Chapter 006 The Fang Family
Xu Zhenying sorted out the confusion, and seemed to have some clues, but he couldn't grasp the key point.
It still depends on whether my second uncle is involved in political stance.
Throughout history, political alignment has been a highly artistic and cruel activity.
If you stand on the right side, your descendants will be successful.
If you stand in the wrong place, everyone in this room will lose their heads.
How she wished that her second uncle was the smart one, but considering his pedantic and inflexible nature, and the fact that he worked for the Censorate... the situation was not good.
Seeing her frown, the grandmother couldn't help but ask, "Sixth girl, what did you see?"
Xu Zhenying shook his head. "It's not clear yet."
My grandmother looked disappointed.
Xu Lezhi was unconvinced and muttered, "Why are you pretending? I spent so much money and didn't get any useful information."
Finally, Xu Anping from the fourth room murmured quietly, "Isn't that second uncle's fault?"
Fourth Aunt quickly pulled Xu Anping aside and frowned, saying, "Don't talk nonsense about your elders."
"That's enough," Grandmother said, settling the lawsuit. "Stop arguing! It's giving me a headache. Fourth Girl is right. Now is the time for our family to unite. If anyone keeps spreading rumors and making nonsense, don't blame me for being rude!"
When Huang said this, she glared at Xiao Huang meaningfully.
Madam Huang felt the warning gaze and said with a guilty conscience, "Mother, why are you looking at me... Didn't you just listen to what that little girl Xu Lezhi said? Her mouth is even more poisonous than mine—"
"That's enough, you want a beating, don't you?! Say one more word and I'll have the boss divorce you!"
Xiao Huang pursed her lips in dissatisfaction, thinking to herself: She gave birth to three sons for the Xu family. Even if she had no merit, she had worked hard. If her mother-in-law really dared to divorce her, she would make it so that no one in the Xu family would be happy!
Seeing Xu Zhenying looking thoughtful, Fourth Aunt couldn't help but ask, "Sixth girl, have you really not thought of anything?"
Miao said, "Sister-in-law, stop joking. She's just a little girl who can barely read. How can she predict the general trend of the world?"
Fourth Aunt frowned, turned a deaf ear to Miao's words, and just stared at Xu Zhenying.
Xu Zhenying had no choice but to say, "I don't know anything else. But I suspect Second Uncle's life is not in danger."
Xu Huiming quickly asked, "Why do you think so?"
"The emperors of the Great Zhou Dynasty rarely slaughtered civil servants. If they were truly enraged and wanted to execute someone, they would have given the order on the spot and wouldn't have delayed for so long. But we've been held here for several days, seemingly forgotten by the higher-ups. Furthermore, only my second uncle has been brought to trial in the entire Xu family. If he had truly committed a serious crime, how could the higher-ups have simply ignored us, the Xu family? We have to arrest my second aunt and interrogate her, right?"
Fourth Aunt didn't take it seriously at first, but as she listened, her eyes became brighter and brighter, and in the end she nodded frequently, "Sixth Girl, what you said makes sense."
Xu Anping came over and asked doubtfully, "Sixth sister...are we really not going to be beheaded?"
"I'm just speculating based on the current situation. As for the specifics..." Xu Zhenying smiled bitterly, "There should be results soon."
Just as he finished speaking, there was a commotion ahead.
The Xu family looked at each other and stuck their heads out.
My aunt lay down beside the fence and listened carefully for a while, then turned back and reported, "Mom, it seems someone is coming again."
Then they heard a chaotic sound of footsteps coming from the cell, followed by a row of women walking in one after another. Their faces were all painted up and terrified. Some cried and refused to go in. "How can the crime committed by their legitimate family be implicated in our affairs? Your Majesty, please be aware that we have long since separated!"
"That's right, sir, we are innocent—"
"Third Grandpa is really old and confused. How dare he challenge Uncle Zhu to his face? Now look what happened. The entire Fang family will be buried with him."
"Zhu Ci is so arrogant! I think his ancestors were just bricklayers. Once this villain gained power, he was just the emperor's uncle, but he dared to form a clique and disregard Your Majesty. Has he really forgotten the time when he humbled himself and begged my father to recommend him to the court? When will it be the turn of the Zhu family to rule the Great Zhou Dynasty?"
The crowd was shouting and pushing, mixed with the cries of women and children.
Although they were sent to prison, these people were dressed in luxurious clothes and wore eye-catching pearls and jade on their heads. Although they were noisy, they did not seem to be acting like spoiled brats. It was obvious that they came from wealthy families.
Everyone in the Xu family perked up and looked over curiously. However, they were too embarrassed to approach and talk to him because they had spent several days in jail and looked miserable.
Lian Qiuzhi suddenly saw a familiar figure and immediately pushed through the crowd to the fence, asking in surprise, "Old Madam Fang?"
Old Madam Fang was over fifty years old. Her once well-maintained face now looked haggard, as if she had aged a dozen years overnight. She looked up and saw a face that seemed vaguely familiar.
She tentatively replied, "But... is he from the family of Lord Xu, the Chief Censor?"
Lian Qiuzhi saw that Old Madam Fang recognized her, and a hint of pride crossed her brows. She bowed and saluted, "Old Madam Fang has a good memory. Two years ago, your family held a plum blossom viewing banquet, and I was fortunate enough to attend it once."
Beside Old Madam Fang, a middle-aged woman in elegant but slightly disheveled clothing quietly approached her and whispered something in her ear. Old Madam Fang immediately said, "It's Madam Xu. What's going on? Could it be that Lord Xu is also—"
Lian Qiuzhi was overcome with grief and wiped away her tears. "Don't worry about Madam Fang laughing at you. I don't know what serious crime my husband committed in the court. Our entire family was imprisoned four days ago, and we're still in shock. We don't know what happened."
"Alas." Madam Fang was helped to sit down by several women nearby. Compared to the other members of the Fang family who were crying and looking miserable, she was barely calm. However, perhaps because she was frightened, her face was a little pale. "What's so funny about this? Isn't our Fang family also suffering from the disaster of imprisonment now?"
"Master Fang plays a very important role in the court and was the late emperor's tutor. How could he—"
Old Madam Fang gave a bitter laugh and said, "A new emperor appoints new ministers."
The others were reluctant to say more, obviously having some reservations.
Lian Qiuzhi said anxiously, "Madam Fang, there's been a lot of unrest in the city lately. Do you know what's happening with the Xu family? This... is a matter of life or death... At least it's important for our whole family to have some peace of mind."
Everyone looked at Old Mrs. Fang expectantly.
Even Xu Zhenying couldn't help but look over.
"Cough, cough, cough..." Old Madam Fang choked on the damp, cold air in the cell, her face turning pale from coughing. The woman beside her quickly took out some pills and helped her swallow them. After the old lady calmed down, she clutched her chest and said with a guilty look on her face, "I've long since stopped caring about the affairs of the front yard. I've only heard a little about what's going on with Master Xu's family, but I'm not really familiar with the details."
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