Chapter 325 The Qin Family Falls into the Net
At this moment, Prefect Qin was already quite drunk. He suddenly stood up and said, "Who is calling my name?"
Jiang Jinyan and the others were prepared, and they were just waiting for a knife to be held to Prefect Qin's neck, at which point he instantly sobered up.
"Prefect Qin, someone has accused you. Go and report this to the Emperor!" Jiang Jinyan said calmly.
Qin Tai didn't know Jiang Jinyan before, but he got to know him through conversation during the day. "What do you mean, Lord Jiang? I have done nothing. Who would accuse me?"
Jiang Jinyan didn't stand on ceremony with him and said in a deep voice, "Send Lord Qin onto the stage and let everyone see what a corrupt official who can control everything in Quanzhou looks like."
Madam Qin was also detained. Before Qin Tai could react, he was carried onto the stage by the guards, who kicked him in the knee, causing him to kneel straight down.
Qin Tai looked up and could see the emperor on the high throne. Before the emperor could speak, he cried out, "I am wronged! I have served as the prefect of Quanzhou for so many years, and I have always done my best and never dared to slack off. Your Majesty, please investigate. I am truly wronged!"
He looked at Xiao Yu, his eyes cold as he began his accusation, "I know, it must be him, it's Xiao Yu! He's making false accusations. His father was just a minor county magistrate who never got promoted, so after becoming the top scholar, he took revenge on his subordinates. Your Majesty, you must do justice for me!" He had paid plenty of taxes from Quanzhou every year, and even if he embezzled, he still gave it to the Emperor. If he was a corrupt official, then wouldn't the Emperor be an even bigger corrupt official? Of course, he only dared to say these things in his heart.
Xiao Yu didn't waste any more time arguing with him and directly took out the petition. "Your Majesty and Your Highness the Crown Prince, please take a look. This is a petition filed by the people of Quanzhou against Prefect Qin. Every single one of his crimes is heinous."
The Emperor said in a deep voice, "Bring it here!"
Cao De quickly took it and presented it to the emperor, waiting for the emperor to examine it carefully.
Xie Shang had already seen these things. Qin Tai's crimes during his tenure were indeed countless and he deserved to die.
During his tenure, he accepted bribes for personal gain, falsified taxes, misappropriated public funds for his own use, and abused his official position to forcibly seize private residences, among other misdeeds.
At the same time, Qin Yunyan, who was also standing on the stage, stared at Xiao Yu. When she heard that he was going to sue her father, a dark look flashed in Qin Yunyan's eyes. She had once been infatuated with Xiao Yu, but she had never received a response. Xiao Yu left Quanzhou to study in Beijing, and she felt that there was no point in it anymore.
Qin Yunyan was undoubtedly happy that Xiao Yu became the top scholar in the imperial examination. Her reputation as the most beautiful woman in Quanzhou was well-deserved. She found him, thinking that he would be captivated by her.
Qin Yunyan slowly recalled...
Could it be that Xiao Yu approached her to gather evidence against his father?
At this moment, Xiao Yu was only a few feet away from Qin Yunyan. She suddenly walked closer to him and asked him coldly, "Xiao Yu, is it you who wanted to harm my father?"
Xiao Yu didn't even glance at her, only thinking that the daughter of a corrupt official was quite good at reaping the benefits of others' labor.
Qin Yunyan lowered her voice and said, "I didn't expect you to be this kind of person. Xiao Yu, say something! I need an explanation from you."
Xiao Yu took a step back, keeping his eyes straight ahead, and deliberately raised his voice, "Miss Qin Yunyan, please have some self-respect. Your father is corrupt, and none of your Qin family members can escape punishment. We'll just have to wait for the Emperor's judgment!"
Upon hearing her name, the people below the stage exclaimed, "Isn't her name Zhang Jingjing? Why is it Qin Yunyan?"
Only then did someone realize, "Haven't she already performed on stage? Why is she impersonating someone else to perform again?"
"She is the daughter of Prefect Qin; the official in charge of rites has already reported it..."
"The official in charge of ceremonies just announced that she is Zhang Jingjing, the daughter of the prefect of Yuzhou... What's going on?"
Zhang Jingjing was hiding in the shadows when she saw the scene on the stage. She was so frightened that she almost fainted. Looking at the silver note in her hand, she felt it was burning hot and wanted to throw it away. But what if they investigated the money and she couldn't come up with it?
Therefore, Zhang Jingjing decided to wait and see what would happen, and wait for the Emperor's decision before making any further moves.
Then, everyone whispered among themselves: at the time, everyone was watching the Crown Prince carrying away a woman who had fallen, and no one paid attention to Qin Yunyan. If she hadn't been so beautiful, no one would have remembered her either.
Hearing everyone's discussion, Qin Yunyan clenched her fists and suddenly lowered her head.
Prefect Qin and his wife were both shrewd people. They knew that their daughter was on stage, but they dared not acknowledge her. However, they did not expect Xiao Yu to say her name directly.
The men knelt before the emperor, still trying to find a way out, at least to protect their daughters.
Xiao Yu didn't even glance at Qin Yunyan. He remembered that before he passed the imperial examinations, Qin Yunyan was a very arrogant person.
He really didn't say anything to her. He had never liked Qin Yunyan; it was just that she was like a fly that kept sticking to him.
Xiao Yu returned to Quanzhou after passing the imperial examination with top honors. At that time, he had not yet entered officialdom. By chance, he heard Qin Yunyan say that she had received an imperial decree from the Empress, ordering Quanzhou to send portraits of eligible women. Qin Yunyan even boasted that she was determined to be chosen and revealed her ambition to compete for the position of Empress.
He noticed her then.
While she was vying for the position of Empress, she also tried to curry favor with him. So he used some underhanded means to infiltrate the Qin family and uncover some unspeakable secrets.
At that time, she not only wanted to keep him hanging on, but also wanted him to help her win favor. The Qin family had taken all the good things in the world; she was really dreaming.
She only thought she was pretty, but women who were actually prettier than her were a million times better.
Xiao Yu learned from his conversations with Jiang Jinyan that Jiang Fenghua was determined to marry the Crown Prince. She would not marry anyone but the Crown Prince. What does that mean?
This shows that she was also aiming for the position of Crown Princess, or even a higher position. Since he couldn't win her favor, why not help her get the position she wanted?
From the day he met her, his heart no longer belonged to him. Even if he could never see her again, he would help her without any regrets.
He so stubbornly placed one person in the most important place in his heart.
Xiao Yu himself was unaware of how hypocritical he was, to the point of being insane. He was willing to become the Crown Prince's subordinate and work for him, just to help her.
Qin Yunyan was also plotting in her mind. It seemed that Xiao Yu had been prepared for this, daring to report to the Emperor. Now she had to find a way to protect herself first in order to save her father and mother.
The way the Crown Prince stared at her just now, she saw amazement in his eyes. If she had entered the palace a few months earlier and won the Crown Prince's favor, she would definitely have been able to speak up for her father.
But what do we do now?
Over here, the Crown Prince watched the two people interacting on the stage. He raised an eyebrow. "They know each other?"
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