheng’s expression darkened.
Sun Jian was right; if he hadn’t arrived on time, the matter would have become uncontrollable.
He wouldn’t have been able to account for it to His Majesty!
“Imperial Tutor Sun, to be frank, I almost became someone else’s pawn today…”
