The second prince, the third prince, and the fifth prince sent people out to clarify, saying that it was the Shangshu Mansion that slandered them.
The Emperor soon learned what the Second, Third, and Fifth Princes had done. Haha, they all had their eyes on Yun'er, trying to snatch his brother's princess.
The emperor ordered the secret guards to secretly observe the movements of the princes and absolutely not let them harm Yun'er.
Li Yun knew about the rumors in the capital, but she didn't want to come out and refute them. That would only make people think she was trying to cover up her own faults. She believed that those who are innocent will be cleared. Later, the Second, Third, and Fifth Princes came out to help her clarify the matter. She was speechless. Was they helping her or harming her?
Soon, the secret guards found out that it was Zhang who was holding a grudge and sent his servants out to spread rumors.
The emperor looked at the evidence and was speechless. This Minister Ma was capable, but he listened too much to his mother and was a confused person.
"Eunuch Zhang, announce the Minister of Revenue!" the emperor said to Eunuch Zhang.
"Yes!" Eunuch Zhang went out to call for help.
Half an hour later, Minister Ma arrived outside the imperial study.
"Your Majesty, Minister Ma has arrived!" said Eunuch Zhang.
"Call him in!" said the emperor as he handled the memorial.
"Please come in, Your Excellency!" Eunuch Zhang said respectfully.
Minister Ma walked into the imperial study and saluted the emperor.
"Your Majesty, I bow in the morning. Long live the Emperor!"
"Do you know why I summoned you into the palace?" The emperor asked him without asking Minister Ma to get up.
"I don't know!" Minister Ma said nervously.
"Lord Ma, you should have heard the recent rumors in the capital, right?" The emperor reviewed the memorials intermittently without looking at Minister Ma.
"I just found out about it and have sent people to investigate! Those rumors are false. The princess doesn't like my son, and I didn't drive the princess away. These were spread by people with ulterior motives. Please give me some time, Your Majesty. I will definitely find the person who spread the rumors and clear the princess's name!" Minister Ma said in panic.
"If we find the person who spread the information, what do you want to do, Minister Ma?" The emperor still didn't look at Minister Ma.
"I will definitely handle this impartially." Shangshu Ma began to feel a little uneasy. He felt that this matter might be related to the Shangshu Mansion.
"What if it's a relative around you?" The emperor's words confirmed Minister Ma's uneasiness.
"I will definitely handle this impartially and will never cover up for anyone." Minister Ma quickly expressed his opinion.
"I hope that Minister Ma is a man of his words and will not let me down! Take a look at these evidences and you will understand!" The emperor finally raised his head to look at Minister Ma and threw down a stack of evidence.
Minister Ma picked up the evidence on the ground and looked at it one by one. The more he looked, the more frightened he became. All the evidence pointed to one person, the second concubine Zhang Yunniang.
Minister Ma wiped the cold sweat from his face, thinking that it was all over.
"I believe Mr. Ma Aiqing knows who spread the rumors. I hope you can handle things impartially.
According to the laws of the Great Jin King, insulting a member of the royal family will result in the execution of your entire family! Considering that Yun'er hasn't married the King of Jin yet, I'll let you off with your entire family, but I'll also fine you one year's salary, demote you to the position of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, and move out of the Shangshu Mansion with immediate effect.
As for Zhang, let her clarify and apologize to the princess in public, and then send her to the execution ground.
By the way, I also heard that the second son of the Shangshu Mansion flirted with the princess and even wanted to marry her. How dare anyone covet my daughter-in-law? This is a slap in my face. Or is it that Lord Ma is planning a rebellion? Considering that Lord Ma has been law-abiding and diligent over the years, I will not pursue the matter.
"Lord Ma, just send the Second Young Master to the execution ground to accompany his mother." The Emperor sneered at Minister Ma. If it weren't for the fact that Ma Youcai and Yun'er had sworn brotherhood, and he was afraid that punishing Minister Ma would make Yun'er's life difficult, he would have wanted to teach this confused man a lesson.
“I am deeply apprehensive, and I thank the Emperor for his trust.
I will immediately return and have Zhang clarify and apologize to the princess, and then execute Zhang Yunniang and this unfilial son of mine." Minister Ma knew that it was because of Li Yun that the emperor showed mercy and spared the lives of the Ma family.
"Step back!" the emperor said to Minister Ma.
"Goodbye!" Shangshu Ma stood up and hurried out of the palace back to the Shangshu Mansion.
"The master is back!" The doorman saw the carriage stop and hurried forward to support Minister Ma and said.
"Tell the butler to come to my study immediately!" Minister Ma said to the doorman.
"Yes, sir!" said the doorman and went to find the butler.
Minister Ma returned to his study, packed up important documents and antiques, and was going to move out of the Shangshu Mansion today.
"Master, you are looking for me." The housekeeper quickly came to the Shangshu Mansion.
"Yes, go to Yashi and buy a courtyard with three entrances and three exits. We are going to move out of the Shangshu Mansion today. Also, wait a minute, go find the people and go to the Qiliusuo Square and tell them that the Shangshu Mansion will give the princess a price. Everything about the princess in the capital is all man-made rumors." Shangshu Ma said to the housekeeper.
"Shelter? Master really wants to go there?" the housekeeper asked Minister Ma uncertainly.
"Yes, it's right there. Also, tell the servants to pack their bags. We're moving out of the Shangshu Mansion today. The master is no longer a Shangshu, having been demoted by the Emperor to a vice minister. Once you buy the yard, we'll move in."
Let the guards take Zhang and Ma Youdao to the exile center, let her clarify and apologize to the princess, and then send them to the execution ground.
"Wait a moment, I'll go get a letter of divorce and a letter of severance. From now on, Zhang and Ma Youdao have no relationship with our Ma family." Ma Shangshu said regretfully. If he hadn't listened so much to his mother and allowed this troublesome and vicious woman into the mansion, things wouldn't have ended up like this. If he had listened to his wife and severely punished her and her son, he wouldn't have been demoted.
"Master was demoted? Because of the Second Concubine and the Second Young Master?" The housekeeper was shocked to hear this news. Just because he offended the princess, the master was demoted and had to move out of the Shangshu Mansion. Could it be that Princess Jiahui was not a powerless village woman as rumored? Instead, she had a powerful background, powerful enough to move the Shangshu Mansion.
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