Chapter 200: The Truth Revealed

Everyone was completely confused.

After so much talk, it seemed like nothing had been said at all.

Emperor Hongzhi had already reached his limit. Although the smell of salted fish had faded a bit, he still felt very uncomfortable.

Most importantly, Emperor Hongzhi hadn’t come to listen to Fang Jifan’s nonsense. He came to see whether the captured imperial criminal was real or fake.

Therefore, facing Fang Jifan’s rambling, he couldn’t help feeling impatient. His bright eyes showed some displeasure as they fixed directly on Fang Jifan.

Fang Jifan noticed Emperor Hongzhi’s gaze, but he didn’t feel afraid. Instead, he laughed and continued speaking.

“Once you understand this point… what can you learn?”

“…”

Everyone was baffled.

Even Li Chaowen sighed inwardly. He really wanted to save his martial uncle from embarrassment, but after all that talking, he was completely confused and understood nothing. He couldn’t even play the role of a shill and could only sit there stupidly.

Fang Jifan sighed. Some people just couldn’t be taught.

Although feeling slightly awkward, Fang Jifan still pulled himself together and glanced around at everyone.

Seeing that everyone looked completely lost, he blinked his bright eyes and continued speaking.

“The principle contained in this is that once you understand the so-called rebel faction, you’ll know that the so-called rebels are nothing special. The rumored rebels and imperial criminals aren’t scary at all. Even though this imperial criminal is in his prime, would you believe that even though I’m young and look skinny, in just the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, I’d be kneeling before this imperial criminal, pressing his philtrum, begging him not to die!”

Fang Jifan grinned, finally having bragged a little. Then he glanced at Emperor Hongzhi.

At this moment, Emperor Hongzhi was staring at him particularly seriously, so he scratched his head.

“But… why would such a useless person cause so much trouble for the Eastern Depot and Imperial Guard?”

“…”

Xiao Jing and Mou Bin both looked very displeased. At this moment, they both felt their teeth itching. They really wanted to kneel before Fang Jifan, press his philtrum, and beg him not to die.

“Ahem…”

Fang Jifan pretended to clear his throat. The next moment, a faint smile spread across his handsome face, but it only lasted briefly before disappearing. He frowned seriously and spoke word by word with emphasis.

“This is because they don’t understand what a great bandit is, and they don’t know what an imperial criminal truly is. Even with plenty of manpower and resources, if they don’t know themselves or their enemy, they’ll never catch the imperial criminal.”

“Hmph!” Mou Bin’s face turned red. He curled his lips slightly, showing a very dissatisfied expression, and questioned sharply, “You say he’s the imperial criminal, so he is? Do you have any evidence?”

“Yes!” Fang Jifan’s reply was crisp and clear!

Now they were getting to the main point.

This guy’s constant rambling was really unbearable.

Mou Bin just looked at him coldly: “Very well, please show it to us and let us see. I’ve been in charge of the Brocade Guard for ten years. If I know less about criminal affairs than you, Fang Jifan, then I’d like to learn from you.”

Emperor Hongzhi remained silent, allowing Mou Bin to raise the question.

Mou Bin’s doubt was actually his own confusion too, so Emperor Hongzhi was completely looking forward to Fang Jifan’s evidence.

Facing Mou Bin’s challenge, Fang Jifan didn’t get angry. Instead, he smiled and waved to someone outside.

“Someone, please invite Wang San, the Beggar Sect’s Capital branch leader.”

Branch leader…

With this command, someone entered.

He looked like a simple old farmer. This person didn’t resemble any branch leader at all. The name Wang San was actually similar to Zhu Chongba – probably coming from a poor background where names were basically chosen by counting.

Wang San’s face was full of wrinkles. He was clearly very frightened. His narrow eyes looked extremely small on his wrinkled face, as if they weren’t even open, making it hard to see his pupils.

He entered cautiously, his whole body trembling. But when he saw Fang Jifan, it was like he had taken a calming pill.

In his heart, Fang Jifan was his benefactor, a bodhisattva, a truly good person.

Here in the Western Hills, no one dared say a single bad word about their benefactor.

As soon as Wang San saw Fang Jifan, he knelt down and said respectfully: “This humble person pays respect to Benefactor.”

Fang Jifan raised his eyebrows slightly. The next moment, he looked deeply at him, his handsome face full of seriousness.

“You tell me yourself that you are the Beggar Sect’s Capital branch leader.”

“Yes.” Wang San kowtowed while honestly confessing: “This humble person joined the Beggar Sect early on and has been working for the sect leader since then, recruiting members. Over the years, all the Beggar Sect followers in the Capital were recruited by this humble person…”

“…”

Instantly, everyone’s expression changed.

This… was a witness?

This person called Wang San, although seeming somewhat afraid, clearly hadn’t been tortured into confession.

Since there was no forced confession, who in this world would be stupid enough to admit they were a rebel?

This was a crime punishable by execution.

A sharp glint flashed in Emperor Hongzhi’s eyes, but his gaze remained fixed on Wang San.

The smile on Xiao Jing’s face instantly froze.

Although Mou Bin still maintained a scornful expression, it looked… somewhat fake, somewhat guilty.

Fang Jifan nodded satisfied at Wang San, then asked again: “You also told me that the hiding place of the Beggar Sect leader was chosen by you?”

“Correct. After the sect leader came from Jiangnan to the Capital, all his daily arrangements were handled by the Capital branch.”

“Then why did you betray your sect leader? Was he not good to you?”

Wang San shook his head: “Can’t say he was good, can’t say he was bad. In the Beggar Sect, this humble person wasn’t prominent. Above me were the left and right protectors, provincial hall masters, deputy sect leaders, and others. The Capital branch had three thousand followers – quite a large scale indeed. This humble person was originally willing to work for the sect leader.”

“But…” He hesitated at this point, paused for a moment, then continued confessing.

“Later, I heard that many followers had come to the Western Hills. This humble person thought, since the followers were all going to the Western Hills, naturally I should come too. This humble person… has a son, so I brought my son and came together. Only then did I learn that there were two benefactors here recruiting refugees, having everyone work hard mining and laboring…”

“Although this work was also hard, the benefactors weren’t stingy with resources. They built houses for us, giving us shelter from wind and rain. Every day they gave us food – not just yellow millet or thin porridge, but fragrant rice. Every day, the mine would slaughter two pigs. During festivals, the two benefactors specifically instructed Steward Wang to kill chickens and sheep, and buy jars of wine so we could have a good new year… This humble person has seen some of the world, but in this life, drifting from place to place, only in the Western Hills have I lived some peaceful days.”

“This humble person has a son who works at the mine. Not only can he eat his fill every month, but he also receives money. Which farming household near the Western Hills doesn’t envy us mine workers? Which family with daughters in nearby villages isn’t willing to marry their daughter to someone from the mine? Just last month, this humble person’s son got married…”

At this point, his eyes brightened, and his wrinkled face radiated happiness.

“This humble person is happy inside. This humble person thinks, what Beggar Sect or not – it’s all fake. Back in those days, this humble person had no food, drifting from place to place, that’s why I joined the Beggar Sect. All I wanted was to not be bullied while begging. But this humble person’s son is different. He has food to eat, clothes to wear, shelter from wind and rain, got married. Next year, he’ll have a fat son. When the boy grows a bit older, there’s a school where he can study. After studying, he’ll be different. In the future, he can take the imperial examinations. If he passes, it brings glory to the ancestors. If he doesn’t pass, at worst he can sell his strength at the mine – that’s not bad either.”

As he spoke, he became emotional, his eyes turning red, his voice trembling.

“This humble person is grateful for the great virtue of the two benefactors, and also knows that besides the benefactors, this mine has connections with the imperial family. It’s His Majesty, it’s the imperial court that lets us eat our fill and dress warmly! When the sect leader came to the Capital, he told this humble person to spread various rumors. At that time, this humble person already felt something was wrong. Later, I learned he wanted to use this opportunity to plot major events. Since the sect leader came, this humble person hasn’t spent a single day without fear, not a day without trembling. This humble person felt sorry for the Emperor, sorry for the two benefactors, and even more afraid – afraid that one day the sect leader would truly rebel, causing the Western Hills to be completely destroyed in war, leaving us with no hope at all.”

Towards the end, Wang San actually burst into loud sobbing.

…

The school was completely silent.

Everyone was listening carefully. Emperor Hongzhi was listening at first, then couldn’t help being shocked, but after that he was no longer shocked. As Wang San cried, he actually found his own eyes turning somewhat red and his nose somewhat sore.

Xiao Jing’s face changed dramatically. He already understood what was happening.

Mou Bin’s expression wasn’t much better either. His heart felt like a bottle of mixed flavors had been overturned, with hundreds of different emotions churning inside.

Zhu Houzhao was delighted. He looked left and right, then tugged at Xiao Jing’s sleeve and said laughing: “Companion Xiao, the other benefactor he mentioned is This Palace…”

Xiao Jing looked at Zhu Houzhao with complicated feelings.

Zhu Houzhao didn’t get the reaction he wanted, but he wasn’t discouraged. He gently tugged at his Imperial Father sitting beside him, wearing an ingratiating expression: “Imperial Father… Imperial Father, the two benefactors he mentioned are Fang Jifan and Your Son and Servant…”

Emperor Hongzhi didn’t pay him any attention.

Zhu Houzhao could only laugh at himself. He never expected that the little good deeds he did before would lead to such an outcome today.

“But…” Mou Bin’s icy voice questioned at this moment: “But there’s one point this official doesn’t understand and would very much like to ask about.”

After all, Mou Bin was the Commander of the Imperial Guards. How could ordinary tricks deceive him?

Mou Bin stared at Wang San and said coldly: “Wang San, you keep saying you’re a branch leader. Since you’re a branch leader, with thousands of followers under you, and could even arrange houses for the sect leader, it’s clear you weren’t completely destitute. Could just eating plain rice at the mine and receiving a few copper coins as salary buy you off?”

This question directly hit the crucial point.