Chapter 197

Chapter 197: Unranked

Meng Yang stared at Qi Shu Xian, waiting for what came next. Yet Qi Shu Xian did not continue.

Meng Yang asked carefully, “Was it only that?”

“Only that?” Qi Shu Xian looked at Meng Yang in disbelief.

Meng Yang did not understand what Meng Yang had said wrong. “Then… then was there something else?”

“Lin Yi is my brother!” Qi Shu Xian’s voice rose higher with every word. “I once said I would bring Lin Yi with me to achieve great deeds and let Lin Yi live a life above others. But now? Now I have to abandon Lin Yi!”

Qi Shu Xian shouted, “If I abandon Lin Yi, I am sending Lin Yi to die! Is that not enough?”

Tears filled Qi Shu Xian’s eyes. Then, in the next moment, it was as if all the strength in Qi Shu Xian’s body was drained at once.

Qi Shu Xian’s voice dropped. “Of course… it was not only that.”

Fear surged in Meng Yang’s heart.

The Third Prince wanted the Heir Apparent to give up Lin Yi. Then what about Meng Yang? No. Meng Yang could not be abandoned.

“Heir Apparent…” Meng Yang threw herself into Qi Shu Xian’s arms. “It was all my fault. If it cannot be done, I am willing to admit everything was my doing. It had nothing to do with Heir Apparent. I… I am willing to die for Heir Apparent!”

Meng Yang’s tears soaked Qi Shu Xian’s robe.

Qi Shu Xian should have been deeply moved, but at that moment, Qi Shu Xian only felt exhausted. Qi Shu Xian closed his eyes, then finally placed a hand on the trembling shoulder in comfort.

Qi Shu Xian said, “Even if you took all the blame alone, what would it change? No one would believe it. Besides, if I had not agreed, you could not have done it.”

Qi Shu Xian simply could not understand it. Qi Shu Xian had only wanted to take responsibility for an innocent woman who was dragged in. Why did it have to cost so much?

Why could Sheng Zhi Wan not be even a little as considerate as Meng Yang? Did Sheng Zhi Wan truly love Qi Shu Xian? If Sheng Zhi Wan truly loved Qi Shu Xian, why had Sheng Zhi Wan never considered Qi Shu Xian even once? Why had Sheng Zhi Wan never lowered herself even a little?

Qi Shu Xian fell asleep and stayed sick for two days.

Now Qi Shu Xian was only an assistant sixth-rank official in the Capital. Whether Qi Shu Xian attended court or not, no one truly cared. Yet Qi Shu Xian still forced himself to go, and on that day, someone in Zi Sheng Hall finally summoned Qi Shu Xian inside.

So it finally came.

Qi Shu Xian let out a long breath. Under the sleeve, Qi Shu Xian’s fingers clenched one by one. Under the strange looks of many court officials, Qi Shu Xian walked step by step into Zi Sheng Hall.

Duke Qi’s face looked terrible.

Duke Qi shouted, “Qi Shu Xian!”

From above, Emperor Chong Sheng’s majestic voice rang out. “Do you know your crime?”

Qi Shu Xian raised his head. Qi Shu Xian should have confessed. Qi Shu Xian had ordered Lin Yi to go to Mo Bei and profit from the cold disaster. But Qi Shu Xian could not let Lin Yi die for nothing.

Even if Qi Shu Xian admitted it was Qi Shu Xian’s order, Lin Yi would still die. So Qi Shu Xian swallowed hard and answered in a hoarse voice, “This minister… does not know.”

“Good! Very good, ‘does not know!’” Emperor Chong Sheng sneered. “Duke Qi, read him every word from this memorial!”

Duke Qi was struck in the face by the memorial and still did not dare cry out in pain. Duke Qi had felt terribly unlucky lately.

First, Qi Shu Xian’s good reward had gone from fourth rank to fifth rank. Then, the usually obedient daughter-in-law had become like a different person. The eldest daughter had been beheaded for smuggling private salt. The wife had become paralyzed. Qi Shu Xian’s post had been stripped, and then there was the divorce. Even Duke Qi’s reputation was gone.

And now it still was not over. Another mess had appeared.

Could it really be as Rui’er had said, that it was because the child Madam Tao carried was a karmic debt? A debt coming to collect from their whole family?

Duke Qi trembled as Duke Qi picked up the memorial. It was Censor Wang Ye impeaching the Duke Qi Manor for hoarding cotton during the disaster, colluding with wealthy merchants, and trying to raise cotton prices. With only the Du Clan and the Ji Zhou Prefecture authorities, it was naturally not enough to calm the matter.

Wang Ye did not dare move against the Third Prince. But if the Duke Qi Manor had been uncovered, how could it be let off?

Wang Ye had not expected Qi Shu Xian, the young talent Wang Ye had admired, to do such a thing. Full of disappointment and rage, Wang Ye wrote a memorial of hundreds of words.

Listening to it, Qi Shu Xian felt as if his face was being ripped open alive.

Emperor Chong Sheng’s expression also looked a bit unnatural, but all the officials assumed Emperor Chong Sheng was furious at what Qi Shu Xian had done.

After Duke Qi finished reading, Duke Qi dropped to the ground with a heavy thud.

Duke Qi pleaded, “Your Majesty, please see clearly! My son went for the country and the people. My son barely survived and returned from Cang Nan. My son always said he wanted to be a good official with ambition to serve the nation. How could my son do something like this just for profit? This… this must be someone slandering my son!”

Duke Qi truly meant it. In Duke Qi’s heart, Qi Shu Xian was good in every way. Qi Shu Xian’s only flaw was being too upright and not knowing how to bend.

As for silver, the Duke Qi Manor did not lack it. Meng Yang earned so much that the Duke Qi Manor could not even spend it all…

Wait.

Duke Qi’s face suddenly changed.

Duke Qi cried, “Your Majesty, it was Meng Yang! The shops in the Duke Manor are all managed by Meng Yang now. It must have been Meng Yang deceiving my son and doing this!”

“Is that so?” Emperor Chong Sheng looked at Qi Shu Xian.

Qi Shu Xian knelt down with a bitter smile. How could Qi Shu Xian claim to know nothing?

Qi Shu Xian did not argue at all. Qi Shu Xian only kowtowed. “Meng Yang did tell this minister that Meng Yang wanted to go to Mo Bei to do business. At the time, the cold disaster had not broken out yet, so this minister gave Meng Yang manpower. But… but after the cold disaster, the Duke Manor never exchanged letters with Mo Bei again. What Censor Wang said in the memorial, this minister did not know. But if it is true, this minister is guilty. This minister begs Your Majesty to punish this minister!”

“Shu Xian…” Duke Qi stared in disbelief.

Qi Shu Xian still did not explain a single word.

Emperor Chong Sheng pointed at Qi Shu Xian several times. In the end, Emperor Chong Sheng sneered.

“Qi Shu Xian failed to manage the household and indulged a concubine in profiteering!” Emperor Chong Sheng declared. “All military posts are removed. Effective today, Qi Shu Xian is demoted to an unranked City Gate Guard!”

Qi Shu Xian’s body, pressed to the ground, trembled.

Qi Shu Xian had expected it, but when the day truly came, Qi Shu Xian still felt unwilling. Qi Shu Xian opened his mouth bitterly. “This minister… thanks Your Majesty!”

Qi Shu Xian stayed kneeling, feeling countless gazes fall on Qi Shu Xian.

Only after court ended did Qi Shu Xian brace himself on the ground and stumble up.

“Meng Yang! Meng Yang again!” Duke Qi’s old face burned with shame.

Before, Duke Qi had thought Meng Yang was not bad. Meng Yang could brew wine, had a sharp mind, could earn silver for the Duke Manor, and could even give the Duke Manor its first grandchild. But silver had been plentiful when Sheng Zhi Wan had not divorced. The grandchild was also gone because of Meng Yang.

Meng Yang had caused Shu Xian to be demoted twice. Now Shu Xian had been stripped all the way down, with even his rank and military posts removed.

If only Sheng Zhi Wan had not divorced…

Remembering the pros and cons his younger daughter had analyzed, Duke Qi felt endless regret. What was silver? If the Duke Manor wanted to keep its wealth and glory, Shu Xian’s position was what mattered most.

If Duke Qi had known it would come to this, Duke Qi would have done anything to keep Sheng Zhi Wan. It was also because Sheng Zhi Wan was too heartless. It was only a concubine, yet Sheng Zhi Wan insisted on making it a divorce. Without Shu Xian, what man could Sheng Zhi Wan marry in the future? Sheng Zhi Wan could wait to regret it.

But today’s matter still was not over.

The father and son had just returned to the Duke Qi Manor when another decree arrived from the Imperial Palace. It was an edict from the Empress Dowager, addressed to Meng Yang.

Meng Yang still did not know Qi Shu Xian’s post had been stripped. Hearing that the Empress Dowager had issued an edict to Meng Yang, Meng Yang instinctively assumed the Empress Dowager was standing up for Sheng Zhi Wan. Meng Yang knelt down, feeling deeply wronged.