The Yao family is truly finished this time.
The head of the Yao family witnessed the ancestral hall being burned down, coughed up a mouthful of blood, and his hair turned white overnight. Doctors examined him and all shook their heads.
Although his words were veiled, everyone could tell that he didn't have long to live.
The older generation of die-hard 'believers' fared even worse.
The Yao family claimed to have received divine guidance and had accumulated considerable prestige. Now, seeing the divine punishment descend, what could those who had previously fawned over the Yao family not understand? Enraged, they took their grievances to the authorities, claiming they had been deceived.
To demonstrate his love for his people, Emperor Hongde ordered the relevant departments to thoroughly investigate the Yao family.
Jiang Zhixu specifically contacted a member of his clan who worked in the Ministry of Justice, telling him that His Majesty intended to eradicate the Yao family completely and showed no mercy.
He wouldn't let go of the opportunity to kick someone when they're down, since they dared to deceive and frame his daughter.
You won't believe it until you look it up, and what you find will shock you.
The Yao family not only swindles and deceives people under the guise of religious believers, but they even kidnap young boys and girls for sacrifice!
The entire court was in uproar.
To be honest, very few of these court officials were completely innocent. But to be so utterly ruthless was truly rare.
Emperor Hongde was immediately enraged.
All the male members of the Yao family were imprisoned in the imperial prison and executed in the autumn. Males under the age of fourteen were sent to the army, and females were confiscated by the Jiaofangsi (a government-run entertainment institution).
The only one who survived was Yao Cong, who had been kicked out of the house.
Jiang Shumiao then exchanged the golden body she had melted down for silver and distributed it all to the victimized families.
The Yao family's accumulated wealth over the years was far more than just this one golden statue. Emperor Hongde confiscated the Yao family's property, and a large amount of gold and silver was put into the national treasury. The fertile land that was confiscated was distributed to the farmers.
In this way, the people's hearts were appeased, and the equal land distribution decree was able to be implemented.
Wen Zhixuan used ruthless methods.
Anyone who obstructs them will be arrested.
He had no powerful family background and was not pressured by any relatives, so he could act recklessly.
He took the phrase "iron-fisted and impartial" to its extreme.
Unable to touch him, the powerful families began to target his father-in-law, Shen Jiming.
Although he kept his affair with Shen Qinghe a secret, it wasn't foolproof. This matter also implicated Lu Yanhe.
Although Shen Qinghe grew up in the Duke of Anguo's mansion, her father was down on his luck at the time, and her mother had a bad reputation. The powerful and wealthy people in the capital looked down on her and didn't take her seriously at all. It was only because Jiang Shuman protected this cousin that others put on a token show of respect.
Lu Yanhe was foolish; his feelings for Shen Qinghe naturally did not escape the notice of those with ulterior motives.
He has a childhood sweetheart fiancée, yet he still has feelings for other women.
Old stories can't stand scrutiny; digging into them reveals all the juicy gossip.
After marrying Wen Zhixuan, Shen Qinghe became much more settled and focused on nurturing her relationship with her son at home. She knew that others looked down on her, so she generally declined any social engagements that weren't particularly important.
Some things you just can't refuse.
For example, her cousin's coming-of-age ceremony.
She poisoned her own younger brother, Shen Xubai, and framed Madam He, allowing Shen Jiming to successfully regain his inheritance rights and divide the family property.
But since they both share the surname Shen, it's impossible to completely sever ties.
Many relatives and elders, as well as noble ladies, attended Shen Qingyi's coming-of-age ceremony.
Shen Qinghe was particularly sensitive to other people's gazes and easily sensed their contempt and ridicule towards her.
"It's her. Princess Yongle used to treat her so well, protecting her in every way, but she shamelessly stole someone else's fiancé."
"Princess Huaiyang and Princess Huyang are sisters, betrothed since childhood, childhood sweethearts, but suddenly broke off the engagement just before their wedding. I found it strange at the time, but I never expected that there was a traitor in the family."
"I don't know what the old lady was thinking, raising such an ungrateful wretch like a treasure by her side. Isn't she afraid that she'll turn on her later?"
"Her mother was no good either. If it weren't for the Empress Dowager swallowing her pride and asking the Duke of E for a favor, her mother would have died long ago. She was exiled from the capital for more than ten years, and she was still restless after returning. In the past, Princess Huyang and the old lady were like mother and daughter, but as soon as Princess Qingping returned to the capital, she angered Princess Huyang and drove her away."
"Like mother, like daughter. Her mother is vicious and she behaves improperly. They are both ungrateful wretches."
"When the Imperial Preceptor first gained His Majesty's favor, she became close to Minister Shen. While exchanging flirtatious glances with Wen Zhixuan, she also tried to seduce her best friend's fiancé. If my family had such a shameless daughter, we would have strangled her with a white silk ribbon long ago. How could we allow her to run around like this?"
"Speaking of the Imperial Advisor, I met his son when he was one year old. Thinking about it carefully, he does resemble her somewhat."
"Oh my god, could she be the one who gave birth to him?"
"That's hard to say. Back then, Princess Qingping was struck by lightning and died. She observed three years of mourning and even stayed at the estate for a while. Who knows, she might have gone there to rest and prepare for childbirth."
"Was it the day Princess Qingping was struck by lightning, the same day Princess Fule was born?"
"Yes, everyone says that Princess Fule is a goddess reincarnated and can attract heavenly lightning. On her first day of school, the ginkgo tree in front of the school was struck down by lightning. Could it be that Princess Qingping did something shameful that Heaven couldn't stand by and watch, so it struck her down?"
These matters were never mentioned before because the Shen family was never taken seriously, so no one gave them much thought. In addition, Emperor Hongde was keen to cover them up, and no one wanted to risk offending him, so they pretended to be deaf and dumb and knew nothing.
Now, Wen Zhixuan is becoming increasingly arrogant, openly opposing the aristocratic families.
When the powerful families' attempts to win them over or use coercion and bribery failed, they resorted to violence.
Rumors spread like wildfire, pouring directly over Shen Qinghe's head, scalding her from head to toe.
Shen Qinghe fled in a disheveled state.
Wen Yicheng was led over by his wet nurse and said in a childish voice, "Mother."
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