Chapter 966: Chapter 966

"I am the Deputy Arresting Officer from Lihua Hall, here to investigate a traitor within the court. Clear the way immediately. Anyone who dares to obstruct will be treated as an accomplice of the traitor." Check latest chapters at 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵~𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖~𝙣𝙚𝙩

After speaking, he did not stop and charged towards the Imperial Court of Supervision.

The gatekeeper saw a group of Living Yama swarming menacingly and knew he could not stop them, so he turned to run back to report.

Zhao Douan paid no heed and led the crowd inside.

The inner courtyard of the Imperial Court of Supervision had many yards, with various government offices scattered around.

The office where the Imperial Censor worked, called the "Duty Room," was easy to locate. Zhao Douan had a clear goal and did not take detours, heading straight for it.

Along the way, green-robed imperial censors, caught off guard, stared in astonishment.

Some came out from their rooms, some poked their heads out from windows, and some stood in the corridors, discussing fervently.

A group of Imperial Court’s Jinyi barged through small courtyards with an overbearing presence, like loaches entering a pond.

"What’s going on? Why are people from the Imperial Court here?"

"Perhaps they’re assisting in solving a case? But it doesn’t seem right. Surely they aren’t here to arrest someone?"

"Ha... Arrest someone in our Imperial Court of Supervision? That’s absurd! What about Mr. Yuan?" someone sneered.

Others, with keen eyes, exclaimed in surprise:

"Are they from Lihua Hall? Impossible! Isn’t Commander Zhao at the frontline? Who could command Lihua Hall?"

Zhao Douan ignored the murmurs around him.

Soon, he arrived outside a duty room with carved beams and painted pillars, the house had black tiles and green windows, red lacquered wooden columns, and bamboo planted in the yard.

He approached the door and kicked it open with a "bang," stepping inside.

Inside, the room had roughly four or five desks scattered around, with imperial censors working, and at the innermost position was a solitary desk, behind which sat a middle-aged man.

At this moment, everyone inside raised their heads in shock, some still holding their calligraphy brushes, uncertain and surprised.

Zhao Douan surveyed the room, his gaze locking onto the middle-aged man at the innermost position, arrogantly stating:

"Are you the Imperial Censor, Peng Wenliang?"

Peng Wenliang, true to his name, was an official with a literary demeanor, his green robe deeper in color than others, the details of the official robe showing his fourth-rank status.

His brows were light, he had a beard, and did not wear an official hat, holding a calligraphy brush, with paintings and calligraphy hanging on the wall behind him.

At this moment, a flash of panic appeared in his eyes but quickly vanished; calmly, he placed the brush on the brush rack.

He then stood up, hands behind his back, glaring at the government officer also wearing a green robe but a white mask, and said solemnly:

"I am Peng Wenliang. Who are you? What’s your intention here?"

Zhao Douan pulled out the arrest warrant from his waist with two fingers, shook it slightly, and smiled:

"I am the newly appointed Deputy Arresting Officer of the Imperial Court, having received reports that Mr. Peng is involved in colluding with rebels, and I am here to arrest you. Well then? Mr. Peng, would you please come with us?"

His casual words stirred a huge commotion.

Before Peng Wenliang could react, the other imperial censors inside became indignant, standing up one by one.

One person was furiously angry:

"What Deputy Arresting Officer? Why haven’t we heard anything about it? How dare you slander Mr. Peng!?"

Another elder censor spoke in a somewhat calmer tone but also expressed his stance:

"Both the Imperial Court of Supervision and the Imperial Court are places for overseeing officials. You should know that our imperial censors are officials. When have they been summoned willy-nilly by you?"

Peng Wenliang’s face darkened, staring at Zhao Douan, angrily and sarcastically:

"Slandering me as colluding with rebels? Good, good, good. I’ve never heard of you, but let’s assume it’s true. Yet you, as a new officer, have managed to burn your ’three fires’ so that it reaches our Imperial Court of Supervision!"

He shouted angrily: "You want to arrest me? Where’s the arrest warrant?"

Zhao Douan said flatly:

"In urgent situations, we act with authority. To prevent Mr. Peng from escaping, we’ll arrest first, and complete the paperwork afterward."

By now, he was no longer the same person who had just entered the Imperial Court.

Then, to catch Princess Yunyang’s lover, a Marquis with no real power, he needed to go to Ma Yan for a warrant.

But now, he was too lazy to follow the procedure.

Peng Wenliang laughed in anger:

"Without an arrest warrant, you come to arrest a fourth-rank official? Such audacity! With merely the power of a Deputy Arresting Officer, you are not worthy to see me! Escort him out!"

He waved furiously, and the imperial censors inside, with stern faces, stood up to make a gesture to escort him out.

Without instruction, Shen Juan, Hou Renmeng, and others promptly drew their swords, and immediately, a wave of clanging swords was heard like a tide, causing the imperial censors to change their expressions.

From beneath Zhao Douan’s mask came laughter.

He gently stepped forward, walked straight to a desk beside Peng Wenliang, pulled over a chair, and sat down heavily.

Kicking his legs up, he calmly picked up a ruler from the table to play with:

"I have always respected imperial censors. Moreover, the Imperial Court of Supervision and the Imperial Prison are akin, hence I dislike using force here, brandishing swords and knives, harming camaraderie. If Mr. Peng is sure of his innocence, how about accompanying me for a walk?"

His attitude clearly indicated he was unwilling to leave.

Peng Wenliang’s heart sank, staring deeply at him. By this time, the commotion had grown.

Outside the windows and doors of the duty room, a large number of imperial censors had arrived and gathered in the courtyard, discussing fervently.

Peng Wenliang turned his head, gave a meaningful glance to an imperial censor outside a window, who understood and headed to the back office.

Peng Wenliang glared at Zhao Douan’s white mask, eyes filled with anger, indignantly saying:

"Do you know what you’re doing? Creating a ruckus at the Imperial Court of Supervision, arresting a fourth-rank official without a decree from Your Majesty! Not even Ma Yan would dare do this!"

Zhao Douan simply smiled in silence, playing with the bright yellow, transparent ruler.

He acted as if he was listening to nothing but the wind beside his ears.

Suddenly, Peng Wenliang stomped his foot, turned around angrily, and marched towards the door, loudly declaring:

"I am going to the palace to meet Your Majesty and file a report against your Imperial Court!"

With legs crossed, Zhao Douan continued to play with the ruler and suddenly said coldly:

At the door, Hou Renmeng’s sword was suddenly drawn, blocking the open door, and halting Peng Wenliang’s path.

Zhao Douan exerted force, and with a "crack," the ruler shattered and fell to the ground.

He gazed at the jade fragments on the floor and spoke softly:

"Anyone who steps beyond this door will be killed."