The streets were bustling with people, the sound of horses' hooves and hawking intertwined, and the air was filled with the smell of fireworks.
The outside of Jingzhao Prefecture was crowded with spectators. They all stretched their necks to look inside.
"Hey, is that Uncle Cao really in there?"
"Yes, he is very fierce. He tied up his stepmother and stepbrother. This case was taken over by Censor He. The Censorate did not have a yamen, so the case was held here. Censor He got the news and hurried from the execution ground."
"Without waiting for Censor He to go through the interrogation process, Uncle Cao took out a confession letter with the fingerprints of those in the Cao family pressed on it."
The crowd was talking at once.
"You can't blame Uncle Cao for not remembering the old friendship. Although he is a man and it's not a loss for him to have that kind of thing happen, but being plotted against by his family is like holding a dead fly in his mouth and can't spit it out."
"It's just a pity for the second Madam Cao. She married into such a family and was treated so badly."
He Xuran inside...
This was the fastest case he tried, not to mention that the Shu family hadn't arrived yet to identify him. He had just sat down when it was over.
The old man of the Cao family, who got the news, brought the other elders and rushed into the Cao family with a sullen face.
"This unfilial descendant!"
The old man of the Cao family had white hair, but he was very energetic. His eyes were like torches, and the cane in his hand hit the ground heavily.
"This unfilial descendant!"
He took a deep breath and said to the old lady Cao who was struggling to get up to see them.
"If I were you, I would have punished him according to the family rules and broken his legs with a stick. How could I tolerate his nonsense like this."
The old lady Cao's face was gloomy and very uneasy.
This kind of uneasiness was more intense than when she heard that Cao Qian would no longer manage the Cao family.
But she couldn't tell what it was.
The old man of the Cao family was very powerful. How could he not know the principle of "one rises, all rise, one falls, all fall"?
He thought it was shameful!
He was even more vicious.
"This is a family disgrace!! The sensible ones have already helped to cover it up. If the Shu family wants to make a fuss, let them make a fuss. Yes, Censor He is capable, but what is there to be afraid of? The Cao family won't admit it anyway. As long as we announce to the public that it was the girl from the Shu family who was promiscuous and seduced our eldest uncle behind our backs, and then we have the nerve to bite back and report to the police, we can pin the crime on her."
"Is right and wrong so important?"
"She is a woman, even if she is an ordinary woman who stays at home and keeps her place, but the Shu family is not bad. As long as we spread the word, there will be gossip."
"What else can the Shu family and He Xuran and others do?"
"If she can't stand it and commits suicide, then it will be over and done with, which will save a lot of trouble!"
The old man of the Cao family spat.
"Your uncle Cao is so capable! I have never seen someone like him who would hand over the handle with both hands! He is so cruel and merciless to his stepmother and second brother, and he doesn't care about anything. Everyone knows about it! The reputation of the Cao family has plummeted!"
"Okay, okay, what's the point of saying this now?"
The old man next to him, who is about the same age as him, pulled his clothes.
"The matter has come to this, and I don't know how the other side will judge. However, Cao Qian is like this today. When he comes back, we old bones will teach him a lesson."
The lesson he said was nothing more than a long and majestic one.
After all, the most capable child among the Cao family is Cao Qian.
Even if he is angry, he still has to rely on him in the future.
At this time, the servant guarding the yamen ran back. He didn't dare to rest all the way, and his forehead was sweaty from exhaustion.
He didn't care about the rules and hurried in without notifying. When he passed the threshold, he was tripped and fell heavily to the ground.
With a bang.
Mrs. Cao, who had been silent all the time, finally got up and asked anxiously.
"What's the verdict?"
"Tell me!"
The servant didn't care about the pain.
"It wasn't Lord He who made the verdict."
"As soon as our uncle entered the court, he said that the law was not comprehensive enough. There were cases in the past, but they all favored men. The punishment was not severe. The man's family just gave some money and apologized for the crime. It was just an explanation."
"He didn't want to embarrass Censor He who enforced the law impartially, but he really felt sorry for the Second... Second Madam."
The servant trembled: "They also said that the mistress and the second master framed the wife of the family, with no bottom line, shameless and immoral, and involved the court officials, which is an even greater crime. It is an unforgivable crime. In addition to 30 lashes of the board in the main government, he will expel the two from the family tree. Move to Lingnan and never leave."
Everyone was shocked.
Why is it so serious?
"This... Is he crazy?"
That's his own brother! !
Even if he is dissatisfied with his stepmother, he has cleaned up a lot of messes for his second brother in the past few years. The Cao family has sucked his blood, but...
But this is not the crime.
After all, they are family members.
The elders were so angry that they had difficulty breathing.
"This bastard!"
Madam Cao staggered. Her eyes were dull and she fell on the chair behind her.
"Injustice, injustice!"
But the servant hadn't finished speaking.
Afraid of being blamed by the master, he knocked his head to the ground.
"Anyone in the Cao family who knows about this will be held responsible. Old lady, you are old, so I will take the thirty strokes of the cane for you."
"I will say that although he was harmed, it is against moral principles. In addition to the caning, he decided to transfer half of the Cao family's property to Miss Shu. In this matter, I will be regarded as protecting you, old lady. At the same time, I am guilty of a serious crime, so I ask for your pardon..."
His voice became lower and lower.
His body began to tremble.
The elders could not listen to a word: "He is rebelling! He is rebelling! He is going to destroy the Cao family!"
"Although he is a junior, he inherited his father's title, which makes him the pillar of the Cao family. Even I have to call him my uncle when I see him."
"But he did not protect the family and take on the responsibilities of the head of the family, but acted recklessly! If I had known this... If I had known this, I should not have given him the throne!"
"You are also confused! You know what kind of person he is, why do you..."
He was about to say something else. He
was interrupted by Old Lady Cao.
"The elders of the clan have said too much. It's not your turn to point fingers at my family."
"You have gained a lot of benefits in the past few years. The second son is mediocre. If he inherits the title, you won't be so happy!"
"Are you blaming me now?"
She has always been able to weigh the pros and cons.
"Now that things have come to this, there is no need to mention those nonsense. If you have the ability, go and mention it in front of Brother Qian!"
"The second house is completely defeated! You can't protect it, and I can't protect it either."
Things have come to this...
it's better to think about what to do in the future.
Old Madam Cao also took out her anger.
But she claimed to be a smart person.
The second son couldn't give birth, so she didn't have to hurt the relationship between the grandfather and grandson by opposing Cao Qian again and again for the second house.
In the future, the honor and disgrace of the family will all depend on Cao Qian.
Old Madam Cao looked heavy and asked the servant: "Have you reported everything?"
"...No."
The servant took a deep breath: "The uncle has spread the word in the government office that he will ask the emperor to remove the title."
When Old Madam Cao heard this, her eyes darkened and she almost fainted.
The servant said, "He also asked me to bring back a message."
He repeated the words in a trembling voice.
"If you are worried about the second wife and want to accompany her to Lingnan, you can pack your luggage now. If you don't want to, you can stay in the old manor. You are old, so you can go there to eat vegetarian food and chant Buddhist scriptures to calm your mind and spirit."
(End of this chapter)
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