Requesting the repeal of the late emperor's edict is a highly disrespectful act.
If an ordinary person were to utter even a single word, it would enrage the emperor, let alone Emperor Jingyuan, who ruled the country with propriety and filial piety.
He looked at the handwritten note on the table and fell into deep thought.
In fact, the rumors circulating in the inner quarters of General Chengping's residence had reached Emperor Jingyuan's ears.
Song Ziyu showed no restraint in favoring his second wife and neglecting his first wife. Jiang Wan had not conceived a son in the three years since she entered the household. Based on this alone, outsiders could guess what kind of life she was living.
But Emperor Jingyuan neither inquired about it nor wanted to.
Once it's acknowledged that Jiang Wan's marriage is not going well, everyone will think of the imperial decree that granted her the marriage.
Emperor Jingyuan wouldn't allow others to gossip, but the late emperor was blind and brought together an unhappy couple.
That was his beloved father, his revered late emperor. How could the late emperor have been wrong?
Now that Yuan Shi and Song Ziyu are both imprisoned, the previous generation of the General's Mansion has been destroyed, and Jiang Wan is just a woman. Whether her marriage to the Song family continues or not will have little impact on the court.
However, if divorce is permitted, the cause and effect of this matter will be recorded in history books.
The late emperor hated the Miao people the most in his life and was determined to spend several years recovering the Miao region. He also issued an order that Miao people were not allowed to enter the capital.
Who would have thought that in the end, he would be deceived by the Miao princess.
I wonder how future generations will judge this.
Emperor Jingyuan frowned and looked down from the high platform.
Jiang Wan, dressed in the robes of a first-rank imperial consort, knelt quietly below the stage, her back straight.
The title of First-Rank Imperial Consort is not only a symbol of nobility, but also a reminder of all the things she did as a woman.
He provided relief to disaster victims, developed a pharmacy for epidemics, treated the Empress Dowager, and protected the palace when the Donglai people attacked the capital... including risking his life to save the Emperor in the eyes of outsiders, and guarding the imperial edict in the hands of Tuoba Hui.
Everything demonstrated the weight of this first-rank imperial consort.
Even if Emperor Jingyuan had his own selfish motives, he could not ignore her request.
The imperial edict returned by Song Yu was placed on the table. The young man had clear eyes and spoke with a resounding voice: "The emperor is subject to the same laws as the common people."
If the emperor is misled and makes mistakes, why can't he be corrected?
Moreover, Jiang Linyuan and Ji Rong are both pillars of the court, and they are blood relatives of Jiang Wan. If she does not allow the divorce, it will inevitably hurt the feelings of the two ministers and cause people to say that the imperial family is heartless.
I weighed the pros and cons in my mind.
Emperor Jingyuan had already made his decision.
He slowly got up, walked off the stage, and personally helped Jiang Wan up.
"I grant Madam Jiang's request for a divorce."
Jiang Wan bowed to express her gratitude.
To show his respect, Emperor Jingyuan turned to look at Pei Xuan.
"As for the Yuan family's identity and crimes, the matter will be investigated by the Prefect of the Capital, with the Crown Prince in charge. Once the facts are verified, there is no need for exile; they will be sentenced to death immediately."
Pei Xuan responded.
The ministers also joined in, praising his wisdom.
Jiang Linyuan and Ji Rong exchanged a glance, their hearts churning with a bittersweet mix of emotions.
When they learned the cause of Ji Mingling's death from Grand Secretary Teng, they were all heartbroken and wished they could tear Yuan Shi, that poisonous woman, to pieces.
Now her wish has finally been fulfilled, her evil deeds have been exposed to the world, and she has been sentenced to death.
Awan was able to get a divorce and had no further dealings with the Song family.
I imagine that Ji Mingling, seeing this day from heaven, would find solace in it.
With Emperor Jingyuan's decree in hand, the Prefect of Jingzhao acted swiftly.
Three days later, He Xingyun arrived at the door with the divorce papers prepared by the government.
Since Song Ziyu was tortured last time, his injuries have not been treated and have become increasingly serious. Now he is unable to write.
He Xingyun brought the prepared divorce papers to Jiang Wan for review. If there were no errors, Song Ziyu could put his fingerprint on them, and the divorce would take effect.
Jiang Wan lowered her eyes, her gaze falling on the divorce papers, and momentarily lost in thought.
She was filled with emotion as she finally held what she had longed for but could not obtain in her past life.
Seeing that she didn't speak, He Xingyun asked, "What's wrong, Madam Jiang? Is there a problem with this divorce agreement?"
Jiang Wan shook her head: "No problem, thank you for your trouble, sir." She got up, picked up her cloak, and went out first. "I will go with you, sir."
He Xingyun was surprised for a moment, then quickly followed.
Having witnessed the situation escalate to this point, he thought Jiang Wan would never see Song Ziyu again.
This morning, Pei Xuan also went to the Ministry of Justice prison, saying he wanted to ask Song Ziyu some questions. I wonder if he has left yet.
Just after the winter solstice, light snow began to fall in Beijing.
Jiang Wan stepped into the Ministry of Justice prison, brushing the snow off her shoulders as she walked inside.
In fact, He Xingyun was right. She and Song Ziyu had nothing left to say to each other. She came here today only because she heard the Empress mention that Gu Yurong was suffering from the plague, and she wanted to see for herself.
After the Prefect of Jingzhao concluded Song Lin's case, he transferred Song Lin and his mother to the Ministry of Justice for imprisonment, not far from the cell where Song Ziyu was held.
Jiang Wan walked along the corridor for a while and stopped in front of a cell door.
The cell was dimly lit, and a woman lay on the filthy, hay-covered body, her face terrifying.
If the jailer hadn't pointed it out, she truly wouldn't have recognized that this woman was Gu Yurong.
Gu Yurong lay stiffly on the ground, motionless, as if she had stopped breathing.
The jailer covered his nose and stepped forward, tapping her body with a stick before she woke up.
Having crawled in the dark for so long, she couldn't adjust to the light for a moment. After a brief pause, her vision slowly returned.
The moment she saw the person in front of her, her disheveled face suddenly contorted into a ferocious expression, and she trembled with excitement.
"Jiang... Jiang Wan?"
"You bitch, you slut! Isn't it enough that you've hurt me like this? What else do you want to do!"
"How dare you!" the jailer shouted. "You criminal woman, how dare you disrespect a first-rank noblewoman!"
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