Yunchu’s Vengeance - Chapter 146
Chapter 146 - The Marquis of Xuanwu is Arrested
Listening to the people on the street discuss the matter of Imperial Son-in-law Liu, Yun Chu felt somewhat dazed.
In her past life, the affair involving Imperial Son-in-law Liu was only exposed when September officially arrived. Bringing it forward by half a month in this lifetime must have been the result of her father and eldest brother maneuvering behind the scenes.
Ordinary folks all assumed that Imperial Son-in-law Liu had committed a breach of protocol in front of the throne, thus incurring the imperial wrath and having his head severed.
In reality, after the morning court session concluded, Imperial Son-in-law Liu had illicit relations with a concubine in the inner palace and was caught red-handed by the Emperor, who had gone to visit her. No man could ever accept being cuckolded, let alone the sovereign of a nation. Drawing the long saber from the waist of his personal guard without a second thought, the Emperor chopped off Imperial Son-in-law Liu's head right then and there.
Given that the Emperor was advanced in years, his strength was somewhat lacking. Rumor had it that it took many blows before Imperial Son-in-law Liu's neck was finally severed...
Imperial scandals were not to be spread outside, so this incident was known only to a select few.
Unwilling to entrust the handling of Imperial Son-in-law Liu's affairs to anyone else, the Emperor specifically tasked her father with the disposition, establishing a series of charges with the very first action being the raiding of the Imperial Son-in-law's residence.
As for the letter she had written in the persona of the Marquis of Xuanwu, it was placed right upon the desk in Imperial Son-in-law Liu's study.
The contents of the letter were very simple: "...I am somewhat aware of the affair between the Imperial Son-in-law and Consort Tian. If you wish for me to keep my mouth shut, prepare ten thousand taels of silver and send it to the Marquis of Xuanwu's Estate..."
Knowing of a royal scandal and using it to threaten and extort—this was something the Emperor would never tolerate, and the Marquis of Xuanwu's Estate was destined to vanish from the capital soon.
Yun Chu's expression was cold and detached.
In her previous life, right up until her death, she had never known that the person on her bridal night was someone else entirely.
Having ruined her life, he still wanted to swagger about as the Marquis of Xuanwu, dreaming of having a virtuous wife at home and a pampered concubine on the side—it was utterly delusional!
Just as Yun Chu and the craftsman finished discussing the specific details of the design blueprints, she saw a large group of soldiers march past the end of the street, heading in the direction of the Marquis of Xuanwu's Estate.
Not long after, that squad of guards escorted the Marquis of Xuanwu himself through the street.
Countless commoners were buzzing with discussion.
"What on earth is going on today? Imperial Son-in-law Liu gets into trouble, and now the Marquis of Xuanwu is in trouble too?"
"Imperial Son-in-law Liu committed a breach of protocol before the throne, but what crime has the Marquis of Xuanwu committed for the imperial court to arrest people with such a grand display?"
"Who knows what's going on..."
Qin Mingheng was under escort, feeling just as utterly clueless.
Ever since he divorced the Luo woman, he had become the laughingstock of the capital during tea and leisure hours. To avoid being mocked by others, he hadn't attended court for many days, staying home every day to accompany Chuniang and read the Four Books and Five Classics to the child in her belly.
He had only just heard servants mention the matter of Imperial Son-in-law Liu, and while he was still reeling in shock that a dignified Imperial Son-in-law would actually engage in illicit relations with an imperial consort, the guards burst into the Marquis's estate and arrested him.
Ever since inheriting his peerage, he had always abided strictly by the rules and never done a single thing he shouldn't have. He truly could not understand what crime he had committed to warrant being detained in broad daylight and paraded through the streets like a criminal toward the yamen, utterly disregarding the reputation of the Marquis of Xuanwu's Estate!
He raised his head, scanning the dense sea of spectators, and caught sight of a face he had yearned for day and night.
It was Yun Chu!
In that exact instant, he suddenly understood why he had fallen into such a plight.
It was her... She was using the Yun family's influence to fabricate a trumped-up charge against him... purely to exact revenge for that single night of their wedding!
She was the woman he had cherished in his heart since his youth; he had adored her for so many years, and for her sake, he was willing to give up anything.
Yet she wished for nothing more than for him to die.
Staring at Yun Chu, he saw the chilling indifference in her eyes, the sheer satisfaction reflected in her gaze, and his heart felt as though it were being slowly sliced by a blade, aching intensely.
That night clearly hadn't been him—why should he be the one to bear the brunt of her vengeance?
Qin Mingheng suddenly began to struggle, nearly breaking free despite the two guards holding him down.
"Let go of me!"
He roared in fury, but the two guards turned a deaf ear, tightening their grip as they dragged him through the bustling street.
Qin Mingheng kept his eyes locked firmly on Yun Chu's direction.
He had committed no crime, and no trumped-up charge could ever convict him; he would definitely be acquitted and released!
When that time came, he would surely ask this woman in person whether she had any heart at all!
Yun Chu watched impassively as Qin Mingheng was escorted away, the expression on her face remaining largely unchanged.
The following morning, word reached her that the Luo woman, who had been cast aside by the Marquis of Xuanwu, had beaten the Dengwen Drum to lodge an official accusation against her former husband for colluding with remnants of criminal factions, even producing crucial evidence to back it up.
While the imperial court was still searching for evidence of the Marquis of Xuanwu's crimes, Madam Luo's move could be said to have dealt the Marquis a fatal blow.
The imperial court directly issued an imperial decree stripping away the title of the Marquis of Xuanwu, confiscating all private assets of the estate, and exiling three generations of males—including Qin Mingheng—three thousand li away.
The older generation of the Marquis's estate had already passed away, leaving only Qin Mingheng and Madam Luo's sole legitimate son in the younger generation.
Under the laws of the current dynasty, children of divorced couples universally remained with the paternal side, but because Madam Luo's accusation had yielded meritorious service and her legitimate son was still young, the imperial court showed leniency by allowing the young heir to take the surname Luo and exempting him from exile.
Yun Chu could not help but sigh inwardly; had Qin Mingheng not taken in a concubine outside, Madam Luo would never have made such a decisive break with the Marquis's estate.
Being accused before the grand hall by his wedded wife was a bitter fruit of Qin Mingheng's own making—only it was a pity for that concubine who had just entered the Marquis's estate; word had it she was frightened into premature labor that very day...
"Good, absolutely wonderful!" Xie Zhongcheng beamed with absolute delight. "Back then, Weige'er merely scraped the skin of the Marquis's young heir's finger, yet they had his legs broken... Hahaha, let that Marquis of Xuanwu rely on his power to bully others, let him act domineeringly—look at that, hasn't retribution arrived now?"
"Those who commit numerous evils will surely be met with heaven's judgment!" Madam Yuan muttered indignantly before letting out a sigh. "I wonder where Weige'er is right now. Such a young child, all alone outside, poor little thing..."
"Why bring him up?" Xie Zhongcheng changed the subject. "With September just around the corner, An-ge'er will soon enter the Imperial Academy. I heard the other day that they need to report to the Imperial Academy in advance; I wonder if Jingyu will be able to get up and see An-ge'er off."
Xie Jingyu's condition had improved slightly, but truly only slightly.
His left hand remained completely immobile, his left leg could barely support his weight, and having stayed abed in his room for far too long, he longed to go out and catch a breath of fresh air.
Moreover, with the Old Mistress having passed away, he was in the middle of a one-year mourning period, and he feared that if he continued to hole up in his room without stepping outside, everyone in the imperial court would forget there was still an official named Xie.
The next morning, he got up to personally accompany Xie Shian into the palace to report for duty.
Ever since the incident with the potted plant, the atmosphere between father and son had grown rather delicate. Sharing the same carriage, they remained silent the entire journey.
Finally, the carriage came to a halt right outside the palace gates.
"Well, if it isn't Master Xie? What brings you into the palace?" Xie Jingyu's archenemy, Official Yuan, strolled over from a distance. "Master Xie's complexion really does look rather poor; you ought to take proper time to recuperate."
Xie Jingyu's tone was flat. "Thank you for your concern, Official Yuan."
"Master Xie is still in the mourning period and shouldn't be lingering near the palace gates. Should you happen to offend any nobles within the palace, you'll inevitably be slapped with the charge of great disrespect," Official Yuan lowered his voice to say. "Imperial Son-in-law Liu and the Marquis of Xuanwu were both brought down because of disrespect. Master Xie would do well to be careful."
Though spoken under the guise of concern, the words were dripping with mockery.
Xie Jingyu's expression turned gloomy. In the past, he would have definitely found a way to put the man in his place, but right now, he simply lacked the energy.
"Official Yuan's words are a bit too heavy," Xie Shian chimed in from the side. "The Yuan family's young master has poor academic aptitude and failed to attain any official honors, so naturally Official Yuan is unaware that today is the day for enrollment at the Imperial Academy. My father is simply bringing me into the palace to study alongside the nobles of the court—how could there be any talk of offending anyone?"
Official Yuan's face stiffened.
His son truly wasn't suited for academics; the mere mention of the subject made his head ache and left him feeling unable to hold his head up high.
With no other choice, he slunk away in embarrassment.
"I will only accompany you this far," Xie Jingyu instructed. "Be mindful of your words and actions."
He didn't say anything further, knowing full well that this son of his knew how to handle himself.