Chapter 494.1: To Be This Lacking in Virtue, What Difference From a Muddled Ruler
Things were indeed as Noble Consort Su said. Li Hong Yuan was planning on scheming against the Su family from the start, so regardless of how well Li Hong Ming and Su Ming Zhang cleaned up their tails back then, there was still evidence preserved. The so called getting schemed against and not voluntarily killing someone and what not, don’t even bother thinking about it. Not only so, they even had the ‘truth’ of Su Ming Zhang getting into a dispute and killing someone in a rage because of a brothel girl clearly revealed in detail. Although Qi Yuan didn’t have explicit rules stating that officials are prohibited from visiting prostitutes, but once exposed, that was just a stain that can’t be wiped away. In the evaluations, this will even be a measure of one’s moral conduct. To kill because of this, there was further no sentiments to speak of.
Fortunately, all the evidence also stopped here. As for the others that got killed at the time for the sake of covering up this matter, there weren’t evidence, and were also never mentioned.
Rui Qinwang pulled strings on all sides, as well as pleaded for leniency. Le Cheng Emperor in the end just removed Su Ming Zhang’s official hat. Never mind paying with his life, he wasn’t even exiled.
This kind of sentencing, some people naturally were satisfied with, but some naturally were very discontent.
The next day after the judgement was passed, the deceased’s mother just rammed herself to death before the palace gates, leaving behind a letter written in blood. The letter enumerated the Su family’s cruelty and brutality, recounting how terrible her son’s corpse was when discovered, recounting the various grief and sorrow their family suffered because of losing their son, for several months, searching for the culprit like headless flies, criticizing the imperial family’s unjust in handling the matter and defending the murderer. It can be said that every word shedded blood. At the very end of the bloody letter, she further left behind the words ‘give me back my son’ that made one’s heart thoroughly penetrate with sorrow.
This time, it can be said as stabbing the hornet’s nest, especially in the various academies. Seemingly, because of someone instigating, it gave rise to all kinds of fury.
Because Su Ming Zhang also came from the imperial exams, and moreover, can also be considered to have made a name for himself in his youth, for a time, he was viewed a model to countless scholars and was rather revered. However much he was revered in the past, the indignation now was just ten times that of, mainly because Su Ming Zhang has truly climbed up too fast these last few years. At thirty some years old, he was already the Left Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, attracting quite a few people’s hatred out of jealousy. Right now, it was just all kinds of throwing stones and fanning flames, saying Su Ming Zhang wasn’t fit to be a scholar, requesting his Majesty to severely punish.
For a time, the noise spread to the palace gates. If not for someone inside controlling the scene, perhaps they would’ve already invaded the imperial palace.
Afterwards, this fire burned onto Noble Consort Su and Rui Qinwang.
Su-shi, honored as the Noble Consort, to not restrain and admonish one’s maiden family, instead indulging in all kinds of ways, simply isn’t worthy of sitting in this position.
At the same time, they noisily argued that they don’t believe that at the time, Noble Consort Su and Rui Qinwang were unaware of this matter, and certainly must have helped cover up, assisting in the tyranny.
As for the Su family, they were even more miserable. From top to bottom, they for the most part all didn’t dare to go out. If they go out, they will just suffer from getting washed by stones and rotten vegetables. Of course, it wasn’t the students that did this kind of thing, but the ordinary commoners. These people were also like as if getting brainwashed, believing that the Su family was heinous.
Not only was Noble Consort Su and Rui Qinwang badly burned in the head, Le Cheng Emperor was similarly having a terrible headache.
Speaking of which, escaping from the crime through connections, this kind of thing, also wasn’t a first, but in the past, it has never been this serious before. This time, which nerve did it touch upon for it to become like this?
Alright, everyone all knew, the deceased’s family at present refuse to comply, and they were also too unyielding, thus giving rise to such a wave.
As for the scholars, that was just Qi Yuan’s future pillars, and with this many people, Le Cheng Emperor certainly can’t just order for them to be severely punish, thus he could only use the main culprit to pacify the people’s anger.
Su Ming Zhang got sentenced to exile, not only so, the others of the Su family that held official posts were also more or less affected, especially Su Ming Zhang’s father, getting demoted three ranks, under the grounds of not strict in disciplining the son. Speaking of which, Su Ming Zhang’s official post was actually more than three ranks higher than his father’s position. Under this kind of circumstance, regardless whether it was in court, or inside the Su family, all should follow behind Su Ming Zhang’s lead. To say Su father was ‘not strict in discipling the son’, it actually somewhat didn’t hold ground, but who let Le Cheng Emperor also suffer from this matter, so he naturally got vented on.
After overruling the original decision, Le Cheng Emperor issued a decree to reprimand the various academies. As a place of education, should ought to appropriately guide the students, and not gather in crowds to cause a disturbance, saying what everyone says. And towards the students under one’s institution, one must sternly restrict. If there is a next time, certainly will be severely punished. Among these, the Imperial Academy bore the brunt of the force. After all, who let the Imperial Academy be the national academy. The Head of the Imperial Academy was directly stripped of his position.
This Head of the Imperial Academy was precisely Zhou Ying Shuang’s father-in-law, the whole family worried and gloomy, for a time, wanting to let Zhou Ying Shuang visit Jin Qinwang Manor to look for Jing Wan for help. Zhou Ying Shuang, at the time, when giving birth, because of a difficult birth, and afterwards greatly bleeding out, sat in confinement for a full one hundred days. Right now, although she was out of confinement, she was still recuperating.
(T/N: Normally confinement period after childbirth is just a month.)
In Zhou Ying Shuang’s view, this was his Majesty’s decision. She absolutely shouldn’t have her close friend dragged into this matter. Moreover, although Jin Qinwang was a wangye, he didn’t have any power, so getting involved in these matters, wouldn’t that just be asking for trouble. Besides, father-in-law just got stripped of his position as the Head of the Imperial Academy, his rank was still the same, merely just moving to a not that clean and noble position. She was busy recuperating and taking care of her son, whose condition wasn’t too good. Previously, Jing Wan actually already told her that her son might have circumstances, and must be mentally prepared.
——–In reality, Jing Wan originally didn’t want to say, but considering for the sake of Zhou Ying Shuang, she still sent people to inform. As a married girl, one always need a root to establish oneself. If by chance this child really isn’t well, one must have a plan and make preparations early. Afterwards, when getting pointed at and criticized by others, one also won’t be that sad. Moreover, if one still wants to give birth to another one, then one must take care of one’s body. And if because the child is unwell, yet don’t know the reason, becoming worried, having gloominess in the heart, how can one recover well?
In reality, one can already tell a little that the child indeed can’t be considered well. Of course, it also wasn’t as bad as anticipated. However, not only for the sake of Zhou Ying Shuang herself, to want this child to have a better future, letting him have a brother was necessary.
This was decided by the societal background. No one can do anything about this.
Zhou Ying Shuang wasn’t a heartless person. No matter how unwell her son was, he was still a piece of flesh that fell from her body, so no matter what, she will still spare no effort in raising.
That’s why, right now, taking care of her body and looking after the child was the most important. Everything else can all move aside.
Her mother-in-law and the others although were angry, but in the end, they didn’t dare to really do anything, at most just giving a cold face.
However, things at this time took a turn. Numerous students jointly wrote a letter, sincerely repenting, hoping his Majesty can be lenient.
Le Cheng Emperor also wasn’t unreasonable, so in the end, Zhou Ying Shuang’s father-in-law returned to his former post.
At the end, the ones that should be punished were punished, and the ones that shouldn’t get implicated also didn’t get implicated.
“What’s wrong, isn’t that good friend of yours fine? How come still not that happy?” Li Hong Yuan held Jing Wan, pinching her face.
“Someone died, someone innocent.”
Li Hong Yuan knew Jing Wan was referring to the deceased’s mother. “This matter, we also didn’t predict beforehand.”
“If from the start, we just had Su Ming Zhang kicked down, and not take a turn, for the sake of letting him get up again, adding an extra segment to the plan, then perhaps it wouldn’t have…………..”
“Wan Wan, because something unexpected happened, that’s why the matters afterwards instead became smooth and logical. She was innocent, but some things can’t be counted as such. One has to know, if we let Su Ming Zhang rise up again, then it’s possible for even more innocent people to die. Moreover, based on this logic of yours, Su Ming Zhang is also considered innocent. After all, he had gotten schemed against. In this scheme, this husband only just pushed along the waves, but is also one of the main offenders, so how are you going to count this? With that many people in the world, perhaps everyday, or even every hour and moment, there is someone innocent either meeting with mishap, or dying. Can you tend to them all? Residing in positions like ours, sacrifices are necessary, whether intentional or not. If we don’t go do these things, then we, as well as all the people connected to us, will just get sacrificed by others. Will you, for the sake of others, just abandon yourself as well as the people related to you?”
“That already isn’t a human, but rather a buddha freeing all living beings from suffering.” Jing Wan muttered, “That’s why, my pity is actually very laughable.”
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