Marquis of Yongchang

Before the court session began, officials had their identities verified outside the palace gates before entering and waiting in the waiting courtyard for the morning court session.

Xu Zheng, dejected, found Prime Minister Su and pulled him aside to whisper: "I heard that a lot of silver was raised yesterday, but I haven't found a chance to pass on a message to Miss Shen yet. If this continues, I'm afraid I won't be able to complete the task assigned by His Highness in time."

It wasn't that he wasn't proactive; he tried every method he could think of, whether it was having his wife send invitations to invite people out for a trip, visiting them in person, or asking others to pass on messages, but none of them worked.

After two days of fuss, his wife hadn't even stepped inside the gates of the Yongchang Marquis's residence. Upon hearing that it was related to the Xu family, the Prefect of the Capital, the gatekeepers of the Yongchang Marquis's residence wouldn't even open the gates.

Xu Zheng was also at a loss.

Prime Minister Su casually raised his eyelids and said, "Old Xu, I'm not trying to criticize you, but you're not doing your job properly. You can't even handle such a small matter. Fortunately, the young prince was prepared and asked Minister Qin's daughter for help, otherwise, the Shen family's child would probably be in grave danger."

Xu Zheng breathed a sigh of relief, "It's all taken care of."

Then I thought again, no, I am the person the young prince trusts the most. I am a good official recognized by the young prince. How can I be outdone by Qin Tan? It seems that I must work harder in the future!

Qin Tan saw Prime Minister Su and Xu Zheng whispering together from afar. He guessed that the two were discussing Shen Yuyao's matter. He wanted to go up and chat with them to join in the fun and vent his grievances, but he was afraid of attracting the attention of others, so he could only sit alone and drink tea in silence.

Although he had a plan in mind, he couldn't show it openly.

In fact, Qin Tan was overthinking things. Nobody paid any attention to him. Everyone else was bragging about how he was praised by the people when he went to donate money yesterday.

Soon the court assembly began, and civil and military officials lined up to enter the Taihe Hall.

Emperor Wulong sat on the dragon throne and glanced around. All the officials below were beaming with joy. Even the usually sharp-tongued Censor-in-Chief was all smiles. He even turned a blind eye to the whispers among some officials.

As usual, Eunuch Kang called out, "If you have something to report, speak now; otherwise, the court is dismissed!"

All the officials bowed their heads.

Prime Minister Su stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "This old minister has something to report."

After receiving permission from Emperor Wulong, he announced loudly: "Yesterday, this old minister received a secret letter. The writer claimed that he was willing to donate his entire fortune to replenish the national treasury and provide relief to disaster victims, amounting to one million taels of silver."

"Drink!" the crowd exclaimed, secretly wondering who had such a grand gesture.

Yi Qiuwei suddenly felt uneasy and subtly cast an inquiring glance at Marquis Yongchang. Marquis Yongchang shook his head, looking terrified.

Emperor Wulong feigned surprise, "Oh? Who is this person who is so profoundly understanding of righteousness?"

Prime Minister Su: "This person claims to be Shen Yuyao, the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Yongchang."

The melodious voice echoed throughout the hall, clearly reaching the ears of everyone present.

The officials were in uproar.

Marquis Yongchang's legs went weak, and he almost collapsed to the ground.

Yi Qiuwei's sinister and ruthless gaze made him tremble with fear, and he could only shrink his neck, lower his head, and pretend to be dead.

Emperor Wulong had heard of Shen Yuyao's name long ago, and had even sent his secret guards to investigate her. He knew about her experiences and situation, and he also knew the trump cards she held. However, he had not made any statement, just wanting to see what this girl could do.

He never looked down on women, because the people he admired and respected were also women.

There's also a connection to Lu; he also wants to see what kind of person Xiaoqi wants to help.

Fortunately, Shen Yuyao did not disappoint her Xiao Qi.

However, the act had to be convincing, so Emperor Wulong feigned surprise and delight, praising, "The Marquis of Yongchang has raised a fine daughter!"

Marquis Yongchang quickly stepped forward, saying, "Your subject dares not accept such an honor."

Xu Zheng: "I believe Miss Shen deserves a reward for her actions!"

Prime Minister Su: "I second that suggestion."

Several officials who were close to Prime Minister Su and Xu Zheng looked at each other and then added, "Your subject seconds this."

The eldest prince also cupped his hands and said, "Your subject seconds this."

Qin Tan said, "I have always heard that the daughter of the Marquis of Yongchang is of noble character, dignified and gentle. I did not expect that she would have such a deep concern for her country and her family at such a young age. She is truly admirable."

Even Qin Tan, who had always maintained neutrality, spoke up, and immediately more people echoed, "This woman deserves a reward."

Listening to his colleagues' praises, Marquis Yongchang felt no sense of honor whatsoever; in fact, he broke out in a cold sweat.

Emperor Wulong raised his hand in a gesture of restraint, "In that case, summon Shen Yuyao to the palace. I wish to personally reward and honor her!"

Upon hearing this, the Marquis of Yongchang broke out in a cold sweat and cried out in desperation, "Your Majesty, you mustn't!"

"Hmm?" Emperor Wulong cast a cold glance at him.

Marquis Yongchang wiped the sweat from his forehead. "My daughter has been raised in seclusion and is somewhat timid. I'm afraid she might be impolite if she goes to the palace and offends His Majesty and the other officials."

Emperor Wulong waved his hand and said, "She is a meritorious official of Dayong, so it's alright for her to be a little presumptuous. I won't hold a grudge against a little girl."

"This, Your Majesty..." Marquis Yongchang racked his brains for an excuse, his mouth dry from worry, but he couldn't come up with a decent one.

Seeing this, the other officials speculated, "What's going on with Marquis Yongchang? This is such a great thing, why is he making such a fuss? Is there some inside story?"

Although it was said unintentionally, it revealed the truth.

The reason why Marquis Yongchang dared not let Shen Yuyao come to the palace was because he was afraid that the whip marks on Shen Yuyao's body would be discovered. If the emperor and the civil and military officials found out that he had abused a meritorious official, he would be condemned by everyone.

Furthermore, he and Shen Yuyao have completely fallen out. Once Shen Yuyao meets the emperor, she may say things that are detrimental to him, and the entire Yongchang Marquis's mansion will likely suffer.

Marquis Yongchang was sweating profusely, and looked pleadingly at Yi Qiuwei.

Yi Qiuwei closed his eyes in despair. It was too late to change anything now. It seemed that Marquis Yongchang was doomed.

He completely ignored the pleading look in the eyes of the Marquis of Yongchang.

Upon seeing this, Marquis Yongchang felt a chill run through his body and could no longer utter a single word.

Emperor Wulong gave Eunuch Kang a wink, and Eunuch Kang bowed and left Taihe Hall to personally deliver the imperial decree to the Marquis of Yongchang's residence.

Before long, Shen Yuyao, pale-faced, limped into the hall with the help of Eunuch Kang.

"This commoner, Shen Yuyao, greets Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!"

Shen Yuyao knelt down to pay her respects, and with her movement, the crisscrossing whip marks on her arms were revealed, a shocking sight in full view of everyone.

The ministers were all taken aback.

The eldest prince looked reluctant.

Emperor Wulong frowned. "Why are you covered in injuries?"

Shen Yuyao kowtowed again, saying in a humble yet assertive manner, "I hope Your Majesty will forgive my rudeness before the palace. A few days ago, I was framed and imprisoned. After being exonerated, I returned to the Marquis's residence, but the Marquis of Yongchang said that I was impure and punished me by making me kneel in the ancestral hall for three days and giving me a beating, which is why I was injured."

Before entering the palace, Eunuch Kang had already given her a heads-up. She knew that Prime Minister Su had only mentioned the matter of donating silver, so she didn't say anything else.

"This isn't family discipline, it's vigilante justice," an official who couldn't bear to watch shook his head repeatedly.

"I've heard about this too. It was Judge Xu who presided over the case, and Shen Yuyao was innocent. It's bad enough that she was wronged for no reason, but after being released from prison, she was also beaten. What kind of heartless parents could do such a thing?"

"It's been seven or eight days, and the injury still hasn't healed, which shows how hard the blow was."

"Didn't you hear how Shen Yuyao addressed the Marquis of Yongchang? She must be heartbroken."

Everyone chimed in, making it impossible for Marquis Yongchang to lift his head.