Header Background Image

    Lady, escort the emperor! 35

    Read Advanced Chapters on Patreon: patreon.com/fantasystories797

    Chapter 35: Filial Piety Through Justice

    The middle-aged man’s refusal was resolute. As a Vice-Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, holding a rank of Fourth Rank official, he wasn’t necessarily afraid of Li Xuanying. However, his upright conduct in office shielded him. If he were to abuse his power for personal gain, wouldn’t he be giving Li Xuanying a reason to act against him?

    Hearing the Vice-Minister’s words, Wang Duo’s body trembled, his shoulders slowly slumping.

    Looking at his old friend of many years, the Vice-Minister of the Ministry of Personnel couldn’t help but soften his heart. He said, “Send that beast to the Chang’an County Magistrate’s office – remember, the Chang’an County Magistrate’s office, not the Ministry of Punishment or Dali Temple. Let the county magistrate handle it as they see fit. As for you, immediately submit a letter to the court, donating all your property, resigning from your post, and retiring to the countryside. While you still can, take several young concubines, and see if you can have another child, to leave behind descendants for your Wang family…”

    “Thank you for your guidance…”

    Wang Duo remained silent for a long time, bowed, and left.

    At that moment, it felt as if something had been extracted from his body, aging him twenty years in an instant.

    As he walked out the gate, he looked up. Although it was almost sunset, the sky was still a clear, bright blue, without a trace of cloud.

    Twenty years. The Chang’an sky was still this blue.

    He remembered clearly that twenty years ago, when he led numerous fellow students from the academy in a street demonstration in Chang’an, condemning the then Chang’an County Magistrate for his corrupt and ruthless governance, the Chang’an sky was just as blue.

    Twenty years had passed in a flash.

    At this moment, a tinge of regret finally arose in Wang Duo’s heart.

    He came from humble beginnings. His journey of learning was fraught with hardship and suffering. To receive guidance from renowned masters, he braved harsh winters and scorching summers, often traveling hundreds of miles, for just a few words of instruction. Then, he was exceptionally chosen by Qingfeng Academy, accepted among peers who all hailed from wealthy and influential families, enjoying individual tutoring from renowned masters since childhood. Their status was high, their lives comfortable and luxurious, their associates all prominent figures. The cost of a single meal would be more than his mother could earn in a year of hard labor…

    Yet, even with such a stark difference in background, he had never wavered in his beliefs.

    Under such circumstances, he stood out among hundreds of thousands of candidates in that year’s imperial examination, achieving high honors and ranking fifth among the Jinshi (successful candidates), starting his career as a Seventh-Rank County Magistrate. For nearly twenty years, he rose from an obscure Seventh-Rank official far from Chang’an, step by step, to his current position in Chang’an. Even the parents and ancestors of his former classmates would respectfully address him as “Magistrate Wang”…

    In these twenty years, he had gained much, but also lost much.

    Looking back now, when did things start to change? Was it the first time he accepted a bribe, the first time he used his power for personal gain, or the first time he used ill-gotten gains to further his career…?

    Time had passed, and he couldn’t quite remember…

    He took one last look behind him, then walked away with heavy steps, his back looking especially desolate.

    Meanwhile, at the Vice-Minister of the Ministry of Personnel’s residence, the middle-aged man watched Wang Duo leave, his gaze filled with reminiscence. He shook his head and sighed, “Wang Duo, Wang Duo, why did you come to this? Why did you come to this…”

    A young man emerged from the inner hall and said to the middle-aged man, “Father, I have been studying the Da Xia Law recently. Uncle Wang is a Fifth-Rank official, and Wang Yue is his son. The most he could receive for his crime is three years of imprisonment, and he can redeem himself with money. Why doesn’t he just pay the fine to avoid punishment? Three years’ imprisonment, the redemption money is only a mere three hundred taels; the Wang family should be able to afford it…”

    “Redemption money?”

    The middle-aged man twitched his lips, “With Li Xuanying’s personality, if Wang Duo hands over Wang Yue and resigns, donating his wealth, the Wang family might still survive. If he tries to redeem himself with money, not only will Wang Yue die, but the Wang family will also be destroyed…”

    The young man indignantly retorted, “Then is Li Xuanying truly so lawless, disregarding the law? In this vast court, is there no one to control him?”

    The middle-aged man shook his head, “Before, there were people who wanted to control him, but those people are dead, and he’s still alive. Afterwards, no one dared to control him…”

    “Unconscionable!”

    The young man angrily waved his sleeve, his face full of righteousness, “If this scoundrel isn’t killed, justice will not prevail! I must study hard, enter officialdom, and one day, for the people, for the court, I will kill this scoundrel, and restore a just and righteous sky to Da Xia…”

    Before he could finish, he received a hard blow on the head.

    The young man clutched his head, puzzled, “Father, why did you hit me…”

    “I’ll teach you about a just and righteous sky! I’ll teach you about a just and righteous sky!” The middle-aged man took off his boot, beating him while shouting, “You foolish, reckless thing! Even I dare not provoke him, yet you dare? Why don’t you come be the father instead…”

    The Wang Family.

    Inside the ancestral hall, Wang Yue knelt on a cushion. A woman stood beside him, saying, “Yue’er, don’t worry. Your father has many connections, and many officials in the court owe him favors. There will be a way to save you!”

    Wang Yue’s face improved slightly. At that moment, slow footsteps were heard outside the ancestral hall.

    The woman turned to look, excitedly rushing forward, grabbing his hand and asking, “My lord, how did it go…”

    As soon as she finished speaking, her face was filled with shock, her voice trembling, “My lord, your… your hair…”

    Her husband was forty years old, in his prime, and had not a single gray hair before, but now more than half of his hair was white. The whole person looked much older.

    He had been gone for less than an hour, yet it seemed like twenty years had passed.

    Wang Yue slowly stood up, walked to Wang Duo, and looked at his white hair. His lips trembled, and he said with difficulty, “Father…”

    A wry smile appeared on Wang Duo’s face. He gently patted his son’s shoulder, “A son’s failings are the father’s fault. Father has failed you.”

    Wang Yue understood. Although his face was still pale, the earlier panic and fear were gone.

    Looking at his father’s stooped body and white hair, he realized for the first time that his father had aged.

    His mother often told him stories of his father’s youth – the father in his eyes who stood tall and alone, lifting the Wang family from a poor family in a remote mountain village to a prominent family in Chang’an, the omnipotent father, had finally grown old.

    At this moment, he felt no fear of the future, only heartache for his father.

    He reached out and tidied his father’s messy hair, shaking his head, “No, it’s my fault, I have disappointed you, Father. I will bear the consequences of my mistakes. Father, do not blame yourself…”

    On the streets of Chang’an, Li Nuo was questioning a suspect.

    The area was surrounded by onlookers.

    This was their first time seeing a public trial, with the courtroom moved to the street, a novel and interesting sight. This opportunity for close contact with the government was rare.

    At one point, the crowd stirred, and several figures pushed their way through.

    In the lead was the peddler who had left and returned.

    Of course, Li Nuo knew he was a peddler on the surface, but actually one of his plainclothes guards.

    Behind the peddler were two more figures.

    On the left was a richly dressed middle-aged man, exuding an air of authority, his hair completely white, looking somewhat distraught.

    On the right was a young man tied up, appearing to be in his early twenties, sharing five points of resemblance with the middle-aged man. His face was pale, his expression wooden and vacant.

    “You rebellious son, kneel!”

    Wang Duo said in a low voice, and the young man slowly knelt down.

    Then, Wang Duo walked to the Chang’an County Magistrate in his official robes, bowed, and said, “Your Honor, this rebellious son has violated the law. I, Wang, have brought him to the county office to be dealt with according to the law…”

    Li Nuo was somewhat surprised by this scene.

    This case… seemed to be going rather smoothly.

    He had thought that since so much time had passed, and there was no direct evidence, even if the Dali Temple intervened, it wouldn’t be easy to convict. Unexpectedly, shortly after, the culprit had come to the county office to surrender himself.

    This saved even the investigation stage.

    Could it be that this examination supervisor did not know about his son’s crime before? After being informed by his own guards, this righteous official immediately decided to take the moral high ground, bringing his son to the county office to be judged by the law – what a good official!
    (End of Chapter)

    Previous Chapter | TOC | Next Chapter

    0 Comments

    Heads up! Your comment will be invisible to other guests and subscribers (except for replies), including you after a grace period. But if you submit an email address and toggle the bell icon, you will be sent replies until you cancel.
    Note