"Aunt, you know that more than 800,000 taels of silver and a corrupt account book were unearthed in the courtyard of the Marquis of Zhen'an's mansion, and my father is therefore suspected of embezzlement and bribery during his tenure as an official?" Yun Qingran asked Yun Lian.
"I know." Yunlian squeezed out a few tears. "Embezzlement is a serious crime. My elder brother not only embezzled, but he embezzled more than 800,000 taels of silver. How could he be so foolish?"
“My father is honest and upright, and it’s impossible for him to be corrupt,” Yun Qingran said firmly.
“Princess Rongchang, we also believe that Marquis Zhen’an is innocent, but what about the silver and account books? They couldn’t have been buried there naturally. It’s also impossible that someone framed him. Who has the ability to bury so much silver in your yard so quietly?” Liang Xiangzhi shook his head and sighed, looking like he wanted to exonerate Yunxiao, but couldn’t.
Has that old bastard Liang Xiangzhi finally lost his temper and taken matters into his own hands?
Yun Qingran glanced at him with a deep look, then slowly looked around at the ministers present and said, "As you all know, I used to be a complete scoundrel. I squandered all the money in the Zhen'an Marquis's mansion. If that money was really buried there by my father, he would have dug it up and used it long ago. Why didn't he dig it up?"
“Princess Rongchang, as I just said, we believe that Marquis Zhen’an is innocent, but if the silver and account books are not explained clearly, we cannot explain it to the law or the people.” Liang Xiangzhi insisted on the matter of the silver and account books.
"Prime Minister Liang, I know you're anxious, but don't rush." Yun Qingran reached out and stopped Liang Xiangzhi from speaking.
The subtext of this statement is, "I know you want to destroy the Zhen'an Marquis's mansion, but don't rush into it."
In just two short sentences, Liang Xiangzhi directly pointed out his hostility towards the Zhen'an Marquis's Mansion, while also telling him that it was impossible to bring the Zhen'an Marquis's Mansion to its knees.
Liang Xiangzhi's expression changed. After so many years in power, even the Northern Cold King Jun Molin was at most indifferent to him, and no one dared to embarrass him in front of so many people.
Yun Qingran ignored his cold gaze and continued, "I believe my father didn't embezzle, but with that pile of silver there, we need to find out what really happened, otherwise we won't be able to explain ourselves to the law and the people. Everyone, I'm not standing here today to try and exonerate my father with just my words; I've brought witnesses with me."
Liang Xiangzhi's face darkened even more; Yun Qingran was blatantly slapping him in the face.
Yun Qingran glanced at him, as if to say, "If you don't offer your face up yourself, I won't bother hitting you."
Having navigated the court for so many years, this was the first time I had ever felt so angry that I was on the verge of exploding, yet unable to vent it.
“Hei Gui, speak.” Yun Qingran stepped aside, revealing Hei Gui behind her.
Hei Gui was being watched by everyone, and he trembled with fear.
"Hei Gui, don't be afraid. Just say what you know, take your time." Yun Qingran patted his shoulder from behind and spoke softly to him.
"Mm." Hei Gui nodded. Yun Qingran's actions and voice gave him immense courage.
"Your Majesty, Your Excellencies, my name is Hei Gui, a villager from Wulipu Village outside the city. I have a good brother named Su Laosi, who is the younger brother of Su Shi, the concubine of the old Marquis of Zhen'an." Hei Gui paused and said, "Twenty years ago, when the Marquis of Zhen'an's mansion was being renovated, Su Laosi got the job because he was skilled in carpentry. As his brother, I also came to the Marquis of Zhen'an's mansion with him to help with the renovation."
"There were more than twenty workers repairing the courtyard. They repaired the courtyard during the day and went home at night. But because Su Laosi was the brother of the concubine of the old Zhen'an Marquis, he could live in the mansion. I also benefited from this and lived in the mansion. On the second night of living in the mansion, Su Laosi told me that there was a job with a reward of one hundred taels of silver if I did it, and asked me if I wanted to do it."
“One hundred taels of silver is enough for me to squander for a while, so I immediately agreed. However, Su Laosi told me that this matter must be kept secret and not told to anyone, otherwise it would not only implicate the employer, but also harm ourselves. I immediately agreed as well. Later I found out that the job was to secretly move more than 800,000 taels of silver into a pit dug during the day in the courtyard of the Marquis of Zhen'an’s mansion at night.”
"When we were repairing the courtyard, we needed to replant the trees, so we dug a huge pit in the courtyard during the day. Actually, when Su Laosi was directing us to dig that pit, I was wondering why we would dig such a big pit. I never expected it was for burying silver."
"Eight hundred thousand taels of silver is a lot of money. It took us three nights in a row to move it all..."
"Hei Gui, you said you took three nights in a row to finish moving, right?" Liang Xiangzhi interrupted Hei Gui and asked.
“Yes.” Hei Gui nodded.
"Over 800,000 taels of silver, and you two moved it all in three nights? Doesn't the Marquis of Zhen'an's mansion have any guards? Why are you two moving it nonstop?" Liang Xiangzhi continued to ask.
“No.” Hei Gui shook his head. “Although the Zhen’an Marquis’s mansion is a marquis’s mansion, it is quite poor. It doesn’t have anything good, and it doesn’t have many guards.”
"Minister Yun is indeed always honest and upright," the Emperor nodded in praise.
Liang Xiangzhi: My foul mouth!
"And then?" a minister asked.
"Later we filled in the pit, planted trees, and left after the repairs were done. I've kept this matter to myself for all these years, and I only told you today when Princess Rongchang and the others found me," Hei Gui said.
"So, you and Su Laosi put that silver in while you were repairing the courtyard?" the Emperor asked Hei Gui.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Hei Gui quickly replied.
"You say it was you and Su Laosi who planted it, so be it. Do you have any evidence? Who knows, maybe someone else is trying to frame you." Liang Xiangzhi chuckled coldly and glanced at Yun Qingran.
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