Chapter 191: Killing Nine Clans
A tall and straight man stood at the entrance of the hall, wearing a gold-embroidered four-clawed dragon robe, exuding a strong sense of oppression.
Madam Shen guessed his identity from his age and clothing. It was clearly the King of Zhenbei who had recently come to Beijing.
In the Zhou Dynasty, only royal family members and kings of other surnames granted by the emperor could wear four-clawed dragon robes.
However, the royal family members are not of the same age as the person in front of him.
His identity is self-evident.
Mrs. Shen’s face was as pale as gold paper.
After waiting for half a day and hoping for half a day, what I got was such a killing god.
Her heart was in her throat and she felt uneasy.
At this time, Madam Shen heard Eunuch Cao report: "Your Majesty, you ordered the Prince of Zhenbei to enter the palace today. He is waiting outside the palace, waiting for your summons."
Madam Shen suddenly looked up. Prince Zhenbei was summoned to the palace, not to report her?
Emperor Jing'an glanced at Prince Zhenbei and was about to ask the eunuch to take him to the imperial study.
The Prince of Zhenbei walked into the hall with steady steps and bowed to Emperor Jing'an, "Your Majesty, please proceed with the trial. I will be waiting on the side."
When Emperor Jing'an saw that Prince Zhenbei was wearing the robes bestowed upon him, a look of deep thought flashed in his eyes, and he asked someone to watch him from the side.
Madam Shen's heart was tense. The arrival of King Zhenbei put a lot of pressure on her. She felt like a knife was hanging over her head, ready to chop down at any time.
She knelt on the ground, her head buried even lower, as if only in this way, the King of Zhenbei would not notice her, let alone report her.
But what Eunuch Cao said next scared her to death.
"Your Majesty, the Imperial Guards have found incriminating evidence in the Marquis of Cheng'en's mansion." Eunuch Cao presented the letter to Emperor Jing'an. "These are letters exchanged between the Marquis of Cheng'en and Li Yuan. In them, they plotted how to falsely report the disaster and how to buy and sell salt permits."
Immediately afterwards, Eunuch Cao placed two thick account books in front of Emperor Jing'an.
"The account books detail their misappropriation of disaster relief funds over the past few years, as well as the sale of official positions and salt permits. With all the evidence, the Imperial Guards have raided the Marquis of Cheng'en's mansion, arresting everyone and throwing them in jail."
Madam Shen was horrified. All the letters between the Marquis and Li Yuan were destroyed after reading them. How could they be hidden in the mansion?
Moreover, the account books never reached the Marquis's hands, and all the silver was given to Prince Yu.
Thinking of this, Madam Shen’s face turned pale, and she suddenly understood.
These evidences were fabricated by Prince Yu in order to frame the Marquis.
Marquis Cheng'en was disheartened, his eyes like stagnant water, without a single ripple.
It made no difference to him whether he had one more charge or one less charge; he would be executed by slow slicing in the end.
Isn’t the fate of Yong Yibo the same as his fate?
Emperor Jing'an glanced at Marquis Cheng'en and his wife with his sharp eagle eyes, flipped through the letter in his hand with anger, and then carefully looked through the account book.
The more he looked, the gloomier his expression became.
Emperor Jing'an sneered, "This is the official of the Great Zhou, my official! He receives a salary from the court, yet he doesn't share my worries or work for the welfare of the people. He uses his power to exploit the people, seek personal gain, and line his own pockets."
Everyone was so frightened that they dared not breathe.
Emperor Jing'an slammed the account book onto the table with a thud and looked sharply at Marquis Cheng'en: "The crimes you have committed are enough for me to execute your entire clan!"
Marquis Cheng'en's eyes trembled, and he was really scared at this moment.
Madam Shen was even more terrified. Shen Shaohuai had not yet come to see Emperor Jing'an, so she had no way to use the longevity lock to beg for mercy.
If Emperor Jing'an were to sentence him to death, it would probably be too late.
Even with Princess Yizhen's longevity lock, he could not escape death.
Madam Shen opened her mouth and wanted to say something, but when she saw the furious look on Emperor Jing'an's face, all the words were stuck in her throat.
Instead, the Marquis of Cheng'en suddenly spoke up, "Your Majesty, the Marquis' Mansion was granted a title by the royal grace, and this guilty minister inherited the title and received a salary from the court, but he failed to fulfill his duties as a subject and committed a heinous crime."
"When I think back on the past and remember what Princess Yizhen said to me, I feel guilty."
"She said that the Emperor was born to the legitimate wife and would inherit the throne. As your study partner, I must be loyal to you and put you first in everything. I may not have much ability, but the only thing I need is an upright character. Only by being an upright official can I share your worries."
"She said you were in a difficult situation and hoped I would treat you with all my heart. She also left me a longevity lock, saying if I gave it to you, you would spare my life."
"I, a guilty minister, know that my crimes are grave and unforgivable. It would be difficult to restore order in the court if I didn't die. I also know the laws of the Great Zhou. If one person commits a crime, his wife and children will be punished as well. I shouldn't ask you to show mercy and pardon my descendants."
At this point, Marquis Cheng'en burst into tears. "My eldest son is a man of exceptional talent and integrity, sharing the same disposition as my father. I humbly beg Your Majesty to spare my children, in consideration of our childhood companionship, and allow my eldest son to serve the court in my stead."
When Emperor Jing'an heard Marquis Cheng'en mention his sister, his expression froze, the anger on his face dissipated, and he looked at Marquis Cheng'en in astonishment.
When Marquis Cheng'en was his companion, the Queen Mother was in a very difficult situation. He and his sister were even more cautious in their words and actions, fearing that they would bring trouble to their Mother by saying or doing something wrong.
Although Yizhen is young, he knows a lot and protects his royal brother everywhere.
He pinched her face and said, "You are my sister, and it is your turn to protect you."
She said, "My Queen Mother said that we all rise and fall together. My Royal Brother, Yizhen is protecting you and herself as well."
She protected him until he was eighteen years old.
She endured humiliation and used her own life in exchange for his chance to return to the Great Zhou.
By the time he was able to protect her and restore her to the dignity that a Princess of the Great Zhou deserved, she was gone.
Emperor Jing'an did not expect that Yizhen would say such words to Marquis Cheng'en before going to Northern Qi.
He felt a sharp pain in his heart, and looked at Marquis Cheng'en with a cold gaze: "You have failed Yizhen's expectations, and now you still have the nerve to ask me to forgive your children."
"Your Majesty, I am a sinner possessed by evil spirits..."
"Longevity lock."
"Long life is locked in the hands of the eldest son of the guilty minister."
"Cao Chunxiang, pass on the message to Shen Shaohuai."
Eunuch Cao personally left the palace and brought Shen Shaohuai from the prison into the palace.
Shen Shaohuai knelt behind Marquis Cheng'en, took out the longevity lock from his sleeve and handed it to Eunuch Cao.
Eunuch Cao presented it to Emperor Jing'an.
Emperor Jing'an held the golden longevity locket, which was given to Yizhen by her maternal grandfather when she was born. She treasured it very much and never left it, but gave it to Marquis Cheng'en.
And he made such a promise.
Emperor Jing'an stroked the longevity lock with his thumb and fell into a long silence.
Madam Shen felt a surge of hope. If Emperor Jing'an truly wanted to punish them, he would have spoken long ago. The longer he remained silent, the more he hesitated. The more he hesitated, the more hope they had of survival.
From Emperor Jing'an's expression, she could tell that Princess Yizhen held an extraordinary position in his heart.
"You are not the only one who has been a companion to the Emperor. Why did Princess Yizhen give you this longevity lock? Did she simply promise you such a precious item in exchange for your loyalty to the Emperor?"
The Prince of Zhenbei glanced at the longevity lock in Emperor Jing'an's hand and said, "The grain and salt permits for Guanzhou and Qingzhou are also given to you by the people in recognition of you as an official appointed by the court?"
After a pause, he said in a cold voice: “Since it’s so lively, I’ll also join in the fun and report Shen Liushi for kidnapping my daughter.”
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