Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Su Guanzhang, I hate you
Xuan Zhao continued, "Most military officers opposed this charge, saying the suspect hadn't been found yet and the evidence was insufficient. Furthermore, the battlefield situation was changing rapidly, and one defeat wouldn't prove anything."
It is still unknown whether the second uncle of the Su family died in the battlefield or disappeared and fled to the enemy country. It is ridiculous to accuse the Su family of treason based on the fact that he disappeared.
Without any evidence, they just talk and convict a family of loyal martyrs who have defended the country and shed blood for generations. Do they think that the neighboring countries that are eyeing the border covetously do not exist?
As soon as Second Uncle Su disappeared, they didn't even give him a chance to find him. They directly arrested the three major generals of the Su family and brought them back to Beijing.
The new emperor probably chose to ignore it. If they hadn't voluntarily cooperated, how could he capture anyone in the army with just the few people he had hidden there? He would probably be torn to pieces by the Su family army.
Had he considered this? Who was currently supporting the Mobei front? The Su family army had many capable generals, but would they let it go if the entire Su family was exterminated?
"I heard that Brother Su had already made arrangements for the war before he was captured and brought back to Beijing. For now, the front line can still hold on for a while." Xuan Zhao looked at Su Guanzhang.
Su Guanyu, the eldest brother of Su Guanzhang, was also the heir of the Duke of Su's mansion. If the Su family hadn't been in trouble, the Su family army would have been handed over to him in the future.
Su Guanzhang nodded slightly, "Brother, a letter was sent back before he was disarmed."
Changing generals in the middle of a battle is a big taboo in military strategy. My second uncle was the main general. After his disappearance, the three major generals of the Su family, who were deputy generals, should be in charge of military affairs.
But the new emperor was determined to put the Su family to death, and he captured all the deputy generals in the heat of the battle. The eldest brother, the second brother, and the third brother could only assign the new deputy generals and tell them to send people to search for the second uncle, and then entrust the entire battle line to them.
"Hmm, Your Majesty didn't mention that." Xuan Zhao seemed to be thinking. "When the message came back, it said that we suffered a defeat, but the casualties were within a controllable range, and no city was lost. The Su family army failed to achieve anything this time, but the fault was not serious."
"There is no military officer among those who impeached military intelligence." He specifically mentioned this point.
Some civil officials brought up the Su family's defeat, saying they lost on purpose, and were slammed. Even the military commanders on the new emperor's side were extremely disgusted by such talk.
To put it bluntly, if a general suffered a defeat outside, upon returning, he would be accused of deliberate defeat, and his life and property could be in danger. Which general would dare to risk his life on the battlefield? Winning could mean death, but losing is a sure thing. How could such a thing be justified?
Xuan Zhao glanced around and saw that the passage was quiet, so he lowered his voice and said, "Your Majesty is determined to seize the Su family's military power. Your father just mentioned that he has made such preparations."
Xuan Jinyu's hand trembled and her nose felt a little sore.
"His Majesty was furious today. Your grandfather was worried that he would abandon his duties and kill the Su family." Xuan Zhao saw his daughter's face turn pale and quickly finished his words, "It's okay. Your grandfather used the gold belt to buy the Su family's life."
The morning court session was so violent and chaotic that it was delayed until the afternoon. Finally, the Ministry of Works' seventy-year-old minister fainted and nearly hit his head, forcing the court to end.
The court officials were all starving, their waists and knees ached from standing, and their throats were dry and sore.
When he sent his father-in-law Lin Ren back to the Taifu Mansion, he was kept by the Taifu for lunch, and then he returned to the Ministry of Revenue. In the evening, when he was off duty, he was ordered to come to this prison.
Worried that his daughter would overthink it, Xuan Zhao only recalled these things in his mind and did not speak them out loud.
"Father-in-law, that golden belt..." Su Guanzhang felt a growing sense of uneasiness in his heart, and he couldn't help but ask.
"The golden belt was taken away by His Majesty." Xuan Zhao replied.
Su Guanzhang felt heavy-hearted when he heard this. The new emperor was unwilling to even pretend and directly took away the imperial gift from the Lin family for self-protection.
I think the new emperor is going crazy this time. I'm afraid the Lin family will become a thorn in his side...
He looked at Xuan Jinyu again, and slowly tightened his fingers around hers.
Xuan Jinyu was completely clueless and only asked, "Then how will he deal with the Su family?"
The sword hanging over their heads could fall at any time. Although they were certain it would not take their lives, it was very likely that it would cause them excruciating pain if it were to pass through them.
I believe the new emperor would be very happy to torture them. Xuan Jinyu was so sure of this, remembering the humiliation he had caused her and Su Guanzhang yesterday.
"The emperor proposed exile to Mobei, but your grandfather refused and said that the matter would be discussed at court tomorrow." Xuan Zhao replied.
He remembered a few words that Lin Ren said before he left, which seemed to be spoken to him, or as if he was talking to himself.
"Now that the throne is secure, he's become even more outspoken in front of me. Even the broken porcelain pieces in the main hall were left untouched. It seems he's determined to remove this thorn in the Su family. And indeed, he doesn't even bother to make up his mind during the most basic trials, and simply skips over and convicts people. This imperial power..."
"Jinyu," Xuan Zhao glanced at the young couple's clasped hands and hesitated, "Daddy will try to get you home to take care of the baby tomorrow."
Although the death row in the Ministry of Justice is not as damp as other cells, she has not seen the light for a long time and has no freedom. Her pregnancy is not yet stable, so it is really not suitable for her to stay there any longer.
Su Guanzhang's mind moved.
Xuan Jinyu subconsciously glanced at the person standing next to her, only to see him nod slightly at her father. Suddenly, she felt a strange feeling in her heart. She seemed a little unhappy, but she didn't know why; she seemed relieved, but not at all.
"Daddy asks you a question, and you must answer truthfully."
"Daddy, you say it." Xuan Jinyu no longer had the desire to explore his inner thoughts and said hurriedly.
Xuan Zhao stared into his daughter's eyes. "If the emperor asks you to have an abortion and return home without entering the palace, will you agree?"
He could see that if his daughter stayed in the capital, her unborn baby would be in danger. The new emperor was the kind of person who would not stop until he had removed the thorn in his side.
"I don't agree." Xuan Jinyu withdrew her hand from the railing and held it tightly against her lower abdomen.
Su Guanzhang slowly loosened their clasped hands and turned her towards him. "Jinyu, we will definitely be exiled, but you can return home. This child..."
Xuan Jinyu's face turned pale, her hands trembling, she couldn't bear to listen any longer. Her heart ached like a rip, she didn't know if it was for the child or for herself.
With a "pop" sound, everyone's attention was attracted.
Even in the quiet passage, a dark head poked out stealthily.
Su Guanzhang had a cold pale complexion. Xuan Jinyu slapped him with all her strength, leaving a red palm print on his face that was very conspicuous.
"Su Guanzhang, you..." Xuan Jinyu lost her strength and her body became limp. All the angry and accusatory words were stuck in her throat and she couldn't say them out. She choked and cried.
Su Guanzhang hurriedly embraced her, and saw Xuan Jinyu struggling to hold his sleeve tightly. She looked at him with tearful eyes, and said each word with difficulty but without hesitation, "You are not worthy to be its father."
Su Guanzhang's eyes quickly dimmed, his face lost color, and he was speechless.
Xu Yu Niang stood by the iron fence, wanting to speak but hesitant. Old Madam Su shook her head at her, and she sighed, holding her granddaughter Su Yutong in her arms and patting her head.
Xuan Zhaoyuan's eyes changed when he saw his daughter about to fall. He only hated the iron fence that blocked his way. He didn't breathe a sigh of relief until Su Guanzhang held her tightly in his arms.
As a father, he actually agreed with Su Guanzhang's statement.
As long as he lost this child, he would have a way to bring his daughter home without having to endure the pain of exile. If she didn't want to enter the palace, the Xuan and Lin families could still protect her with their combined strength.
But when he looked at Xuan Jinyu crying like rain, he could no longer say any words of persuasion.
Xuan Jinyu cried heartily, and her cries echoed in the death row.
The seven children huddled in their parents' arms, not daring to utter a word. Auntie had cried before, but never like today, when it made people's hearts ache.
After a long time, when the crying finally stopped, Tong Jie'er murmured softly, "Uncle is so annoying today." She used to like her uncle the most, but today he made her aunt cry so sadly, so she no longer liked him.
Xu Yu Niang patted her granddaughter's back gently.
Su Guanzhang remained silent, but his hands never stopped moving - he was helping Xuan Jinyu to calm down.
"I'm sorry." After Xuan Jinyu stopped crying, he couldn't tell whether he regretted what he had just said, but he apologized at the first moment.
He was happy to have her in his struggling future.
But he knew that she could take a safe path and not have to suffer with him, so he couldn't turn a blind eye.
Even a grown man would find the suffering of exile difficult to endure, let alone her who had been brought up in pampering, especially when she was pregnant.
She didn't understand how dangerous her condition was and how uncomfortable she would be. He knew medicine, so didn't he understand?
"If you want to continue persuading me, stop talking." Xuan Jinyu drank the warm water he brought her with a very cold tone.
"Jinyu..."
"Su Guanzhang, I hate you." She said this slowly, word by word, "Don't force me to hate you even more."
Her usually bright eyes were now filled with coldness. She and this man had nothing to say to each other.
Su Guanzhang clenched the teacup in his hand, looked at her quietly, and really didn't say anything else.
He couldn't bear the thought of her returning home and marrying someone else. Her "hate" was like a sharp blade, ripping his heart to pieces.
With trembling hands, he tried to put the teacup back on the small square table, but he didn't put it firmly. With a "ping pong" sound, the teacup bounced onto the copper pot beside it and bounced back.
He hurriedly tried to catch the falling teacup, but almost knocked over the copper kettle, and there was another "clang" sound.
Xu Yu Niang turned her head away, unable to bear to see her son in such a distraught state.
Normally, she was dissatisfied with her stern son, loved to argue with him, loved to hit him, loved to see his expression change. But she hated to see him look so heartbreaking.
Xuan Jinyu felt a slight pain in her heart, she quickly buried her head in her knees and bit her lips.
Xuan Zhao couldn't bear to watch this, so he spoke to break the deadlock, "Okay, let's get on with the business."
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