Two days later, Guo Baoxian was escorted by a group of people and arrived in the capital ahead of everyone else.
He was greeted by the left and right censors of the Censorate and the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.
The guards, carrying bundles on their backs, went to the Imperial Study to report to the Emperor.
Xiao Jingzhao casually flipped through a few letters, concealing the shock in his eyes as he looked at the secret guard who had come to report.
"Are all the things Lord Lin asked you to bring back here?"
The guard bowed respectfully. "Yes, they're all here. The Black and White Impermanence said there might be some missing in the Guo family's cellar."
"Cough cough..."
"Black and White Impermanence! Who are they?"
Xiao Jingzhao almost choked on his own saliva. What kind of nonsense was this? At least the name Yama would have sounded better.
"Your Majesty has forgotten, it was those two secret guards who accompanied Lord Lin to Jiangzhou."
"this……"
Xiao Jingzhao was dumbfounded. Lin Xiangzhi was no illiterate commoner; how could he have given the two such chilling names?
Not wanting his bodyguards to see the embarrassment on his face, he quickly changed the subject.
"Did Lord Lin mention when he will return to the capital when he asked you to bring these things back?"
The guard bowed again, "This subordinate does not know, but judging from Lord Lin's expression, he is not in a hurry to travel."
After the guards left, Eunuch Ma handed over a cup of hot tea and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, Lord Lin has only been back in the capital for three to five days. As for Miss Lin..."
“You’re right. Miss Lin’s brother will be back soon. The Lin family can’t function without someone in charge. Go and arrange for someone to escort her out of the palace.”
After receiving his orders, Eunuch Ma left. Fu Gui and the other eunuchs outside the gate breathed a sigh of relief when they learned that Miss Lin was leaving the palace.
These days, everyone has been taking turns to share your burdens, and we've all gained weight.
Upon hearing the news, Xiang Song and Xiang Yang arrived and learned that Lin Xiangzhi was safe and sound and had even obtained evidence from the Jiangzhou officials.
Both were overjoyed. War with the Nanzhao Kingdom was imminent, and the court needed a large amount of silver to recruit soldiers and purchase provisions. This sum of money was a timely help.
"Your Majesty, the young master is truly a lucky star for Wanling. If it weren't for his reminder, we wouldn't have known that Jiangzhou was hiding a nest of rats." Xiang Song's eyes were full of smiles as he mentioned Sui Sui.
Thinking of Sui Sui and her son, Xiao Jingzhao felt a warm glow in his heart.
"Sui Sui has made a great contribution, and Yue Niang is also a hero of Wanling. Without her careful guidance, Sui Sui would not have been able to learn so much."
“Your Majesty is right. Those who have rendered meritorious service should be rewarded.” When Xiangyang saw the Emperor praising Jiang Shuyue, his phoenix eyes were like pools of spring water. He seized the opportunity to offer words of flattery to the future crown prince.
Xiao Jingzhao nodded slightly, "There will definitely be a reward, but we will discuss and reward you after we finish what we are doing."
He then instructed Xiangyang to inform the cabinet ministers to convene in the main hall for a meeting.
When Lin Ruyin came to say goodbye, she was disappointed again and left the palace with regret.
Guo Baoxian's crimes were not simply a matter of him being convicted alone. After deliberation by the cabinet, in accordance with the laws of Wanling, Guo Baoxian's crimes extended to his entire family, including nine generations of his relatives.
The entire prison of the Dali Temple was filled with members of the Guo clan, so full that not a single cell was left.
Even from outside the prison cell, the bailiffs could hear the angry curses and the woman's wailing.
"You heartless bastard, you want so much gold to line your coffin!"
“In the past, our family had no dealings with you. When you ate meat, we didn’t see a single drop of oil. Now that you’ve committed a crime, you’ve dragged our whole family into this mess.”
"You damned bastard, why didn't you die in Jiangzhou?"
It's unclear whether it was a clansman from several generations ago whose cell was closest to Guo Baoxian's, but he pointed at Guo Baoxian and cursed him while weeping bitterly.
Guo Baoxian was locked in a cell. He had been tortured and his head hung low. His hands and feet were bound by iron chains, and he was tied to a wooden chair. He didn't even have the chance to kill himself.
A woman, exhausted from cursing, squatted on the ground and sobbed.
The others also jumped out to criticize.
Guo Baoxian's mother and elder brother were imprisoned in the same cell, right next to Guo Baoxian's cell.
Seeing that her son was silent and motionless, she didn't know whether he was dead or alive.
Grandma Guo walked shakily to the prison cell door, grabbed the bars with both hands, and begged everyone for mercy.
“We are all of the same race. At this time, even if you curse until you are hoarse, it will be of no use. I have failed to raise my children well and have dragged everyone down.”
Grandma Guo's eyes were filled with tears, and her body was like a candle flickering in the wind.
Her hair was disheveled, and she looked extremely down on her luck, bearing no resemblance whatsoever to a pampered lady.
In a cell across the corridor, an elderly woman, around fifty years old, stepped forward and looked at Mrs. Guo through the bars.
"You old hag, you've not only failed to raise your son well, you've also ruined the entire family. Back then, when you vied to become the matriarch, you wanted to use the whole clan to pave the way for your son. Now look what's happened, that road leads to the Yellow Springs, and not a single one of them will be left behind. Are you satisfied now?"
The woman threw her head back and laughed loudly, looking like she was going crazy.
Guo Baoxian's elder brother went up to support the swaying old lady Guo and comforted her in a hoarse voice, "Mother, don't listen to your second aunt's nonsense, she's talking crazy."
Grandma Guo glanced around and saw that everyone in her sight, including her usually filial and gentle granddaughter-in-law, was looking at her with hatred.
A moment later, the old lady from the second wife stopped laughing, and her face suddenly turned ferocious.
She looked at Old Madam Guo and said sternly, "Back then, my mother-in-law originally wanted me to take over the household affairs and manage the family business, but you secretly used underhanded means to frame me, making my mother-in-law disappointed in me."
The old woman from the second branch of the family, her fingers trembling, pointed at the crowd and continued her accusation, "You greedy demon! Look at these innocent clansmen! What have they done to deserve dying with you!"
"Second Aunt, it's no use being anxious now. We might not be sentenced to death, or we might be exiled. In any case, we still have a way to survive."
Guo Baoxian's words startled Old Mrs. Guo.
Yes! According to the laws of Wanling, the others should have their homes confiscated and be exiled.
But his second son and he himself were doomed to die.
The father is to blame for not teaching his son properly. If the son has almost embezzled half the country, the mother should also be sentenced to beheading.
The thought of dying so horribly in her twilight years caused Old Mrs. Guo's vision to go black, and her body fell straight backward.
The prison in Dali Temple is just the tip of the iceberg.
After arriving in Jiangzhou, the imperial envoy arrested all the people on the list without asking any questions.
The prison in Jiangzhou Prefecture was overflowing with people, and the soldiers who went with them were busy for three whole days.
Arrest people, seal off the Nanshan mine, and finally send a team to escort all the high-ranking and corrupt officials to the capital, while the small fry are tried on the spot.
Merchants and their families were also implicated, including the family of Guo Baoxian's wife.
Inside the Guo residence, the concubines who had no children cried and recounted how they were forcibly taken into the mansion by Guo Baoxian, and the women testified to each other.
The imperial envoy saw that there were too many people in the prison. The women had only lived a few days of peaceful life with Guo Baoxian and had not done anything evil or harmed the local area. In the end, he investigated them all and released them to make a living on their own.
...
The news about the Guo family spread like wildfire, and Mei'er went straight to Xingyue Courtyard after returning from her shopping trip.
"Miss, something big has happened in the capital."
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