Xie Jingyan looked at the Minister of Justice and said, "The Empress Dowager asked you to save one or two people, did you really need to issue a secret decree?"
The Minister of Justice said, "I dare not deceive Prince Ling; it was I who requested it from the Empress Dowager..."
"I want to know the whole story of how the Empress Dowager asked you to save people back then."
Xie Jingyan's voice was calm and steady, leaving no room for doubt.
Now that things have come to this point, the Minister of Justice has no choice but to speak up.
He told Xie Jingyan everything he wanted to know, including the details of how the Empress Dowager had asked him to save people.
The story begins with Consort Chen's incident, which led the Emperor to imprison the entire Yan family in a fit of anger.
The Yan family committed a capital offense, and the Ministry of Justice handles such major cases.
Grand Tutor Yan and more than a dozen members of the Yan family were imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice's death row. Yan Qing'er, the youngest daughter of the Yan family, developed a high fever on the second day after being imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice's death row due to fear.
Prisoners imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice, even suspects, were not allowed to have a doctor called without the Emperor's permission.
Every year, the Ministry of Justice loses many prisoners who die of illness in prison before they can be executed.
Yan Qing'er was delirious with illness. Old Madam Yan felt sorry for her granddaughter and knelt down before the Minister of Justice, begging him to find a doctor. At that time, the Yan family firmly believed that the Emperor would not execute them. They thought that if they went to the Ministry of Justice's death row, they would be released soon.
The Minister of Justice was already pitiful for an eight-year-old child who was implicated in such a situation. Even the Old Madam Yan knelt before him, but the Minister of Justice dared not ask the Emperor for permission to find a doctor for the Yan family while the Emperor was still angry. At that time, Yan Qing'er had already fainted from illness.
The Minister of Justice, moved by compassion, said, "The person has already passed away; there's no saving him."
"Someone, take the person out and bury them."
A trusted aide wrapped Yan Qing'er in a straw mat and led her out of the Ministry of Justice's death row cell.
The Minister of Justice took her back to the Xu residence and arranged for a doctor to be brought to her residence.
On the very same day, the imperial edict ordering the execution of everyone in the Yan household arrived at the Ministry of Justice.
He had just received the Emperor's decree when the Empress Dowager summoned him to the palace.
He was really frightened that day.
He paid his respects to the Empress Dowager, who dismissed the palace servants and looked at him, saying, "As the Minister of Justice, it shouldn't be difficult for you to save one or two death row inmates, right?"
Indeed, the Empress Dowager's words terrified the Minister of Justice so much that his legs went weak.
He thought that the Empress Dowager had found out about his rescue of the young lady from the Yan family.
Those who harbor criminals will be branded as accomplices and punished along with them.
The Minister of Justice knelt down with a thud, saying, "Even if you gave me a few times the courage, I wouldn't dare to do such a thing."
The Empress Dowager said, "Help me save two people."
The Minister of Justice was bewildered. "Whom does the Empress Dowager want me to save?"
The Empress Dowager said, "Consort Chen has made mistakes and her death is not a pity. However, I have seen the contributions of Grand Tutor Yan to the court. I cannot bear to see the Yan family line die out. Please help me preserve one or two bloodlines of the Yan family and send them far away."
"Is it even possible?"
The Minister of Justice thought the Empress Dowager was testing him and said, "His Majesty has already issued an edict to execute the entire Yan family. If His Majesty finds out about this, it will implicate my whole family. I dare not do so."
The Empress Dowager said, "If the Emperor were to find out by accident, I would protect you."
The Minister of Justice said, "Your Majesty is kind-hearted. I am willing to help Your Majesty save people, but I also ask Your Majesty to give me reassurance and an imperial edict to save my life."
The Minister of Justice said, "Seeing that I truly dared not do so, and being so eager to save lives, the Empress Dowager personally wrote this imperial edict for me..."
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