The verdict came quickly. The Prince Regent's crimes were numerous and unforgivable, and he was sentenced to death by hanging. The adult male members of his family were beheaded in public, and his wife, daughters, and children were confiscated as slaves.
Emperor Renzong approved the request.
That afternoon, the streets and alleys were crowded with people, all coming to see the people from the Regent's Palace, who were once powerful and arrogant, being punished.
At noon, cannons rang out, heads fell to the ground, and the streets were dyed red with blood.
The case of the Xie family, the Duke of Zhenguo, has finally come to an end.
Emperor Renzong's handling of the previous dynasty's accumulated cases earned him widespread praise. Despite her position as Empress Xie, she maintained her philanthropic spirit. Every first and fifteenth day of the lunar month, she personally inspected charitable organizations like the Children's Charity Bureau and the porridge factory. She also donated half of all profits from her Xie Family Business to charitable causes.
Everyone praised her and expressed gratitude for the Queen's kindness.
The prince was wise and intelligent, and he assisted the emperor in handling government affairs in an orderly manner.
Qin Junhao and Xie Silong also served in the Prince's Palace.
Under the joint rule of the emperor and empress, the country's national strength became increasingly strong.
Harem, laundry department.
Most of the maids working in the laundry department were wives and daughters of convicted officials, or maids who had committed misdemeanors. They were all buried in their work. Washed clothes were draped on bamboo poles in the middle of the courtyard. Some were hanging freshly washed clothes out to dry, while others sat on benches, sleeves rolled up, washing clothes.
A young woman with a pretty face looked haggard. Her hair was casually tied into a bun. She didn't even wear a hairpin, but only wrapped it with a green cloth. Her hair, which was not tied tightly, fell down casually and brushed against her face. It might be a little itchy, so the woman brushed it from time to time. Because her hands were wet, her hair was also wet.
She was not very skilled in washing clothes, and soap foam splashed out from time to time, splashing onto her face and body.
The maid who was washing clothes nearby glared at her with disgust and scolded her, "You've been here for so long, and you're still so stupid! You can't even wash clothes properly. Do you think you're still a lady at home?"
The woman didn't respond, but lowered her head and just rubbed the clothes.
This woman was none other than Han Ruyi, who entered the palace as a slave.
Her doting father died, her brothers and sisters either died or scattered. Her mother cried herself blind and left her a few days later.
She went from being a noble and precious young lady to a criminal slave. On the first day, she was dreaming of becoming a concubine in the palace, but in the blink of an eye, her family was broken up and she fell straight from heaven to hell.
When I first entered the palace, I cried every day and was often beaten and scolded. I even thought about giving up and dying. But even ants are eager to survive. I tried hanging myself or drowning myself several times, but in the end I didn't have the courage.
After a long time, I gradually got over it.
However, he was still angry after being scolded, so he rubbed with more strength, causing the soapy water to splash and fall on the palace maid.
The maid screamed in anger, "You damned slave, did you do this on purpose? This dress of mine was given to me by the Concubine Dowager. I just put it on today, and you've soiled it. You must compensate me!"
Han Ruyi looked up at her, stood up, took a handkerchief, wet it in clean water, and wiped it with her hands. "There's only a trace of soap, it will be gone with just a wipe."
The maid grew angrier and pushed her away, cursing, "Get away! The more you wipe, the dirtier it gets."
When the others saw the dispute, several of them immediately came over to watch.
Han Ruyi knew that these people were eager to see her laugh and wanted to bully her, but she just buried her head in rubbing clothes and ignored them.
But these people hated her cold look the most.
A palace maid sneered, "Sister, you don't know this, but she's the daughter of the Prince Regent. At home, she's served by dozens of maids and old women. It's already very difficult for her to be able to wash clothes here."
Another person immediately chimed in. "Miss Han, I heard you almost entered the palace and became an empress, is that right? Alas, life's fate is truly unpredictable."
"Yes, from being a queen to being a washerwoman in the laundry department, tell me, how did you endure such a huge gap? Tsk tsk."
The few of them chatted back and forth, their conversation growing more and more excited. In the past, they would chat for a while, she would ignore them, and then they would disperse because they got bored, but today they couldn't stop talking.
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