Emperor's Wrath
The faction that supported Fang Ye, led by Xie Chun, stood in opposition to the faction that opposed Fang Ye, led by Guan Lingsong and Wei Lin.
Xie Zhun stated that Fang Ye's current state is due to his innocence, and that the actions of his subordinates should not be attributed to Fang Ye. He also indicated that Fang Ye has also suffered greatly as a result.
Xie Chun, acting as a representative, stated that Fang Ye had worked diligently for the court over the years, and that any minor mistakes he made should be forgiven. He also said that the common people were all unruly, and that their children and daughters-in-law should feel honored to have Fang Ye's appreciation, rather than criticizing Fang Ye for his faults.
Those who supported Fang Ye expressed their agreement.
Guan Lingsong and Wei Lin stated that Fang Ye deserved to die, and presented a list of Fang Ye's various crimes. Not only was Fang Ye's behavior dissolute, but his son Fang Yuanchao also imitated his father's actions. As the saying goes, "If the son is not taught, the father and son will be at fault." Fang Ye should pay the corresponding price for his behavior.
Wei Lin also made it clear that if all aristocratic families followed this example, then the existence of aristocratic families would be a joke, something that everyone would despise.
Among the prominent families today, the Feng family is the most prominent. The Feng family is a family of upright officials for centuries and has never deigned to associate with the likes of Fang and Zhao.
The current empress enjoys the emperor's deep trust, and although she has no children, no one can shake her position as empress.
The two sides were arguing fiercely in the imperial study, while the emperor sat on the throne watching them quarrel.
"Your Majesty, please take care of yourself." Huai En said as he poured the emperor a cup of calming tea. "Regarding Lord Fang, what they said makes sense. Although Lord Fang's actions were absurd, he has indeed made some achievements in the court over the years and has many disciples; his son's behavior is also absurd, just as the saying goes, 'If the upper beam is not straight, the lower beam will be crooked.'"
Sensing the Emperor's predicament, Huai En continued, "Your Majesty, this matter requires careful consideration. His Highness Prince Yan is presiding over the joint trial by the Three Judicial Offices. Perhaps we should summon His Highness to question him when the time comes."
The Emperor listened to Huai En's words and thought they made sense. Just as he was about to speak, he heard the voice of a little eunuch outside the door, "Your Majesty, Lord Xie has arrived. He says he wishes to see Your Majesty."
The Xie family's titles were not hereditary. By Xie Ling's generation, only the title of Earl remained. Xie Chun, relying on the Xie family's protection, had a fairly smooth career in officialdom. Now, he held the position of Left Prime Minister, which could be considered second only to the emperor.
However, Xie Chun was not like Xie Ling. He was quite shrewd in officialdom and was able to get along with everyone, which is why he was able to do quite well in the court.
The Xie family is considered a prominent family, and many officials in the court now regard Xie Chun as their leader.
Upon hearing Xie Ling's name, the Emperor suddenly recalled how Xie Ling had retired to his hometown many years ago, saying he wanted to personally raise the orphan of Xie Chun's first wife. It had been almost twenty years since they last met.
"Summon Xie Qing immediately," the Emperor commanded.
When Xie Ling stepped into the Imperial Study, he saw Xie Chun standing to the side, surrounded by people like him. In contrast, Guan Lingsong and the others standing to the side all had a resolute determination on their faces that they wanted to leave a clean reputation in the world.
"Your humble servant greets Your Majesty. Long live Your Majesty!" Xie Ling quickly bowed to the emperor.
"Please rise, Xie Qing."
Despite the Emperor's voice, Xie Ling did not stand up, but remained kneeling and looked at the Emperor.
"Xie Qing, what happened? Why aren't you up?"
Upon hearing this, Xie Ling spoke frankly, "Your Majesty, I have a granddaughter who was tortured into confessing by the Fang and Zhao families. She is currently imprisoned in the Jingzhao Prefecture and her fate is unknown."
The emperor was taken aback for a moment, then quickly reassured him, "Minister Xie, please don't misunderstand. The Jingzhao Prefecture would not have mistakenly arrested Prime Minister Xie's daughter."
Then his gaze fell on Lu Shiyuan, "Minister Lu, have you ever heard that the Jingzhao Prefecture arrested the daughter of Prime Minister Xie?"
"Your Majesty, I have never arrested Prime Minister Xie's daughter," Lu Shiyuan retorted without hesitation.
"The name of Prime Minister Xie is Xie Siyao, and everyone in Chang'an knows her. I also know her, so how could I have arrested the wrong person? Those constables are fond of Miss Xie Siyao, so they cannot be confused with her." Lu Shiyuan turned his gaze to Xie Ling.
“Lord Xie, I have never arrested Miss Xie Siyao, nor have I ever tortured her into confessing,” Lu Shiyuan said, his logic clear and his reasoning logical.
Upon hearing this, Xie Ling felt a deep sorrow in his heart.
When Xie Sili returned, Xie Zhun not only made her marry Jun Qiyu in place of Xie Siyao, but also made her endure such criticism.
Everyone in Chang'an knows that Xie Chun's daughter is Xie Siyao, but no one remembers that Xie Sili is also the legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister's family.
"Minister Xie, you see, the Jingzhao Prefecture has never arrested Prime Minister Xie's daughter." The Emperor looked at Xie Ling and comforted him, "Minister Xie, don't be instigated..."
Upon hearing this, the words Jun Qiyu had said before flashed through the Emperor's mind.
Substitute bride, Xie Xiang's legitimate daughter, Xie Sili.
Combining the two events into one, the previously unclear line of events seems to have become extremely clear at this moment.
When Fang Yuanchao first got into trouble, Guan Lingsong frankly said that a woman was willing to be imprisoned in the Jingzhao Prefecture to save the girl.
I heard before that he was kidnapped by the Fang and Zhao families, and when Lu Shiyuan rescued him, he was already on the verge of death. I'm afraid that if he had been a second later, he wouldn't have been able to be saved.
He never imagined that the most important victim in this matter would be Xie Sili.
Those who should have been protected became victims instead.
“Father, don’t talk nonsense. Ali is currently at the academy and has not been imprisoned in the Jingzhao Prefecture. She will not be tortured into confessing by the Fang and Zhao families.”
Xie Zhun frowned upon seeing this, and without giving Xie Ling a chance to speak, he said, "Father, don't listen to slander. She is also my daughter."
Upon hearing this, Xie Ling turned his gaze to Xie Zhun, "Your daughter? In the past twenty years, have you ever visited her in Yuzhou City? Not even once."
You've never cared about her health, nor have you considered her life or death. Everyone in Chang'an knows Xie Siyao is your daughter, but no one knows that Ali is your legitimate daughter!
Xie Ling disregarded the Emperor's presence and spoke aggressively.
"If you had even a shred of being a father, you wouldn't have abandoned Ali. What does she even mean to you?" Xie Ling pointed at Xie Zhun, her tone icy.
After Xie Ling finished speaking, she composed herself.
He knew Xie Sili well. For the past fifteen years, he had always only reported good news to them and never bad news. Even if he suffered great pain outside, he would never tell them much after returning to Siyuan, for fear that they would worry.
But her kindness and understanding are not a reason for everyone to bully her!
"Ah Li is kind-hearted, but that's no excuse for you to bully her!" Xie Ling said, looking at Xie Zhun with anger. "If anything happens to Ah Li, I will make Xie Siyao pay the same price!"
“Ayao is also your granddaughter,” Xie Zhun retorted softly.
“She’s not. My only granddaughter is Ali,” Xie Ling said in a deep voice.
"Minister Lu, I remember Minister Guan mentioned before that a young woman was imprisoned in the Jingzhao Prefecture for trying to save a victim from the past. Is that true?" The Emperor spoke up at the opportune moment. "Was that young woman the daughter of Prime Minister Xie?"
"Your Majesty, the girl did not reveal that she was the daughter of Prime Minister Xie, nor did she mention her relationship with him. We don't know if the Fang and Zhao families knew that she was abducted that day," Lu Shiyuan quickly said.
Xie Sili's capture by the Fang and Zhao families was part of Xie Sili's plan. Xie Sili was not injured, but Si Ze eliminated all the people secretly trained by the Fang and Zhao families.
“Your Majesty, consider this: if she were truly the daughter of Chancellor Xie, why wouldn’t she tell them?” one of the officials said. “In my humble opinion, she may not necessarily be the granddaughter of Lord Xie.”
“Father, you must have believed the slander, which is why people misunderstood. Ali is currently studying and learning to read at the academy. How could she be arrested and tortured into confessing?” Xie Zhun retorted again. “In my opinion, it must be a misunderstanding on your part, Father.”
“Your Majesty, as they say, we do not know that this woman is the daughter of Prime Minister Xie. Why don’t we bring the young lady here and ask her?” Wei Lin stepped forward and spoke at this moment.
“Lord Wei is right. I also think that this woman should be allowed to enter the palace to meet the Emperor, so that we can confront her.” Guan Lingsong spoke up at this opportune moment.
The emperor glanced at Huai En, who was standing in front of him.
Having served the Emperor for many years, Huai En understood his feelings very well and quickly followed his lead, saying, "Your Majesty, why don't you let me personally go to the Jingzhao Prefecture to fetch this young lady?"
"Firstly, it's to demonstrate the Emperor's grace, and secondly, it shows that His Majesty is aware of this matter and will stand up for her regardless of whether it's true or false," Huai En said softly to the Emperor.
“Miss Xie’s daily good deed is a good thing. We cannot let people feel disheartened, nor can we allow ourselves to be the subject of gossip.” Huai En analyzed the pros and cons for the Emperor. “Does Your Majesty think my words are correct?”
The Emperor listened to Huai En's words, looked at him, and nodded. "Very well, I will be at ease if you go in person."
After making up his mind, the emperor directly ordered Huai En to go to the capital and bring the woman into the palace to meet him.
Upon hearing this, only Xie Zhun frowned, still thinking that the woman could not possibly be Xie Sili.
There was only one thing Xie Ling was right about: he had no feelings for Xie Sili. In his eyes, Xie Sili was nothing more than a pawn to consolidate his power.
At this moment, the eunuch outside the door spoke up, "Your Highness, Prince Yan, please enter the palace to meet His Majesty."
Inside the dungeon of the Jingzhao Prefecture.
Green Bamboo, Cheng Yunfan, and Du Heng stood guard beside Xie Sili.
"Does the young lady think she will be summoned to the palace?" Cheng Yunfan asked, slightly puzzled. "Why?"
"My grandfather went to the palace to plead for me. He naturally thought that I would stay in the academy and would not leave," Xie Sili said, looking at them.
"What you mean is that there isn't much of a father-daughter relationship between you and Prime Minister Xie, but you have a very close bond with Lord Xie."
Xie Sili nodded to Cheng Yunfan.
"If Prime Minister Xie knew that you were tortured into confessing by the Fang and Zhao families, what kind of expression would he have?"
"They're just blaming me, thinking I shouldn't have meddled." Xie Sili felt utterly desolate as she said this.
The original owner had no father-daughter relationship with Xie Zhun, so how could she, an outsider, have a father-daughter relationship with Xie Zhun?
Grandparents are Xie Sili's second parents, and teacher is also Xie Sili's second parents.
"Is he really the girl's father?" Du Heng asked, then placed his hand on Xie Sili's head. "The girl is so outstanding, yet she is treated like this."
“That’s right.” Green Bamboo’s eyes reddened as she spoke. “Girl, you still have us.”
Xie Sili pinched Green Bamboo's cheek as she spoke and whispered, "I've always had you all with me."
Hearing the footsteps, Xie Sili lay down on the stone bed that had been laid out beside her, covered only by a thin blanket.
She lay there pale, barely breathing, a stark contrast to her previous state.
Green Bamboo pinched her thigh, her eyes red as she held her hand, "Girl, girl, wake up! The old man has already gone to seek justice for you; what will we do if you leave?"
She burst into tears as she thought about the things she had experienced in the past.
When Huai En arrived, this was the scene he saw: the little maidservant was lying on Xie Sili's body, crying loudly.
He looked at Xie Sili for a moment, then looked away.
Just as he was about to speak, he heard Cheng Yunfan's voice.
"Greetings, Eunuch Liang. May I ask what brings you here today?"
"His Majesty summoned this young lady and ordered me to bring her to the palace to meet him." Huai En looked at Cheng Yunfan in a high-pitched voice, "How is the young lady?"
Cheng Yunfan looked at Huai En and shook his head without saying a word.
Huai En then turned his gaze to Du Heng.
"The young lady is not in good condition. She has always been frail, and this time she was tortured into confessing by the Fang and Zhao families. I'm afraid she won't live much longer." Du Heng shook his head helplessly.
After glancing at Xie Sili, he instructed his maid to carry Xie Sili into the palace, even offering her his own sedan chair while he walked outside.
Hearing the voice coming from inside, Huai En responded softly, "Thank you for your concern, Miss."
The sedan chair moved very slowly, and Huai En chatted with Xie Si Li outside, from which one could glean the truth of the matter.
Upon arriving at the gates of the imperial city, Huai En still personally served Xie Sili.
As they approached the Imperial Study, Huai'en instructed the eunuch beside him to fetch the imperial physician from the Imperial Hospital to come and visit him.
Before even opening the door, one could hear arguing coming from inside. It turned out that after Huai En left, Jun Qiyu had arrived at the Imperial Study, and the two sides were now engaged in a verbal battle over the evidence presented by Jun Qiyu.
Huai En glanced at Xie Sili, who was pale-faced beside him, and was about to speak when he saw her nod in acknowledgment.
As Huai En helped Xie Sili open the door, he immediately felt the gazes falling on him.
Besides the Emperor's gaze, there were also the gazes of Jun Qiyu and Xie Ling, interspersed with Xie Zhun's astonished look.
Xie Sili was carefully helped forward by Huai En. With each step she took, she showed signs of pain, her face was pale and she was covered in cold sweat.
She glanced at Jun Qiyu, then turned her gaze to Xie Ling, but never looked at Xie Zhun.
"This humble woman, Si Li, greets Your Majesty." She stood up straight and bowed respectfully to the emperor, displaying impeccable manners.
"You are the daughter of Prime Minister Xie."
Hearing the Emperor's words and sensing the emotion in them, Xie Sili said in a low voice, "Strictly speaking, he is indeed my father."
"What do you mean by that?" Jun Qiyu stood to the side with a hint of doubt on his face. "Is Prime Minister Xie your father? Why are we discussing this in such a strict sense? Is there any explanation?"
“Your Highness, the reason for this claim is that I grew up in Yuzhou City, yet he never visited me; my mother was my father’s lawfully wedded wife, and although she passed away early, I have never heard of them divorcing, so he is indeed my father.”
"Fourth brother, you've been in Jingzhao Prefecture for so long, haven't you heard about Miss Xie being arrested?" Emperor Jun said, turning his gaze to Jun Qiyu.
“Your Majesty, I only heard from Lord Lu that someone had been arrested, but the Jingzhao Prefecture has arrested so many people, I never imagined that the person arrested would be the daughter of Prime Minister Xie.” He scratched his head sheepishly as he spoke, “I am indeed not good at this kind of thing.”
"This unexpected calamity, Miss Xie, do you harbor any ill intentions?"
Upon hearing this, Xie Sili said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, I do not think I have done anything wrong. It is my honor that my help can save others from dire straits. I will not lose my compassion because of this small matter."
The resounding words touched everyone's hearts. Even Xie Zhun, who disliked this daughter, was moved after hearing them. As for the others, their opinions of Xie Sili changed.
"Good, good, good!" The emperor said, repeating "good" three times in a row.
"Miss Xie, are you aware that Prime Minister Xie asked you to marry in his place?"
Upon hearing this, Xie Sili frankly admitted, "I've heard a little about it."
"Your father is so biased, do you have anything to say?"
"Your Majesty, both are my flesh and blood, how should I choose?" Xie Sili raised his eyes to meet the Emperor's gaze. "My mother died early, and I grew up under my grandfather's care. But when it comes to marriage, it is always the parents' decision and the matchmaker's words. How could I possibly have the right to decide?"
After she finished speaking, she coughed heavily a few times. She covered her mouth with a handkerchief, and when she took it off, it was covered in bright red blood. "Your Majesty, I am not afraid to marry Prince Yan, but unfortunately, I am about to die and I am afraid that I will delay Prince Yan's bright future."
She coughed violently a few more times as she spoke, "If Your Majesty has mercy, please rescind the decree so that my father can give up this idea, and I won't be a burden to His Highness Prince Yan."
After saying that, his vision went black and he fainted.
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