“Old Madam Yan, First Lady, Second Lady, Third Lady.”
When the Yan family’s women followed the eunuch through the front hall, they were stopped by a pretty girl about 15 or 16 years old.
“Greetings to Princess Mingzhu.”
Several people saw someone came and hurriedly saluted. Among them, Third Lady Yan, Yan Chu’s mother, had the most complicated feelings for this princess.
If there was no such thing, the present one was not only Zhou’s most honorable princess but also her future daughter-in-law.
At the end of this year, the princess and her son should hold a wedding ceremony.
It was a pity that the princess would not marry if something like this happened.
However, Third Lady Yan had some hope in her heart. Princess Mingzhu always liked her son. Maybe the other side would be willing to plead for leniency on his behalf.
“Are you ladies going to plead for leniency on Older Brother Yan’s behalf?”
Zhou Mingzhu was the young daughter of Empress Zhou. Her elder brother was Zhou’s crown prince. As only two princesses in the palace, she was still the empress’s legitimate child and was loved by all.
She had a tender natural disposition, never spoiled and arrogant. Compared with the eldest princess, who was born out of a foreign woman, an eccentric and always treated people coldly, she got more admired inside and outside the palace.
When Princess Mingzhu was born, the five sons of the Yan family had killed in the vassal state of Yan. To express their loyalty and consolation to the Yan family, Zhou’s emperor promised her to Yan Chu. When she was a child, Princess Mingzhu often went to the Yan family, or the empress called Yan Chu into the palace. They said they were childhood sweethearts. It was not too much.
However, when the two grew up, Yan Chu began to enter the Yan family’s army, the relationship between the two gradually lessened, and their feelings were no longer as close as when they were children.
“Just now I already beseeched Father Emperor, but Father Emperor’s very angry about what Older Brother Yan did. He wouldn’t listen to anyone’s words at all. Ladies, even for the sake of Older Sister Ying, don’t ask any analogy of the plea for leniency to Father Emperor again.”
Zhou Mingzhu’s expression was very awkward, but she was able to take the initiative to ask for a plea for leniency with His Majesty at such a time, which made the Yan family very grateful. After thanking each other repeatedly, the Yan family’s women followed that eunuch to the Xuanshi Hall, where the emperor received the court councilors.
“Mother, truly, what the princess said may not be unreasonable. I know that Yan Chu, that child is innocent, but now there’s solid evidence, and you also hurt Yingying and them, these granddaughters.”
First Lady Yan pleaded softly in the elderly lady’s ear. She had been married to the Yan family for many years. She was the first daughter-in-law of the Yan family, but she was useless. She only gave birth to three daughters to the Yan family and did not leave any heir for her husband. Because of this, she was in the wrong. So in these years, her parents-in-law kept the good things close to the third branch families instead of them, the main branch. She also endured it. Who lets other people’s stomachs have the ability to give birth to the son?
But now it was Yan Chu who was in trouble. There was no reason for her poor daughters to join her. Yingying, her eldest daughter, was abandoned by her mother-in-law because of Yan Chu. Qianqian, her second daughter, and Weiwei, her third daughter, were also divorced.
However, there was still life and the wealth that the Yan family had saved over the years. Even without their present status, they could start again just by finding a place where no one knew them.
If it was not for her natal family already dead, at this point, she indeed wanted to imitate her second younger brother’s wife and take her children back to her parental home.
“Eldest Sister-in-law, the Yan family is both prosperous and disadvantageous. Since you also think my son is innocent, as long as you let His Majesty relax and investigate this matter, it will certainly be able to return our Yan family justice.”
Third Lady Yan was Yan Chu’s mother. How could she be willing to give up her son?
First Lady Yan did not speak in return because she knew that her mother-in-law would disagree with her. She could only lament for herself and her three daughters in her heart.
When they entered, the eldest princess, Zhou Mingli, came out of Xuanshi Hall and saw the Yan family’s women. She still had a cold expression, nodded slightly to them, and left with her servant girl without waiting for them to salute.
Two princesses. One called Mingli (bright pebble) and the other called Mingzhu (pearl), which was enough to show their popularity.
The biological mother of the eldest princess was a foreign dancer, and her pupils’ color was not the same as those of the Great Zhou. Her dark brown eyes, fairer skin, too deep eyes socket, and higher nose bridge than ordinary people, made her receive many peculiar gazes.
As the emperor’s eldest daughter, when she could marry into the distinguished family, people were not necessarily willing to marry a daughter-in-law with impure blood. But she could marry into the lower one, which was not in line with the identity of a princess. The same was correct, the eldest princess was eighteen this year, but she had not been directed to marriage yet.
At this time, Old Madam Yan and them could not attend to that cold and arrogant eldest princess, went straight to the Xuanshi Hall, while Emperor Zhou was sitting on the Dragon Throne waiting for their arrival.
“Old Madam doesn’t need to say it. Our princess already implores Us to look over the situation. The Yan family is a martyr. That child Yan Chu is a child We brought up. Previously, when We detained him, it’s to stop the rumors. We’ll review this case. Which is right, and which is wrong? At that time, asking Old Madam to please don’t embarrass Us.”
Emperor Zhou’s words made the Yan family’s women cry with joy. They were so grateful to the dead with Princess Mingzhu. Just now, the other side said that His Majesty did not respond to her request. It might be her modest remarks. Perhaps His Majesty had been persuaded by her at that time and willing to rehear this case.
In particular, Third Lady Yan was both grateful and sorry.
Thanks for Princess Mingzhu’s affection for her son, but unfortunately, they were doomed to have no marriage because not long ago, the emperor had given the imperial edict to betrothed Princess Mingzhu to General Fu Cong.
However, it was already an unexpected joy to make His Majesty relented at this time. So long his son could clear the injustice, Third Lady Yan had nothing to ask.
Emperor Zhou was relieved when he saw this. He was not that kind of the incapable ruler who was jealous of the virtuous, nor was he afraid of the Yan family and doubted the loyalty of the other side.
But at that time, he was angry. After all, it was ten cities. Zhou suffered huge losses because of Yan Chu’s reckless behavior. He would punish him even if he did not commit treason.
Yan Chu spent half of his childhood growing up in the palace, receiving the same enlightenment as the prince. Emperor Zhou recognized the other side’s handwriting. He knew that there were very few capable people in the world who could imitate other people’s writing, but some small mistakes and habits of some special characters in those letters were the same as Yan Chu, which had to make Emperor Zhou puzzled.
Also, because of this, he had not rejected the court councilors’ proposal to torture Yan Chu.
This retrial was to let Zhou’s people know that he is not such a relentless person and also to give Yan Chu a chance. If he could prove his innocence, maybe he could also save a loyal and devoted, good general for the Great Zhou.
Emperor Zhou looked at the joyous, heart-moving Yan family’s women. He was not optimistic about this retrial. After all, the evidence of the crime was irrefutable.
“Princess, is he worth it?”
In a secluded palace, there was a clear voice of a little girl.
“They don’t even have you in their hearts. Even if you do more, this kindness, don’t know whose head it’s remembered on.” A little palace maid in a green dress pouted, looked childish.
“Worth it, I think he’s worth it.”
A slender and fine woman in palace clothing stood in the slanting sunshine by the window. She was holding a small wooden bow that had been smoothed by long-term, gentle caress and stroke. She smiled bitterly and thought of the past.
A pair of rare dark brown eyes in the sunshine, as if flowing with the gleaming reflections of waves in sunlight.
In this cell where he was alone, Yan Chu could hardly distinguish between day and night. In these two days, no matter how he called 007, he did not get a response from the other side.
Yan Chu did not know whether there would be any punishment if he performed the wrong task because of such an accident.
According to his observations over the past two days and that roar when he just attached into the original self’s body, he vaguely felt, was his wish was to revenge the royal family and the ignorant masses and overturned this country?
But thinking about it, it seemed that there was something wrong. Yan Chu did not deem it for the time being.
“Your luck is good, Your Majesty, the Emperor, unexpectedly, inquired about the words of your Yan family’s old woman to re-investigate your case. Humph, there’s irrefutable evidence. Is there anything else to investigate for a traitor like you?”
The senior jailer opened the door with the key, followed by a long line of Imperial Guards.
“I’m not guilty.”
Since Yan Chu crossed to this body, the only words he repeated were these three words.
The senior jailer cast away his sneer. His younger sister’s only son died in Bianzhou. If Yan Chu did not wage war, he would not die. He was a sinner.
Those people behind him were all dressed up as Imperial Guards. Looking at the former majestic Young General Yan, his whole body badly mangled at present. He collapsed on the haystack, making those people sigh and had some sympathy.
Most of the Imperial Guards were children born of an aristocratic family. They did not believe that the Yan family would collude with Jiang. After all, it was not good for them. Moreover, many of Yan family’s ancestors died at the hands of Jiang’s compatriots. Both sides could not unite because of it, whether it was emotionally or logically.
But they did not understand why Yan Chu led his troops to attack Ming, which was unreasonable.
The military order was issued by him, which was also one of the reasons why everyone believed that he was treasonous.
Now many aristocratic families were speculating whether His Majesty could not tolerate the Yan family. Maybe there was also His Majesty’s handwriting, but this indeed accused Emperor Zhou wrongly.
The Imperial Guards wanted to pull Yan Chu up and found that his hands and feet seemed soft and slumped, and not much strength. Even if he had been tortured, with the Yan family’s ability, it should not have been done in this way.
A few sharp-eyed guards immediately saw the conspicuous and atrocious scars on Yan Chu’s four limbs and tendons. Who was in charge of the torture to go so far as to cut his limbs’ tendons off?
Even if they re-investigated this late time and the young general cleared of the charge, his life was ruined.
Could a disabled man command the Yan family’s army?
Several people looked at each other, looking at Young General Yan, who was indifferent and not defeated at all, and whose eyes were still firm. They did not know for what reason, those aristocratic children, who had always been pretty unconvinced of the other’s reputation, had some admiration for him from this moment.
They lifted Yan Chu. His Majesty and every cabinet minister were already waiting in the palace, only asked Old Madam Yan and them to see Young General Yan’s appearance like this, and not pass out from sadness.
