Chapter 071
Chapter 71: Lord Xia Is Impressive
Before three days of rumors were up, people in Court began to submit memorials accusing Xia Ping Yuan of failing to discipline his daughter. Others even pointed to old cases he had handled and claimed there were many problems in them.
Emperor Xuan Ming sat on the Dragon Throne and asked, displeased: “Beloved Minister Xia, what do you say?”
“I am wronged, Your Majesty. I beg you to investigate and return my good name,” Xia Ping Yuan said, trembling as he knelt with tears on his face. “My daughter is innocent. She divorced only because she married the wrong man, yet now malicious people slander her. I am useless. Please, Your Majesty, uphold justice for your old minister.”
The great hall was quiet except for Xia Ping Yuan’s sobs. He looked so aggrieved that none of his usual iron-toothed swagger remained.
Some officials didn’t understand. It was only a few rumors. Was this necessary?
Others were gleeful. Xia Ping Yuan, you finally have your bad day. This time we’ll crush you.
The leading lords in front traded glances, then silently looked away.
“Your Majesty, perhaps the rumors are off in some details, but the Xia Family’s Eldest Miss, Xia Meng Yan, is tangled up with both the Ping An Marquis and Lu Rong Fang. The evidence is solid. A woman this shameless should be driven out of the Capital,” one official said.
“The Capital is the heart of the nation. How can we allow such a woman to stain it?” another said. “In my view, banishment is too light. She should be sent to a temple and never allowed out.”
Voices rose across the hall. One by one they attacked until Xia Ping Yuan was worth nothing in their mouths. Another official produced “evidence,” saying that two years earlier someone had accused Xia Ping Yuan of mistreating a student. The case vanished because the accuser feared Xia Ping Yuan’s power, and the person finally jumped into the river to die.
Kneeling, Xia Ping Yuan listened to his colleagues slander him. He said nothing, only cried harder.
Emperor Xuan Ming grew impatient. A good court session had become a public beating of Xia Ping Yuan: “Enough.”
The officials fell silent at once and bowed their heads.
“Beloved Minister Xia, come with me to the Imperial Study. Court is dismissed.”
The officials knelt to send off Emperor Xuan Ming.
In the Imperial Study, Emperor Xuan Ming sat on a couch while the Chief Steward handed him ginseng tea. The emperor’s gaze skimmed over the kneeling Xia Ping Yuan.
Last time someone schemed against Xiao Mu Zi, and it was the Xia Family’s Eldest Miss, Xia Meng Yan, who saved him. The emperor had quietly investigated afterward and learned that Xia Meng Yan had crossed Consort Ping. Now that the Xia Family was being cursed by everyone, there was likely someone pushing it from behind.
“Beloved Minister Xia, rise,” the emperor said.
“I won’t,” Xia Ping Yuan replied. He knocked his head to the floor, sounding like a sulky child: “I have served at Your Majesty’s side for many years. You know my nature. They bully me because I have no backing. They slander me and my daughter. If Your Majesty won’t stand up for me, then I have only one road left, and that is death.”
Emperor Xuan Ming gave a small snort and set down his cup: “I warned you long ago to watch your tongue and stop making enemies of the court officials. You wouldn’t listen.”
Wiping his tears, Xia Ping Yuan straightened his back and spoke with quiet certainty: “I was not wrong. I studied for years so I could serve the people and serve Your Majesty. If I must fear offending others, I might as well go home and farm. I have no regrets. My wife and daughter support me. It only hurts them that they suffer because of me and get smeared. I… I owe them.”
As he spoke, he started crying again.
The Chief Steward watched the emperor. Though His Majesty’s face looked stern, he wasn’t truly angry.
So then… all right?
The Chief Steward glanced at Xia Ping Yuan and suddenly understood. Impressive.
In the Capital, Xia Ping Yuan had no family power behind him. He’d reached his current post on his own. He obeyed the emperor in all things. Last time he handed over two hundred thousand taels without blinking.
Now the pack was attacking this loyal, cornered official.
If the Chief Steward were the emperor, he would feel sorry for Xia Ping Yuan too.
Sure enough, Emperor Xuan Ming sighed and reached out to help Xia Ping Yuan up: “A grown man weeping like this is not a good look. I’ll have the Dali Court investigate. If you truly did nothing wrong, I will restore your name.”
Xia Ping Yuan didn’t dare let the emperor support him. As the imperial hand drew near, he hurried to stand on his own: “If a man stands upright, he need not fear a crooked shadow. My conscience is clear. I only fear that some people will work tricks in the dark and use this to kill me. If I die, that’s fine. But I can’t bear to leave Your Majesty, nor my wife and daughter.”
With that, the knees he had just lifted sank back to the floor.
The Chief Steward felt his own bootlicking looked weak next to this. Look at him, clinging to Emperor Xuan Ming’s leg and crying like a child who has missed a feeding. Who wouldn’t feel pity?
The emperor wasn’t made of iron. Of course he would soften.
Alas, those fools in Court. Put them all together and they still aren’t as sharp as Xia Ping Yuan.
“They wouldn’t dare. I’ll send my own trusted men. Rest easy. I won’t let them succeed,” Emperor Xuan Ming said, anger on his face. Those old fossils in Court had been forming cliques in secret for years. They couldn’t stand Xia Ping Yuan. Fine, fine. They wanted him dead? The emperor would make sure they didn’t get their wish.
Xia Ping Yuan lowered his sobs, and a glint flashed in his eyes.
Before court, he and his daughter had agreed: as long as he played the part of the lone, loyal official, Emperor Xuan Ming wouldn’t deal him a fatal blow.
What came next would depend on the moment. If he could rise through this, so much the better. If not, he must at least keep the emperor’s favor.
“A few insults to me are nothing,” he said. “They know I am often at Your Majesty’s side and still dare to smear me. That shows they don’t put Your Majesty in their eyes. It is only that I am weak and cannot resist them, making Your Majesty constrained. I am ashamed.”
“How is any of this your fault? They just can’t stand to see me well. Wait until the case is clear. I will make them pay,” Emperor Xuan Ming said.
The Chief Steward bowed his head and silently started praying for the Court officials.
He understood now: of all people, do not offend Xia Ping Yuan.
Fast-thinking, capable, and willing to put his face on the line. A man like this would enter the Grand Secretariat sooner or later.
He would serve him carefully in days to come.
“These next few days, stay at home for now,” the emperor added. “Things outside are a mess, and it will only annoy you to see them. As for your daughter: after the child is born, why not send the child back to the Marquis Manor, and then she can find someone to marry.”
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Xia Ping Yuan was startled. He hadn’t expected Emperor Xuan Ming to take an interest in his daughter’s remarriage as well. His mind turned fast, and he said: “That is what this old minister thought too. But my girl was wounded deeply by the Ping An Marquis. She has already decided that she will not marry again and will raise the child herself. My wife and she have discussed leaving the Capital in a few months and not returning for several years.”
“Oh?” Emperor Xuan Ming turned and looked at him. “Truly?”
“I would not dare deceive my emperor. My daughter cannot endure even a grain of sand in her eye. She longs for one true pair for life. She knows this cannot be now, so she has let go of that wish. She only wants to live quietly with her child,” Xia Ping Yuan said, head bowed, voice steady.
Last time, it was Emperor Xuan Ming who had granted his daughter’s marriage, and even divorcing had been hard. This time, no matter what, he had to stop His Majesty from meddling.
Emperor Xuan Ming sighed: “Fine. As long as Beloved Minister Xia remains by my side, that is enough.”
“Where Your Majesty is, there I am.”
“You’re better at coaxing me than he is,” Emperor Xuan Ming said with a laugh.
At the Xia Manor, Xia Meng Yan absentmindedly picked apart lotus seeds. By her count, Father should be back from court by now. With all the wild talk outside these days, she wondered if he had been troubled in Court.
“Xia Meng Yan, come out!” a shout suddenly sounded outside the door.
Xia Meng Yan looked at Nanny Song. Nanny Song understood and went out to check. She returned shortly and said: “Eldest Miss, it’s the Ping An Marquis. He’s shouting to see you.”
“Throw him out,” Xia Meng Yan said, crushing a lotus seed between her fingers. [At a time like this, Lin Ye Lan dares to make a scene? He’s asking for death.]
Nanny Song took people out to drive him away.
The noise outside suddenly stopped.
Rubbing her temples, Xia Meng Yan asked, annoyed: “Did he leave?”
“Wretch, is this how you treat a guest?” came a stern voice.
Xia Meng Yan’s hand paused. Without even looking up, she already knew who it was.