Chapter 61 061 I know I was wrong.

Xie Lanzhao's thoughts froze for a moment; she didn't even hear the Zhao family's words, "unique." More than the weight pressing down on her, the warm, damp touch lingered on her cheeks and spread throughout her body. Her face and eyes were blank; after a few breaths, she seemed to come alive again, sensing the pounding of her heart and the rising heat on her cheeks.

She opened her mouth hesitantly, but her mind was still hazy, and her attempt to speak was in vain. She lay there blankly, her gaze slowly tracing Zhao Jialing's suddenly magnified face, and then all the images became fleeting and blurred.

"I forgive you." Zhao Jialing said magnanimously, a shy smile on her face. She propped her cheek with one hand as she looked at Xie Lanzhao, but couldn't help but be captivated by the blush on Xie Lanzhao's face. She stared at her like a dazed goose instead of taking the opportunity to show off her "broad-mindedness".

As Xie Lanzhao raised her hand to touch her cheek, Zhao Jialing belatedly realized that she had done something truly terrible in her emotional rage. Her fever spiked again, and her smug expression finally vanished. She slowly sat up, her eyes darting around, trying to find something to ease her embarrassment.

Xie Lanzhao finally came to her senses, let out a sigh of relief, and sat up straight on the small couch. She straightened her wrinkled clothes without giving Zhao Jialing a single glance.

The hall was quiet.

A rustling sound rang in his ears, like a fine brush, tickling Zhao Jialing's heart, which was pounding like a drum.

Zhao Jialing's face showed embarrassment at having caused such a disaster. She wanted to restore the emperor's dignity and seize the "high ground" first. But after thinking it over, she rejected that kind of rude arrogance. She didn't want to be seen as a frivolous madman in Xie Lanzhao's eyes. She pursed her lips and said with a mournful face, "I'm sorry, I was wrong." Her fingers hung limply at the hem of her clothes, unconsciously clutching the fabric as if she were holding onto her own life.

Xie Lanzhao slowly turned her gaze to Zhao Jialing.

I heard no more heartfelt words.

She thought His Majesty would turn the tables on her first.

For example, whatever she says, it's all her own doing.

A moment of carelessness had led to this outcome, leaving Xie Lanzhao with a mix of emotions. She couldn't bring herself to offer any reproach or advice, and as for her own feelings… it seemed nothing but emptiness. She was probably already used to His Majesty's touch, so even now she felt no resistance whatsoever.

"Your subject should take his leave now." Xie Lanzhao lowered his eyes, no longer looking at Zhao Jialing's expression.

Spring has clearly arrived, yet the wind blowing in my face is still not refreshing enough, making me feel irritated. Zhao Jialing raised her hand and waved it. She hesitated for a moment, then said, "I apologize to you."

Xie Lanzhao: "..." She wanted to escape, to make a big deal out of a small one and let it go, but His Majesty seemed determined to get to the bottom of it. She glanced helplessly at Zhao Jialing, both to soothe his anxiety and to follow her own heart, and said, "It's nothing, Your Majesty. I have no complaints."

"Hmm?" Zhao Jialing's eyes lit up instantly, and she regained her radiance. She pondered the words "trivial matter," and it wasn't hard to sense Xie Lanzhao's indulgence from this conversation.

This is a small matter, so what is a big matter?

[It's a small matter and doesn't matter much, is that alright?]

It wasn't just his inner thoughts; even his blinking eyes were filled with unmistakable intentions.

What could be done? Xie Lanzhao was defeated by Zhao Jialing.

Her Majesty always seems to throw unexpected punches, and whether they're expected or not, she always finds a way to make everything go in the direction she desires.

They seemed quite pleased with themselves.

As subjects, we can only bear it.

While youthful vigor was certainly welcome, Xie Lanzhao had to remain vigilant. Before leaving, she added, "Your Majesty must behave with composure."

The spirited Zhao Jialing asked, "Am I not steady or heavy?" Seeing Xie Lanzao's face turning cold again, Zhao Jialing knew when to stop. After a chuckle, she said seriously, "I will always keep your advice in mind."

After Xie Lanzao left the palace, Zhao Jialing still looked satisfied, but he didn't forget his business.

Talented people deserve to be rewarded. On the one hand, this highlights the sage's thirst for talent and serves as a guiding light for the vast number of talented individuals; on the other hand, it also serves as an opportunity to investigate Ruan Sijing's affairs and give Zheng Qiongyu a shock.

However, the latter didn't actually require Zhao Jialing's effort. After all, not only had the prime minister overheard it, but Zheng Qiongyu had also personally experienced the shock that overturned her twenty years of understanding. Upon hearing the name "Ruan Sijing," Zheng Qiongyu found an opportunity to go to Mingde Academy, ostensibly to catch up with Du Wenyu, but actually to meet "Ruan Sijing." If she really was her daughter, how difficult those twenty years of wandering must have been.

Zheng Qiongyu didn't hide her trip to Mingde Academy from her family, and Wang Liulang was immediately relieved, assuming that Zheng Qiongyu went for his eldest son's studies. He said, "I only have this one son, how could I not think about him?"

With household affairs no longer a concern for the father and son, Wang Liulang began to travel extensively, busy rebuilding relationships with prominent figures in Chang'an—though he himself was incompetent, the Wang family of Taiyuan was a powerful clan, and many held important positions. Upon returning to Chang'an, Wang Liulang also began to scheme for a respectable official post. As for Wang Shiqiu, he indulged himself even more, joining the ranks of Chang'an's纨绔子弟 (playboys) with his cockfighting and horse racing.

Zheng Qiongyu had people keeping an eye on Wang Liulang, and gleaned some clues from Wang Liulang's interactions with the Lu family members. The Lu family was Wang Liulang's maternal clan, but many members of the Zheng family of Xingyang also married into the Lu family, so it wasn't difficult for Zheng Qiongyu to gather information. In addition, with the secret assistance of the emperor and informed ministers, Zheng Qiongyu quickly learned of an old story.

Before Wang Liulang's marriage to her family, his clan had discussed a marriage alliance with the Lu family. However, the Lu family was punished by the emperor for slandering Xuan Qi's policies, and the marriage between the Wang and Lu families was called off. These were all minor issues, merely verbal agreements, and naturally, many variables could arise. But what was truly shameful was that Wang Liulang maintained a close relationship with the Lu woman after their marriage. Moreover, she discovered that the Lu woman had given birth to a son twenty years prior, coinciding perfectly with her own childbirth! Shortly afterward, the Lu woman died of illness. As for the child, few knew the truth to begin with, and no one inquired about it after the Lu woman's death.

Fortunately, not all the people from that time have perished. Not only those who delivered Lu's baby, but also those who delivered her baby in the past, are still alive!

Zheng Qiongyu couldn't pursue the matter with the dead, but Wang Liulang was still alive. Wang Liulang hadn't simply switched his son and daughter; he had taken Lu's son to claim she had given birth to him, and as for his daughter—he had simply abandoned her! How was this any different from that of a beast?! If his daughter hadn't been lucky enough to be taken in and raised by Ruan, she would have died in the storms of twenty years ago.

Just recalling this scene made Zheng Qiongyu tremble with anger. After collecting enough evidence, Zheng Qiongyu didn't even bother to argue with Wang Liulang. She directly accused Wang Liulang of "killing his son"!

Although the ministers had heard some of Zheng Qiongyu's family affairs, they were still shocked and horrified when she filed a lawsuit against Wang Liulang. According to the laws of the current dynasty, intentionally killing one's son was punishable by imprisonment, but in both the reigns of the Taizu Emperor and the previous emperor, there were precedents for leniency based on "respect for one's parents." Zheng Qiongyu's lawsuit against Wang Liulang for son murder was based on two factors: the age of the child and the fact that the child had grown up safely… For these reasons, many people believed that Zheng Qiongyu's actions were unnecessary.

This task involves a murder case, and Zhao Jialing frowned repeatedly as she listened. She hadn't even figured out how to tell Zheng Qiongyu that her son wasn't her biological child, and Zheng Qiongyu had already stirred up trouble. But that was fine too, as it gave her a legitimate reason to intervene.

When Zheng Qiongyu presented evidence proving that Wang Shiqiu was the son of Wang Liu and another woman, and that his biological daughter, Ruan Sijing, was at Mingde Academy, Zhao Jialing's task was naturally completed. Zhao Jialing had no time to pay attention to the two rewards, "Loyalty Appraisal Instrument" and "Weaving Manual," brought by her newly acquired achievements "Insightful Eyes" and "Heaven-Mending Hands." Her attention was focused on how to deal with Wang Liu.

If the sentence were imprisonment according to the laws of the Great Yong Dynasty, there would be no dispute. However, Zheng Qiongyu's lawsuit against Wang Liulang sought more than just that outcome. She said coldly, "A father killing his own son violates the laws of Heaven and human ethics; his crime deserves death!"

Wang Liu had many friends and relatives in the court, and they always felt that there was no need to bring matters that should be kept private to the Emperor's attention. They also cited the Great Yong Code, which stated that the crime of killing one's own children was not punishable by death.

Zheng Qiongyu took a deep breath: "Of all things in heaven and earth, humanity is the most precious. Humans are all born of heaven, relying on the breath of their parents for life. A ruler nurtures and educates them, therefore the father cannot act unilaterally! ① As for laws and decrees—" After a cold laugh, Zheng Qiongyu launched an indiscriminate attack, citing examples of judgments made without regard to the law. As the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, she had reviewed countless old cases in the government office. The so-called "laws and decrees" were merely the foundation; the outcome depended on the coordination of all parties. If those people wanted to invoke the principles of the Spring and Autumn Annals, she would cite historical texts; if they wanted to cite the law, she would simply overturn everything!

Zheng Qiongyu adopted a posture as if he wanted to use this opportunity to reopen old cases, which sent a chill down the spines of the court officials. They thought the old matters were best left in the past, but once they were brought up again, it would be endless, and who knew how many people would be implicated. The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice hurriedly interrupted Zheng Qiongyu, saying loudly, "I have something to report. The Minister of Justice has accused his wife of 'discord,' causing kinship to break out and disharmony among nine generations of relatives. I request that he be punished!"

The term "discord" also implies that the wife is inferior and violates the proper conduct of a woman. Upon hearing this, not only Zheng Qiongyu, but even Xiang Yanyi gave the Ministry of Justice official a cold look.

Although the Xuanqi government allowed women to enter officialdom, the rigid rules of propriety and the unchanging laws meant that women remained in a subordinate position in terms of etiquette and law. In the past, Prime Minister Zheng wanted to reform this, but faced numerous obstacles, resulting in a stalemate where the issue remained unresolved. However, a single sentence from a Ministry of Justice official brought the matter back to the forefront. Even those who agreed with the official's opinion remained silent. Zheng Qiongyu was the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, a high-ranking official of the court. For her to be in a subordinate position before a commoner husband—where did that leave the dignity of the court?

In the silence, Xie Lanzhao said, “Ancient rulers all established rites to show reverence and laws to demonstrate their authority. However, things are different in ancient and modern times, and their forms and contents are different. Law books are revised and amended in their time to be more relevant and appropriate to the times in order to remedy the problems. The Great Yong Code was compiled during the reign of Emperor Taizong and inherited the laws and decrees of the previous dynasty. Its application of the law is quite harsh. There are nearly a hundred decrees that are inconvenient for the present. I request Your Majesty to revise the legal code, just as the method of classical studies is used, and to write a commentary on the law!”

These words caused the court officials' expressions to darken further. This was no longer just Zheng Qiongyu's family matter; it had suddenly escalated to a matter of "national importance"! Revising laws and clarifying principles would bring about a major upheaval.

Zhao Jialing's expression was calm, a faint smile playing on her lips. Chen Xiyuan had already devoted himself to revising the Book of Rites, so the Code of Laws indeed needed to follow suit. Before she could answer, the voice of the Wise Ruler System, which had only been quiet for a moment, rang out again.

[Congratulations, host, for triggering the "Main Quest: Governance, Civil Administration, Part Four: Revising the Legal Code." Laws, decrees, regulations, and forms are all forms of law, but they overlap, vary in severity, and are constantly changing. Furthermore, precedents can be used to overturn existing laws, leading to a proliferation of legal documents. Host, quickly oversee the revision of a just legal code to serve as a model for future generations.]

The Imperial Censor said, "As the ancient saying goes, 'The rulers of all nations have rules and regulations.' Now we should adapt to the changing times, revive the lost laws of a thousand years, and remedy the remaining abuses of a hundred kings!"

The Minister of Revenue said, "I agree."

...

The gods have already spoken; what's the use of resisting? A group of high-ranking officials quickly softened and echoed their sentiments.

Zheng Qiongyu's expression was calm and serene. She no longer insisted on sentencing Wang Liulang to death. At this moment, his life or death seemed insignificant.