Chapter 246: Redress
"If you want to accuse someone, you can always find a pretext." Su Cheng refused to back down. His gaze was calm, and his powerful aura was impossible to ignore. "I beat the drum to protest my grievances, which means I am willing to accept punishment. The Censorate has never turned away those who have been wronged. Are you setting a precedent, Your Excellency?"
"You—" The man's face paled a little, and he waved his long sleeves. "You are so sharp-tongued. I don't want to waste any more words with you!"
"If I leave, are you sure you can handle Elder Zhang's wrath?"
The man turned to look at her and saw that her eyes were like torches and her expression was stubborn and resilient, as if she was willing to risk her life to seek justice for Zhao Hu. He said helplessly, "Why are you doing this?"
Su Cheng remained calm and composed, "Sir, don't you have any relatives? If someone fabricates rumors about your relatives and imprisoned them, what would you do?"
The man's expression changed again and again, and he stammered for a long time, but didn't know what to say.
"Miss Zhao is right. The late emperor established the Court of Censors to provide a place for ordinary people like us to seek redress for our grievances."
"Since the drum has been struck, it means there is a serious grievance. Why can't Miss Zhao be accepted?"
"For a woman to do this for her family is truly admirable!"
"If I'm not mistaken, that's Qi Daxueshi from the Hanlin Academy, right? Could it be that the Qi and Zhao families have a personal grudge?"
Qi Yangzheng was hearing a lot of gossip. He lowered his eyes to look at the girl in front of him, staring at her for a long while before he slowly spoke, "If you insist on pleading for your father, I will not stop you. However, you must receive thirty strokes of the cane before you can enter the court."
Su Cheng remained calm, raising his chin slightly, "A mere thirty strokes of the cane, I can handle it."
Seeing her fearless expression, Qi Yang couldn't help but sneer, "A mere thirty strokes of the cane? Little Zhao, think carefully. Those are thirty military sticks. Even a strong man can't withstand them. I'm afraid your small body can't even withstand five."
"It's not too late to leave now. I'll pretend you never beat the drum." Qi Yang was slowly smoothing out the wrinkles on his clothes and whispered, "If you don't leave now, you won't be able to leave."
Su Cheng threw the drumstick in his hand into the box beside him, and curled the corners of his lips slightly, "Master Qi, please start the torture!"
"You!" Qi Yang was stunned for a moment, and seeing her so stubborn, he became annoyed. "Come here, serve with a military stick!"
"yes."
Two imperial guards brought a bench, holding a stick that was taller than a man and thicker than a fist.
"Little Zhao." Qi Yangzheng curled his lips towards her coldly and said with interest, "Please come in."
Su Cheng paused, raised his eyes and looked at him, without moving.
"This is too much! Miss Zhao is a woman, how can she be executed in public outside the Censorate?"
"It seems that Grand Secretary Qi is determined to make things difficult for Miss Zhao."
"How could a girl endure being tortured in public?"
"What's wrong? Are you scared?" Qi Yang was standing by, his eyes like a venomous snake, staring at Su Cheng without blinking. "Little Zhao, your father secretly raised soldiers with the intention of rebellion. This is a grave crime that can exterminate nine generations of your family. You know everything, yet you still insist on defending your father. Then I will comply with your request and execute him here, so that everyone can see your sincerity."
"If you are truly filial, lie down and receive thirty blows of the military stick before I will listen to your grievances."
Qi Yang happened to be standing leisurely by the door, as if he had guessed that an unmarried girl would not be so courageous.
What's the difference between executing someone in public and stripping off in the street?
After the thirty military sticks fell, the skin and flesh were torn apart, the blood and flesh turned into mud, and stuck to the clothes, which was really indecent.
"Lord Qi has good intentions, and I will keep them in mind. When my father is cleared of the injustice, I will definitely come to thank you." Su Cheng pulled the corner of her lips and looked at him with a smile. She moved the hem of her skirt slightly, and slowly walked towards the bench amid many shocked eyes.
Seeing that she was serious, Qi Yangzheng's face changed slightly, but he still stood aside and watched coldly.
"Wait a minute!"
A voice came from the crowd, and the people around wisely made way.
Qi Yang looked up and happened to meet that pair of cold and emotionless peach blossom eyes. His heart trembled, "Thank you... Thank you, doctor..."
He is the little grandson that Grand Tutor Gu holds in his heart.
Qi Yang was glancing at the pretty figure standing beside him.
He is also Su Cheng's fiancé.
Damn it! Why is he here?
Qi Yang was looking in the direction he came from, with a hint of gloom in his eyes.
That's the direction of the palace.
Xie Suzhou glared at him coldly, a few strands of hair on his forehead damp with sweat, beads of sweat trickling down his delicate, fair cheeks. "Master Qi, the Censorate often hears unjust cases, and there are countless strange and bizarre stories. The Zhao family isn't the most bizarre. Is it inappropriate to execute them in public?"
Qi Yang laughed dryly, "Thank you, Doctor. Little Zhao insisted on taking her father's place—"
"The Zhao family matter hasn't been resolved yet, and yet Lord Qi has completely disregarded our old friendship and treated the Zhao children harshly, truly hurting us colleagues." Xie Suzhou ignored him and said calmly, "Ah Cheng, come to me."
Su Cheng's slightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed. He glanced at Qi Yangzheng and walked towards Xie Suzhou.
Xie Suzhou pulled out a token from his sleeve and held it before Qi Yang's eyes. "This is Minister Zhao's military token. It's one of a kind. Lord Qi, please take a close look at it."
"This..." Qi Yang's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the military token, muttering, "How is this possible? If it was just a misunderstanding, why would Lord Zhang have Zhao Hu imprisoned in the palace?"
"Who said Lord Zhao was imprisoned in the palace?" Xie Suzhou's face was filled with worry. His eyes were narrow and long, and when he wasn't smiling, his peach blossom eyes looked particularly cold and stern. "Lord Zhao's mansion was robbed and he was slandered. Lord Zhang kept him in the palace to discuss matters and share dinner. How can he be imprisoned?"
"What?" A cold sweat broke out from his back to the top of his head. Qi Yangzheng's face looked particularly ugly. "How could this happen..."
Su Cheng quietly looked at the military token in his hand, secretly thinking that her guess was correct. Her eyes suddenly reddened. She pretended to take out a handkerchief, covered her cheeks, and sobbed softly, "Who is so cruel to steal my father's military token and frame him? If he is really charged with treason, I am afraid that we can't clear it even if we jump into the Yellow River."
Qi Yang was standing on the stone steps, looking a little at a loss.
Seeing her frowning and crying, while winking at him wildly from an angle that no one else could see, Xie Suzhou's eyes were filled with helplessness, and he willingly accompanied her in the rehearsal, "Ah Cheng, don't be sad. This matter has alarmed Lord Zhang. He is in power on behalf of the emperor and will definitely clear the Zhao family's name."
"As for Master Qi—"
Qi Yangzheng was shocked and looked at him subconsciously.
"Miss Zhao is one of the millions of ordinary people. The Zhao family's unjust case has been reported to the Censorate. Why did Lord Qi ignore it?"
Qi Yang met his gaze and turned his face away, feeling unwilling. "I care about Miss Zhao and don't want her to put herself in danger. Now that the Zhao family's injustice has been vindicated, I feel at ease."
Shameless youngster!
A mere doctor actually dared to turn around and accuse me. He was so arrogant. Wasn't he just relying on the fact that there was an old immortal in his family?
When Gu Minghan dies, let’s see who can still support him!
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