The Eldest Daughter Is Beautiful and Saucy
Chapter 119: treacherous and cunning
Chapter 119: Cunning
The emperor bent his knuckles and knocked on the table hard, revealing a murderous aura.
“I think that Marquis Zhongyong Qin Dezhao should be just doing what the staff of Marquis Zhongyong said, and he is probably just doing it for some money! This is the first time Qin Dezhao has done such a thing, and he didn’t expect that he would be caught by the people below. Those villains below feel that they have a big man like Marquis Zhongyong backing them up, so they are unscrupulous and do more and more excessive things! Qin Dezhao then listened to the advice of his staff and killed him to clear himself.” The Dali Temple said slowly, “What’s more… Marquis Zhongyong and Duke Guo’s mansions are in-laws. For the sake of his son, Qin Dezhao will not really murder his in-laws.”
The emperor thought the Dali Temple Minister was right. He stared at the red painted columns in the hall with a gloomy look: “What you said… makes sense!”
“Just before I came to report to Your Majesty, Young Master Qin knelt down and asked me to tell him that he wanted to hand over all the property of the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery to the national treasury to atone for his father’s sins! I remembered that Your Majesty praised Young Master Qin for being a role model for the sons of noble families. Young Master Qin sacrificed his relatives for the sake of justice and was loyal to his parents. He is indeed an upright and loyal person. If our Great Jin had more sons like him, there would be no worries about not being prosperous!”
“Lord Lu…are you pleading for Qin Lang?!” The emperor understood the meaning of Dali Temple Minister Lu Jin’s words, but he didn’t agree. “Is this for the sake of loyalty or self-preservation? It’s a different story!”
“Your Majesty, I believe in your vision. Qin Lang is a good man that Your Majesty has praised! I have been in the Dali Temple for many years and have seen all kinds of people! But it is rare to see a man with the clear vision of Mr. Qin! I am willing to believe that Qin Lang is indeed a rare loyal man, not a treacherous and cunning person!”
There was some sincerity in what Dali Temple Minister Lu Jin said. Qin Lang’s eyes were clear and bright, and he was indeed not like those old-fashioned dandies in the capital city.
The emperor listened to the words of the Dali Temple Minister, thought about it, turned his head to Gao Demao and ordered: “Go and ask Xie Yuchang to bring Qin Dezhao to me, and I will interrogate him personally.”
“Yes!” Gao Demao hurriedly left the hall and ordered the commander of the Imperial Guards, Xie Yuchang, to pick up Qin Dezhao.
Not long after, Xie Yuchang came back alone and reported to Emperor Qin Dezhao that he had committed suicide in prison.
Dali Temple Minister Lu Jin opened his eyes wide and knelt down immediately in fear: “Your Majesty! It is all because of my failure to supervise properly! Please forgive me, Your Majesty!”
The emperor gritted his teeth and was silent for a moment before asking, “Did you leave behind a suicide note or something like that?”
“Nothing was left. When I left, the person was still warm. He must have died not long ago!” said Xie Yuchang.
The emperor leaned back on the dragon throne and closed his eyes, feeling very upset.
·
The fact that Qin Dezhao, the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery, committed suicide in the Dali Temple prison out of fear of punishment once again caused a stir in the capital city.
Qin Lang was sitting in the Dali Temple. When he heard the news that his father had committed suicide, he almost dropped the teacup in his hand.
He thought he was quick enough. After getting the list, he immediately went back to the mansion to discuss the statement with his father’s staff. He had to hold a dagger against his neck before he was able to bring his father’s staff and guards to the Dali Temple to confess his crime. He originally thought that if the matter could be heard by the emperor before dark, it would surely allow his father to live a few more days.
But it was too late.
If my father was not silenced but committed suicide, then he had already made the determination to die when he decided to preserve the honor of the Qin family.
Not long after, Dali Temple Minister Lü Jin came back. He looked at the pale Qin Lang and said, “Your Majesty has ordered the arrest of Sun Yiming, the brother of Liu Huanzhang’s wife. After interrogating Sun Yiming, if your father can be cleared of the suspicion of collusion with Liu Huanzhang, the people of the Loyal and Brave Marquis can come and go freely. You should go back to the Loyal and Brave Marquis’s mansion first and don’t walk around!”
Qin Lang bowed respectfully to Lu Jin and said, “Junior, can you take my father back home for burial?”
Lu Jin shook his head: “Your Majesty wants to investigate the cause of your father’s death, and now your father’s body cannot be returned home.”
Qin Lang tightened his hands at his side and saluted Lu Jin again.
After leaving the Dali Temple, Qin Lang asked his followers to inform Bai Jinxiu that he had to return to the Mansion of the Loyal and Brave Marquis to prepare for his father’s funeral. However, he was afraid that it would be difficult to get out once he entered the Mansion, so he told Bai Jinxiu to stay in the Bai family and mourn for the Duke.
·
At this time, all the masters of the Zhenguo Mansion gathered in the Changshou Courtyard of the Grand Princess.
The emperor issued an edict to confer the title of King of Zhenguo on the Duke of Zhenguo. Logically, the funeral standards should be raised to a higher level.
But that day in the palace, the eldest princess had already told the emperor that the funeral would be simple. The emperor gave the Duke of Zhenguo the honor of posthumously conferring the title of king, wasn’t it because the eldest princess had promised to give up the title herself? ! Therefore, the Bai family needs to be more cautious and humble in order to be preserved.
The eldest princess was not in good spirits. She half leaned against a large ginger-colored pillow with a passionflower pattern, and forced herself to sit on the soft couch, fiddling with a string of agarwood Buddhist beads wrapped around her wrist. “Let’s set the funeral for the tenth day!”
Mrs. Dong nodded. The yard was filled with coffins. The sight of them reminded her of her husband and son, whose bodies were nowhere to be found. The pain was heart-wrenching. It would be better to bury them soon, perhaps out of sight, so that the pain would be less.
As soon as the eldest princess finished speaking, Nanny Jiang hurried in. After bowing, she said, “Eldest Princess, I heard that the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery committed suicide in prison. Now the second uncle has returned to the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery’s mansion to prepare for the funeral. Just now, the second uncle sent someone to deliver a message, saying that the second young lady should stay at the Bai family and not return to the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery’s mansion.”
Liu couldn’t hold her breath. She stood up in shock and twisted the handkerchief in her hand tightly. Her heart was in her throat. “Will this…will this implicate my son-in-law?”
Bai Jinxiu subconsciously looked at Bai Qingyan, who was sitting under the lamp with his eyes half closed.
She held the half-cold teacup in her hand, knowing that King Liang was trying to silence her.
“Don’t worry, Second Aunt. If Qin Lang is implicated, he might not be able to leave the Dali Temple.” She put down the cup in her hand. “Qin Lang is a role model of aristocratic children praised by your majesty and the queen personally. Your majesty will not slap himself in the face. What’s more… this time Qin Lang sacrificed his relatives for the sake of justice and was loyal and filial. I guess… after the matter is settled, there will be more rewards later.”
The eldest princess nodded, and she understood her nephew. “Abao is right. You can relax. No matter what happens, I am here and will never let anything happen to Jinxiu’s son-in-law.”
Only then did Liu nod and thank the Grand Princess with tears in her eyes.
Coming out of the Grand Princess’s courtyard, Bai Qingyan took Dong’s arm and walked with her out of the courtyard, whispering: “Mother, rest assured, leave all the arrangements in the mansion to me. I will definitely keep the Bai Mansion safe and there will be no trouble. Mother, just prepare for the tenth day.”
Mrs. Dong held Bai Qingyan’s hand and rubbed it gently: “You are cautious in doing things. Mother is very relieved, but she is afraid that you will be too tired.”
After parting with Dong, she asked Tong Mama on the way to the mourning hall: “Did the people sent to watch Chunyan say there was any movement over there?”
Xiao Rongyan: (The smile gradually disappears) Didn’t they say that I would have more roles?
Lu Yuanpeng: I haven’t seen Sister Bai recently, and I miss her for the Nth day.
Xiao Rongyan: Yuan Peng…
Lv Yuanpeng: Yes, Brother Xiao ordered! Your business is my business! I guarantee it will be done.
Xiao Rongyan: I’ll lend you your head for a while.