dmims Chapter 95 Before the Emperor
Chapter 95 Before the Emperor
Shen Shixi's gaze turned cold. "If Your Majesty speaks like this, you are looking down on the Shen family's social standing. Although the Pei family has been noble and wealthy for generations, my Shen family is also a family that has passed down the traditions of poetry and propriety, and is a distinguished and aristocratic clan."
"Even if my sisters from the Shen family can only be concubines, then only the Emperor can. What is that fool from the Zhou family? To put it bluntly, even if my sister were carried away in a grand sedan chair to be his principal wife, she would never agree to this marriage if she couldn't get married."
The Empress was furious, but she knew that she had acted impulsively and had indeed said the wrong thing.
Originally, the purpose of betrothing his cousin to the Zhou family was to win over the Censor-in-Chief, but unexpectedly, such a scandal has occurred. What is the Zhou family trying to do?
Having two relationships at the same time?
"Alright, let's leave it at that for now! This is an affair outside the palace. Although it concerns the Shen family, you are a daughter. Even in your own family, you would only be considered a guest. Moreover, now that you've left the family, you can no longer be considered a member of the Shen family."
"This is not a big deal. If a good man comes along in the future, and your sister finds him suitable, I am willing to issue an imperial decree to arrange the marriage, which will bring honor to your sister."
Having achieved her goal, Shen Shixi stopped, saying, "This concubine thanks Your Majesty the Empress in advance."
The meeting ended and everyone dispersed.
The Empress sent someone out of the palace to inquire about this matter. Soon, Quan Degui came to report, "Your Majesty, Zhou Yongyu also has a mistress, a musician, who has given birth to a son for Zhou Yongyu. The son is already three months old."
She is now kneeling at the gate of the Zhou family home, saying that she doesn't have to visit, but her child must be recognized as part of the family.
The Empress slammed her fist on the table in anger, shouting, "This must have been a trick by the Shen family! Now that her sister's reputation is ruined, she's trying to drag all of the Zhou family's relatives into this mess!"
Granny Qu couldn't help but say, "Is there anything that can't be discussed? No wonder she made trouble for you, Your Highness, when she paid her respects today. So she was waiting here. But what is she trying to achieve by doing this?"
The Empress calmed down as well. "What's she after? Look at her, she's so vindictive. Back then, when Lady Song had people impeach her and me in court, I didn't do anything, but she jumped out. Otherwise, how could she have caused this mess today?"
Who knows if her cousin wasn't implicated because of her?
It's one thing for the two families to fight, but why drag the Pei family into it?
The Empress instructed Quan Degui, "Go back and tell the Master to have the Pei and Zhou families cancel the marriage."
Granny Qu was puzzled. "Your Majesty, why is this? Doesn't this make way for Miss Shen's position?"
The Empress said, "Isn't that what the Shen family meant? It's not disgraceful that my cousin broke off the engagement because of this. On the contrary, the Shen family's daughter was caught by Zhou Yongyu changing clothes and the news spread like wildfire. It will be difficult for her to get married in the future."
At such a time, it might be a good thing for the Pei family to take a step back, demonstrating the magnanimity and tolerance of our young lady.
"Your Majesty is farsighted and magnanimous; I am merely a shallow servant," said Granny Qu.
In Zhaoyang Palace, Shen Shixi heard that the Pei family had broken off the engagement, and the Zhou family had turned to the Shen family to propose marriage. Naturally, the Shen family would not agree to the marriage.
Madam Shen stopped crying and instead said confidently to the visitor, "Even if my daughter had only seen Zhou Yongyu's thin back, even if she had seen his whole body, even if he didn't have this concubine's eldest son, I would not have married my daughter to such a despicable person."
He schemed against my daughter! My Shen family and his Zhou family have been sworn enemies for generations, sworn to never coexist!
Saying they are irreconcilable enemies is a bit much, but it perfectly expresses the Shen family's determination.
Rumors also circulated in the capital about Shen Shixi and Madam Shen's conversation. Everyone knew that the Shen family's daughter had been tricked by Zhou Yongyu. They said that she had no romantic relationship with him at all and had only seen his back.
There are plenty of women who look at men's backs. Every year during the Dragon Boat Festival, which of those strong men rowing the dragon boats isn't shirtless? Do women who have seen that have to gouge their eyes out?
Public opinion is overwhelmingly against the Zhou family.
Shen Xianzhang was busy with the things his daughter had arranged, and he was so excited that he couldn't sleep every day. He still had to find time to deal with this matter.
He submitted a memorial accusing Zhou Anmo, the Vice Censor-in-Chief, of neglecting to educate his adopted son, allowing him to commit violent acts, defame respectable women, and nearly driving one to her death.
Naturally, this respectable woman was his niece.
In the imperial court, he wept bitterly, crying, "Your Majesty, if this person is not severely punished and this trend is not stopped, from now on, which young lady or woman will dare to go out?"
Since it concerned the safety of their own women, many officials stood up to second the motion.
In particular, the fact that the Pei family and the Zhou family have already broken off their engagement shows that Prime Minister Pei has no intention of winning over Censor-in-Chief Zhou Anmo.
Zhou Anmo was itching to drag his only son out and give him a good beating.
He knelt down and begged for forgiveness, saying, "I have failed to properly discipline my son, and he has committed such a grave error. I beg Your Majesty to punish him!"
Li Yuanke had heard about it before, after all, Shen Shixi had gone back to handle two matters, one of which was this.
He wouldn't adjudicate this kind of case for anyone else, but since it concerns the Shen family, Li Yuanke said.
"This matter has indeed greatly damaged the reputation of the Shen family's daughter. Consort Yuan was quite angry about it. I was once taught by the Grand Tutor, and I am well aware of the strict family traditions of the Shen family. The Shen family's daughter would never do anything like having an affair with an outsider."
Your son had malicious intentions and nearly caused a terrible mistake. Furthermore, he has a shameful history of having a child out of wedlock. It would be unreasonable not to punish him.
Zhou Anmo only had this one son. Although he already had grandsons, he couldn't bear to lose his son. He hurriedly pleaded, "Your Majesty, my son is of bad character and almost harmed the Shen family's daughter. I shouldn't have pleaded for him. But I beg Your Majesty to consider that he is my only son and to be lenient with him. Your Majesty, I beg you!"
Looking at Zhou Anmo's full head of white hair, Shen Xianzhang felt a pang of pity. "Sigh, it's better to be rid of this troublesome son."
Shen Shixi was also talking about this in Zhaoyang Palace.
"Zhou Anmo has been serving as the Vice Censor-in-Chief for four years. The Grand Censor is getting old and will soon retire. Zhou Anmo could be promoted then. Otherwise, why not arrange a marriage between the Pei family and them?"
Now that Zhou Anmo has gotten into this mess, the Pei family has severed ties with him, undoubtedly because they know the Emperor will not promote him.
Zhou Yongyu was given sixty strokes of the cane and should have been exiled, but the emperor pardoned him. However, the court will never employ him again because of his poor character.
This means the end of his official career. As for the musician, with such a big fuss, the mother and son will definitely have to enter the Zhou family.
Zhou Yongyu will never be able to marry a woman of equal social standing; he might end up as a courtesan.
Shen Shixi could accept this result; Zhou Anmo was a veteran official, and Li Yuanke couldn't afford to give him no face at all.
Sixty strokes of the cane would have nearly killed Zhou Yongyu; had he been in poor health, he might not have survived.
Shen Shixi couldn't possibly openly and blatantly try to kill someone; that would be too blatant.
However, Zhou Yongyu was truly unlucky. The Ministry of Justice arranged for the Shuntian Prefecture to carry out the execution, and as a result, his retribution came. One of the executioners' sisters was forced by Zhou Yongyu to jump into a well and commit suicide.
That person hit too hard.
Zhou Yongyu was already in poor health. As an only child, he was spoiled and dissolute. When he returned home, he developed a high fever and did not survive. Several imperial physicians tried to save him, but they could not save him. He survived for three days before passing away.