Married to the Emperor's Fiercest General, Who Is Terrified of Me novel · Chapter 19 of 24

Chapter 19: The Court of Review

The Court of Review sat in the great hall of the Ministry of Rites, under a hundred hanging lanterns and a painted ceiling of cranes.

Minister Hong presided from a high chair on a dais.

The Emperor sat beside him on a couch, with his crown on straight for once and his chin on his fist.

Zhenyuan stood in the middle of the floor in his red silk cord.

Four guards stood around him, and all four looked more frightened than he did.

Wenxuan came in last, in his plain green champion's robe, with Cui behind him carrying a long wrapped bundle, and the thin secretary with ink on his cuffs walking between them.

Hong's eyes touched the secretary once, and flicked away.

"The Champion," he said pleasantly, "has no standing in these proceedings."

"The Champion is the accused's husband," said Wenxuan. "And a holder of the Emperor's seal. I am told a champion may speak in any court in the empire."

"By ancient custom," the Emperor agreed, with great interest.

Hong smiled, and sat back.

The charge was read, the letter was shown, and Hong's men swore to the seal.

Wenxuan listened to all of it with his hands folded.

Beside him, Zhenyuan stood silent and enormous, looking straight ahead.

He had not looked at Wenxuan once, and it was costing him.

His ears were crimson.

"The accused is blushing," Hong observed. "A mark of guilt."

"He blushes whenever I'm in the room," said Wenxuan. "It's been documented at a banquet. Your Majesty will remember."

"I do," said the Emperor, delighted. "It was a very good banquet."

The hall tittered, and Hong's smile thinned.

"Champion," he said, "you were pleased to make a claim about the hand. Let us hear it."

"I would like to put a test."

Wenxuan turned to the clerks of the Rites, who stood in a double row along the wall.

"The Minister's men are the finest writers in the empire. I would like ten of them to write one sentence, from my dictation, on plain paper."

"For what purpose?" said Hong.

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