Chapter 752 I Want to Go Back to Dahe Village
The palace coup on New Year's Eve began with He Ling presenting auspicious omens.
Although He Ling is dead, the He family cannot escape their guilt. All members of the He family, including both direct and collateral branches, totaling more than 170 people, were imprisoned in the dungeon.
After interrogation by the Dali Temple, it was learned that even He Hanhai, the head of the He family, was unaware of He Ling's rebellion plan, let alone the other members of the collateral branches. In other words, most of them were innocently implicated. However, rebellion is a capital offense that can lead to the extermination of nine generations of one's family. If it weren't for He Xiao's great contributions, these people would have been sent to the executioner's block long ago.
The emperor, showing leniency, granted He Xiao the authority to handle the matter independently.
“Many of He Ling’s followers are in the collateral branches. Although they are unaware of He Ling’s rebellion plan, they have contributed money and effort to the preliminary preparations for the rebellion. These people should be executed.” He Xiao pursed his lips. “However, I will petition for a pardon for children under twelve and women over sixty in the collateral branches. Those in the collateral branches who have not worked for He Ling can be stripped of their official positions and released without charge… As for the direct line…”
He paused here.
The direct line of the He family is very thin. He Hanhai's branch only has two sons, He Hanhai and He Ling. He Ling had a son with his first wife. The entire direct line only has six people, one of whom is Luo Qi, the eldest daughter of the Luo family, who married into the family three or four years ago.
“He Ling’s rebellion is due to He Hanhai’s failure to properly educate his son. Although he was unaware of it, he must still pay the price.” He Xiao lowered his eyes and said slowly, “Although He Ling is not my mother’s biological son, my mother also has a responsibility to raise him. I will use my merits to ask the Emperor to pardon my mother’s crimes… He Ling’s son is still young and is on the pardon list. As for my sister-in-law… if she is willing, I can write a letter of divorce on He Ling’s behalf, then the affairs of the He family will have nothing to do with her.”
Cheng Wanwan sighed.
He Xiao is a kind person at heart. Even after all this, he still went to great lengths to spare He Ling's son's life and also gave that Miss Luo a way out.
She began, "From now on, you'll be in charge of the He family. What are your plans?"
“After returning to Beijing, I often dream about what happened in Dahe Village.” A hint of nostalgia appeared on He Xiao’s face. “I want to find some time to go back to Dahe Village, and then go to the border regions. In short, I don’t want to stay in Beijing. There’s too much intrigue and too many unpleasant things here…”
Cheng Wanwan deeply sympathized with this.
If Si Dan's path to the imperial examinations hadn't been far from over, she would have wanted to go back sooner.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen the village head, oh no, he’s the county magistrate now. And Grandpa and Grandma Zhao, I wonder if they’re in good health? Is Wang Yongcheng keeping the patrol team in check? Is anyone still living in the house I used to live in? I wonder if the persimmon tree in the yard is bearing fruit, and if those greedy little birds have come and pecked at the persimmons again…” He Xiao smiled and said, “When my cousin goes back, I’ll escort her.”
Cheng Wanwan nodded.
After seeing He Xiao off, Gu Bing and Gu Leng came to meet him formally.
The twin sisters are fifteen years old this year and have a very good foundation in martial arts. When the two of them work together, they can make Cheng Yi helpless.
"You two can just act as guards for the courtyard normally," Cheng Wanwan said kindly. "If I go out, you can change into women's clothing and become my personal maids."
"Yes, Master!"
The two men clasped their hands in a fist salute at the same time, their voices loud and powerful.
The following afternoon, Cheng Wanwan received a secret letter from the Empress, which contained information about the outcome of the Imperial Advisor's case.
The position of Imperial Advisor is the most sacred profession in a country. If the Imperial Advisor fails in his/her duties, it will cause instability among the people. Therefore, matters concerning the Imperial Advisor during the Lantern Festival banquet are forbidden to be circulated outside the country.
The imperial court's handling of the Grand Preceptor was also carried out in secret.
The letter stated that at midnight last night, the Imperial Preceptor was placed under house arrest and was not allowed to leave the Imperial Preceptor's Palace until the next Imperial Preceptor was found.
In addition, the emperor sent someone to examine the pulse of the Grand Preceptor's son and discovered that the Grand Preceptor's son was not born dull-witted, but had been under too much pressure and had chosen to close his heart, turning into the appearance of a three-year-old child... Because it was acquired, there was a possibility of cure. Therefore, the emperor ordered that the Grand Preceptor's son be taken out of the Grand Preceptor's Palace and sent to an estate in the suburbs of the capital for special treatment.
One purpose was to cure the illness; the other was to use him as a hostage to control the Imperial Advisor and force him to continue serving the court.
Cheng Wanwan closed the secret letter and burned it inside the lantern.
She stopped paying attention to things in the palace, and Rongqing's beheading was none of her business. She opened her book and began working on the girls' school.
The girls' school was spearheaded by the Empress, with Cheng Zhao overseeing its implementation. She also provided suggestions on some of the rules, regulations, and curriculum planning.
Since the Empress has entrusted her with such an important task, she must do it well.
There are many schools, private academies, and clan schools in the capital, but there are no girls' schools. This is the first school to be established, and it must make a name for itself and cannot make any mistakes, otherwise the Empress's reputation will be damaged.
Cheng Wanwan locked herself in her study and studied diligently.
Next door, Zhao Sidan and Yu Zhan were studying diligently. Amidst the sound of their reading aloud, she felt particularly at peace and, in less than three days, she had come up with a preliminary plan.
She revised the plan again and planned to send it to the palace for the Empress's review. At this moment, Granny Qi came in and reported, "Madam, Madam Zheng and Lord Zheng request an audience."
Cheng Wanwan closed the plan and raised her eyebrows slightly.
Zheng Wangfeng married the legitimate daughter of a collateral branch of the He family, making him a member of the He family's inner circle. Now that the He family has fallen, the Zheng family has lost its backing and is currently facing a difficult situation.
Thinking back to what Zheng Wangfeng and Madam Zheng had done a long time ago, such as framing Cheng Zhao for cheating and framing Miss Lin for falling into the water... to be honest, she couldn't feel any goodwill towards the Zheng family.
However, she also remembered that two years ago, when He Ling intended to commit evil in Dahe Village, it was Zheng Wangfeng who came to warn her immediately.
She said, "Let's bring them into the flower hall."
Madam Zheng and Zheng Wangfeng waited for a while at the entrance of the mansion before Granny Qi came out to welcome them inside.
Madam Zheng breathed a sigh of relief. To be honest, before visiting, she was really afraid of being turned away. If Madam Sui had refused them, she didn't know who else she could turn to for help.
The two followed Granny Qi to the flower hall.
It's already the 20th of the first lunar month, and the weather is slightly warm. The forsythia in the flower hall are all in bloom, and their branches are swaying in the breeze.
"When you meet Madam Sui later, say some gentle words," Madam Zheng instructed. "We are from the same hometown as Madam Sui, and you and Cheng Zhao are classmates. Even if you don't care about Madam Sui, Madam Sui will definitely help us..."
Before she could finish speaking, Cheng Wanwan walked into the flower hall.
Zheng Wangfeng quickly cupped his hands in greeting: "Greetings, Madam Sui."
"Lord Zheng and Madam Zheng, there's no need for such formalities," Cheng Wanwan said with a smile. "Please sit down, don't stand on ceremony."
The two sat down nervously, took a sip of tea, but couldn't taste anything.
"How is Lord Zheng doing at the Ministry of Rites?" Cheng Wanwan asked casually. "I think he's currently a sixth-rank official in the Ministry of Rites, and officials are usually quite busy. I wonder how Lord Zheng finds time to come here?"
Since she had asked that question, Madam Zheng naturally stopped beating around the bush and went straight to the point.
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