The Tyrant's Beloved Empress

26

"I have received my orders."

.....

The Da Li Court worked with great efficiency under the supervision of the righteous Imperial Supervisor. In no time, the crimes committed by the people in the Marquis's house were proven and the three were detained. As for the Marquis, his crime of enabling and covering up for his family would be judged by the Emperor after it was reported.

When the Da Li Court bailiff apprehended the people from the Wu Manor, a large number of people went to watch the excitement. The Marquis could not contain his rage looking at the apathetic Imperial Supervisor. He growled in a low voice, "You should be lenient for future's sake; it's unwise to burn all your bridges."

The Imperial Supervisor gave him a look of contempt, "Marquis Wu thinks that this is the end?"

The Marquis was slightly baffled, "What do you mean?"

The Imperial Supervisor said, "Marquis Wu is the pillar of this family, it won't fall if you're still standing."

Having said those words, he flung his sleeves and left.

The next day, a female corpse was found by the Yejing River. After sending it to be autopsied, the identity of the corpse was revealed to be the widow who had torn up the Wu family. The people were in an uproar. The widow who had abruptly disappeared right after the incident, as it turned out, was already dead.

The head officer from Da Li Court who was about to deliver his report to the Emperor had to rush off to the city court to investigate the woman's murder. By following the traces before her death, he was able to source out the killer – a man who had the blood of many more victims on his hands.

Under the torturous interrogation of the Da Li Court, the man revealed that he was Marquis Wu's confidant, tasked with handling his dirty work.

The head officer reported the whole truth to Emperor An Qing, making him furious and demanded severe punishment be passed out.

Marquis Wu was stripped of his title and sentenced to be executed with his brother and wife at noon in the public square. Wu Juan Shu, the son of his concubine, was demoted to become a commoner and would never be permitted to hold a governmental position. All the businesses and properties under the Wu Manor were seized and the remaining family members were evicted from the house...

The storytellers who were previously locked up under the Marquis's order were released. The chief magistrate who had taken orders from the Marquis was also demoted by three ranks to become a common officer.

With the storytellers back in business, the Wu family's fall from grace had spread beyond the gates of Yejing and eventually became a famous opera performance.

...

An Chang Qing sat across Xiao Zhige, snickering away happily while peeling pine nuts. After peeling a full plate, he eagerly passed it to Xiao Zhige, "Thanks to Wangye, there won't be a turning point for Wu Juan Shu."

In his original plan, the most that could be accomplished was to give Wu Juan Shu and the Wu family an ugly scandal and nothing more. After all, public opinion tended to sail with the wind. As long as the Marquis still stood, the Wu legacy would live on and Wu Juan Shu would have still been the son of a Marquis.

If Xiao Zhige had not taught him to borrow the Imperial Supervisor's hand to bring down the Wu family, it would've been a very long time before he could avenge this grudge from his previous life.

Xiao Zhige's eyes carried a smile. He ate one pine nut and passed the plate to An Chang Qing, "You eat." He then took the plate with unpeeled nuts and continued peeling.