Chapter 109 Ruthless Move
Yinque Avenue is the widest and longest avenue in the capital city of the Great Xia Dynasty, bar none. Running east to west, at the very center on the north side lies the Great Xia Imperial Palace, a city within a city surrounded by a moat.
The important government offices of the Great Xia Empire are all located on Yinque Street. The Six Ministries are right next to the Imperial Palace, and the Central Military Commission and other institutions are also located around the Imperial Palace. Further east and west, you will find the most prosperous area of the Great Xia Empire. Neither shops nor residences are something that ordinary people can own. Having a foothold on Yinque Street is the goal of countless officials and nobles.
To the west of the palace is a north-south street called Wenhua Street, which is adjacent to Yinque Avenue. There are also several insignificant government offices on the street, one of which is the Zongzheng Temple.
Before dawn, Wenhua Street was already packed with people, and even Yinque Street was crowded, with everyone craning their necks and looking towards the west side of Yinque Street.
Just as the hour of Si (9-11 AM) arrived, Qin Mo walked in from the west. He was dressed in a light yellow royal robe and wore a golden crown. He walked straight toward the Imperial Clan Court without glancing to either side, completely unconcerned about the thousands of onlookers surrounding him.
Wherever he went, he silenced all other voices, leaving only admiring and envious glances. Among the onlookers were many women, whose fiery gazes nearly set him ablaze. His appearance and bearing satisfied everyone's expectations; even the most discerning writers and poets, upon seeing him, could write a magnificent essay to describe Qin Mo's beauty.
Qin Mo was already easily eye-catching when dressed casually, but when he was dressed in full royal attire, he was truly stunningly beautiful. However, at this moment, the iron-blooded aura forged on the battlefield added a layer of hardness to his exquisite face, finally making him incredibly handsome.
A man was already standing outside the gate of the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs, leading a group of people. Seeing Qin Mo walk straight over, he stepped forward, bowed, and asked, "Qin Yuanmo, the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs, greets Your Highness. May I ask what brings Your Highness here?"
"I'm going to complain!" Qin Mo answered forcefully, his inner strength evident in his voice, and everyone on Wenhua Street and Yinque Avenue could hear him clearly.
"...To...complain...?" Qin Yuanmo looked at the boy, whom he should call uncle according to seniority, and immediately felt uneasy. He had received news that Qin Mojin would be coming to the Imperial Clan Court, but he didn't know what he was going to do.
"In that case, Your Highness may come with me." Qin Yuanmo adopted an extremely humble posture and finally managed to coax Qin Mo into the Imperial Clan Court. But a moment later, Qin Mo's powerful voice resounded through the streets again.
"This prince has filed a complaint against Qin Xiaoren, the Earl of Tongyuan. Qin Xiaoren is plotting against the royal family. However, he is treacherous, heartless, and has seized his nephew's inheritance. He has also slandered his nephew's innocence, causing three thousand soldiers to die unjustly on the battlefield and his military achievements to be erased."
The people of Daxia on the street heard it clearly, and immediately burst into a commotion, chattering and clamoring, especially the women and girls, who began to curse Qin Xiaoren viciously.
"Young Master... Uncle! Please don't call me that, okay?... I beg you..." Thirty-year-old Qin Yuanmo had already panicked and called out to twenty-year-old Qin Mo, "Uncle."
"Oh! What's wrong? Where did I shout...? My complaint... can't be filed?" A strong voice came from the Imperial Clan Court again.
Looking at Qin Yuanmo, who was almost in tears because of her, Qin Mo thought to herself, "I've already been very restrained. I haven't even put up any big-character posters yet!"
"Please wait a moment, Your Highness. The Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices will be here soon and will take action to help you as soon as he arrives." Qin Yuanmo held the petition Qin Mo had given him, feeling like it was a hot potato, unsure whether to keep it or throw it away.
"My dear nephew, you've given your uncle a real problem!" An aged voice came from outside the door, and an old man with graying hair and a kind face entered.
"Qin Mo greets the Minister of the Court." Qin Mo did not lack any formalities, nor did he refer to himself as his nephew, clearly intending to conduct himself in an official capacity.
Qin Xiaoxin was already sixty years old and had served in the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs for thirty years. He had weathered countless storms, but today's scene was unheard of. Disputes among members of the royal family were mostly resolved privately, at most with the assistance of a few respected elders of the clan. It was truly rare for such disputes to escalate to the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs.
It's even rarer for someone like Qin Mo to attract nearly ten thousand onlookers. The royal family has always been very careful to maintain its mystique, so how could ordinary people hear about royal secrets? Qin Mo directly exposed and publicized the matter, and if not handled properly, it could severely damage the royal family's reputation.
Qin Xiaoxin took the "petition" from Qin Yuanmo, read it carefully, and then asked Qin Mo a question.
"The matter of this property is fine, but how is this military merit related to Qin Xiaoren?"
“My uncle went to the Central Army Headquarters and falsely accused me of disrespecting my elders and talking back to him, which caused him to fall ill and be unable to kill the orcs, thus delaying the Emperor’s northern expedition. Therefore, he withheld my military merit rewards and refused to even acknowledge General Zhao’s order.”
A single petition cannot cover many matters. Qin Mo only briefly mentioned the reason for the withholding of his military merits. His main goal was to reclaim his father's mansion, which was what Qin Mo truly sought.
"This is outrageous! What right does the Central Military Command have to interfere in the affairs of my royal family? Nephew, please wait a moment. Your uncle will go and find out the truth first."
The Imperial Clan Court and the Central Military Command were not far apart, and soon Old Man Qin returned, his face so gloomy it was almost dripping with water. This caused the Imperial Clan Court's henchmen to keep their distance, fearing that they would be targeted and killed in a fit of rage.
“Nephew, this is a difficult matter. No one can withhold your military merit rewards, but this petition... can it be taken back?”
Qin Mo was stunned and lost in thought. He had done his homework before coming. Qin Xiaoxin was a kind and gentle person, and he took good care of the younger members of the royal family who committed crimes, basically turning major issues into minor ones. However, when it came to disputes over family property, he always handled matters impartially and never showed favoritism.
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