The following morning at court, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review stepped forward, holding a jade tablet, his voice steady and his words clear.
"Your Majesty, the Third Prince Xiao Rong has been practicing heretical magic and harming soldiers on the border. He has also instigated the sorcerer Xuanjizi to steal people's lifespans and the fortune of the top scholar. He has wreaked havoc on the court and shaken the foundation of the nation."
All the crimes he committed were heinous and unforgivable. According to the law, he should be stripped of his imperial lineage and sentenced to death as a warning. His birth mother, Noble Consort Wei, was a poor teacher who caused chaos in the palace; she should also be deposed and sentenced to death.
The Lady Wei family, relatives of the imperial family, have been indulgent and protective, bringing disaster to the nation. They should be stripped of their titles, their property confiscated, and their entire family executed!
As soon as he finished speaking, the entire court fell into a deathly silence, followed by an uproar... and whispers filled the air.
General Qin stepped forward first, knelt down with a thud, and slammed his forehead heavily on the bluestone bricks, his voice filled with anger.
"Your Majesty, I beg you to seek justice for my sons who died unjustly on the frontier."
The two generals of the Fu Household followed closely behind, kneeling side by side, "We beg Your Majesty to uphold justice and seek justice for the fallen soldiers."
A whoosh... All the military officers in the hall stepped forward in unison, kneeling down in unison, their kowtows thundering in the air, "We beg Your Majesty to grant us your judgment!"
Even within the ranks of civil officials, undercurrents were surging.
So, the matter of Lord Ji's attempt to extend his lifespan was actually orchestrated by the Third Prince? And what about the misfortunes his own sons faced in the imperial examinations? Had their luck also been stolen?
If such evil arts are allowed to run rampant, wouldn't the imperial court become Xiao Rong's personal tool? The foundation of the nation would be shaken, and disaster would befall himself; what future would there be for his Lineage then?
Thinking of this, the civil officials also stepped forward and knelt down side by side with the military officials.
The hall was filled with people in crimson and purple robes, yet not a single person was standing.
The emperor sat high on his dragon throne, his gaze sweeping over the dark mass of ministers below. Anger, accompanied by an unprecedented chill, crept up his spine.
For the first time, he realized that even as emperor, he was utterly powerless against the collective rebellion of these ministers.
Xiao Rong... is utterly hopelessly stupid!
Lu Chi knelt among the officials, his gaze deep and serious. He watched as the officials of the Three Departments wrote their verdicts and the memorial was presented to the court. Even if the Wei Household had great abilities, they could not escape this calamity.
The Wei Household's fate is sealed.
After a long silence, the emperor's voice came from above, revealing neither joy nor anger.
"Crown Prince."
"Your subject is here."
"I hereby entrust this case to your full supervision. You must investigate thoroughly to the end. Anyone who colluded with Xiao Rong must be severely punished; no one should be let off lightly. The Lady Wei family and Noble Consort Wei... shall be dealt with according to the recommendations of the Three Judicial Offices."
"Your subject obeys the decree."
"Dismiss the court."
Xuanjizi was beheaded, but the Merit from the Jin Shanyao's good deeds hasn't been realized yet? What went wrong? The previous times I did good deeds, the Merit was immediately applied to my Inner Core.
It's been so many days, why hasn't Xuanjizi reacted at all??
Just as she was racking her brains trying to figure it out, Meng Anzhi and Meng Anci ran in, "Auntie... quick, quick, quick... Master has brought the bride back on a tall horse."
Jin Shanyao along by two children to watch the ceremony.
A red carpet was laid out in front of the Lu Residence, stretching from the sedan chair all the way to the wedding hall. Servants and maids on both sides were dressed in auspicious clothes and stood bowing. Even the stone lions outside the mansion were tied with red ribbons.
Fu Congxi helped down from the bridal sedan chair by the matchmaker. The moment his foot touched the cloth bag, the matchmaker shouted, "Stepping on the green bag, you'll have a son to carry on the family line!"
Lu Chi took the red silk and led Fu Congxi to the wedding hall.
The matchmaker followed, shouting all the way, "Step over the fire pit, and your days will be prosperous and thriving; step over the saddle, and you will be safe and sound!"
As soon as the newlyweds stepped halfway into the main entrance of the wedding hall, the maids on both sides scattered grains on Fu Congxi, chanting, "Scattering grains to welcome the newlyweds, wishing them many children and abundant blessings, and a house full of gold and jade."
As soon as they finished speaking, the two arrived at the hall. Marquis Lu and Madam Wei had just sat down when Feng Zhi walked over carrying the memorial tablet. He said coldly, " Madam Wei, you have taken my lady's place."
Madam Wei was slightly taken aback, then her eyes reddened. " Chi'er, I don't blame you. This seat should be your birth mother's. I've always told you to be filial since you were little, and you've learned that very well."
As she spoke, she pulled out a handkerchief to wipe the corner of her eye, took a deep breath, and stood up, appearing both sad and magnanimous.
Someone whispered, " The Wei Household has fallen. Madam Wei has no one to back her up; otherwise, she wouldn't even be able to get a cup of tea."
Even if she doesn't fall from grace, she still can't afford to drink. A stepmother is always inferior to a birth mother.
Hearing the surrounding whispers, Madam Wei's eyes flashed with sarcasm. If the Wei Household hadn't fallen from power and the Marquis's mansion hadn't been so different from what it used to be, she wouldn't have had to endure this humiliation.
Her gaze swept over Marquis Lu, and sure enough, his face was ashen, his eyes blazing with anger as he glared at Feng Zhi. "Nonsense... What are you doing holding a memorial tablet on such a joyous day? Get out of here!"
Not only did Feng Zhi not retreat, but he also placed the memorial tablet squarely on the chair. The moment the tablet was placed down, the matchmaker shouted, "First bow to Heaven and Earth!"
Marquis Lu stood up abruptly. " Lu Chi... there's a limit to nonsense. Madam Wei raised you with great difficulty; even if she didn't do anything special, she certainly put in the effort. What exactly are you trying to do in front of so many people?"
The matchmaker's voice trembled, her legs shaking uncontrollably. She looked at this person and then at that person, thinking, "This job... it's inhuman."
Jin Shanyao stood in the corner with her two children, each holding a plate of pastries. Meng Anci asked in confusion, "Auntie... why isn't Madam Wei saying anything while she keeps crying?"
She knew the answer to this question. Jin Shanyao swallowed the food in her mouth, gestured for the two children to lean closer, and whispered, "This is the same principle as a concubine kneeling in front of the mistress's courtyard, putting on a show for everyone."
If she were truly wronged, she would directly question Marquis Lu, "Where am I sitting?" instead of saying, "Chi'er's mother doesn't blame you." That statement implies she does blame you.
If you look at her again, she won't say a word, she'll just cry. She's faking her grievances and showing weakness so she can dump all the problems and embarrassment on the man and the people around her.
Upon hearing this, Meng Anci Jin Shanyao a thumbs-up, "Auntie, you know so much..."
"That's..." Jin Shanyao proudly raised her chin, "When you have time, take a look at my book ' The Record of Admonishing Evil -- Prefectural Capital Chapter,' and broaden your horizons."
"Okay... I'll listen to my aunt."
While they were cautiously discussing this, they were about to take action. Marquis Lu stood up, overturned the memorial tablet, and pulled Madam Wei over to sit down in a chair.
"Sit here. Although you didn't give birth to him, you raised him from a young age, and the effort you put in was no less than anyone else's. If you don't deserve to sit here, then who does?"
Feng Zhi picked up the memorial tablet, held it in his arms, and looked at Lu Chi, only to see Fu Congxi holding his hand tightly, preventing him from going forward.
Madam Wei nervously clutched her handkerchief, "Why are you scolding the child? After all, it was your sister who gave birth to him..."
Madam Wei took a deep breath, "I always thought people were made of flesh and blood, but I never imagined..."
She turned her face away for a long while before saying, "My lord, please don't make things difficult for the child. I'll stay standing."
As she was about to get up, Marquis Lu pressed her down, pinching his brow. "I told you I wouldn't come, but you insisted. You said you couldn't let your daughter-in-law lose face."
Now look what's happened... people are humiliating you, aren't they? When are you going to change your weak-willed nature?"
"My lord... Lu Chi disowns us, but we can't disown this son, can we?"
Those who came to observe the ceremony were all high-ranking officials of the court, and they all knew about the Lu Household. Lu Chi had been causing trouble everywhere since he was five years old, and every time it was Madam Wei took out money to solve his problems.
I thought he would be better as he grew up, but I never expected him to insult his stepmother at the wedding. He's truly an ungrateful wretch.
Madam Wei was very satisfied with the reactions of those around her; this was exactly the effect she wanted. She wanted to completely extinguish any last vestiges of Marquis Lu for Lu Chi.
Outside the wedding hall, a loud shout suddenly rang out, "The Empress has arrived..."