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Leaving a Name Behind in the History Books (2)
T/N: Translated by Jen on Broken Jinsei! Please do not repost my translations! All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
And at this time, the Head Minister of Justice had already asked for a decree to listen in on the trial, even bringing along the Bureau of Theft Arrest, Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Law, as well as the Bureau of Judicial Review. Bureau chiefs and historians from four of the five bureaus under the Ministry of Justice came to study and record, studying how the Wen’an Marquis Manor thoroughly collected evidence, the ingenuity within, where was lacking, as well as where the holes were in all of Cheng’en Duke Manor’s responses and statements, who was the culprit, who were the accomplices, how to assess the punishment, and so on.
Of course, Changchun Palace, as well as Wu Wang and Wei Wang, didn’t sit still and ignore the matter either, humbly apologizing and pleading for leniency, crying for several days in the inner palace.
However, Xuan Emperor’s benevolence and kindheartedness just revealed its problem at this time. In the inner palace, facing his beloved consort and beloved sons, he naturally was softhearted, wanting to leave the Cheng’en Duke Manor a bit more face. But, the officials upon the imperial court can also cry. The Head Minister of Justice and Head Minister of Rites both pleadingly knelt down in tears, mentioning when Cihui Empress Dowager was still alive, how noble and virtuous her moral conduct was, how she carried out her duties as the mother of the country. How can your Majesty, for the sake of a few unworthy descendants, bear to damage the Zhu clan’s noble name, also damaging your Majesty’s sacred reputation.
And when the Wen’an Marquis father and son pair went upon the imperial court to respond, they also clearly expressed that although this matter was just a minor domestic affair, the matter concerned a family clan’s clean reputation, so didn’t dare to not investigate in detail.
“How to convict the Zhu family, all will depend on the Judicial Court and your Majesty’s fair judgement, this subject doesn’t dare to presumptuously comment, but aside from the guilt, the cause and effect in regards to this matter, this subject just ask for a clear understanding in order to have no shame in facing the world and the ruler, and no shame in facing the ancestors.”
When these words were said, the young Wen’an Marquis heir’s eyes also reddened, his words sincere, his voice powerful and resonating. In the end, even the usually neutral cabinet ministers also suggested to Xuan Emperor that it’s best for this matter to be investigated clearly. After all, those that are pure and honest naturally will be clean. Only by clearly investigating can they clear up Cheng’en Duke Manor’s reputation.
These words were honorable and open, justified and reasonable. Even if Xuan Emperor dote on Noble Consort Zhu and favor the Zhu family, he still wasn’t a muddleheaded and stubborn ruler. In the end, he still permitted this matter to be investigated in detail.
And this ‘in detail’ practically asked for the Zhu family’s life.
Because the actual time Xun Yan entered the capital was actually the sixth of the tenth month, precisely that day when Xun Cong followed the people of the Zhu family back to the capital from Maolin Academy, sneaking into the flower banquet to play.
And in that same day, Zhu second young master had personally gone to pick up Xun Yan.
When this was happening, Xun Che naturally was completely unaware.
But, through strict backtracking and questioning, the servants of the second branch had long blurted out the true date and time. Wen’an Marquis’s thundering rage naturally didn’t need to be mentioned. Under this kind of circumstance, the second branch already had no choice but to forcibly stand together with the first branch, falsely stating that their daughter had gotten kidnapped by the Zhu family, and for the sake of their daughter’s reputation, as well as the family clan’s reputation, they had no choice but to temporarily hide the matter, and so on.
What made the Zhu family vomit blood in anger the most was, regarding the Xun family second branch’s explanation, there actually weren’t any serious problems, because Xun Yan had indeed been staying at both the Youjiang Wang Manor and Zhu manor starting from the sixth of the tenth month.
And from the beginning, they’d never stated that this matter was of Xun Yan’s own accord, or rather, the two sides colluding. To say it now, it will only appear as if the Cheng’en Duke Manor was having all the responsibility pushed onto the already deceased Xun Yan.
Although the great majority of the plans really were directed by Xun Yan, but Xun Yan was already dead. No matter what the Cheng’en Duke Manor say, it was all just empty words. Even if having some of Xun Yan’s previous letters, on one hand, for the sake of security, the wording was vague, and on the other hand, under the suspicion of having supposedly kidnapped and imprisoned her, if really brought out, afraid it will just get said as having been written under coercion.
And most importantly, the Zhu family can’t say the actual truth, saying that they’d colluded with Xun Yan, attempting to divide up the Wen’an Marquis Manor, destabilizing the Wen’an Marquis’s position, and from there, weaken their support towards the central palace and Qin Wang.
On the other hand, at this very moment, the Zhu family’s tracks inside and outside had already gotten raked through cleanly, so they further didn’t dare to involve the Youjiang Wang Manor and Ruiyang Junzhu. Probably, in the Zhu family’s heart, what they wanted to do the most at this time was just have Xun Yan dug out and grinded into dust.
TN: All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
The final result of the autopsy done by the coroners of the Ministry of Justice and Judicial Court for Xun Yan was just death by poisoning, and moreover, it was slow-acting poison. Aside from this, there were no external injuries.
With just the line of ‘slow-acting poison’, even if jumping into the Yellow River, the Zhu family all won’t be able to be washed clean.
Aside from repeatedly emphasizing that they don’t have any motives or reason to poison Xun Yan and have her sent back, the Zhu family practically had no way of defending themselves.
However, the Judicial Court and Ministry of Justice very creatively expressed that you all probably wanted to wait for Xun Yan to die of poison after reaching the Xun manor in order to further frame the Wen’an Marquis heir.
After all, the servant boy that previously went to the Xun manor to report during the plum blossom banquet, proclaiming that Xun Che had plotted against Xun Yan, has now ‘came back to life’ again.
Or rather, should say that the so called ‘dying in the magistrate office’s prison’ previously was merely for the sake of fooling others. After strict interrogation this person has already confessed, saying that he’d been bribed and prompted by someone from the Zhu family’s shop to pass on this kind of rumor.
This statement, if it’d been brought out back then, perhaps the Zhu family would still have some leeway to clear their name.
But, mentioning in the midst of this chaotic situation, it was nothing more than adding more weight to the situation. When the Zhu family unknowingly got led onto the topic of ‘why frame the Wen’an Marquis heir’, the Xun family took the opportunity to once again raise new accusations and questions.
Tianxu year 13, twenty-ninth of the twelfth month, the last request issued by the Judicial Court prior to the new year holidays, ask that the Zhu family hand over the personnel lists and account books of all the shops owned by the Zhu family inside and outside of the capital, especially all the medicinal ingredient stores under the Zhu family’s name, in order to investigate whether or not the poison that killed Xun Yan came from somewhere, as well as who else cooperated and participated in framing the Xun family.
At this point, this case that started from Xun Yan’s life and death already completely turned into a thorough investigation of the Cheng’en Duke Manor.
The new year of Tianxu year 14 can be said to be the capital’s most bustling year ever since Xuan Emperor ascended the throne.
Especially after the new year’s eve, when the relatives start to visit for the new year, regardless whether it was the imperial relatives, or the court officials, or even the peasants in the streets and alleys, everyone was all able to speak of the case between the Wen’an Marquis Manor and Cheng’en Duke Manor.
Just, some start discussing from the bizarreness of Xun Yan’s death, while some start discussing from the incident at the Zhu family’s hundred flower banquet. As for those that were more sensitive to the changes in the political affairs, they would start from the incident several months ago, where Qin Wang, because of beating and injuring Xun Che, ended up getting reproached by the emperor.
In short, after going around, Zhaoyang Hall and Changchun Palace, Qing Wang and the two princes, Wu Wang and Wei Wang, seemingly formed a new kind of balance. And Xuan Emperor’s thoughts and Great Sheng’s future were still that unpredictable.
There’s was just one thing that everyone had a consensus on. After the fifteenth of the first month, when the Judicial Court continue the hearing on the Xun and Zhu family’s case, it will definitely bring about even greater changes in Tianxu year 14.
Then, at this time, whether it’s the imperial relatives, officials of the six ministries, or even the scattered officials, everyone all needed to deliberate exactly where their family wanted to stand.
That’s why, on the sixth of the first month, when the Wen’an Marquis Manor’s invitation arrived at the Yu manor, Yu Bocheng was once again seriously conflicted.
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At this point I wish for Xun Yan to ‘come back to life’ and see the outcome of her intelligent plan! 😏
poor YBC🕯️although I do admit the last paragraph made me laugh out loud
I’m still shock that Xun Yan is just dead like that…..and I’m waiting to see how Xun Che would handle the second branch family! I’m really hoping he’s going to teach them a good lesson.