The delivery of Yin Jin'an's remains to the Xiaoyao Marquis's residence shocked the world.
Li Yunmu and Zhou Lingyin could not believe it, could not bear it, and wept bitterly in front of his coffin.
However, when the Xie family also encountered misfortune, Li Yunmu and Zhou Lingyin were terrified and ran to the Xie residence.
The once-prosperous Xie Mansion now stands with its gates tightly shut, and people keep quiet about it.
Apart from the onlookers, no officials dared to approach the Xie residence.
They went to Qingpu Garden and the Earl's Mansion, but couldn't find out any information.
Li Yunmu said to Zhou Lingyin, "I am, after all, the Earl of Annan. I will submit a memorial to the palace to plead for Xie Zhaozhao's release. I will agree to any condition!"
"What conditions can we agree to? Besides having some dirty money, what else can we do?"
Li Yunmu said with a wry smile, "We don't have much money left either. Xie Zhaozhao and I have invested all our silver and grain in the Northwest campaign against Wei. Yours has all been invested in disaster relief in Jiangnan and provisions for the border troops, right?"
However, let's not accept any rewards for the merits we earned with our ill-gotten gains; let's exchange them for Xie Zhaozhao's safety!
Zhou Lingyin was in a state of turmoil. He was indeed grateful to Xie Zhaozhao, but he was more worried about his younger sister, Princess Changping.
Xie Zhaozhao's man is the crown prince chosen by the emperor, and a single word from him can save her life. However, the entire Xie family is likely to be executed, or at least have their property confiscated and be exiled, based on the Empress Xie's alleged treason.
Li Yunmu submitted a memorial, but the emperor refused to see him.
He went to see Zhou Shaoyu again, and Zhou Shaoyu told him to be patient, as His Majesty already knew what was going on.
On the 16th day of the 10th month of the 33rd year of Emperor Hui's reign,
The Imperial Observatory, the Ministry of Rites, and Emperor Hui selected October 18th as an auspicious day for Zhou Shaoyu to recognize his ancestors, be listed in the imperial genealogy, and hold a grand ceremony to worship Heaven.
However, Zhou Shaoyu refused.
The Imperial Study.
Zhou Shaoyu and Xie Zhaozhao knelt before the dragon throne, and Emperor Hui was furious.
"Jingchen, all my plans in this life have been for you. How dare you defy me like this?" Emperor Hui's hand trembled with anger as he pointed at Zhou Shaoyu. "Don't think that I can't live without you!"
Zhou Shaoyu replied without hesitation: "It's not that I can't live without becoming the crown prince."
I am a subject, not a son!
"Good, very good, you've really done well." Emperor Hui laughed in exasperation. "I never expected that the son I valued most would treat me like this. Fortunately, I haven't announced the edict to the world yet. Now it seems it was truly the will of Heaven."
Empress Xie murdered a prince and plotted to seize the throne. Emperor Hui felt he had been merciful enough and ordered Empress Xie's death, leaving her with a complete corpse.
According to the law, her maternal clan, the Xie family, should be punished collectively, including beheading, confiscation of property, and exile.
Isn't this a normal practice throughout history?
He's been kind enough!
However, Xie Zhaozhao not only secretly built a tomb for the deposed empress, but also insisted on sparing the Xie clan. If this was not agreed, she demanded a divorce from Zhou Shaoyu.
Divorce? Zhou Shaoyu is the designated crown prince, the future emperor. He can only be widowed, how could he possibly get a divorce?
She was spared only because she gave birth to a son for Jingchen. Did she really think she could control the future crown prince?
What angered Emperor Hui even more was that Zhou Shaoyu also demanded that Xie be spared, saying that Empress Xie's actions had nothing to do with Xie, and that Xie Anfeng had always been loyal!
“Jingchen, your idea is far more serious and terrifying than Xie Zhaozhao’s request to spare the Xie family. You are the future emperor. If you act out of womanly compassion and disregard the law, how can you win the people’s hearts?”
Emperor Hui firmly believed that Xie Zhaozhao was a sorceress who had bewitched his son.
Zhou Shaoyu remained unmoved and said, "Your Majesty, my heart is too small to contain the whole world. Your Majesty can choose another prince to succeed to the throne."
"Are you absolutely determined to marry someone from the Xie family?"
"yes!"
"Very well, very well. Fortunately, I still have Xiao Qi. If you don't become the crown prince, someone else will." Emperor Hui said angrily, pointing at Xie Zhaozhao and mocking, "Xie, are you satisfied now? You ruined Jingchen's life all by yourself. You are truly a virtuous wife!"
Xie Zhaozhao said calmly, "Your Highness is fair in distinguishing right from wrong, and your rewards and punishments are appropriate. The people's hearts are with you, and there is nothing wrong with that. Whether his future is ruined or not is not up to me, but up to Your Majesty."
"What if I insist on killing the Xie family?"
"Then I will live and die with the Xie family." Xie Zhaozhao remained calm. "The deposed empress's surname was Xie. She is gone, and her family will not be implicated. Besides, if the Xie family had wanted to do evil, they would have succeeded long ago by joining forces with the deposed empress. But the Xie family did not do that. They have always been loyal to the court."
Zhou Shaoyu said to Emperor Hui again, "I implore Your Majesty to see the truth and spare the Xie family."
Emperor Hui remained silent for a long time.
Xie Zhaozhao and Zhou Shaoyu stopped talking and waited quietly.
After a long silence, Emperor Hui asked Xie Zhaozhao, "The Xie family may be spared the death penalty, but they cannot escape punishment. Exile three thousand li is inevitable. The Crown Princess will be chosen again, and you can only be a concubine. Are you willing?"
Zhou Shaoyu immediately replied, "Your Majesty, I refuse! I would rather give up the position of Crown Prince than make another person my concubine, much less make Zhaozhao a maidservant."
Xie Zhaozhao also said, "This humble woman is unwilling! This humble woman has received the grace of being born and raised by the Xie family. Even crows repay their parents' kindness, which is a matter of justice in the world. All this humble woman has ever asked for is for her family to be well."
Regardless of Xie, her husband, or their children, they are all matters of deep concern for this humble woman. If Your Majesty deems this wrong, then there is another way: to avoid implicating Your Highness, a divorce is possible! And to avoid jeopardizing her husband's future, this humble woman may leave.”
Where is Heng'er?
"If you want him to stay, then stay. If you don't want him to stay, then I would be happy to take him with me."
"Jingchen, look at her, she abandoned you so easily, and you're still plotting for her?"
Xie Zhaozhao and Zhou Shaoyu ignored him; such provocation was too low-level, and they couldn't be bothered with it!
Emperor Hui coldly said to Xie Zhaozhao, "Since you are so disregardful of the world and Jingchen is not worthy of the ancestral throne, then so be it. Since my edict to establish a crown prince has not yet been proclaimed to the world, then it shall be null and void. I shall establish Xiao Qi as the crown prince."
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com