court meeting
Today's morning court session wasn't a grand one, and not many officials attended. However, it was a quarter of an hour later than usual. The twenty or so civil and military officials standing in silence seemed perfectly still, their gazes meeting countless times.
The cabinet members stood relatively close together, and the atmosphere was more relaxed than others. Imperial Tutor Yan glanced at Su Qing, who was standing at the front, and whispered, "I heard that Marquis Dingbei entered the palace to meet the emperor before dawn this morning."
This was a good move, after all, most of those who impeached the Minister of Justice were from the noble faction. Su Qing smiled slightly and said calmly, "Then it seems that the Yangzhou Salt Administration's investigation has come to a conclusion."
They controlled state affairs and the treasury, so how could they not know about the lending in the Jiangnan area? It was only the embezzlement of military funds in the northwest that escalated the incident. The key point wasn't what the funds were used for, but how they were used. The war in the northwest was still raging, and the soldiers were fighting bravely here, so it was unacceptable that someone here embezzled military funds.
"I wonder if Prime Minister Su has any information on Lord Su's case?" Elder Song had watched Su Zirui grow up, and naturally didn't want him to be defeated by such a trivial matter. Neither he nor Su Qing belonged to the noble faction; they weren't allies, but they weren't political enemies either.
Su Qing nodded and was about to say something when he noticed the corner of a bright yellow piece of clothing. He quickly gave a look and stood still.
After the ministers knelt down, the process went smoothly. Soon the case came to the Minister of Justice, who was accused of murdering women and sheltering criminals. Many officials from the northwest also impeached him for his brutal methods, saying that he had slaughtered many persecuted children under the pretext of cracking down on the strongholds. Some people also took the opportunity to impeach him for being too cruel in judging cases.
The official in front subconsciously looked at Su Qing, only to see that he turned a deaf ear, looking at his nose and his nose and his heart, as if the person kneeling in front of the hall for trial was not his only son.
"Su Zirui, do you plead guilty?" After reading out the charges, the eunuch asked in a sharp voice.
"I deny it," the kneeling figure said firmly. "The murder of the Chen girl is a pure false accusation. I, along with the officials from the Ministry of Justice, have proven this. When we wiped out the stronghold, there were no children being persecuted within. Only those who colluded with the evil and were so heartless as to murder innocent people."
The current Emperor Huiqing of the Great Qi Dynasty had reached the age of 50. Although his body was not strong, his heart was extremely tough. Even when the person kneeling down was a young man he trusted, his expression remained cold.
"Your Majesty," General Weiyuan, a former Northwestern military commander, stepped forward and spoke pertinently, "It's been years since the bandit suppression. The execution of the bandits at that time served as a warning. While the massacre was undoubtedly brutal, the banditry in the northwest is rampant and cannot be suppressed without drastic measures. Since the destruction of Menghu Village, the bandit problem in the mountains north of Liangzhou has improved. I implore Your Majesty to consider the local situation and not pursue Minister Su."
He had fought this man countless times in the northwest, and he had a lot of evidence against him, so he had no choice but to speak out. Of course, he also felt that he was a bit harsh at the time, but the effect was significant. After this man returned to Beijing and changed his career, the military officers in the northwest region saved a lot of trouble.
"Indeed, banditry has disturbed the people in the past few years. Minister Su was young and impatient, but the results were still good." Lord Song told the truth.
Emperor Huiqing opened the memorial, glanced at it, and laughed. "It's a joke to bring up these old matters again. Since you can put this thing in front of me, you should reflect on yourself."
"I am guilty." Everyone in the cabinet was the first to kneel down and apologize, and the civil and military officials behind them hurriedly followed.
Emperor Huiqing waved his hand and looked down at the young man, "You continue."
"I implore Your Majesty to summon a witness, daughter of the Chen family, to testify in the palace." As soon as Su Zirui said this, everyone except Su Qing looked at him.
Wasn't the Chen girl dead? Otherwise, what crime would he bring back to the capital? If this person is still alive, why didn't he tell us when he was in Sizhou?
The eunuchs at the Yellow Gate hurriedly summoned them, and soon Beili entered the hall with a girl in plain clothes. The girl's arms and head were still wrapped in gauze, and she looked like she had just recovered from a serious injury.
"Your Majesty," said Lin Ziyan, Junior Justice of the Dali Temple, stepping forward. "When I received the case, I personally went there. The Chen family's pharmacy had already burned down, and a mangled corpse and a suicide note were found inside. Doctor Chen, the daughter's father, personally identified the remains and confirmed the note was indeed her own handwriting."
He felt aggrieved when talking about this matter. He originally wanted to try it locally, but the prefect of Sizhou reported it to the emperor on the grounds that the matter involved an official appointed by the imperial court, and the Minister of the Dali Temple acquiesced in it for some reason.
Although Chen was nervous, she was able to calm down and explain her experiences half a month ago one by one because Beili was always by her side.
On her way home from a medical consultation, she was suddenly abducted. The masked man approached her aggressively, forcing her to write a suicide note before attempting to kill her. She had no chance to escape. Su Zirui saved her in the nick of time, but she was already seriously injured and unconscious. Convinced she would not survive, the man took the note and left, leading to everything that happened.
"Why did those people want to kill you?" Lin Ziyan asked. Her testimony basically cleared the Dali Temple of any charges. Deliberate fabrication of evidence and deception gave the murderer another offense.
Chen bravely raised her eyes to look at the emperor, swallowed her saliva, and leaned forward to speak loudly, "Your Majesty, I want to report Hu Ying, the co-magistrate of Yangzhou, for practicing forbidden witchcraft, killing innocent babies, and sacrificing them in an attempt to achieve immortality. I was discovered and killed to silence the witness! I was lucky enough to escape, but those babies... those babies who were only a few months old were brutally killed by Hu Ying for his own selfish reasons. I beg Your Majesty to see through this and seek justice for those innocent babies!"
When these words were spoken, all officials were shocked.
The case of the missing baby in Beijing at the beginning of the year is still fresh in my mind. I think it was solved by the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice at that time... Several baby statues were unearthed in Niujiazhuang Village outside Beijing...
"Ridiculous! Immortality is a lie, yet some people actually believe it?" If immortality were truly possible, how could the First Emperor have searched for it for so many years without success? "Chen, do you have any evidence?"
"Your Majesty, please allow Lord Jing Lanjing, the magistrate of Futian County, Yangzhou, to come to the palace to testify." Su Zirui did not react to all this, but continued to request a summons.
Emperor Huiqing's eyes darkened, "Yes."
Jing Lan had never imagined that the opportunity to see the Emperor's face would come so soon. Walking among the rows of officials, he felt a bit dazed. Before he could even kneel, the heavy power of the Emperor suddenly descended upon him. He quickly gathered his composure and knelt respectfully in obeisance.
Chen had previously visited the old lady of the Hu family for treatment, and it was during this visit that she discovered Hu Ying had purchased several infants, only a few months old. The Hu family had numerous children and grandchildren, so it was certainly not because they were childless that they were buying these babies. The swaddling clothes of the infants were good and bad, and it seemed that they were not all abandoned by the family due to poverty. Chen became suspicious, and later, after overhearing Hu Ying having someone inject cinnabar and mercury into the infants, she realized that these infants were not simply for this purpose. However, she had no evidence, and the officials in Sizhou and Yangzhou were all involved, so she didn't know who to report the case to.
By chance, she heard a patient's recommendation and went to the famous ghost market in Yangzhou, where she met Jing Lan, who was also there to investigate secretly. Later, she was chased and it was Su Zirui and Jing Lan who saved her. Because she was seriously injured and unconscious, she had to find a way to delay.
Luo Ziran stood among the nobles, listening quietly to Jing Lan's nonsense, his expression impassive. He had previously wondered why Su Zirui would be escorted back to the capital for such a reason, but now it seemed as if it was simply a means of restraining him and the Dali Temple officials, allowing Jing Lan to operate in Yangzhou. He was so busy with the finalization of the salt administration and military pay that he hadn't noticed anything was wrong with Hu Ying... No!
Luo Ziran's eyes hardened as he looked at Jing Lan. This person's goal was...
"After confirming this, I, along with the Censor Huang, launched an operation. Several infant carcasses, filled with mercury, were discovered at the bottom of Hu's mansion's well. The evidence is irrefutable. Hu Ying has been secretly escorted back to the capital to await his fate."
A group of well-educated ministers in the court could not hide their surprise and discussed it. Emperor Huiqing looked at Su Zirui with uncertainty, "Is there really such a strange magic?"
"Your Majesty, these are nothing but tricks of charlatans. The ancestral emperor of Great Qi once issued an express decree banning witchcraft. At the beginning of the country's founding, he even burned books on various schools of magic, which put an end to the evil practice of killing children for sacrifice and brought peace and prosperity to the country. Using the deaths of innocent children for personal gain is inherently immoral. Not only will it not lead to immortality, it will also bring disaster and retribution. Birth, aging, sickness and death are common to all people. Instead of believing in these empty things, it is better to focus on conditioning your body." Su Zirui bowed and replied, his eyes shifting. "Take Lord Luo, the Marquis of Dingbei. He was still a little haggard when he returned to the capital. Now, thanks to the treatment of the imperial physician for several months, he is even more handsome and vigorous than before. This is the true art of rejuvenation."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Huiqing looked at Luo Ziran carefully and said, "It is indeed worse than before."
"It's all thanks to Imperial Physician Guan." Luo Ziran's handsome face flushed slightly, and he lowered his head and said, "It's all thanks to Your Majesty for caring about me and sending Imperial Physician Guan to my side."
"Your Majesty," Su Zirui, having cleared himself of suspicion since Chen's appearance, no longer needed to kneel. He now lifted the sleeves of his robe and knelt to plead, "Yangzhou is a prosperous place, yet even local officials still believe in such forbidden techniques and harm the people. This shows that even though the people don't talk about the techniques, they are convinced by the crowd and believe in these nonsense. I boldly ask Your Majesty to revise the laws and severely punish those who commit forbidden techniques. This will ensure that future punishments are based on law and serve as a deterrent to others."
Emperor Huiqing looked down at him with deep eyes. He did not respond to the proposal, but only asked about the situation of the case.
A farce-like case was quickly defined, and at the end of the court meeting, convention became a game of power among various parties.
The Sizhou prefect falsely accused the vice minister of the Ministry of Justice and was demoted. Zhu Jiazhen, the prefect, was promoted to prefect for his meritorious service in investigating the case and, combined with his achievements in salt administration, he was promoted to prefect. This successive promotion within just six months was due to a reason, which is a lucky omen.
The evidence against Hu Ying, the Yangzhou Tongzhi, was irrefutable, but because there was no criminal law, he was dismissed and executed. The position was succeeded by the second son of the Lingjiang County Prince. Jing Lan, the Yangzhou Futian County Magistrate, was promoted to Yangzhou Zhizhou for his meritorious investigation and rescue of a witness.
Su Qing didn't personally participate in this struggle. He glanced at the ministers arguing fiercely over several official positions and remained silent. Jing Lan was a useful person. He seemed to be connected with his family. However, the Lingjiang County Prince had been married to the Luo family for generations... But what's the matter? At least he could get someone in there. Now that the gap has been opened, there will always be opportunities in the future.
"Su Xiang, what do you think?"
As soon as the question was asked, Su Qing stepped out respectfully and joined the discussion that had just been distracted with ease.
The cicadas chirping in the afternoon made people feel irritated.
Inside the study, the father and son sat facing each other. Outside the window, bamboo shadows danced, and the swaying shadows fell between them.
Su Qing looked at his son, whom he hadn't seen for several months. Seeing his pale face, he closed his eyes and rubbed his brows. "Your actions today were a bit hasty. Practicing law is no small matter. Although there are precedents, you can't rush into making a new law..."
Su Zirui, dressed in a simple blue robe, exuded a refined and calm demeanor. He listened absentmindedly, his gaze fixed on a white marble lotus-shaped incense burner on the antique display case behind his father. After he finished speaking, he slowly spoke, "There has to be a beginning. When something like this happens again in the future, we can have a good reputation."
Seeing that he was insistent, Su Qing didn't say much. This wasn't an easy task. It was fine if his son wanted to do it, but it would just take some effort.
Thinking of another incident this morning, he tapped the table. "Marquis Luo reported to His Majesty before the morning court session about the loan in Yangzhou. The interest he brought back this time amounted to over ten million taels, all of which went into the national treasury. His Majesty was greatly pleased, and I'm afraid he's put the military pay issue behind him."
Luo Ziran offered such a huge amount of money without hesitation, which shows that he is a man of clear mind and ruthless heart. He was so sensible, and with Concubine Luo and the Eleventh Prince begging for mercy, Emperor Huiqing would only give a minor punishment and a severe warning, and would not punish him.
"Originally, this matter was only of concern to the Ning family in the northwest. He could explain it to them and the soldiers in the northwest." Su Zirui lowered his eyes, his long, thick lashes falling, hiding the thoughts in his eyes. The military pay issue was merely a chain reaction caused by the roasting of a carrier pigeon, something he hadn't anticipated. His original intention was to use the official silver case to publicize the matter and, by the way, to establish a presence in Jiangnan and the northwest. Now, this outcome was already a good one.
"I heard that you have been in close contact with a girl from the city recently?" Su Qing suddenly asked after finishing his business.
As soon as he finished speaking, the nonchalant man opposite him suddenly turned cold, and a sharp light suddenly appeared in his eyes.
"Do you know who you are? You're actually entangled with a common girl?" Su Qing said harshly, masking his inner shock. His only son had always been indifferent, and there was no warmth between father and son. This was the first time he had seen such undisguised concern in those cold eyes. "My Su family may not be a prominent family, but the future mistress of the Su family cannot be the daughter of a lowly merchant. I don't approve!"
"Humble?" A sneer flashed across Su Zirui's black eyes, and he looked uneasy. "My father came from a poor family. He studied hard when he was young and worked hard for many years to get to where he is today. How could he forget his origins just because he wears a brocade robe?"
Su Qing paused. He had always been proud of his humble origins and his hard work to reach this point, so he naturally wouldn't forget it. However, the Su family was currently on a strong footing. If the marriage was well-matched, with his and his son's abilities, they would surely advance even further. After becoming prime minister, a title of nobility might even be possible.
"What kind of person do you consider yourself to be?" Su Zirui asked without waiting for him to speak. "Someone like my mother, who has family background and beauty but is weak and vulnerable, depressed and left with only her dowry and connections? Or someone like Second Mother, who is smart and capable and capable of great use? Or one of those noble ladies in the capital who are so frightened that their legs go weak after just a few words?"
Su Qing was truly suffocating with anger. His chest heaved violently. He tried his best to maintain his composure and shouted sternly, "If you had been more cautious and interrogated the prisoners more peacefully, those girls wouldn't have been so frightened after just a few words from you!"
After taking a sip of tea to calm himself, Su Qing looked up and saw the cold expression on the face of the person opposite him. His eyes were as cold as ice. Su Qing softened his voice and said, "It's not that Dad is snobbish. That girl comes from the Qi family in Shu. Although she has a lively personality, she is not a shrew. But, you know, that is the person that Dingbei Hou wants. Why would you provoke this person just for the sake of a momentary impulse?"
The Marquis of Dingbei loved his wife dearly, but unfortunately she died young. He had heard years earlier that the Marquis of Dingbei, Man Daqi, had been looking for his wife's younger sister, who was away traveling abroad, indicating a special relationship. Currently, their relationship with the noble lineage was relatively peaceful, and even this plot was merely a minor setback, not a bitter one.
To put it bluntly, they don't have the weapons in their hands to completely win this situation.
"Rui'er, you can have any woman you want. Why bother with unnecessary trouble?"
Su Zirui smiled sarcastically, his expression becoming increasingly cold, but there was a fierce fire in his eyes. "You're right, she's indeed troublesome. I can only feel at ease if she's under my watch."
"You!" Su Qing frowned and pondered, "Rui'er, do you think marriage is so simple? Can a momentary impulse last a lifetime? She is just different from the noble ladies you are used to seeing, and you just find her new. In the long run, you still have to live a life of equal status."
He fell in love with his wife at first sight, believing that achieving success and marrying her would bring her happiness. However, he left too quickly, and his wife, by nature weak and timid, was simply unable to support the family. She only wished for a husband who would be gentle and considerate, but he was ambitious and set his sights on rising to the top, and the two ultimately became a couple of enemies. She couldn't face the outside world's judgment, not even knowing how to care for her own son. He took concubines to manage the harem, while his wife established herself outside. Looking back now, it's hard to say who was more disappointed.
"You married the most suitable woman, but do you have feelings for her?" Er Niang is undoubtedly the most suitable person to be the mistress of the Su family, but she has someone she loves. She and her husband have weighed the pros and cons, and in the end they have different dreams.
In such a family, Su Zirui had never experienced warmth and affection, nor did he understand what love was. He only knew that he didn't want to go home every day without looking forward to it, didn't want to be trapped alone in a deserted mansion, and didn't want to spend his whole life with a woman who couldn't even enter his heart.
He loved the girl's troubles because he was good at solving them. He loved her soft, coquettish ways, her big eyes full of scheming. As long as she left those strange people behind, she would be able to live a prosperous and vibrant life. He had never thought that there was someone in the world who was so compatible with him, who could still smile at him and trust him after witnessing his most ruthless side.
Twenty-three years of black and white life, she broke in like the sun. That was the girl he had kept in his heart, and no one could take her away from him.
"In short, I won't let you marry her like this." Su Qing was also an experienced person, so how could he not see his thoughts? He didn't force them to break up the couple, but he had to stick to the bottom line.
Su Zirui's dark pupils turned slightly and he smiled faintly.
It doesn’t matter. If she doesn’t enter the Su family, it’s okay for him to enter the Qi family.
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