Chapter 36: Dismissal from Office and Demotion in Nobility

“That bastard, that ungrateful Chen Hua, how dare he, how dare he bite the hand that fed him.” Ma Ku was so angry that he smashed all the vases and porcelain in his study to pieces.

Since his failed attempt to mediate at Prince Zhuang’s Mansion a few days earlier, he had not given up. He had been seeking connections everywhere, trying to find an intermediary.

At first, many officials in the court were willing to help smooth things over, but Prince Zhuang simply refused to yield, whether to persuasion or pressure.

Ma Ku thought the other party was just acting in the heat of the moment, so he kept increasing his offers. Although Duke Rui’s Mansion had declined, it still had some political leverage.

But he never expected that during today’s court assembly, a Censor accused Duke Rui’s Mansion of colluding with external officials, bullying the weak, extorting antiques, and driving someone to their death.

Was this even an issue for nobles like them?

It was not a big deal at all. Every year, some Censor would file such accusations against noble families. Then, the noble faction in the court would trade barbs with other factions for a month or two, until Emperor Li stepped in to mediate, and the matter would eventually fade away. Ma Ku thought it was simply Duke Rui’s Mansion’s turn this time—nothing serious.

At most, he would be summoned for questioning before the emperor in a few days, which would give him a chance to be seen by the emperor. After that, he might face a fine or be ordered to reflect on his mistakes.

But he never expected that Chen Hua, the Prefect of Nanxuan, who had come to the Capital to report on his duties and had been transferred to the Capital’s judicial court through someone’s maneuvering to become an official in the Capital, would also submit a memorial against him. Ma Ku had originally planned to visit Chen Hua soon, but Chen Hua took advantage of the Censor’s accusation and filed his own memorial.

In it, Chen Hua accused the Ma family of luring young nobles into gambling, forcibly taking common women as concubines, and lending money at exorbitant interest rates.

This directly ignited a firestorm among the various factions in the court.

The Noble Houses faction, a product of the noble families, naturally tried its best to protect Duke Rui’s Mansion, but they could not withstand the pressure from other civil and military officials, leaving them overwhelmed.

After calming down, Ma Ku realized that neither Chen Hua nor the Censor was the real mastermind behind this.

“Prince Zhuang,” Ma Ku said through gritted teeth.

From every angle, it was obvious.

In recent days, he had only offended Prince Zhuang. If it wasn’t him, then who else could it be?

Moreover, although Duke Rui’s Mansion held the title of duke and had political leverage and resources, it still relied on the Noble Houses for support.

“But is Prince Zhuang really the only reason for this?”

Ma Ku fell silent. This time, the situation had escalated too much, and Emperor Li seemed indifferent, which gave him a bad feeling.

“Master, someone from the palace has arrived to deliver an edict. Please hurry to receive them,” the steward called out anxiously from outside the door.

Ma Ku’s heart skipped a beat. He quickly straightened his attire and went to receive the messenger.

When he arrived in the main hall, the Eunuch Official had been waiting for some time. Seeing Ma Ku arrive, he took out the imperial edict and began to read.

“By Imperial Destiny… he is stripped of his title as duke, demoted to county duke, and dismissed from his position as third-rank Fenwei General. So it is decreed.” After a long, formal reading, the Eunuch Official announced the final outcome.

Ma Ku was stunned. What was happening? Why was it so swift?

Dismissal from office and demotion in nobility—without even an investigation, the verdict was handed down directly. Ma Ku’s vision went dark, and he nearly lost his balance.

“Lord Ma, receive the edict,” the Eunuch Official’s sharp voice brought Ma Ku back to his senses.

“Your servant receives the decree.”

Ma Ku tremblingly accepted the edict. The situation was too abrupt—it had all happened in just a day or two. He had been demoted from Duke Rui to County Duke Rui. Losing the third-rank Fenwei General position was manageable, but his nobility title had dropped two levels, which was the most critical blow.

“Please be considerate, sir,” Ma Ku said after rising, taking a banknote from his robes and trying to slip it into the Eunuch Official’s hands.

He meant to ask why this had happened.

But the Eunuch Official reached out and stopped him, making Ma Ku even more uneasy.

“Lord Ma, take it back. His Majesty instructed me before I left: if I take something that belongs to someone else’s old friend, I must return it,” the Eunuch Official reminded him.

Hearing this, Ma Ku felt dazed. Something belonging to an old friend?

He never expected that strange man covered in armor to hold such a high status. Who exactly was he?

“Thank you for the reminder, sir,” Ma Ku said quickly.

The other party’s meaning was clear: if he didn’t return it, there would be further consequences.

“Please remember, Lord Ma: have your son return it willingly, not just in words but in heart. That gentleman is no ordinary person. Do not try to scheme, or else these accumulated offenses will be enough to cost the entire County Duke Rui’s Mansion their heads.”

Ma Ku’s mind buzzed. He suddenly understood.

This was not Prince Zhuang’s doing—it was the current emperor himself.

“Thank you, sir,” Ma Ku said, suppressing his suspicions respectfully.

After the Eunuch Official left, the entire mansion fell into chaos. Ma Ku slumped weakly into the main seat.

Indeed, whether it was the Censor or Chen Hua, their accusations were merely a pretext. The real reason was that he had offended someone he should not have.

“Something belonging to an old friend must be returned to its owner.”

“Hah, who would have thought that a Stone Chessboard would cause my dukedom, which should have lasted as long as the nation, to be demoted by two levels?”

He knew Emperor Li was waiting for his response. Chen Hua’s arrival in the Capital was not just to serve as a weapon against him. If his actions satisfied Emperor Li, then Chen Hua would become the scapegoat.

“Someone, bring that little beast here. I… ah, forget it, I’ll go myself,” Ma Ku sighed.

He knew his son well—his character had long been spoiled by the women in the inner residence. The Stone Chessboard was fifty percent to blame, and his own unlucky son was the other fifty percent.

But what could he do? It was his own son—he couldn’t just kill him.

Who could have imagined things would turn out like this? If he had known earlier, he would have returned the Stone Chessboard immediately.

He stood up and headed toward the inner residence. His son was carefree, fooling around with women, which gave him a headache. With such a temperament, he wondered when his son would ever be able to stand on his own.

More importantly, given his son’s personality, how could he be willing to give it back?

If this hadn’t happened, it might have been fine. But if his son’s stubbornness flared up and things went wrong, their family could be ruined.

He must not underestimate Emperor Li—the emperor’s methods were extremely ruthless.

“I just hope that little beast can understand his father’s plight. Otherwise…”

County Duke Rui might not disappear, but the Ma family consisted of more than just his branch. There were distant collateral branches. If his main branch was purged for offending Emperor Li, the title could be transferred to the most remote collateral branch. In that case, County Duke Rui would not vanish, and the Noble Houses’ interest group would not fight tooth and nail over it.

Only his own imprudent main branch, which had offended Emperor Li, would be destroyed.