Chapter 237

Chapter 237: So Underhanded

The Duke Residence had handed out reward money and actually caused a death.

When the news reached the Princess Residence, Ting Lan felt thoroughly satisfied.

“Good,” Ting Lan said. “Let’s see how the Duke Residence cleans this up. They just had to steal the Princess’s good fortune. Now someone’s dead. It’s all bad luck!”

Sheng Zhi Wan frowned.

How could someone die?

When the Duke Residence handed out reward money, did they not arrange anyone to keep order in advance?

Ever since a stampede happened when Eldest Imperial Sister married and scattered wedding money, every household in the capital city made sure to notify the authorities before holding such celebrations.

The authorities would send soldiers, and the household guards would help maintain order.

But the Duke Residence clearly had not done that.

“Enough,” An Zhi said.

Seeing the Princess’s expression, An Zhi glared at Ting Lan. “Someone died. Don’t say that kind of thing outside.”

Ting Lan pouted and changed the subject.

“Princess, do you want to go look at the betrothal gifts Prince Consort sent? Especially that wild goose. It’s so clever.”

“I heard Madam Ye say Prince Consort caught that wild goose himself,” someone added.

Sheng Zhi Wan thought of the wild goose Shang Xing Yu had mentioned, the one that had pecked Qi Shu Xian’s hat off.

Sheng Zhi Wan shook her head.

“Liu Shang,” Sheng Zhi Wan said, “go find out what happened to that family.”

As for the Duke Residence, Sheng Zhi Wan expected the censors at court would not let it go tomorrow.

Sure enough, at the next morning’s court session, Emperor Chong Sheng had barely told the officials to rise when several censors stepped out from the line.

They spoke passionately, one after another.

They reported that the Duke Residence had handed out reward money yesterday but had not notified the authorities to maintain order.

As a result, dozens were injured.

They also reported the story of an idiot son and his aged mother.

Because they had no money to treat the mother’s injuries, they had knelt outside the Duke Residence.

The idiot son was beaten, and the old mother, overwhelmed with grief and rage, had splattered blood at the Duke Residence gates.

Wang Ye trembled with anger.

He removed his hat and kowtowed.

“Your Majesty, Duke Qi caused a stampede tragedy with many injured. Afterward, he not only failed to provide relief, he even threatened and assaulted the commoner. Where is the dignity of the law? Where is fairness in the people’s hearts?”

“We beg Your Majesty to punish the Duke Residence severely, to set things right,” the censors said together as they all knelt.

Duke Qi’s face looked terrible.

He had not expected yesterday’s mess to end with a death.

That mad old woman had been hateful. She had actually dared to kill herself at the Duke Residence gates.

But listening to the censors’ impeachment, Duke Qi stepped forward and knelt.

His voice was heavy with regret.

“The lords speak truly,” Duke Qi said. “Yesterday’s reward money was originally an act of goodwill. I wanted the commoner to pray for my son and for Mo Bei, and for them to feel His Majesty’s vast grace. I never imagined it would cause trouble.”

“Your Majesty, I was only too happy about Mo Bei’s great victory. I failed to consider it properly. I did not notify the authorities to send soldiers to maintain order. I deserve punishment. I deserve punishment.”

Duke Qi paused and lifted a hand to wipe at the corner of his eye.

“As for that mother and son, the Steward thought they meant to smear the Duke Residence. That was why he brought the boy into the residence and questioned him. From start to finish, it took less than a quarter of an hour. No one expected the woman would slam her head into the ground and die.”

“The Steward was only eager to protect his master. If Your Majesty must punish someone, I am willing to accept the blame for him!”

After Duke Qi finished, he bowed deeply.

The censors exchanged looks.

They had not expected Duke Qi to dodge the real weight of the matter like this.

On the surface, he took responsibility. Yet without leaving any obvious trace, he pushed all the blame elsewhere.

He claimed he handed out reward money for a righteous cause, for the frontier and for the commoner, and even for His Majesty.

He turned forgetting to notify the authorities into a small mistake made out of joy.

He made the tragedy sound like the commoner’ greed.

As for the old woman’s death, he pushed it straight onto the Steward.

On top of that, he painted himself as benevolent, willing to suffer punishment for a mere Steward.

Anyone who did not know the full story would probably praise him.

“May I ask,” Minister of Revenue Lord Ye suddenly stepped out, “did Duke truly forget to notify the authorities?”

Duke Qi’s kneeling body stiffened.

Lord Ye said, “By coincidence, my wife served as the chief matchmaker for the Princess Residence and Prince Consort’s betrothal rites yesterday. According to her, the Duke Residence chose its time to hand out reward money neither early nor late, but exactly when the wedding pastries were about to be distributed…”

Lord Ye stopped there and did not continue.

But the half-smile on his face made everyone understand.

So it was not that Duke Qi forgot to notify the authorities.

It was that if he had notified them, he would not have been able to steal the crowd from Princess Qing Ning in time.

Truly-

The officials were speechless.

He was a duke and an elder, yet he deliberately chose to clash with a junior over something like this.

It was petty, vindictive, narrow-minded, and small-hearted.

So underhanded.

It made people wonder whether they had been disgusted by the same kind of trick in the past, without realizing it.

Duke Qi’s expression went stiff.

He had not expected Madam Ye to be Shang Xing Yu’s chief matchmaker.

He had expected even less that Ye Zhuo Yun would step out in court over this.

Duke Qi could not stop himself from frowning at Ye Zhuo Yun.

A useless Prince Consort and a worthless Princess. Why would Ye Zhuo Yun offend Duke Qi and offend the Duke Residence for their sake?

What benefit could Ye Zhuo Yun possibly gain?

Ye Zhuo Yun did not even look at Duke Qi.

Just because Shang Er had helped Ye Zhuo Yun’s son walk the right path, Ye Zhuo Yun would remember that debt.

“Is that so?” Emperor Chong Sheng’s voice came.

Duke Qi hurriedly came back to himself.

“Of course not, Your Majesty,” Duke Qi said. “I truly did not expect such a coincidence. If I had known, I would have waited until the Princess’s betrothal rites were finished before handing out the reward money. I was only too happy when I heard the news, and I forgot for a moment.”

“Hmm,” Emperor Chong Sheng said, nodding.

“I was extremely happy when I heard of Mo Bei’s great victory as well. Duke, loving his son, should be the same as I am.”

“Minister Ye, it seems you overthought this. A woman’s words should not sway your mind.”

With Emperor Chong Sheng saying that, Ye Zhuo Yun could only bow and accept it.

As for what Ye Zhuo Yun and the other ministers thought in their hearts, Emperor Chong Sheng could not control that.

“Since that is the case,” Emperor Chong Sheng said, “then punish Duke Qi by docking three months of salary, as a warning.”

In Sheng Kingdom’s noble ranks, the first rank was Prince, with Commandery Prince beneath that.

Only the second rank was Duke.

Duke Qi’s salary meant almost nothing to the Duke Residence’s extravagant life, but on paper it was not a small amount.

Each month, aside from three hundred taels of silver, he also received fixed allotments of silk, millet, spices, and tea.

But that was only significant to ordinary officials and commoner.

To the Duke Residence, what kind of punishment was that?

The moment Emperor Chong Sheng spoke, everyone understood his attitude.

The censors’ faces darkened as they returned to their places.

Duke Qi was delighted.

His Majesty truly meant to promote Shu Xian.

After court ended, Duke Qi deliberately slowed his steps.

When Minister Ye and the censors drew near, Duke Qi gave a smile that did not reach his eyes.

“Today really troubled you to spend so much concern on my Duke Residence, but His Majesty is wise,” Duke Qi said.

“These three months of salary will count as the Duke Residence contributing to the State Treasury. I only hope that in the future, you will wipe your eyes clean and stop accusing people without knowing right from wrong.”

After speaking, Duke Qi flicked his sleeve, as if brushing away some worthless dust.

The censors’ faces turned iron-blue.

Minister Ye snorted.

Duke Qi felt excellent.

And thinking that even Sheng Zhi Wan, that cast-off woman, now had a Prince Consort, Duke Qi grew even more eager.

His Shu Xian had glorious military merit and was young and capable.

Should he not find a high-born noble lady to become Shu Xian’s second wife?

This time, Duke Qi had to open his eyes wide.

He absolutely could not choose another woman like Sheng Zhi Wan-