allonlinenovel Chapter 113 Since you dare not, then kneel down.
Chapter 113 Since you dare not, then kneel down.
When Qin Yizhen woke up again, it was already noon. After having some lunch, she changed her clothes and went to the palace to continue her days of being by Empress Dowager Cheng's side on the first and fifth of each month.
As the sun set, Cheng Yan came to pick her up and take her home.
Just as the couple sat down at home, a maid came to report that the wife of Vice Minister Zhou of the Ministry of Personnel had been waiting for her all afternoon.
"Mrs. Zhou?"
“Princess, have you forgotten the mother of that scholar’s wife?”
"So it was her." Qin Yizhen then remembered who it was.
Cheng Yan added from the side, "Your incident at Baochai Tower yesterday has been reported, and this morning at court, someone impeached Vice Minister Zhou, saying that he oppressed the people and abused his power for personal gain."
"This morning, Song Pingping went to the Jingzhao Prefecture to accuse him of being ungrateful and hiring someone to kill her."
"What?" Qin Yizhen was startled. She hadn't expected Song Pingping to act so quickly, and why she went to file a complaint herself. "Didn't I tell her that if she wanted to file a complaint, I could recommend an imperial censor to her? Why did she go on her own?"
Lin Yuansheng is an official; if a citizen sues an official, she will suffer the consequences.
"Where is she? Why didn't you tell me?"
Granny Jin said, "This is Concubine Song's own idea. Concubine Song said that there is no need to disturb the princess, so as to avoid others saying that she is using the power of the Marquis of Pingxi's mansion and the princess to coerce her."
"How is she?"
"He was given ten strokes of the cane, and then the Jingzhao Prefecture accepted the case."
Qin Yizhen's face changed: "Has she gone mad? These ten strokes of the cane are not the same ones you guys suffered before. After she takes them, she probably won't be able to get out of bed for several days."
The ten strokes of the cane that Lüqiao, Jin Mama, and Gui Mama received were not too light or too heavy. The next morning, Lüqiao got out of bed and wandered around. Jin Mama and Gui Mama, whose bodies were not as strong as those of young people, only had to lie in bed for another day.
Isn't Song Pingping's move a case of deliberately choosing the wrong path and asking for trouble?
"What happened after that? Where is she now?"
Granny Jin said, "The Jingzhao Prefecture has accepted the case and summoned Editor Lin. Concubine Song has also presented evidence to accuse Editor Lin. It is an indisputable fact that Editor Lin is ungrateful and broke off his engagement to marry someone else, but they are struggling to find evidence to hire a hitman."
Qin Yizhen sensed something was wrong: "I remember she asked me to borrow people to investigate those who attacked her."
Those people are living witnesses, how can you say there's no evidence?
Granny Jin was taken aback, and she also remembered this matter.
Cheng Yan rubbed his teacup and said, "Perhaps she has her own plans. If so, let her do it herself. Princess, you should not interfere, lest you ruin her plans."
Qin Yizhen thought about it and agreed, so she asked again, "Where is she?"
Granny Jin said, "She's back. She's recuperating in the courtyard now. We've also asked Mr. Hu to examine her. She'll be able to get out of bed after a few days of rest."
"That's good." Qin Yizhen breathed a sigh of relief, and then said, "Please invite Madam Zhou in. I'd like to see what Madam Zhou has to say."
"Yes."
The maidservant obeyed and left. Qin Yizhen then looked at Cheng Yan: "Are you going to wait here or leave?"
Cheng Yan was somewhat worried about her: "Madam Zhou might be difficult to deal with."
Qin Yizhen laughed upon hearing this: "I couldn't handle Madam Wang before. Besides, I am a princess. What can they do to me? I just want to see what kind of faces they have today."
Cheng Yan thought about it and agreed. So he picked up his teacup and got up: "I'm going to the study to read. Come find me in a bit. I'll go with you to steal Song Nian's storybook later."
Qin Yizhen's eyes lit up: "Okay."
She had long coveted Song Nian's collection of storybooks and was eager to see them.
Cheng Yan entered the study with a smile, and Qin Yizhen had tea prepared. Soon after, a maid led in a mother and daughter.
It was Zhou Ning and her mother, Madam Zhou.
Qin Yizhen sat upright in the main seat, watching them approach.
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects." The two women bowed their heads and stepped forward to pay their respects.
"No courtesy, please sit down."
"Thank you, Princess. This humble woman dares not." It was Madam Zhou who spoke.
Madam Zhou was about forty years old. She was wearing a royal blue dress with wide sleeves, her hair was neatly combed, and she wore two gold hairpins in her hair. She looked somewhat serious and a bit arrogant.
If we were to discuss the Three Departments and Six Ministries, the most coveted official position would undoubtedly be in the Ministry of Personnel.
The Ministry of Personnel was in charge of the transfer of officials. Even if it was a low-ranking official, no one wanted to offend him, lest they accidentally cause problems with their appointment or promotion.
As the wife of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Madam Zhou was always highly sought after at any banquet. Over time, she naturally became somewhat arrogant.
Zhou Ning had been mistreated by Qin Yizhen yesterday and was already dissatisfied. If she hadn't remembered the difference between ruler and subject, she would have come to confront her in anger long ago.
However, Qin Yizhen was not going to tolerate her. Upon hearing this, she said, "Since you don't dare, then kneel down."
For a moment, Madam Zhou and Zhou Ning doubted that they had misheard. They looked up at Qin Yizhen and were stunned to see her sitting there calmly, not even glancing at them.
Only then did I realize that the woman in front of me was a princess of noble birth in this dynasty.
Her adoptive mother was the powerful Empress Dowager Cheng, and her husband was the extremely powerful Marquis of Pingxi. Apart from a few people standing on high, everyone else had no right to bow down and kneel before her.
Yesterday, she merely expressed her suspicion that Vice Minister Zhou was "abusing power for personal gain and forming cliques for personal benefit." This morning, an imperial censor immediately impeached Vice Minister Zhou. As for Lin Yuansheng, he was scrutinized with disdain and suspicion all day long, and people wished they could stay three feet away from him.
Later, Song Pingping sued Lin Yuansheng. Although there was insufficient evidence to prove that he had hired someone to commit murder, he was ungrateful and broke his promise to marry another woman. Now that he has been suspended from his post, it is found that he did not hire someone to commit murder. People with such a bad reputation will probably never have a chance to return to officialdom.
Zhou Ning's eyes reddened at the thought of Lin Yuansheng's fate: "Princess, why did you say such things yesterday? Didn't you know that your words would ruin Yuansheng's life? How could you be so vicious?"
"Are you questioning me?" Qin Yizhen looked at her, finding it quite amusing. "Is what I said not true? Pingping worked so hard for so many years, supporting his studies, and he married another woman as soon as he passed the imperial examination. He is ungrateful and treacherous. This is no lie."
Zhou Ning was stunned, and for a moment she forgot how to refute him.
Madam Zhou then asked her, "What about my husband? He has served as an official for many years, always working diligently and fearlessly for the country and its people. Is it possible that the princess is right to say such things about him?"
"Lin, the compiler, is of questionable character, yet he was able to enter the court as an official. If it's not that the Ministry of Personnel is incompetent in its vetting process, then someone is covering for him and abusing their power. Madam Zhou, which reason do you think it is?"
"If Madam Zhou believes that the problem lies with the Ministry of Personnel and has nothing to do with Vice Minister Zhou, then I will inform the Empress Dowager and have her issue an edict to thoroughly investigate the Ministry of Personnel. What do you think, Madam Zhou?"