Chapter 39: Wang Fu Ah Adds More Strawberries to the Carriage

  Shen Guiyan looked at Gu Zhaobei with some surprise, rarely seeing him so upright and proper, it made her feel a bit unaccustomed. However, she felt more at ease knowing he could be like this with her.

  "Lord Gu Si, the refugees were at fault first, how can I, as a government official, lightly pardon them?" The Prefect of Beijing said helplessly.

  "What the adults say is extremely right." Madame Shen raised her chin and said: "This matter is clearly someone who deliberately makes things difficult, shouting slogans for the refugees under the guise of injustice, but in fact they want to rebel against their superiors and don't get along with me. Their hearts are really despicable!"

  "What's the crime?" Shen Guiyan asked sternly, "The refugees were only scolded with words and saliva, without harming your mother in the slightest. Why was she locked up in a big prison? Didn't your mother also insult them with words?"

  "What status is the madam, daring to be so presumptuous? She should naturally be locked up in the heavenly prison!" The Shu Rong who was standing behind stepped forward and said: "If it were an ordinary family mutually scolding each other, it would be nothing. But when the words of the common people offend the official's family, shouldn't she be locked up?"

  "What about officials and what about civilians?" Shen Guiyan took a deep breath and said: "Didn't the emperor say that officials and civilians are equal?"

  "Bao Shi-lan snorted: 'You're bringing up all sorts of things, really not knowing what's proper. Please, Your Honor, make a ruling! My family's official seal is right here - let's see if you'll uphold the dignity of an official or protect the lives of ordinary people!'"

  "The heavens are just and impartial. Please, sir, make a fair judgment!" Shen Guiyan looked up at the Prefect of Beijing:

  The Governor of Jingzhao was in a difficult situation, looking at the official seal in Madame Shen's hand, hesitated for a moment, and finally said: "Since the refugees committed crimes first, we will cut off the tongues of the refugees who insulted Madame, spare their lives, is that okay?"

  Shen Guiyan widened her eyes: "Cut off the tongue? Scold an official's family and you want to cut your tongue, then who will dare to speak the truth again in the future? Your Honor is not cutting off a refugee's tongue, but cutting off the courage of the people to speak out."

  "Madam Gu Si Shao needn't say more." The Prefect of Jingzhao knocked on the wooden table: "This matter has nothing to do with Madam, please withdraw first."

  "What does it have to do with me?" Gu Zhaobei replied calmly: "My wife and I are begging for the people's lives, can't we?"

  The Prefect of Jingzhao was taken aback, looked at Gu Zhaobei with a glance, as if he had heard some earth-shattering joke, and chuckled for a while.

  The elegant and refined young master Gu Si said he wanted to plead for the people's lives, but when the news reached Zuihuayin, it only made them laugh so hard their teeth fell out!

  Bao Shilan also snorted, rolled her eyes and said: "If you can plead for the people, the Yellow River will flow backwards for 300 miles. Today's affair has been blown out of proportion, both families' faces are already not looking good, when you return to the Prime Minister's residence, you won't have a good outcome, so it's better to calm down first!"

  "Why won't there be good fruit to eat?"

  Bao Shilan snorted: "Protecting the humble people, making a scene in court, losing face for the Prime Minister's mansion, what good outcome can there be?"

  Only after answering did I realize it was wrong.

  Whose voice is this?

  Everyone turned their heads back to look and saw that a man in casual clothes was being carried over, and it was he who had just spoken.

  "How dare you! You even ask about me!" Bao Shilan glared at him, her face red with anger: "You're a rebellious commoner who dares to be impudent to your superiors, you deserve to have your tongue cut out!"

  Uncle Bu looked at her innocently: "Are you rebelling against your superior?"

  Mrs. Shen turned her head away in disgust, unwilling to speak again. The humiliation she suffered on the street today would be laughed at for a long time, and speaking with such a lowly person again would only bring more ridicule.

  "How dare you, a lowly commoner, still refuse to kneel?" The Prefect of the Imperial Capital slapped his hand on the wooden block.

  The old man in the linen robe glanced at the two people beside him, Shen Guiyan looked anxious as she stared at him, while Gu Zhaobei beside her hung his head, making it impossible to see his eyes.

  "May I not kneel?" The uncle asked very seriously.

  "Why don't you kneel?"

  Mr. Bu didn't answer his words, but instead looked at Shen Guiyan and said, "The lady's words just now have made me feel quite sentimental."

  Shen Guiyan looked at him in surprise.

  "The emperor said that officials and civilians are equal, but the officials don't listen, and the people don't dare to believe it. Under the vast sky, there is only one woman who believes and dares to do it." Búyī Dàshū sighed: "It's really a pity, but also makes people feel fortunate."

  The Metropolitan Governor stared at him blankly for a moment, but Madame Shen could no longer hold back. She gave a signal to Xiurong beside her, and Xiurong stepped forward angrily: "In the court, who wants to hear your sentimental talk? The Metropolitan Governor has already ordered to cut out your tongue, what are you all still hesitating about?"

  The bailiffs next to him came up and wanted to hold down the man, and the pliers had already been brought up. Shen Guiyan frowned, wanting to say something again, but was held back by Gu Zhaobei.

  He looked at him with a puzzled expression, but saw someone outside rushing into the hall with something in hand.

  "Alas! What's going on here!" The servant with the orchid finger pointed and slapped his thigh, then led the guards behind him to surround the court.

  Everyone was startled, and Mrs. Shen took a few steps back in confusion.

  The man in the Taoist robe standing in the middle of the hall moved his tongue and clicked his tongue, saying: "Sanquan, it's good that you came quickly, otherwise my tongue would have been pulled out to drink wine."

  "You should die!" San Quan knelt on the ground and kowtowed: "The escort arrived late, please forgive me, Your Majesty!"

  The people on the hall turned pale upon hearing this, Shen Guiyan was also startled and stared at the uncle in linen clothes in shock.

  Is he actually an emperor?

  The Prefect of the Imperial Capital hastily knelt down, and Madame Shen looked at him in puzzlement before also kneeling down. Only Guo Zhaobei was not too surprised, and he slowly paid his respects while holding Shen Guiyan's hand.

  The old man in coarse clothing smiled and swept a glance around at the people who had suddenly become shorter, his eyes falling on the Prefect of Beijing: "Xu Wande?"

  Xu Wande's back broke out in a cold sweat: "Your servant is here."

  "I recall that last time Fu Xue recommended you, he said you were a reincarnation of the blue sky, unafraid of power and influence." The smiling face turned cold: "What a wonderful thing to say."

  "Your Majesty, your humble servant..." Xu Wande trembled with fear as he knelt down, his teeth chattering.

  Who would have thought that such a thing would happen? The emperor was fine and not in the palace, why did he come out? He came out and mixed with the refugees, and was caught and thrown into prison?

  Mrs. Shen's face was also pale after she came to her senses, looking around in a daze and not knowing what to do. Her eyes swept towards Shen Guiyan, with a hint of panic.

  Shen Guiyan's eyebrows had never relaxed since then. She had seen this uncle before, but only thought he was an ordinary citizen, and didn't expect him to be the emperor.

  This is terrible, things have gotten out of hand.

  "Is this the wife of Shen Shilang?" The emperor walked up to Mrs. Shen and took the official seal from her hands.

  "Your Majesty, forgive me, I was wrong to offend you. I didn't know it was you, today was a misunderstanding..."

  "Oh? So it's you again who is 'inferior'?" The emperor raised an eyebrow: "Just now, you said others were inferior people, and now you call yourself a lowly concubine. Indeed, in this world, there is no absolute nobility or inferiority."

  Madam Shen raised her eyes and looked at the official seal, wanting to reach out and take it but not daring to, so she could only keep kowtowing: "Your Majesty forgive me!"

  The emperor hummed a laugh and tossed the official seal, saying: "I only came out for a stroll today, didn't expect to encounter such a thing, it's quite novel. The crime is not punishable by death, as Madame Gu Si said."

  Shen Guiyan was stunned and hung her head, not daring to make a sound.

  When common people offend officials, they are indeed guilty but not deserving of death. When officials offend the emperor, there is no good way to live. This emperor is also quite open-minded.

  "Alright, I'm tired too." The emperor sighed and said: "The Empress Dowager's birthday is approaching, things are busy in the palace, so I'll take my leave. Today's matter, I won't investigate further."

  Madam Shen let out a huge sigh of relief and her body almost went limp.

  It's like being reborn after a disaster.

  "But this official seal will be kept by me for now." The emperor smiled and also took down the official seal on Xu Da's desk: "I'll take care of yours too, Lord Xu."

  Just as she had calmed down, Madame Shen's heart skipped a beat again. Her breathing almost stopped as she stared at the object in the Emperor's hand with wide eyes.

  Did he take back his official seal... Does that mean he's been dismissed from office?

  "The Empress Dowager's birthday banquet, Mr. Shen is still resting at home and doesn't need to come." The Emperor smiled warmly and turned his head towards Shen Guiyan and Gu Zhaobei: "You two should come, I have something else to discuss with you."

  Having said that, he didn't give anyone a chance to react and left with Sanquan.

  The people on the hall suddenly flashed clean.

  Madam Shen fell softly to the ground, and Xiurong hurriedly came over to support her: "Milady!"

  Shen Guiyan was still in a daze, but Gu Zhaobei couldn't help but laugh.

  Some people used to say that Miss Shen San had a prosperous husband's fate, but he didn't believe it. Now he has some faith in it. Originally, it would have taken a lot of trouble to enter the palace, but now he has unexpectedly obtained the opportunity by chance.

  Lowering his head, Young Master Si couldn't help but laugh with great joy.

  Shen Guiyan looked at Madame Shen's appearance and was somewhat worried. The matter of taking back the official seal was too big, although it was wrong for Father to casually give the official seal to a woman, but if she were really to be dismissed from office, she should also bear some responsibility.

  "Let's go, let's head back." Gu Zhaobei pulled her up with one hand: "You've done what you needed to do, didn't harm anyone, and saved someone for sure. What are you still lingering around for?"

  "Husband." Shen Guiyan frowned and turned her head to glance at Mrs. Shen.

  "Don't always put all the burdens on yourself." Gu Zhaobei said: "It's very tiring."

  The capable are often busy, but if they worry about everything, they will be like Zhuge Liang, whose life was cut short.

  Today, being able to accidentally catch the emperor's eye is already very good luck. As for the rest of things, let's take it one step at a time.

  The news that the emperor was secretly visiting and was locked up by Mrs. Shen spread quickly, Mr. Shen was so angry that he locked Mrs. Shen in the ancestral hall without food or drink, and he himself knelt at the gate of the imperial palace for half a day.

  The emperor said he was unavailable, busy with the empress dowager's birthday celebration.

  The Grand Preceptor tried to intercede, but the Emperor's face showed no unpleasant color, and he said: "A young woman is still sensible, but an official makes me feel cold. Shouldn't I give him some lessons?"

  Then Grand Councilor Gu knew that this matter could only be resolved by Shen Guiyan.

  The fourth son of the Gu family also had good luck, and was allowed to enter the palace. To know that this longevity banquet, even Gu Zhaodong couldn't get in, but the prime minister actually wanted to take Gu Zhaobei there personally.

  "What right?"