"Nothing." The woman who had just spoken squatted slightly, "Brother."
"Greetings, Master Zhang." The others bowed slightly.
Even Tu Qingxue squatted down, only Tu Qingyu and Tu Qinglu stood there, motionless.
Someone couldn't stand it and asked, "Why don't you show respect to the prefect?"
"Why should I bow?" Tu Qingyu looked at them as if they were mentally retarded. "Is he an official?"
"Mr. Zhang entered school last year."
"He was still a scholar. Your father and I served in the same court. Why am I inferior to you?"
As soon as she said this, everyone laughed out loud, and their eyes were full of mockery when they looked at her.
"They're both officials. I wonder how big the difference is between a seventh-rank county magistrate and a fifth-rank prefect."
"Yes, you are the daughter of the Yulin County Magistrate, right? How come you don't know the rules?"
The young master who had just opened the chapter just stood there, smiling as he watched them humiliate him.
Tu Qingyu's beauty was exactly what he wanted.
He waited for the beauty to bow her head, and then he offered her a helping hand and comforted her with a few words.
Even if I can't marry her, I should be able to spend a night with her.
Just thinking about such a beauty makes me tremble all over.
"What rules?" A tall man in light yellow fancy clothes walked into the small garden amidst a crowd of people. Behind him were officials of all ranks in Yulin Prefecture except the prefect.
Everyone was a little confused by this situation, including the so-called son of the prefect.
The prefect tried desperately to signal him from behind, but he didn't see anything.
Finally, the eunuch shouted, "The Emperor has arrived—!"
Everyone came to their senses and knelt down, including the ladies who had hurried over and the people following Si Chao.
"Your Highness, long live the Emperor."
Everyone knelt down except Tu Qingyu.
There was disbelief on her face, and her eyes, which used to look pure and full of love, were now hurt after she came to her senses.
Tu Qinglu, who was kneeling beside her, pulled her, and she seemed to have just come to her senses.
Bean-sized tears fell down and formed a string, like crystal clear beads scattered on the ground.
Her tears broke Si Chao's heart.
It was not until Tu Qinglu saw that she was reluctant to kneel that she became afraid that something might happen to her and anxiously pulled her sleeve.
Only then did she suppress the emotions in her eyes, lower her head, and make a gesture to kneel down.
"Your Highness..."
Her knees were half bent when Si Chao quickly walked up to her and held her arm.
"No, you don't have to."
She took a step back, avoiding his movement.
She bowed straight down and said, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you. Long live the Emperor."
He bent down to help her up, but she refused to get up.
Until he said, "Stand up, everyone."
She stood up with everyone else, and then stood behind her mother very politely.
Si Chao felt chilled by this series of evasive movements.
He stared at her closely, and finally looked away and looked at Zhang Zhizhou beside him.
"I didn't know that your land has a different set of rules."
After he said this lightly, Zhang Zhizhou immediately knelt down.
Since he had knelt, his wife and children naturally knelt down as well.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me. It was my child who behaved badly. I failed to educate him properly. I beg for your forgiveness." The prefect was unsure.
In this situation, everyone can see that the daughter of a small official who was just bullied by her own daughter and son is probably related to the emperor.
If this matter is not handled properly, he might even lose his official position.
"Forgive?" He walked forward and finally sat down at the chairman's table in the corridor. "I have never been a forgiving monarch."
"Someone come."
As soon as he shouted, a group of guards with swords came in from outside, followed by several ministers holding trays.
The gentleman was still wearing his official uniform and he stood before Si Chao and saluted.
"Your Majesty, everything has been investigated."
"explain."
"Zhang Zhonglian, the governor of Dingzhou in Yulin, colluded with former subordinates of King Cheng and accepted bribes totaling 3.2 million taels during his tenure. During his tenure, unjust cases arose frequently, including his son who abducted women and took human lives without mercy."
He raised what he was holding up, "This is the evidence."
The eunuch beside Si Chao stepped forward, took the memorial and handed it to Si Chao.
At this time, Zhang Zhizhou began to cry out for justice, "Your Majesty, this is unjust. I have served as an official for many years and have always been conscientious. I would never dare to accept bribes, let alone collude with King Cheng. I beg Your Majesty to see the truth!"
Si Chao flipped through the memorial roughly, and someone handed him some letters. "These are letters about collusion between Lord Zhang and King Cheng's former subordinates."
After reading it, he threw it all at Zhang Zhizhou, "See for yourself whether it's unjust or not."
When Zhang Zhizhou saw those letters, he knew that he was finished.
But he refused to admit it and continued to cry out for justice, "I am innocent, Your Majesty, please forgive me!"
"Take him away." Si Chao waved his hand.
The prefect's family was quickly taken away by guards with swords, and the remaining ministers, including the prefect, were trembling with fear.
Not to mention the young ladies from various families who came to attend the banquet.
Some people who knew that their family was close to the prefectural government understood that their family was probably finished.
It’s just that His Majesty has only appointed him as the prefect for the time being.
Si Chao's eyes were always on Tu Qingyu. Seeing Tu Qingyu lowering his head and not looking at him at all, he became extremely anxious.
Soon he couldn't help but waved his hand, "The Tu family stays, the rest of you leave."
The eunuchs began to clear the area, and Mrs. Tu, who was left behind, felt unsure.
She also knew what happened just now, but her own daughter...
When only the Tu mother and daughter were left in the garden, Si Chao immediately stood up and walked up to Tu Qingyu.
"Qingyu, I didn't mean to lie to you, I..." He wanted to hold her hand, but she avoided him, and the words that were about to come out of his mouth stopped there.
Tu Qingyu squatted slightly and said, "Your Majesty, this is serious. It doesn't matter whether it's a lie or not. As long as you are happy, that's all."
"I know you're angry." He frowned. "I was going to tell you one of these days, but it happened so suddenly. I couldn't help but see them mocking you..."
"Then shouldn't I thank them?" She looked up, her misty eyes filled with stubbornness. "If it weren't for them, I would still be in the dark."
"Qingyu!" Mrs. Tu pulled her anxiously.
This girl is too bold. This is the current emperor, the emperor who is rumored to be cruel, cold and heartless.
If you look closely, you can see that Tu Wang's legs are shaking under her skirt.
Tu Qingyu seemed to have just come to her senses and raised her hand to salute, "It is my fault for speaking out of turn. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."
"Do you have to be so polite to me?"
"Your Majesty, you are joking. Who in this world dares to disrespect Your Majesty?"
"I can explain Qingyu, please don't be like this."
His tone was almost pleading, and all the servants around him knelt down.
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