To be a Virtuous Wife

Chapter 49

Chapter Forty Nine
The Honor of the Imperial House

Very quickly the Imperial Decree concerning the Count of Bei Lu and Jin An Princess Royal was sent down. At the same time, there was also the decree bestowing the titles to the two children of Jin An Princess. As to the Count of Bei Lu, Qing De Emperor didn't take away his title. He only let the servants drag him to the Meridian Gate of the Palace to be punished with forty blows. In the Imperial Decree, he clarified "The conduct of Jing Zhou's Cao Clan is not good, their morality lacking. They cannot be a choice for marriage. Zhen is shamed to regret, but it is too late. The only wise is that no other in the future will suffer zhen's pain."

This sounded like that the emperor was reflecting on himself but in reality, it was saying, this entire Cao Family isn't any good, their conduct and morals aren't good, zhen was blind to marry his daughter to the Cao Family. Hopefully, no other person will be blind and enter into marital relationships with the Cao Family.

This was actually the most vicious. The Cao Family was a famous family in Jing Zhou. There would have unmarried males and females in the clan. Once the emperor's decree came out, no one would dare make marital relations with the Cao Family. Otherwise, wouldn't that be going against the Emperor? This Count of Bei Lu doomed his entire clan.

When Qu Qing Ju heard this decree, she suddenly understood, this was true imperial power. If the Emperor said that the people of the Cao Family weren't good, then it was that the members of the Cao Family one hundred percent had problems. Whoever dared to ask for mercy would be as lacking in morals and conduct as the members of the Cao Family.

How many innocent males and females of the Cao Family would be affected, Qu Qing Ju didn't know but she sympathized for them. She also felt that the conduct of the Count of Bei Lu was truly disgusting. When he returned to the clan, how much would the clan hate him?

When He Heng came into the zhengyuan, he coincidentally saw Qu Qing Ju sitting in a daze. He walked behind her: "What are you thinking with such focus about?"

"About the members of the Cao Family," She turned her head back to look at He Heng, not covering the truth, "and how many people would be implicated with the Count of Bei Lu."

"These people are truly innocent, but who let them all have the same Cao name?" He Heng understood that she was sympathizing with the innocent members of the Cao Family, and explained, "If only the Count of Bei Lu was punished, then where is the Imperial House's dignity. Additionally, fuhuang's actions are already light. A hundred years earlier, an ancestor had a fuma who took a qie into the fu and imprisoned the princess. In the end, his family was sentenced to execution. His relations within five clans were all demoted to jian min. [i]"

Qu Qing Ju stopped in shock. If the cost was so high, why do such a thing? If the princess' conduct was lacking, then it was reasonable, but Jin An Princess raised a son and daughter and treated the Count of Bei Lu very well. To do what the Count of Bei Lu did, didn't he feel guilty?

"Alright, don't think about such things," He Heng patted the back of her hand. He smiled and said, "Now it is already like this, you don't have to worry. In the future when you have the time, just visit the princess' fu more often."

Qu Qing Ju nodded, her face relaxing slightly. She looked at the condition of the sky outside. It was dark and likely to rain: "The weather doesn't look good. The wind might start up. If you are going out, you have to wear more."

"Don't worry, there's Ming He and the others," He Heng waved his hand, "I'll accompany you for the noon meal before going out. This afternoon, the Count of Bei Lu is leaving Jing. Us brothers have to at least bid him farewell."