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墨書 Inktalez
The next morning, the court was solemn. The civil and military officials stood on either side, awaiting the arrival of the Emperor.
Prince Jing, Zhao Yan, stood among the princes, his expression calm, yet a hint of concealed pride glimmered in his eyes. In his view, the Shen Family had suffered a silent loss, left with no choice but to swallow their grievances. The matter of the broken engagement was already a foregone conclusion.
However, instead of hearing Scholar Shen's lamentations or defenses, he was met with another memorial.
The eunuch on duty raised his voice to announce: “If there are matters to report, please step forward; if not, please withdraw for the morning court—”
Before he could finish, Li Mo, the Left Censor of the Imperial Censorate, stepped forward and declared loudly, “I have a memorial to present!”
Li Mo was known as the "Iron-faced Censor," renowned for his integrity and mercilessness in punishing wrongdoers. His appearance made many officials tense up, silently speculating who would be the unfortunate target this time.
Zhao Yan furrowed his brow slightly but did not pay it much mind. Censorship was common and did not concern him directly.
Li Mo continued with a clear voice: “I have heard that Zhou Han, son of the Deputy Minister of Personnel Zhou Keqin, has recently behaved improperly and has sullied his moral character. During the Yulanpen Festival at Xiangguo Temple, he forcibly enticed virtuous women and disrupted the sanctity of Buddhism! This undermines the integrity of our court! I implore Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly!”
At these words, an uproar erupted in the court!
Zhou Han? Forcibly enticing virtuous women? Disrupting Buddhism? This was a grave offense!
Deputy Minister Zhou Keqin's face turned pale in an instant as he hurriedly stepped forward and knelt down. “Your Majesty! My son… my son would never dare…”
“Deputy Minister Zhou, please remain calm,” Inspector Li interrupted him and continued, “I do not speak without evidence. Upon my investigation, I found that the victim is none other than Shen Ling, the illegitimate daughter of Grand Scholar Shen!”
Shen Ling?!
As soon as this name was mentioned, discussions grew louder in the court! All eyes turned toward Scholar Shen standing in line and then to Prince Jing Zhao Yan beside him!
The illegitimate daughter of Grand Scholar Shen—the future consort of Prince Jing (though merely a rumor)—was involved with the Deputy Minister’s son… This was nothing short of a scandal!
Scholar Shen maintained a calm demeanor as if it had nothing to do with him.
In stark contrast, Zhao Yan’s expression darkened dramatically! His fists clenched tightly within his sleeves, his nails nearly digging into his flesh!
He never expected this matter would be brought to light in court by an inspector! And in such a manner!
Forcible enticement? Disruption of Buddhism? Inspector Li had directly condemned Zhou Han! More importantly, he had portrayed Shen Ling as a “victim”!
This changed everything! It was no longer about the Shen Family's poor upbringing or flawed family values; it was now about someone from Prince Jing's mansion’s “future kin” being wronged!
Inspector Li continued: “While Miss Shen may have acted indiscreetly, Zhou Han’s actions were far worse! I earnestly request Your Majesty to issue an edict for a thorough investigation into this matter and to punish the wrongdoers severely to restore justice! Let us give the Shen Family their due!”
What a statement about giving “the Shen Family their due”! Inspector Li’s words transformed them from being seen as “tainted” into “victims,” shifting public scrutiny from the Shen Family's morals to Zhou Han's misdeeds and highlighting Prince Jing's mansion’s failure to recognize talent!
The Emperor sat on the Dragon Throne, his expression as cold as water, revealing no hint of joy or anger. He cast a glance at the ashen-faced Zhao Yan, then turned to the calm Scholar Shen, and slowly spoke, “This matter… indeed tarnishes our morals. Zhou Han… immediately apprehend him and hand him over to the Court of Judicial Review for strict investigation! As for the Shen Family…”
The Emperor paused, his gaze landing on Scholar Shen. “Minister Shen, what is your opinion on this matter?”
Everyone held their breath, waiting for Scholar Shen's response.
Scholar Shen stepped forward slowly, bowed deeply, and spoke in a calm voice, “Your Majesty, my daughter has acted improperly and brought disgrace upon our family. It is my failure as a father to educate her properly; I deserve death for this.”
He first took responsibility upon himself, lowering his stance significantly.
Then he shifted his tone: “However, now that things have come to this point, further discussion is futile. I humbly request Your Majesty to retract the marriage between my daughter and Prince Jing!”
What?! Scholar Shen actually proposed to break off the engagement?! And he referred to his daughter as “Shen Wei”!
At this moment, not only was Zhao Yan stunned, but even the Emperor was taken aback!
“Minister Shen, you…”
Scholar Shen raised his head, his gaze resolute. “Your Majesty, I am not acting out of impulse. I believe that with such disgraceful conduct from the Shen Family, we have lost all face to continue our connection with the royal family. Rather than let Prince Jing and Wei'er harbor resentment over this matter in the future, it is better to end it now. I know I have failed Your Majesty’s trust and am willing to accept punishment!”
His words were sincere and heartfelt, expressing the “shame” of the Shen Family while voluntarily withdrawing from the engagement. His noble stance left no room for criticism!
In contrast, Zhao Yan had initially planned to use Shen Ling’s incident as a reason to break off the engagement but was now preempted by the Shen Family. He found himself suspected of being unable to discern people’s character and of condoning chaos within his own household!
The Emperor looked deeply at Scholar Shen and then glanced at Zhao Yan, whose face had turned as dark as a pot bottom. He understood what was happening; the Shen Family was… advancing by retreating!
“Very well.” The Emperor pondered for a moment before speaking slowly, “Since Minister Shen insists so firmly… I grant it.”
He paused again and added, “Shen Wei is dignified and virtuous; her character is pure. This incident has nothing to do with her. I hope Minister Shen will guide her well and not let one misstep ruin everything.”
These words were meant to reassure the Shen Family while also sending a warning to certain individuals.
“I thank Your Majesty for your great kindness!” Scholar Shen bowed deeply in gratitude.
Zhao Yan stood there feeling an intense fury rising within him! His carefully orchestrated plan to break off the engagement had been thwarted by the Shen Family in this manner, turning it against him!
He had become the one who was “broken off” from! A laughingstock in front of all the officials!
Damn the Shen Family! Damn Shen Wei!
He suddenly lifted his head to look at Scholar Shen but only saw a calm and resolute back.
As court adjourned, officials dispersed in small groups, discussing among themselves. The news of Prince Jing being rejected by the Shen Family spread through the capital like wildfire.
The tide had completely turned.
Upon returning to the residence, Scholar Shen immediately shared the news with me. I set down the account book in my hands and smiled slightly. "Father has done well."
Zhao Yan wanted to remove me from the board like a mere pawn, but little did he know, I flipped the chessboard and countered his move. Next, I had to deal with Shen Ling and Zhou Han.
I walked to the window, gazing at the clear sky outside, feeling quite pleased. Qing Zhu brought over a cup of hot tea. "Miss, your move was truly brilliant! Everyone outside is saying that Prince Jing failed to recognize talent and almost fell for Shen Ling's deception. Fortunately, the Shen Family withdrew from the engagement in time, preserving your reputation!"
I took the teacup and sipped it. "This is just the beginning. One wrong step can lead to total defeat. The paths of Zhao Yan and Shen Ling are only just beginning to become difficult."
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