Along the edge of the local area (II)
"Okay." Zhao Yi put down the booklet in his hand and strode out of the main hall of the temple.
After that, they acted as if they hadn't seen each other when they met. They thought the rumors would disappear, but instead, they became even more heated than before, saying things like, "Looks like they've had a fight."
It's getting a bit cold now, and even at midday it's unbearable to stay outside. Looking around, it's been almost half a year since Chen Zhuangmu returned to Huijing.
The remaining family members of the Grand Commandant should also have a resolution by now. Naturally, Shen Zhuangmu and Zhang Jiao were involved in the case. Shen Zhuangmu first found out how many people there were, how many branches they were in, and their livelihoods.
The Grand Commandant had three sons and two daughters. Two of his sons had served in the court but had been dismissed; his youngest son, who ran a small business, had also had his property confiscated. Of his two daughters, one had married but her husband's family had been demoted to commoners; the youngest daughter was in school but was now in prison.
She had almost worn out the book "Qun-Lü" in her hand, but the sheer volume of information was giving her a headache.
They spent a day and a half drafting a memorial to submit to the emperor.
“I see that the hands of the others are quite clean. According to the law, at most they will be caned and demoted to commoners, and will never be allowed to hold office again.” Chen Zhuangmu breathed a sigh of relief.
“His eldest son embezzled funds, what do you think?” Zhang Jiao asked, raising her eyes.
She leaned back in her chair and rubbed her arm. "I know, but look at what he got, it's not even enough to buy a book. The department he worked for was a den of wolves and tigers. The suggestions he made during his tenure did indeed benefit the people after they were implemented. After his home was searched, he revealed all the money he had embezzled and all the things that had happened in the department."
She paused for a moment, then continued, "I mean, his crime doesn't warrant death, and if we're going to say that, then those in power..."
Realizing she had said something she shouldn't have, she simply shut her mouth.
Zhang Jiao pretended not to hear and nodded, saying, "According to the law, it is indeed not a crime punishable by death. At most, it is as you said. It's just a pity that some people use the name of reason and emotion to solve the problem."
"You mean..."
Zhang Jiao raised her hand to interrupt her, saying, "Don't think about that too much right now. You've been busy these past two days, you must be tired. Let's call it a day."
Chen Zhuangmu nodded. They had gathered enough information; let's see what those people have to say.
The next day, while it was still dark, the waiting courtyard was already crowded with people whispering among themselves. But the moment they saw Chen Zhuangmu, they fell silent.
People have gotten used to the heavy makeup, and now they don't even bother to pretend anymore.
As the palace gates opened, one quietly stepped onto the grand avenue along the gray-blue stone path, ascended the steps, and stood in the hall. From the solemnity and reverence, one could sense that today was of extraordinary significance.
The event commenced today with a resounding call from an official of the Court of State Ceremonial.
What Chen Zhuangmu and Zhang Jiao discussed was to first listen to what others said about how to deal with the Grand Commandant's family members, and then seize the loopholes to step forward.
Sure enough, a civil official stepped forward; he was from the Ministry of Rites.
"Your Majesty, six months have passed since the Lu family was confiscated. This matter can no longer be postponed. I believe that today is the most appropriate time."
"Granted," the emperor replied.
As soon as the words were spoken, someone from the Ministry of Justice stepped forward, handed a few pages of paper to a young eunuch, presented them to the emperor, and said, "Your Majesty, this is the information I found concerning the remaining family members. Each of them is in a terrible state, and there is evidence of their eldest son's embezzlement and bribery."
"Lu Yao is truly hateful. I await Your Majesty's judgment."
Then another group of people stood up and echoed their sentiments.
Chen Zhuangmu felt it was time; waiting for the emperor to make a decision would be too late.
As expected, Zhang Jiao stepped forward, handed the booklet in his hand to the eunuch, and said, "Your Majesty, this is what I have collected for this case. It has been investigated and the specific amount of bribes received by the eldest son has been ascertained. The second son is unemployed at home and helps the eldest son with his affairs, while the third son does some business. Your Majesty, according to the laws of Da Qun, they should be demoted to commoners and banished from the city."
Chen Zhuangmu immediately stepped outside, saying, "This humble subject agrees."
The two were like pebbles thrown into a calm lake, creating huge waves and countless ripples.
"Your Majesty, you must not! That man has been a menace for years, and only they themselves know what kind of person his son is. Your Majesty, you must eliminate this threat completely!"
"Your Majesty, this is absolutely forbidden!"
"Your Majesty, this is absolutely forbidden!"
"His Majesty,……"
"Shut up, all of you!" the emperor said, frowning. "What's all the noise about? Can't I see?"
As soon as these words were spoken, there was silence. Only the sound of breathing filled the hall as everyone waited for the emperor to speak.
"Are there any women or children in this household?"
“Your Majesty,” Shen Zhuangmu said, glancing behind the curtain. “It is Zhang Jiao. There are a total of 120 maids and servants, three sons and two daughters. There is also an eight-year-old girl and a baby boy in swaddling clothes.”
“They’re all in Dali Temple’s prison now,” Zhang Jiao added.
"Your Majesty, we cannot only consider the law. There are countless examples of the sons of treacherous officials causing trouble in the court in the past. The best way is to eliminate future troubles!"
All these people are saying is that they want to kill them all. Chen Zhuangmu looked at the people kneeling in the hall. Lu Yao must be holding something in his hand. They are worried that his family members also know about these things, which is why they are making such a strong memorial.
But these are more than a hundred living lives, their bones connected by tendons, their bodies flowing with blood, and most of them are innocent.
As I was deep in thought, I suddenly heard a familiar voice, but it sounded much more serious than usual.
"Your Majesty, I agree with the decision of the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review." Zhao Yi, dressed in a red robe, stood at the forefront of the military officers, his posture as straight as his voice. "Laws are made, but someone must abide by them. Otherwise, what is the point? Will the people of Da Qun spontaneously obey them?"
At this moment, a person kneeling on the ground shouted, "Zhao Yi, you'll abide by the rules? Stop acting like a puppet!"
"You're begging someone to die, and they have something on you?" he said bluntly.
"Stop talking nonsense!"
This scene suddenly interrupted the serious atmosphere, and Chen Zhuangmu almost burst out laughing. She found that wherever Zhao Yi was, things always got lively.
"Shut up." The emperor uttered his second sentence today.
As Chen Zhuangmu guessed, the emperor already had a plan. Sure enough, he no longer looked helpless as he had when he first entered the court. At this moment, he was frowning and thinking about something.
While the emperor was deep in thought, no one spoke, as if awaiting a verdict, but in the end, they were bound to make one last move.
"Do my beloved ministers have anything else to say?"
“Your Majesty.” Xiao Zhong, the Left Minister who was in the first row, stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, I believe we must be on guard, but those people have not committed any serious offenses. It would be better to punish the men and exile the women."
"How could he say that?" Shen Zhuangmu thought to herself, "Pah!" Although women could do business to support themselves, this was only a minority phenomenon, and if only women were exiled, the dangers they would encounter on the road would be countless.
However, Xiao Zhong's influence was considerable, and many people echoed his sentiments.
"I object," said Zhao Yi again.
Are there any conditions that I cannot refuse?
After much deliberation, Chen Zhuangmu concluded that the law could not be disregarded; so many lives were at stake. In other words, such a large-scale ruling would inevitably have an indelible impact.
"Your Majesty!" This time, it was Chen Zhuangmu who knelt down. "I believe that the opinions of the previous officials should not be adopted. According to my investigation, many of the more than 120 maids and servants were on temporary contracts. They are all children with families, connected by blood. This is a devastating disaster for hundreds of families."
Although she was kneeling, her back was straight. She encouraged herself and said these words in a low voice, but they echoed throughout the hall and left a deep mark on everyone's heart.
After saying this, she suddenly became confident and said, "Your Majesty, I have investigated and found that all the other family members have reported their affairs in writing. They have not committed any unforgivable acts. Your Majesty, please think of that newborn baby."
Before I could even catch my breath after speaking, I heard a piercing sound.
"Didn't Shen Sizheng hear that? His eldest son embezzled public funds and accepted bribes. Isn't that excessive?" A civil official standing at the front turned his head slightly, but Shen Zhuangmu didn't recognize him.
"How much did his eldest son take? If that's the case, isn't his eldest son the one who deserves to die the most?" Saying this immediately made her feel much better.
The man got angry and yelled, "What do you mean?"
"Don't you know what she means? Do you want to count your own?"
The words reached her ears, and it turned out that Zhao Yi had retorted on her behalf.
The man was about to speak when the emperor yelled "Shut up!" and he was silenced.
Chen Zhuangmu thought she must know why her uncle was annoyed by going to court; who wouldn't be annoyed by that?
"I am aware of the opinions of my ministers. Is there anything else?"
Despite asking this question, the emperor disappeared without a trace after saying it.
No one present, except for Chen Zhuangmu, showed any surprise, suggesting that this kind of thing happens quite often.
With the announcement of "Dismiss the court," everyone stood up, bent down to brush the dirt off their clothes, and walked out of the hall in unison.
By the time Chen Zhuangmu straightened up, she saw that Zhang Jiao had already run ahead, with Zhao Yi standing next to her.
Chen Zhuangmu pouted angrily. After what they said today, her uncle would definitely not take the others' suggestions into account no matter what.
She walked quickly, thinking of using her uncle's request to check on the people in prison. These people had caused quite a stir in the court, so there must be some dirt on them, otherwise she wouldn't be so furious as to want to kill them.
Soon, Chen Zhuangmu arrived at Dali Temple by carriage. Before leaving, she told Li Chu that she must check the information about Lingdang's group, which was the place where she bought information for the second time.
After giving her instructions, she went to the Dali Temple prison with peace of mind.
She didn't know where these people were being held, so she asked, "Where are the family members of the former Grand Commandant being held?"
The guards at the Black Prison were all dressed in black, wearing black masks, and their expressionless faces were framed by a pair of unwavering eyes. They were quite frightening to look at.
"Lord Temple Master, His Majesty has decreed that no one may look at this place without His Majesty's permission."
“My uncle sent me here,” Chen Zhuangmu said. She suddenly realized how much she had changed recently. In the past, she would never tell anyone that she was a princess and always relied on herself.
Looking back now, it's probably because I didn't have to work hard to get things when I was a child.
Just like now, with a simple "My uncle sent her," the jailer led her inside without saying a word.
That's when she realized how deep the prison was, how narrow the path became, and how there was only a small hole in the wall above to let in light. She suddenly felt that she was having some difficulty breathing.
They had walked a short distance on the narrow road when they turned a corner, but did not see a single person.
Without hesitation, the jailer inserted the key into the first cell from the right, and right under Shen Zhuangmu's nose, the heavy iron door slid slowly to the left in the jailer's hand.
Inside, three men, two women, and a baby were revealed.
There are even prisons like this. Chen Zhuangmu swallowed hard. What's the difference between this and hell?
She made sure she was mentally prepared before daring to look at the people in the prison cells.
To be honest, these people weren't as pathetic as she imagined. After being locked up for nearly seven months, their skin was excessively pale, with a faint grayish-blue tinge, and the veins on their legs looked like they were about to burst.
They were still wearing clothes, but only to cover their vital parts.
When these people saw Chen Zhuangmu, they didn't say a word, but stared at her intently. Her gaze fell on the baby placed on the hay, who was pitifully thin. Children are not good-looking to begin with, and this baby looked like a little devil.
It seemed she hadn't prepared enough; she suddenly realized she didn't know what to say.
"I'll have someone bring you some hot food later," she forced herself to say.
Upon hearing this, a man stared at him menacingly, his veins visible against his bluish-gray skin, making him appear exceptionally terrifying.
"You...you don't need to, you, get out!" the man said.
"Don't be angry. I'm the one in charge of this case. I'm here to tell you that you need to leave now," Chen Zhuangmu said, forcing a smile. She didn't want to say this, but seeing their expressions, this was probably the only message that would elicit a reaction from them.
As expected, everyone raised their heads at once, staring intently at the dark-faced woman.
"What do you want?" the man from before asked. He exuded an aura different from the others; he must be the eldest son.
“I want to ask you some questions.” Chen Zhuangmu approached the fence and looked at him.
"As far as I know, Xiao Zhong was promoted by your father. I want to ask about him," Chen Zhuangmu said solemnly.
The jailer had already retreated to the side, and she had a premonition that the information this person was giving must be extraordinary, so that she could clear her mother's name.
But the man simply uttered a curt, "I don't know."
"What conditions do you want to offer? Just tell me," Chen Zhuangmu said frankly.
The man suddenly laughed, but it wasn't a pleasant laugh. "I never thought someone like me would have the right to negotiate with others."
"A person should respect themselves," said the woman next to the child.
The woman slowly stood up. The long period of confinement seemed to have made her forget how to walk, but she managed to get through it, albeit stumbling and scrambling.
She first looked at the man who had spoken earlier, "Husband."
After saying that, he looked at Chen Zhuangmu and said, "I'm here to negotiate with you."
"Good." A hint of admiration appeared in Chen Zhuangmu's eyes. After more than six months of confinement, she could still say 'a person should respect himself'.
"You need to make sure we all get out and pave the way for our escape."
These things are truly not simple. Letting them out is easy, but what will happen to them afterward is uncertain. Perhaps because Chen Zhuangmu kept her head down and didn't speak, the woman became a little flustered and said again, "You can let us out, though."
"I will do everything in my power to save your lives. Even if it ends in tragedy, I will make arrangements for your baby's future." This was something Shen Zhuangmu believed she could definitely do.
In the brief moment that had just passed, Chen Zhuangmu kept thinking: if they would die if they went out, would they still want to go out? Was this still the freedom they wanted?
A perfect explanation had already formed in her mind, but when she saw these people, who were in such a sorry state but were still struggling to survive, she gave up.
Moreover, these people can only place their hopes on themselves now.
As expected, when the woman heard what Chen Zhuangmu said, her eyes dimmed instantly, and her back bent to the extreme.
Just when Chen Zhuangmu thought all hope was lost, she saw the woman raise her head, wipe away her tears with the back of her hand, and say, "Everyone has their own destiny, wealth and honor are determined by fate. We agree to your proposal."
Then, she turned to look at the man and said, "Husband, just tell her what she wants to ask."
The man stared blankly, dejected, and asked, "Girl, what do you want to know?"
"I want to know all the connections between Xiao Zhong and your mother."
He frowned and thought for a moment, then said, "My responsibilities are different from my father's, and he never lets me get involved. However, Xiao Zhong has known my father for a long time, so I know a little about him."
"Okay, please go ahead." Chen Zhuangmu listened intently, holding her breath.
"According to my father's drunken ramblings, Xiao Zhong underwent a complete transformation, yet he still became Qun Chao's lackey. The few items he occasionally showed off were not fashionable around here, but rather..."
He glanced around to make sure no one else was there before saying, "My father said it looks like something from the previous dynasty. What does that person in front like, you..." He gave a suggestive look at the veiled woman.
This wasn't new information to Shen Zhuangmu, but it was big news nonetheless. Ignoring his veiled meaning, she asked directly, "Is there anything else?"
Upon hearing this, the man's expression immediately changed. He glanced at Chen Zhuangmu and said, "I heard from my father that His Highness Prince Ding's death was related to him."
The Prince of Ding was the same prince who rose to fame in one battle, and also Zhao Yi's father.
"At that time..." The man suddenly smiled and continued, "My father sent three men to inspect the army. According to their report, Xiao Zhong once stayed in the Prince of Ding's tent for a long time, until the General of the Cavalry, who is now the envoy of the Imperial Guard, went in before he came out. His behavior was furtive and secretive, not like a normal inspection."
Why didn't you ask then?
An awkward expression immediately appeared on the man's face. "This, you know, my father..."
When was that?
“In the last year of the reign of Emperor Qunzu, in the eighth or ninth month.”
"And then what?"
"Later, everything was the same as usual, nothing was different."
The truth was clear; a closer look at these messages revealed a remarkably clear underlying message.
"Thank you." Chen Zhuangmu bowed to them. "I'm not doing this to help you. Getting out of here alive is what you deserve."
"Pacifying the way out is my condition for you."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
