Chapter 48 Just Like Coming Home

Chen Kan's loud shout had an immediate effect, as the ministers instantly turned their astonished gazes toward him.

Meanwhile, Chen Kan dropped to his knees right in the center of the grand hall, crying out with an expression of profound grievance, "Your Majesty, they are framing me! I beg Your Majesty to dispense justice for your servant!"

The ministers: "???"

In an instant, the grand hall fell dead silent.

Watching Chen Kan put on such an aggrieved act, Zhu Di almost laughed out loud.

This brat was far too good at acting.

Therefore, he quickly played along and asked, "Oh, how are they framing you?"

Chen Kan replied, "They are falsely accusing me of setting fire to the Prince of Jin's mansion. If it please Your Majesty, even if I had the courage of a bear and the gall of a leopard, I would never dare to burn down the estate of an imperial prince!"

As soon as Chen Kan said this, the censor surnamed Wang instantly flushed with anger and shouted indignantly, "Chen Kan, are you still going to quibble in broad daylight when this happened right before everyone's eyes?"

"Quibble?"

"What does Your Excellency mean by that?"

Censor Wang raged, "So many commoners saw with their own eyes that you burned down the Prince of Jin's residence! Can that possibly be false?"

Chen Kan retorted, "Who saw it? Who? Your Excellency, speaking and acting requires evidence. Since someone saw it, why don't you invite him out here?"

"Yesterday, the commoners of Yongning Street all saw you. There is no room for you to quibble here! Your Majesty, this subject requests that this scoundrel be executed immediately."

Censor Wang flicked his wide sleeve, uttered those words, and then turned his gaze to Zhu Di.

Chen Kan couldn't be bothered to argue further with him. He looked at Zhu Di, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty, this subject did indeed pass by Yongning Street yesterday, but that still doesn't prove that the Prince of Jin's estate was burned by me, does it? I might as well say that I saw Lord Wang visiting a brothel yesterday."

"Nonsense! How dare you slander my innocence out of nowhere?"

Chen Kan's expression instantly turned cold as he retorted, "You didn't see me burn down the Prince of Jin's residence with your own eyes either, so aren't you just talking nonsense just as well?"

With that, Chen Kan addressed Zhu Di directly: "May Your Majesty judge wisely. Yesterday, your servant discovered that the Prince of Jin's mansion was on fire and deliberately rushed over to help put it out. The men from the Five-City Gendarmerie can testify for me. As for Lord Wang's claim that your servant set fire to the Prince of Jin's estate, it is sheer nonsense. I ask you, if your servant were the arsonist, why on earth would I go and help put out the fire?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Di turned to look at Zhu Jixi and asked, "Prince of Jin, you claim that Chen Kan burned down your residence. Do you have any evidence?"

Zhu Jixi glanced at Chen Kan and slowly shook his head, saying, "No."

Zhu Di asked again, "Are there witnesses?"

Zhu Jixi nodded and said, "Yes, the commoners on Yongning Street yesterday can testify for me."

"What a joke."

The official who had spoken in defense of Chen Kan immediately countered, "Are we supposed to bring commoners into the imperial court to testify? If so, will all the state affairs of the Great Ming still need to be handled?"

Pausing for a moment, he cupped his hands toward Zhu Di and said, "Your Majesty, in this subject's view, this is merely an ordinary case of accidental fire. What result can possibly come from discussing it here in the imperial court? This subject requests Your Majesty to remand this case to the Ministry of Punishments. Only after the Ministry of Punishments investigates the truth should we discuss any crimes."

Brilliant!

Chen Kan secretly gave him a thumbs-up in his heart.

As expected of Fang Xiaoru's lackey, a single sentence settled the very nature of the matter.

"What do my lords think?"

Zhu Di glanced around the room and finally let his gaze rest on Zhu Jixi.

A trace of unwillingness flashed across Zhu Jixi's eyes, but he also knew that with Fang Xiaoru fiercely backing him up, it would be impossible to convict Chen Kan here in the imperial court.

Continuing to bicker further would be meaningless, so it would be better to seek another way.

He therefore nodded and said, "This subject has no objections."

The group of ministers had even fewer objections.

To offend Fang Xiaoru, who was currently basking in the Emperor's favor, merely for the sake of an imperial prince who had nothing to do with them—they were not fools; how could they possibly make such a losing trade?

As for the few censors and officials who had spoken up for Zhu Jixi, since Zhu Jixi himself had agreed, what else could they possibly say?

As for Chen Kan, the person directly involved, his opinion did not matter at all.

Seeing that no one had any objections, Zhu Di called out to the side, "Ji Gang, take the suspect Chen Kan into custody first."

"Yes."

As the commander of the Emperor's personal guards, Ji Gang naturally had the authority to make arrests within the grand hall.

At the command, two embroidered-uniform guards rushed in from outside, grabbed Chen Kan, and led him out.

Chen Kan did not resist. After all, he was being locked up in the Embroidered Uniform Guard's Prison, not the prison of the Ministry of Punishments.

It was just like coming home; what was there to resist?

Once outside the Fengtian Hall, the two embroidered-uniform guards whispered apologetically in Chen Kan's ear, "My lord, we are truly sorry."

"It's fine. Oh, by the way, remember to transfer that fat cook to the prison to cook meals for me; I can't get used to anyone else's cooking."

As Chen Kan was taken away by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Zhu Di looked at Luo Qian, the Minister of Punishments, and instructed indifferently, "File the case first. The Ministry of Punishments will take full charge of this matter. Remember, you must return justice to the Prince of Jin, but make sure you do not wrong an innocent man."

Zhu Di emphasized the word "innocent" particularly heavily.

Luo Qian understood instantly in his heart, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured. This subject will personally oversee this matter."

As the saying goes, high-end court politics often employ only the most rustic methods of struggle.

Thus, after a round of verbal sparring among the group, such a major event as the burning of an imperial prince's estate was simply brushed aside and settled in this hasty manner.

This was the advantage of having a backing.

Of course, to say it was brushed aside completely might not be entirely accurate, after all, the Ministry of Punishments still had to fret over this matter.

Back inside the Northern Pacification Commissioner's Prison, Chen Kan showed not the slightest self-awareness of being a criminal suspect.

Led by Qianhu Shi Wen and accompanied by Zongqi Fang Xiu and a whole crowd of others, he ordered them left and right to scurry about.

Not staying in a prison cell—Chen Kan wouldn't dare.

But while staying in a prison cell, making use of limited conditions to improve one's prison life—wasn't that entirely reasonable?

Chen Kan was currently making reasonable use of limited conditions.

Shi Wen led people to buy daily necessities for Chen Kan, Fang Xiu led people to clean Chen Kan's cell, and several embroidered-uniform guards were dispatched to respectfully invite the fat cook from the kitchen into the prison.

When Fang Xiu and his men had meticulously washed the walls of the cell Chen Kan was going to stay in with lime water, Chen Kan finally stepped into the cell, which was now emanating various floral fragrances, with utter satisfaction.

Shi Wen also led men to carry a newly purchased iron bed, bedding, a desk, a stove, a chamber pot, pots, bowls, ladles, and basins, along with a pile of snacks and fresh ingredients, into the cell.

Fang Xiu even thoughtfully knocked down the partition between the adjacent cell and this one, dividing it into two small rooms.

One room was for the cook to live in, and the other was for Chen Kan to use as a lavatory.

After everything was settled, Shi Wen bowed and said, "My lord, eat well and drink well in here. If you need anything, just tell your subordinate, and your subordinate will procure it for you at the fastest speed possible."

Chen Kan said with a trace of annoyance, "Tsk, I am serving time in a prison cell, not coming here for a vacation. 'Eat well and drink well'? Get lost if you have nothing else to do."