Chapter Thirty-Eight: Two Major Events in the Capital

The Dali Temple, in standard historical novels, is equivalent to the modern-day Supreme Court. In ancient times, all major cases involving the death penalty had to be reviewed by the Dali Temple, and many criminal cases in the capital also fell under its jurisdiction; originally, it was an agency with significant real power.

However, in this world, things were a bit different.

After resting at home for a day, Zhang Rui began to recall the intelligence provided by Yuchi Hong.

Over the course of a thousand years, the Great Jin Dynasty had forged the capital into the most prosperous metropolis in the Central Plains. Yet, hidden beneath this prosperity were numerous complex, intertwined forces and ghosts lurking in the shadows.

The great clans capable of worshiping dark gods were in the capital; the martial families who had followed the founding emperor to conquer the world were in the capital; two of the world's five great grandmasters were also in the capital. Various sects maintained outposts there as well. Most of these scions of privilege were restless, and when added to the children of hidden clans who used the imperial examinations as a pretext to come to the capital to stir up trouble, many bizarre supernatural cases often proved to be extremely lethal.

Moreover, the timing of his appointment was the most troublesome possible.

Two major events were about to unfold in the capital.

The first was the Spring Examination, the triennial civil service exam. In any ancient dynasty, this was a monumental event. Scholars from all over flocked to the capital, and whether they could sell their years of learning to the imperial house depended entirely on this one trial.

But this was a world of ghosts and gods. The true power over the fate of civil officials lay with the warlock clans. Local families fought for power and influence, each showing off their magical prowess. Many hidden clans, hoping to re-enter the world, generally aimed to catch the Emperor's eye through these examinations. The resulting influx of people made maintaining order a nightmare.

Cases involving strange, supernatural occurrences were often deliberately orchestrated by people, and behind the scenes, one never knew if they might be offending a figure too powerful to cross. The position of an official at the Dali Temple, responsible for presiding over trials and auditing prison cases, carried heavy responsibilities. While it appeared to be a position of low rank but high authority, in a place like the capital where forces were so deeply mixed, it often became a convenient spot for a scapegoat—especially for someone without a background or power base.

The second event was the Great World Martial Tournament!

This world was home not only to warlocks but also to martial artists capable of taking on ten thousand foes. As the saying goes, "The scholar uses his pen to break the law, while the warrior uses his blade." When the power of a martial artist reached a certain height, they became a threat to the imperial order. The various martial sects were the typical example.

The founding emperor had once summoned the heroes of the world and personally conferred titles upon various sects, helping the imperial court maintain order. In return, the local government would share a portion of the benefits with the sects, even ceding many martial official positions to their disciples to ensure the peace of the martial world and to balance out the overly powerful warlock families.

In his strategy for governing the martial world, the founding emperor was unprecedented; no other dynasty had ever turned a grand martial tournament into a national event.

Yes, the Great World Martial Tournament was hosted by the Imperial Court!

Disciples under the age of thirty from various sects and martial families participated. Based on their rankings, the court would confer the title of "Martial Scholar," which allowed them to hold official posts, secure tax exemptions for their sect's industries, and obtain various training resources granted by the court.

Not only were there many benefits, but it was also a major opportunity for sects to make a name for themselves. After years of cultivation, it had become the most prestigious martial arts event in the world.

And its timing was immediately after the Spring Examination.

A literary contest followed by a martial one—the founding emperor of the Great Jin was even more creative than Zhang Rui had imagined.

With a massive influx of sect disciples and martial family youths into the capital—warriors who were naturally hot-blooded and prone to causing trouble—the Dali Temple, responsible for criminal investigation and prosecution, became extremely important. According to Yuchi Hong, every time this event rolled around, the Dali Temple always had a few people serving as scapegoats!

*Sigh...*

Zhang Rui rubbed his temples, looking at his busy family outside, his heart heavy with complex emotions.

His family was currently overjoyed by his promotion, but he wondered how long he could protect them in such happiness.

The Crown Prince, was it? Seeking revenge, were you?

He didn't care who it was; if anyone dared to reach out against his family, he would chop their hand off.

"Big brother... Big brother, are you there?"

A rapid knocking came from the door. Zhang Rui was startled and hurried to open it.

He recognized the voice immediately; it was his second brother, Zhang Yu. He remembered that a long time ago, after one of his failed attempts at the imperial exams, he had shamelessly asked the family for money for the next year’s tuition. His taciturn younger brother had stopped talking to him much after that, avoiding him whenever they met.

He knew the reason: the family could only afford to support one person's education. As the eldest, he had gone out to study in clean robes, while his brother—born of the same parents—had to work the fields, his back to the earth. Most importantly, the money earned through a year of backbreaking labor was mostly used to pay for his schooling.

One failure, two failures, then many more—even the thickest of bonds had been ground away.

"What is it, Xiao Yu?"

Zhang Yu stood at the door, stunned. It had been years since he had been called that; they weren't children anymore.

"Brother... can you... can you help me?"

Zhang Rui’s heart skipped a beat. How long had it been since he had heard himself called "Brother"?

"Come inside."

Once inside, Zhang Rui poured him a cup of tea and said gently, "Tell me slowly. No rush."

"Mother plans to call off the engagement with the Mei family. Big brother, do you know about this?"

"I just returned, how would I know?" Zhang Rui had no memory of the last two years; he knew nothing of the Mei family's situation. He probed, "What's the situation? Tell me in detail."

"Brother, you are being promoted to an official in the capital. Mother just spoke to me about it, saying that the Mei girl is no longer a match for me, and she wants to break off the engagement..."

Zhang Rui covered his face in frustration. How could his mother be so quick to burn bridges? He had never realized she was this malicious.

"Brother, you know, I never studied, I'm illiterate. Since we moved here, I’ve just been an idler. Sister-in-law won't let me help with her business either. The Mei family are merchants and didn't really think much of me. If it weren't for the second daughter of the Mei family insisting, I would never have had the chance to marry such a good girl..."

Zhang Rui looked at him in surprise. *Not bad, this kid.* He had managed to charm a young lady into insisting on marrying him. He hadn't realized his blockheaded brother had such talent.

"You like the Mei girl that much?" Zhang Rui asked with a smile.

"Brother..." Zhang Yu scratched his head, embarrassed. "She really is a good girl. I met her while helping the family with purchases. Though she hasn't married yet, she's a master at business. She runs the Mei family’s fabric shop all by herself. Like sister-in-law, she is a woman who knows how to keep a home."

"Oh?" Zhang Rui was surprised. Someone in the family actually acknowledged his cheap wife? He had assumed that under their mother’s lead, no one liked Luo Shi.

"And we're already betrothed. How can we break it off for no reason? Little sister wants to marry into a better family and is willing to follow Mother's wishes to break it off so she can find someone better in the capital, but I won't do it."

"I see..." Zhang Rui nodded thoughtfully. "Alright, I'll go speak for you."

"Brother, will you really help me?" Zhang Yu asked, excited.

"I really will..." Zhang Rui was speechless. Why was the boy looking at him with such disbelief?

"Don't lie to me. You say you'll help here, but tonight you'll turn around and help Mother lecture me."

"You kid..." Seeing his cautious demeanor, Zhang Rui knew this stubborn boy rarely asked for anything. If he failed him now, his brother would likely hold a grudge forever.

"Brother promises you. Whether Mother agrees or not, I will make sure you get your wish, okay?"

Zhang Yu stared at his brother, stunned. He felt like his big brother was different.

Before, even if he had promised to help, it wouldn't have been with such a tone of certainty—as if, once he decided on it, the matter was as good as done.

-------------------------------------------------------

"Mother..."

Zhang Rui didn't beat around the bush. With the New Year just days away and his departure for the capital soon after, he feared his mother might try to cut the knot quickly and break the engagement behind his brother's back. He couldn't let that happen.

"Son, why didn't you sleep longer? You used to have a habit of taking a nap."

"Second brother just came to see me..." Zhang Rui smiled.

"Hmph!" Madam Huang’s face fell instantly. "Was it about that Mei girl?"

"Mother is wise..."

"Don't you try to butter me up!" Madam Huang glared. "No. Our family is now an official's household. If you marry a merchant's daughter, what will outsiders think of us?"

"If that's the case, why did you agree to the engagement in the first place?" Zhang Rui asked, amused.

"Times were different then! Back then, the second one was pestering everyone, insisting on marrying that girl. Secondly, I thought the Feng family was a prominent local household. With your brother having no job or rank, marrying the second Mei daughter was a decent compromise. But it's different now! You are a capital official. Once we get to the capital, you can surely find your brother a decent job. The Mei family just doesn't measure up anymore."

"Don't give me that talk about reputation. It's the second brother, not you. Breaking his engagement won't ruin your reputation, will it?"

"Mother..." Zhang Rui looked at her stubborn face and finally sighed. "How many years did the second brother support me?"

"Eh?" Madam Huang was taken aback, a flicker of guilt crossing her face. "Between brothers, what is this talk of 'supporting'? You got your education, and he benefits from it too. You help each other..."

"Mother..." Zhang Rui interrupted. "It's been so many years. The second brother has worked without complaint. We were the only two men in the house. I studied for ten years, and he worked the fields for ten years. He's five years younger than me, but he's been worn down to look older than I do."

Madam Huang lowered her head, biting her lip. "Then what do you want me to do? Back then, the situation was what it was. We could only support one. You showed such brilliance when you were young, of course we had to prioritize you. As for the second one... we can compensate him later..."

"I know, it was a necessity back then..." Zhang Rui said gently. "But what about now? Our situation has improved, and we should let him reap the rewards of his labor. He finally found a girl he likes, and now you want to tear them apart..."

"I'm doing it for his own good! He's acting like he's throwing his life away because he hasn't seen what else is out there. If he doesn't listen to me now, he'll regret it later."

"If that happens, we'll deal with it then..." Zhang Rui smiled. "Let him choose once. He never had a choice before because of the family's circumstances. Now that the situation has improved and he still has no choice, that's going too far..."

"Fine, fine, fine! You're all good people, and I'm just the wicked old mother, right?" Madam Huang’s eyes turned red, and she stormed off in a huff, slamming the door.

Zhang Rui gave a bitter smile and shook his head, but when he turned around, he was startled. "How long have you been there?"

Standing beside him was Murong Yunji.

"A while."

"You heard it all?"

"I have no interest in your trivial matters."

"Then why did you come to find me?" Zhang Rui asked curiously.

After returning from the North Sea, this person had claimed she wanted to go traveling and had simply vanished without his consent. Now, she had suddenly appeared here again. What was she up to?

"I want to participate in that Great World Martial Tournament!"

"Huh?" Zhang Rui was stunned. *Go ahead and participate, why tell me?*

"One cannot participate without the guarantee of a sect or a noble family." Murong Yunji looked up. "You have to help me..."

*Damn it...*