In the Duan Mansion, Wei Mingze was already painting a portrait of a beauty for Duan Zhenzhu.
Wang Quan bowed and reported everything he had seen.
As soon as Wang Quan finished speaking, Duan Zhenzhu snapped the rose in her hand.
“Who gave that village woman the nerve to dare beat the Dengwen Drum?”
Wei Mingze also hadn't expected it to actually be Su Xiuer.
Arson, setting dogs to chase and bite, and she still wasn't scared away.
Now that she understood that suing an official wouldn't affect the Duan Mansion, she also knew to escalate the complaint to the Emperor.
Wei Mingze pursed his lips, knowing that this matter had seriously spiraled out of control.
He no longer dared to hide his thoughts, put down his brush, went forward to support Duan Zhenzhu's arm, and looked at Wang Quan.
“Steward Wang, after thirty planks at the Dengwen Drum Academy, what was Su Xiuer’s expression?”
Wang Quan thought for a moment and truthfully replied, “She howled incessantly, like a pig being slaughtered. Everyone thought that after thirty heavy planks, she would be severely weakened, if not crippled.”
Wei Mingze, like the house servant had thought before, believed that Su Xiuer had no power or influence, so no one would bend the law for her.
Although he felt that incessant howling wasn't like Su Xiuer's personality, he didn't think too much of it.
After all, a person’s temperament could indeed change after enduring many hardships.
A flicker of pity for Su Xiuer crossed Wei Mingze’s mind.
But for the sake of his future, he still chose to bear the pain and let go.
He looked at Duan Zhenzhu, “Zhenzhu, now is not the time to be angry. Su Xiuer has been slaughtering pigs for years; her skin is thick and her flesh is tough. Thirty planks will certainly hurt her, but it shouldn't take her life. Even if she has to face another thirty planks before meeting the Emperor, she might still be able to endure it.”
“What we need to do now is find a way to prevent her from being able to breathe when she meets the Emperor. Otherwise, our illegal marriage will be exposed, and she… she still holds my marriage-in-law document.”
“Why didn't you mention this earlier?” Duan Zhenzhu glared at Wei Mingze reproachfully.
Wei Mingze felt guilty; this matter was indeed his oversight.
He had wanted to make peace with Su Xiuer, assuming she would definitely return to the countryside, so he hadn't thought about getting the marriage-in-law document back.
Moreover, he hadn't been sure before if Su Xiuer had the marriage-in-law document with her.
But now that Su Xiuer could go and sue the emperor, she must have the document on her.
Wei Mingze's voice was so gentle it could curdle water, “Yes, it’s all my fault. I’ve been preoccupied with arranging our engagement these past few days and haven’t paid attention to these trivial matters. Besides, you know I dislike Su Xiuer, and I don't want to think about anything related to her.”
Duan Zhenzhu was appeased, her expression softening slightly as she exhaled a breath of turbid air.
“Forget it, it’s not entirely your fault. It’s all that damned slut’s doing. Our Duan Mansion has connections. Since she has to face the Emperor after thirty planks, let’s have someone tamper with those thirty planks, so she dies before she can see His Majesty.”
“She’s just a village woman from the countryside. Does she really think she can successfully bypass the Jingzhao Yin and see the Emperor? Hmph, I’ll show her how this great tree of our Minister’s Estate can crush an ant like her.”
“Steward Wang, prepare the carriage. Father should be leaving the palace after the morning court soon; I need to personally go pick him up.”
Wei Mingze quickly followed, “I’ll go with you.”
In the Imperial Palace, after the morning court, Minister Duan walked towards the palace gate with a group of civil and military officials. He also heard the drum that echoed throughout the Capital City.
The officials were discussing amongst themselves, guessing who had beaten the drum, and Minister Duan was among them.
He first reviewed everything he had done recently in his mind, but found nothing that would warrant someone risking their life to beat the Dengwen Drum.
He flicked his sleeve and said to his colleagues, to show his innocence, “No matter who it is, this Dengwen Drum has nothing to do with me.”
“Of course, Minister Duan has had many joyous occasions recently. He even managed to win over the most talented Scholar Wei. Your fortunes are bound to rise,” someone flattered him.
Minister Duan was very pleased, his steps becoming lighter, but he didn't stop walking forward.
Although he was certain the Dengwen Drum had nothing to do with him, he still wanted to leave the palace quickly to see which unlucky person was being sued.
As soon as he stepped out of the palace gate, he saw his daughter and future son-in-law standing under a willow tree in the distance.
At this point, he hadn't yet considered that he might be that unlucky person. He only thought that his daughter and future son-in-law were continuing yesterday's plan, using a high-profile approach to cover up the negative rumors.
“Father, something has happened. That slut beat the Dengwen Drum. She has already received her punishment at the Dengwen Drum Academy, but thirty planks won't kill her, and sixty planks might not be enough to finish her off.”
“Can you find a way, during the imperial execution, to have the guard in charge tamper with the punishment, strike harder, and ensure she dies before meeting the Emperor?”
Upon hearing this, Minister Duan’s legs immediately went weak, his face turning an ugly, mottled purple.
Looking back, it was as if his colleagues, who had just been flattering him, were now mocking him.
He had worked hard for decades, rising to the position of Minister of War, only to be humiliated by a pig-slaughtering village woman one day.
Suppressing his anger, Minister Duan glared at Duan Zhenzhu and Wei Mingze.
“This is all your doing. I’m going back into the palace. You two go back first. You shouldn’t be seen in public at a time like this. You are to stay at home and are not allowed to go anywhere for the next few days.”
Minister Duan was very confident. He had some connections with the leader of the Imperial Guards and believed he could bribe him for help.
The lightness or heaviness of the plank beatings was difficult to measure, and even if someone knew there had been tampering, they wouldn't find solid evidence.
Moreover, who would bother to find evidence for a village woman like Su Xiuer?
Duan Zhenzhu and Wei Mingze breathed a sigh of relief as they watched Minister Duan's retreating back.
Duan Zhenzhu turned and got into the carriage.
After Wei Mingze caught up, he immediately took Duan Zhenzhu's hand, “Zhenzhu, it’s all my fault for implicating you.”
Duan Zhenzhu was confident that the matter had been resolved and was no longer as irritated.
She and Wei Mingze had just gotten engaged, and they were in the midst of their passionate romance.
Duan Zhenzhu leaned her head on Wei Mingze’s shoulder, “It’s okay, this is all resolved. But… Su Xiuer is so beautiful, don't you feel any heartache that she's going to die like this?”
Saying this, she sat up again and stared directly at Wei Mingze.
Wei Mingze’s eyes flickered as he played with Duan Zhenzhu’s fingers and said sincerely.
“Although she always bullied me and used kindness to bind me, we did live together for three years. I do feel some pity for her.”
“But… it’s one thing for her to frame me, but it’s another for her to try and implicate you. I absolutely cannot tolerate this.”
“She’s not even worth a single finger of yours. Zhenzhu, believe me, I’m willing to kill for you.”
Duan Zhenzhu suddenly remembered that when they were at the mansion, it was indeed Wei Mingze who had reminded her not to let Su Xiuer live to meet the Emperor.
Duan Zhenzhu’s eyes brightened, and the corners of her mouth turned up. She leaned her head on Wei Mingze’s shoulder again and casually said, “I wonder who wanted to harm that fool Su Xiuer, to the point of advising her to beat the Dengwen Drum.”
Wei Mingze absentmindedly patted and stroked Duan Zhenzhu’s shoulder, his mind flashing with Shen Hui’s handsome and bright face. He suppressed his jealousy and said.
“It should be that traveling merchant who was with her. That merchant has some ability. He probably found out that Mayor Liu of Jingzhao is your maternal uncle, so he gave her this idea.”
“It’s not surprising that a low-class merchant can get some information,” Duan Zhenzhu nodded and sneered, “They really are birds of a feather. A pig butcher woman can only hook up with a low-class merchant.”
The carriage started, and it happened to pass by a luxurious and noble carriage.
Duan Zhenzhu couldn't help but look a little longer through the carriage curtain and found that the carriage was able to enter the Imperial City unimpeded.
There were no more than a handful of people in the world who could drive a carriage directly into the Imperial City.
Duan Zhenzhu couldn't help but be curious about who was inside that carriage.
She also hoped that one day she too could drive a carriage unimpeded into the Imperial Palace.
Little did she know, the person sitting in that carriage was the very merchant she called low-class.
Shen Hui was wearing a black brocade robe with dark patterns, a jade belt of mutton-fat jade around his waist. His slender, jade-like fingers rested casually on his knees, and every movement exuded an innate nobility.
Su Jinghan looked at Shen Hui like this and suddenly smiled.
“Shen YanHui, Shen YanHui, you call me a fox, but I think you are even more deceptive. With your current attire, no matter who sees you, they would think you are a gentle and refined young master. No one would ever guess that you are the God of Slaughter from the Northern Territory battlefield, whose name strikes fear into all.”
Shen YanHui was Shen Hui's real name.
Shen Hui ignored Su Jinghan’s teasing. With a casual glance through the lifted carriage curtain, he recognized the Duan Mansion's carriage.
He had been investigating the corruption case since his return to the capital, so he had some understanding of the Duan family.
Thinking of Su Xiuer, who must have almost finished her punishment at the Dengwen Drum Academy by now, he turned to look at Su Jinghan again.
“Did you speak to the Imperial Guards and ask them to show mercy during the execution later?”
Su Jinghan crossed his arms, unconcerned, “Isn’t that girl still at the Dengwen Drum Academy? What’s the rush?”
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