Chapter 61 I Want to Meet Master Ji

Shi Jianli turned to look at him, a faint smile on her lips, and asked calmly, "Why am I hiding from my cousin?"

"But I feel like you're just avoiding me. Why?" He leaned over and looked into her eyes, not giving her a chance to look away.

She lowered her eyelashes and took a step back. "There are differences between men and women. It's better for us to see each other less often. I'm going back to rest first."

Mingzhao's breath hitched, "Did I offend you in any way? Even if I want to convict you, I still need a charge, right?"

Shi Jianli pursed her lips and was about to speak when a young eunuch was hurriedly brought over by the servants, "General Ming, the emperor has ordered you to enter the palace!"

Mingzhao looked at her deeply and said, "I'll come back to find you."

Seeing his back hurriedly walking away, Shi Jianli pursed her lips and went back with Xianyue.

Mingzhao also entered the palace and met the emperor sitting in the imperial study.

"Your Majesty!"

"No need for formalities." The emperor handed him a memorial. "Take a look. Hunting Prefecture has many natural defenses, making it easy to defend but difficult to attack. Recently, bandits have been rampant in the mountains, and the problem is severe. The prefect of Hunting Prefecture has submitted a request for reinforcements from the court to suppress the bandits. I have decided to entrust the task of suppressing the bandits to you."

"The mountain roads are rugged and difficult to travel. The sooner we arrive, the less trouble the people of Shouzhou will suffer from bandits. You must mobilize your troops and set off immediately. I will send someone to speak to the Duke's Mansion."

"Yes, I will definitely live up to your mission!" Mingzhao quickly read the memorial, closed it and handed it back to the imperial desk.

When they went out to see Tian Yu, Ming Zhao also reminded them: "The Dali Temple will take action today. You should go back to the mansion first and tell them to pass the news to Tangli Courtyard when they have a result."

"yes."

After leaving the palace, the two riders separated and headed in different directions.

At sunset, Shi Jianli received a thin envelope. After opening it, she saw twelve words written clearly on the back of the paper: The emperor has ordered you to go to Shouzhou to suppress the bandits. We will discuss it again after you return.

While Shi Jianli breathed a sigh of relief, she still felt a little depressed and didn't know whether she wanted to see him or not.

Two days later, Shi Jianli was reading in the yard. Xianyue came over and said, "Miss, the prince's men are here and they say they have something important to tell you."

Shi Jianli's fingers pressed on the pages of the book, and her fingertips turned white due to the pressure.

She stood up and walked towards the yard, "Let someone in."

It must be the Xie family's matter. She sent Lanxing out to inquire about it, and found out that the Xie family had been imprisoned.

She didn't want to see anyone related to him, but she had asked him for something before, so it seemed like she was just using him and throwing him away, which made her seem heartless. If she said she cared, he had agreed to be engaged to her, and she was still involved with him, which seemed a bit self-deprecating.

The bright and handsome Prince Ming is not that good either. He told the Duke's wife that as long as she was satisfied, it would be fine, and he even flirted with her.

Very annoying.

The man who came was a tall man with regular features. He bowed to Shi Jianli and said, "Greetings to Miss Li."

Shi Jianli nodded, "What did the prince ask you to say?"

"The Xie family of the former Left Censor-in-Chief was implicated in an imperial examination fraud case. Xie Lingdong and Xie Weisong were beheaded, along with their entire clan. The remaining eight clans were exiled three thousand miles away, and five generations were barred from taking the imperial examinations. They were detained for ten days, beheaded after five days, and released on their way after seven days."

Shi Jianli's eyes turned, "Are Xie Lingdong's wife's family, the Liang family, also exiled?"

"The Liang family was also exiled, but because Liang Jingming, the second daughter of the Liang family, was the fifth princess's study companion, she came to the fifth princess and pleaded with the emperor. The fifth princess found a marriage for Liang Jingming. The marriage was with the second son of the Minister of the Imperial Household Department, and she was to be married off in three days."

"Thank you very much." Shi Jianli reached out to Lanxing, who handed her a plain purse. "Thank you for your hard work. Take this and treat your brothers to a drink."

Tian Jing quickly stepped back and said, "I dare not accept the gift from the young lady, otherwise I will not be able to report to the general. The task is completed, and I will take my leave."

After saying that, Tian Jing hurried out of the yard.

Tianyu Shangguan Ke said that he could not accept anything from Miss Li.

Shi Jianli had no choice but to hand the purse back to Lanxing. After a moment, she instructed, "Go meet the wife of the Minister of the Imperial Household Department and tell her about Liang Jingming and Xie Xuezhi's conspiracy against me. Let her know what kind of person her future second daughter-in-law is."

The Fifth Princess protected Liang Jingming out of the friendship of their study companion, but the Xie family was involved in a cheating case in the imperial examination that shook the country. Beheading one clan and exiling eight clans was already a gift, and the Fifth Princess did not dare to offend the emperor any more, so her friendship was used up and she would no longer care about Liang Jingming.

It would be fine if she was trying to offend Liang Jingming's in-laws, but when would she take advantage of the situation?

If their plan succeeded, it would be her, not Liang Jingming, who would suffer or even be in danger of her life.

"Yes." Lan Xing answered without hesitation and went out.

Two days later was a day off. Shi Jianli went to Lingyan Pavilion and did not see Ming Zhouhe come back. After asking, she found out that Ming Zhao had taken him to Shouzhou to suppress bandits.

Upon hearing this, Shi Jianli took Lanxing and Xianyue to the Heavenly Prison.

Shi Jianli was not surprised to be stopped at the gate. She took the initiative to introduce her name to the guard at the gate, "My cousin is Ming Zhouhe, the third son of the Duke's Mansion. My last name is Shi. I would like to see Master Ji. Could you please let him know?"

The Dali Temple, the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate were collectively known as the Three Judicial Departments. Xie Lingdong, the Left Censor-in-Chief, was one of the two heads of the Censorate. He knew the law but broke it, so the Censorate was excluded from this case and it was handled by the Dali Temple and the Ministry of Justice.

When the guard heard where she came from, he went in to find Ji Rangzhou without much hesitation, and came out shortly afterwards to lead her in.

After entering the office, Shi Jianli saw Ji Rangzhou and saluted him, "Master Ji."

"Miss Shi, what are you doing in the Heavenly Prison?" Ji Rangzhou was writing a case file. When he heard her footsteps, he looked up and asked.

His expression was expressionless, and his eyes were as cold and solemn as usual.

Shi Jianli said bluntly: "Xie Xuezhi and Xie Weisong once plotted against me, and today I am here to add insult to injury."

If they hadn't kicked someone when they were down, they would have been beheaded two days later.

Ji Rangzhou was silent for a rare moment. After a moment, he waved to the subordinate beside him and said, "You decide."

"Yes, sir." The subordinate bowed and looked at Shi Jianli, "Miss Shi, please."

"Thank you, Lord Ji." Shi Jianli thanked Ji Rangzhou and followed the subordinate.

"What does Miss Shi want? Do you want to bring out Xie Xuezhi and Xie Weisong?" asked the subordinate.

"Well, just handcuff him to the torture chair."

Upon hearing this, the subordinates asked the jailer to bring the two men out and handcuff them to two torture chairs respectively.

"What do you want to do?" Xie Xuezhi, with disheveled hair, struggled with her wrists in fear. Seeing the cold torture instruments in front of her, her body trembled.

"Behave yourself!" the jailer shouted, kicking her.

Xie Weisong, who was sitting on another torture chair, had been abused by the angry Xie Lingdong before. Now he was being manipulated like a dead dog, and could only stare blankly.

Shi Jianli stepped out from the shadows, walked up to Xie Xuezhi, and said expressionlessly, "Long time no see, Fourth Miss Xie."

"It's you! What do you want to do?" Xie Xuezhi glared at her with resentment. She struggled, her upper body leaning towards Shi Jianli, and roared, "Why are you trying to hide? Why don't you just fall into her trap? That way I can get married early, avoid being forced by that beast, and avoid being beheaded!"

"It's all your fault! It's all your fault! I was so miserable and pitiful, why didn't you fall for it?!"