An autumn rain brings a chill, the wind mixed with rain threads blows in from the window, making Registrar Lin sitting in the duty room shiver involuntarily. He tightened his official robe slightly and listened intently to the rising and falling voice coming from the hall.
This is the voice of Jiang Shisan, the famous litigation lawyer in Taiyuan prefecture.
"...Stop talking nonsense, where have I ever heard of such laws?"
"...Madam, this was proposed by the Ministry of Justice during the Wang San-niang case in Ganzhou; it isn't written in the law but was recognized by the emperor..."
Hearing this, Registrar Lin yawned. One Miss Jun is already difficult to deal with, and now they've brought this troublesome litigation lawyer. It seems Old Lady Fang won't easily escape without losing money this time.
In fact, Old Lady Fang has already spent a considerable amount of money; otherwise, the county magistrate, who ordinarily wouldn't bother to tease a cat, would be sitting in the hall every day listening to them bicker — all for money.
But he wouldn't dare take this money. Better to stay away from trouble. Registrar Lin reached out to pick up the tea on the table, when suddenly someone lifted the curtain and burst in.
Registrar Lin thought it was a government clerk and raised his eyes, but it was a stranger, an old woman.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" He frowned and asked.
The old woman appeared embarrassed.
"I... I'm looking for Miss Jun." She said and promptly knelt down, "Please, Miss Jun, save me."
Coming to find Miss Jun for medical treatment, not a rare sight these days, Registrar Lin impatiently waved his hand.
"Go away, Miss Jun isn't here." He said and called for someone.
A few government officials came running in, grabbed the old woman, and dragged her out.
"How did someone manage to break in?" Registrar Lin said gruffly, "I know many people enjoy watching the commotion recently, but this government office isn't a tavern or tea house where anyone can slip in."
The officials responded in unison and carried the old woman out.
"I want to see Miss Jun." The old woman anxiously continued to beg.
"Miss Jun isn't here." One official, bothered by her noise, replied impatiently.
Miss Jun isn't around? A glint of light flashed in the old woman's eyes.
"Miss Jun..." She grabbed the official's sleeve urgently, but before she could finish speaking, there was a commotion at the government gate as someone walked in.
The elegant figure couldn't be hidden by the goose-yellow cloak — it was Miss Jun.
The officials were stunned, hurriedly grabbing the old woman to prevent her from charging forward.
The old woman seemed petrified, not reacting, just watching Miss Jun walk past into the hall.
"Miss Jun just came back without even resting." The officials came to their senses and whispered to each other.
Hearing these words, the old woman's eyes flickered again.
"Where did Miss Jun go? I've been looking for her everywhere but couldn't find her." She said tremblingly.
The officials glared at her and then nodded toward the hall.
"Miss Jun went to Taiyuan prefecture to invite Jiang Shisan." One of the officials said.
Ah, so that's how it is. The old woman looked thoughtful.
"Miss Jun, please save my family..." She seemed to suddenly realize and tried to rush into the hall.
The officials stopped her and decisively threw her out.
The old woman sat outside the government office wiping her tears, but didn't linger, getting up and leaving tremblingly. Once out of the public's sight, she straightened up, her steps no longer shaky but swiftly entered a courtyard.
"Are the whereabouts confirmed?"
After the report, the man in the courtyard appeared conflicted.
"She's in Yangcheng now, and before that, she went to Taiyuan to invite Jiang Shisan."
He paced back and forth. This has nothing to do with the Fang Family, so who did it?
He kicked aside the low stool.
"It's really baffling."
......
........
Yuan Bao hurriedly walked, keeping his head lowered, a lot more subdued than his previous appearance in the palace. He kept his head down until he heard a soft cough ahead.
He raised his head to see Lu Yunqi standing in front of him, with four Jinyiwei officers coldly watching him.
"Lord Lu." He quickly bowed respectfully, then bent even more as a thought struck him, "Is His Majesty in Qingzheng Hall?"
His voice carried a hint of flattery.
Lu Yunqi hummed softly and stepped aside.
Yuan Bao bowed again and moved past them.
"Why is this boy suddenly acting so humbly?" A Jinyiwei officer said while watching Yuan Bao's back, "Didn't he secretly claim to be His Majesty's top favorite?"
"Exactly. Those cowardly fellows have become increasingly arrogant, even daring to touch our informants." Another Jinyiwei officer responded coldly.
"Just remember the words 'His Majesty.'" Lu Yunqi said, "We are all working for His Majesty."
No one is superior, we are all the same.
Yuan Bao suddenly knelt on the ground, the whole body bowed as if he collapsed.
"Your Majesty, this servant deserves death." He cried.
The emperor sitting on the dragon throne ahead seemed entirely focused on the memorial in his hand, neither hearing nor seeing.
Others might not dare speak, but Yuan Bao had been with him since childhood.
"We've only found traces of the burnt carriage." He sobbed and said, "Those silver coins are always missing, and the Fang Family couldn't find anything either. This servant deserves death."
As he spoke, he knocked his head on the ground, his forehead quickly becoming bruised and red.
"Enough." The emperor's voice drifted down, accompanied by a sharp sound.
Yuan Bao immediately dared not make another sound, lying motionless on the ground.
"Lost is lost, if it can't be found, then it can't be found, it's no big deal." The emperor said.
No big deal? Yuan Bao raised his head in surprise, seeing the emperor's amiable expression, without a hint of anger.
The emperor rarely got angry, though it was just an appearance. But now Yuan Bao felt the emperor was genuinely unperturbed.
Does His Majesty remember old times and therefore spares him? Yuan Bao suspiciously thought, perhaps he overestimated himself? After all, those silver coins were not just any silver...
"Silver is just silver." The emperor said, with some amusement on his face, "Silver is only unusual in certain hands."
Yuan Bao didn't quite understand, looking at the emperor with tearful eyes.
"Like that old fool." The emperor suddenly sneered, "Clearly foolish himself, yet calls others fools."
Old fool...
There's only one old fool left in the palace...
If someone else heard these words, they'd surely be terrified; however, Yuan Bao merely appeared momentarily flustered.
"Your Majesty, be cautious with your words." He advised with a hint of unease.
The emperor knocked the memorial on the table repeatedly.
"Cautious of what? I've been cautious for half my life, cautiously removing two nuisances, only one left now, after so many years, there's nothing fearful." He said.
Fear isn't really fear, after all, it's his mother. Yuan Bao hesitantly thought.
"This silver is of course important." The emperor continued, carrying some sarcasm, "Yet none of you have realized one thing."
Realized what?
Yuan Bao looked at the emperor in confusion.
"Once this silver leaves the Fang Family, wherever it ends up, it can be explained." The emperor said, "It can be theft, it can be robbery, it can even flow from the Jurchen people; what's that to me?"
Only within the Fang Family, De Sheng Chang, the money business, Shandong's prosperity, this series of backgrounds cause trouble.
Yuan Bao suddenly nodded, thinking it indeed doesn't sound all that terrifying.
"What's there to fear." The emperor stroked the table, "Have you all forgotten, I am the emperor. Whether to fear or not, I decide, if I say fear, you see me as afraid, if I say no fear..."
He smiled slightly, picked up the memorial before him and casually tossed it aside.
"I naturally can show you, I'm unafraid."