Chapter 120: Chapter 119: Cunning and Deceitful_1
The Emperor curled up his knuckles and knocked on the table with force, a hint of killing intent radiating from him.
“In my humble opinion, the Marquis of Loyalty and Courage, Qin Dezhao, should be like the advisors of the Marquis Mansion said. He was likely just after some silver! It was Qin Dezhao’s first time doing such a thing, and he didn’t expect to be caught by his subordinates. Those underlings, feeling emboldened with a big figure like the Marquis, became increasingly unscrupulous! It was only then that Qin Dezhao followed the advice of his mansion’s advisor and resorted to murder to clear his name,” the Minister of Judicial Review said slowly. “Moreover, since the Marquis Mansion and the Duke Mansion are related by marriage, Qin Dezhao wouldn’t actually harm his in-laws for the sake of his son.”
The Emperor thought the Minister of Judicial Review made sense. He gazed deeply at the red lacquered pillars in the hall. “What you say… makes sense!”
“Before I came to report to Your Majesty, the eldest son of the Marquis, Qin Lang, knelt and pleaded with me to relay his desire to surrender all the family assets of the Marquis Mansion to the state treasury to atone for his father’s trespasses! I recalled Your Majesty’s praise of Qin Lang as a model among noble sons. Qin Lang’s righteous act of sacrificing familial loyalty for the greater good does show his integrity and loyalty. If our Jin had more such sons, how could we not prosper!”
“Minister Lu… are you pleading for Qin Lang?!” The Emperor detected the underlying meaning in Lu Jin’s words but dismissed it. “Whether this is out of loyalty or self-preservation, it’s hard to say!”
“Your Majesty, I trust your judgment. Qin Lang is a good son whom you have personally commended! Having worked in the Court of Judicial Review for many years, I’ve seen all kinds of people! It’s rare to find a son with such a clear and bright gaze as Qin Lang! I believe Qin Lang is truly a rare loyal and righteous son, not a crafty and deceitful person!”
...
The words of the Minister of Judicial Review, Lu Jin, carried some sincerity. Qin Lang’s bright and clear gaze indeed set him apart from the sycophants in Dadu City.
After hearing Lu Jin’s words, the Emperor thought for a moment before turning to Gao Demao and instructing, “Have Xie Yuchang bring Qin Dezhao to me. I will question him personally.”
“Yes!” Gao Demao hurriedly left the hall and ordered Xie Yuchang, the commander of the Imperial Army, to fetch Qin Dezhao.
It wasn’t long before Xie Yuchang returned alone, reporting to the Emperor that Qin Dezhao had taken his own life in prison.
The Minister of Judicial Review, Lu Jin, widened his eyes in shock and immediately knelt on the ground. “Your Majesty! It’s all my fault for not supervising properly! Please forgive me!”
The Emperor bit his lip heavily, remained silent for a moment, and asked, “Did he leave any note behind or anything?”
“Nothing was left behind. When I arrived, he was still warm. He must have just died not long ago,” said Xie Yuchang.
The Emperor leaned back against the Dragon Throne and closed his eyes, overwhelmed with agitation.
·
The news of the Marquis of Loyalty and Courage, Qin Dezhao, taking his own life in the Court of Judicial Review’s prison caused another storm in Dadu City.
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Qin Lang, sitting in the Court of Judicial Review, almost dropped his teacup upon hearing the news of his father’s suicide.
He thought he had been fast enough. After obtaining the list, he immediately returned to the Marquis Mansion to discuss the explanation with his father’s advisors. With a dagger at his neck, he managed to bring his father’s advisors and guards to the Court of Judicial Review to confess, hoping that having the matter heard before nightfall would allow his father a few more days to live.
But it was still too late.
If his father was not silenced but committed suicide, it meant that his father had already resolved to die to preserve the honor of the Qin family.
Not long after, Lu Jin, the Minister of Judicial Review, returned. Looking at the pale Qin Lang, he offered his condolences. “The Emperor has already ordered the arrest of Liu Huanzhang’s brother-in-law, Sun Yiming. After questioning Sun Yiming, if your father’s collusion with Liu Huanzhang can be disproven, then the people of the Marquis Mansion will be free to come and go. For now, you should return to the Marquis Mansion and avoid moving around.”
Qin Lang respectfully bowed deeply to Lu Jin. “May I take my father’s body back to the mansion for burial?”
Lu Jin shook his head. “The Emperor wants to investigate your father’s cause of death. For now, your father’s body cannot return home.”
Qin Lang’s hand at his side tightened, and he saluted Lu Jin once again.
Leaving the Court of Judicial Review, Qin Lang sent his followers to inform Bai Jinxiu. He needed to return to the Marquis Mansion to prepare his father’s funeral. Still, once he entered the Marquis Mansion, he feared it would be difficult to leave, so he advised Bai Jinxiu to stay at the Bai family and observe mourning for the Duke safely.
·
At this time, all the masters of the Duke Mansion were gathered in the Changshou Courtyard of the Eldest Princess.
The Emperor had decreed that the Duke should be posthumously honored as the King of Zhen, which meant the funeral standards needed to be elevated.
But in the Imperial Palace that day, the Eldest Princess had already mentioned to the Emperor that the funeral should be simple. The Emperor’s posthumous honor of the Duke as King was a gesture of respect, also influenced by the Eldest Princess’s prior vow to relinquish her title. Therefore, the Bai family needed to be more cautious and humble to preserve themselves.
The Eldest Princess was not feeling well. She half-leaned on a large ginger-yellow pillow with Western Lotus patterns, forcing herself to sit upright on a soft divan, fiddling with a string of agarwood Buddha beads around her wrist. “Let’s arrange the funeral for the tenth.”
Mrs. Dong nodded. The sight of the coffins in the courtyard constantly reminded her of her husband and son’s unburied bodies, the pain of which gnawed at her heart. It was better to bury them soon to lessen the pain.
As soon as the Eldest Princess finished speaking, Nanny Jiang hurried in and, after paying her respects, said, “Eldest Princess, news has come that the Marquis of Loyalty and Courage took his own life in prison. The second master has returned to the Marquis Mansion to prepare the funeral, and he asked that the second young lady stay at the Bai family and not return to the Marquis Mansion.”
Mrs. Liu couldn’t contain herself, stood up in shock, and twisted the handkerchief in her hands, her heart racing. “This… will this implicate my son-in-law?”
Bai Jinxiu instinctively looked at Bai Qingyan, who was sitting under the lamp with her eyes half-lowered.
She held a slightly cooled teacup in her hands. She understood that this was King Liang silencing people.
“Second Aunt, don’t worry. If Qin Lang were to be implicated, he wouldn’t have been able to leave the Court of Judicial Review,” she put down the cup. “Qin Lang is a model noble son personally praised by the Emperor and the Empress. The Emperor won’t contradict himself. Moreover… Qin Lang’s act of righteousness and filial piety will likely be rewarded once this matter is resolved.”
The Eldest Princess nodded, understanding her nephew well. “Kid is right. Don’t worry. No matter what, I will ensure that Jinxiu’s husband isn’t harmed.”
Only then did Mrs. Liu nod, teary-eyed, and thanked the Eldest Princess.
Leaving the Eldest Princess’s courtyard, Bai Qingyan walked alongside Mrs. Dong, softly discussing plans as they walked. “Mother, rest assured. Leave all the household arrangements to me. I will ensure the Bai Mansion is well-covered and in order. You just focus on preparing for the funeral on the tenth.”
Mrs. Dong lightly kneaded Bai Qingyan’s hand. “I trust your meticulousness. I just worry that you’ll be too exhausted.”
After separating from Mrs. Dong, she asked Nanny Tong on the way to the mourning hall, “Have the people we sent to watch Chun Yan reported any movement over there?”