Husband and wife working together to resolve the crisis
When news of Shen Qingci's impeachment reached the Shen residence, Su Yunqing was personally sewing a cloak for him to keep warm. Her needlework suddenly stopped, the needle piercing her fingertip, and a drop of blood fell onto the plain white silk, like a suddenly blooming red plum blossom. Ignoring the sting in her fingertip, she rose to head towards the palace, but was stopped by the steward: "Madam, if you go rashly, it will only give the Censorate something to use against you, accusing you of forming cliques!"
Anxiety welled up in Su Yunqing's eyes, but she forced herself to calm down. She knew that acting impulsively was useless at this moment; only by finding irrefutable evidence could she clear Shen Qingci's name. Suddenly, the image of Shen Qingci working at his desk flashed through her mind—during those days, officials often brought him rare treasures under the guise of visiting him, but he refused them all, and even submitted several veiled bribery letters and gifts to the Dali Temple for record-keeping.
“I have a plan.” A confident glint flashed in Su Yunqing’s eyes. She worked through the night to find the list of officials who had bribed officials, which Shen Qingci had kept in his notebook. She changed into plain clothes and went alone to a post station on the outskirts of the city. The first person she found was the Transport Commissioner of Jiangnan Circuit. He initially avoided her, until Su Yunqing spoke through the doorway: “Lord Li, Minister Shen’s reforms to the bureaucracy are not targeted at anyone, but rather aimed at preventing the people from being exploited by corrupt officials. Now that he has been wronged, if no one dares to testify, there will never be a day of justice in the court. Will your career be secure then?”
The door slowly opened, and the transport commissioner looked ashamed: "Madam Su is absolutely right. Vice Minister Shen is indeed upright. I was foolish back then."
In the following days, Su Yunqing traveled to various parts of the capital, encountering cowardly and evasive officials as well as loyal ministers who spoke frankly and offered their assistance. An old censor was moved by her persistence and sighed, "Madam Su, a woman, has such courage. How can we, who are paid by the emperor, stand idly by?"
Three days later, the debate continued unabated in the Golden Palace. The official impeaching Shen Qingci, holding forged accounts, argued vehemently: "Your Majesty, the evidence of Shen Qingci accepting bribes is irrefutable. If he is not severely punished, it will be difficult to appease the public!"
Just as the emperor's expression grew increasingly somber, a eunuch announced from outside the hall: "Your Majesty, Lady Su, accompanied by several ministers, requests an audience, claiming to have important matters to discuss in person!"
Su Yunqing, dressed in a light blue ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), walked resolutely into the main hall, followed by six officials. She curtsied and spoke in a clear voice, "Your Majesty, I am not here today to plead for my husband, but to present the truth." As she spoke, she took out a stack of documents from her sleeve. "These are the records of Shen Qingci's refusal of bribes, along with testimonies written by several officials, sufficient to prove that those so-called 'evidence' are all forged!"
The transport commissioner stepped forward, holding the list of gifts that Shen Qing had rejected: "Your Majesty, I once tried to bribe Minister Shen with a large sum of money to ask him to make an exception, but he refused sternly. The handwriting on these lists is all my own." Other officials also corroborated this, explaining in detail how their bribery attempts were rejected.
The emperor reviewed the testimonies and records, then glanced at the falsified accounts, his face instantly turning ashen. He slammed the accounts to the ground and roared, "You audacious traitors! How dare you fabricate evidence to frame a loyal official! Guards, seize the officials who impeached Shen Qingci and hand them over to the Court of Judicial Review for rigorous interrogation!"
The guards outside the hall rushed in at the sound of their voices and dragged the officials away, instantly quelling the chaos in the court. Shen Qingci looked at Su Yunqing, who stood in the hall, her fingertips still bearing the marks of her journey, her eyes filled with emotion.
After the court session, Shen Qingci held Su Yunqing's hand, gently stroking the needle marks and calluses on her fingertips with his fingertips: "Yunqing, you've worked hard."
Su Yunqing looked up at him, a faint smile in her eyes: "Brother Qingci, we are husband and wife, and we should share joys and sorrows. You are devoted to the country, so naturally I will protect this peaceful world for you."
The setting sun shone through the palace's latticed windows, casting their shadows together. Having weathered this storm, their affection deepened, and Shen Qingci's prestige in the court became even more solidified by this frank confrontation. Thereafter, he became even more determined to reform the bureaucracy, and Su Yunqing's courage and wisdom became legendary among the ministers.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
