He pleaded his case before the emperor and finally received his revenge.
Early in the morning, Wen Zhibai received news that Wen Fushi had died last night, and Qin Yanzhen had taken her and the entire Wen family to court.
Right now, the Emperor has issued an edict summoning her to the palace.
This day arrived sooner than she had imagined.
Pei Qinzhou said softly, "I will be in the East Palace, waiting for your news."
In just a few days, she was standing before the Emperor again.
However, there was one more person: Gao Zheli's maternal grandfather, the current prime minister, Gao Zhongyi.
Qin Yanzhen's eyes were red and swollen from crying, and she seemed to have aged ten years overnight. Even though she was dressed neatly, she could not hide the vicissitudes of life she had endured.
Wen Lingchen and Qin Yanzhen stood together, yet there was a subtle distance between them.
"Wen Lingchen, the person who is accusing you today is none other than your wife, Qin. Do you know what she is accusing you of?"
Wen Lingchen knelt down on both knees and kowtowed: "Your Majesty, all the mistakes are mine. I am incompetent and have not managed my household properly, which has caused Your Majesty trouble!"
"Ha, you're incompetent?" The Emperor's voice wasn't loud, but every word was like a hammer blow. "You were promoted by me. If I say you're incompetent, wouldn't it be that I'm blind and have failed to recognize talent, choosing someone without ability as my Minister of Personnel?"
"I had no such intention, Your Majesty, please see the truth!" Wen Lingchen prostrated himself on the ground, breaking out in a cold sweat.
"Qin, today's events all started because of you. Now tell me, what do you want to accuse your husband of? What decision do you want me to make on your behalf?"
"Your Majesty!" Qin knelt on the ground, crying, her voice hoarse. She pointed at Wen Lingchen with trembling hands, "It was him! He abandoned his wife and children, causing my son to die suddenly last night!"
"Losing a son is truly a tragedy. Now that Prime Minister Gao and I are here, you may recount your story in detail. No country is without a family, and I'd like to see how many more 'surprises' this Minister of Personnel can offer me!" Before he finished speaking, the Emperor slammed the memorial in his hand to the ground with a "thud," startling everyone in the hall.
Qin Yanzhen's bloodshot eyes flashed with resentment: "Your Majesty, Wen Lingchen and I were childhood friends, deeply in love. Although we could not become husband and wife, I was willing to remain a nameless and unrecognized concubine, a figure of ridicule, raising his two children for him! But fate is fickle. His first wife, Jiang, suddenly died of a terrible illness. He said he wanted to make it up to me and the children, and brought me into his household as the mistress… All my good intentions and efforts to fulfill my duties as a mother were in vain. I never imagined that after my son was crippled, Wen Lingchen would find another child and bring him into the Wen household! Now, my eldest son has died suddenly, and he hasn't shed a single tear! May I ask Your Majesty, what kind of logic is this?! It's bad enough that he has betrayed me for so long, but he is so heartless to the child who has called him for over twenty years… As Your Majesty said, a family is the foundation of a nation. Forgive me for being an uneducated woman, but if both the nation and the family are governed by abandoning blood ties, wouldn't the world be easily changed?!"
"You shrew! How dare you spout such nonsense?!" Wen Lingchen's voice trembled. Her words had reached the level of the nation's foundation, a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family.
Qin Yanzhen, however, didn't care at all.
When Wen Fushi died, her heart died too.
Gao Zhongyi quickly tried to smooth things over: "I hope Your Majesty will forgive her. Qin has just lost her son and is not in her right mind. Your Majesty, as the Son of Heaven, is magnanimous and kind. Please do not hold a grudge against a woman who is illiterate."
The Emperor waved his hand slightly, but his gaze remained fixed on Qin Yanzhen: "With Prime Minister Gao here, I'm giving you this face. Qin, you've been talking about Wen Lingchen, but I remember there's another person in your complaint."
Qin Yanzhen knelt and moved forward a few steps: "After Jiang passed away, I moved into the Wen residence. I tried my best to teach her, but she repeatedly bullied me and even tried to kill me! Last night, my son Wen Fushi died suddenly, which must have been because of her..."
"Oh?" The Emperor's tone rose slightly. "I have heard that Wen Zhibai is charitable and has made considerable contributions to the relief efforts in Liangchuan this time. Qin, do you have any evidence to support your accusation?"
"The day before yesterday, Wen Xian got married. After entering the manor, Wen Zhibai went somewhere. When she came out again, all the guests saw her with Lord Pei of the Crown Prince. My son's residence is next to the West Courtyard, and He Junyi, the son of the Vice Minister of Revenue, saw with his own eyes that Wen Zhibai went to the West Courtyard!"
"Wang Shuhuai, immediately publicize He Junyi's translation." The emperor's gaze turned to Wen Zhibai, who had been silent all along, with a hint of scrutiny. "Hmph, last time I praised you for your eloquence, why are you not saying a word today?"
Wen Zhibai knelt down calmly, her voice clear and melodious: "Your Majesty, all the people of the world put Your Majesty first. This is the Holy Temple. Your Majesty did not allow me to speak just now, so I dare not speak recklessly."
Before long, He Junyi entered the main hall and respectfully paid his respects.
"Upon hearing of Young Master Wen's passing, I hope Madam will take care of herself and accept this difficult time." He said with a look of regret.
"He Junyi, I ask you, is it true that Qin Shi said you saw Wen Zhibai going alone to the west courtyard of the Wen residence the other day?"
"Your Majesty, that is indeed the case. I, Junyi, dare not speak presumptuously."
"Besides this, have you seen Wen Zhibai do anything detrimental to Wen Fushi?"
"Your Majesty, although I have not witnessed it myself, based on what I have heard before, I cannot help but have doubts about Miss Wen..."
"Really? Then tell me, what else has Wen Zhibai done?"
"When her mother, Madam Jiang, passed away, I and several colleagues went to the Wen residence to pay our respects. Unexpectedly, His Highness the Crown Prince had already sent people to guard the place. Without saying a word, Miss Wen sent someone to escort us out. At that time, Madam Qin even stepped in to mediate and explained her rudeness in every way. Who knew that Miss Wen would not appreciate it and even pushed Madam Qin down the steps... This shows how she usually treats her stepmother. Moreover, it's one thing that Miss Wen is very close to Lord Pei, but even His Highness the Crown Prince... always helps her."
The moment the East Palace was mentioned, the air inside the hall seemed to freeze.
"Wen Zhibai," the Emperor's voice was unreadable, "you are quite capable. Not only do you have Pei Qinzhou protecting you, but even my own son has a close relationship with you..."
Wen Zhibai raised her head: "In the end, it's all their one-sided story. Here, I, your humble servant, can first plead my case before Your Majesty: Wen Zhibai and His Highness the Crown Prince are completely innocent, and there is not a trace of illicit affair between us. I was once the legitimate daughter of the Wen family, living alone in the West Courtyard. Later, when the Qin family's children entered the household, Wen Fushi's residence was arranged next to the West Courtyard. The other day, when I returned to the manor, I was nostalgic and only wanted to visit my old home. I did not see Wen Fushi. Now that Wen Fushi is dead, there is no way to verify the facts. If you convict me based solely on speculation and prejudice, wouldn't that make me a laughingstock to the world?"
Qin Yanzhen shrieked, "But you've always held a grudge against us, mother and son, haven't you?! Who else but you would plot against Fu Shi!"
“Madam, one must have evidence to back up one’s words, especially before His Majesty.” Wen Zhibai’s tone remained steady, yet contained a hidden strength. “His Majesty has already heard much of their accusations. Now, may I have a word to say?”
Having received the Emperor's tacit approval, she continued, "When my mother was buried, Qin, accompanied by a sorcerer named Xibei, prevented her from being buried in the Wen clan's mausoleum. She claimed that my mother's death was an ominous sign and even wanted to dig up the coffin, whip the corpse, and burn it to ashes! At that time, I was an orphan, heartbroken, and only wished for my mother's soul to rest in peace, not wanting her to suffer such humiliation any longer. Therefore, I wanted to escort her coffin to another burial. Who knew that Qin would not let it go? First, she killed the sorcerer with her own hands to silence him, and then she wanted to send me and my mother to the underworld together! If I hadn't later learned that it was because of Your Majesty's bestowal of a marriage that Qin and Wen Lingchen's marriage was broken off, she would have always harbored resentment and perhaps still doesn't understand why she hated my mother and me so much!"
"Holding a grudge?" The Emperor turned his gaze to Qin Yanzhen, his voice deepening. "Qin, do you resent me for separating you two back then?"
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty dares not!" Qin Yanzhen's momentum immediately waned.
"Wen Zhibai," the emperor asked again, "if what you say is true, that the sorcerer and the Qin family were in cahoots, then why did she kill him?"
"Because Xibei is no longer of any use to her!" Wen Zhibai raised her voice, suppressed anger surging in her chest, causing her fingertips to tremble slightly. "Three years ago, Qin Yanzhen sought to improve the fortune of her son, Wen Fushi, by finding the sorcerer Xibei in Wutong Village, a remote mountain village on the outskirts of the capital. The price for this fortune-telling was the lives of eighty-one women! Wutong's sorcery emphasizes the balance of yin and yang, so the Qin family colluded with Xibei to secretly open a sorcery workshop in the dark market of Shangjing, specifically targeting married women and using sorcery to harm them!"
"Your Majesty, she's spouting nonsense! I am a devout Buddhist and would never dare to do such a heinous thing!" Qin Yanzhen said, her face pale, denying it outright.
Wen Zhibai stopped looking at her and slammed his forehead heavily against the cold floor tiles: "If Your Majesty does not believe me, you may summon Thirteen Sister, who is currently working under my name, and all the other aggrieved parties. They know I am coming to the palace today and are already waiting outside. I know they are of lowly status and have no right to see Your Majesty, but Your Majesty is the will of the people and the embodiment of fairness and justice! I implore Your Majesty to have mercy and allow Thirteen Sister to come to the palace to testify for my injustice!"
The emperor frowned, and Wang Shuhuai immediately understood, loudly announcing, "Summon—Thirteenth Sister to the palace!"
A moment later, a simply dressed woman carrying an infant, with her head bowed, carefully entered the main hall.
"This humble woman... with my daughter, kowtows to Your Majesty, long live the Emperor!" Her voice trembled slightly with fear.
Wen Zhibai gave her an encouraging look.
Thirteen Sister took a deep breath: "A few months ago, my husband believed the words of the sorcerer Xibei, who said that the child in my womb should be born at midnight for good fortune. But how can this be forced by human power? If Miss Wen hadn't arrived in time and risked her life to protect me, allowing the child to be born naturally, I'm afraid that today... I and this poor child in my arms would have already died together!"
Her tears rolled down her cheeks and dripped onto the baby girl's swaddling clothes: "Not only me, but the entire Wutong Village and the neighboring villages, from three years ago to now, have lost forty or fifty innocent lives, all because of a single sentence from the sorcerer Xibei!"
"Your Majesty, please take a look." Wen Zhibai timely spread the blood-stained complaint on the ground, its dark red color glaringly obvious. "These are the grievances written in blood by those who were fortunate enough to survive... At first, I also wondered why, out of eighty-one lives, only eighty names were found. Later, I was shocked to realize—"
She suddenly looked up, her gaze piercing Qin Yanzhen like a blade. "The one missing is my mother, Jiang! Because my mother's birth date clashed with the birth chart of Wenfu, she could not be buried in the ancestral mausoleum... This is the real reason why Qin is preventing my mother from being buried in Wenling!"
Qin Yanzhen collapsed to the ground: "No...no...those were all done by Xibei alone, it has nothing to do with me...it has nothing to do with me!"
"...Your Majesty." Mentioning his mother, Wen Zhibai's voice finally choked with emotion, tears silently streaming down his face. "Today, Wen Zhibai will accuse the Qin family of three crimes! First, harming the eldest daughter, disregarding human ethics and morality! Second, murdering the first wife to seize power, ignoring the law of the land! Third, using witchcraft for personal gain, harming the lives of dozens of innocent women! Treating human life as a game! Every single charge is irrefutable, every single one is enough to sentence her to death! I beg Your Majesty, to seek justice for this humble woman, to redress the grievances of those eighty-odd innocent souls!"
Supported by Wang Shuhuai, the emperor descended the steps and slowly walked to the blood-written letter. He lowered his eyes and stared at the dark blood characters, remaining silent for a long time.
Seeing that things were going badly, Wen Lingchen rushed forward and slapped Qin Yanzhen hard across the face: "You poisonous woman! The facts are all there, and you still dare to cry foul? I... I never knew that the person I had shared a bed with for so many years could have such a vicious heart!"
"Wen Lingchen, what right do you have to hit me?!" Qin Yanzhen covered her face and suddenly burst into maniacal laughter, "Hehe...hahaha...how are you any better than me? It was you who abandoned your wife and children! It was you who broke your vow and was unfaithful!"
"What kind of behavior is this before His Majesty!" Wang Shuhuai shouted sternly.
"Get up, all of you..." The Emperor finally spoke, addressing Wen Zhibai and Thirteen Sisters. He then turned and walked back to his high seat, sitting down calmly.
Seeing this, Gao Zhongyi steeled himself and stepped forward: "Your Majesty, there may be other hidden reasons behind this, perhaps..."
"Enough." The emperor interrupted him, his tone leaving no room for argument. "I've heard enough today, Prime Minister Gao. I've already given you enough face."
Gao Zhongyi immediately bowed and remained silent, as if trembling with fear.
"Wang Shuhuai, convey my decree." The Emperor's voice regained its imperial majesty and coldness. "Minister of Personnel Wen Lingchen has failed in his duties, allowing his wife to commit wicked acts that have resulted in serious crimes. He is hereby dismissed from his post as Minister of Personnel and exiled to Fujian. His wife, Qin Yanzhen, is hypocritical and disregards human ethics, repeatedly violating the law. She is hereby given poisoned wine. He Junyi, son of the Vice Minister of Revenue, has spread rumors and stirred up trouble, showing no regard for propriety. He is hereby exiled to the frontier and will never be allowed to return to the capital without being summoned."
He paused, then glanced at Gao Zhongyi beside him: "Prime Minister Gao, do you have any objections to this ruling?"
Gao Zhongyi glanced deeply at Qin Yanzhen, whose face was ashen, and bowed, saying, "This old minister... has no objection. Your Majesty is wise!"
"Your Majesty... is wise! Your Majesty... long live the Emperor!" Wen Zhibai kowtowed again, his forehead touching the cold ground, tears streaming down his face.
"Waaah—!" Just then, the baby girl in Thirteen's arms suddenly burst into tears, breaking the silence of the hall and soaring into the sky.
The emperor paused slightly as he walked to Thirteen Sister's side.
Wang Shuhuai took the crying baby girl.
The emperor lowered his eyes and glanced at the baby girl, then gently touched her warm face with the sandalwood prayer beads hanging from his wrist.
"Perhaps she's hungry. Let's take her back," he said calmly, his gaze then falling on Wen Zhibai. "Wen Zhibai, don't forget, I'm still waiting for your ten thousand bolts of cloth."
"Your Majesty, I will remember your kindness and will certainly live up to your expectations!" Wen Zhibai kowtowed again.
The crowd bowed respectfully to see off the imperial carriage.
Just then, Qin Yanzhen stood up with a smile, quickly pulled out the hairpin from her hair, and stabbed it at Wen Zhibai: "I'll kill you!"
A sharp pain shot through my back for a moment, and bright red blood soaked through my snow-white clothes.
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