This person turned out to be a wanted criminal, and she actually confessed to him. Linghu Yunlong dodged and got into the sedan chair. His agility was truly incredible.
"Your Majesty!" Linghu Yunlong hurriedly drew out his sword to protect his side. When he saw that the young woman kneeling below him did not move, he was stunned for a moment.
Yunniang knelt below without moving. Zhao Huan waved his hand and said, "Why are you so excited? Get down!"
Linghu Yunlong didn't dare to ask. He clasped his fists and bowed, then retreated out of the sedan chair. He somersaulted from the carriage and landed on his mount, drawing cheers from the guards.
Zhao Huan, however, knew there was something else going on: "Tell me, you said you were a criminal, what's going on?"
Yunniang said in a deep voice, "My father is Yun Tianyuan, the Minister of Rites."
Zhao Huan was shocked: "Are you Yun Tianyuan's daughter?"
Yun Tianyuan was the Minister of Rites during the reign of Emperor Huizong. He was also the first to come forward to impeach Tong Guan and Cai Jing. Not only did he write a letter to impeach Tong Guan, Cai Jing and other treacherous officials, he also bluntly criticized Emperor Huizong and earned the nickname "Crazy Minister".
He denounced Zhao Ji as a tyrant and incompetent, comparable to King Zhou. He had wasted the people's money and resources transporting the Flower and Stone Gang, causing great suffering for the people south of the Yangtze River. This man seemed to be desperate, and in the end he even cursed Taizu and Taizong.
He accused Zhao Kuangyin of being a villain who had seized the power of the widowed mother of the Chai family, and accused Taizong Zhao Guangyi of plotting to usurp the throne by killing his brother. This incident caused a great shock in the court and the country, and Zhao Ji was furious and ordered the confiscation of all his family members.
However, this man also had a true vision, foreseeing that the Jin Dynasty would invade the capital in the future. All of this was the fault of the foolish emperor Zhao Ji. Zhao Huan had always thought that the Yun family was extinct, but he never expected that there was actually a daughter left.
Although Yun Tianyuan's words were basically correct, he attacked Taizu and Taizong fiercely. Therefore, Zhao Huan did not redress the Yun family after ascending the throne.
Yunniang's eyes were firm. "My death is not a pity, but the Luo family's case is truly unjust. Your Majesty can kill me, but please reopen the Luo family's unjust case."
Zhao Huan didn't know what to do for a moment. After a while, he finally asked the question that had been puzzling him: "Why was your father so bold when he submitted the petition to the Purple Palace? Was he crazy?"
Yun Niang shook her head. "My father isn't crazy. He knows the Emperor wouldn't believe him if he impeached us alone. He'd definitely punish our Yun family. So, he decided to make a big fuss. Only if the whole world knows about it will it have any effect. Even if he can't bring down Cai Jing and the others, it will at least set an example for future generations."
Zhao Huan then remembered that it was after Yun Tianyuan's incident that Zhao Ji had restrained himself from the Flower and Stone Gang. This was Yun Tianyuan's contribution.
Zhao Huan nodded. "Okay, Yun Niang, listen to my command. I will not pursue the Yun family case any further. I can also review the Luo family case, but I will not overturn your Yun family's verdict. After all, Yun Tianyuan was so audacious and reckless back then, insulting Taizu and Taizong. His crimes are unforgivable. Based on this alone, I cannot exonerate him."
Yunniang was overjoyed and kowtowed hurriedly, "I thank Your Majesty for your grace! Back then, Father knew that even if a wise emperor emerged in the future, it would be impossible to overturn his verdict. Father, I wish to live your life with a clear conscience. As for the future, let others judge for themselves."
Zhao Huan thought to himself, Yun Tianyuan's personality is quite similar to mine. "Go ahead, tell me about the Luo family case in detail!"
Yunniang was overjoyed and told the whole story: "My mother-in-law donated 500 taels. When the county magistrate found out, he was furious. He asked why we only gave him 200 taels and said we had no money. This donation made it 500 taels, and he hated our Luo family.
Later, a scoundrel named Luo Xiaohu from my clan worked for the county magistrate. He seemed to be a clerk, but he often came to our inn to eat and drink for free. Since he was from our clan and worked in the county government, we didn't dare to make a fuss.
My mother-in-law saw that my husband and I were both old, so she decided to choose a date for our wedding. But on the wedding night, Luo Xiaohu arrived drunk and asked my husband to drink with him. My husband, in desperation, abandoned his wedding night to drink with him. But when I went to call him at daybreak, I found he was already dead.
At this point, Yunniang began to cry. Nangong Lian'er was filled with sympathy. She went over and helped Yunniang up: "Hurry up and talk. How did your husband die? Don't worry, His Majesty will definitely take care of it for you."
Zhao Huan, the filthy fellow, had a different idea. Yunniang's husband died before the wedding night. So, although she was a young woman, she wasn't really a young woman. Hehehe...
"That's right! Tell me how your husband died, and I will definitely make the decision for you!" Zhao Huan coughed.
Yunniang continued with tears in her eyes, "Your Majesty, when I saw my husband, his face was black and blood was flowing from all his orifices. It was obvious that he died of poisoning.
I hurried to inform my mother-in-law, who fainted from shock. I pinched her awake and went with her to the county yamen to beat drums and complain. Unexpectedly, the magistrate was upset that the two hundred taels of silver my family had given him were insufficient. He refused to investigate, saying only that it was a sudden death.
In desperation, we went home and scraped together another 1,000 taels of silver and sent it over. This time, the county magistrate decided to conduct a thorough investigation, and the coroner confirmed the death from poisoning after the autopsy.
"Then why did they later determine you were the murderer?" Zhao Huan couldn't help but ask. He knew that the man used money to ward off disasters. It made no sense for Bai Qingsheng to not give her family a trial after receiving a thousand taels of silver.
Unexpectedly, Yunniang's pretty face flushed upon hearing this. "Well, County Magistrate Bai received a thousand taels of silver, and then he asked me to come to the county office for a private discussion, saying there was progress in the case. I didn't know he was there, so I went alone. But the county magistrate took me to the back room and tried to do something inappropriate to me. I refused to comply and escaped from the county office. The next day, I woke up at home and was captured by the bailiffs and taken to the county office. The county magistrate then accused me of poisoning my husband's wine and killing him."
Zhao Huan was furious. These corrupt officials were truly audacious, resorting to such despicable tactics. "Let me ask you, Yunniang. This corrupt official Bai Qingsheng is so audacious. Isn't he afraid of death? Can a mere county magistrate like him do whatever he wants without anyone daring to stop him? And why hasn't anyone gone to the prefect to file a complaint?"
Yunniang shook her head. "Officials have always protected each other, so it's never easy for ordinary people to sue. Furthermore, I actually told my husband my life story on our wedding night, but I didn't know that Luo Xiaohu, who was eavesdropping outside, heard it. He used this as a threat, and when the county magistrate learned of this, he knew I was a wanted criminal, so they acted so recklessly. Luo Xiaohu and the county magistrate robbed our restaurant and drove my mother-in-law to beg on the street. They knew I had no way to sue them, so they acted so recklessly."
Zhao Huan then realized that Yunniang was already a criminal. If Luo Xiaohu embezzled her family's property and put her in jail, she would have no way to seek justice even if she wanted to.
"Since you know that you are a criminal, why do you dare to stop the sedan chair and seek justice?" Zhao Huan asked.
Yunniang knelt again. "This is all thanks to Fan Zha, the county magistrate's advisor. He told me that the current emperor is wise and righteous. If I reveal my true identity, even if I'm a criminal, His Majesty will forgive me. So he quietly let me go. Only then did I bravely come to the official road to wait for His Majesty."
Zhao Huan was overjoyed: "This advisor really knows me well. When I get to Fengxian County, I will definitely meet him."
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