Chapter 706 Paying the Price for One's Actions

The matter concerning the Tang family in Yuncheng has become a hot topic of discussion.

The fact that Lord Tang had an affair with his sister-in-law at his son's celebratory banquet, a violation of moral principles, sparked a huge discussion among the people.

Ordinary people love to gossip about this family and that family during their leisure time. The more sensational and juicy the gossip, the more enthusiastic they are about it. The Tang family's situation is something that happens only once in a century.

"It is said that the two were in the middle of a passionate encounter when they were caught red-handed. Just thinking about the scene is exciting."

"I wonder if Madam Tang and Second Master Tang fainted from anger when they saw their husband and wife naked."

"I don't know if they fainted from anger, but I do know that Lord Tang is finished. I heard that Lady Sui scolded Lord Tang as an unfilial, unkind, unjust, and disloyal person, and even invited the governor over to temporarily suspend Lord Tang's position as a military commander."

"The court cannot tolerate such a person. The emperor will likely issue an edict to dismiss him from his post, and the Tang family of Yuncheng will surely decline from now on."

"Isn't the eldest son of the Tang family just passed the imperial examination and become a scholar? He has a chance to turn his life around..."

While the people of Yuncheng were discussing the matter, Cheng Wanwan was packing her bags, preparing to head north.

The governor has already submitted a memorial to the imperial court regarding the Tang family's affairs. At the latest, within a month, Commander Tang should be subject to the court's judgment. At best, he will be demoted to a commoner; at worst, he will be exiled to the frontier to repair city walls...

"After the incident, Madam Tang was divorced, and her family took her back that same day," Lu Yingxue said, recounting the information she had gathered. "She committed such a disgraceful act, affecting her niece's marriage prospects, so naturally her family couldn't tolerate her. It's said that she was sent away in a carriage, and her life is over."

Cheng Wanwan said calmly, "She should have expected this outcome after she got entangled with her brother-in-law."

If Madam Tang was forced, she could find a way to extricate Madam Tang from this matter completely.

However, the eavesdropping revealed that it was Madam Tang who offered herself up, and it was impossible for Lord Tang to remain unmoved; the two of them thus became entangled.

A person must pay the price for their actions.

"The most pitiful are Madam Tang and Second Master Tang. Madam Tang bore children for the Tang family, but she never expected that her husband had long harbored feelings for someone else..." Lu Yingxue began, "And Second Master Tang is Lord Tang's right-hand man. He helped Lord Tang with many shady things. He devoted himself to his elder brother, but unexpectedly, his elder brother cheated on him..."

Cheng Wanwan didn't say anything more.

She dislikes scheming against people, and even if she succeeds, it still makes her feel mentally exhausted.

She prefers to live in Dahe Town, where she can drink tea, farm, and chat with the villagers every day. This leisurely and free life is what she dreams of.

But if the He family's problems aren't resolved, the children will be in constant danger, so she has to go to the capital to deal with this major threat.

In early November, Cheng Wanwan and her group set off for Beijing.

The triennial imperial examination is scheduled for February of next year. If you go to the capital after the New Year, it will be too late. So every year at this time, candidates from all over the country will go to the capital in advance to familiarize themselves with the environment. If you go early, you might be lucky enough to rent a small courtyard to live in, which is quiet and comfortable. If you go late, you won't even be able to find a place to stay.

However, when Cheng Wanwan was promoted to the rank of Third-Rank Lady, the Emperor bestowed upon her a residence in the capital, so she didn't have to worry about accommodation.

The large boat sailed smoothly on the river, and the cold winter wind swept over us, dispelling the discomfort of the boat ride.

Last time, Cheng Wanwan traveled by land to the capital, which took about twenty days. This time, she took a carriage from Yuncheng to Huzhou, then a boat from Huzhou to Yangzhou, and then a carriage from Yangzhou directly north to the capital, which took ten days.

The Grand Canal from Yangzhou to the capital was built hundreds of years ago when the dynasty was founded. It was opened up by prisoners of war from defeated countries as forced laborers. It was wider and more extensive than the Grand Canal of the Qin Dynasty.

The canal was overseen by officials appointed by the imperial court and took five years to complete. For ancient times, five years for such a massive project wasn't considered a long time... But it's important to know that the laborers on this canal were all prisoners of war, treated worse than human beings and used like livestock. They worked for up to ten hours a day, with poor food and sleep, and were simply abandoned if they fell ill. It's said that a third of the prisoners died every month... After the canal was completed, fewer than a thousand prisoners remained...

The blood and tears of yesteryear have forged the great river of history, prospering the economy of the Great Yu Dynasty and making the Great Yu Kingdom ever stronger.

Cheng Wanwan stood on the deck, looking at the open river and the rolling green hills and trees on both sides of the river. The sigh in her heart was gradually blown away by the wind.

After traveling by water for ten days, they arrived at the dock on the outskirts of the capital.

The dock here is large and extremely bustling, with people coming and going everywhere.

"The capital, I'm back again!" Zhao Sidan jumped off the boat, his face full of pride and ambition. "Now that I'm here, I won't leave again."

He was determined to pass the provincial examination and become a tribute student; he was determined to pass the palace examination and become a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations); he wanted to stay in the capital; he wanted to strive for higher positions; and he wanted to use his abilities to protect his mother and everyone in his family.

“The capital is so big and so prosperous.” Lu Yingxue said in disbelief. “I thought the newly built dock in Dahe Town was big enough, but I didn’t expect that the dock in the capital is at least ten times bigger than that in Dahe Town. No wonder everyone longs to come here.”

Zhao Sidan chuckled and said, "Master's wife, this is not the capital city yet. It's just a village outside the capital. It only prospered because of the docks. Do you see the city walls over there? That's the capital city under the emperor's feet."

Lu Yingxue glared at him: "Do you think I'm stupid? Come on, let's hurry into the city."

Besides Cheng Wanwan and Lu Yingxue, the group that traveled to Beijing together included the families of two other students from Dahe Academy. They were not natives of Dahe Town, and the fact that they could study at Dahe Academy was enough to show that their families were well-off. They had already arranged for temporary accommodations in a small courtyard in the capital. After the group arrived at the city gate, they parted ways.

Lu Yingxue's side only had her and Yu Zhan, while Cheng Wanwan's side had many more people, including herself, Si Dan, Si Dan's pageboy Xiao Hai, Cheng Yi and Cheng Ding for protection, plus Granny Qi and Yan Hong to take care of daily needs.

As soon as I entered the capital, a familiar figure came to greet me.

"Second Aunt! Master's Wife!" Cheng Zhao's gentle and refined face was filled with a smile that came from the heart. "I thought it would take another hour to reach the capital. I didn't expect it to be so fast. I hope Second Aunt and Master's Wife will not be offended."

"The wind picked up early this morning, and the boat was moving very fast, so we arrived a little early." Cheng Wanwan looked him up and down. "It's been two years since we last met, but..."

He has a more official air about him than before. "Your coming to pick us up won't cause any problems, will it?"

"Of course not," Cheng Zhao said with a smile. "Second Aunt may not know how influential you are in the capital. Now that you are a third-rank Sui Shuren, countless eyes are watching you. In addition, Si Dan has become the top scholar in the Yuncheng Township examination, making the name Sui Shuren a household name... The Hanlin Academy officials had already guessed that Second Aunt would come to the capital and said that as long as Second Aunt came, they would give me three days off so that it would not affect my work."

Lu Yingxue laughed loudly: "I didn't expect the title of Third-Rank Sui Shuren to be so popular in the capital. From now on, I'll follow Sister Wanwan and see who dares to bully my Xiaozhan."

Cheng Wanwan was speechless.

At most, those scholars and intellectuals would only smear Yu Zhan and make some petty moves.

If the He family makes a move, it will be a matter of life and death. Last time, Yu Zhan was implicated and fell into the water. How could Lu Yingxue, as his mother, forget so quickly...?