Looking at Zhou Yi'an kneeling and bowing before him, Han Zhongyu felt a deep sense of emotion. Zhou Yi'an wasn't inherently bad; she was like a little white sheep emerging from a wolf's den. What a pity!
Since he is unharmed, the matter of poisoning can be considered a minor or major issue, depending entirely on his attitude.
Zhou Yi'an clearly understood this as well, which is why she decisively knelt down and apologized to him on behalf of her mother.
A man's knees are worth gold; Zhou Yi'an was so willing to risk everything, it would seem heartless to kill him outright. However, the attempt to kill failed, his intentions were wicked, and only severe punishment could correct people's minds. Han Zhongyu remained silent for a moment before speaking.
"According to the law, what your aunt and this girl did today is a capital offense, but considering your innocent heart and your desire to do good, I will not pursue their death sentence."
Since those two have harbored murderous intent, they must be severely punished to serve as a warning. This girl, let's give her thirty strokes of the cane and sell her off.
As for your aunt, if there's a next time, it will be her death day!
You'd better watch yourself!
Seeing that Han Zhongyu wasn't going to delve deeper, Zhou Yi'an finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thank you for your leniency, Lord Han. I will send a letter home to my mother. My father is not senile, and I assure you, she will not cause any more trouble!"
Han Zhongyu nodded and said nothing more.
Ruyi was immediately dragged away and given thirty lashes, then taken to a brokerage firm to be sold.
After what happened, no one was in the mood to continue the banquet, but no one dared to leave; everyone was waiting to see what would happen at Han Zhongyu's table.
The establishment of the orphanage should have been a great thing, but Ruyi's interference turned the originally lively atmosphere into an awkward one. Everyone was tacitly waiting for Han Zhongyu and Xie Yushu to leave before they left as well.
Han Zhongyu felt that although there had been a slight accident, he was unharmed, so he couldn't let the important matter of benefiting the people be delayed. In his heart, the people's affairs were always more important than his own. It was rare that Zhou Yi'an was willing to open this orphanage, so he should put aside his personal grudges and help him establish this brand.
If he turns his back and leaves at this point, all the previous efforts will have been wasted, and who knows when the next Zhou Yi'an will appear!
How much longer will the orphans, beggars, widowers, and lonely people on the streets suffer?
Nowadays, the government offices have very limited manpower and financial resources. Although it seems generous to reduce taxes for the people, in reality, all the dividends are used for the people, and the salaries of the government offices themselves have not increased at all.
While Yuquan Villa appears to be quite profitable, Xie Yushu employs over a thousand people, and the workers in several factories are among the lowest paid.
The guards who were always out on the move, the guards and secret agents kept at the manor, plus those assigned to the government, were all part of the burden of supporting a charitable organization in the prefecture. Moreover, she really didn't have any capable people at her disposal to take charge of these kinds of things.
It is human nature to be greedy for money and to bully the weak, so the head of a charity must be a responsible, compassionate person who is not interested in fame or fortune, and at the very least, a person who is not greedy for money.
Zhou Yi'an was perfect for this. He was originally a rich young master, and he opened this orphanage by selling the treasures his uncle gave him. This amount of money, although not a drop in the ocean for him, would not be a serious financial blow. Since he had taken it out, he must have sincerely wanted to help the disadvantaged.
The initial dream of every scholar is to have something to use in their youth, something to rely on in their old age, something to ensure that the elderly are not burdened on the road, and something to care for the widowed, orphaned, and lonely.
But once they enter officialdom, how many become just another face in the crowd, forgetting their original aspirations?
Han Zhongyu thought for a moment, then finally stood up and addressed everyone.
"Although there was a slight accident just now, thankfully the danger has been resolved, so everyone can rest assured. Let's keep things separate. We've gathered here today because we all have a heart full of love and want to do our part for our hometown."
This deserves high praise.
Let's not dismiss Young Master Zhou's good intentions because of what just happened. Everyone here is capable in Tai'an Prefecture. I hope we can all work together to help Young Master Zhou run the orphanage well.
Let's work together for Tai'an Prefecture!
Seeing that Han Zhongyu, for the sake of the people of Tai'an Prefecture, disregarded past grievances and continued to support Zhou Yi'an in opening the orphanage, many people felt genuine admiration for Han Zhongyu and exclaimed that having a governor like Han Zhongyu was a blessing for the entire people of Tai'an Prefecture!
With leaders like Han Zhongyu, the atmosphere in Tai'an Prefecture became clean and upright. Even the few selfish and stingy people became kind and expressed their willingness to support the orphanage opened by Zhou Yi'an.
Zhou Yi'an felt increasingly ashamed. She never expected that her simple act of repentance would receive so much support. Her feelings were complicated, and she became even more determined to continue running the orphanage.
Although the matter was full of twists and turns, it ended perfectly. After the people who attended the banquet went back home, they told their families about the conditions for taking in children at the orphanage. In this way, word spread quickly, and before long, there were no more beggars and abandoned babies on the streets near Tai'an Prefecture.
As Zhou Yi'an had said, after selling Ruyi, she wrote a letter to her father, telling him the truth about what had happened and advising him to restrain her mother's behavior to avoid bringing disaster to the Grand Tutor's mansion.
If he was completely ignorant before and even felt affection for her mother and uncle, after seeing the files from Tai'an Prefecture, he felt more guilty.
Ironically, it was his closest relative who committed such a heinous act. It was precisely because he cared that he chose to face the pain and atone for his loved one's sins.
To prevent his mother from suffering the same fate as his uncle, he had no choice but to harden his heart and lock her up.
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