The officials from the Ministry of Justice, accompanied by the Golden Armor Guards, left the Chenyang Palace with the evidence they secretly collected in Changyao Prefecture. Only the members of the Ji family, the Hua family, and Xie Shizi, who stood silently in the corner, remained in the main hall.
Emperor Changlong looked at Xie Shizi and sighed. After Xie Fuma's deeds were exposed, he actually wanted to commit suicide together with his son. This person, deep down, looked down on ordinary people and couldn't accept the fall of the Xie family from their lofty position.
On the imperial desk, a clear record of Xie Fuma and the Xie family's clandestine activities over the years was kept.
Due to suspicion that a waiter at a teahouse had overheard his conversation with his counselor, Xie Fuma had the entire waiter's family drowned. The waiter's family consisted of seven members, with the youngest being less than a year old. They died without any explanation.
The Xie family also secretly adopted orphans and used them as candidates for training to become assassins. They only selected the qualified children and eliminated the others.
In the Xie family's plans, the lives and deaths of common people were not important to them. They were aloof and indifferent, bordering on cruelty. Emperor Changlong loved his people as if they were his own children and could not tolerate the numerous heinous acts committed by the Xie family. He took a deep breath and picked up the dossier, "Zhao Sancai, show this dossier to Xie Shizi."
Trembling, Xie Shizi took the dossier. Each section he read drained the color from his face. The lives documented in it were like a big hand tightly gripping his conscience, making it difficult for him to breathe.
Before he finished reading the whole dossier, Xie Shizi knelt down.
The crimes of the Xie family were unforgivable.
Emperor Changlong looked at Xie Shizi, who was overwhelmed with guilt, "For the sake of these souls, Zhen will severely punish the Xie family. Do not resent Zhen."
"Your Majesty," Xie Shizi no longer dared to address Emperor Changlong as his imperial uncle. He kowtowed to Emperor Changlong, "Everything is the Xie family's fault. I, as a guilty subject, can only feel remorse and will never blame you."
Emperor Changlong sighed and summoned a eunuch, "Escort Xie Shizi back."
According to the customs of Great Jin, if there were any princesses who married into other families, their eldest son would usually be granted the title of Junwang1Basically a Prince of Second Rank. If you have read Eight Treasures Trousseau by the same author, you would recognize the ML of that novel also started as a Junwang. Qinwangs would be the Princes of First Rank, they are mostly current or previous emperor's sons. However, if an emperor wishes, he could also have one of his nephews conferred as a Qinwang, like the Emperor in Eight Treasures Trousseau did for that novel's ML. He was promoted from a Junwang to a Qinwang. Here, Ying Wang and other Imperial Princes are all Qinwangs. Even Emperor Changlong's surviving brother Kang Wang is also a Qinwang. Kang Wang's son, however, would be conferred as a Junwang after his father's passing. after his coming-of-age ceremony, while their eldest daughter would be granted the title of Junzhu upon reaching adulthood. However, due to the Xie family's involvement in so many major crimes, Xie Shizi could never be promoted to Junwang.
"The Minister of Rites shall enter the hall. Zhen intends to confer the title of Ping Junwang upon Princess Leyang's eldest son," Emperor Changlong remained silent for a moment, "Grant Ping Junwang an estate in the capital; he shall not leave the capital without summon."
This was his greatest benevolence as an emperor.
On the second day of Xie Shizi's promotion to Ping Junwang, the countless crimes committed by the Xie family were exposed to the world, shocking everyone.
Assassinating commoners, secretly raising private soldiers and assassins, seizing land from the people, colluding with foreign countries, selling official positions and titles...
Compared to these earth-shattering crimes, the previous incident of drowning a scholar seemed insignificant and unworthy of mention.
When the Ministry of Justice held a public trial, countless commoners flocked to witness. Some of the testimonies were brought back by the Golden Armor Guards, while others were "accidentally" found by Hua Changkong.
As they listened to the tearful testimonies of these witnesses, recounting the tragic events that occurred in their families, the people became furious and roared, demanding that the Xie family be brutally punished.
"Don't you know? The mastermind already committed suicide when the crime was exposed," a knowledgeable commoner complained in a low voice, "He got off too easily."
"I never expected that the Xie family would commit so many heinous acts," another commoner shook their head, "These scholars may seem knowledgeable and rational on the surface, but who would have thought they could be so wicked."
"Don't speak nonsense. The crimes of the Xie family have nothing to do with other scholars," a sensible commoner immediately retorted, "Many of those who work for us commoners are scholars as well. Even the imperial court representative who went to Changyao Province to investigate the case this time is a newly appointed Top-Scholar. Does that make him wicked too?"
Others also expressed their agreement.
The commoner who was refuted felt embarrassed and left with a flushed face. Scholars from the south who overheard this conversation felt relieved. Who would want to bear a bad reputation when they had done nothing wrong?
"I never expected that Xie Fuma would actually commit suicide by poisoning," under a pomegranate tree, Hua Liuli sat with the Crown Prince, chatting casually. The table was filled with snacks that Hua Liuli liked.
"Xie Fuma was extremely arrogant. He pursued a lifetime of surpassing all scholars, elevating the Xie family above them all. When this hope fell apart and the entire Xie family declined, he would rather die than admit that he had taken the wrong path," the Crown Prince sipped his tea, his tone somewhat indifferent, "In the end, he didn't want to acknowledge his failure."
A person who considered themselves clever and looked down on others had their own unique "pride".
As the curtain fell on the Xie family's grand performance, Hua Liuli had a lingering unease in her heart, feeling that there was something she had overlooked.
"Which one of the Daimao's officials had the Xie family colluded with?" Hua Liuli frowned, "The Daimao Crown Prince died of illness, the Third Prince is still in our Great Jin capital. Could it be one of the other princes or the Daimao Emperor who had connections with the Xie family?"
"The Daimao Emperor prioritizes culture over martial arts, indulging in pleasure and women. He neglects the domestic affairs of his own country, let alone putting so much effort into colluding with the Xie family to stage this play," the Crown Prince picked a grape and fed it to Hua Liuli, "The who was willing to do such things must be a certain ambitious prince."
The Daimao Emperor had more princes than Jinpo and the Great Jin Emperor, which was a result of the Daimao Emperor's obsession with women. Among all the Daimao princes, it was said that the Crown Prince had the most benevolent and virtuous appearance, and many Daimao officials who cared about the world had high expectations for him.
Who would have expected that this Crown Prince would suddenly pass away, leaving countless literary officials crying into their pillows?
"Your Royal Highness, His Majesty summons Your Royal Highness to Chenyang Palace to handle official matters," the eunuchs of Chenyang Palace had learned a skill. Whenever Fushou Junzhu was present, the Crown Prince would obediently comply with the summons to Chenyang Palace.
The Crown Prince, who cared about his image, also needed to maintain a responsible, capable, and proactive image in front of his beloved.
"His Majesty summons the Crown Prince?" Hua Liuli said, "Your Royal Highness, don't delay any longer. Go to His Majesty's place quickly. Third Brother just returned from the south, so I should spend more time with him."
"Oh," the Crown Prince deeply suspected that his father deliberately did this. It was a stretch to have him go to Chenyang Palace to help with the memorial petitions. His father went to great lengths for that.
But what could he do? He was a man. He couldn't let his wife think that he lacked ambition.
The Crown Prince shrugged and left, while Hua Liuli remembered that a few days ago the Empress Dowager mentioned that the flowers in the Imperial Garden were blooming beautifully. She decided to pick a few flowers and send them to the Shoukang Palace before returning home.
Upon arriving at the Imperial Garden, she saw the Second Princess playing with a few palace maids, chasing butterflies in the garden. The sounds of their laughter filled the air with joy.
She paused and watched for a while, not wanting to disturb them.
The Second Princess failed to catch any butterflies but reached out her left hand to pluck a flower and placed it in her hair. Then, she noticed Hua Liuli standing beside the rockery and smiled, saying, "Fushou Junzhu, what brings you here?"
"Greetings, Second Princess," Hua Liuli walked up to her and bowed, "I came here to pick a few flowers and send them to the Empress Dowager's Shoukang Palace."
"I see," the Second Princess nodded, "Please feel free to do so."
Since Hua Liuli returned to the capital, the Empress Dowager had taken a special liking to her. The Second Prince, as the granddaughter of the Empress Dowager, could not compare to the position Hua Liuli held in the Empress Dowager's heart.
Originally, she thought that the Empress Dowager liked Hua Liuli because the Empress Dowager had high regard for Hua Liuli's parents. Later, when her father decided to betroth Hua Liuli to the Crown Prince, she realized that the Empress Dowager had genuine affection toward Hua Liuli.
The Second Princess left the Imperial Garden with the palace maids. When they saw Ying Wang approaching from the direction of Lincui Palace, their steps halted, "Eldest Brother."
"Second Sister, where did you come from? Why is your face all flushed and sweaty?" Ying Wang noticed the fine sweat on the Second Princess's forehead, "It looks like a monkey's backside."
"Eldest Brother, this is the latest trend in makeup," the Second Princess forced a smile, tugging at the corners of her mouth.
"Who would paint a monkey's backside on their face? It looks so ugly," Ying Wang shook his head, unable to understand the strange aesthetics of young girls of these times.
"Maybe... maybe it happened while I was chasing butterflies in the Imperial Garden, and my makeup got messed up accidentally," the Second Princess could barely maintain her smile, taking out a handkerchief to gently wipe her cheeks, "Afterward, Fushou Junzhu came to pick flowers, so I left with the palace maids."
"Fushou Junzhu?" Ying Wang was shocked, "Does Fushou Junzhu also have the same makeup as you?"
The smile disappeared completely from the Second Princess's face, and she replied dryly, "No."
Ying Wang sighed with relief. It seemed that Fushou Junzhu's sense of aesthetics was still normal.
"Fushou Junzhu is in the western part of the Imperial Garden," the Second Princess added, curtsied, and said, "Eldest Brother, I'll take my leave."
Ying Wang watched the Second Princess walk away and couldn't understand why Fushou Junzhu being in the western part of Imperial Garden had anything to do with him. As a grown man, he couldn't possibly go and help Fushou Junzhu pick flowers, right?
Unable to comprehend, Ying Wang shook his head and walked away.
After delivering the flowers to the Shoukang Palace, Hua Liuli passed by the Ministry of Justice in her carriage. She noticed a crowd of commoners gathered at the gate and thought something significant must have happened. She asked Yuan Yi to go and inquire.
After a while, Yuan Yi returned with the information, "Junzhu, the judgment for the Xie family has been pronounced."
"Tell me about it," Hua Liuli looked at the commoners pointing and discussing near the bulletin board, her eyes lowered slightly. The Xie family had famous literary figures in their ancestry, and their descendants should have upheld their ancestors' legacy, cultivated virtue, and maintained the family's reputation. Instead, they had committed numerous crimes, hoping to achieve lasting fame but only leaving behind lasting infamy rather than a positive historical legacy.
"The male and female members of the Xie family involved in the criminal case have been sentenced to be executed, with more than twenty individuals receiving the death penalty. More than thirty individuals have been sentenced to exile, while others face varying degrees of punishment. The women married into the Xie family who were not involved in the crimes have not been implicated. If they are found to be unaware of the cases, they may return to their maiden families with their dowries," Yuan Yi sighed, "If they had known their fate would lead to this, I wonder if the Xie family would regret their past actions."
"If there were truly a remedy for regrets, they would only regret not being discreet enough in their actions and being discovered by His Majesty, rather than regretting the deeds they had done," Hua Liuli shook her head, "Once greed takes root in one's heart, it is difficult to eliminate."
"The announcement does not mention anything about deposing Princess Leyang," Yuan Yi scooped up some fruits from the ice bowl, cut them, and placed them on a plate, which she brought to Hua Liuli.
As Hua Liuli was about to speak, a man's voice came from outside the carriage.
"May I inquire if it is Fushou Junzhu in the carriage?"
Hua Liuli lifted the curtain of the carriage window and saw Pei Jihuai standing nearby.
"Pei Daren," Hua Liuli raised an eyebrow slightly, "May I ask why Pei Daren has stopped me?"
"I have a matter to request Junzhu's assistance with. Please join me for a meeting at the Ministry of Justice," Pei Jihuai bowed to Hua Liuli.
Hua Liuli stepped down from the carriage and nodded to Pei JiHuai, "Daren, please lead the way."
"Please follow me this way, Junzhu."
"After Third Brother returned home, he mentioned that Pei Daren provided him with considerable assistance throughout the journey. On behalf of Third Brother, I would like to express gratitude to Pei Daren," Hua Liuli entered the Ministry of Justice and saw people inside bustling around, handling documents.
As she looked around, she noticed that nearly half of them had thinning hair.
She glanced at Pei Jihuai, who had a full head of hair. Such a person would likely be the target of envy from others in the Ministry of Justice.
"Junzhu, you jest. It was Hua Daren who took care of me," Pei JiHuai's expression was somewhat subtle. After they returned from Changyao Province, they went straight to the palace to meet with the Emperor. In front of His Majesty, Hua Changkong presented all the jewelry, silver, and everything else he received from the Prefect of Changyao.
Afterward, His Majesty not only allowed Hua Changkong to keep those items but also praised him for his resourcefulness.
After leaving the palace, Hua Changkong donated most of the bribes he received to charity, keeping only half of the silver tickets.
Being an official for many years, this was the first time Pei Jihuai had seen someone receiving bribes and being praised for it. But His Majesty was right; Hua Changkong's actions not only appeased the Xie family and the Prefect of Changyao, allowing them to return to the capital peacefully, but it also caught them off guard, leaving them with no opportunity to cover up the evidence.
Hua Liuli followed Pei Jihuai to the office area of the Ministry of Justice officials. Upon entering, she noticed the Minister of Justice, Zhang Shuo, and Deputy Minister of Justice, Gou Jingqi, were also present.
She didn't know if it was her imagination or not, but the Minister of Justice, Zhang Shou, seemed to have cast a resentful gaze toward her.
Krish728
Author's Note:
Zhang Shuo: I hate people with thick hair.
Translator's Note:
10 more chapters to go, including the 2 extra chapters.
The officials from the Ministry of Justice, accompanied by the Golden Armor Guards, left the Chenyang Palace with the evidence they secretly collected in Changyao Prefecture. Only the members of the Ji family, the Hua family, and Xie Shizi, who stood silently in the corner, remained in the main hall.
Emperor Changlong looked at Xie Shizi and sighed. After Xie Fuma's deeds were exposed, he actually wanted to commit suicide together with his son. This person, deep down, looked down on ordinary people and couldn't accept the fall of the Xie family from their lofty position.
On the imperial desk, a clear record of Xie Fuma and the Xie family's clandestine activities over the years was kept.
Due to suspicion that a waiter at a teahouse had overheard his conversation with his counselor, Xie Fuma had the entire waiter's family drowned. The waiter's family consisted of seven members, with the youngest being less than a year old. They died without any explanation.
The Xie family also secretly adopted orphans and used them as candidates for training to become assassins. They only selected the qualified children and eliminated the others.
In the Xie family's plans, the lives and deaths of common people were not important to them. They were aloof and indifferent, bordering on cruelty. Emperor Changlong loved his people as if they were his own children and could not tolerate the numerous heinous acts committed by the Xie family. He took a deep breath and picked up the dossier, "Zhao Sancai, show this dossier to Xie Shizi."
Trembling, Xie Shizi took the dossier. Each section he read drained the color from his face. The lives documented in it were like a big hand tightly gripping his conscience, making it difficult for him to breathe.
Before he finished reading the whole dossier, Xie Shizi knelt down.
The crimes of the Xie family were unforgivable.
Emperor Changlong looked at Xie Shizi, who was overwhelmed with guilt, "For the sake of these souls, Zhen will severely punish the Xie family. Do not resent Zhen."
"Your Majesty," Xie Shizi no longer dared to address Emperor Changlong as his imperial uncle. He kowtowed to Emperor Changlong, "Everything is the Xie family's fault. I, as a guilty subject, can only feel remorse and will never blame you."
Emperor Changlong sighed and summoned a eunuch, "Escort Xie Shizi back."
According to the customs of Great Jin, if there were any princesses who married into other families, their eldest son would usually be granted the title of Junwang1Basically a Prince of Second Rank. If you have read Eight Treasures Trousseau by the same author, you would recognize the ML of that novel also started as a Junwang. Qinwangs would be the Princes of First Rank, they are mostly current or previous emperor's sons. However, if an emperor wishes, he could also have one of his nephews conferred as a Qinwang, like the Emperor in Eight Treasures Trousseau did for that novel's ML. He was promoted from a Junwang to a Qinwang. Here, Ying Wang and other Imperial Princes are all Qinwangs. Even Emperor Changlong's surviving brother Kang Wang is also a Qinwang. Kang Wang's son, however, would be conferred as a Junwang after his father's passing. after his coming-of-age ceremony, while their eldest daughter would be granted the title of Junzhu upon reaching adulthood. However, due to the Xie family's involvement in so many major crimes, Xie Shizi could never be promoted to Junwang.
"The Minister of Rites shall enter the hall. Zhen intends to confer the title of Ping Junwang upon Princess Leyang's eldest son," Emperor Changlong remained silent for a moment, "Grant Ping Junwang an estate in the capital; he shall not leave the capital without summon."
This was his greatest benevolence as an emperor.
On the second day of Xie Shizi's promotion to Ping Junwang, the countless crimes committed by the Xie family were exposed to the world, shocking everyone.
Assassinating commoners, secretly raising private soldiers and assassins, seizing land from the people, colluding with foreign countries, selling official positions and titles...
Compared to these earth-shattering crimes, the previous incident of drowning a scholar seemed insignificant and unworthy of mention.
When the Ministry of Justice held a public trial, countless commoners flocked to witness. Some of the testimonies were brought back by the Golden Armor Guards, while others were "accidentally" found by Hua Changkong.
As they listened to the tearful testimonies of these witnesses, recounting the tragic events that occurred in their families, the people became furious and roared, demanding that the Xie family be brutally punished.
"Don't you know? The mastermind already committed suicide when the crime was exposed," a knowledgeable commoner complained in a low voice, "He got off too easily."
"I never expected that the Xie family would commit so many heinous acts," another commoner shook their head, "These scholars may seem knowledgeable and rational on the surface, but who would have thought they could be so wicked."
"Don't speak nonsense. The crimes of the Xie family have nothing to do with other scholars," a sensible commoner immediately retorted, "Many of those who work for us commoners are scholars as well. Even the imperial court representative who went to Changyao Province to investigate the case this time is a newly appointed Top-Scholar. Does that make him wicked too?"
Others also expressed their agreement.
The commoner who was refuted felt embarrassed and left with a flushed face. Scholars from the south who overheard this conversation felt relieved. Who would want to bear a bad reputation when they had done nothing wrong?
"I never expected that Xie Fuma would actually commit suicide by poisoning," under a pomegranate tree, Hua Liuli sat with the Crown Prince, chatting casually. The table was filled with snacks that Hua Liuli liked.
"Xie Fuma was extremely arrogant. He pursued a lifetime of surpassing all scholars, elevating the Xie family above them all. When this hope fell apart and the entire Xie family declined, he would rather die than admit that he had taken the wrong path," the Crown Prince sipped his tea, his tone somewhat indifferent, "In the end, he didn't want to acknowledge his failure."
A person who considered themselves clever and looked down on others had their own unique "pride".
As the curtain fell on the Xie family's grand performance, Hua Liuli had a lingering unease in her heart, feeling that there was something she had overlooked.
"Which one of the Daimao's officials had the Xie family colluded with?" Hua Liuli frowned, "The Daimao Crown Prince died of illness, the Third Prince is still in our Great Jin capital. Could it be one of the other princes or the Daimao Emperor who had connections with the Xie family?"
"The Daimao Emperor prioritizes culture over martial arts, indulging in pleasure and women. He neglects the domestic affairs of his own country, let alone putting so much effort into colluding with the Xie family to stage this play," the Crown Prince picked a grape and fed it to Hua Liuli, "The who was willing to do such things must be a certain ambitious prince."
The Daimao Emperor had more princes than Jinpo and the Great Jin Emperor, which was a result of the Daimao Emperor's obsession with women. Among all the Daimao princes, it was said that the Crown Prince had the most benevolent and virtuous appearance, and many Daimao officials who cared about the world had high expectations for him.
Who would have expected that this Crown Prince would suddenly pass away, leaving countless literary officials crying into their pillows?
"Your Royal Highness, His Majesty summons Your Royal Highness to Chenyang Palace to handle official matters," the eunuchs of Chenyang Palace had learned a skill. Whenever Fushou Junzhu was present, the Crown Prince would obediently comply with the summons to Chenyang Palace.
The Crown Prince, who cared about his image, also needed to maintain a responsible, capable, and proactive image in front of his beloved.
"His Majesty summons the Crown Prince?" Hua Liuli said, "Your Royal Highness, don't delay any longer. Go to His Majesty's place quickly. Third Brother just returned from the south, so I should spend more time with him."
"Oh," the Crown Prince deeply suspected that his father deliberately did this. It was a stretch to have him go to Chenyang Palace to help with the memorial petitions. His father went to great lengths for that.
But what could he do? He was a man. He couldn't let his wife think that he lacked ambition.
The Crown Prince shrugged and left, while Hua Liuli remembered that a few days ago the Empress Dowager mentioned that the flowers in the Imperial Garden were blooming beautifully. She decided to pick a few flowers and send them to the Shoukang Palace before returning home.
Upon arriving at the Imperial Garden, she saw the Second Princess playing with a few palace maids, chasing butterflies in the garden. The sounds of their laughter filled the air with joy.
She paused and watched for a while, not wanting to disturb them.
The Second Princess failed to catch any butterflies but reached out her left hand to pluck a flower and placed it in her hair. Then, she noticed Hua Liuli standing beside the rockery and smiled, saying, "Fushou Junzhu, what brings you here?"
"Greetings, Second Princess," Hua Liuli walked up to her and bowed, "I came here to pick a few flowers and send them to the Empress Dowager's Shoukang Palace."
"I see," the Second Princess nodded, "Please feel free to do so."
Since Hua Liuli returned to the capital, the Empress Dowager had taken a special liking to her. The Second Prince, as the granddaughter of the Empress Dowager, could not compare to the position Hua Liuli held in the Empress Dowager's heart.
Originally, she thought that the Empress Dowager liked Hua Liuli because the Empress Dowager had high regard for Hua Liuli's parents. Later, when her father decided to betroth Hua Liuli to the Crown Prince, she realized that the Empress Dowager had genuine affection toward Hua Liuli.
The Second Princess left the Imperial Garden with the palace maids. When they saw Ying Wang approaching from the direction of Lincui Palace, their steps halted, "Eldest Brother."
"Second Sister, where did you come from? Why is your face all flushed and sweaty?" Ying Wang noticed the fine sweat on the Second Princess's forehead, "It looks like a monkey's backside."
"Eldest Brother, this is the latest trend in makeup," the Second Princess forced a smile, tugging at the corners of her mouth.
"Who would paint a monkey's backside on their face? It looks so ugly," Ying Wang shook his head, unable to understand the strange aesthetics of young girls of these times.
"Maybe... maybe it happened while I was chasing butterflies in the Imperial Garden, and my makeup got messed up accidentally," the Second Princess could barely maintain her smile, taking out a handkerchief to gently wipe her cheeks, "Afterward, Fushou Junzhu came to pick flowers, so I left with the palace maids."
"Fushou Junzhu?" Ying Wang was shocked, "Does Fushou Junzhu also have the same makeup as you?"
The smile disappeared completely from the Second Princess's face, and she replied dryly, "No."
Ying Wang sighed with relief. It seemed that Fushou Junzhu's sense of aesthetics was still normal.
"Fushou Junzhu is in the western part of the Imperial Garden," the Second Princess added, curtsied, and said, "Eldest Brother, I'll take my leave."
Ying Wang watched the Second Princess walk away and couldn't understand why Fushou Junzhu being in the western part of Imperial Garden had anything to do with him. As a grown man, he couldn't possibly go and help Fushou Junzhu pick flowers, right?
Unable to comprehend, Ying Wang shook his head and walked away.
After delivering the flowers to the Shoukang Palace, Hua Liuli passed by the Ministry of Justice in her carriage. She noticed a crowd of commoners gathered at the gate and thought something significant must have happened. She asked Yuan Yi to go and inquire.
After a while, Yuan Yi returned with the information, "Junzhu, the judgment for the Xie family has been pronounced."
"Tell me about it," Hua Liuli looked at the commoners pointing and discussing near the bulletin board, her eyes lowered slightly. The Xie family had famous literary figures in their ancestry, and their descendants should have upheld their ancestors' legacy, cultivated virtue, and maintained the family's reputation. Instead, they had committed numerous crimes, hoping to achieve lasting fame but only leaving behind lasting infamy rather than a positive historical legacy.
"The male and female members of the Xie family involved in the criminal case have been sentenced to be executed, with more than twenty individuals receiving the death penalty. More than thirty individuals have been sentenced to exile, while others face varying degrees of punishment. The women married into the Xie family who were not involved in the crimes have not been implicated. If they are found to be unaware of the cases, they may return to their maiden families with their dowries," Yuan Yi sighed, "If they had known their fate would lead to this, I wonder if the Xie family would regret their past actions."
"If there were truly a remedy for regrets, they would only regret not being discreet enough in their actions and being discovered by His Majesty, rather than regretting the deeds they had done," Hua Liuli shook her head, "Once greed takes root in one's heart, it is difficult to eliminate."
"The announcement does not mention anything about deposing Princess Leyang," Yuan Yi scooped up some fruits from the ice bowl, cut them, and placed them on a plate, which she brought to Hua Liuli.
As Hua Liuli was about to speak, a man's voice came from outside the carriage.
"May I inquire if it is Fushou Junzhu in the carriage?"
Hua Liuli lifted the curtain of the carriage window and saw Pei Jihuai standing nearby.
"Pei Daren," Hua Liuli raised an eyebrow slightly, "May I ask why Pei Daren has stopped me?"
"I have a matter to request Junzhu's assistance with. Please join me for a meeting at the Ministry of Justice," Pei Jihuai bowed to Hua Liuli.
Hua Liuli stepped down from the carriage and nodded to Pei JiHuai, "Daren, please lead the way."
"Please follow me this way, Junzhu."
"After Third Brother returned home, he mentioned that Pei Daren provided him with considerable assistance throughout the journey. On behalf of Third Brother, I would like to express gratitude to Pei Daren," Hua Liuli entered the Ministry of Justice and saw people inside bustling around, handling documents.
As she looked around, she noticed that nearly half of them had thinning hair.
She glanced at Pei Jihuai, who had a full head of hair. Such a person would likely be the target of envy from others in the Ministry of Justice.
"Junzhu, you jest. It was Hua Daren who took care of me," Pei JiHuai's expression was somewhat subtle. After they returned from Changyao Province, they went straight to the palace to meet with the Emperor. In front of His Majesty, Hua Changkong presented all the jewelry, silver, and everything else he received from the Prefect of Changyao.
Afterward, His Majesty not only allowed Hua Changkong to keep those items but also praised him for his resourcefulness.
After leaving the palace, Hua Changkong donated most of the bribes he received to charity, keeping only half of the silver tickets.
Being an official for many years, this was the first time Pei Jihuai had seen someone receiving bribes and being praised for it. But His Majesty was right; Hua Changkong's actions not only appeased the Xie family and the Prefect of Changyao, allowing them to return to the capital peacefully, but it also caught them off guard, leaving them with no opportunity to cover up the evidence.
Hua Liuli followed Pei Jihuai to the office area of the Ministry of Justice officials. Upon entering, she noticed the Minister of Justice, Zhang Shuo, and Deputy Minister of Justice, Gou Jingqi, were also present.
She didn't know if it was her imagination or not, but the Minister of Justice, Zhang Shou, seemed to have cast a resentful gaze toward her.
Krish728
Author's Note:
Zhang Shuo: I hate people with thick hair.
Translator's Note:
10 more chapters to go, including the 2 extra chapters.
