Chapter 277

After Yanbai left the public hall, he hurriedly rode into the palace to the emperor’s sacred palace. Arriving, he was immediately led into the imperial study without any hitch.

In the imperial study, besides the emperor, Gu Zezhi was also there, playing go with the emperor.

Of course, Yanbai knew Gu Zezhi, and he also knew that the emperor was the one who bestowed marriage to Gu Zezhi and Qin Jiu but he still came here today even after knowing this, after all in his defense he was here to appeal against Qin Jiu and Qin Zening not Qin Jiu and Gu Zezhi.

Also, Yanbai didn’t care about these trivial details anymore so after he curtsied to the emperor he immediately said, “Your Majesty, the emperor, my son, and the child from the marquis’ house, Qin Zening had some small disagreement in the suburbs of the capital today. When the two competed, Master Qin Zening fall from his horse and lost. My son was full of youthful vigor causing him to provoke Master Qin Zening with a few words which led Master Qin Zening to sue my son in the public court hall.”

“My son is innocent, asking the emperor to give a verdict for my son!”

Yanbai’s voice was choked with grief and even sobs, looking like a kind and loving father.

He intentionally used ambiguous and vague words, only saying that it was a small disagreement between the two of them and that Qin Zening couldn’t accept that he lost to he went to file a complaint at the public court.

Although Qin Zening was Empress Wei’s nephew, Yanbai also knew that the emperor has become more and more impatient with the Qin family in recent years but still tolerated them because of his relationship with the late marquis. Moreover, the emperor doesn’t want to get rid of someone once he has ceased to be useful so he never meddles in the affairs of the Qin family, but Qin Zhun hadn’t made any progress after getting his position.

As long as he could persuade the emperor, the latter would definitely take this opportunity to suppress the Qin family.

Even if he couldn’t absolve his son’s crime, he mustn’t let Qin Zening get scratched free nor make it easier for him. He must be treated equally with his son!

The emperor on the other hand, even after listening to what he said, his expression never changes, and his eyes just still staring at the go pieces on the go board as he asked indifferently: “Then, did the magistrate give his verdict?”

Yanbai: “…”

This question made Yanbai swallow back the words he had prepared earlier, and said instead: “Your majesty the emperor, the magistrate has listened…”

“Since the magistrate has settled the case, what do you want with me?” The emperor interrupted him, “Go back.”

The emperor didn’t bother to listen any further and casually dismissed Yanbai.

“……” Yanbai retreated embarrassingly, his mind was in chaos, and he didn’t know what to do for a while.

This was different from what he thought beforehand! The emperor didn’t even give him a chance to speak.

He doesn’t really care about the 3000 Liang silver fine, but the one-year imprisonment… how could his son suffer like this!

The emperor’s eyes lit up, and finally, he thought of his next move. He picked up a black go piece from the box and dropped it on the chessboard, he then raised his gaze and looked at Gu Zezhi.

Gu Zezhi calmly picked up a white go piece and place it on the go board without hesitation.

The next second, the clear sound of go pieces being put down on the go board one after another was the only sound that could be heard in the entire imperial study, and the two of them didn’t say a word from beginning to end.

After they finished a game of go, the royal guard commander Yuan followed the head eunuch Zhou Xin in the imperial study and curtsied to the emperor. Seeing that Gu Zezhi was also there, the royal guard commander Yuan hesitated for a moment.

The emperor lifted the pastel teacup and gently skimmed the floating foam on the tea with the tea lid, and said, “Tell me.”

Zhou Xin has been serving the emperor for more than 30 years and has always been good at reading people’s opinions. After sending out Yanbai, he asked the royal guard to find out what was going on with Su Xiyang’s case, and right now the royal guard was back to report what he gathered.

Royal Guard Yuan narrates what happened systematically and in full detail.

From what the emperor heard this case should be one of those simple cases, there was all witnesses and materials evidence, until Qin Zhun proposed to separate the family, only then he felt this wasn’t as simple as he thought at first.

Royal Guard Yuan saw the change in the emperor’s mood at a glance, so he went into more detail about what happened later. He said how Qin Zhun become a patriarch who treated his eldest brother’s orphan unfairly, and how he was caught in a dilemma. Moreover, all the mistakes fell on Qin Zhun while Qin Zening’s brothers and sister were just three poor people who were oppressed, bullied, and even driven out.

Royal Guard Yuan then said, “Now the whole capital is saying that not only did the marquis deliberately suppress the orphans of the eldest house and prevent Qin Zening from taking the lead, but also they had to be driven out of the house. So the brothers and sister, had no choice but to agree to separate the family!”

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Author has something to say: please do not delve to the details in the public court, kekeke