When the news of Yunrui and Lucheng's engagement reached Shenwan's ears, she was genuinely happy for them and wanted to go to the Yun family to congratulate them in person. However, it was almost lunchtime, so she had to give up. Just then, the palace sent a lot of tribute fruits, so Shenwan asked Haitang to pick out a box of tribute fruits and a box of pastries made by Imperial Chef Li, and sent them to the Yun family.
As for the Yun family, Yun Mo marrying the young master of the Ministry of Rites was enough to make the entire Yun family happy. When Yun Rui got engaged to the heir of the Marquis of Xuanping, the entire Yun family felt like they were dreaming. Especially the old master Yun, when the Marquis of Xuanping's wife came to propose marriage, he was not at home. When he returned home and learned that the Marquis of Xuanping's wife had come to ask for Yun Rui on behalf of her son, the old master Yun was convinced that the old lady Yun was joking with him.
Grandpa Yun was extremely fond of Prince Yanping, Tang Ze, and Lu Cheng. He was already very happy that Yun Qi could befriend them, let alone that they could become his grandson-in-law. Grandpa Yun was overjoyed.
The news of the marriage quickly spread throughout the streets and alleys, teahouses and taverns, attracting countless discussions. After all, the Yun family and the Xuanping Marquis's family were of very different social standing, but now no one dared to underestimate the Yun family anymore.
The eldest son of the Yun family is about to marry the Princess of Qinghe County of the Yanping Prince's Mansion. The eldest daughter of the Yun family is marrying the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites. The second daughter of the Yun family is engaged to the heir of the Marquis of Xuanping. There are many aristocratic families in the capital, but when it comes to marriage alliances, there are very few that can compare with the Yun family. Through marriage alliances, the Yun family has elevated its social standing. Those who used to look down on the Yun family are now almost unable to reach them.
Shen Wan reclined on the small couch, eating fruit while listening to the maids gossip about the street, her mood bubbling with joy.
As the weather got warmer, people weren't as tired anymore. After lunch, Shen Wan lay on the small couch reading a book, while Yin Shuang fanned her from the side.
The book in her hand was quite interesting, and Shen Wan was reading it intently. When Haitang returned from delivering something to the Yun family, she lifted the beaded curtain and entered the room. Yinshuang asked, "What happened to your hand?"
Shen Wan looked up and saw that Haitang's hand was wrapped in gauze, her sleeves were torn, and there was bloodstains on her skirt.
Shen Wan frowned. "Injured?"
Looking at her cut hand, which hurt with every movement, Haitang said, "When I left the manor, several maids in the courtyard asked me to buy some silk thread for them. After delivering the thread to the Yun family, I went to the street. Not long after I got there, I ran into the young master of the Wang family riding his horse in the bustling market. The street was in complete chaos. When I tried to avoid him, I accidentally bumped into a stall and cut my hand..."
Seeing that Haitang's bandages were neat and tidy, which didn't seem like something she could have done herself, Shen Wan asked, "Has the wound been treated by a doctor?"
Haitang nodded, "I found a doctor on the street to bandage it up."
The wound was quite deep, and she didn't know how much blood she would bleed by the time she got back to the manor to see Doctor Tao. She had no choice but to pay for a doctor's services.
"The wound has been treated and is fine," Chen Wan said. "Who did you just say was riding a horse recklessly in the middle of the city?"
"Young Master Wang."
Fearing she might not have explained clearly, Haitang said, "It's about the young master of the Wang family, the salt commissioner of Liangjiang, who had the accident. Old Madam Wang has returned to the capital today."
Shen Wan really didn't expect that Madam Wang would return to the capital so quickly. Madam Wang should have set off before they received the news that her cousin was colluding with officials and businessmen to seek personal gain, otherwise she wouldn't have been able to return so quickly.
As for why he rushed back so urgently, there's no need to ask; it must be to save his son's life.
When officials and businessmen colluded for personal gain, they took risks, thinking they wouldn't be so unlucky as to be discovered. Now that their schemes have failed and they've been caught red-handed, they are filled with regret and realize that life is more important than money.
Such a person truly does not deserve sympathy.
It's just a pity for my father; he'll definitely be begged by the old lady and Madam Wang to save my cousin.
Yinshuang asked Haitang, "Young Master Wang rode his horse recklessly in the street. Didn't the city patrol arrest him?"
Haitang laughed and said, "The eldest son of the Duke of Tan's mansion even arrested his own father, Master Tang. The young master of the Wang family made a mess of the streets, so how could the city patrol let him go? They detained him immediately. The young master of the Wang family didn't know who they were, so he brought up the Marquis to intimidate them, saying that he was the cousin of the Marquis of Pingyang."
Haitang had never met the young master of the Wang family before. If he hadn't introduced himself, she really wouldn't have known who he was.
Her own father is already in prison, yet she doesn't know how to restrain herself after coming to the capital. She even dares to use her father's name to bully others. If she can act so recklessly in the capital, who knows how arrogant and domineering she is in the territory of the Liangjiang Salt Administration, oppressing the good and kind.
Shen Wan's face darkened. "And then?"
Haitang said, "The eldest son of the Duke of Tan's mansion punched the young master of the Wang family in the stomach, and he was in so much pain that he couldn't straighten up..."
After beating the man, Tang Ze grabbed the young master of the Wang family by the back of his collar and said, "You've got some nerve, using your power to intimidate people in front of the city patrol. Don't think that just because you're the cousin of the Marquis of Pingyang, you're not a big shot. Even if the Marquis of Pingyang rode his horse recklessly in the street, he'd still be in the city patrol office."
If someone else had said this, they would have thought he was bragging. But the young masters of the Duke of Tan's mansion had their own father arrested and imprisoned in the city patrol office overnight on their very first day in office. Let alone arresting the Marquis of Pingyang, even if the emperor himself were to be arrested for disturbing the peace while walking down the street, no one would find it strange.
Tang Ze tossed the young master of the Wang family, who was still in pain, to the patrolling soldiers and ordered, "Register the losses of these stalls and have them go to the patrol office to collect compensation tomorrow."
In the past, when people caused trouble on the streets and affected the small stalls, most of them could only accept their bad luck. But ever since the Prince of Yanping and his men entered the city patrol, anyone who caused trouble on the streets and affected innocent people has been compensated according to the price.
Business is much better now than before. Not only does no one dare to collect protection money anymore, but people also compensate for any damage to goods. These street vendors are extremely grateful to the city patrol officers.
Prince Yanping and his men knew that the young master of the Wang family was Shen Du's cousin, but they certainly wouldn't cause trouble for Shen Du. They simply arrested him and locked him up in the city patrol jail, without sending a message for Shen Du to bring money to the city patrol jail to compensate for his release.
Shen Wan wasn't particularly concerned about the fact that the young master of the Wang family had been arrested and imprisoned by the city patrol department; what she wanted to know was the matter of the old lady of the Wang family seeking help from the old lady.
News arrived in the evening that Old Madam Wang had returned to the capital, but instead of going to the Wang family's mansion in the capital, she went directly to the Pingyang Marquis's residence to discuss with the old lady how to save the Wang family.
The old lady couldn't bear the blow of Consort Shen Ying being demoted to a concubine, and had been bedridden for the past few days. She was barely able to take care of herself, let alone save the Wang family. The old lady looked for Shen Jing, but Shen Jing used the excuse of being busy with military affairs to avoid going to Qinghui Courtyard. Desperate to save her son, the old lady went to the study to find Shen Jing.
Old Madam Wang came to the study, and Shen Jing couldn't refuse to see her. Old Madam Wang begged Shen Jing to protect the Wang family, saying that he was deeply trusted by the Emperor and that if he pleaded for the Wang family, the Emperor would surely deal with them leniently. Hearing this request, Shen Jing's face fell. "As the Salt Commissioner of Liangjiang, I know better than anyone what crimes collusion between officials and merchants and the illegal sale of salt permits are. Knowing the law and breaking it is an even greater crime. My Pingyang Marquis's Mansion and the Wang family are cousins. I have already failed in my duty of supervision. How can I have the face to plead for the Wang family to the Emperor?"
The emperor trusts him, and he must not betray that trust.
The Wang family abused their power for personal gain and should pay the price for their actions.
Shen Jing's attitude was resolute, and Old Madam Wang knelt down and begged Shen Jing, "Your Excellency, you also have half of the Wang family's blood in your veins. Can you bear to watch the Wang family perish? The late Madam will not rest in peace even in the afterlife."
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