Chapter 84: The Joint Tribunal of the Three Courts

Half an hour later, Wei Tunyun finally emerged from the Qian residence. Standing outside the main gate, the chief administrator of the Divine Temple wore an expression darker than storm clouds. The two deputy officers from Yongzhou Prefecture, waiting behind him, exchanged glances and then quickly lowered their heads, not daring to utter a sound.

After a prolonged silence, Liu Zhi suddenly hurried over from the distance. Seeing him approach, Wei Tunyun waved his hand, signaling the Yongzhou men to withdraw.

“Chief, you didn’t find what you were looking for?”

Though Liu Zhi was a Yin-Yang master, his years of service at the Divine Temple had taught him to read the mood. Even from afar, he sensed something was amiss. “I arrived too late. Someone must have taken it away beforehand. Ah, things are getting more interesting. Liu Zhi, what about the task I assigned you? How did it go?”

“Forgive me, Chief, I… failed to accomplish it.”

“What?”

Wei Tunyun’s gaze instantly turned icy as he spun around. The warm breeze that had been drifting through the Qian residence suddenly stilled. Despite the rainy weather, the late June heat was still oppressive. Yet at this moment, a thick layer of frost formed abruptly over the gate. Liu Zhi dared not meet Wei Tunyun’s eyes, bowing his head in terror.

“Chief, please quell your anger. I went to the southern city as ordered and found the informant, but as soon as I mentioned the young man surnamed Lu, he refused to say a word. Not only that, he also said…”

“What else?”

Wei Tunyun’s voice was chilling, each syllable squeezed out between clenched teeth. Liu Zhi swallowed hard, sweat breaking out on his brow.

“He told us not to provoke the boy. That a mere Divine Temple is no match for him.”

“Hahaha! Such arrogance! He knew you were from the Divine Temple and still dared to say that? It seems the Nine Stars Gang no longer wishes to remain in Chang’an!”

“I was furious myself, Chief, but from what the informant implied, that boy has a master—one with cultivation as high as yours, possibly even greater.”

Liu Zhi glanced up at Wei Tunyun, relaxing only when he saw the chief’s gaze had shifted.

“Hmph, just as I suspected. The boy is not alone. That explains everything. With an accomplice, the death of Wang Quan and the massacre in the eastern city yesterday both have an origin. Come, let us visit Lord Zhangsun’s residence. It’s time I met Yuan Tiangang and his disciple.”

Wei Tunyun cast a glance at the gray, overcast sky, sneered, and strode off toward the eastern city of Chang’an.

There is neither sun nor moon in prison; four days passed in a blur. Though confined, Lu Xin did not find the days dull. He spent them reviewing, again and again, his experiences and observations since arriving in Chang’an. Though he found no glaring errors, he could not shake the feeling that the imperial city’s defenses were not as tight as he had imagined. After all, this world contained Yin-Yang masters—people who could leap across rooftops and kill with a flick of a finger. Ordinary soldiers, however skilled, were useless against such threats.

But if remedies always came after the fact, wouldn’t the entire city be thrown into panic? If even the capital was unsafe, how could the Tang court hold its realm? Did those assassins, so bold as to rampage through Chang’an, not fear death? Or did they know in advance that even if they killed and burned, they would not be caught?

That thought made Lu Xin recall what the informant Zhao Li had once said. Even a street rogue knew disaster loomed over Chang’an; how could the vast court remain ignorant, with no preparations? Emperor Taizong, high on his throne, might not know, but what of the agencies below, or the Yin-Yang Temple that secretly guarded the capital? Had none of them detected anything amiss? Lu Xin pondered, but could not untangle this knot in his heart.

“Perhaps the court is not a monolith after all. No wonder my master said Li Shimin needs support. This imperial exam is a special one, held by the emperor’s personal will. The talent chosen will enter various departments or serve in regional offices. With every new appointment, old officials must leave. The interests involved are vast and complex beyond imagination. Li Shimin’s move must offend countless people—even among the capital’s officials, more than half likely oppose him.”

Without deep thought, the exam seemed to Lu Xin nothing more than a grand event, a festival for scholars. But the reality was far more frightening: Li Shimin had been on the throne less than three years. Most officials—whether in the central ministries or the provinces—were holdovers from the previous reign.

Ultimately, Li Yuan’s abdication was a reluctant act. Almost all the court’s officials had been appointed by him, like the difference between direct lineage and collateral branches. They feigned loyalty, but who knew what schemes brewed in their hearts? Some had even served Crown Prince Li Jiancheng or Prince Qi, Li Yuanji. To them, Li Shimin was a ruthless usurper.

For a new sovereign to command unwavering loyalty and control over his ministers, a thorough purge was inevitable. So it had always been in dynastic history. The most obedient, loyal officials were those handpicked by the ruler himself. Li Shimin’s eagerness for the special exam was understandable, though perhaps his foundation was still too shallow. Realizing this, Lu Xin felt less antipathy toward the Tang court, and even a flicker of sympathy for Li Shimin.

“Boy, always sitting there with your eyes closed—what are you thinking about? Get up! The emperor has decreed that the Court of Judicial Review, together with the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate, will judge your case. Whether you are guilty or not, the court will give you a fair answer.”

Suddenly, the cell door was unlocked from outside. Lu Xin was jolted from his thoughts and looked up to see the cell surrounded by wardens. The leader was none other than the head of the dungeon, Court of Judicial Review’s warden, Situ Jing. Lu Xin had met him only once, upon his arrival, and though they were not acquainted, Situ Jing had not made things difficult during Lu Xin’s imprisonment.

“The Court of Judicial Review, the Ministry of Justice, and the Censorate?”

Lu Xin found it strange. As a Yin-Yang master, by departmental rules, he should have been interrogated by the Demon Suppression Bureau. Even if multiple departments were involved, the Yin-Yang Temple should have been included. Now, however, it seemed both the Divine Temple and Demon Suppression Bureau had been excluded from the case. Stranger still, Emperor Li Shimin, high above, had personally intervened.

“Master Situ, did you just say the emperor himself ordered my interrogation? Is that even possible?”

“Enough, stop pretending. Secretary Supervisor Wei Zheng and Right Chancellor Du Ruhui jointly petitioned the emperor, claiming your innocence. Who would have thought you’d have such connections in court? Young Master Lu, I’ve served in the Court of Judicial Review for years, but never have I seen a prisoner like you. First, the chief of the Divine Temple personally visited. Then, an imperial edict forbade anyone from approaching your cell. Tsk, tsk… Even I am curious now—what will be the outcome of your case? Take him away!”

At Situ Jing’s command, several wardens immediately lifted Lu Xin and escorted him out of the cell. Outside, a prison carriage awaited, guarded on both sides by Court of Judicial Review officials and Ministry of Justice officers. Curiously, after Lu Xin boarded the carriage, he was taken directly out of the Court of Judicial Review, then out of Yining Ward. Half an hour later, he entered Guangde Ward in the western city.

Throughout the journey, the escort chose the most crowded streets and alleys. Naturally, Lu Xin’s presence in the prison carriage attracted countless stares. Especially upon entering Guangde Ward, a mass of citizens followed the carriage all the way to the Yongzhou Prefecture courthouse.

Four days ago, Chang’an had first suffered a fire, then a massacre in the eastern city. The people had been discussing these events ever since. Though things had been peaceful for several days, the court had issued no explanation. Now, seeing the Ministry of Justice and Court of Judicial Review jointly escorting a prisoner, the public naturally linked it to the events four days prior.

“Hmph, bringing me to the Yongzhou Prefecture for a public trial. What is the court scheming?”

Inside the courthouse, Lu Xin found three men already seated in the main hall. Judging by their robes, they were the Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review, the Minister of Justice, and the Chief Censor. This trio formed what was known as the Three Departments Joint Trial—an extraordinary gathering reserved for cases that shocked the court and the emperor alike. Yet oddly, such trials were usually held within the Court of Judicial Review, behind closed doors. The process began with the Chief Justice’s interrogation and verdict, followed by the Ministry of Justice’s review, and the Censorate’s oversight.

Yet now, Lu Xin was brought to the Yongzhou Prefecture courthouse, with the doors wide open for the public to witness.

“Insolent criminal! Before the Three Departments, why do you not kneel?”

The prefecture’s chief clerk barked, and sixteen bailiffs stationed on either side of the hall simultaneously struck their intimidation batons. The sound was like war drums before battle—majestic and awe-inspiring, yet intimidating. If an ordinary citizen stood in Lu Xin’s place, their legs would have buckled long ago. But to Lu Xin, the spectacle was nothing but a farce.

“I am innocent—why should I kneel? Simply because you are officials and I am a commoner?”

“Arrogant scoundrel! Since ancient times, subjects kneel before officials as vassals before their lord. Refusing to kneel—do you intend rebellion?”

Furious, the chief clerk ordered the bailiffs forward. Two approached, batons raised to strike Lu Xin’s legs, but the youth’s backward glance froze them in place. At that moment, a cold laugh echoed from outside the hall.

“A joint trial by the Three Departments is as if the emperor himself were present. A rogue who won’t kneel even to the emperor, a wild one who disregards the dignity of the court—how dare you claim innocence?”