The emperor glanced at them and realized that these were the same people who had just spoken up for the princess, so he roughly guessed what Lu Baichuan was going to say.
The group glared at Lu Baichuan with displeasure and said, "We are just stating the facts. As officials, we should speak out for the innocent. What makes you say such a thing, General Lu?"
Lu Baichuan glanced at them and said with a faint smile, "So, you gentlemen believe that Princess Anping is innocent? But after all this, who is truly innocent? I don't need to remind you, do I?"
"this……"
The group had already lost the upper hand, and now they were being beaten down by Lu Baichuan, with no room to struggle.
But Lu Baichuan continued, "What you gentlemen say is right. As officials, we should speak out for the innocent. So, in your eyes, what kind of people are considered innocent? Is it the young man who was beaten when he came to collect a debt? Is it the innocent people who were dragged to borrow money at exorbitant interest rates? Is it the girl who died tragically and her family?"
"These people are just ordinary citizens of Beiyan, powerless and incapable of even seeking justice for themselves. They are the ones who truly need your help to seek justice, not opportunists who aid and abet evil and cause irreparable consequences."
"But what did you gentlemen do? You accused people without any evidence, just by making baseless accusations. Just because the other party is of higher status than me, does that mean I am the one who must be punished? The emperor is subject to the same laws as the common people. You gentlemen should understand this principle. Why is it that what I saw was different?"
Although Kang Tiezui was no longer there to help in the court, Lu Baichuan was still quite eloquent. He single-handedly debated with everyone, leaving none of the officials in the court daring to retort.
It wasn't that these people couldn't argue with Lu Baichuan; it was mainly because the matter of Princess Anping was too outrageous and couldn't be justified. They simply didn't have the face to say anything more.
The people named immediately stepped forward to apologize to the emperor, saying that they were only concerned about the reputation of the royal family and that they had made a mistake due to oversight.
The emperor felt humiliated listening to this and gritted his teeth, saying, "This is not how you maintain the royal family's reputation! You all falsely accused Minister Lu without distinguishing right from wrong, so you shall all be demoted one rank and have your salary deducted for one year!"
This punishment is quite severe. Demotion is easy, but promotion is difficult. I don't know how many years it will take to get back to my current position.
Moreover, those in the imperial court are notorious for their opportunism; their lives are likely to become even more difficult in the future.
Thinking of this, everyone couldn't help but hate Lu Baichuan again. If Lu Baichuan hadn't sued them, they wouldn't have suffered this ordeal, since the emperor hadn't said anything at first.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for upholding justice for this humble subject!"
Lu Baichuan was satisfied, bowed, and prepared to take his leave.
"Since you're already here, Minister Lu, don't rush to leave. Why don't you listen to the court assembly together?"
The emperor extended the invitation with a smile, an attitude that sent shivers down the spines of his courtiers.
The emperor's mind is completely focused on the west. Even without enough evidence, the matter concerning Princess Anping wouldn't cause much of a stir. Only a fool would try to fight Lu Baichuan.
Lu Baichuan gave the emperor face, standing obediently to the side and listening to the court officials discuss state affairs. He was just a listener and didn't say much. Even when the emperor called on him to say a few words, he would say that what the officials had said was excellent and he didn't offend anyone at all.
Even the emperor, sitting on the throne, couldn't help but roll his eyes. Lu Baichuan had only been gone for a short while, yet he had managed to smooth things over so well.
After the court session, Lu Baichuan left the palace and met the family of the victimized girl at the palace gate. He gave them some money and said, "You can come back to the capital to live from now on. This money is enough for you to live a good life. As long as you are good-hearted, you can go to the General's Mansion for help if you encounter any trouble."
"Thank you, General! Thank you!"
The woman, in her fifties, was about to kneel before him with tears in her eyes, but Lu Baichuan helped her up and said gently, "No need for formalities. Just live a good life from now on, and Xiu Niang's spirit in heaven will be happy for you."
Xiu Niang was the name of the murdered girl.
"Yes, yes..."
The old woman wiped away another tear. The murderer who harmed her daughter had been punished, and her daughter could finally rest in peace. They should be happy.
"We should do our best to let the children in our family read and write, so that they can change their destiny through knowledge in the future."
Looking at the old woman's grandson at her feet, Lu Baichuan added that the money he gave was enough for the child to go to school.
"Very well, I will certainly send the child to school as the general instructed."
When her son went to demand an explanation for his sister, Yu He sent people to break his leg. After that, her whole family was driven out of the capital. Her son's injury became infected on the way, and he died not long after. Now, only she, her daughter-in-law, and her grandson are left.
If Lu Baichuan hadn't sent people to find them in time, their family probably wouldn't have survived much longer.
After watching them leave, Lu Baichuan said to the servant beside him, "From now on, when I am not in the capital, have Steward Liu visit this family every two or three months, and help them if they encounter any difficulties."
In this world, it's not easy for a family with only women, children, and infants to make ends meet.
"yes."
Just as Lu Baichuan got home, he received news that Yu He had been severely injured yesterday and was going to receive another fifty lashes today. He died from a sudden shock.
Princess Anping fell ill after returning home, and upon hearing the news of her grandson's death, she fainted immediately. It seems she doesn't have many days left to live.
Lu Baichuan remained calm and showed no emotion. He believed that evil people would get their just desserts and that such people deserved to die.
When his family heard the news, they were worried that he would be targeted in court, so they surrounded him to ask what was going on. Looking at his concerned family, Lu Baichuan's bitter feelings from the previous incident about that poor family were instantly soothed. He smiled and said, "It's alright. The Emperor punished Princess Anping and gave us a reward."
Madam Sun immediately bowed in the direction of the palace, muttering, "At this critical moment, we still need the Emperor's protection. Our Lu family is full of loyal and virtuous people; we cannot be harmed by treacherous people!"
Everyone covered their mouths and laughed. As the group walked into the courtyard, Lu Baichuan said, "Father and Mother, now that the matter in the capital has been resolved, your son must return to Changzhou. We can't keep Jiu'er and Gou'er waiting too long."
"Yes, yes, you should have gone back a long time ago. Your wife just gave birth and needs someone to take care of her. No one can take care of her as well as you. You must treat her well."
Sun showed no intention of trying to persuade him to stay; she wished he could go back right now.
Lu Baichuan nodded. His return this time was somewhat rushed, but his wife and children were still in Changzhou, and nothing was more important than them.
“My son knows.”
After that, the whole family started preparing things for him to take back, with the plan to leave early the next morning.
Meanwhile, in the palace, the emperor had just finished court and was having lunch with the empress when a eunuch came to deliver a message from the retired emperor: the retired emperor and Consort Liu were going on a trip and were going to Changzhou with Lu Baichuan first.
Yes, we're here to inform him, not to ask for his opinion.
The emperor glanced at the empress, who was equally shocked, and then at the fragrant food in his hands, and immediately lost his appetite.
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