Chapter 13: Offsetting the Mistakes

13

When Lin Baige appeared at the morning court in his official uniform, the court officials began to murmur in dissatisfaction. If Fu Jiangyu had not been sitting there and Lin Baige had not been protected by two guards, the court officials might have rushed up and beaten him into a pulp.

"What is he doing here? He's wearing the official robes."

"I think the emperor has been on a whim again. He dressed him up so beautifully and put him here. I guess he wants to be admired."

"Maybe that evil concubine is going to harm us again. When she was in the harem, she often reached out to the court. Now she has simply stopped pretending and directly comes to the court to influence the government."

"This is outrageous. Even if it costs me my life today, I must persuade His Majesty to deal with this evildoer."

Master Zhang told them to be patient: "The evidence and confession are all here. We must make this evil concubine confess her crime and face punishment today."

Lin Baige was attending court for the first time and was a little nervous and excited, especially when the whispers behind him reached his ears. Hearing those people saying they wanted to tear him apart made his whole body numb.

But when he thought about how he had been pestering Fu Jiangyu and acting coquettishly for a long time that day, and how Fu Jiangyu had pressed him against the mirror and kissed him for a long time, until his lips were swollen, before he got this opportunity to go to court, he couldn't show any stage fright, lest Fu Jiangyu wouldn't invite him next time.

"Have you finished talking? You don't want me to come to court? You want to drive me away?" Fu Jiangyu asked in a calm voice.

Everyone shut their mouths, knelt down and said they didn't dare.

"Everyone, get up. I am going to court today for two matters. The first one is about Lin Xing." Fu Jiangyu asked Lord Zhang to speak.

Lin Baige saw that everyone stood up straight, so he also stood up straight and looked up at Fu Jiangyu. He found that Fu Jiangyu looked very majestic like an emperor when sitting on the dragon throne, especially his eyes that looked at everyone as if they were ants. He subconsciously lowered his head in fear.

He glanced around secretly and found that other court officials were also lowering their heads, as if officials were not allowed to look directly at the emperor when attending court. He had just been staring straight at him, which was indeed not the behavior of a minister.

"Your Majesty, I have asked people to organize the evidence and confessions of Lin Xing's accomplices. Should they be brought to the palace?" Lord Zhang used the word "bring", which was enough to show how much evidence there was.

After getting Fu Jiangyu's approval, Lord Zhang asked people to bring up several boxes, which were full of confessions.

He listed the evidence of Lin Xing and his accomplices' crimes one by one and spoke them out in public, angering the officials in the court: "It's a pity that we need to import salt from Jiang State, otherwise Lin Xing would be torn into pieces by five horses."

"And that evil concubine, she helped Lin Xing do so many things, she should be punished as well." Lord Zhang led the court officials to kneel down and pleaded with Fu Jiangyu loudly: "Your Majesty, please don't protect him this time, otherwise it will disappoint the court officials and the people."

Fu Jiangyu's expression was dignified, and his emotions were unrecognizable. "I know he made a mistake, but considering that he repented in time, not only saved my life, but also produced salt, I will make amends and forgive his punishment."

"What? Your Majesty, are you joking? Can he make salt? And we don't have a sea here." Everyone felt that Fu Jiangyu would say anything outrageous in order to save the evil concubine.