Chapter 213 Qi is dead
The palace maid immediately brought a stool to Xiao Heng. After Liu Yuetang sat down, he looked up at Qi and Liu Yueyao who were kneeling at his feet.
The two men felt as if they were falling into an ice cellar and were shivering.
Xiao Heng looked at the Minister of Personnel and said, "Corruption persists despite repeated bans, but Xia Qing is the only one who strictly abides by the law and even handed over the bribe intact! Such integrity and honesty is truly a role model for all officials!"
"I specially bestow upon you a plaque of integrity and honesty, so that all the people of the world may follow your example!"
It is a great honor to receive a plaque personally bestowed by the emperor, and it will also be beneficial to one's future career.
The Minister of Personnel immediately thanked the emperor for his grace: "I thank the emperor for his grace."
After the plaque was presented, the Minister of Personnel held the edge of the plaque steadily with both hands and said, "Then I will take my leave."
Now the family kneeling in the hall are all relatives of Concubine Xi. If he stays any longer, he will probably become an annoyance.
Even though Liu Ming and Concubine Xi knew the reason behind this matter and the two families reached a consensus, they were the ones who benefited in the end.
After the Minister of Personnel left, Xiao Heng's eyes fell on Liu Ming: "Liu Ming!"
"I'm here!" Liu Ming knelt on the ground and kowtowed, cold sweat soaking his collar.
Xiao Heng tapped the armrests of the dragon throne with his fingertips, his deep voice echoing in the empty hall: "Liu Ming, since you didn't shield your wife and daughter after learning about this matter, but instead took the initiative to expose it, I will forgive you for what happened."
"But since this happened in your Liu family, you cannot escape blame. I will fine you three years' salary as a warning to others."
Hearing that it was just a salary deduction, Liu Ming breathed a sigh of relief.
I couldn't help but admire Liu Yuetang for her ability to grasp the emperor's thoughts so accurately.
In the letter, she said that as long as she worked with the Minister of Personnel to expose Qi Rumei and Liu Yueyao, the crime would not affect her.
The emperor would at most punish him with twenty strokes of the cane or fine him his salary.
As expected, he was only fined three years' salary.
He has lived a simple life in the past three years.
"As for your wife and daughter..." Xiao Heng paused slightly, and the long tail tone was full of danger.
Upon hearing this, Qi kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty, I know I was wrong. I know I was wrong. I was just momentarily bewildered. I beg Your Majesty to spare my life, considering that this incident did not amount to a serious mistake."
At this moment, the severe pain in his waist caused by the injury had long been numbed by fear, and he just kept bowing his head.
Liu Yueyao was already sweating profusely from fear, and she kowtowed and said in a trembling voice, "I beg Your Majesty to be lenient with my punishment."
Xiao Heng suddenly turned his gaze towards Liu Yuetang: "Xi Fei, what do you think we should do?"
Suddenly, all eyes turned to Liu Yuetang.
A glimmer of hope flashed in Qi's eyes. Liu Yuetang had always been favored. If she was willing to plead for mercy, the emperor would definitely punish her again.
So, she crawled a few steps on her knees and kowtowed several times to Liu Yuetang: "Your Majesty, please consider the kindness I have shown you in raising you and ask the Emperor for mercy."
Liu Yuetang sat motionless, looking down at Qi, whose head was bleeding from hitting her head, with a cold expression.
It would be fine if she didn't mention the kindness of raising me, but it would be more annoying if she did.
Liu Yueyao, as if grasping at a lifeline, knelt before Liu Yuetang and pleaded, "My Lady... I am your sister... your younger sister. You wouldn't be so cruel as to leave me to die without helping, right?"
"We are your stepmother and sister. You can't be so cold-blooded."
Besides pleading, there was still some calculation hidden in her scarlet eyes.
Xiao Heng was used to the calculations and schemes of the women in the six palaces, so how could he not understand what Liu Yueyao meant.
He smiled coldly: "You mean, if Concubine Xi does not save someone from death, she will be cold-blooded and heartless?"
His mighty dragon was so furious that Liu Yueyao was frightened and at a loss.
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty, that is not your intention. Your Majesty, I only ask Your Majesty, Concubine Xi..."
"What qualifications do you have to ask Concubine Xi?"
"Concubine Xi is too kind. If I were her, you wouldn't even have the chance to beg for mercy."
Xiao Heng interrupted her sharply, his eyes glaring, causing the blood to drain from Liu Yueyao's face and she broke out in a cold sweat.
Seeing this, Liu Yuetang stood up and knelt, saying, "Your Majesty, my stepmother and sister are indeed my relatives..."
Upon hearing this, Qi and Liu Yueyao felt a glimmer of hope, but Liu Yuetang replied, "Since I have entered the palace, I belong to the royal family and my heart is with the Emperor. Now that my mother and sister have committed the grave crime of corruption, even though I cannot bear it any more, I implore the Emperor to make a fair judgment."
"If I show some leniency due to my status as a concubine, and this leads to the ministers criticizing the emperor's unfair judgment, then it will be my fault."
Upon hearing this, Qi and Liu Yueyao's faces turned pale as paper and they collapsed to the ground.
Xiao Heng's face was full of admiration. He stood up and helped Liu Yuetang up: "All the nobles in the court claim to be impartial, but they are no match for a mere woman like you!"
"Miaomiao's loyalty to the emperor and the country is a blessing to me and the world."
Looking at the two people's tightly clasped hands, Fu Zhixing lowered his eyes sadly.
Then, a voice came from the seat of honor: "The mother and daughter of the Qi family have embezzled money and violated the law, bribing court officials. Each of them shall be punished with fifty strokes of the cane!"
When Qi heard this, she felt her eyes go dark and she almost fainted.
Liu Yueyao panicked instantly, and like a frightened bird, she rolled and crawled to the upper seat. Xiao Heng quickly reached out to protect Liu Yueyao and shouted angrily, "Take her away and punish her with a cane!"
Liu Yueyao kowtowed desperately: "Your Majesty! Please have mercy! Your Majesty!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the guards dragged Liu Yueyao and Qi out.
Her pleading voice stopped abruptly as soon as she left the hall. It seemed that her mouth was blocked, and only the heavy sound of the stick falling remained.
Xiao Heng's gaze fell on the silent Fu Zhixing. "Fu Zhixing, even if you were unaware of Liu Yueyao's bribery, this incident was caused by you, and you are also responsible for your negligence. Considering your father's merits, I will spare him the caning, remove him from his position in the Hanlin Academy, and demote him to the position of editor."
Fu Zhixing quickly expressed his gratitude: "I accept the punishment. Thank you for your mercy, Your Majesty."
Although he felt a little disappointed, he also understood that this was the lightest punishment.
Just as Fu Zhixing and Fu Ze'an were about to leave, a eunuch outside the palace hurried in with a report: "Your Majesty, Qi couldn't bear the beating. After fifty strokes of the cane, she's dead."
Qi already had an injury on her waist and was not as young as Liu Yueyao, so naturally she could not endure these fifty sticks.
Liu Ming's eyes flickered slightly and he staggered back two steps.
Fu Zhixing supported him in time and asked the guard, "What about Yueyao?"
Seeing that his son still cared about Liu Yueyao at this time, Fu Ze'an's eyes became fierce, and the corners of his eyes pierced him like a knife.
The eunuch said, "Madam Fu just fainted."
Fu Zhixing secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and when he met his father's gaze, he couldn't help but lower his head.
Liu Ming was like a walking corpse, and was supported by Fu Zhixing as he walked out of the Qinzheng Hall.
They have been married for nearly twenty years, and even though there is no love between them, there is affection between them.
Now that they are separated by life and death, tears welled up in his eyes.
It’s karma! It’s all karma!
Liu Ming sighed.
Liu Yuetang stared blankly at the backs of Liu Ming and others.
Qi died, finally died.
Her purpose of entering the palace was finally achieved.
At this moment, it seems that what I feel more is letting go rather than being proud or satisfied.
"Qi is already dead, why is Miaomiao still unhappy?" Xiao Heng said, looking at Liu Yuetang with an expressionless face.
"Your Majesty, from the beginning to the end, what I want is not Qi's life, but justice in this world."
"Since she is dead, let all the hatred and pain be buried with her."
Xiao Heng stretched out his hand to her.
Liu Yuetang placed her hand in his large palm and let him pull her into his arms.
"Miaomiao, don't you want to report this to me?"
When these words were spoken, Liu Yuetang's heart skipped a beat. She looked up and saw that Xiao Heng's expression was still gentle.
The thing I feared most finally happened. What happened today must have been because Xiao Heng became suspicious.
Yes, he is the emperor, and all the tricks of the harem and the previous dynasty cannot escape his eyes.
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