Chapter 457: Your Majesty and the Marquis of Nan, a double act that will surely lead to great events
In the following days, the court was in an uproar.
The emperor's desk was piled high with impeachment memorials like snowflakes, all directed at Pingnan Hou Su Muyang.
This marquis had done many absurd things in the past, but he had never been so absurd as to rob a woman in the street and forcibly take her into his house as a concubine!
If such evil deeds are not severely punished, where is the national law? Where is justice? Where is the prestige and dignity of the Great Yan State?
To add fuel to the fire, it was rumored that the kidnapped girl had a strong temper and ran headfirst into a stone lion in front of the Marquis's mansion.
Bleeding profusely, he almost died on the spot!
This news was like a spark thrown into boiling oil, instantly igniting public anger in the capital.
Countless people spontaneously gathered in front of the majestic and solemn Pingnan Marquis Mansion, and the angry voices grew louder and louder:
"Release him! Marquis Pingnan, release him!"
"Worse than beasts! Get out!"
"The law of the country will not tolerate this! Severely punish these evil thieves!"
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However, the vermilion lacquered gate of the Marquis's Mansion was tightly closed, like a silent beast, oblivious to the deafening roar outside.
What is even more outrageous is that there is a "news" that is faintly leaked from inside the high walls:
Not only did the Marquis of Pingnan not let her go, but he "favored" the poor girl every night, and even threatened that he would make her pregnant with his child within a month!
This is like pouring a bucket of oil on a raging fire!
The outraged people flocked to the Jingzhao government office and the Ministry of Justice to file complaints.
But this complaint is hot-button, involving the most powerful marquis of the dynasty. Which official would dare to accept it?
The people were extremely angry and spontaneously organized themselves, rushing to the palace to file a complaint!
The Dengwen Drum was struck so loudly that the drumhead was almost broken!
Finally, the news reached the palace.
In the Golden Palace, the emperor, upon hearing this, pointed outside the palace, trembling with anger, spitting out a mouthful of blood, and fainted on the spot!
Despite emergency treatment by the imperial physician, the dragon's health did not improve for half a month.
The people were not only angry but also frightened.
Had he forced the emperor to vomit blood? Was this a serious crime punishable by extermination of all nine generations of his family?
Panic spread in the streets.
However, those old foxes in the court who had been immersed in officialdom for decades smelled something unusual.
There is something fishy.
Your Majesty and the Marquis of Pingnan will surely accomplish something big if they work together.
Don't blindly impeach, don't pay attention, and don't get involved...
As long as you cover your purse and sew up your mouth, you will be fine...
Some ministers secretly went to test Su Zhanyue's opinion:
"Old Su, what is your son up to this time? He's making a big fuss!"
Su Zhanyue, who had been pelted with rotten eggs and vegetable leaves by angry citizens for half a month, was left covered in dirt and dust. He could only make a bitter face and wave his hands repeatedly at his colleagues, looking heartbroken.
"What misfortune for our family! What misfortune for our family! I... have severed all ties of father and son with that rebellious son! I know nothing about what he did! I won't ask a single question!"
Mrs. Su Qi Yao also covered her face and sighed in public, saying, "I don't want this son anymore. Whoever wants him can take him away!"
In short, for more than half a month, the capital city was in an uproar and in turmoil because of this "rape of a woman" case.
Even Princess Yuyao of the Western Yu Kingdom, who was coming to Beijing for a marriage alliance, was left stranded in the Sifang Pavilion by this sudden turmoil, and no one had the time to care for her.
On this day, letters sent by carrier pigeons with special markings were quietly delivered to the palace.
In the imperial study, Yan Shixu, who was "lying on the sickbed" in front of the imperial desk, had a stiff body and his eyes fixed on the contents of the secret report. His condition immediately improved.
He waved his hand and said in a deep voice, "Go! Kick open the gate of the Pingnan Marquis's Mansion for me! Bring that 'bastard' into the palace for me!"
When Su Muyang, who was obsessed with beauty and smelled of alcohol, was "escorted" into the imperial study, in addition to the emperor, there were Luo Yunzhen, Zhang Sicheng, Prince Lin, Prince Cheng, Prince Qian and others in the room.
As soon as the door was closed, Su Muyang, who was originally drunk, stood up straight with a somersault. There was no sign of drunkenness at all.
He said without any further ado:
"Your Majesty, the fish are in, and the net is tightening! Within the Marquis's residence, one hundred and eight women with specific bell markings tied to their bodies have been apprehended!"
"More than twenty of them have been hiding in the capital for six months to a year. The remaining eighty or so have all traveled day and night from various prefectures in Dayan to secretly sneak into the capital within the past two weeks!"
"Also," he paused, his tone becoming more solemn.
"We killed thirty groups of assassins who attempted to force their way into the palace to rescue us, totaling nearly two thousand people! We also captured over two hundred alive."
"After interrogation, it was found that Xiyu's spies and elite assassins, who were ambushing all over Dayan, must have come out in full force this time, severely damaging their vitality!"
He looked at Yan Shixu with burning eyes:
"It is now certain that 'Hua Lan' is the elusive 'Ghost-faced Military Advisor' of the Xiyu Kingdom, who helped the Xiyu Kingdom hold on to half of its territory!"
"Her value is enough for Xiyu to expose all his cards!"
Yan Shixu nodded solemnly, then looked up at Luo Yunzhen beside him and said, "Secret report."
Luo Yunzhen understood and immediately took out several secret letters stamped with wax from his sleeve and handed them to Su Muyang.
Su Muyang quickly opened it and scanned the words on the secret report with his eyes like lightning.
After reading it, his face suddenly turned ashen, and his fingers gripping the paper creaked in extreme anger.
"Damn it! Bastards! These are worse than beasts!!"
His chest heaved violently, and he was obviously furious about the contents of the secret report.
The atmosphere in the imperial study was nearing freezing point, so heavy that it was suffocating.
Who could have imagined that the border war between the two countries, which had been deadlocked for half a year and in which the Dayan army had made no progress, would hide such a cruel and absurd truth?!
Yan Shixu slowly stood up, his voice icy yet containing the force of thunder:
"Pass on my decree! Everyone in the Lin Mansion, Princess Taiping's Mansion, and the Sifang Pavilion, regardless of status, must be apprehended immediately! Act now!"
"I obey the decree!"
Zhang Sicheng and Luo Yunzhen took the order seriously, turned around immediately, and led the elite guards who had been secretly assembled outside, and rushed out of the palace like tigers and wolves.
As for Su Muyang, he was "beaten" until he was covered in "blood" under the gaze of all the people in the capital, and was carried back to the Marquis of Pingnan's Mansion dying.
Marquis' Mansion, deep in the dungeon.
The cold, damp air was filled with the smell of rust and decay.
In the innermost narrow cell, Hua Lan curled up quietly in the shadow of the corner.
She was wearing a thin, coarse prison uniform, her face was streaked with tears, her shoulders were trembling slightly, and she looked like a frightened, pitiful, weak woman.
Outside the cell, there are three layers inside and three layers outside.
Those guarding her were all top masters with stern auras and eyes as sharp as knives.
It was these hidden masters who, over the past half month, killed or captured alive the waves of assassins who attempted to rescue them.
(My dears, there is another chapter tonight. Sorry for the delay, it will be later...)
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