CHAPTER 606: CHAPTER 606: CONSORT ZHEN SURRENDERS?

After the Emperor stepped out of sight, Xue Ping hurriedly pulled aside a colleague to inquire about what had just happened.

The colleague was taken aback, "Master Xue didn’t hear clearly?"

Xue Ping showed an embarrassed expression, wanting to explain.

Before he could speak, an old official who had mocked him from the Ministry of Rites that morning passed by and heard, he sneered, "Master Xue’s virtue is insufficient, yet you wish to imitate Minister Fan? With your so-called ’virtue,’ you’re far from being deaf."

After speaking, he strolled away.

Xue Ping was annoyed but couldn’t be bothered to argue with the stubborn old man.

The colleague looked at Xue Ping with a complex expression and whispered a few words.

It turned out that at the court assembly earlier, it was that old official who had brought up the matter of the Guo family, asking what misdeeds the Guo residence had committed to merit having their estate thoroughly sequestered and questioning how, being related to Xue Ping, they were not properly restrained and disciplined.

At this point, Xue Ping felt an old surge of blood trying to burst forth, this old official clearly had a malicious intent, merely seeking to vacate the Guo residence—and he didn’t know what had offended the old man so, that he was so hell-bent on making things difficult for him, just like the Minister of Rites—one of a kind.

After listening to his colleague’s words,

Xue Ping exclaimed in shock, "What! Trafficking five hundred catties of private salt? Who? My nephew?"

Absurd!

The Guo family were Imperial Merchants with the largest tea business in the land, would his nephew Guo Neng be short of the few coins from trafficking private salt? Besides, with only five hundred catties, how much could that earn!

Throughout the ages, businesses involving salt and iron were tightly controlled by the Imperial Court, and unauthorized trafficking was a severe crime; a single catty could incriminate someone, and five hundred catties were enough for the principal offender to be executed, with seizure of property and family implicated too.

Upon hearing this, Xue Ping felt it was utterly absurd and didn’t believe it at all.

The Guo family was wealthy and robust, how could they possibly be in need of such a trivial amount of money, if they were to commit such a deed, they wouldn’t just stop at five hundred catties.

The colleague nodded, "Indeed, your nephew named Guo Kun is involved too, the mastermind is your uncle by marriage, it was he who led the way."

His Majesty had people read out the charges at the court.

Xue Ping was about to categorically deny it, insisting there was no such thing, could there be a mistake, but then he suddenly paused.

If it were his uncle by marriage, that seemed to make sense.

He had always looked down on his uncle by marriage, a dimwit easily swayed and fooled by others, a man of indulgence, spending like water. His father-in-law was a man of great foresight; early on, he had seen that his biological son was useful only for continuing the family line and nothing else, choosing his nephew Guo Neng to lead the family instead, or else his uncle by marriage would certainly have run the Guo family into the ground.

If his uncle by marriage was short of money and got sweet-talked into something audacious, it wouldn’t be surprising if he had jumped onto the bandwagon of thieves.

Before Xue Ping could snap out of his thoughts, an uproar broke out outside, suddenly turning noisy.

Xue Ping and his colleague both looked towards the hall’s exit as they were the only two left inside.

As they quickly moved out, they saw the Minister of Rites returning with people, a swarm of others crowding around, bombarding him with questions.

Even the ministers who had walked away turned back and joined the crowd.

Someone with a pale and anxious face said, "Minister Fan, could you have misheard? Wasn’t it General Xu’s daughter, Consort Xu De, who plotted against the Imperial Heir? How could Consort Zhen be involved?"

Minister Fan glared, "I may occasionally be hard of hearing, but how could I mishear such a grave matter? Consort Zhen has removed her hairpin and is asking for punishment, kneeling right now outside the Star Palace. His Majesty sent us away, you can ask these few with me, did they not hear it as well?"

The others nodded in agreement, "Absolutely true. Together with Minister Fan, we went to request an audience with His Majesty, wanting to ask when the examination papers of Lian Muchong from Taiyuan Prefecture would be sent back for review, as scholars from all over are awaiting the outcome, but we didn’t expect to overhear the hurried report from Steward Zhang."

Some ministers in the crowd had already turned pale, and upon closer scrutiny, one could recognize them as the individuals who had knelt in tears at the court meeting, pleading for the punishment of the Treasonous Consort.

Zhao Zhong’s complexion changed dramatically; he could no longer care, and hurriedly squeezed through the crowd to ask, "Did you really see Consort Zhen kneeling outside the Star Palace? Is her request related to the plot against the Imperial Heir?"

The Minister of Rites smiled with a sneer, "We don’t have the abilities of Master Zhao. Such matters that are inappropriate according to the rites, even if His Majesty doesn’t tell us, we would naturally steer clear. To even think about spying on the Imperial Concubines, tsk, Master Zhao has quite the gall."

Zhao Zhong’s face turned from green to white and hurriedly explained, "I had no such intention; I merely thought since your Excellencies were seeking an audience with His Majesty, you could not avoid it outside the hall..."

The Minister of Rites waved his hand impatiently, "Enough, enough. There is no need for further explanation, Master Zhao. You’ve clarified the issue of Consort Xu De plotting against the heir so clearly, perhaps you also know about Consort Zhen asking for punishment, don’t you?"

Someone interjected to correct, "Minister Fan, it’s still uncertain whether Consort De is the culprit behind harming the Imperial Heir. Don’t forget Consort Zhen has asked for punishment; it appears she is turning herself in."

Minister Fan slapped his forehead, suddenly realizing, "Oh, look at my memory. When one gets old, it fails them. I only remember this morning, all your Excellencies refusing to rise from your long kneel, pleading with His Majesty to punish Consort De."

A minister commented with emotion, "His Majesty is truly wise; he must have seen through the intricacies, which is why he isn’t hasty to draw conclusions."

The others echoed, "That’s for sure. Initially, when Master Zhao and others were vociferously demanding the punishment of General Xu and his daughter, His Majesty said the matter was not yet clear and conviction should not be rushed to avoid harming the innocent."

"Now that Consort Zhen has turned herself in, this matter should soon come to light."

"Consort Zhen is the daughter of the former Minister of the Imperial Granaries, Shi Jin, isn’t she? To think she had the audacity to harm even the Imperial Heir. Remember how Minister Shi died protecting the capital’s granaries during the Rebel Prince’s rebellion, his body dismembered, and now his daughter... alas, having such a daughter, I wager he would find no peace even in death..."

"The matter is still not concluded, do not speculate wildly, lest you end up like certain lords. Consort Zhen may not be the mastermind; we’ll wait for His Majesty’s disclosure..."

The ministers began to disperse slowly, chatting as they withdrew into the distance, and no one paid any more attention to Zhao Zhong.

With a desolate expression, he stood there, stunned, then all of a sudden, he turned to look at the crowd, searching for that figure, but it was nowhere to be found. Xue Ping, who had been there before, had already left without knowing when.

Outside the palace gates, Xue Ping hurried toward the Xue Family’s carriage, not bothering to wipe the sweat streaming down his face.

He had heard about Consort Zhen asking for punishment and had left immediately.

Whether Consort Zhen was behind the plot against the Imperial Heir, he knew best, but with Consort Zhen coming forward, it didn’t take much to guess that the situation was certainly not simple.

Whether it was a scapegoat pushed forward by His Majesty for the Xu Family father and daughter, or one found by Xu Hu, or perhaps someone else.

Regardless of which it was, it was not the outcome he desired.

He was now beset by troubles; the matter of the Guo family being raided wasn’t clear yet, and there had been a hitch in the critical endeavor to bring down General Xu and his daughter. There was no time for him to stand still and listen to the faux sympathies of others.

He needed to leave the palace quickly, to get in touch with his people inside the palace to find out exactly what had happened these days, and also to clarify the matter with the Guo family!

...