Chapter 106: Expressing the feelings in front of the palace

Minglan did not dare to raise her head, but when she said this, she could feel the person on the dragon chair move his body, obviously he was interested in listening, so Minglan continued to speak, "I, your humble servant, am brave enough to express my humble opinion to Your Majesty. Since ancient times, the trend of fraud has been a pest of the country, and we should be especially careful to prevent and severely punish it to serve as a warning to others. Moreover, the next spring examination is approaching, and students from all over the world are looking forward to it. At this time, We should also curb the trend of fraud to show our integrity.

The Bailian Poetry Society has a long history, inheriting the past and enlightening the present, and its goal is to promote the literary tradition and advocate the gentlemanly demeanor. However, Han Yanran, the eldest daughter of the Zhennan Marquis Mansion, actually used the name of the poetry society to commit corruption for personal gain, which is a tarnishing of the reputation and a corrupting of the atmosphere. If the fraud is not severely punished, it may spread like wildfire and become more and more serious. It is even more likely that someone will follow suit and cause a great deal of trouble. The failure of the Spring Examination also hurts the hearts of the people of the Song Dynasty.

The case of Song Yunjin further reveals his meanness, using filial piety as bait to trap people in injustice. Such behavior is outrageous. The government office did nothing, and shrank back because of the threat of the powerful. This is not only a betrayal of the emperor's grace, but also a violation of the law. Whether it is the poetry society or the imperial examination, the most important thing is to be fair and selfless, to select talents to help the country and govern the people. How can we allow the powerful to interfere and ruin the country? "Is it against the rules and regulations?

I firmly believe that Your Majesty is wise and powerful, and will be able to see through everything, enforce the law impartially, and set things right. God is above, and justice is clear. I hope Your Majesty will severely punish those who commit fraud and those who abuse their power for personal gain. Although my words are humble, I sincerely hope that

Your Majesty will have mercy on me, and I will be grateful." Minglan linked the fraud and frame-up with the imperial examination and the abuse of power for personal gain, hoping that the emperor would pay attention to it. "From what you said, the eldest lady of the Zhennan Marquis's Mansion framed not you, but your sister. Why didn't you tell the truth yourself?" The emperor said the first sentence to Minglan, but the second sentence to Molan and Rulan.

"I am a foolish woman. When I first saw the emperor, I was shocked by his majesty. For a moment, my thoughts were in a mess and I could hardly control my words. I failed to respond to your inquiry immediately. It was my fault. I know that the emperor is wise and powerful. I only have awe and respect for him. I hope your majesty will forgive me for my misbehavior. I will reflect on myself and live up to your grace." After Minglan's preparation, Molan was finally able to perform normally and complimented the emperor in order to ask for forgiveness.

The emperor was always kind and only appreciated the deep love between the two sisters, and did not pursue the mistakes of the two. The emperor opened his eyes slightly, smiled and praised the two sisters, "Looking at the way you speak and behave, you are gentle and elegant. I think you are well-read in poetry. Sheng Hong taught you very well." But seeing that Rulan hadn't said anything yet, he asked, "The one in the middle, your name is Rulan? Do you have anything to say?"

Rulan was listening to them talking, and she was proud that Xiaosi and Xiaoliu were really amazing and could talk fluently with the emperor. But then it was her turn. Rulan was a little trembling, and she blurted out without thinking, "They have said everything I want to say. I just hope that Your Majesty can severely punish Han Yanran and not let her get away with it." Rulan knew she had said something wrong as soon as she said it.

As expected, a sharp voice rang out in the hall, "How dare you call yourself "I" in front of Your Majesty!" Rulan was so scared that she threw her head to the ground, and Molan and Minglan also kowtowed.

"Okay, it doesn't matter, she is just straightforward! I already know what you sisters said, but I can't just listen to your one-sided words, I need to verify it." The emperor didn't care much about Rulan's speechlessness.

"Many students testified to what happened in Moxiangju, and Miss Han also admitted it. Everyone in Moxiangju heard it at the time. There are many students outside the palace gate now. Your Majesty will know if you check it out." Minglan said that there were many witnesses outside the palace gate.

The emperor naturally ordered people to come over for questioning. The eunuchs brought dozens of people, including Liang Han. They were all willing to testify for Molan and hoped to have a chance to see the emperor. If the emperor was impressed by their talents, their careers would be smooth.

The eunuchs verified Minglan's story one by one and found that Minglan was right. There were also eunuchs who went to Moxiangju to investigate and the news they brought back all matched. The emperor nodded after listening.

"Bring Miss Han up here to see if she has anything to refute!"

Han Yanran was brought to the palace. As soon as she entered the palace, she knelt on the ground and kowtowed to confess her guilt. When the three sisters of the Sheng family rang the drum, she panicked. She didn't expect them to be so bold. She returned home in a panic and asked her parents for help. When the Marquis of Zhennan heard about it, he scolded her and said that this would not end well. The emperor would definitely summon her. He asked her not to argue and confess her guilt. The emperor was always lenient. The Marquis of Zhennan and his wife also went with him, one to see the emperor and the other to see the empress. In this way, the emperor would not punish her severely for their sake. Therefore, Han Yanran confessed her guilt as soon as she entered the palace.

The eunuch reported that the Marquis of Zhennan was outside seeking an audience. The emperor's anger, which had slightly subsided because of Han Yanran's straightforward confession, rose again, "Let him in!"

The Marquis of Zhennan came in, and before he finished the ceremony, the emperor could no longer contain his anger, and he burst into scolding, "Marquis of Zhennan, as an important official of the court, you should abide by the official's code of conduct and put state affairs first. What are you doing here today? Are you here to plead for your daughter? Your daughter made a mistake by borrowing your power as the Marquis of Zhennan. Come. I heard that the people in the government office were going to enforce the law impartially, but when they heard that it was your daughter, they dared not judge the case. The power of the Marquis of Zhennan is overwhelming! You are in a high position and should set an example, but today you want to use your power to suppress others and try to influence my decision. I ask you, is this your responsibility as a minister? You are in your position, you should govern the country and put the people first. How can you be selfish, disregard the law, and use your power for personal gain! The mistake made by my daughter today is not It is not a reflection of your usual behavior. As the saying goes, "If the top beam is not straight, the bottom beam

will be crooked." This is true. As an elder, you not only failed to set a good example, but also condoned and shielded her, causing her to go astray and make a big mistake! "The emperor cursed until his mouth was dry and he was a little exhausted. Then he softened his tone, "My words today are to criticize you and to warn the world. I hope that you, the Marquis of Zhennan, can learn from your mistakes and reflect deeply. In the future, you must take the overall situation into consideration. "You must be serious and abide by the duties of a subject. As for your daughter's matter, I will make my own judgment!"

After the emperor reprimanded the Marquis

of Zhennan, he drove him out of the palace, then pointed at Han Yanran and asked Minglan and others, "How do you think she should be punished?" Han Yanran, who witnessed her father being reprimanded by His Majesty, trembled involuntarily. When she heard the emperor asking the Sheng sisters how to deal with her, her face instantly turned pale as paper, her eyes widened, full of disbelief and fear. At this time, she really regretted framing Sheng Molan.

"Your Majesty, we are at your mercy!"

"Then punish her to come and apologize today, and then punish her to reflect on her behavior at home. The palace will send a nanny to the Zhen'an Marquis's Mansion to teach her the rules, and she can go out when she has learned them well. If bad words are spread about the eldest daughter of the Zhen'an Marquis's Mansion in the future, she will never have to go out again. As for the Zhennan Marquis, he was fined one year's salary for not teaching his daughter strictly. Do you think this punishment is satisfactory?"