Chapter 146 Public Opinion Fermentation
afternoon.
The news that Zhao Duan had been arrested spread like wildfire and spread to all major government offices.
It attracted the attention of countless people. Compared with the officials at all levels who were cautious in their words and actions and walked on thin ice, the scholars and students who had close ties with the court talked freely.
"Is this true? Isn't Zhao Duan a popular figure? Why was he suddenly imprisoned?"
"Hmph, who made him offend Minister Zhou? If not, how could there be an impeachment at court this morning?"
"But isn't he the Saint's favorite concubine? The Saint has shown partiality to him many times in the past, so why is he..."
"Oh, favored? His affair with the royal concubine has been exposed, and you think His Majesty won't care? How is that possible? This is retribution."
"Indeed, this villain was notorious and arrogant. As the saying goes, those who do too much evil will eventually perish. Now he is finally going to be destroyed. Congratulations, the Great Yu Dynasty has lost another treacherous minister!"
"You're still too young... Once you gain power, you lose your mind..."
There are those who gloat over the misfortune of others, those who applaud, and those who criticize with a fatherly tone...
People accepted this result very quickly because it was in line with common sense.
Since ancient times, which emperor would tolerate his concubine cheating on him?
Anyone found will be killed without mercy.
Xu Zhenguan was a female emperor and was no exception.
Even though it is said that Zhao Duan has some skills that can be used.
But if a minister is labeled as a "betrayer", the empress will show no mercy to him, no matter how useful he is.
Zhou Cheng's attack not only alienated the "feelings" between the two parties.
On a deeper level, it made the empress realize that Zhao Duan had deceived and betrayed her.
"Brother Lu, this time the Zhao guy is completely finished."
In the Dali Temple duty room, an official sighed.
Lu Zhi, who had been arrested and released by Zhao Duan and had been held in the position of "judge" for many years due to his personality, shook his head and said:
"There's something wrong with this case. The plaintiff is clearly being manipulated, and the Supreme Court Justice's handling of the case doesn't conform to the standard..."
"Hush!" The colleague beside him was startled and urged:
"Your mouth. Don't try to hurt anyone. Besides, haven't you always been critical of Zhao Duan? Wouldn't it be a good thing if he fell?"
Lu Zhi shook his head and said with his neck stiff:
"Let's be honest. Zhao Duan has a bad character. As a minister, although I am of low rank, I should speak out and bring him to justice.
But in this case... the existing evidence is insufficient to make a judgment. How can we punish him with a muddled case just because we are hostile to him? I am ashamed of such behavior..."
Colleagues shook their heads and avoided the question:
You deserve to never be promoted... Can't you see that this is the Lord Chief Justice's revenge?
…
…
Zhao family.
The sun sets in the west. Today is a good day. Eugene Hua and her daughter are sitting in the bedroom embroidering sachets.
In the end, she agreed to her daughter's suggestion, and the mother and daughter each embroidered a sachet for Zhao Duan.
As a gift for Qiqiao Festival.
Eugene Hua sat at the table.
At this moment, she lowered her head, tied a knot with her fingers deftly, bit off the excess silk thread with her silver teeth, and looked at the majestic and solemn sachet embroidered with a blue cloud pattern, nodding with satisfaction.
Then he looked at his daughter: "How about yours?"
The girl, who was slender, elegant, and vaguely resembled her mother when she was a girl, also took the last stitch:
"alright."
Zhao Pan picked up the brightly colored sachet and handed it to his mother, looking somewhat dissatisfied:
"Mom, some of the stitches aren't very good."
Eugene Hua smiled brightly:
"That's okay. I'll fix it for you later. I don't think your brother will mind. It's a thoughtful gesture from you after all."
Zhao Pan said "hmm" softly, with a hint of anticipation.
After spending so much time together, the mother and daughter finally confirmed that Zhao Duan had indeed changed for the better.
Eugene Hua was even more relieved that her daughter gradually accepted her stepson again. The darkest time for the Zhao family had passed, and everything was getting better.
These days, she has a smile on her face every day.
At this moment, the old housekeeper outside suddenly ran in hurriedly, shouting:
"Madam! Miss!"
The mother and daughter looked at each other, put down the sachet, and walked out the door:
"What's all the fuss?"
The old housekeeper cried:
"Oh no! Dalang has been thrown into prison and is said to be dying!"
boom……
Eugene Hua felt like she was struck by lightning. Her mind went blank, the world was spinning, her legs went weak, and she fell straight to the ground.
Zhao Pan was stunned on the spot, with the words "going to jail" and "not being able to survive" echoing in his mind, as if he had lost his soul.
…
…
The Censorate, the rear hall.
As the sun was about to set, Yuan Li welcomed a group of uninvited guests.
"Ma Yan? What are you doing..."
Yuan Li walked out of the hall with his hands behind his back, looking at the group of people in brocade clothes rushing in outside.
Most of them are members of the Lihua Hall headed by Qian Kerou and four others.
The leader had a long, gaunt face and a cold, violent temperament. It was the eunuch Ma Yan.
"Mr. Yuan, I am sorry for coming here uninvited." Ma Yan bowed.
Although his expression remained the same, people who knew him well could keenly sense that his face was subtly mixed with anxiety and worry.
This is very rare in Ma Yan.
"Everyone, you are here for Zhao Duan, right?" Yuan Li invited Ma Yan into the hall and took a seat.
Ma Yan placed his hands on his knees and sat upright:
"I know that his arrest was ordered by His Majesty. As the chief officer, I should avoid suspicion, but I can't help but come here when these guys from Lihua Hall come to my door to ask for help."
"Well, is that so." Yuan Li looked calm and did not point it out.
King Ma Yan has always been strict in his rule, so how could he be forced by a group of lower-class Jinyi?
It was nothing more than an excuse he came up with to come here.
Yuan Li said calmly:
"Since you know this is the will of the Emperor, you should understand that I will not make any concessions just because you are here."
Ma Yan smiled bitterly and said:
"I dare not embarrass Lord Yuan, nor do I dare ask for his favoritism. I only ask that he be impartial and treat everyone equally, and not give the Dali Temple any advantage."
Yuan Li understood what he meant and said calmly:
"You can rest assured about this. Zhao Jisi is in prison in Taiwan. He will only be detained and will not be punished in any way."
Ma Yan nodded and bowed his hands in thanks: "With Mr. Yuan's words, I feel relieved."
Yuan Li asked curiously, "I've always heard that you're cold and selfless, so why are you running around for that kid today?"
At the morning court session, Ma Yan spoke for Zhao Duan, which can be interpreted as protecting his subordinates, which is a normal thing to do.
But risking His Majesty's dislike by coming here at this critical juncture has gone beyond the boundaries of superior and subordinate.
Ma Yan was silent for a moment and said:
"Mr. Yuan knows that I come from a family of worshippers. Although this kid has repeatedly broken the rules and caused me trouble, in the final analysis... he still called me Senior Brother."
Yuan Li smiled faintly and served tea to see the guest off.
Qian Kerou and the others in Lihua Hall reluctantly retreated after learning that Zhao Duan would not be tortured.
Their power is too small. They can bully small officials, but when faced with such a big event, this is the only thing they can do.
…
Taiwan Prison.
Yuan Li, dressed in a blue robe with a double-breasted collar, with a handsome face and eyes full of vicissitudes, walked in the dark dungeon.
There were no jailers around.
When he walked outside a solitary cell and looked inside with the help of the firelight, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
Inside the cell, Zhao Duan was wearing prison clothes and sitting on the floor, reading a book with the aid of a torch beam, completely absorbed in it.
Not only did he not show the slightest fear or worry, but he actually looked contented.
"You are still reading in the cage. I think you are more like a scholar than a military officer," Yuan Li exclaimed.
"Mr. Yuan!"
Zhao Duan then looked up, smiled, and stood up to salute:
"Outside, there are so many disturbances, so many things to worry about, but it's better to be here and study in peace."
Yuan Li glanced at the title of the book:
"The Book of Laws? You're a prisoner, reading this book. Do you think you can break the imprisonment with it?"
I said I'm researching. Do you believe how many years Zhou Cheng can be sentenced to? Zhao Duan shook his head and said:
“I just happened to read this.”
This is true.
Recently, he has been catching up on the rules and regulations of the Dayu Dynasty's governance, studying the dynasty's political decrees, rules, economy, military affairs and other miscellaneous matters, including legal provisions.
And compare it with the various dynasties of the previous earth in my mind, with the intention of accelerating my understanding of the Dayu Dynasty.
But I unexpectedly discovered that there are many areas for improvement.
Of course, Yuan Li didn't know that this genuine warrior who came from the imperial guards had hidden in his mind the strategy of ruling a dynasty in another world for five thousand years.
Skipping this topic, staring at him, he said:
"Just now, Ma Yan came to me... and said that the troublemakers under your command came to ask for my help, asking him to help me ensure that you will not be punished in the Taiwan Prison.
It's obvious they're worried about you. Rumors are spreading like wildfire that you've fallen from grace and are doomed to fail. Many people want you dead."
Zhao Duan remained silent. This was something he had expected.
Yuan Li paused for a moment, then suddenly said:
"But seeing that you were still in the mood to study, I knew they would be disappointed."
Zhao Duan lowered his eyes:
"Mr. Yuan thinks highly of me. I was just pretending to be calm."
"Really?" Yuan Li smiled.
"I told you the other day that once Zhou Cheng strikes, it will be a fatal blow. I'm sure you've learned that lesson by now. You still have a chance. If you choose to ask me for help, I can help you resolve all the crises you face. The price remains the same, and if you succeed, I, the Censorate, will take the lion's share of the credit."
Zhao Duan said respectfully:
"Please forgive me for still refusing."
Yuan Li's smile deepened:
"So, in this situation, you still choose to play this game on your own? You know, once the three courts convene in two days, Zhou Cheng will have prepared all the evidence. Even I won't be able to save you."
Zhao Duan raised his head and smiled:
"But Lord Yuan also believed that I could overthrow Zhou Cheng, didn't he? Otherwise, he wouldn't have given me another chance to choose now that I'd fallen from grace and become a prisoner."
Yuan Li smiled, turned around and left, leaving behind a sentence:
"I'm looking forward to your comeback. By the way, the people from the Dali Temple are here to interrogate you."
When he walked, it was as if he was walking on the clouds.
A moment later.
Zhao Duan, who was sitting upright in the cage, heard the sound of messy footsteps approaching.
Then, in the firelight, He Zheng's bruised, arrogant and complacent face appeared:
"Zhao Duan, how does it feel to be a prisoner?"
(End of this chapter)
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