Chapter 190: Dare to Hit the Emperor
"The evidence is irrefutable and cannot be denied."
Elder Zhang's voice echoed in the room. Duke Su trembled all over, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the woman beside him. "Gu Yunchang, are you really so heartless that you don't care about the twenty years we've been together?"
"Who's the heartless one, you or me?" Gu Yunchang turned her face away, feeling dirty even looking at him for a second. "Since you can't be in love for a lifetime, you shouldn't have made such a promise when you proposed to me."
"I've never had anything with Wanqing, not even holding hands. Chen'er is dead. I brought Song'er home to raise him. What's wrong with giving him everything?" Duke Su secretly glared at Xie Suzhou, who was sitting beside him, and gritted his teeth. "We have only had a relationship with Chen'er for four years, but we have been together with Song'er for eighteen years. What's wrong with me being partial to him?"
Gu Yunchang looked back in shock, unable to believe her ears. Seeing Tang Yuan's arrogant and unreasonable appearance, she was furious and slapped him loudly, "You beast!"
Tang Yuan's head was hit sideways. He was stunned for a moment and turned away in disbelief. "You hit me?"
Two loyal maids immediately stood in front of her. Gu Yunchang raised her chin, her eyes full of disgust. "As a husband and a father, you are terrible. You have low moral character and are not worthy of my Chen'er calling you dad."
Duke Su's face was gloomy, and he looked at her angrily, "You are too domineering. Throughout history, the husband is the sky of the family. There has never been a case of a woman hitting a man!"
Old Master Gu snorted coldly, slowly stood up, and knocked the floor tiles with the dragon-headed cane in his hand. He said in a deep voice, "If a woman from the Gu family married into the royal family, she would even beat the emperor, let alone a bastard like you."
Hearing this, Lord Zhang immediately turned his head away, looked at the sky and the earth, but did not dare to look at the old man.
I would pay a fortune for a pair of ears that have not heard this.
If these words were uttered by anyone else, Zhang Pu would have chopped off his head, but it was Old Man Gu who spoke, and even the current emperor regarded him as his adoptive father and was very filial to him.
Besides, the old man was right.
Gu Minghan once had a younger sister from the same father and mother, who married the previous emperor as a concubine. She rose to the rank of Imperial Noble Consort without any competition. Priceless treasures flowed into her palace like they were free. That year, the Imperial Noble Consort was pregnant, and the decree to make her the empress had been drafted long ago. Unfortunately, she was beautiful but had a tragic life. She suffered a miscarriage and injured her body, and died along with the unborn child.
It is said that when the daughter of the Gu family was pregnant that year, the baby in her belly was causing her great distress. She was so angry that she kicked the late emperor off the bed every day. However, the king did not dare to get angry or say anything, and could only put on a smile and beg her to calm down.
The girl from the Gu family actually dared to hit the emperor.
Old Master Gu slowly stepped forward, the two gemstones embedded in the dragon's eyes reflecting different brilliances as he moved. He looked fixedly at Duke Su, his eyes sharp, "Tang Yuan, is it possible that my daughter can't hit you?"
Duke Su was forced to take a few steps back by his gaze, and pursed his lips. Although he was unwilling in his heart, he could not speak.
"You've hurt two women and two children at the same time, causing them to cross paths too much, turning them into enemies and fighting for illusory power." Old Master Gu's voice was low, and he glanced at Cen Wanqing, who was slumped on the ground, his eyes full of disdain. "For someone like you, let alone hitting you, even if my son stabbed you, what would happen?"
"Old Grand Tutor, you can't say that." Zhang Gelao raised his standard fake smile, stepped forward, and whispered apologetically, "Grand Tutor, please give the Censorate some face. The laws of Chu cannot be disregarded."
Old Master Gu snorted coldly at him and said nothing more, giving Zhang Pu some face.
"Duke Su, you raised a child with such a character. You allowed Tang Song to commit murder and robbery, and you refused to raise your own son. According to Chu law, half of your wealth must be transferred to your son's name. In addition, you cannot escape the punishment of one hundred lashes."
"If Madam wishes to divorce you or put you away, we don't need your consent. The Censorate will intervene and give Madam half of her property, and then give her half of your remaining assets to her children." Zhang Pu moved quickly, calling over the imperial guards. "Once Madam has made her decision, you will go to the Duke's Mansion, check the accounts, and help her."
"yes."
Upon hearing this, Duke Suguo could no longer stand and asked loudly, "Why is this the verdict? I don't accept it!"
"Not convinced?" The old fox Zhang Pu narrowed his eyes, his smile deepening. "If you're not convinced by my judgment, the Duke can go outside and beat the drum again."
After saying this, Lord Zhang threw a complete copy of the Chu Code in his direction and said with a smile, "You may question the fairness and impartiality of the Chu Code, but I must remind you that this Chu Code was completely revised by the old Duke Su himself."
The laws of the Great Chu did not hit him hard, but Duke Su's heart still trembled violently.
With such a judgment, what else can Song'er get?
No... I can't let Gu Yunchang divorce me.
Duke Su's eyes were filled with tears as he quietly looked at the woman standing beside him, his eyes full of pleading, "Yun Chang, can we not divorce? I promise to listen to you in the future. I will cut off contact with Wan Qing and bring Chen'er back home to live. He just passed the imperial examination and I can also have a career in the future -"
"Tang Yuan, do you think we need you around?" Gu Yunchang interrupted him, her eyes rather mocking. "I was so tolerant recently because I felt that you, as a father, had disappeared from Chen'er's life for too long. I wanted him to have a complete family."
Gu Yunchang looked at Tang Song, who was sitting in a wheelchair with a pale face, and said with a sarcastic smile, "But now, if we are involved with you again, the lives of mother and son will be in danger."
Hearing the hidden meaning in her words, Tang Song's face became even uglier, and his fingertips gripped the armrest so hard that they turned white.
Elder Zhang cleared his throat and could recite the Chu law with his eyes closed. "Xie Suzhou will take up his post at the Ministry of Revenue tomorrow. Tang Song deliberately murdered an official appointed by the imperial court and attempted to poison his adoptive mother. His heart is so sinister that he will be imprisoned and executed at the intersection of East Market on the ninth day of next month."
Tang Song's body stiffened, his pupils blurred for a moment, and he stared in the direction of Zhang Pu, completely dumbfounded.
"No——" Cen Wanqing's eyes were red as she struggled to get up. She knelt forward and grabbed the corner of Zhang Pu's clothes, crying out loud, "Sir, it's unfair! It's all my fault. It has nothing to do with my son!"
Zhang Pu pulled out the corner of his clothes with a cold face and glanced at the imperial guard beside him. The latter understood and grabbed Cen Wanqing's arm and dragged her away.
"Sir! This is all my fault. Tang Song has nothing to do with it! I'm a bad parent. Please, if you want to chop off my head, just chop it off mine..."
Cen Wanqing's voice was getting farther and farther away. Tang Song felt a chill all over his body. His eyes fell on Gu Yunchang in a trance, and a vicious look flashed in his eyes.
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