Chapter 209 Let the rumors get even more lively
Where is Lady Zhan of the Zhao family?
The eunuch's voice broke the silence as he announced the imperial decree.
Madam Zhan took a deep breath, walked into the hall, and knelt down next to Zhao Wuzhou, her voice trembling:
"Your Majesty... Lady Zhan, receive the imperial decree."
The eunuch, expressionless, unfurled the bright yellow silk and read aloud in a high-pitched, icy voice:
"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Lady Zhan, wife of Grand Master of the Palace Zhao Wuzhou, has failed in managing her household, allowing her servants to commit violence. Her estates and servants have abused their power to oppress the villagers, causing injury and causing widespread resentment! Furthermore, she is of immoral character, jealous, and power-hungry, lacking any virtue as a wife! I am greatly angered by this! Lady Zhan is hereby stripped of her imperial title and imprisoned in the Court of Judicial Review to await trial! Zhao Wuzhou, for his lax household management, is fined one year's salary and ordered to reflect on his actions in seclusion! Moreover, Zhao Wuzhou is permitted to divorce this wicked woman as a warning to others! This is my decree—"
After the imperial edict was read aloud, the hall fell into a deathly silence.
This charge...allowing a servant to commit murder? Jealousy and power grabbing?
Ms. Zhan looked up abruptly, her eyes filled with astonishment and injustice!
There were indeed some minor disputes over her estate, but when did the "injury" and "public resentment" occur? How come she knew nothing about it!
"...Impossible...How could this be...a false accusation! I'm innocent!" Realizing what had happened, Lady Zhan cried out in a shrill voice.
"Your Majesty, please see the truth! This is a frame-up! Someone is trying to harm me!"
Zhao Wuzhou was also stunned. The old servant of the Zhao family had always been in charge of the estate, and he had been reporting on the affairs of the estate to him. How could something like "causing injury" and "public resentment" have happened out of nowhere?
Although Madam Zhan was arrogant and domineering, she knew that Madam Zhan had several lives on her hands and had privately said that she would divorce her.
But being ordered by the Emperor to divorce one's wife is a different matter entirely!
He quickly kowtowed: "Your Majesty! Zhuangzi has always been peaceful. Is there something more to this matter? I beg Your Majesty to show mercy!"
Zhao Jingtao rushed to Zhan's side, hugging his mother and crying, "Mother, you are innocent! Please, Father-in-law, investigate the matter thoroughly!"
However, the eunuch delivering the imperial decree remained unmoved, his face as cold as iron.
Two palace guards stepped forward and unceremoniously lifted up the limp and wailing Lady Zhan.
Just as she was being dragged to the hall door, struggling and crying out for justice, Zhao Jingxing, dressed in an official robe, appeared by the door at some unknown time.
His expression remained calm and expressionless. As Ms. Zhan passed by, he leaned down slightly and whispered coldly in her ear in a voice only the two of them could hear:
"You'll use any means necessary to kill me, it's fine, I'm used to it, I'll accept it. But—"
"You have touched Miss Jiang's sore spot and are courting death!"
These words pierced his very bones like an ice pick, and James's wailing came to an abrupt halt!
She suddenly widened her eyes, staring incredulously into Zhao Jingxing's unfathomable gaze.
I see!
The accusations of letting servants commit violence and being jealous and power-grabbing are all just excuses!
A fabricated charge!
Ultimately, it all comes down to the assassination attempt on Zhao Jingxing, only this time she messed with the wrong person!
The Zhan family did not leave any evidence, but it is extremely easy for a monarch to convict someone!
If it really was a case like Zhuangzi's "letting the servant commit violence, causing injury or disability," she could still argue a few points, and the situation might still have a chance to turn around.
But now, because of this incident, Jiang Ling is in danger, and the Crown Prince is furious! Naturally, he will not let her off the hook!
Ms. Zhan collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down her face, muttering incoherently, completely devoid of her usual dignified composure.
Two burly palace guards stepped forward and, without any mercy, lifted the limp Lady Zhan up, intending to drag her away.
Zhao Jingxing stood still, his gaze following the disappearing figure, his expression cold as frost.
————
With Fang Shijie's encouragement, within just two or three days, almost everyone in the streets and alleys of Beijing was talking about "Su Wenxuan impersonating someone else."
Cheating in the imperial examinations was a sensitive topic that was most likely to stir up scholars.
The fruits of ten years of hard study are stolen in one day. Even if you are not a scholar, you can't help but feel indignant when you hear such news!
In the teahouse at dawn, the storyteller struck his gavel and began:
"On the day the results of the imperial examinations were announced, Zhou Zhongliang, a scholar from a poor family, was destined to be the top scholar. However, Su Mingyuan, the Vice Minister of Rites, secretly tampered with the exam, swapping his son Su Wenxuan's exam paper with Zhou Zhongliang's. Poor Zhou Zhongliang, after ten years of hard study, ended up with the reputation of being mentally unstable, and was beaten black and blue and thrown into the wilderness..."
The tea drinkers below the stage immediately erupted in discussion: "Is that really true? Minister Su seems like an honest official!"
"Hey, an honest official? There aren't that many honest officials in the bureaucracy! I heard that when Zhou Zhongliang went to the prefectural government to file a complaint, the prefect kicked him out without even looking at the case file. Wasn't that because he was afraid of Su Mingyuan?"
"That Zhou Zhongliang is so pitiful! Ten years of hard study, and his future was just stolen like that!"
Several students at the next table were also discussing it, and one of them slammed his fist on the table and shouted angrily:
"The imperial examination is the foundation for selecting officials; how can it be subject to such cheating? If everyone were like Su Wenxuan, what chance would we poor scholars have to survive?"
"If this is true, it is a disgrace to scholars and a tragedy for the court!"
Even worse, some have already started making up stories, exaggerating and spreading the evil deeds of Su Mingyuan and his son.
Despite the Su family's swift efforts to refute the rumors, accusing it of malicious slander and fabricated by Zhou Zhongliang due to his mental breakdown after failing the college entrance exam, and their attempts to use their connections to suppress public opinion, the efforts were largely ineffective due to the push from those with ulterior motives and the public's natural sympathy for the underdog.
Zhou Zhongliang himself did not expect things to escalate to such a huge extent.
Prince Cheng told him to wait for news, but he never expected that the whole capital would know about his ordeal.
That afternoon, he was sitting in the small courtyard arranged by Cheng Fang, organizing the petitions, when suddenly someone knocked on the door. When he opened it, he saw a strange servant boy holding a brocade box in his hands:
“Young Master Zhou, my master heard about your plight and felt great sympathy for you. He has specially sent fifty taels of silver to help you smooth things over with your superiors and subordinates so that your injustice can be redressed as soon as possible.”
Zhou Zhongliang was taken aback: "Who is your master?"
The servant smiled and shook his head: "My master said that he only did his best and dared not seek fame. If you need anything, young master, you can go to the courtyard at the end of the east alley to find Lin Zhong, and he will make arrangements for you."
After saying that, he put down the brocade box and left.
Zhou Zhongliang opened the brocade box; inside were fifty heavy taels of silver and a note that read...
"Lord Li, the examiner of the imperial examinations, currently resides in the south of the city. He has a past feud with Su Mingyuan. You may visit him, young master."
He looked at the silver and the note, feeling both surprised and suspicious.
Who is secretly helping him?
At that moment, Fang Shijie was leisurely drinking tea in the teahouse when a servant came forward to report:
"Young Master, the message has been delivered to Zhou Zhongliang as you instructed. However, he has yet to take action. Perhaps he is waiting for Prince Cheng to come out and ask for his instructions."
Fang Shijie finished his tea and said, "He's quite clever."
Then he pulled a money pouch from his pocket. "Find a few more storytellers, and make the rumors even more lively."
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