Whipping was a simple punishment that could be carried out on the spot. The three departments had a high power in the trial. Even though Madam Yin had the title of Honorary Lady, she still received thirty lashes in public, all on her back. Fortunately, she was wearing thick clothes in the cold weather, so her clothes didn't become tattered because of the whipping.
As soon as the execution was over, Madam Yin Deng fainted. It was because of the pain, but also because of the humiliation. Concubine Cui hid behind Yu Shu and watched the whole process of Madam Yin Deng being beaten. She was scared to death and had a shadow in her heart, so she stayed quiet for a long time after the incident.
Yin Zhourong was glad that he escaped a disaster, but he pretended to be angry because he was deceived by others. He was afraid that what happened today would spread to Prime Minister Yin and destroy their relationship.
Therefore, when Madam Yin fainted on the spot, he didn't come forward to care about her. Instead, when she was taken away by the officials to serve her sentence, he left in a hurry. He had to clarify in front of Prime Minister Yin before others gossiped.
Aunt Cui was also taken away. Before leaving, she pulled Yu Shu's hand pitifully and said, "Don't forget to pick me up."
Yu Shu nodded perfunctorily. With Xue Rui's care, Concubine Cui's imprisonment was almost the same as confinement, so there was nothing to worry about. Yu Shu, on the other hand, wanted Concubine Cui to suffer a little so that she would learn from her mistakes.
After Madam Yin and Aunt Cui were taken away, the crowd outside the yamen didn't have anything to watch and quickly dispersed. It was believed that the people of Anling City would have a new topic to talk about in their spare time.
The three chief judges changed to the back hall to talk. It was mainly Xue Rui and Assistant Minister Li who checked the statements and organized the case to present to the Emperor. Censor Wang stood at the side and watched helplessly. It was the complete opposite of his enthusiasm during the trial. He wanted to pretend that he didn't exist.
But Xue Rui wouldn't let him get away with it.
"Lord Wang, the case is clear now. Do you still want to impeach Yu Nuyu?"
Wang Jiao looked embarrassed. Yin Zhourong and his wife had both admitted that Yu Shu's mother had not eloped, but had returned the indenture. Therefore, Yu Shu was naturally in the right to beat up the officials who had come to arrest her, not to mention the crime of shielding her. What was there to impeach?
But earlier in the Imperial Court, his words were too firm. Now he had failed. If he didn't impeach Yin Zhourong, he would be slapping his own face. In the end, it was all Yin Zhourong's fault. He was fooled by a woman and made such a big mistake.
"It's all a misunderstanding. Haha, a misunderstanding." Wang Jiao tried to smooth things over.
Xue Rui didn't joke around with him. With a serious expression, he said, "Do you think impeaching an official is child's play? As an Imperial Censor of the Imperial Censorate, your actions were careless. As an Inquisitor, you only listened to one side of the story. This is unfair. I will write a memorial to His Majesty in full detail. Good luck to you."
Assistant Minister Li, who was pretending to read through the confession, was surprised to hear him sharply criticizing Imperial Censor Wang. He couldn't help but raise his head to look at him. As the eldest legitimate grandson of the Xue family, Xue Rui had always had a good reputation. This was inseparable from his smooth and slick personality. Why did he suddenly become so unforgiving?
Wang Jiao's expression changed. His embarrassment turned into anger. He said, "Vice Minister Xue, why are you acting like this?"
Xue Rui said coldly, "If you have the heart to admit your mistake, then you should personally apologize to Yu Nuyu. After all, you once wrongly accused her in front of all the civil and military officials of the court and insulted her parents. If you don't feel ashamed, then I can only invite you to explain yourself in front of His Majesty."
Wang Jiao finally understood. Xue Rui was threatening him. If he didn't apologize to Yu Shu, he would sue him for dereliction of duty.
"You, you … don't go too far." After all, he had a guilty conscience. He didn't have much confidence in his words.
"Official Wang, go home and reflect on your actions. After tomorrow, when I finish writing the memorial, I will return to the palace to report." When the three departments jointly concluded the case, the Supreme Court would handle it. The subsequent punishments would be carried out by the Ministry of Justice.
Wang Jiao's face was swollen. He was angry but didn't dare to say anything. He could only watch as Xue Rui flung his sleeves and left.
"Ahem, um, Official Wang," Assistant Minister Li kindly reminded him, "If you want to apologize to someone, it's better to do it as soon as possible."
Didn't Xue Rui leave a deadline? If Censor Wang didn't personally apologize by tomorrow at the latest, then he would sue him. He wasn't joking. But even if he did apologize, his position as the Vice Minister of the Imperial Censor would probably come to an end.
"I — — Sigh!" Wang Jiao's shoulders slumped. It was too late for regrets.
In the end, he was the one who wanted to fish in troubled waters and use Yu Shu as a stepping stone to advance. In the end, he didn't have the ability and stepped on empty air. Who could he blame?
Here, he would advise those petty people who only cared about profit. There were indeed shortcuts to promotion and wealth, but be careful not to trip over them.
***
In the palace.
Inside the Peaceful Palace, Liu Hao was reporting the results of the three departments' joint trial to Emperor Zhao Qing. The Grand Commissioner was outside the palace asking for an audience. Emperor Zhao Qing interrupted him and called him in.
"My beloved subject, come and listen as well. What a muddled case this is."
When he was asked to recount it again, Liu Hao didn't show the slightest reluctance. He didn't even take a sip of tea and started from the beginning. Emperor Zhao Qing and the Grand Commissioner didn't interrupt until he finished talking about Xue Rui's verdict.
Liu Hao didn't add fuel to the fire, nor did he exaggerate. The truth was clear for all to see. It wasn't wise to make things difficult for him now.
"Prime Minister Yin has such a muddle-headed son who was fooled by a woman. He didn't even know what was right and wrong before running to us to complain. What a disgrace." Emperor Zhao Qing shook his head to express his pity, but there was no displeasure on his face.
Liu Hao's expression didn't change. It was as if Emperor Zhao Qing didn't belittle his maternal uncle.
The Grand Commissioner evaluated, "Yu Nuyu is a person of pure filial piety. Her birth mother was so unbearable, but she didn't despise or abandon her. She didn't hesitate to be criticized by others to seek justice for her mother. This subject believes that she can be a role model."
Emperor Zhao Qing smiled and said, "There were people who accused her of covering up. Now it looks like it's all because of her filial piety. Fine, since you've spoken up for her, we will reward her and let her be justified."
When he finished, he turned to Liu Hao and said pleasantly, "You've done a good job. Go back and rest."
Liu Hao thus took his leave. After he left, Emperor Zhao Qing's expression immediately changed. He slammed the table and angrily said, "This Yin Zhourong, does he think that everyone is a fool? Does he think that we are also a fool? Who can he fool with his little tricks? If it wasn't for his old man's face, would we have let him go to the Ministry of Revenue to earn money? Instead, he urged the imperial censors to undermine us. We think that he doesn't want to be the assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue anymore! "
Prime Minister Yin had three sons. The eldest di son was a bookworm and didn't understand the ways of the world. He could only stay in the Hanlin Academy and compile books. The third son was also born of the first wife. He was neither skilled in literature nor in martial arts, but he was a first-class debauchee. When it came to the second son, Yin Zhourong, although his aptitude was mediocre, he was more capable than the first two. Thus, he became the leader of his generation. Prime Minister Yin shamelessly arranged for him to be placed in the Ministry of Revenue, and he steadily became the assistant minister.
Fortunately, the eldest branch produced Yin Yuanrong. Otherwise, after another ten years, when Prime Minister Yin passed away, the Yin family wouldn't even have a backbone.
"Your Majesty, please quell your anger," The Grand Commissioner said, "Yin Zhourong is a bastard son, but he has been better off than the eldest di son. It's normal for him to get carried away. This time, he's been taught a lesson. Prime Minister Yin will definitely keep him in check in the future. Moreover, this is a special time. It's not appropriate to change the people in court. "
Emperor Zhao Qing frowned and brought the teacup to his mouth. He paused and said, "Has there been any movement in the Prince of Dongjing's residence recently?"
"Lady Wei and Princess Chun Wei are staying in the residence obediently and rarely go out. Lady Wei isn't an ordinary woman. She must have seen the current situation clearly. If she wants to escape the capital, she will definitely plan before making a move. "
"Hmph, the decree to dispatch troops should have reached Ningdong City. I want to see if the Jiang family will be forced to do something desperate." Emperor Zhao Qing sneered. It was obvious that he was certain that Prince of Dongjing was disloyal.
The Grand Commissioner's expression was indifferent. He took out a small Ternary Luopan from his sleeve and placed it in his palm. He touched the Heavenly Lake with his fingertip, and the inner compass began to rotate as if it had a mind of its own.
"Looking northeast, metal restrains wood, and is in charge of killing. The appearance of the Star of the Left reverses the heaven and earth." He slowly recited with a worried expression.
When Emperor Zhao Qing heard this, he asked, "What does this divination mean?"
The Grand Commissioner hesitated for a moment, then said honestly, "Prince of Dongjing is destined to bring disaster to the world. The Star of the Left is his destined benefactor. If we can't subdue him as soon as possible, once the two of them meet, the situation will become unstoppable."
Emperor Zhao Qing's expression changed. "Can you divine where this Star of the Left comes from?"
The Grand Commissioner activated the luopan again. This time, he focused and observed for a long time before saying in a deep voice, "This child's parents are not fated. If he's a man, he'll be adopted. If he's a woman, both parents will die. Because he has both wealth and longevity, it's not good for a husband and wife. If he doesn't marry late, he'll become a widower. "
There were too many people who fit these conditions. If he wanted to start with this person, it would be easier to cut off the source of Prince of Dongjing.
Emperor Zhao Qing shook his head in disappointment and didn't pursue the matter.
***
In the morning, Yu Shu went out with Aunt Cui. When she returned, she was alone. Seeing that she couldn't hide Aunt Cui's disappearance from Zhao Hui, she took advantage of dinner time. When He Fangzhi and Yu Xiaoxiu came back from the medical center, the whole family was present. She briefly explained the joint hearing between the three departments.
Zhao Hui was so shocked that her jaw almost dropped. Yu Xiaoxiu asked anxiously, "Is Mother in prison right now?"
Yu Shu nodded. "She'll be released after three days. Don't worry, your Brother Xue is on duty at the Supreme Court. Mother will be fine."
"Why didn't you say anything about such a big thing before?" He Fangzhi reprimanded him. "It's not like there aren't any elders in the family. Even if they can't help you, they can still discuss a solution with you.
"Alright, you're just afraid that we'll worry for nothing. You said it yourself, worrying won't help." Zhao Hui interrupted him. She put food in his bowl and said angrily, "The Yin family is really despicable.
"This Yin Family is really despicable. They're evil to the core. Earlier on, they actually had the face to ask a matchmaker to come and propose marriage. Now, they're trying to harm someone. Luckily, your father had a good idea and secretly hid your mother's contract, so their evil plan didn't succeed."
Yu Shu didn't divulge that Xue Rui had sent people to her clan to swindle her into selling herself, and when she turned around and saw Yu Xiaoxiu's deeply worried expression, she rubbed his head and said, "If you're worried, then I'll take you to the prison tomorrow afternoon to have a look."
Yu Xiaoxiu said softly, "Okay."
After dinner, Yu Shu stayed to talk with Zhao Hui. Yu Xiaoxiu went back to his room to do his homework. He was absent-minded the whole night. Bai Ran poured tea for him and couldn't help but ask,
"What's wrong with you, young master? You can tell me if you're unhappy."
Yu Xiaoxiu had always been close to him, so he didn't hide it. He told her all the grievances between the Yin family and his family. In the end, he said gloomily,
"I just feel that I'm useless. I'm the only male in the family, but I can't do anything. I have to let my sister, a girl, do everything. She has to take care of everything. When can I be a man and let her rely on me?"
Hearing this, Bai Ran thought that he was a child after all. He was innocent and cute. She looked at him with a smile and coaxed, "Then young master, grow up quickly. One day, you'll be a man of indomitable spirit."
Yu Xiaoxiu nodded seriously and said, "If only I had half of brother Xue's ability in the future."
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